The same principle applied.
Lan Qingyou had a healthy amount of self-awareness.
She knew that while she had read 《Semiotics》 and was reasonably proficient due to her frequent work with disposable alchemy circles, she was still a far cry from an enchanter like The Star—Ruan Qingyi—who dealt with enchantments and symbols all day long.
Since she couldn't decipher it herself, there was no harm in sharing it with the group to brainstorm together.
Magician: “What is this?”
Sure enough, it didn't take long after Lan Qingyou posted the picture for the group to react.
The Emperor: “Did you find this in the Abandoned Ruins?”
As one of the only two people in Tarot Villa who knew about the existence of the Treasure-seeking Rat, Gu Xiaobei didn't mention the mouse. Instead, she asked a very tactful question.
After all, everyone knew Lan Qingyou had gone to the Abandoned Ruins.
Framing it this way wouldn't expose the specific tools Lan Qingyou had on hand, right?
The Tower: “Yes.”
The Moon: “You've reached the ruins? How's things on Sherlock's end?”
The Tower: “Handled. Just now, I blew him up.”
Lan Qingyou didn't hide the truth. After all, Sherlock was one of Shang Chuan's major clients, as well as her own. Now that he was taken out, she naturally had to inform her partner.
This would allow Shang Chuan to adjust his commercial strategic deployment accordingly.
The Moon: “Alright. In that case, you should be safe over there.”
Shang Chuan, knowing what the Abandoned Ruins were like, didn't ask Lan Qingyou for the specifics of how she killed him.
That would have been quite tactless—or, to put it plainly, a lack of emotional intelligence.
Shang Chuan was far too smart for that.
Although losing a major client was a blow, it didn't mean Sherlock's former influence had been completely uprooted. At most, it would split from one large faction into several smaller ones.
While it meant more people to coordinate with, such a chaotic situation was perfect for fishing in troubled waters.
No, it was more accurate to say that this might even allow him to seize even greater profits.
Having made up his mind, Shang Chuan didn't pay any more attention to the villa's affairs or the mystery of the symbol. Instead, he began contacting Sherlock's subordinates to assess the situation.
Lan Qingyou was indeed formidable, but no matter how strong she was, she couldn't possibly kill ten or twenty thousand people all at once.
As long as there were people left, he could keep the business running.
The Star: “This pattern looks simple, yet it's not complicated at all.”
Ruan Qingyi finally spoke up.
Magician: “...That's quite a redundant way of putting it.”
The Tower: “It’s not complicated, I agree, but the problem is I can't decipher it. I have no direction.”
Lan Qingyou ignored Ruan Qingyi's circular logic and stated the difficulty she was facing.
The Star: “The sequence! For composite symbols like this, shouldn't you just look at the sequence?”
The Tower: “The sequence is that it looks like a claw.”
The Star was speechless.
The Star: “Why couldn't it be a totem?”
Lan Qingyou blinked.
She knew what totems were, but how did the conversation jump to that?
The Star: “No matter how you look at it, this should be the totem of some race or tribe. it fits the definition of a totem perfectly.”
The Tower: “Definition of a totem?”
The Star: “A tribal symbol, usually using animals, plants, or some natural phenomenon as a medium to reflect kinship, ancestors, beliefs, or guardian deities.”
The Star: “Look at the dragon totem, the wolf totem, or the white deer totem—aren't they all like that?”
Oh!
Ruan Qingyi's reminder made Lan Qingyou snap out of it.
A totem... now that she thought about it, it was a very real possibility.
Looking at the claw shape formed by the four leaves beneath her feet, Lan Qingyou frowned slightly.
The claw was actually quite large.
It sat right in the center of the hall, occupying about a quarter of the floor space.
If it was a tribe's totem, carved there to mark their ownership of the place, then it really did make sense.
See? This was why having all-powerful group members was great—they provided fresh perspectives.
The Tower: “@Magician, do you have any of those sealing balls that were found in the Shackle Chests?”
Now that she had a lead, Lan Qingyou put the matter aside for a moment and steered the conversation in a different direction.
The reason she asked was entirely for those humanoid golems.
To be honest, the biggest haul this time was the golems, but there were quite a few different types.
If she hadn't had her herb bag, Lan Qingyou wouldn't have been able to collect them all easily.
Even so, there were still dozens of units she couldn't fit inside.
That was why she immediately thought of the sealing balls.
Magician: “What are you talking about? I researched that technology ages ago.”
The Tower: “Then why haven't you put them up for sale?”
Magician: “Why would I sell half-finished products that disappear after one use? I have a reputation to maintain.”
Questioned by Lan Qingyou, Magician immediately jumped to defend himself.
He didn't mind if people called him unattractive, but no one was allowed to insult his technical skills.
A mere sealing technique? As if he couldn't master that.
However, he didn't realize that his words—intended to clear his name—were a direct hit to a certain alchemist who frequently sold half-finished products.
Fine, I admit I like selling half-finished products, but is that my fault?
Isn't it because I didn't have the right tools?
Just you wait. Once I get back, I'm throwing away those damn stockpots and replacing them with the crucibles I just found.
Then, everything I make will be a high-quality finished product, and I can quietly take off this 'alchemist who loves selling half-finished goods' label.
With that thought, Lan Qingyou decided to head back. She had to brew a batch of potions immediately.
Once her competitive spirit was ignited, there was no stopping her.
She was just about to fly out when she was 'called' back by Spoon, who was being held by Steel Wool.
“Squeak squeak!”
Uh...
Looking at the frantically squeaking Spoon, Lan Qingyou's burning heart immediately cooled down.
What was Spoon?
A Treasure-seeking Rat!
She was just about to leave when it started acting up. Didn't that mean there was still something good here that she hadn't taken?
Double-checking for omissions—Spoon was a good monster.
Having calmed down, Lan Qingyou took her magic lantern and did another lap around the entire hall.
Then, she found that there was absolutely nothing left.
Everything worth taking had been taken; she hadn't even left behind a single rusty screw. There were no doors here either.
After all, what hidden secret door could possibly escape her identification glasses?
Strange. What exactly was Spoon trying to warn her about?
Lan Qingyou looked at the rat in confusion, only to find that it was still squeaking and struggling wildly.
She frowned and scanned her surroundings once more.
This place was spacious. Even if she let Spoon go, the rat probably couldn't outrun Steel Wool.
Rate on N.U.
