The workshop pulsed with a steady rhythm that had long since become familiar to Han Yu.

Pools of darkened blood shimmered faintly under the glow of formation arrays, their surfaces occasionally rippling as submerged corpses absorbed energy and transformed. Around him, rows of Jiangshi moved with quiet purpose.

Some were adjusting array plates, others were transferring refined blood into new chambers, and a few stood perfectly still as they monitored fluctuations in energy flow with unblinking precision.

Han Yu stood at the center of it all, sleeves rolled back, hands stained faintly with dried blood essence that had long since ceased to bother him. His attention was focused entirely on a half completed Jiangshi before him, its torso open as he carefully adjusted a cluster of runes embedded within its Dantian.

Threads of Qi flowed from his fingertips like fine strands of silk, weaving into the formation with delicate precision. Every adjustment required exact timing. A slight deviation would cause imbalance, and imbalance in such constructs could lead to violent consequences.

Hours passed without interruption.

The large doors of the workshop opened quietly at some point during his work, though Han Yu did not turn. He had long since learned to distinguish disturbances that required his attention from those that did not. This one carried no urgency, no fluctuation in intent, no shift in atmosphere that would demand a reaction.

It was none other than Meng Jueyan who had entered.

Her steps were silent, her presence composed as always. She paused near the entrance for a brief moment, her gaze sweeping across the workshop, observing everything in a single glance.

The Jiangshi moved with discipline, the formations remained stable, and Han Yu was fully absorbed in his work. Seeing this, she did not approach him immediately. Instead, she moved along the perimeter, inspecting the ongoing processes.

A Green Class Jiangshi was adjusting a maintenance array when her gaze fell upon it.

The faint flicker of unease in the air was enough for her to pause. Her Ominous Wind Raven eye narrowed slightly, detecting the subtle distortion that would have gone unnoticed by most. She stepped closer, crouched, and adjusted one of the secondary runes by a fraction.

The distortion vanished.

She moved on without a word.

Another Jiangshi was reinforcing a containment seal around a partially unstable corpse. This time, she observed longer, her expression thoughtful as she traced the flow of energy. The formation was correct, but the timing of its activation lagged slightly behind the energy surge it was meant to contain. She tapped the array lightly, shifting its sequence.

The containment stabilized instantly.

Such corrections were small, yet they prevented larger problems from forming. Over the years, Meng Jueyan had become intimately familiar with these systems. While she could not create Jiangshi herself, her understanding of the supporting structures had grown to a level that allowed her to assist seamlessly.

Her Ominous Wind Raven eye gave her an advantage that few others possessed. It did not provide direct answers, yet it revealed enough to guide her decisions. Plus over time, she had learned enough to guess what these omens meant.

Time passed quietly.

Eventually, Han Yu's hands slowed.

The final strand of Qi settled into place, and the formation within the Jiangshi before him stabilized completely. He exhaled, stepping back slightly as he observed the result. The construct responded perfectly. Energy circulated smoothly, and the faint aura it emitted remained controlled.

Satisfied, he straightened and rolled his shoulders, the tension of hours of focused work easing slightly.

Only then did he turn.

Meng Jueyan was already approaching.

Without a word, she reached out and gently wiped the faint trace of sweat from his forehead with a clean cloth. Her movements were natural, practiced, and carried a quiet familiarity that had formed over years of repetition.

She then handed him a cup of tea, the steam rising softly in the dim light. Han Yu accepted it and took a slow sip, letting the warmth settle into him.

"What is it?" he asked after a moment, his voice calm. "I thought you would be buried in paperwork at this hour."

Meng Jueyan lowered her gaze slightly, though her tone remained steady. "I can never be too busy for you, master."

Han Yu gave a faint hum in response, though his eyes studied her more carefully now. He knew her habits well. She did not interrupt him without reason, and she never came to the workshop without purpose.

"Still," he said, setting the cup aside, "you would not come here unless it was something important."

She inclined her head slightly. "It is."

From within her sleeve, she produced a letter.

It remained sealed.

Even from a distance, the presence it carried was unmistakable. The wax sealing it was not ordinary. It held a dull sheen that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it, and faint traces of greenish energy coiled within it like slow moving smoke.

The symbol pressed into it was intricate and unsettling, its design reminiscent of intertwined thorns and bone fragments.

Han Yu's eyes narrowed slightly as he reached out and took it.

He did not open it.

Instead, he examined it.

The faint aura of cursed energy emanating from the seal was enough for him to identify its composition almost instantly. The materials used were excessive for something as simple as sealing a letter. Cursed Corpse Wax imbued with Death Bell Powder formed a combination that was both volatile and lethal when triggered improperly.

"They used Cursed Corpse Wax imbued with Death Bell Powder as a mere letter seal?" Han Yu said quietly, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief. "There is only one person who would do something like this."

Meng Jueyan nodded. "Indeed, master."

He continued to study the seal, his thoughts moving quickly.

"Lady Rot Rose," he said finally.

"Indeed," Meng Jueyan confirmed.

Han Yu's gaze lingered on the symbol for a moment longer before he leaned back slightly.

"Strange," he murmured. "I thought she still held a grudge against me."