Knife splashing

Chapter 729 An Unexpected Mission

"The Great Mandate proclaims prosperity, and the Holy Transformation shines forth."

"Now we establish Qiankun Academy in the capital region, following the way of Heaven and the craftsmanship of the earth. We should uphold the teachings of the Kaogong (Examination of Crafts) and emulate Mozi's ideal of universal love, taking the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge as our foundation and the exploration of things and the accomplishment of tasks as our mission. You students must understand the three essentials."

"Firstly, one should value practicality; by wearing hemp and mulberry leaves, one understands the hardships of farming and weaving; by wielding a ruler, one comprehends the principles of construction..."

"Secondly, adaptability. In the past, Gongshu Ban carved a magpie from wood, which flew for three days without landing. As times change, they surge like rivers, and those who cling to the old ways and refuse to change will surely be swept away by the tide..."

"Thirdly, uphold righteousness. Firearms can defend against foreign aggression, but they can also harm the common people. Qi can suppress evil spirits, but it can also fuel greed. We must remember the admonition of the Yin Fu: Fire is born from wood, and disaster will surely follow! In all our endeavors, we should consider the benefit of the country and the people..."

On the high platform, Yan Jiuling, dressed in official robes, stood with a solemn expression.

Sometimes, a person's fate is simply unpredictable.

He came to the capital with the sole intention of passing the imperial examinations and having something to show for his family.

Who would have thought that because of his grandfather's "Ten Strategies for Safeguarding the Nation," he was thrust into the limelight and, with the emperor's tacit approval and the combined efforts of all parties, actually managed to become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Originally, being the top scholar in the imperial examination was nothing special. The emperor even intended to marry a princess to him, granting him the title of imperial son-in-law, so he could enjoy a life of luxury in the capital and live a carefree life.

However, he became interested in Qiankun Academy and gave up many things to enter it.

The academy was not well-regarded at first. He devoted himself to its preparations and has spent countless hours on it. In particular, with the advent of the steam engine, he had to deal with various forces and obstacles from others.

Fortunately, we pulled through.

As Li Yan said, this is a new beginning.

On the plaza, many disciples were also excited.

They were arranged on the east and west sides according to their subjects:

Students from the Department of Physics curiously examined the outlines of the enormous levers and gears protruding from the sheds by the square, whispering among themselves about the legendary "Iron Ox and Divine Ox"...

The students of the "Mystic Engineering" department appeared more composed, their gazes occasionally sweeping over the peach wood seven-star sword hanging from the eaves of the Hundred Crafts Building and the roof tiles engraved with talismans for warding off evil—marks left by the mystical craftsmen hired by the academy…

When the academy was first established, many things were not yet perfect.

The first batch of students were simply divided into two disciplines: "Investigating Things" and "Mysterious Craftsmanship".

The disciples of the "Gewu Ke" (格物科) are all ordinary people, but they are either extremely knowledgeable and proficient in various miscellaneous subjects, or they are apprentices carefully trained by folk craftsmen and have extremely strong hands-on skills.

As for the "Mystic Craftsmanship" discipline, there are relatively few people, all of whom are disciples who have awakened supernatural powers.

Geomancer, puppeteer, pharmacist, esoteric craftsman... there are many paths to take in the future.

After reading the academy's rules, Yan Jiuling did not rush to speak. Instead, he carefully handed the silk to the clerk, then shook his robes and solemnly said to those below, "Other academies worship Confucius and Mencius, and my Qiankun Academy also has its own gods to worship."

"He is the spirit of all crafts and divine artifacts, and His Majesty has bestowed upon him the name: True Lord of Fire and Water!"

Having said that, he turned to the back and said in a deep voice, "Set up an altar!"

The academy's opening attracted not only hundreds of disciples but also many visitors from the capital.

Their gazes had already been drawn to the towering statue in front of the Gewu Hall.

However, it was covered by a huge red cloth, so no one could see it clearly.

Upon hearing Yan Jiuling's words, many people immediately began to whisper and murmur among themselves.

Does the academy have a new deity to worship?
This is no small matter, and judging from the implication, it should be offered with the power of a national sacrifice.

