Knife splashing

Chapter 720 True Lord of the Flint Wheel
tick tock... tick tock...

Inside the deep underground palace passage, icy water droplets fell continuously onto the brick and stone floor.

Li Yan followed Yuan Feng, his eyes frequently scanning the surroundings.

The further you go in, the stronger the dampness and coldness seeping from the cracks in the floor tiles become.

Although Yuanfeng was somewhat drunk, he was extremely cautious in allowing passage, permitting only one person to go deeper.

The route was heavily guarded, and we had to pass through numerous checkpoints before we finally arrived.

This massive domed underground cave was clearly a modified version of a natural cave in the mountains.

The massive bell-shaped steam engine prototype has been completely dismantled, and on the ten-meter-long old elm wood table next to it, gear parts are neatly arranged and categorized.

In the center of the cave, the scene is even more astonishing:

Twelve bare-chested Mo family craftsmen stood in the Bagua position, suspending a huge bronze cylinder with levers.

Several old Taoist priests carefully etched runes onto its surface with steel awls, then meticulously applied pigment mixed with cinnabar... Li Yan suddenly stopped, his face filled with astonishment.

The steam engine had clearly been dismantled, but the enormous cylinder still seemed to be operating independently!

Moisture condensed on the thick metal exterior, turning into dewdrops that rolled off.

Tsk-tsk-

The moment the dewdrop hit the ground, it stirred up wisps of pungent white smoke, and a thin layer of frost condensed on the ground.

This is……

Li Yan frowned, formed a hand seal, and concentrated on taking a sniff.

"Senior! This...it's actually the Primordial Divine Qi and the Divine Fiend Qi?!"

He suddenly turned his head and looked at Yuan Feng in shock.

An indescribable sensation came over me—within the cylinder, the Yin and Yang energies flowed endlessly, perfectly natural, like a living Tai Chi vortex.

This is clearly the spiritual energy found only in blessed lands and grotto-heavens!
His arm guard, "Thousand Thoughts," was also woven with warp and weft threads to simulate spiritual apertures, driven by the Three Talents Demon-Suppressing Coin, but what it produced was only ordinary and mixed Qi of evil, and it never managed to cultivate spiritual essence.

Is this... still that bulky steam engine?

When they were piecing it together, they were completely unaware of this secret!
"Hahaha..." Yuan Feng stroked his beard and laughed, his expression revealing his pride and sigh. "Wang Su, the master of the court back then, was truly a genius! If we hadn't brought this treasure back and disassembled it for research, we would have had no chance to uncover its secrets."

"What is the purpose of this thing?" Li Yan's curiosity grew even stronger.

"With immense power, he can transform the mundane into the profound!" Yuan Feng made no secret of this.

No wonder… Li Yan suddenly realized.

This has transcended the realm of ordinary machinery! It's worlds apart, as different as heaven and earth.

What wonders will the steam engine, which drives the two vital energies, present?

If these skills were widely disseminated…

Where will civilization go from here?
Upon realizing this, Li Yan felt that the road ahead was shrouded in mist and uncertain.

"How exactly is this done?" he hurriedly asked Yuan Feng.

Yuan Feng shook his head, his eyes filled with both admiration and regret: "This object was cast as a single, seamless piece. Forcibly dismantling it would have destroyed its inner workings… While we have some speculations, however—"

He then changed the subject, saying, "Ordinary restrictive formations would never possess such power; it must have consumed extremely rare and precious natural materials."

"So... the core secret... hasn't been cracked yet?" Li Yan frowned.

Yuan Feng spoke with such certainty that he thought the other party had completely grasped the matter, but it turned out that he hadn't even figured out the underlying principles.

It would be rash to rush into promotion without a clear foundation.

"Haha, no need to worry."

Yuan Feng chuckled, seemingly unperturbed, and led Li Yan closer to the enormous gas cylinder. "Young Brother Li, do you know of the former imperial tutor Matteo Ricci, a man from a foreign land?"

Li Yan nodded: "I've heard a little about it. I heard that after his death, he was buried in the suburbs of the capital."

