I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 53 - I Have No Idea

—

“Brother Shen, how does it feel?” Xu Guang asked curiously. “Does the fire in your heart burn or what?”

The three of them had already left the Xinhuo Guard headquarters. After the Xinhuo flame entered Xu Shen’s heart, he didn’t feel any discomfort. Xiao Ruyi, appearing to have urgent matters to attend to, had hurriedly escorted them out before leaving.

On their way out, Xu Guang couldn’t stop pestering Xu Shen with questions.

“It doesn’t feel like anything special. I just know there’s a flame in my heart,” Xu Shen replied casually.

“Man, I should’ve asked Sister Xiao if I could join Xinhuo Guard too,” Xu Guang sighed wistfully, his eyes showing a hint of longing.

Dong Tianming glanced at him. “Xu Shen is a special case. If you want to join, at least graduate from university first.”

Xu Guang chuckled sheepishly. “Forget it. I don’t have the talent for that. Following Brother Shen is good enough for me.”

Dong Tianming shook his head, unsure whether Xu Guang was genuinely smart or just pretending to be clueless. On one hand, he had the insight to recognize Xu Shen’s potential and follow him loyally. On the other hand, some of the things he said made it seem like he’d left his brain behind.

—

“How are we getting to the house?” Xu Shen asked, realizing they didn’t have a car.

“Sister Xiao already arranged transportation for us. Someone will take us there, and we can buy a car later,” Dong Tianming replied calmly.

The three of them walked toward the edge of an invisible barrier. As they stepped through, Xu Shen felt a sudden chill. When he turned back to look, the Xinhuo Guard headquarters had vanished, replaced by a towering mountain.

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He couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.

—

Ahead of them stood a young woman with a bright smile, standing next to a sleek black car.

“Hello, I’m Gu Xiao, Assistant to Commander Xiao. I’ll be driving you to your destination,” she said warmly.

“Thanks for the trouble,” Xu Shen said as he opened the car door and climbed in. The other two followed suit.

—

During the drive, Gu Xiao glanced at the three masked passengers in her car, who looked more like robbers than anything else.

“Do you need any household items or supplies? Commander Xiao said you could let me know if you do,” she offered.

Xu Shen thought for a moment before replying, “Sister Gu, do you know anyone who can make a shop sign?”

“A shop sign? Are you opening a store?” Gu Xiao asked curiously.

“Yeah, I’m opening a rune engraving shop and need a sign for it,” Xu Shen explained.

“So you’re a rune engraver? No problem! Leave it to me,” Gu Xiao said with a sweet smile. Internally, she was intrigued. A man sent by her superior who also happened to be a rune engraver? Perhaps she could ask him to enhance her runes later.

—

“What’s your shop’s name?” Gu Xiao asked after a moment.

Xu Shen froze and glanced at the two men beside him.

“Why are you looking at me? You’re the boss,” Dong Tianming said flatly.

“Boss Shen, you haven’t thought of a name yet?” Xu Guang added with a smirk.

Xu Shen sighed in frustration. He genuinely hadn’t thought about it. Naming his shop had never crossed his mind.

Seeing his silence, Gu Xiao seemed to guess what was going on and offered an alternative. “You don’t necessarily need a name. Many renowned rune engravers don’t bother naming their shops.”

“Huh? Is that really a thing?” Xu Shen asked, surprised.

“For famous engravers, shop names are meaningless,” Gu Xiao explained. “Customers come for the person, not the name.”

“At most, they might display a unique symbol or mark outside their shop as their signature.”

—

“That makes things simple,” Xu Shen said with a grin as he pulled out his black blade from his waist. “Just have someone use this blade’s shape as the shop’s symbol.”

Gu Xiao didn’t fully understand but took out her phone to snap a picture of the blade before continuing to drive.

“Got it. The sign will be delivered to your residence within two days.”

“No rush. Let me know how much it costs when it’s done,” Xu Shen replied with a polite smile. Despite his friendly tone, the mask altered his voice to sound cold and detached.

“It’s just a sign—I’ll cover it as a gift!” Gu Xiao said cheerfully, waving off his concern.

