I attained sainthood through alchemy on the cliff.

Chapter 22 Inquiry

The days passed by amidst the clanging of the anvil, the flickering of the furnace fire, and Yang Jin's increasingly steady breathing and exertion.

Thanks to the stone-carving earthworm flesh and vein essence particles that Atu brought back from the "safe zone" of the mine every now and then, Yang Jin's injuries recovered extremely quickly.

Within four or five days, the dull pain from the fractured bone in my chest had completely disappeared, my internal organs were stable, and my qi and blood were abundant.

Under the continuous nourishment of qi and blood and the polishing of Chen Shan's special "hammer forging method", that "stone skin" became more restrained and tough. Ordinary bumps and knocks could hardly leave any marks, and its defensive power was subtly improved.

The foundation of the Skin Refining Realm has been completely stabilized.

The fusion rate also steadily increased to 21.6% with the stable absorption of the earth vein essence and the continuous visualization of the demonic ape day and night.

Atu's evolutionary requirements have dropped to 55/100. It seems to be getting more and more adept at hunting rock-splitting earthworms and mining ores. The keratin layer on its body surface is becoming harder, and the file teeth of its mouthparts are gleaming with a dark metallic luster.

By day, Yang Jin is "Stone," a silent, slightly clumsy but diligent apprentice in the blacksmith shop.

He strictly followed Chen Shan's requirements, repeating the tedious yet subtly intricate "basic skills": identifying iron materials, controlling the heat, and practicing that unique power exertion technique.

Sweat soaked through his clothes time and time again, and blisters on his hands broke and formed thick calluses, but he enjoyed it.

He could clearly feel that every precise strike, every keen observation of the flickering flames, and every burst of "crisp force" generated by the unity of his waist and stance were like an invisible hammer, gradually hammering, refining, and integrating the somewhat complex power within him, which originated from the flesh and blood of exotic beasts and the essence of the earth's veins, into every inch of his flesh and skin.

Chen Shan rarely praised him. At most, when he saw him exert himself exceptionally smoothly or make accurate judgments about the heat, he would snort or toss him an extra half-cake.

But Yang Jin could see a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction in the occasional, almost imperceptible scrutinizing glances Chen Shan cast at him.

Besides cultivation and disguise, the mundane daily life gradually incorporates some human affairs belonging to the identity of "Stone".

That morning, Yang Jin was sorting through a batch of newly acquired old farm tools in the corner of the yard, preparing to remelt them, when a familiar figure appeared somewhat timidly at the entrance of the blacksmith's shop.

It was Widow Li.

She carried a small bamboo basket filled with freshly dug wild vegetables, still covered in mud. Her complexion was better than a few days ago, but fear and worry still lingered in her eyes.

"Is Master Chen...is he here?" Widow Li asked softly.

Chen Shan came out of the inner room, wiped the charcoal ash from his hands, and glanced at her basket: "The Li family? What's up?"

"Master Chen, I...I lost my wood-chopping axe a while ago..." Widow Li's voice was even lower, her face showing embarrassment and heartache. "I...I was thinking of exchanging it for an old one, or just having it repaired...I brought some wild vegetables with me, you see..."

Yang Jin paused slightly in his movements.

He knew that the axe that Widow Li lost was the very one he had borrowed and left behind on the cliff after killing Ma Liu that night.

A complex mix of emotions welled up within me.

Chen Shan glanced at the wild vegetables in her basket, then at her patched clothes, paused for a moment, turned around and took out a half-new wood-chopping knife from the finished product basket in the corner. The blade was a little worn, but it was still sturdy.

"This was repaired for someone a few days ago. The client didn't come to pick it up, so it was used as payment for the work." Chen Shan handed the wood-chopping knife to Widow Li. "I'll take the wild vegetables. You can use the knife. Be careful when chopping wood in the future."

Widow Li was both surprised and delighted. She thanked him repeatedly, took the wood-chopping knife, carefully placed the basket of wild vegetables at the door, nodded slightly in Yang Jin's direction, and then hurriedly left.

Two days later, in the afternoon, little Ya Ya, like a light and nimble deer, skipped and hopped into the blacksmith's shop.

She wasn't there to exchange anything; she just had a few freshly picked, brightly colored wildflowers in her hand.

"Grandpa Chen!"

