127: Chapter 127 Return Journey: Tempering Bones

Three days later, a heavy black SUV rolled over the bumpy asphalt road in Jiangzhou's old district.

The tires kicked up a puddle of muddy water and came to a steady stop at the entrance of the alley in Taiping Old Street.

The midday sun hung in the sky, baking the bluestone-paved road until it was scorching hot.

Lin Ye pushed open the driver's side door, and his military boots stepped onto the ground.

He pulled out the car key and casually felt in his pocket for a cigarette to bite between his lips.

A flicker of Pure Yang firelight flashed at his fingertips, and the tip of the cigarette instantly lit up with a small red glow.

He took a deep breath, and the grayish-white smoke rose straight up in the autumn sunlight.

The exhaustion and earthy smell accumulated over the past few days in the Ten Thousand Mountains of Miaojiang were exhaled completely along with it.

Taiping Old Street was still in that half-dead, mundane market appearance.

The spacious double glass doors of Lins Funeral Shop reflected a dazzling light.

The load-bearing walls of the shop's front hall were replaced by several pitch-black I-beams, making the space open and bright.

The marble floor was polished to a spotless shine, and a few rows of exquisitely crafted paper figures were neatly stacked in the shadows of the corners, exuding a minimalist, cold, and hard industrial style.

"We're finally home. The bugs in that damn ravine almost swallowed me alive."

Ayugu pushed open the car door and jumped down.

Her black navel-baring short-sleeve shirt was covered in dust, and the Miaojiang silver ring around her neck clinked with an exhausted sound.

This Miaojiang girl didn't care about her image at all; she walked up to the steps of the shop entrance, sat straight down on her buttocks, and rubbed her sore calves while complaining loudly.

"Manager Lin, this business trip counts as severely overtime work. Today, no matter what, you have to treat me to a top-tier spicy hotpot with two extra portions of tripe."

Lin Ye walked to the back of the car and pulled open the tailgate of the trunk.

"Hotpot is no problem, but finish the work first."

With one hand, he picked up the heavy lead-sealed iron box and turned to throw it towards Ayugu's feet.

"Move this thing into the underground quiet room."

The iron box hit the ground with a muffled impact sound.

This box contained the Western Zhou Unfading Bone brought back from the Ten Thousand Gu Demon Cave.

A thick layer of white frost condensed on the surface of the box.

The moment the surrounding air touched the iron box, the temperature plummeted straight below freezing.

Frost Star poked her head out from the back seat of the SUV.

The little girl was wearing a loose cartoon nightdress, and her silver-blue intertwined twin tails were messy.

She stepped barefoot on the concrete ground.

Her odd-colored eyes stared fixedly at the lead-sealed iron box, a trace of crystalline saliva hanging from the corner of her mouth.

"Such a sweet candy smell, Brother-in-law, can Frost Star eat now?"

Her pink nose twitched rapidly, and a hurried swallowing sound came from her throat.

Lin Ye stepped forward, placed his large palm on the little girl's fluffy head, and rubbed it hard twice.

"What's the rush? Once I prepare the herbs and boil away the evil Qi, it will all be yours."

Leng Yue was the last to get out of the car.

Her silver-white long hair was pinned up high with a gloomy wood hairpin.

She walked to Lin Ye's side without saying a word.

That cold fragrance of Manjushaka exclusive to her directly overwhelmed the oily smoke smell at the street corner, completely filling the air around Lin Ye.

"Let's go, downstairs to work."

Lin Ye lifted the lead-sealed iron box with one hand, strode forward, and stepped into the Funeral Shop.

Walking through the bright front hall, he came to the back yard.

The black stone staircase passage leading underground in the center of the courtyard exuded a faint chill.

The obsidian quiet room ten meters underground.

The gathering yin formation here operated constantly.

The pitch-black walls firmly locked in the yin Qi surging from the depths of the earth veins.

Solidified white yin mist drifted in the air.

An ice room entirely built from deep-sea profound ice stones was separately carved out on the side of the quiet room.

That was the "bedroom" Lin Ye specially prepared for Frost Star.

Lin Ye placed the lead-sealed iron box right in the center of the century-old struck-by-lightning wood array disc.

"Ayugu, take out that section of blood-line dragon vine sent by the Song family."

Lin Ye turned his head and gave instructions.

"Lend me your natal Gu fire. This Unfading Bone is too hard; mortal fire cannot boil it."

Ayugu sighed resignedly, rummaged through her portable cloth bag, and fished out the purple-black brocade box.

As the brocade box opened, a pungent and irritating earthy smell overflowed.

