“Who fired the shot?” Cun Ling asked.

Overjoyed, Sun Ci immediately stepped forward. Cun Ling merely nodded before glancing away again, leaving Sun Ci standing there awkwardly, unsure of what he was supposed to do next.

Cun Ling lightly tossed the bullet into the air before catching it. He already understood what had happened. It’s just pure, dumb luck. 

The shot had pierced the aberration’s outer shell and struck the parasitic core directly. Unfortunately for the creature, the core itself wasn’t particularly durable, and the bullet had shattered it. It had been a fully formed aberrant, yet it had died in such a pathetic fashion.

Still, this bullet…

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Who made it?”

Sun Ci almost raised a hand. Only now did he realize he had no idea who had handed him the gun. Turning around, he spotted Ji Jue standing there, leaning on his crutches.

Ji Jue lowered his head and replied softly, “I-it was me.”

Cun Ling rolled the bullet between his fingers, feeling the traces of craftsmanship left behind in its construction. Casually, he asked, “Where did you learn this Red Anvil spirit-matter catalysis technique?”

“I... I...” Ji Jue lowered his head further. His gaze darted away as he struggled to suppress his unease.

Cun Ling immediately understood what was going on. He merely smiled, unconcerned. 

The workmanship alone told him everything. It was far too crude....