第一百章 化石遗物
“Leave quickly—I’m not open for business today.”
“快走吧，我今天不营业。”
Su Qing, unconcerned about the other boss outside the shop, stretched out a hand in a leather glove to pick up an ore bearing fossil traces, preparing to toss it in.
苏晴毫不在意屋外的另一位老板，伸出带着皮手套的手拿起份有化石痕迹的矿石，准备投入其中。
“If I were you, I would put that down.”
“如果我是你的话，我就会把它放下。”
Yang Zicang stepped onto the stone steps, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded, watching him.
杨子藏登上石阶，靠在门框上抱着臂弯看着他。
Su Qing shot a glance at the kid and let out a scornful chuckle.
苏晴瞥了眼这小子，哼笑了下。
Before entering the shop owner’s body, he had deliberately asked Su Qing about the man’s memories, prompting a quick recollection and successfully obtaining the memory images of making the relic engine. That was exactly how the man had crafted the engine back then.
在进入店主的身体前，他故意问苏晴关于那人的记忆，让他快速回想起来，果然顺利的得到了那份制作遗物引擎的记忆画面。当时那人就是这么制作引擎的。
Though the items were different, the fossils were relatively complete, and with the procedure correct, the outcome naturally shouldn’t have gone wrong.
虽然物品不一样，但化石都比较完整，顺序没错，结果自然也不会有错。
Yet, as he tossed that piece of fossil into the light cluster, it suddenly burst with a bang, scattering a pile of shattered stones across the ground.
然而当他将这部分化石丢进光团内后，能量团却突然碰地炸开，一堆碎裂的石块落在地面。
……
……
Su Qing was stunned for a moment, muttering to himself.
苏晴愣了下，喃喃自语。
“How could this be? That’s clearly how they did it.”
“怎么会这样，明明他们就是这么做的。”
After all, hadn’t he taken such a huge risk to come here just to master the crafting method for this thing?
自己冒着这么大危险跑到这边来，不就是为了掌握这份东西的制作方法吗？
Seeing his expression, Yang Zicang knew the information he’d obtained was missing a key part. Even in Ma Chao’s usual territory, this detail was highly classified.
瞧见他的表情，杨子藏就知道他获知的信息缺少关键部分。在属于马超经常活动的那边，这部分也是很保密的内容。
The fake Su Qing turned his head to look at Yang Zicang: “How did you know I would fail?”
冒牌苏晴转过头看向杨子藏：“你怎么知道我会失败。”
Su Qing outside the shop seized the moment while the two were talking to duck behind a towering tree and hurriedly sprint out of the woods.
屋外的苏黎趁着两人说话的功夫折入颗大树背后，快步往林外跑去。
“Because you merely pieced together the fossil,” Yang Zicang said with a shrug, spreading his hands. “Have you ever seen a fossil of a man-made object? I mean, back in our hometown, in the old days.”
“因为你只是成功的把化石拼了遍而已啊。”杨子藏耸了耸肩摊手道，“你见过人造物的化石吗？我是指，在以前，在我们的家乡。”
Inside the room, Su Qing narrowed her eyes slightly.
屋内的苏晴眯了眯眼。
“Are you trying to say that clothes or cured meat can become fossils? Hah, how many years have Earth humans even existed for?”
“你想说衣物或者腊肉成为化石？呵，地球人类才出现多少年。”
Xu Xiuchuan pondered from the side and remarked:
徐秀川在一旁思索着道：
“But… back in school, I did come across some reading material about how, in some coalmines, there were hammers and nails from tens of millions of years ago.”
“不过…上学的时候，我倒是从一些读物上看到过，什么地方的煤矿里有几千万年前的铁锤啊，铁钉之类的。”
“Right, right. I’ve heard of news like that too,” Zuo Feixian nodded.
“对对，我也听说过这种新闻。”左非闲点头。
Yang Zicang smiled and said, “So you see, what gets preserved are things like iron tools. Even ancient biological fossils are mostly bones, dinosaur eggs, and some body contours, correct? Now, what do you have in your hand?”
