Chapter 56: Iron-Willed Xiao Yun

—

Xu Shen’s eyes gleamed as he processed what he had just heard. He turned his gaze toward Xiao Yun, whose expression remained dark and brooding, though he stayed silent.

“Capital University’s engraving department is full of experts. That little girl’s grandfather is even a professor,” Xu Shen said, his tone calm but laced with curiosity. “So why come to me?”

Despite being younger than everyone present, Xu Shen spoke with the confidence of someone far older, casually referring to Xuexue as “little girl.”

—

Xuexue shook her head. “I already explained—we’re still students.”

“Fire runes, like mountain and water runes, belong to the advanced Silent Realm tier of engraving,” she continued. “At our current level, we can’t handle something that complex.”

“Unless we get help from our top senior, who’s about to graduate, but she’s already gone back to her hometown.”

“And as for the professors, they’re all extremely busy. Xiao Yun—”

Before she could finish, Xu Shen raised a hand to cut her off.

“Fine, let’s say the professors are too busy,” he said. “You students can’t do it, but surely there are plenty of engravers in a city as big as the capital. Why not go to them?”

This was Xu Shen’s biggest question. If Xiao Yun’s rune was damaged, why hadn’t he sought out another engraver? Why drag things out and end up here?

—

Xuexue hesitated, glancing at Xiao Yun.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yun finally spoke in a low voice. “I don’t want my family to find out my rune is damaged.”

“I left home to prove that I could rise on my own without their help.”

“There are people from my family all over the capital. If I go to an engraver outside the university, they’ll find out I’m in trouble.”

“And then they’ll drag me back home.”

—

“Oh?” Xu Shen took a step closer, his tone tinged with amusement. “How do you know I don’t know your family?”

“And do you really think your family won’t find out if you ask students for help?”

Xiao Yun’s face darkened further. “Anyone who talks will get beaten up.”

“Besides,” he added, “my family might know a lot of engravers, but they wouldn’t station someone here just to keep tabs on me.”

“I can’t be sure, but I have no choice but to take the risk.”

—

Xu Shen sighed inwardly. What a coincidence—I actually do know your aunt…

But he didn’t say that out loud. Instead, he sat back down on the sofa and crossed his legs.

“Fine. Let’s say I agree to help you. But can you afford my price?”

“How much? I’ll pay for him!” Xuexue interjected immediately.

“You?” Xu Shen gave her a strange look.

Before she could respond, Xiao Yun stepped forward and said firmly, “Xuexue, I won’t let you pay a single cent for me. I left home to prove myself—I’ll gather the resources I need with my own hands!”

His words were resolute, and the determination in his voice moved everyone present.

—

“Twenty spirit crystals. Non-negotiable,” Xu Shen said flatly.

“…”

“Why don’t you just rob us instead?” one of the girls exclaimed in disbelief.

Twenty spirit crystals?! One spirit crystal was equivalent to 10,000 spirit stones! And this was just for repairing a Core Solidification Peak rune?

“I told you—my services are expensive. If you can’t accept it, leave,” Xu Shen replied calmly.

This price had been suggested by Dong Tianming. If Xu Shen was going to act arrogant, he might as well go all in. As long as he could deliver results, arrogance would translate into confidence.

—

“Gray… Gray-Masked Brother,” Tang Liang said with an awkward smile. “Twenty spirit crystals is a lot for us students. How can we be sure you’ll actually fix his rune? Can’t we pay after the work is done?”

“My name is Ming,” Xu Shen corrected him coldly. “Pay first, then I’ll work.”

“This is how I operate. Everyone follows the rules—no exceptions.”

—

BANG!

Xuexue slammed her hand on the table. In an instant, twenty transparent, glowing spirit crystals appeared neatly arranged before her. The dense spiritual energy radiating from them filled the room.

“Twenty crystals—satisfied?” she asked, her tone unwavering.

“Xuexue!” Xiao Yun frowned and stepped forward, clearly intending to stop her.

But before he could act, the spirit crystals vanished.

Dong Tianming had appeared out of nowhere and pocketed them.

“You’ve got a good girlfriend here,” Dong Tianming said with a smirk, addressing Xiao Yun directly. “You’d better cherish her.”

Xuexue blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment.

—

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yun looked at Xuexue and said solemnly, “I’ll pay you back double for those crystals later.”

“I, Xiao Yun, will never let a woman pay for me!”

He then turned to Xu Shen and added darkly, “I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but if you’re a fraud, I’ll use my family’s power to make you pay.”

Xu Shen met his gaze without flinching. He couldn’t care less about Xiao Yun’s threats. If Xuexue hadn’t mentioned that Xiao Yun had been injured while saving children, Xu Shen wouldn’t have even considered helping him.

