Chapter 100: Silver Artifact, Crimson Heart

Murong Mengli walked slowly to the desk and sat beside Su Mu. "Since you've made your decision, I will naturally support you. You're with the Bronze Coffin, and Qian Zihao is wary of my status as a noble. He certainly won't dare make a move out in the open. He can only send assassins in secret.

"As far as I know, he has three great Silver experts at his side, but he can only mobilize one of them right now. Of the other two, one is guarding the Mithril Mine and won't leave easily, while the other is in another city managing business for Qian Zihao's guild.

"So the only one he can use is Mu Cheng. He's extremely mysterious. Rumor has it he isn't a Transcendent at all, but a cyborg."

"A cyborg?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow. The term brought many things to mind.

"That's right, a cyborg. A Mithril Alloy Cyborg, in fact. Cyborg technology isn't a secret in the Upper District, but ordinary small companies simply can't afford it. The money required to build a capable cyborg is astronomical.

"Rumor has it that the surface of Mu Cheng's body is entirely covered in Mithril Alloy. Its strength is incredibly high, granting him a defense comparable to a Follower of Strength under the Silver Law. He's also equipped with numerous lethal weapons, giving him terrifying destructive power."

"The power of technology?" Su Mu was already looking forward to it. He had seen quite a few Transcendents by now, but never a cyborg.

"Many ordinary people with no hope of becoming a Transcendent, or Transcendents with no hope of further advancement, choose the cyborg route to improve their strength. As long as they're willing to spend the money, their power can skyrocket in a very short amount of time."

"Full-body modification? Or partial?"

"Partial modification. Current technology isn't advanced enough to support full-body modification. That's merely a concept: uploading human consciousness into a Computer, then installing that Computer into a modified body to achieve conscious immortality, otherwise known as mechanical ascension. It just isn't realistic.

"Most cyborgs just replace an arm or a leg. The more impressive ones replace all their skin, muscle, and bone with machinery, retaining only their internal organs and brain.

"Mu Cheng is the latter."

Murong Mengli paused. "Susu, I've told you everything I know. What do you plan to do next?"

Su Mu smiled faintly. "Leave the Bronze Coffin and lure Mu Cheng out, of course. The enemy is in the dark while I'm in the light. If I don't draw him out, how can I make a move?"

"Are you sure?" A trace of worry appeared on Murong Mengli's face. "A Mithril Alloy Cyborg like Mu Cheng possesses near-perfect defense. Unless a Silver expert makes a move, it will be very difficult to break through his guard."

"If a person only acted when they were absolutely certain, they would never accomplish anything. Aren't you looking for the Eye of Gold? Then I have to deal with Qian Zihao's people first. Since he tried to trip us up once, he'll naturally try again."

Hearing the words 'Eye of Gold,' Murong Mengli's eyes dimmed slightly. "Actually, I've already given up hope. There just isn't enough time. The Murong Family Head's birthday banquet is in exactly one week, which is also the day he will announce the marriage arrangement. If the news from the Abandoned District were true, perhaps there would still be a chance, but now..."

In contrast to her pessimism, Su Mu didn't see it that way. He offered a gentle smile. "Haven't you heard there's always a way out? Until the very last moment, who can say for sure?"

Su Mu's gentle smile seemed to infect Murong Mengli. A bit of luster returned to her clear eyes. "You're right. Until the final moment, victory and defeat remain unknown."

She leaned forward slightly, bringing her breathtaking face closer as she stared unblinkingly at Su Mu. "Susu, have you given that matter any more thought?"

Su Mu frowned slightly. "What matter?"

"It's just..." Murong Mengli bit her lower lip, a blush blooming on her cheeks as if the words were hard to say. "It's what I mentioned to you before. About needing to find a man."

"Why are you so fixated on this?"

"Stop asking and just tell me if you'll do it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's boring."

Murong Mengli stared blankly, a strange look in her eyes. "You can't be..."

"Miss Mengli, I can tell you're hiding something from me. This isn't your usual style." Su Mu narrowed his eyes, his profound gaze seemingly piercing straight into her heart.

Murong Mengli deflated and slowly leaned back in her chair, a bitter smile creeping onto her lips. "I do have a reason I can't speak of. You're the only man who catches my eye, so I figured that if I have to go through with this, it would be best if it were you.

"Moreover, you've already been targeted by Qian Zihao. You could die at any moment, and I was worried..."

"Worried that if I die, it won't be easy to find another man who catches your eye?"

Murong Mengli nodded frankly.

Su Mu couldn't quite understand. What exactly was the reason keeping Murong Mengli so fixated on getting laid?

Whatever. It wasn't important. Compared to Murong Mengli's little secret, he was far more interested in Mu Cheng.

"Relax, I won't die." Su Mu's tone remained gentle, but his words carried an unquestionable confidence.

Murong Mengli fell silent. After a long moment, she reached up with her delicate hands, ran them through her loose flaxen hair, and brought them to the back of her neck.

She unclasped a silver necklace crafted from Mithril. A small, exquisite pendant hung from it—a ruby that gleamed with an eerie luster under the moonlight.

"I'll lend you this necklace for now."

Su Mu glanced at the ruby necklace, his heart stirring slightly. "Is this... an Artifact?"

Murong Mengli nodded. Her gaze held a touch of nostalgia as she looked at the necklace. "A Silver Artifact, the Crimson Heart. It can block any single attack below the Gold tier. It can be used repeatedly, with a cooldown of one day."

"You..."

"Don't worry about me." Murong Mengli smiled. "The status of a noble is far more useful than a Silver Artifact."

"Do you have any other Artifacts?"

"..." Murong Mengli was left speechless.

The smile she had just shown vanished instantly. She casually tossed the Crimson Heart down, then rose coldly and walked toward the door. Halfway through the doorway, she paused and left behind a single cold sentence: "Don't die."

With that, she was gone.

Su Mu didn't mind Murong Mengli's displeasure. Regardless, he was very happy to have obtained a new Silver Artifact.

He picked up the Crimson Heart. The delicate necklace still held a faint trace of warmth.

"Blocks any single attack below the Gold tier once a day. A fine treasure."

He put the Crimson Heart around his neck, the ruby pendant slowly vanishing beneath his collar.