Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1447 is not about a chaotic cloak, but about the Nine Gai!

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As the population of Chenlin Village grows, the catering industry has also unfolded a well-defined landscape.

The area near the village's core, within the Second Ring Road, seemed to be awakened by the morning sun, with the air filled with the aroma of steaming grains.

Here, steaming breakfast stalls and simple eateries gather, with wooden tables, benches, and steaming porridge pots and rice steamers, all contributing to the villagers' busy yet fulfilling mornings.

As you enter the Third Ring Road area, the atmosphere subtly changes.

Several mid-range taverns with simple signs are built next to a small courtyard for receiving visitors.

During the day, they provide convenient meals, but as dusk falls, the tavern transforms into a different world—the laughter of men and the clinking of glasses are drowned out by the dim light. It is the most vibrant social energy field in the village, where information and emotions intertwine closely.

Beside the Fourth Ring Road in the west, a tranquil lakeside overlooks "Lakeside Residence." Its exquisite decor and refined cuisine make it the only place in the village that can host respectable receptions and high-end banquets.

The ancestral hall, which truly embodies the clan's dignity, is located atop Lanxin Mountain, outside the village. Far from the daily hustle and bustle, it is only opened during the most solemn sacrifices or celebrations to serve the highest-level banquets to special guests. Meanwhile, the adjacent large canteen quietly ensures the meals for the people in the ancestral hall.

Driven by the invisible yet powerful hand of the Ministry of Internal Affairs—its Logistics and Supplies Center, under the Internal Operations Division, firmly controls the lifeline of food ingredients.

Whether it's the simplest breakfast rice noodles or the delicacies at a banquet atop Blue Heart Mountain, the selection, allocation, and transportation routes of the raw materials are all precisely planned and monitored by the center to ensure stable supply and consistent quality, reflecting the underlying characteristics of a planned economy.

The Ministry of the Interior's reach has extended far into many subtle aspects of life, forming a vast network for resource redistribution.

Beyond daily life services, they also manage agricultural crops, minerals, spiritual items, and soul beast resources. They also oversee cooperation and procurement with the internal systems of the four branch families.

This round of "super-ministry" reform has greatly expanded the powers and responsibilities of many departments, including the Ministry of the Interior, whose responsibilities have been expanded to include internal industrial management, guiding resources from its four branches and subsidiaries, coordinating cross-departmental resources, and providing comprehensive life services.

Together with the Finance Department and the Organization Department, it forms the three pillars of the Chen family's administrative system.

Its scope of authority is remarkable; it even manages the daily operations of the enormous Duke of Chang'an's mansion.

This is why Zhu Yanfeng, as the Grand Steward of the Duke of Chang'an's Mansion, needed to be given the title of "Vice Minister" in the "Ministry of Internal Affairs".

A similar chain of logic applies to other departments as well. Cheng Nanxing holds the honorary title of "Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces," while Xia Yun holds the title of "Deputy Minister of Education."

The framework of the Chen family's departmental system is clearly visible: the heads of the twelve departments are all core members of the Chen family's main lineage or their spouses, and they are fully responsible for the daily operation and major decisions of their departments.

The "Nine Elders of Zhaowu," whom the Chen family valued most, were assigned to various departments as "temporary deputy ministers."

Their position is like that of the "second-in-command" of a department, but they are not ordinary managers; their identity is that of a strategic hub in the power structure of the Chen family.

This honorary title is like a privilege granted to them, activating two unique powers:

Vertical acceleration privilege: When it comes to their core areas of responsibility (such as the Duke's mansion where Zhu Yanfeng serves, the Embroidered Uniform Guard commanded by Cheng Nanxing, and the academy system managed by Xia Yun), they can use this privilege to enjoy priority access to resources within the departments they are assigned to, and will not be hindered by process delays.

Horizontal Breakthrough Privilege: When their primary duties require collaboration with other departments, their temporary posting status can instantly transcend departmental barriers and demand cooperation from relevant departments.

For a house to be stable, it needs not only vertical support but also lateral restraint.

The same applies to the administrative system. A well-functioning administrative system requires not only smooth communication between higher and lower levels of government, but also smooth horizontal communication.

Structure determines function.

The Nine Elders of Zhaowu were essentially special envoys and coordinators planted by the Chen family's upper echelons in the administrative network.

They ensured that the core resource flows and military projections that were crucial to the foundation of the Chen family could respond instantly and flow smoothly through key nodes in the complex system.

……

Lakeside Residence

In the lakeside private room on the third floor, a cool lake breeze wafted through the carved wooden windows, bringing in wisps of moisture.

Having just come down from the scorching training ground, Chen Xiaojun, Tang Yuchen, and Tie Fu'er sat around a mahogany round table, the air still thick with the scent of weapons and sweat.

With a smile, Chen Xiaojun took out a sealed five-jin wine jar. The jar was warm and smooth, and inside was an amber-colored nectar—the sixth-grade "Jiuzhi Wine".

He personally filled Tang and Tie's cups, and the clear aroma of the wine instantly filled the air, carrying a unique warm fragrance of herbs and minerals.

"This wine warms and nourishes the muscles and tendons, removes old ailments, and is most effective for blacksmiths who work with flint and anvil all year round."

Tie Fu Er, of course, knew about this wine, Zhijiu, and grinned, "Young Master, that's generous of you, this jar is worth tens of thousands of gold coins."

Tang Yuchen exclaimed, "Young Master, this is too precious!"

Tie Fu Er chuckled and said, "Master, just relax and drink. Young Master is a tycoon, a nouveau riche. He has plenty of money. We just love to rob the rich."