This person is very famous. According to the imperial court, he came from Italy in the West.

“Indeed,” Yuan Feng walked to the cylinder and pointed to the runes that the old Taoists were carefully carving on it. “Although Master Li Guo is a foreign missionary, he is flexible and adaptable, and is not entirely opposed to the Xuanmen sect of our Divine Land. His ‘Complete Map of All Nations’ is quite beneficial to the great cause of opening up the seas.”

"However, this man is naturally curious and often accepts invitations to observe, yet he is unaware of our taboos," Yuan Feng said, a hint of helplessness and sarcasm in his voice, "He actually put what he saw into writing, compiling it into 'Ten Essays on Eccentrics' and distributing it far and wide..."

Li Yan asked in confusion, "What...what does this have to do with this treasure?"

Yuan Feng gently stroked the dense, gilded runes being filled with cinnabar on the surface of the cylinder, his expression suddenly becoming extremely solemn: "That day, you once said to me: 'Those ethereal and unfathomable deities of the orthodox sects, residing high in the heavens, are merely the gods of others. This thing is the true god of the mortal realm where my Mo Sect sets foot!'"

"When I first heard these words, it was as if I had heard heavenly music!"

Yuanfeng's voice trembled slightly, as if recalling the excitement of that time, "Since I have devoutly followed the ancient rites of my sect, I have treated this treasure as a deity. On the way to the capital, regardless of wind, rain or darkness, I would offer incense and prayers every morning and evening without daring to be negligent in the slightest."

"I thought it was just a pious rule... but who knew..."

He was so excited that he stammered.

Li Yan's pupils constricted sharply. "It's done?"

"It's done!"

Yuanfeng nodded heavily, and after calming down a bit, he said, "Perhaps it was divine intervention, even though I entered the palace to study, the incense offerings never ceased. It was as if I was divinely inspired, and before the New Year, I deciphered the working principle of the steam engine! My other disciples... also obtained this mystery."

"Such a shocking event, how could the Mo Sect dare to keep it to themselves?"

Yuanfeng solemnly replied, “I immediately reported this to His Majesty, which led to today’s grand opening ceremony. On that day, the Imperial Observatory reported: ‘A guest star with a red glow like a wheel appeared in the Taiwei Enclosure!’ The celestial phenomenon confirmed it, and His Majesty was overjoyed, personally bestowing upon it the divine title: ‘True Lord of Fire and Water!’”

“Flint Wheel…True Lord?” Li Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he was speechless for a moment.

He looked again at the bronze cylinder, which was still circulating with the two energies of Qi and Sha: "That thing...?"

"This is the 'heart' of the divine artifact!"

Yuanfeng explained, “We will use the esoteric method of ‘filling the body’ to enshrine it inside the True Lord’s golden body.”

"By His Majesty's divine decree, the tablet of the True Lord has been placed in the ancestral temple of the state and grain, to enjoy the grand rites of state sacrifice! From this day forward, wherever a prefecture, county, or government office establishes a factory or foundry, a 'Temple of the True Lord' must be erected. During seasonal sacrifices, offerings of sacrificial animals and wine shall be made, and all people shall participate in the worship; there shall be no negligence!"

As he spoke, that almost obsessive, fanatical light rekindled in his eyes once more:

"The great wheel of humanity has been set sail, its momentum overwhelming! Rather than cowering in fear, why not follow the will of Heaven?! What harm is there in revealing the secrets of the divine artifact to the world?"

"When tools are useful, the people become rich; when the people are rich, the nation prospers! From this day forward, wherever the steam engine roars across the land of our Great Xuan, it will add another stick of incense to the True Lord's flame—the strength of all people's labor and rest will be transformed into the fortune of the Divine Land... immortal fuel!"

Looking at Yuan Feng's almost manic expression, Li Yan felt a chill run down his spine and up his scalp.

He had a strange feeling that he had somehow bent the timeline...

………………

"Such a bizarre thing?!"

At Rouyuan Post Station, Shalifei grabbed his shiny bald head, his eyes wide open.

Once back at the inn, after the hustle and bustle of the opening ceremony had subsided, Li Yan recounted what he had seen and heard.