The True Lord of Fire and Water?

I'd never heard of this before...

Everyone had their own thoughts, but the stage was bustling with activity.

The crowd below was astonished to discover that the altar was set up according to the highest level of the Great Xuan Ritual System. Yuan Feng, the supervisor who was supposed to preside over the opening ceremony, had changed into a black Taoist robe with cloud patterns on the hem and red and blue water and fire patterns embroidered on the back, twisted into a Tai Chi shape.

"rise--!"

Boom boom boom!
With a shout from Yuanfeng, three cannon shots rang out, splitting the sky.

The craftsmen pulled the red rope together, and the scarlet curtain slowly slid down.

Just as the red silk was falling, the morning light shone obliquely onto the front of the Gewu Hall.

Looking up, one sees a statue towering high in the morning light.

With three majestic eyes, a vertical eye on his forehead slightly open, and his lowered eyes seemingly observing the turning of water and fire, his skin was reddish and his face was dignified.

He wore a dark blue robe with cloud patterns that closed on the left, but unlike others, there were hidden gear patterns embroidered between the cloud patterns, and the right sleeve had a red flame pattern, symbolizing steam and heat energy. He held a bronze bell, a ritual implement, in his left hand.

Upon closer inspection, it is a miniature prototype of a steam engine.

With his other hand, he was making a water-fire hand seal.

Those watching from afar craned their necks, their eyes filled with strange expressions.

This statue is similar to those in Taoist temples and monasteries, but perhaps due to the addition of a large number of steam and gear elements, it looks different and has a sense of majesty and novelty.

Of course, Li Yan, standing on the high platform, felt somewhat awkward.

He knew that this was due to the influence of his past life memories.

After all, this thing never existed in my previous life.

Regardless of what people were thinking, the ceremony on the stage proceeded as normal.

As expected, it was the highest-level "Three Offerings" ceremony.

The "Three Offerings Ritual" is the highest form of worship for deities.

For example, the items required for the "Three Offerings" ceremony at the Tianhou Temple for worshipping Mazu strictly follow ancient customs, totaling nearly a thousand pieces of various sizes!

The sacrificial vessels include ancient bamboo and wooden items such as *bian* and *dou*, as well as bronze items such as *jue* and *xing*. Traditional folk sacrificial vessels include bronze incense burners, candle screens, fruit boxes, and food boxes. The ceremonial regalia consists of imperial *you* and *bu*, along with over a hundred other items such as road clearing flags, imperial guard plaques, title flags, pheasant-tail fans, lanterns, incense burners, nine-curved yellow umbrellas, and other implements and staffs.

The clothing and other aspects worn by those performing the rituals also have specific requirements.

The Three Offerings Ceremony of the True Lord of Fire and Water of the Flint Wheel was naturally extraordinary.

The initial offering was "craftsmanship as the heart".

Eight shirtless craftsmen carried a steam engine model to the front of the cylinder, while Zhou Baixiao sprinkled nitrate and sulfur into the crack.

With a "sizzle," a burst of blue flames shot up, instantly turning into white sulfurous smoke.

The disciples closest to the stage felt the pungent smell and quickly held their breath, but the master craftsman Zhao Huogong knelt down with a thud and led the craftsmen in shouting, "Our ancestor has granted us a chance to make a living!"

Upon seeing this, the disciples below the stage also quickly bowed and clasped their hands in greeting.

Ya Xian is "a substitute for blood made from grains".

Agricultural students poured millet, sorghum, rice, sorghum, and beans onto the iron wave base.

When the boiling water was poured in, it sputtered and released steam, scalding the disciples nearby, who jumped up and down. Millet grains rolled down the hem of Yan Jiuling's sacrificial robe.

The final offering was made in accordance with the people's wishes and prayers.

The legendary healer Ge Pusheng threw his elixir into a gear, causing it to become stuck in the gear mechanism; the craftsmen struck the gear, and the chime stones sang out of tune.

"Water and fire turn in a cycle—hey ho!"

"Don't let the steam valve explode—hey ho!"

Yuanfeng then made a hand seal and entered a silent prayer, holding a whisk in his hand, and continuously circled around the statue of the deity.