杨子藏笑道，“所以你看，保存下来的都是铁器之类的，哪怕是古生物化石，也大多是骨头和恐龙蛋，以及部分身体轮廓，对吧？而你手中的是什么呢？”
Su Qing glanced down at the fragments of the fossil on the ground.
苏晴看了眼地上的化石碎片。
It was a wooden rod.
是木棍。
Largely fragile, it was encased in a hard stone cavity. On the ground also lay wooden strips that Su Qing had just cut, placed there to substitute the part of the fossil that was once wood.
它大部分易碎，被包裹在坚硬的石腔中，地上则还有苏晴刚砍下的木条，放在那里代替化石中曾经的原木部分。
Yang Zicang raised a finger and explained:
杨子藏想竖着手指道：
“Most man-made objects are made from decomposable materials, like cloth, leather, and the wood you’ve got there. The fact that you can see this at all—first, it owes thanks to being a cast fossil; second, it owes thanks to the energy its original maker imbued it with, which allowed it to survive the erosion of time and not break down too quickly.”
“大多数的人造物，都是由易分解材料所制而成，如布料、皮革，以及你手上的木头。你能看到它，一要感谢它是铸型化石，二是要感谢它曾经的制作者对其所赋予的能量让它能撑过岁月的磨损，不至于被快速分解。”
Su Qing turned to look at the young man. “You seem quite knowledgeable about this.”
苏晴看向这个年轻人，“你好像颇有研究。”
And what YangZicang was merely repeating was Ma Chao’s labor achievement.
而杨子藏复述的不过是马超的劳动成果。
“A cast fossil is formed when a hard object dissolves over a long period of time, and other substances fill in the space to create a fossil that matches the original object’s shape.”
“铸型化石是比较硬的物体在漫长时光中溶解后，由其它物质填充形成的与原物形状一致的化石。”
So that’s how it was, Su Qing suddenly understood. The wood only retained its shape; the material inside it was long replaced by something else, no longer the original timber.
原来是这样，苏晴恍然，这个木头只具备其形状。里面填充的早就不是以前的木材了。
Su Qing’s expression shifted uneasily. Having to study the original material through fossil residues would be such a hassle.
苏晴脸色阴晴不定，还要通过化石里残留物去研究它以前的材质，那多麻烦。
“May I ask your name?”
“敢问贵姓？”
“I am Jia Zijian.”
“我是甲子间。”
A gleam flashed in his eyes: “So you’re Jia Zijian? Sir, could you please make me a Spirit-Draining Engine? I can offer you compensation.”
他眸中精光一闪：“你就是甲子间？阁下，能不能请你帮我做份失念引擎？我可以给你报酬。”
The others all looked at him strangely.
几人都古怪的看向他。
“Have you heard of me?”
“你听说过我？”
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the wall: “Wow, you guys are so fast!”
忽地一道熟悉的声音从墙边传来：“哇，你们几个速度这么快！”
The two who had been kicked out earlier stuck their heads out from the other side of the room, swaggering out from behind the wall with bags in hand.
之前那两个被赶出来的家伙此时从屋外另一边伸出头。拎着包大摇大摆从墙边出来。
“Oh, you two little eavesdroppers as thieves.”
“哦哟，你们两个偷听的小贼。”
“Don’t blame us wrongly. We’re all from Earth.”
“别冤枉人，大家都是地球来的。”
“Yeah, you’re the thief,” the assistant said, only to have his hand slapped on the head by his Teacher Chen.
“对，你才是賊。”助手道，随后就被他的陈老师一巴掌拍在头顶。
The two straightened their somewhat messy clothes, picked up the case, and walked to the door.
两人正了正不怎么整洁的衣服提着箱子走到门口。
“Oh ho, this is an automatic-type work shed, isn’t it? With this house, we can save a lot of effort.”
“哟嗬，这是自动型作棚吧，有这屋子，我们都能省不少精力。”
Teacher Chen was overjoyed, his confidence soaring.