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked and pale.

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard, his face full of worry: "Fortune and misfortune are unpredictable, danger...it's all uncertain..."

It's no wonder they're worried; even Li Yan feels like the future is shrouded in mist. "Forget it, why think so much?"

Sha Lifeng shook his head and said, "The imperial court has already made arrangements. After the opening ceremony, all forces will surely move in response. Once the desire for profit takes hold, there will be many killings. We are ultimately just people in the martial arts world and cannot get involved. Anyway, if the sky falls, there will be big guys to hold it up."

"By the way, has the Imperial Supervisor Yuan agreed?"

"Don't worry, I agree."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "We will move to the academy tomorrow. The academy owes us a lot of favors regarding the 'Seeking Immortality' and the steam engine. Your firearms and magical artifacts, as well as the magical artifacts of others, will all be handled by the academy."

"The academy will provide the necessary spiritual items, but not next time."

“That’s enough this time, that’s enough this time!” Shalifei chuckled upon hearing this.

They refine magical artifacts and use spiritual objects, which consumes a considerable amount of resources.

The academy can provide that, so at least for now, there's no need to worry about money.

Wang Daoxuan, standing nearby, frowned and asked, "What about Zhao Qingxu? Do you have any leads?"

Li Yan shook his head, equally puzzled, "There's still no sign of him."

"I have already inquired. Huo Yin will personally guard the steam engine from the academy until it is transported to the Temple of the God of Earth and Grain. In addition, there will be experts from the Imperial Clan Court and several national advisors working together, along with sharpshooters from the Commandery. It is virtually impenetrable."

Lu San pondered for a moment and said, "Could it be that Zhao Qingxu spread false information, and he has other plans?"

"maybe."

Li Yan turned to look out the window and said in a deep voice, "Luo Mingzi and the others have already sent people to the other sacred mountains recorded in the 'Seeking Immortality Chapter.' Once they have retrieved everything from that 'Ascension Array,' they won't be able to cause any trouble!"

………………

Just as Li Yan had predicted, the turmoil caused by the opening ceremony was only just beginning.

The next morning, Li Yan and his party packed their bags and headed straight for the academy, while the city streets were already bustling with activity.

"Snapped!"

The gavel slammed heavily on the table, and the storyteller, his face flushed with excitement as he spoke, his spittle flying everywhere: "It is said that at that time, auspicious clouds swirled, and purple mists rose from the east. His Majesty sat regally atop that immortal dragon chariot..."

Below, a large crowd thronged, with children and peddlers jostling together, exchanging rumors and hearsay from all over the place: "'Fire-breathing iron beast'? I heard from Butcher Zhang next door that he saw that iron oxcart with his own eyes spitting sparks and that its belly could swallow a thousand pounds of charcoal!"

"Hey, who knows if it's true or not? But it's true that coal mine prices skyrocketed yesterday! So many wealthy merchants were scrambling to buy them... Sigh, it's a pity we're short on cash, otherwise we'd sell everything we own to get our hands on them! It's a sure-fire way to make a fortune!"

"Hmph! What's there to be so happy about?"

A drunken man mumbled incoherently, his voice rising, "My uncle works in the Ministry of Works, and he has inside information! That 'miracle weapon' is worth a thousand laborers! Merchants are scrambling to buy it. Will there be any way for us commoners to survive in the workshops? We'll all starve!"

Upon hearing this, the surroundings fell silent, and everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"No...it can't be that bad, can it?"

Someone nearby laughed and tried to smooth things over, "I work in a kiln making bricks, I'm very skilled! If the brick blanks aren't solid, they'll be ruined after just one pass through the kiln! And my wife works in an embroidery shop in Tianjin, she's very good at needlework, do you think that iron lump can thread a needle?"

"Exactly! The imperial court has obtained a treasure, which is for the stability and security of the country. Why should it compete with us commoners for it?"

“I’ve heard about it,” a dark-skinned man said in a low voice, “The Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce is going to repair the ‘sacred road’ that the ‘iron oxcarts’ used to run on, and they’re recruiting all over the world! If you get this job, you won’t have to worry about making a living for several years!”

