“Then I'll head back first.” She took two steps, then paused and turned her head to add, “Don't worry about the damaged courtyard wall. I'll arrange for someone to repair it first thing tomorrow morning.”
Bai Xuan nodded slightly. Yvonne then turned and left, her steps much lighter than when she had arrived.
Bai Xuan stood in place, watching her figure disappear around the corner of the corridor. He then retrieved the engraving stone from his ring once more. After studying it closely under the cool moonlight for a moment, he turned, walked back inside, and shut the door.
The room was exceptionally tidy. The bedsheets were smooth, the desk corners clean, and even the faint stains in the corners of the walls had been meticulously wiped away.
Sitting at the desk, he took off his damaged white robe, folded it neatly, and set it on the corner of the table. He then retrieved the engraving stone once more to examine it.
The Level 5 Limit Breakthrough effect of Strength Enhancement was perfectly replicated by this engraving stone. Whether in terms of the user's physical sensation or practical combat performance, it aligned completely with the projected effects.
The value of this engraving stone was far higher than he had estimated. Its only drawback was that the solidification effect was irreversible; once an ability was engraved and bound, it could never be changed.
Weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he returned the engraving stone to his Space Ring, leaned against the headboard, and slowly closed his eyes.
...
The next morning, Bai Xuan pushed open his bedroom door to find the gentle morning sun bathing the entire courtyard.
He had changed into a spare set of cloth robes. The fabric was thicker and more durable than the one he wore last night, featuring a practical, narrow-sleeved design that was clean and efficient, ensuring his movements wouldn't be hindered.
Leaning against the doorframe, he scanned the yard. Workers had already arrived to repair the gap in the courtyard wall that had been collapsed during last night's battle.
A young craftsman squatted at the base of the wall, fitting neat new stones into the gap and filling the crevices with mortar.
A few rough stones awaiting polishing were piled near his feet, and an iron hammer lay casually on the ground, its head covered in stone chips and dust. Bai Xuan walked over slowly, inspecting the nearly finished repairs on the wall.
Sensing someone approaching from behind, the craftsman looked up. Recognizing Bai Xuan, his trowel froze mid-air. After a brief moment of hesitation, feeling it would be impolite to drop his tools abruptly, he switched the trowel to his left hand, stood up, and bowed politely.
“Good morning, sir,” the young man said cheerfully, carrying the fresh energy of a new workday. “Did you rest well last night?”
“Not bad,” Bai Xuan replied casually, his gaze falling on the damaged wall. “When did you start the repairs?”
The craftsman followed his gaze to the wall. “We started working as soon as the sun came up. The estate steward arranged this last night, ordering us to completely repair the entire wall before sunset today.”
He squatted back down, scraped the excess mortar off his trowel against the edge of the bucket, scooped up a fresh glob, and resumed filling the joints.
“Rest assured, sir. The strength and appearance of the repaired wall will be absolutely no worse than the original,” the artisan said confidently, clearly proud of his work.
With that, he bent his head to smooth out the gaps between the stones, using the back of his trowel to level the edges of the wall and scrape away any overflowing mortar.
Bai Xuan nodded slightly and didn't press further. He turned and crossed the courtyard, heading toward the main hall of the manor.
The atmosphere outside the main hall was much livelier than the previous day. Several solid wood planks were temporarily set up near the edge of the stone steps, with rolled-up blueprints and bundles of thick ropes piled next to them.
Edmund stood before a table, holding an inventory checklist as he went over details with a guest who looked like a merchant. Several estate staff members bustled around them, some carrying supplies and others speaking in hushed tones as they handed off tasks.
Bai Xuan stood quietly under the eaves of the corridor, waiting without interrupting. Once Edmund finished his business, Bai Xuan stepped forward.
Edmund looked up and saw Bai Xuan, setting aside his paper list. “You're awake. Did you rest well last night?”
“Well enough, though I accidentally damaged a few walls. Sorry for the trouble,” Bai Xuan said apologetically.
“It's just a few walls, there's no need to blame yourself, sir,” Edmund said, shaking his head. His eyes swept over Bai Xuan's fresh white cloth robes. “I've arranged the escorts you requested. Rex and Yvonne will accompany you throughout the journey.”
He turned slightly and pointed toward the stone steps in the courtyard.
Rex and Yvonne were waiting on the steps near the wall. Both had changed into lightweight outdoor gear suitable for long-distance travel, carrying their travel packs on their backs. It looked like they had been waiting for some time.
Rex wore a sword at his waist, its scabbard straps tightly secured. He stood tall and straight. Sensing Bai Xuan's gaze, he gave a steady nod of greeting without any unnecessary pleasantries.
Yvonne stood beside him, holding a drawstring cloth bag that was neatly tied shut.
She also nodded to greet Bai Xuan. Her gaze lingered on his new white robes for a split second before she naturally looked away.
Bai Xuan nodded in response to the two escorts, then turned to Edmund to state his request directly: “Do you have any suitable defensive gear in your warehouse? Something that can withstand the bumps of wilderness combat and sharp blade slashes.”
Edmund thought for a moment and immediately ordered a guard beside him to retrieve some defensive gear from the estate's warehouse.
A moment later, the guard returned carrying two sets of gear: one was a set of grayish-black standard plate armor, with thick, sturdy plates, roughly polished edges, and rivets covered in old rust; the other was a leather soft armor in decent condition, showing a few battle scratches, its load-bearing shoulder straps worn shiny from long-term use.
Bai Xuan stared at the plate armor for a moment, raising his hand to tap the breastplate. The armor returned a dull, hard thud, its texture resembling unpolished wrought iron.
While this defensive gear offered excellent protection for vital areas, its overall weight was too high. Wearing it would severely restrict his agility, hindering his ability to dodge and dash.
His own passive Physique Enhancement had already reached Level 3, giving him physical toughness and impact resistance far exceeding that of ordinary low-rank adventurers.
The protective bonuses provided by basic leather armor available on the market were negligible to him; ordinary swords and blades couldn't even scratch his flesh.
While this kind of heavy plate armor was a lifesaver for ordinary adventurers, to Bai Xuan, it would only be a cumbersome shackle that dragged down his movements.
He withdrew his hand, passing on the gear, and shook his head slightly. “Never mind. I'll look into it once we reach Blackcreek Town. I know a skilled professional blacksmith there.”
Edmund didn't reply immediately. He glanced at Bai Xuan, then at the plate armor, realizing that what they had brought out was indeed rather underwhelming.
“These are just basic spare equipment left in the warehouse,” he explained flatly. “When Zane led his men to loot this place, almost all the high-quality supplies in the warehouse were taken. This remaining batch of plate armor is only used by the low-rank guards on rotation.”
He tilted his head, recalling the warehouse inventory. “The warehouse used to store a batch of lightweight leather armor and light protective gear, but those were swept clean by them as well.”
The whole matter had long since settled, and as he spoke of these things, there was not much regret in his voice.
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