Wang Ping'an obediently watched as Chu Ran collected the eight Light Brains into her bag, then went forward to sprinkle powder on each of them.
The eight corpses shriveled and crumbled, and with a gust of wind, there was no trace left.
Then he turned back hesitantly and asked, "Can I touch the rod in your hand?"
Chu Ran zipped up her bag and looked up. "What for?"
"Absolutely no other meaning—it's just that this is the first time I've seen a Special Artifact, and I can hardly contain my excitement." Wang Ping'an's gaze stuck to the black rod. "Where did you get it? How much? I want to try my luck too."
He didn't think Chu Ran had made it herself, since a Special Artifact required a high Spiritual Power, at least above A-grade.
Wang Ping'an assumed Chu Ran had just gotten lucky when buying on StarNet.
Basic Creations were mostly the work of low-level Artificers, with an extremely low probability of producing a Special Artifact. Therefore, most weren't specifically tested for divine attributes.
The divine power in a Special Artifact appeared by chance. Some might only trigger once every twenty uses. The probability was even lower for Basic Creations.
Even so, for ordinary people with low Spiritual Power who had no hope of invoking gods, a Basic Special Artifact was still an unattainable dream.
"I sure hope your mouth won't be this excited," Chu Ran said with a faint smile.
Hearing this, Wang Ping'an immediately raised his right hand and swore to heaven, "If I ever mention this to anyone else, may I never see my grandmother again."
"When I go back, I'll tell Aunt Wang you used her as an oath," Chu Ran snorted, and extended the black rod a bit forward.
Wang Ping'an's hand shot out like lightning and touched the black rod. "For the sake of our bond formed through danger, please don't tattle to my grandmother."
"How much farther to where the siblings live?"
Chu Ran looked at Wang Ping'an's intoxicated expression with distaste, feeling it was a bit lecherous.
"Almost there, almost there, not far now." Wang Ping'an stared at the black rod as if admiring his new wife.
He could feel the scent of money emanating from this black rod.
Ah, he loved anything expensive.
Chu Ran couldn't stand his expression anymore and pulled the black rod back. "Lead the way."
Wang Ping'an reluctantly gazed at the black rod, but earning his pay was more important, so he straightened up and continued walking.
The siblings lived in a steel-plate house with a simple doorplate hanging at the entrance.
When they arrived, it was nearly noon. The siblings were sitting at the door, each with a tube of nutrient solution.
Seeing Wang Ping'an, the girl jumped up. "Brother Ping'an, you're here!"
Both siblings had striking appearances, but their styles were vastly different.
The boy had a face that said "keep away," completely unlike the charming and sociable handsome image Chu Ran had imagined.
His physique was somewhat thin, his complexion pale, with half-long black hair tied back at the nape, slightly upturned phoenix eyes, a high nose bridge, and lips lacking color.
His sister looked much healthier. Her light brown hair was tied into a ponytail, her almond-shaped eyes carried a smile. She wasn't short, and her features were prominent but not overly sharp.
"Sit down, sit down. We're old friends, no need for such a warm welcome." Wang Ping'an said this while beaming.
He turned to Chu Ran and introduced, "This is He Qiwu, and the one sitting over there is her brother, He Qishen."
He Qiwu hid behind Wang Ping'an, cautiously peeking out to look at Chu Ran. "Brother Ping'an, who is this?"
Her voice was like a fawn running through a forest, her eyes full of curiosity and innocence.
Chu Ran met her gaze, and she seemed startled, lowering her head.
An innocent little angel appearing in the Garbage Dump environment was full of dissonance.
Chu Ran glanced imperceptibly at Wang Ping'an's right hand, which remained motionless in his pocket.
"Is this the Artificer you found?" He Qishen looked coldly at the three of them and suddenly spoke.
"Ah, yes," Wang Ping'an was delighted to get down to business so quickly. "She heard your requirements and felt she needed to see you in person to create a Creation that better meets your usage needs."
He Qishen raised his eyes to look at Chu Ran. "You can do custom Creations?"
"Not sure." Chu Ran rubbed her chin.
He Qishen's gaze turned even colder. "Then what are you here for?"
"To pick up a pie that fell from the sky." Chu Ran said cheerfully, her eyes full of sincerity.
Before coming, she had wanted to see how these siblings could participate in the Spiritist Tournament without being noticed. If possible, she wanted to learn from their methods.
She didn't believe the military would let these newly released prisoners join the Spiritist Tournament.
But who would have thought she'd meet kind-hearted people on the way, who directly gave her three ownerless Light Brains and fake identities. And the person who handled those was dead too—how perfect for her needs.
When she got back, she needed to mark this day as a lucky day.
He Qishen frowned slightly, looking at Chu Ran as if she were crazy.
"Sister," He Qiwu suddenly ran over and asked eagerly, "Did you bring any Creations? I really want to see your Creations! I've never actually seen one in my whole life."
"Qiwu, come back." He Qishen called her and looked at Chu Ran with some wariness.
"I just want to see the sister's Creations," He Qiwu pouted and looked at Chu Ran expectantly.
"Little sister, sorry, big sister doesn't want to show you," Chu Ran bent down to look He Qiwu in the eye, a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. "Good children should be obedient, don't you think?"
"Really not possible?" He Qiwu stared straight at Chu Ran, the black of her pupils deepening.
"He Qiwu, come back." He Qishen's voice was stern, then he looked at Chu Ran. "Do you have any other business?"
He Qiwu's eerie aura suddenly retracted, and she unhappily ran back to He Qishen's side. "I hate you, brother."
"No, I'll be going now." Chu Ran didn't intend to probe further into the siblings' strangeness, but this job clearly couldn't be accepted.
"But I can smell it—you have the same scent as us," He Qiwu shook her head, eyes sparkling, voice sweet. "They've set their sights on you. You've already fallen into their trap~"
Chu Ran raised an eyebrow.
She quickly thought of the first time the original had her Spiritual Power destroyed, and then of the Chu family's chef who committed suicide, and her late father's words.
No one in the Chu family wanted to harm you.
So the Chu family had taken the blame for someone else?
He Qiwu looked at her expectantly. "I can tell you~ as long as you let me see your Creation~"
"No need." Chu Ran turned and left directly.
According to the timeline, when the original was poisoned, these two were either on a garbage planet or had entered the God Summoning Society's laboratory. If they were test subjects and still knew the Society's most confidential matters, then...
Was the release of the Third Prison inmates to the Garbage Dump really a coincidence?
He Qiwu watched Chu Ran leave with dissatisfaction. "Why doesn't she want to know?"
He Qishen's expression was cold, his eyes lowered.
Wang Ping'an looked blankly at the siblings, then at Chu Ran. "Well, that's a bust?"
Forget it, clients with too many mysteries weren't good clients. He still preferred the native clients of the Garbage Dump.
Just...
"Hey, wait for me!"
Author's Note: None