Li Yan, seeing this from above, frowned slightly.

"Brother Yan."

Wang Daoxuan, who was standing nearby, said thoughtfully, "This fire wheel has not yet condensed its spiritual essence. Even if it is included in the Temple of the God of Earth and Grain, it will probably take quite some time. Is there any point in rushing to consecrate it now?"

Li Yan shook his head slightly, "I don't know."

"Perhaps it's because there are so many disciples at the academy, and they want to hold the ceremony early to gather enough offerings..."

Before he could finish speaking, his eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the object in his arms.

Just now, Gou Die had a faint reaction.

Although it was only a brief moment, it was very obvious that it was a transition between hot and cold.

This feeling does not mean that you have encountered a villain.

It's more like when you encounter temples before, some folk gods want to communicate with living spirits.

Could it be that this "True Lord of the Flint Wheel" has already taken shape?
Just as he was wondering, the sacrificial ceremony below finally came to an end.

The hundreds of disciples in the square, led by the academy's servants, first visited the various pavilions and workshops to familiarize themselves with the layout, then returned to their dormitories for a short rest before preparing for tomorrow's lessons. Meanwhile, the various factions observing the ceremony presented gifts they had prepared in advance.

They seemed to be competing with each other, and the sheer number, variety, and value of the gifts were astonishing.

The imperial court's bestowed rewards and the plaques presented by the Three Departments and Six Ministries go without saying.

Those forces that have designs on the academy are the ones that suffer the greatest losses.

Hong Zhenyue, the "Dragon King of the Nine Rivers" of the Grand Canal Gang, personally arrived at the scene.

A burly captain, wearing a short jacket over a brocade robe, personally escorted the congratulatory gifts.

"A finely carved map of the nine rivers' waterways, crafted from golden nanmu wood; twenty large pearls, wishing students clear minds and bright eyes; one hundred sets of superior pewterware; thirty thousand taels of silver..."

Hearing the chanting of the ritual leader, many people looked at each other in surprise, not expecting the canal gang to be so high-profile.

Unbeknownst to them, Hong Zhenyue had previously had a private conversation with Luo Mingzi, offering substantial sums to pave the way for the three young men he had selected and recommended to successfully enter the shipbuilding group of the "Gewu Science" department, with the ultimate goal of mastering the core technology of steamships.

With this item, the canal gangs could maintain their influence on waterways in the future.

The Pai Gymnastics Association headquarters is in the south, far away, so they didn't come this time.

If the Canal Gang could take the lead, they might be able to suppress the Pai Khmer in the future.

Then came the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce, which was the wealthiest in the world.

Several wagons covered with tarpaulins and pulled by strong mules slowly drove in, with the Jin character emblem on them prominently displayed.

The gift list was equally impressive.

Ten sets of "Tian Shu" abacuses with complete mahogany carvings and brass inlays; five volumes each of the rare handwritten annotations of "Mo Jing Kao Gong" and "Tian Gong Kai Wu"; ten state-of-the-art telescopes; and a donation of 10,000 shi of "educational rice".

The Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce naturally also had its own requests.

They were very interested in the new roads that would be built after steam cars became widespread.

Those who opened up the sea were even more generous, providing a huge piece of sea willow wood; twelve sets of book boxes with covers for "The Essentials of Exploring Things" inlaid with coral, giant clam shell, and hawksbill turtle shell; and a modified model of the "watertight compartment" secretly passed down in Southeast Asia.

Needless to say, these people were eager for the academy to prosper and for the promised steamship to be delivered as soon as possible.

In short, each party has its own agenda.

"Tsk tsk, they're all shrewd people..."

Upon seeing this, Shalifei shook his head and said, "These guys all have a keen sense of smell. No wonder they're all rushing to the capital. If we were in some other remote place, we probably wouldn't have found out about this for years."

"Ah."

Li Yan nodded absentmindedly and said in a deep voice, "I'm a little tired, I'll go back and rest first."

Shalifei was taken aback. "Brother Yan, I heard that the chefs for the banquet later are from the palace."

"You guys eat, just bring me some."