—

Dong Tianming remained silent throughout the conversation, observing Gu Xiao with mild curiosity. Most assistants to Flame Pillars were rigid and formal, almost robotic in their demeanor. But this young woman… she seemed unusually chatty and approachable.

—

After nearly two hours of driving—thanks to some traffic—the car finally slowed down and came to a stop.

The three passengers got out and found themselves standing in front of an old, creepy looking mansion that gave off haunted house vibes.

“I’ll take my leave now. The sign will be delivered soon!” Gu Xiao waved goodbye before driving off.

—

“Brother Shen, this house… it’s not haunted, is it? Why does it feel so creepy even in broad daylight?” Xu Guang asked nervously as he eyed the mansion.

Xu Shen remained silent, staring at the large, ancient-looking house with its spacious courtyard. Despite the bright daylight, there was an undeniable sense of gloom hanging over the place.

“You should be grateful you even have a house,” Dong Tianming said irritably. “With me here—a Tongyou Realm expert—what are you afraid of?”

He strode forward confidently to push open the gate but stopped short when he noticed a group of young men and women walking toward them from a nearby path.

—

“I’m telling you, this house has been here for decades,” one of the youths—a slick-haired guy with an over-the-top hairstyle—was saying animatedly. “They say that back in the day, a ghoul emperor lost an arm nearby.”

“That’s why this place has always felt so eerie. Even though the ghoul emperor’s aura was cleansed long ago, no one dares—HOLY SHIT!”

He froze mid-sentence as he looked up and saw three masked figures staring directly at him.

—

“Who are you?!” one of the women in the group demanded as they all took cautious steps back. Ghostly energy began swirling around them as their runes activated defensively.

“My name is Ming,” Xu Shen said calmly as he stepped forward.

“Ming? What kind of weird name is that?” another woman muttered with a frown, still retreating slightly.

“Are you students from Capital University?” Xu Shen asked, ignoring her comment.

“Yes! We’re freshmen—about to start our second year after New Year!” one of them replied proudly. Mentioning Capital University seemed to boost their confidence; they straightened up immediately.

—

“I’ll be opening a rune engraving shop here soon,” Xu Shen said simply. “If you need anything, feel free to visit.”

With that, he turned and walked away without another word, exuding an air of mystery as he entered the courtyard where Dong Tianming was already inspecting the house.

—

“Someone’s actually moving into that house? And opening a rune engraving shop?” one of the students muttered in disbelief.

Setting up shop near Capital University took guts—especially for something like rune engraving. After all, the university’s engraving department was home to top-tier professors and talented students. What kind of confidence did this “Ming” have?

Curiosity piqued, they decided they’d check out this mysterious shop once it opened.

—

Meanwhile, one of the braver girls approached Xu Guang, who was still outside surveying the area.

“Excuse me… Red-faced Big Brother? Are you really opening an engraving shop here?” she asked hesitantly.

Xu Guang’s face darkened under his mask. Red-faced Big Brother? What kind of nickname is that?!

Still, he responded coolly: “Yes, my brother is opening it here. Why?”

“Can I ask… is your brother an Engraving Realm master or Silent Realm expert?” she pressed cautiously.

Xu Guang froze for a moment. He had no idea what those terms meant—he hadn’t even known rune engravers had ranks until now!

Recalling Dong Tianming’s earlier advice about projecting confidence, he straightened up and adopted an air of authority. “My brother’s skill transcends such classifications.”

“To measure him by realms would be an insult!”

—

The students collectively gasped in shock before exchanging wide-eyed glances. This was going to be interesting—someone bold enough to challenge Capital University’s engraving monopoly had arrived!

“We’ll definitely come by in a few days!” Slick-Hair said with a grin before leading his group back toward campus to spread the news.

—

Once they were gone, Xu Guang rushed into the house where Dong Tianming and Xu Shen were dividing up rooms.

“Brother Shen! What rank are you as an engraver?” he blurted out breathlessly.

Xu Shen blinked in confusion. “Rank? I have no idea.”