Spirit Stone Amulet

Fan Qiuming used his hand as a brush and spiritual power as ink, etching a small formation onto a discarded spirit stone. Now that he had the materials, he naturally wanted to make a little trinket for Qiulin; this creation, after all, had a special function.

“Yunling, help me find two lengths of red cord,” he requested.

“Alright!” she replied cheerfully.

While Yunling was searching, Fan Qiuming’s fingers danced across the spirit stone, carving out intricate lines as fine as if traced by a needle. Anyone who saw it would feel their scalp tingle, let alone being the one to actually carve it. In the end, he sculpted the spirit stone into a delicate piece of art—a flawless spirit stone pendant now complete, lacking only the red cord Yunling was retrieving.

“Master, I found it!” Yunling dashed in from outside, clutching a small spool of thin red thread—just the sort used for sewing clothes.

“This is a bit too thin, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it cut into the neck when worn…” Fan Qiuming hesitated.

“But it’s all Yunling could find!” she replied, crestfallen, believing he was disappointed in her.

“It’s fine, we can braid it and use it just the same,” he reassured her quickly, seeing her dismay. “You did very well, Yunling!”

“Really?” she asked, half-suspicious.

“Really,” he said, flashing her an approving smile.

“Then I’ll help too!” she volunteered eagerly.

“Do you know how?” he asked, puzzled.

“I can learn from you, Master!” Her eyes were full of anticipation.

“Alright then, watch carefully.” Fan Qiuming took a length of red thread. “First, fold it like this, thread the end through here…”

Step by step, he taught her patiently, and Yunling followed his actions, learning as she went.

“Then, repeat the steps; when it’s long enough, tie the two ends together.”

“And that’s how you braid a red cord!” Fan Qiuming watched as her hands fumbled a bit, but she persisted, focused on her task.

“Fold it, thread it… repeat…” Yunling muttered, echoing his instructions as her hands worked busily.

“When it’s the right length, tie the ends together,” she recited. “Master, I finished too!”

She beamed, waving the finished cord in her hand, as if waiting for praise like a child showing off a certificate.

“Not bad, very clever!” Fan Qiuming praised her, patting her head. Though she was a bit slow, her braid was every bit as good as his.

He took her red cord, picked up the freshly carved spirit stone, and bored a hole through it.

He ensured the design was both aesthetic and functional, allowing the formation carved upon it to operate smoothly. He then threaded the cord through, tying the ends together.

A simple charm was now complete! Fan Qiuming picked up the two spirit stone talismans—each could slowly draw in spiritual energy and circulate the formation within. Their basic function was to regulate a person’s physical state, ensuring they would never feel too hot or too cold, no matter the season. Additionally, each contained a positioning array; within a certain range, Fan Qiuming could sense their location.

The most important function, however, was the life-saving formation: it could withstand a blow from a cultivator at the peak of the Qi-refining stage. It could only be used once—after that, the spirit stone charm would shatter.

This was the limit of Fan Qiuming’s current abilities; the formation carving consumed too much spiritual power, and making these two was already his utmost.

Yunling gazed at the charms, a hint of envy in her eyes—a look Fan Qiuming caught at once. He hadn’t made one for Yunling because she was always by his side, and more importantly, he simply didn’t have enough spiritual power left. Still, he understood that Yunling wanted to feel valued as well.

“All right, don’t be envious. I’ll make one for you next time,” Fan Qiuming said, putting away the charms and patting her head. It was a simple gesture, but it meant a lot to Yunling, and she loved it when he patted her head.

“Mm! Yunling will always listen to Master.”

Suddenly, Fan Qiuming felt a sharp scratching on his back. Turning around, he saw Mian Xiaomiao clawing at him. So that’s where she’d been hiding—right behind him.

To his surprise, Mian Xiaomiao seemed to have grown stronger; though he hadn’t been guarding himself, his body was still very sturdy. Normally, he wouldn’t feel such pain, but the kitten’s claws were truly uncomfortable.

“She hasn’t been behind me this whole time, has she?” Fan Qiuming wondered.

He picked up Mian Xiaomiao, gently stroking her back. The kitten lounged contentedly in his arms, nuzzling against his chest.

Just then, noises came from outside—it seemed Qiulin and Shangguan Wanwan had returned.

Hearing the commotion, Yunling quickly transformed back into a phone and lay silently on the bedside table.

“Brother, we’re back!” As soon as the door opened, Qiulin shouted.

Shangguan Wanwan pushed her inside, and Qiulin, still in her wheelchair, chattered on.

“Brother, you should’ve seen Wanwan today—she was amazing! She took down those thugs in the café in just a couple of moves.”

Qiulin’s proud tone made it sound as if she’d been the one to defeat the hooligans, her words tinged with a hint of seeking praise.

Fan Qiuming wasn’t worried; with Shangguan Wanwan there, nothing serious would happen.

“You ran into trouble?” Two beautiful girls out on the town—of course they’d attract attention.

Qiulin shook her head. “Not us, it was Shi Yi!”

At the mention of Mao Shiyi, Fan Qiuming was momentarily taken aback, then quickly understood.

“Her? That makes sense.”

“Thanks for your trouble,” Fan Qiuming said, walking over with Mian Xiaomiao, but Qiulin immediately scooped the kitten into her own arms.

“It was nothing—Wanwan drove them off, heh heh…”

Qiulin grinned, cuddling Mian Xiaomiao.

“With how proud you sound, I almost thought you’d driven them off yourself!” Fan Qiuming shot her a wry look.

“I have a little gift for you both,” he said, holding out the two talismans.

“What’s this? It’s beautiful!” Qiulin exclaimed, taking the charm and instantly feeling a cool sensation wash over her, the sunburned heat vanishing from her body.

“So refreshing…”

Shangguan Wanwan echoed her amazement as she accepted hers.

“Your protective charms.”

“So magical… Brother, how did you make them?” Qiulin was fascinated by the charm’s effects.

“Hmm… That’s a secret!”

“Hmph, stingy…”

Only Shangguan Wanwan continued to study her charm, her eyes gleaming as if she’d just acquired a priceless treasure.

“All right, put them on! Are you hungry? I’ll make dinner.” Fan Qiuming headed to the kitchen, washed his hands, and Shangguan Wanwan followed him in.

“I’ll help too!”

“Alright,” Fan Qiuming nodded.

Qiulin alone lingered outside the door, peeking in, feeling a bit left out.

“Hmph… Stupid brother, forgetting his own sister for a pretty face…” she muttered, hugging Mian Xiaomiao and heading back to her room.

“How did you make these charms?” Shangguan Wanwan couldn’t help but ask.

“A low-grade spirit stone, some formation carving—nothing mysterious,” he replied nonchalantly, as if it were as easy as drinking water.

“Spirit stones? Formations?” The terms sent a jolt through her heart.

“You know how to do these things?” she asked.

“Of course. Take good care of your charm—don’t lose it. It might save your life one day.” With that, Fan Qiuming showed no intention of continuing the topic and turned his attention back to preparing the food.

Shangguan Wanwan trusted him completely, slipping the charm over her neck and tucking it beneath her clothes.

“Earlier, you said it was normal for Mao Shiyi to be accosted by thugs—what did you mean?” She recalled Fan Qiuming’s earlier remark.

“You mean her?” Fan Qiuming paused, glanced at Shangguan Wanwan, then resumed his work unhurriedly. “She’s no ordinary girl; her background is quite mysterious.”