I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 40 - The Terms

—

When Xu Shen returned to the room Dong Tianming had prepared for him, he felt dazed and disoriented. More than anything, he was silent.

His conversation with Ye Xiaoxin, the elder who introduced himself as the leader of Xinhuo Guard, had revealed much he had never known. The most shocking revelation? Ye Xiaoxin was an old friend of that old man—Yan Gui!

Xu Shen also learned something else: Yan Gui, a mere Flame Mastery cultivator, was a legend among the upper echelons of Xinhuo Guard.

Why? Because Yan Gui had been the one to propose the existence of “Extreme Realm” within cultivation stages. He had also introduced numerous methods for strengthening the body and pushing past limits, teachings that were still used by Xinhuo Guard to this day. Many even regarded him as a teacher.

At first, Xu Shen had suspected Ye Xiaoxin of harboring ill intentions toward Yan Gui. He remained evasive during their conversation until Ye Xiaoxin pulled out an old photograph of two young men—himself and Yan Gui.

In the photo, Yan Gui looked tall and dashing, a stark contrast to his current scruffy appearance. Yet Xu Shen could still recognize certain features on his face that confirmed it was indeed him.

Only then did Xu Shen trust Ye Xiaoxin enough to ask if he knew where Yan Gui was. But Ye Xiaoxin didn’t know either.

—

What followed was even more absurd.

Ye Xiaoxin suggested that Xu Shen not attend university.

Xu Shen almost exploded on the spot. After all, he had worked so hard to earn this opportunity, and now someone was telling him to give it up? Was this some kind of joke?

But knowing Ye Xiaoxin’s position as the leader of Xinhuo Guard, Xu Shen forced himself to calm down and asked for an explanation.

The answer chilled him to the bone: The Cheng Family.

Once again, it was the Cheng Family.

As Yan Gui’s old friend, Ye Xiaoxin seemed to know quite a bit about them. However, he didn’t go into detail. He simply mentioned that members of the Cheng Family were embedded in universities and industries across the nation.

If Xu Shen enrolled in university and continued using the Battle Art left by Yan Gui, it was only a matter of time before he attracted their attention. Even Capital Academy, one of the top institutions, had a vice principal who was a Cheng Family elder.

And if Xu Shen didn’t demonstrate overwhelming potential at university, he wouldn’t receive resources. Competing against true prodigies there—some not far behind Xu Shen’s current level—would be nearly impossible without support.

—

“What if I don’t go to Capital Academy? What if I choose a less prestigious school?” Xu Shen had asked.

Ye Xiaoxin shook his head. “If there’s a Cheng Family elder at Capital Academy, what do you think the situation is like at other universities?”

“Do you want to attend some random school just to get a diploma? Xinhuo Guard can arrange that for you,” Ye Xiaoxin said bluntly.

Xu Shen fell silent.

—

“So, would they really dare harm me at school?” Xu Shen asked after a moment.

“It’s not about whether they’d harm you directly,” Ye Xiaoxin explained. “It’s about resource allocation. They could make things difficult for you in countless ways—assigning you impossible missions, withholding guidance, denying you access to resources.”

“Even though they only have a vice principal at Capital Academy, a family as powerful as theirs could suppress you in ways you can’t imagine. And Xinhuo Guard doesn’t have the manpower to protect you at all times.”

Xu Shen was dumbfounded. “All this… over a body-strengthening technique? Do they think Xia Nation belongs to them?”

“You’ll understand once you reach Tongyou Realm or Yinshen Realm,” Ye Xiaoxin said with a deep look in his eyes. “There are certain people and forces that Xia Nation can’t afford to lose right now.”

—

Then Ye Xiaoxin asked him directly: “Are you a rune engraver?”

Xu Shen hesitated briefly before nodding. While his Black Blade system handled most of the work, it technically made him an engraver.

“Are you suggesting I enroll in a rune engraving program? That’s not impossible,” Xu Shen mused aloud.

Ye Xiaoxin scoffed. “You think enrolling in such a program is wise? Rune engraving students are weaklings—your presence would draw too much attention.”

“Do you want Cheng Family and Moon Cult operatives showing up even faster?”

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Once again, Xu Shen fell silent.

—

Ye Xiaoxin then proposed an alternative solution: Xu Shen could become an official rune engraver under Xinhuo Guard.

This arrangement wouldn’t restrict his movements or confine him to any specific city. He could open his own engraving shop while maintaining an official identity within Xinhuo Guard.