Ya Ya called out sweetly, but her eyes glanced curiously at Yang Jin, who was pulling the bellows in front of the furnace and whose face was covered in charcoal ash.

Chen Shan was a little nicer to her, and hummed in agreement: "Ya Ya, running around again."

"I didn't run around, I came to give Grandpa Chen some flowers!" Ya Ya placed the wildflowers on the small stool where Chen Shan often sat, then moved closer to Yang Jin, tilting her head to watch him panting as he worked the bellows. Suddenly, she whispered, "Brother Stone, you're sweating so much."

Unable to speak, Yang Jin could only grin at her, revealing a smile that looked somewhat comical against the backdrop of charcoal ash.

Ya Ya was amused by him and giggled twice: "Brother Stone, are you tired from blacksmithing? My dad says that blacksmiths are all strongmen!"

Yang Jin shook his head, then nodded, and gestured "not bad".

Ya Ya seemed very curious about this "mute" brother. She wasn't afraid of the dust on him and just watched him work from the side, asking innocent questions from time to time.

Yang Jin mostly responded with gestures, nods, and shakes of the head, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

From then on, Ya Ya would come to the blacksmith's shop every few days, sometimes bringing some wild fruits from the mountains, and sometimes just to watch "Brother Stone" forge iron.

Gradually, many people in the village learned that a new apprentice named "Stone" had come to Chen's blacksmith shop. Although he was quiet, he was hardworking and kind to children.

This gradually established, unassuming neighborhood impression was exactly the cover that Yang Jin and Chen Shan needed.

Of course, not all visitors come with good intentions.

One day, two men dressed in the short jackets of the Sun family's guards swaggered into the blacksmith's shop.

His sharp gaze swept across everything in the shop, finally landing on Yang Jin, who was hammering iron.

"Hey, old Chen, is this your new mute apprentice?" A guard pointed at Yang Jin, his tone unfriendly.

Chen Shan put down his work, hunched over, and walked over with his usual slightly ingratiating smile: "Yes. My parents are gone, so I came here to make a living. I'm not smart and can't talk, but I'm very strong."

Another guard sized Yang Jin up and down. Seeing that he was covered in charcoal black (deliberately concealed), had a dull gaze, and rough, calloused hands, he certainly looked like someone who did manual labor. He asked, "When did you arrive? Where were you before?"

Chen Shan hurriedly replied, "I've been here for a few days. He used to work in the Black Mountain Mine with his father, but the mine collapsed, his father died, and his mother died in the riots. He was all alone, so he escaped here."

"Black Mountain Mine? Which mine?" the guard pressed.

"Hey, there are too many private kilns in Eagle Ridge, who knows which one it is?" Chen Shan sighed. "This kid has a hard life, he almost got buried there too, he was so scared he's numb."

The two guards exchanged a glance.

The mountains surrounding Heishan'ao are continuous, and many people live off the mountains, including hunters, herb gatherers, prospectors, and refugees... It's not uncommon to see unfamiliar faces coming and going.

There was indeed a major accident at the Heishan mine a while ago. Several private kilns collapsed, burying many people. Many others escaped and ended up in various villages and towns looking for work. There are at least eighty or a hundred children like Shi Tou.

This mute boy seemed to have nothing special about him except for his strength, which matched what Chen Shan had said.

They questioned Yang Jin a few more times, but Yang Jin just gestured blankly and made mumbled "ah ah" sounds, looking like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world and was scared silly.

The guards, finding nothing amiss and seeing only scrap metal and farm tools in the shop with nothing of value or suspicion, lost interest and warned, "Things haven't been peaceful in the village lately. Tell your apprentice to behave herself, stay home, and close up shop early tonight!"

"Definitely, definitely."

Chen Shan nodded and bowed repeatedly as he saw the two out the door.

Once the guards had gone far away, the fawning look on Chen Shan's face vanished instantly, replaced by his usual indifference.

He walked back into the shop, glanced at Yang Jin who was still engrossed in hammering iron as if nothing had happened, and a barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"His temperament is alright," Chen Shan muttered to himself in barely audible.

The crisis was temporarily averted, but Yang Jin knew that the Sun family and the potentially higher-ups at the Iron Bone Martial Arts School would not easily give up the investigation.

His disguise and his identity as "Stone" must be even more impeccable.

He swung the hammer and brought it down with even greater focus.

"clang!"

Sparks flew up, illuminating his calm, watery eyes.