Tang Yuchen smiled and shook his head, then tapped his fingers in thanks.

The three clinked their glasses lightly, tilted their heads back, and drank it all in one gulp.

A warm, soothing sensation slid down his throat, easing the soreness in his arms from days of hammering iron blocks. Tie Fu'er, meanwhile, squinted his eyes in comfort. This was Chen Xiaojun's first invitation to drink, and given that he and Tie Fu'er hadn't seen each other in a long time, the wine tasted exceptionally mellow and refreshing, dispelling the heat and fatigue of the training ground.

As the wine intensified, the conversation became increasingly in-depth.

Chen Xiaojun put down his wine glass and looked at Tie Fu'er, whose face was already flushed: "Brother Fu'er, aren't you going back to the Blacksmith Academy?"

Tie Fu Er grinned, revealing his teeth stained yellow from the fire: "Still wasting your life at twenty? Our high school is so empty you could run a horse running through it. Anyway, everyone with connections has already gone out for internships."

"What I'm learning from the masters in the village right now is much more useful than studying those rote books in college!"

Chen Xiaojun laughed and said, "So you're not going to participate in the preliminary rounds of the Gao Ying Competition in Anxi Province either?"

"I skipped the first few games," Tie Fu'er shrugged, a sly yet frank expression on his face. "I just said there was an emergency at home, and that I'd also..."

He paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "Practice the moves."

"Practicing moves?" Chen Xiaojun keenly caught the word.

Tie Fu Er straightened his back: "Is that the one the headmaster mentioned—the Forty-Nine Consecutive Hammers?!"

"So it's Master Tang's signature technique," Chen Xiaojun suddenly turned to the silent Tang Yucheng. "Could it be the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique?"

"No." Tang Yucheng's voice was firm and resolute, like the clanging of an anvil. "The Chaotic Cloak is a secret technique of the Haotian lineage; I don't know it."

Chen Xiaojun's brows furrowed sharply: "Isn't the Chaotic Cloak from your Broken Mountain Hammer lineage?"

“No,” Tang Yuchen said, slicing his finger heavily across the table with wine, “the shared heritage of our Broken Mountain Hammer is—”

Wine stains burst forth from the wood grain, revealing sharp, angular lines—"The Forty-Nine Linked Hammers of Breaking the Mountain!"

He raised his bright eyes, "And the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique was developed by the Haotian lineage based on this."

Chen Xiaojun leaned forward, the wine swirling in the bowl: "Could you explain in more detail?"

Tang Yuchen tapped his knuckles on the wine-stained tabletop: "Young Master, are you familiar with the Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian?"

Chen Xiaojun traced the rim of the bowl with his fingertip: "Of course,"

Each word landed with the force of forged iron: "It is one of the lineages of the Haotian Hammer, which also includes Haotian Body Protection, Sky-Piercing Strike, and the Haotian Hammer Technique!"

Tang Yuchen rubbed his face. "'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' is the result of the Haotian lineage integrating the essence and mystery of the 'Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian' into the foundation of these forty-nine hammers, which then evolved and transformed, ultimately creating the eighty-one hammer technique - Chaotic Cloak!"

"So that's how it is!" Chen Xiaojun said thoughtfully. "Isn't the 'Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian' an independent and self-contained system of martial arts?"

Tang Yuchen nodded, "The Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian are not specific hammer techniques or routines; they represent an extremely high threshold—the nine core, ultimate power-generating techniques of the Haotian Hammer."

Looking at Chen Xiaojun's focused gaze, he slowly continued, "And that 'Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique' cleverly conceals a large number of secret energy cultivation methods required for cultivating the 'Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian' within the complex eighty-one hammer variations."

"This is a closely guarded secret, and it is also the most direct and effective way to hone your skills in comprehending the 'Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian'."

"Without this guiding thread, outsiders may spend their entire lives trying to grasp even the surface."

This argument struck Chen Xiaojun's mind like a ray of light.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, this is a secret technique of the Haotian Sect, so it's not something that can be done easily.

It took Tang San more than two years to go from 36 hammer blows to 81 blows under Tang Hao's personal instruction. Including the blacksmithing techniques he used when he was a child, it spanned more than ten years.

If it were as easy as learning a few points from fanfiction to copy the style, then the Chaotic Cloak style would be everywhere by now.

And isn't the so-called "Nine Absolute Techniques of Haotian" essentially just like how the Chen family mastered the seven foundational sword techniques to a high level?

As the old saying goes, "It takes five years to get the form, ten years to get the style, fifteen years to get the method, and twenty years to get the spirit."

Without honing those nine methods to the point of perfection, reaching the level of "absolute mastery" with a single thought, how can one bear the prestigious name of "Nine Absolutes"?

Tang Xiao's Nine Absolutes of Haotian in later generations can truly be considered the Nine Absolutes.

Chen Xiaojun's mind raced, and his gaze returned to Tang Yuchen, revealing a knowing insight: "Master Tang, so it seems that what you cultivate in your earth veins is no longer the original 'Forty-Nine Linked Hammers of Mountain Breaking,' but rather something new and innovative built upon its solid foundation, right?"

Tang Yucheng's eyes revealed unreserved admiration as he solemnly said, "Young Master's insight is truly remarkable!"

"Just as the Haotian lineage has the 'Chaotic Cloak' with eighty-one hammer blows, we, the younger generation, are not content to stand still."

"The method we painstakingly refined also involves eighty-one hammer blows,"

His voice was slightly deep, each word deliberate and weighty—

"Nine Heavens Hammer Technique!"

(End of this chapter)