陈老师开心不已，信心大盛。
After crafting one or two Oblivion Engines in a manual workshop, it was as if he had pulled an all-nighter, draining a significant amount of mental energy. But with this room, this concern was no longer an issue.
手工作棚做一两件失念引擎后，就像熬了个通宵一样，对精神力的消耗特别大。但有这屋子在，就不用担心这个问题。
“Boss, I hear you’re the most skilled master here. I have an ancient formula with me—though it lacks any fossils, I believe it’s already complete. Yet I’ve never been able to make it work. Could you take a look? I have the materials.”
“老板，听说你是这里技术最好的师傅，我这里有份古代配方，虽然没有化石，但我觉得已经算是个成品了，但却一直成功不了，能帮我看看吗？我有材料。”
The assistant, from behind, tugged at the teacher’s clothes and said, “Teacher Chen.”
助手在后面扯着老师的衣服边道：“陈老师。”
Teacher Chen ignored him, focusing intently on introducing his magical artifact research experience to the person inside the shop, completely oblivious to the subtle, awkward tension between the shop owner and Yang Zicang.
陈老师并不搭理他，专心向屋内的人介绍着自己的魔法物品研究经历，根本没察觉店铺老板和杨子藏之间有点不对劲的微妙气氛。
“Old Chen!” the assistant exclaimed in exasperation. “We don’t have many materials left. Don’t mess around anymore, okay?”
“陈老头！”助手气急败坏的道：“我们的材料不多了，别乱搞了好吗。”
“What do you know? After all this time here, I’ve never seen a shop with an automatic workshop. Materials are nothing. Even if we fail, we can still gain more lessons from it, right?”
“你懂啥，在这边这么久，我就没见到有自动作棚的店铺。区区材料算什么，就算失败也能汲取更多教训不是吗。”
“Do you think those materials just come running to you on their own?”
“你当那些材料是自动跑到你面前的？”
“Don’t they?”
“难道不是？”
The assistant nearly kicked him: “They were all painstakingly dug up by me, your student, alright!”
助手差点踹他一脚：“都是你学生我辛辛苦苦挖来的好吗！”
“You all have fossil relic formulas too?” Su Qing, who had initially wanted to send the two away, instead let them in.
“你们也有化石遗物配方？”本想赶走两人的苏晴转而让两人进入。
“Haha, that’s right, that’s right. Here’s the formula.”
“哈哈，没错没错，配方是这样的。”
Once inside, Teacher Chen handed over a piece of paper bearing the formula for making Oblivion Engines. The impostor Su Qing gave it a brief glance and then passed the paper directly to Yang Zicang.
进屋的陈老师递出张纸，上面写着制作失念引擎的配方。假冒的苏晴接过后只是简单的看了眼，就将纸张递给杨子藏。
“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? This can’t just be shown to anyone!”
“喂诶诶诶，你干什么，这个可不能乱给人看。”
Teacher Chen stood up, intending to snatch the recipe sheet belonging to him from the material shop owner.
陈老师起身便打算夺过材料铺老板手中属于自己的配方单。
The moment he reached out, Su Qing flicked her wrist, swept between his hands, folded the paper, and flicked it toward the door. The sheet landed steadily between Yang Zicang’s fingers. This scene stirred a subtle ripple among the onlookers.
在他伸手的瞬间，苏晴的手腕一晃，从他双手间伸过，将纸张折叠弹向门口。纸张稳稳落在了杨子藏的指缝上。这一幕看得周围几人心中齐齐一动。
“Impressive,” Little Liu remarked, watching Yang Zicang catch it with ease, his eyes darting between the proprietor and the man. With this single move, both exuded an aura of masters, like an inadvertent clash between martial arts experts.
“厉害啊。”小刘看着杨子藏轻松接过，双目在老板和这人之间来回看了几眼。就这露的一手，两人都颇具高手气质，仿佛武林中高手们不经意的一次较量。
Yang Zicang merely glanced at it, while Su Qing spread her palm toward the items on the floor belonging to Teacher Chen and said, “The materials happen to be here, Brother Jiazi. Please.”