"What?! Why the hell didn't you say so earlier?!"

"Let's go! Let's go!"

Upon hearing that there was work to be done, several men immediately slammed their fists on the table and rushed out of the teahouse like a gust of wind.

In a dimly lit corner of the teahouse, a short, young boy sat alone by the window, his gray cloth hat pulled low over his shoulders, his ears twitching slightly like a cat's.

He listened to the mixed discussions and silently took notes.

A moment later, he tossed down a few copper coins, got up, and left.

After leaving the teahouse, the man turned and headed into the eastern part of the city.

Dongcheng is adjacent to the canal wharf, and it was originally a muddy place where all sorts of people mingled.

Ever since Luo Gongsheng, the leader of the "Iron Anchor Society," lost his head at Caishikou, this once-powerful behemoth has been thrown into chaos, like a hornet's nest that has been disturbed.

Those high-ranking officials with even a little influence have already packed up and fled to distant lands.

Only a group of desperate outlaws, their eyes bloodshot, remained, fighting fiercely in the long street over territory.

"Kill these bastards!"

Amidst angry curses and screams, the usual scoundrels of the city no longer cared about the unspoken rule of "not causing any deaths."
Sticks became mere decorations; gleaming blades and small axes for chiseling bones were used only to strike the opponent's vital points.

*Thud!* Someone was stabbed through the chest and fell into a pool of blood without even uttering a sound.

Thump! The blood-soaked corpse was thrown into the murky ditch.

The people screamed and fled in terror, while in the distance came the hurried shouts of the yamen runners and the chaotic footsteps...

Gazing at the bloody chaos, a deep sneer flashed in the short child's eyes, as if he were watching flies swarming over rotten flesh.

He pulled down the brim of his hat and slid sideways into the narrow alley next to him.

The people living here are all poor families from the capital.

The alley was filled with an indescribable mixture of foul smells—the damp, musty smell of years, the stench of stale urine, and the pungent stench emanating from the small workshops tanning raw hides in the corners, making one's head throb.

The low, dilapidated houses, like crooked building blocks, are crammed onto the muddy, potholed path.

The child, head bowed, meandered through the narrow, spiderweb-like alleyways.

He stepped through sewage and mud with every step, and every now and then he would warily scatter some colorless powder behind him.

A few stray dogs rummaging through the garbage had just sniffed it when their fur bristled like hedgehogs, and they tucked their tails between their legs and howled as they fled.

Finally, he stopped in front of a dilapidated courtyard where the weeds grew up to his knees.

Several ragged beggars with vacant eyes were squatting beside the collapsed screen wall, cooking swill and moldy cornbread they had begged from various places in a chipped earthenware pot. The stench was enough to knock a living person off their feet.

"Get lost!" The boy covered his mouth and nose, hissing in disgust, and casually tossed out a few copper coins.

The beggars picked up the coins blankly and dragged their tattered straw mats to make way.

He slipped into the woodshed in the backyard, listened intently for a moment to make sure no one was around, and then lifted a thick, moss-covered cellar partition in the corner.

A murky stream, a mixture of decaying soil and damp, cold air, suddenly surged out.

Without hesitation, the short child did a somersault and disappeared into the darkness.

The narrow tunnel was damp and cold. He skillfully navigated the darkness, turning left and right. After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the tunnel suddenly opened up before him, revealing an underground cave that appeared to have been a storage place for smuggled salt.

Under the dim, flickering glow of the oil lamp, more than twenty figures sitting cross-legged were clearly visible.

Although they were dressed in coarse Han Chinese clothing, without exception, they all had "chonmage" heads with their hair shaved in the middle, and long, cold, hard wakizashi were inserted diagonally on their sides.

Their sinister and sharp gazes swept over them in unison, like a pack of wolves lurking in their den.

The short child no longer tried to hide it, and knelt on the ground, kowtowing as he said:

"The Lord of the Law will meet the Lord!"

From the darkness, a chilling voice echoed:
"So, any news about Zhao Qingxu?"

(End of this chapter)