Li Yan didn't bother to say anything more and turned to leave.

He hurriedly returned to his room in the courtyard, immediately closed the door, and lay down on the bed with the warrant in his hand.

After the strange sensation that had appeared earlier, the hook trembled slightly again.

This unusual event did not originate from the document, but from the Heavenly Official's Decree behind it.

This is the first time I've had a reaction since I got this thing.

A sense of foreboding rose in Li Yan's heart.

Could it be that the unusual movement of the Heavenly Official's Decree is related to that "True Lord of the Flint Wheel"?
What if the Heavenly Court issues an order for him to destroy this newly born deity?
This is not impossible.

After all, humanitarian change could very well be initiated from this.

The "Great Luo Dharma Realm" is affected by human sacrifices.

Although the Heavenly Laws forbid interference in human affairs, when faced with something like this…

Li Yan felt uneasy as he sensed the movement of the warrant and slowly closed his eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by thick fog.

Unlike his mission in the underworld, as he pushed through the thick fog and walked forward, he felt as if his entire body was not touching the ground, as if he were riding the wind, floating upwards with the sound of the wind whistling in his ears.

Could this be... the Heavenly Court?
Li Yan became interested.

He briefly glimpsed the Great Luo Dharma Realm by using the Nuo mask left behind by Erlang Zhenjun.

The so-called "Great Luo Dharma Realm" appears as a dark void when viewed from a distance, with numerous vertically forked spots of light.

Each spot of light represents a force.

For example, the underworld, Mount Luofeng, and the eighteen levels of hell are all within a patch of light.

The Heavenly Court and the Western Pure Land are two other patches of light.

These areas of light in Chinese mythology are more or less clustered together and connected to each other.

Li Yan had a strange feeling.

This may be related to the belief system of China.

How it formed is still unknown.

Just as he was lost in thought, he finally stopped.

Just as he had felt before, he was now standing above a sea of ​​clouds.

Looking around, there was no end in sight.

The white clouds and the gray sky seemed to merge into one.

And in the sky, there were also some faint phantom images.

It appeared to be a towering palace, only its outline could be seen, and a row of huge phantoms stood there.

Li Yan felt a chill run down his spine and quickly lowered his head, pretending not to see.

He knew that if Gou Die hadn't installed Yin Changsheng's strange jade tablet, he would never have seen these things.

This situation is similar to that in the underworld; it is not that his soul has entered the Great Luo Dharma Realm, but rather that he has received a dream through some kind of power.

The passageway is marked by the celestial official's decree inscribed on its back.

Rumble!
As the sea of ​​clouds trembled, an ancient stone platform suddenly rose in front of us.

Li Yan sensed something was amiss and, without saying a word, went to the stone platform and pretended to bow and clasp his hands in a gesture of respect.

Then, golden light swirled above the stone platform, and a golden scroll appeared.

It seems this is the Heavenly Official's mission.

They're really into making a big show of it...

Li Yan inwardly cursed, but his face remained solemn as he stepped forward and opened the golden scroll.

He was stunned when he saw the handwriting.

This celestial official's mission was indeed related to the True Lord of the Flint Wheel, but it was different from what he had imagined.

The Heavenly Court did not demand the extermination of the yet-to-be-born "True Lord of the Flint Wheel," but instead sought to protect him.

The Heavenly Court will issue a decree to incorporate "True Lord Suilun" into the Taoist system, and eventually, the major Taoist and Buddhist sects will send people to protect him.

His task was to ensure safety during this period.

The reward for completing the mission is very generous: five Gang Tokens and five Divine Gang!
Goodness…

This was the first time Li Yan had received such a big job.

What intrigued him even more was what these deities within the Great Luo Dharma Realm were up to.
No matter how you look at it, it's a good thing.

Li Yan put away the imperial edict, and his body was immediately thrown out by a force, disappearing into the sea of ​​clouds.

After he left, a few faint sounds could be heard in the air.

"This matter was somewhat reckless..."

"The Emperor's intention must have a profound meaning."

Meanwhile, inside the main halls of Longhu Mountain and Wudang Mountain, incense smoke swirled rapidly...

(End of this chapter)