杨子藏只是瞄了眼，苏晴摊掌对着地上属于陈老师的东西道：“正好有材料，甲子兄，请。”
Was it to confirm whether I could actually build the engine? Where on earth had this person heard about me…
是想借此确认自己的是否会做引擎？这人究竟从哪里听过自己的事…
“You, how dare you!” Teacher Chen pointed at Su Qing’s nose. “I came looking for you, and you let an outsider peek at my formula and meddle with my materials? What’s the meaning of this? Is this how you do business?”
“你们，你！”陈老师指着苏晴的鼻子，“我是来找你的，你让一个外人看我的配方，还碰我的材料，什么意思，生意是这样做的？”
Su Qing suddenly turned her head, a flash of ferocity in her eyes, before reining in her aggressive aura and forcing a smile. “Don’t be so ignorant of greatness. This gentleman before you is someone you’d normally never find even with a lantern.”
苏晴猛然转头，目中闪过丝凶恶眼神，随后压下自己的气势，带起抹微笑：“不要有眼不识泰山，眼前这位你原本打着灯笼都找不着。”
Yang Zicang narrowed his eyes slightly.
杨子藏眼睛虚了虚。
Strange… Could it be that he had come in from Hinge Town? But my fame had only skyrocketed yesterday.
奇怪了…难道他是从枢纽镇进来的？可自己的名气快速提升，还是昨天的事情。
Or was it from whispers in Ning Yang’s shantytown? Something felt off.
难道是从宁洋的棚区听到的？也有点不对劲。
Teacher Chen turned his head to look at the trio.
陈老师扭头看向三人。
One who was disheveled but looked smug, another who seemed like a fool brewing mischief; only the person in front was barely presentable, but still not much better than the students he had taught. Though there was a hint of mastery about him, a naivety beneath the surface remained something not yet lived through.
一个蓬头垢面表情洋洋得意，一个看上去就像憋着坏劲儿的蠢材，就只有前方这人稍微看得过去，但也跟自己带过的学生差不多而已。虽有些高手风范，但骨子里的稚气未脱。
“So, you’re an expert, are you? Then do it, Master Dong.”
“真是专家？那你来吧，泰山。”
The instructor took a step back, yielding the spot to Yang Zicang.
陈老师后退了步，将位置让给杨子藏。
“If I make it, who gets the credit?” Yang Zicang turned to the instructor.
“做出来算谁的？”杨子藏看向陈老师。
“Hah, fine, it’s yours. After all, cracking the formula is what matters most.”
“呵，行，算你的，反正配方搞定才是最主要的。”
Yang Zicang nodded.
杨子藏点点头。
Ma Chao had also come across this formula; it was quite popular within his clandestine circle. Everyone knew parts of it, yet none had successfully turned it into high-grade flame-attributed equipment.
这配方马超也找到过，在他那边的隐秘圈子里比较流行，大家都掌握着某部分内容，结果就是都没怎么成功造出具备火焰属性的优质装备。
The formula the instructor held was a watered-down version missing other essential info—no, it had been diluted even further from that, likely acquired from some peripheral trader.
陈老师手上的这配方，就属于那种缺少其它信息的低配版，还是低配版的低配版，应该是从外围某个商家手上搞到的。
Yang Zicang crouched down to examine the cast metal plates, the polished crystals, and the leather materials. They had already been infused with magical energy by the two using magic stones.
杨子藏蹲下检查了下这些铸造过的活动铁片、打磨过的晶体，以及皮革材料，它们都被这两位用魔晶石给附着过能量了。
“I’m missing some materials. Can I go into your storeroom to choose?”
“还差些材料，我能进去你的库房选下吗。”
“Of course.”
“当然。”
As Yang Zicang walked toward the storeroom in the back, he passed the counter and glimpsed scattered bloodstains on the floor, along with a crumpled set of clothes hastily stuffed under the counter.
杨子藏往后厅用作库房的房间走去，路过柜台的时候，他瞥见那里的地下有散落的血迹，以及一套胡乱塞在柜台下的衣物。