“Follow me to the second floor,” Xu Shen said simply before heading upstairs.

Without another word, Xiao Yun followed.

—

“Um… Brother Ming,” Xuexue called out hesitantly. “Can I watch?”

“No,” Xu Shen replied curtly without looking back.

“Oh.” Xuexue sat back down obediently.

Tang Liang and the other two girls exchanged glances before pulling out their phones to pass the time.

Meanwhile, Xu Guang misinterpreted their slim figures as a sign of poor nutrition and brought out some snacks from the kitchen to share with them…

—

The second floor was as spacious as the first but completely empty except for a single black treatment table in the center of the room.

“Swear an oath first,” Xu Shen said as he gestured toward the table.

“If you mess up my rune after I swear an oath, won’t that just screw me over?” Xiao Yun asked with a frown. He was starting to regret coming here and considered leaving.

“If I fail to fix it, the oath won’t hold anyway,” Xu Shen replied nonchalantly.

Xiao Yun paused before realizing Xu Shen had a point. Even if he didn’t retaliate personally, his aunt would likely twist this guy’s head off if she found out…

—

“I, Xiao Yun, swear by my rune: if my rune is repaired successfully, I will never act against Ming or harm him in any way. Should I break this oath, may my rune shatter completely!” Xiao Yun declared solemnly.

As he spoke, an invisible force seemed to ripple between them momentarily before fading away.

“Good. Take off your shirt and lie down,” Xu Shen instructed. “Activate your energy so your rune becomes visible.”

Resigned to his fate, Xiao Yun removed his shirt and lay face-down on the table. His scarred back bore evidence of countless battles.

As he circulated his ghostly energy, fiery patterns began to appear across his back like flames dancing on his skin.

—

Once Xiao Yun was in position, Xu Shen pulled out his black blade and approached slowly. His eyes narrowed as he studied the fire rune intently.

To him, the rune’s intricate patterns seemed both illusory and real at the same time—lines shifting and weaving in ways only he could perceive.

“No wonder,” Xu Shen muttered under his breath. Compared to Yang Dian’s rune, this fire rune was far more complex. Its lines were densely packed with countless fine details.

—

Lying on the table with his head turned sideways, Xiao Yun watched nervously as Xu Shen waved what looked like a rusty old knife over his back.

“What… what are you doing with that knife?!” Xiao Yun exclaimed in alarm.

“This is my engraving tool,” Xu Shen replied calmly. “What else would I use—your face?”

“But it’s rusty! Are you kidding me?!” Xiao Yun tried to sit up but was immediately pinned down by a firm hand on his back.

“Stop whining! You’ve already paid—let me finish my work! Or do you want my reputation ruined?” Xu Shen snapped as he focused on analyzing the rune’s damaged sections.

He quickly identified a small but critical break in one of the lines—a detail so subtle that it would’ve been impossible to spot without the black blade’s assistance.

Without hesitation, Xu Shen made his first cut.

—

“It’s starting—don’t scream,” he warned casually.

Xiao Yun scoffed. “Me? Scream? I’m iron-willed! There’s no way—”

“GYAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

The pain was unbearable! He had worked with other engravers before—why did this hurt so much more?

Just as he was about to struggle again, he froze in shock.

He could feel it—his rune wasn’t just being repaired; it was becoming stronger!

—

“This is so simple… And yet those students couldn’t handle it?” Xu Shen muttered from behind him. “The engraving department must not be very competent.”

Xiao Yun said nothing. Deep down, he was impressed—and humbled. This guy wasn’t just arrogant; he had the skills to back it up.

His classmates had spent hours staring at his damaged rune without finding a solution. Even when they did identify issues, none of them dared attempt repairs.

Meanwhile, Ming had fixed it with a single stroke of his blade.

Maybe this guy really is a genius… Xiao Yun thought as he lay there in awe.

—

Just as he was starting to relax, Xu Shen pressed him back down again. “What are you doing? We’re not done yet.”

“Huh? Isn’t it fixed?” Xiao Yun asked in confusion.

“Fixed? Sure—but whoever engraved this rune originally must’ve been blind,” Xu Shen replied disdainfully as he made another precise cut with his blade. “The lines are sloppy and inefficient.”

As someone with unparalleled insight into runes thanks to his system-enhanced vision, Xu Shen couldn’t tolerate imperfections—even minor ones.

And since this was his first client at the shop, he intended to leave an impression that would spread far and wide.

—

Downstairs, Xiao Yun’s muffled screams echoed through the house—a strange mix of pain and… excitement?

Tang Liang and the others exchanged uneasy glances. What exactly was happening upstairs?

Only Xu Guang seemed unfazed; in fact, there was a knowing smirk on his face.

That kid upstairs is finally realizing how good this is going to be…