With this status, he would gain access to university libraries and could even consult professors or Xinhuo Guard experts for guidance. Additionally, if the Cheng Family tried to investigate him, they would have to go through Xinhuo Guard first.

Xu Shen’s eyes lit up at the prospect. Free access to libraries and teachers? No one breathing down his neck? It sounded perfect!

But there was one condition: If Xu Shen reached Flame Mastery Realm in the future, he would be required to become a candidate for Flame Pillar—the highest rank within Xinhuo Guard.

—

As a candidate, Xu Shen would have significant freedom. He could choose whether or not to join missions with Xinhuo Guard teams. Meanwhile, at least one Flame Mastery expert would be stationed near his family home to ensure their safety.

In essence, Xu Shen would hold dual roles: publicly as a rune engraver and privately as a Flame Pillar candidate with discretionary mission participation.

This offer was almost too good to be true. Even current Flame Pillars didn’t enjoy such privileges—they were often assigned missions without choice. Yet Xu Shen would have complete autonomy until he officially assumed the role.

Flame Pillars were the backbone of Xinhuo Guard and Xia Nation itself—only Yinshen Realm cultivators could hold this title.

—

Xu Shen didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he told Ye Xiaoxin he would give his answer after returning to Yuan City.

Ye Xiaoxin didn’t press him. “When you’ve made your decision, find Wu Yun,” he said before leaving.

—

Now sitting on his bed, Xu Shen’s mind raced with conflicting thoughts. Although he trusted Ye Xiaoxin somewhat, he couldn’t shake his doubts entirely.

Yan Gui had warned him long ago: People who seem kind may have hidden agendas, while those who oppose you openly might simply be straightforward.

Apart from Uncle Wang’s family and his siblings, Xu Shen found it hard to trust anyone completely. Even Yang Dian and the others were only partially trustworthy—they weren’t foolish enough to betray someone as valuable as their personal rune engraver.

As for Ye Xiaoxin… Sure, he had been friends with Yan Gui in their youth. But decades had passed since then—what if something had changed?

Xu Shen resolved to investigate further before making any decisions. He needed to confirm whether the Cheng Family and Moon Cult were truly as dangerous as Ye Xiaoxin claimed.

—

Pulling out his phone, Xu Shen searched for information on the Little Blood Ape King but found no mention of himself. Then he searched for the Cheng Family.

As he read through the results, his expression darkened.

At the top of the list was Cheng Xin—a middle-aged man who served as Vice Principal of Capital Academy and a former deputy leader of Xinhuo Guard. In his youth, he had been a Flame Pillar candidate.

Then there was Cheng Zhi, chairman of Tianyao Group—the company responsible for producing most of Xia Nation’s anti-ghoul medicines. Cheng Xin and Cheng Zhi were cousins…

The list went on with more individuals surnamed Cheng. Even if they weren’t all part of the same family, just those two alone were enough to give Xu Shen a headache.

“Could there be Cheng Family members within Xinhuo Guard’s leadership too?” Xu Shen muttered grimly.

—

Next, he searched for information on the Moon Cult.

To his surprise, there were results—though sparse. One image showed a middle-aged man with a kind face labeled as Qu Lin: founder of the Moon Cult, traitor to humanity, and extremely dangerous.

The brief description stated that Qu Lin once attempted to transform an entire city into ghouls but failed. His last known appearance confirmed him as a Yinshen Realm cultivator.

The simplicity of the entry only made it more chilling.

Transforming an entire city? That level of ruthlessness was terrifying.

Scrolling further down revealed numerous atrocities committed by the Moon Cult…

—

Then something caught Xu Shen’s eye: [2511: Suspected Moon Cult activity during ghoul outbreak in Yuan City.]

Clicking on the article, his eyes turned red as he recognized images of ruined streets—his old neighborhood.

“If this is true… Moon Cult… we’ve been enemies from the start,” Xu Shen growled under his breath.

Closing his phone, he took several deep breaths to calm himself. Now wasn’t the time for anger—he needed strength first. Absolute power would render all conspiracies meaningless.

For now, he would bide his time and avoid drawing attention from forces that could crush him effortlessly.

—

Lying on his bed with eyes closed, Xu Shen opened his system interface:

[Host Name: Xu Shen]

[Age: 18]

[Cultivation Level: Awakening Peak]

[Cultivation Technique: Nine Observations of the Nether Immortal]

[Engraving Points: 1240]

[Runes: Weapon Rune (Incomplete)]

Seeing over 1200 engraving points made Xu Shen ecstatic—this mission had been incredibly rewarding!

But then he noticed something new… A second panel had appeared behind the first!