That shriveled and twisted blood-line dragon vine lay quietly on the satin, the blood-colored patterns on its surface exuding a hint of sinister venom.

"Bring a purple clay pot."

Ayugu walked to the edge of the array disc and sat down cross-legged.

With a flick of her fingertips, a scarlet beetle flew out of her cuff and landed on the bluestone bricks of the ground.

The beetle vibrated its wings, and a ball of eerie green Gu fire burst from its tail.

Lin Ye unclasped the lock of the lead-sealed iron box.

The moment the box lid sprang open.

Half a crystal-clear spine floated up, and the dazzling white light illuminated the entire basement as bright as day.

A terrifying aura of death that rivaled heaven and earth suddenly spread out.

The array patterns on the obsidian walls flickered uncertainly under this pressure, emitting an overwhelmed groan.

Frost Star squatted three steps away, tightly covering her mouth with both hands for fear that she couldn't help but pounce forward and gnaw on it raw.

Lin Ye picked up a pair of lightning-struck wood chopsticks, clamped that section of Unfading Bone, and prepared to drop it into the boiling purple clay pot.

A sudden change occurred.

Feeling the threat of the boiling water, the Unfading Bone erupted with a shrill ghost howl from deep within its bone marrow.

A large amount of black evil Qi turned into substantial chains, frantically wrapping around Lin Ye's wrist.

A dark blue light jumped in front of his retina.

The system's mechanical voice rang crisply in his mind.

"Ding! "My Lord, Please Behave Yourself" System prompt: Detected that the ancient Unfading Bone resists physical cooking; old antiques do not understand the true value of modern cuisine."

"Please host to finalize the bone-tempering plan within three minutes and showcase the hardcore operation of a Daxia Xuanmen master chef!"

The light screen popped open, and three options were listed on it:

[Option A: Violent Crusher — Run to a hardware store and buy an industrial-grade hydraulic press. Place the Unfading Bone on a steel plate, shout 'All fear comes from insufficient firepower', and directly press it into bone powder to mix with milk.]

[Reward: Modern Alchemist title. Consequence: The hydraulic press will blow up on the spot, and fragments of the Unfading Bone will pierce your thigh.]

[Option B: Fight poison with poison, Miaojiang stew — Have Ayugu pour the pot full of highly toxic centipede and cobra venom, cover the lid, and forcefully simmer it.]

[Reward: Poison Doctor Descendant Medal. Consequence: The Unfading Bone will absorb the venom and undergo an irreversible mutation, turning into toxic bone spurs. Frost Star will suffer a gastrointestinal perforation after eating it.]

[Option C: Intercourse of Yin and Yang, slow roasting over a low fire — Utilize Pure Yang True Blood supplemented by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire of a Half-step Hanba. You and Leng Yue work closely together, using the extreme temperature alternating between cold and hot to gradually force out the evil Qi in the bones.]

[Reward: Husband points +300, acquire the spell [Samadhi True Fire Talisman] at Great Accomplishment realm, unlock time-limited sticky and ambiguous plot.]

These options didn't need to be weighed at all.

"I choose C."

Lin Ye flipped his wrist, and his Pure Yang True Qi surged violently, forcibly scattering the black evil Qi chains that had wrapped around him.

He turned his head and looked at Leng Yue by his side.

"Wife, lend me your karma fire. This bone is too hard; I need to use fierce fire to force out its dark venom."

Leng Yue didn't say a word; she took long strides and silently walked up in front of Lin Ye.

"Husband, please step back half a step. This Red Lotus Karmic Fire is fierce and violent; do not let it scorch your clothes." Leng Yue's red lips parted slightly, her cold voice tinged with endless obedience.

Lin Ye didn't step back; instead, he took a step forward.

He pressed against Leng Yue's back directly from behind. His broad, scalding chest pressed seamlessly against that velvet long dress. The Pure Yang body temperature penetrated the fabric, reaching straight to Leng Yue's icy and delicate skin.

Leng Yue's delicate body trembled, and the rhythm of her breathing immediately went half a beat out of order.

Lin Ye stretched out his arms, wrapping them around her plump and supple waist from both sides.

His two thick, large hands covered the back of Leng Yue's fair hands, bringing her hands to hover directly above the purple clay pot.

"Let's do it together. I will use Pure Yang Qi and blood to protect the medicinal properties, and you use the karma fire to burn the bone."

Lin Ye's chin rested lightly on Leng Yue's shoulder.

When he spoke, his warm breath sprayed all over the back of her sensitive earlobes.

A trace of extremely faint flush spread all the way from Leng Yue's earlobes down to her neck.

She half-closed her eyes, rippling watery light welling up in her deep red pupils.