In a dilapidated courtyard adjacent to the side rooms of Jiuli Temple, heaps of small, mountain-shaped mounds of white fragments scattered across the ground, emitting bursts of burnt fragrance under the blazing midday sun.

Under a nearby shack, a middle-aged man wearing a short robe was sound asleep, resting his head on his clasped hands.

This man, around thirty years of age, was not particularly robust. His square face had slightly sunken cheeks, and his large, protruding ears were quite prominent.

Not far from him, the chimney of a room was puffing white smoke, suggesting that something was being cooked inside.

Just then, a fat old man in a red robe entered the gate of the courtyard. He glanced around the yard but did not continue in. He cleared his throat.

At this cough, the middle-aged man in the shack shivered and awoke alertly.

As the middle-aged man's bleary eyes adjusted and he recognized the newcomer, he fully woke up and greeted with a broad smile, "I've seen the abbot. What brings you here today, sir? I'm just drying some Bai Shumo; had I known, I would have tidied up a bit."

The fat old man glanced meaningfully at Wu Sang with the corner of his eye before speaking, "Wu Sang, you can make incense while sleeping? Quite comfortable, aren't you?"

"You joke, sir. Rest assured, if there's one thing I dare claim expertise in, it's incense making. I can do it even with my eyes closed," Wu Sang replied with a grin.

"Humph! Looking at your relaxed demeanor, if it weren't for your father's sake, why would I tolerate you here and provide for you?" the fat old man scoffed discontentedly.

"Isn't it because I still owe the temple much incense? Making incense under your watchful eye is a way for me to repay my debts, and it gives you some peace of mind," Wu Sang scratched his head and admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"Remember that well, lad! In half a month, it will be the annual sacrifice to the Dog Teeth God. Let me remind you not to mess up at that time. Focus on making good incense during this period, and don't step out of this courtyard without my permission," the fat old man stated firmly.

"Oh dear, venerable abbot, I assure you the incense will be made in sufficient quantity for the ritual, but this confinement seems a tad unfair! I have been offering quite a bit of incense these last six months," Wu Sang complained.

"Quiet! Just so you know, there are currently people in the temple looking for you, and I've covered for you. I don't care how much debt you've accumulated outside; if you bring trouble to the temple, don't expect any favors from me!" the fat old man warned sternly.

"What, my whereabouts have been exposed? That's impossible!" Wu Sang exclaimed, jumping up.

"Young man, behave yourself!" The fat old man dropped this advice before walking away with a flick of his sleeve.

"Tch! All sweet words from your mouth, but you're just eyeing my incense-making skills, raising the price while my shop in Iron Tiger Town is gone! I was bewitched by your collusion with Pork Grease, following the shortcuts he suggested, or else how could you have caught me?" Once the fat old man was farther away, Wu Sang muttered under his breath as he pointed outside the courtyard.

After muttering a few more words, Wu Sang yawned and walked back to the shack, ready to continue his nap.

But just as he was about to lie down, a cough echoed from behind.

"You old man, how..." Wu Sang immediately tensed, inwardly cursing, worried that the fat old man had overheard his earlier curses.

But when he turned around, he saw a neatly-dressed young man, no older than twenty in a blue robe, smiling ambiguously at him.

"Who sent you? What do you want! I tell you, this is Jiuli Temple, if I just shout, people will come immediately!" Wu Sang's mind whirred, connecting the words of the fat old man and coming to a conclusion.

"Wu Sang, right? Don't be nervous, we've never met, and I'm not here to collect a debt," Yuan Ming explained amiably.

"You're from the Central Plains, aren't you? I don't know you and certainly don't owe money to the people from the Central Plains. Why are you here, and how do you know of my whereabouts?" Wu Sang examined Yuan Ming again, still suspicious but slightly relieved.

"I heard of Mr. Wu Sang's prowess in incense making back in Iron Tiger Town and decided to seek you out. As for finding you, as long as you're in this temple, I have my ways, perhaps guided by the Dog God," Yuan Ming said with a smile.

"The only one in Iron Tiger Town who could know of my stay here would be Pork Grease from Mountain River Gambling House, did you hear it from him?" Wu Sang inquired.

"Yes, I went through quite some effort to get your details from him," Yuan Ming responded with a smile.

"You really want to learn incense making? You look well-off, and though incense has become pricier, it's not hard to obtain," Wu Sang said incredulously, still skeptical.

"Since I seek your guidance, I must be upfront; my research in incense making is to create one that resembles this particular stick of incense," Yuan Ming pondered for a moment before taking out the last piece of Black Incense and passing it to Wu Sang.

Wu Sang took the black incense stick, examined it carefully, and lightly sniffed it.

