Lin Xia was startled by his own thought and instinctively shook his head, trying to dispel the absurd idea.
At that very moment—
Clang!!!
A piercing clash of metal suddenly erupted from the front courtyard, followed by several furious, shocked shouts.
"Stop them!"
"This is outrageous!"
The noise—footsteps mixed with faint but violent energy fluctuations—instantly shattered the quiet calm of the backyard.
The strange look on Lin Xia's face vanished at once. His brows knit together, his gaze turning sharp.
Something had happened.
Without hesitation, Lin Xia sprang to his feet and glanced at Larvitar, which was still perched on the stone table, diligently gnawing on the last piece of purple lightning iron, completely oblivious to the chaos outside.
"Larvitar! Stop eating—something's wrong!"
Lin Xia whispered urgently, his tone brooking no argument.
The moment the words left his mouth, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, rushing toward the front courtyard.
Alarm bells rang in his mind. Who would dare cause such a commotion in Gengjin City—right inside the headquarters of the Blacksmith Association?
This was no ordinary dispute.
Just as Lin Xia was about to reach the front courtyard, he was stopped by Lou Gao, who was coming down the stairs.
"Teacher—what's happening up ahead?"
Lin Xia's heart tightened as he looked at him.
Lou Gao's usually forthright face was now dark and heavy, like storm clouds before a downpour.
He paused, his sharp gaze cutting through the courtyard toward the source of the disturbance, his thick brows drawn tightly together.
"Xiao Xia, take Larvitar and go back to the backyard. Stay there. Don't come out."
Lin Xia halted.
The gravity in his teacher's eyes was unmistakable—and beneath it, a trace of tightly suppressed anger.
Just as Lin Xia was about to speak, Lou Gao seemed to see straight through him.
A fleeting hint of relief crossed his eyes. This child wasn't backing away—he truly saw the association as his home.
"Be obedient."
Lou Gao's voice grew heavier, carrying the unmistakable authority of an elder.
"The Blacksmith Association's matters are for me to handle. The sky won't fall. Go back—read your books, or keep Larvitar company while it eats. Don't worry."
With that, Lou Gao gave Lin Xia no chance to argue. He flicked his sleeves and strode toward the front courtyard.
His back was steady as a mountain—yet it radiated an anger on the verge of eruption.
Watching his teacher's resolute retreating figure, Lin Xia's heart sank.
Lou Gao had never spoken to him with such gravity, such finality.
Don't worry?
That clearly meant: This is serious. Stay out of it.
"Teacher…"
Lin Xia murmured, unease churning in his chest.
Larvitar, cradled in his arms, hiccupped softly, tiny sparks crackling as it sensed its master's emotions and quieted instinctively.
Lin Xia's eyes hardened with resolve.
"No. I have to see what's happening. Even if I stay hidden—I can't be a coward."
Decision made, Lin Xia didn't head straight for the main hall.
Instead, carrying Larvitar, he took a detour through a concealed stairway he knew well, leading to the second-floor corridor overlooking the hall.
From here, the view was clear. The pillars and shadows provided cover, making it difficult to spot anyone above.
The instant Lin Xia peered down from the shadows, his pupils contracted sharply.
The atmosphere in the hall was suffocating.
Blacksmith Association guards and senior blacksmiths stood on either side, faces livid, fists clenched, glaring at the uninvited guests occupying the center.
Among them was the Spirit Hall elder who had once tried to recruit him—Charlotte.
But now, Charlotte stood half a step behind a man clad in a luxurious scarlet robe.
The man was of average height, his face rounded from years of indulgence, yet his eyes were sharp and sinister. An arrogant, unsettling smile tugged faintly at the corners of his mouth.
Pinned to his chest was the badge of a Spirit Hall bishop, gleaming under the torchlight and radiating invisible pressure.
Miles.
The Bishop of the Gengjin City Spirit Hall.
The greedy, lustful Miles from the original story—the one who would eventually meet his end at Tang San's hands.
Lin Xia's heartbeat skipped.
A chill surged from his feet straight to his scalp.
Fragments of the original plot flooded his mind—night assassinations, stolen goods framed on the Blacksmith Association, Lou Gao hurling himself into the furnace…
Below, Lou Gao had already stepped forward, standing several meters from Miles.
There was no fear on his weathered face—only fury compressed to its limit, burning like a furnace. His voice boomed through the hall like suppressed thunder.
"Miles! What is the meaning of this?! You barge into my Blacksmith Association, injure my guards, and think we're made of clay—something the Spirit Hall can knead at will?!"
The false smile on Miles's face faded slightly, though the arrogance carved into his bones remained untouched.
He casually brushed nonexistent dust from his sleeve, his tone dripping with condescension.
"President Lou Gao, there's no need for such anger. This bishop merely heard that your association encountered something… unusual underground today."
"Acting on behalf of His Holiness the Supreme Pontiff, and in the interest of maintaining peace, I came to verify the situation—so that dangerous items don't fall into civilian hands, or attract thieves and bring disaster upon Gengjin City."
The moment he finished speaking, the hall erupted.
This was blatant robbery.
High-sounding words masking banditry.
Lou Gao's fury exploded. His beard bristled, veins bulged on his forehead, and his fists clenched with a sharp crack. His surging spirit power spilled outward, making the very air heavy and oppressive.
"Bullshit! The Blacksmith Association's property is not for you to appraise or 'safeguard'! If you want it—step over my corpse first!"
The temperature in the hall plunged instantly.
The pretense vanished from Miles's face. His eyes turned cold and dangerous as the aura of a high-level Spirit Master rose from him, colliding with Lou Gao's own in a silent, crackling clash.
Behind him, Spirit Hall deacons tightened their grips on their weapons, spirit rings flashing.
Conflict was on the brink of eruption.
Hidden in the corridor shadows, Lin Xia's heart thundered, cold sweat soaking his palms.
Watching the scene below and recalling the tragic outcome from the original story, a single thought struck his mind like lightning.
No. This cannot be allowed to happen.
Miles must die—but not now. Not here.
And more importantly, the conflict between the Blacksmith Association and Spirit Hall didn't have to end in bloodshed at all.
In the original story, it had spiraled out of control because of Lou Gao's loyalty to Tai Tan, Miles's greed, and that so-called cycle of gratitude and revenge that followed.
This time—
He would not let history repeat itself.