I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 3 - Eyes Full of Stories

Outside the residential area, Wang Bing sat on a bench, smoking a cigarette. His eyes were filled with complex emotions as he stared silently at Xu Shen, who sat next to him, looking dejected. A fresh lump on Xu Shen’s head—courtesy of Wang Bing’s fist—added to his misery.

The two sat in silence for a long time. After finishing his cigarette, Wang Bing finally let out a deep sigh.

“Xu Shen, look, I don’t judge, but if you’re going through some... changes, I suggest you visit a doctor,” Wang Bing said earnestly.

Xu Shen’s mouth twitched as he cried out in frustration, “Uncle Wang, it’s not like that! I like girls! Really!”

“You can tell I like Qingqing, right?” he added hastily.

The mention of his daughter made Wang Bing’s face darken once again. It was probably the hundredth time today.

“Then why were you stripping me in the middle of the night with that rusty knife in your hand? Trying to give me tetanus and take me out of the picture for her?”

Though he was starting to believe Xu Shen a little, Wang Bing’s face remained grim as he scrutinized the boy.

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“Uncle Wang, what if I told you I’m a Rune Engraver?” Xu Shen finally confessed, unable to hold it in any longer.

Wang Bing raised an eyebrow and replied flatly, “Oh, really? I didn’t tell you this, but I’m actually the White Cat Sheriff, and I’ve cultivated into human form.”

“Uncle Wang, stop joking.”

“You started it.”

Seeing Wang Bing’s skepticism, Xu Shen knew he wouldn’t be believed without proof. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out the black knife.

“What are you doing?” Wang Bing glared at him.

Ignoring him, Xu Shen crouched down and began engraving on the ground beneath their feet. His movements were smooth and precise.

“You—” Wang Bing started to scold him for damaging public property but froze mid-sentence. His eyes widened as he stood up abruptly.

As the black knife moved, a majestic wolf head began to take shape on the ground.

“The Ghost Wolf...” Wang Bing muttered in disbelief. He knew Xu Shen had some talent for drawing, but runes were an entirely different matter. Without awakening an attribute or being a cultivator specializing in this rune, it was impossible to memorize such patterns—unless one was a Rune Engraver.

How did this kid manage to do it?

Seeing Wang Bing’s stunned expression, Xu Shen stood up with a smug look. “Not bad, huh?”

Wang Bing mumbled absentmindedly, “Not... bad...” before snapping out of it and glaring at Xu Shen again. “How did you do this? You’re just an ordinary person who hasn’t even awakened an attribute. How could you memorize this rune?”

“Well, it’s a long story,” Xu Shen began spinning nonsense. “I met this old man who said I had extraordinary talent and—”

“Enough,” Wang Bing cut him off with a wave of his hand, feeling a headache coming on. He reached out and wiped his hand over the engraved wolf head. The ground instantly smoothed out as if nothing had been there.

After sitting back down in silence for a while, Wang Bing finally spoke hesitantly. “Are you sure you can do this?”

Xu Shen grinned. He knew Wang Bing well enough to understand his obsession with becoming stronger. It wasn’t just for himself; it was tied to his family’s struggles and past.

“I got this,” Xu Shen said confidently.

Wang Bing hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his chest. “Alright then. I’ll trust you this once!”

“Are you serious?” Xu Shen asked.

“Just do it!” Wang Bing closed his eyes, resigned to whatever might happen. He couldn’t afford to hire a Rune Engraver with his salary from the Xinhuo Guard. Supporting his family and raising three kids had already stretched him thin. If there was even a small chance this could work, he had to take it.

Xu Shen felt a surge of warmth and gratitude as he looked at Wang Bing. Few people would trust someone so untrained with something so important. Only someone like Uncle Wang—who had been like a father and friend to him for ten years—would take such a risk.

Taking out the black knife, Xu Shen crouched in front of Wang Bing and examined his chest. Slowly, the image of a wolf head appeared in his vision.

“The eyes...” Xu Shen muttered, frowning as he noticed something odd about the wolf’s eyes. One line was so crooked that it turned the once-majestic gaze into something comical—one eye looked like it was on lookout while the other seemed distracted.

Suppressing a laugh, Xu Shen prepared to fix it when—

“Darling, where should we go next?” A couple’s voices suddenly came from a nearby path.

“You tell me,” the woman replied coyly before gasping in shock.

The couple froze as they took in the scene: Wang Bing sitting on the bench with his shirt open, arms spread wide and legs apart; Xu Shen crouched in front of him with one hand on his chest and the other holding a knife.

Xu Shen stiffened at the sound of their voices. Turning slightly, he forced an awkward smile. “Uh... sorry about that. You guys carry on.”

The man awkwardly laughed and quickly led his girlfriend back down the path they came from. “I should’ve known better at this hour...” he muttered loudly enough for both Xu Shen and Wang Bing to hear.

Wang Bing’s face turned black as coal. Without saying a word, he grabbed Xu Shen and disappeared from the spot in a flash, reappearing on the rooftop of their building.

“Hurry up and get it over with!” Wang Bing growled through gritted teeth.

Xu Shen nodded and raised the black knife over Wang Bing’s chest.

“Wait! Did you disinfect that thing? What if I get tetanus?” Wang Bing suddenly exclaimed.

“You’re a cultivator who doesn’t even fear ghoul attacks, and you’re worried about tetanus?” Xu Shen replied incredulously.

“Good point. Go ahead,” Wang Bing said sheepishly.

With a swift motion, Xu Shen made an elegant cut across Wang Bing’s chest. Blood splattered as the knife carved into his skin.

Wang Bing was stunned. He hadn’t fully suppressed his defenses yet, but the knife still managed to leave a mark. How was that possible?

As soon as Xu Shen finished the stroke, his head felt like it had been struck by a hammer. His vision blurred, and he collapsed backward.

“Hey! Xu Shen!” Wang Bing caught him just in time and laid him down gently on a nearby table before freezing in place.

A powerful aura surged from his body as his shirt exploded into shreds, revealing rippling muscles covered in glowing runes. The Ghost Wolf Rune spread across his skin like an intricate masterpiece.

Unlike before, when many lines were crooked or incomplete, the rune now looked flawless—especially the eyes. They seemed alive, glowing faintly with green light as if they could see into one’s soul. A faint wolf’s howl echoed from within Wang Bing’s body.

“This... this is intent! I can break through to the Tongyou Realm?!” Wang Bing muttered in disbelief as his hands trembled.

As the aura subsided and the rune faded away, Wang Bing turned to look at the unconscious Xu Shen with complicated emotions in his eyes. Who would’ve thought that the boy he had saved all those years ago would become the key to his breakthrough?

Though Xu Shen’s methods were unorthodox and far from traditional Rune Engraving techniques, they had worked. This meant one thing: Xu Shen had the potential to become a truly unique Rune Engraver—perhaps even one of the greatest.

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