"This stick doesn't seem extraordinary; its scent isn't much different from regular incense. It shouldn't be hard to replicate," he looked up and said to Yuan Ming.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming showed no sign of joy but instead appeared somewhat disappointed.

This Black Incense must be unusual; otherwise, it wouldn't specifically trigger the divine peculiarity of the incense burner that accepted no other. You should know that he had tried no less than a few hundred types of incense recently, even dozens that looked nearly identical in appearance.

"Could you please take another look and see if you can discern the materials used to make this Black Incense?" Yuan Ming, unable to resign himself, continued to inquire.

"Incense from the Southern Border generally uses bai shumo as a base, accompanied by spices like Spicy Wood and East Sunflower, predominantly in yellow and red hues. However, such Black Incense is rare. In my experience, only the tower area in the Southern Border has this type of Black Incense. Did you buy this stick there?" Wu Sang frowned upon hearing this, examined it closely for a moment, and looked up to ask.

"I found this item in an incense burner within an ancient temple that I stumbled upon in ruins; I have not been able to find another like it since," Yuan Ming said with a slight bitter smile.

"Then, do you still remember what the incense burner looked like? What divine statues were worshipped in the temple? Based on this, perhaps we could determine which tribe worshipped there and deduce some clues," Wu Sang asked, seeming a bit disappointed.

Yuan Ming glanced at Wu Sang and briefly described the shape of the incense burner, as there was no need for him to conceal this detail.

As for the Tai Chi Pattern on the incense burner and other patterns, he omitted mentioning them.

"From what you've described, I still can't analyze much. It seems we must start with the incense and study it in detail. This will take quite some effort. The Dog Teeth God sacrifice is in half a month, and I've been rather busy recently," Wu Sang said, frowning and speaking with some difficulty.

"I appreciate your attention to this matter, Mr. Wu Sang. Here's a small token of appreciation," Yuan Ming said, pulling out a small cloth bag and stuffing it into Wu Sang's chest.

The bag made a crisp sound as it moved, which was the sound of copper coins and silver coins clashing.

Wu Sang looked at the bag, slightly surprised, and then smiled, saying,

"Our family has always enjoyed research; otherwise, we could not have become a household name in incense making through the centuries! Though I am busy, I cannot slack off, especially when such a unique Black Incense has piqued my interest. But let me be upfront—if in the end, I am unable to replicate this Black Incense, please do not blame me."

"With Mr. Wu Sang's capabilities, if you put in your best effort, I believe there will be breakthroughs. If you can successfully replicate the exact type of Black Incense I need, I will be additionally grateful," Yuan Ming said with a slight smile.

"What a straightforward person you are! Rest assured, I will do my utmost," Wu Sang laughed heartily, exuberantly saying.

"Could you also possibly impart your Incense Dao methods?" Yuan Ming asked with a slight smile on his face.

"That's a trivial matter. I'll make time to teach you a bit tomorrow. However, incense making is intricate and can only be mastered over many years. It would be better for you to stay in the temple to facilitate learning the Incense Dao from me," Wu Sang said.

"We'll do as Mr. Wu Sang says," Yuan Ming naturally had no objections and nodded in agreement.

"I would like to take away a little of that Black Incense to analyze its components," Wu Sang said before leaving.

"Of course."

After his agreement, however, he suddenly realized that the seemingly ordinary Black Incense wouldn't budge under his force, utterly impossible to break.

He had to go outside to an unoccupied area and exert his mana to finally break off a small piece of Black Incense, worrying whether it was too long or too short for analysis.

He carefully wrapped it in white paper, returned to the courtyard, and handed it to Wu Sang.

After bidding farewell to Wu Sang, Yuan Ming went to the east side where a row of rooms were located—places for temple dwellers. After inquiring, he learned that several rooms were vacant.

He rented a room, sat on the bed, and looked out the window.

Although a lot of time had been spent, the quest for incense had finally made some progress.

Although Wu Sang was not very reliable, it was still better than aimlessly crashing around like a headless fly. At the very least, he could master the proud incense-making craft of Wu Sang's family and investigate more purposefully from the root.

With his plans set, he sat cross-legged and began circulating the Nine Elements Technique.

The spiritual energy of nature was much thinner here than in Biluo Cave, but it was still sufficient for cultivation. He did not want to waste any time.

The next morning, Wu Sang arrived as promised, holding a few somewhat worn books.

Now that he knew Yuan Ming was not there to collect debts, he naturally found a way to lift his confinement.

"Here are several books about incense Dao. Take your time to read through them to gain a basic understanding of incense making. I have to sell these books; they are ten copper coins each," Wu Sang said.

"All right, I will buy them. Have there been any new developments regarding the Black Incense?" Yuan Ming paid and took the books, inquiring.

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