Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 149: Nine Cauldrons, One Desire, Ten Thousand Bones withered
Wuzhan smiled and said, "I came here to help Madam out of her distress. Madam, you are wronged for looking at me like this."

Madam Qing said coldly: "My Lord, if you don't embarrass me, then you have solved the crisis!"

"If you wanted to embarrass Madam, why did you only bring Miss Miao with you this time? Maybe Madam hasn't realized that the case I'm investigating is clearly aimed at Madam."

"Oh, tell me!"

"The first suspicious point about the Lantian incident is that they were attacked by thousands of cavalrymen. Where else in the world can there be so many private soldiers? The second suspicious point is who benefited from the destruction of the mercury chariot that was bought at a high price? Although it is impossible for Madam to destroy her own destiny, the possibility of being suspected cannot be ruled out."

"Based on the surface, I should indeed be suspected." After saying this, he took a sip of wine.

"Now that the six kingdoms have been destroyed, counties are not allowed to privately station troops and buy horses. Madam, you have tens of thousands of able-bodied men, and you think that you can rest easy with the permission of His Majesty. But you know that merchants cannot defeat officials. Once you are charged with treason, do you think His Majesty will still tolerate it? Besides, it is not difficult to obtain the production technology, and anyone can do it. Why does His Majesty spend a high price to buy it from you instead of letting the court do it? If someone wants to take over, it will be natural."

Upon hearing this, Madam Qing stretched out her slender hand and poured another cup of wine for Wuzhan. She said calmly, "Your Excellency is truly wise and eloquent. I am confused. Please advise me, what should I do?"

"Madam, you are actually very clear about what I said, even more so than I am. But you are not afraid of it because you have a powerful backer. Isn't that your Majesty?"

"I am a widow, how can I have any backing? My Lord is too suspicious." She said to Tinglan behind her, "Go and get what my Lord wants!"

After a while, Tinglan dragged a jade box and placed it on the barrier-free table. Madam Qing said, "I have already ordered someone to find the things that you want, please take a look!"

Wuzhan was shocked when he heard that. He opened the lid of the box. Inside was a thumb-sized porcelain bottle. He opened the lid and saw a transparent liquid inside. He sniffed it and found it was exactly the same as what was recorded in the book. It must be the flower of the fairy's tears. He didn't expect that Madam Qing had such a great ability to find such a precious medicinal material in such a short time. He closed the lid of the bottle and was pleasantly surprised. Now it depends on whether Fusu can find the ten thousand year old snow ginseng. He hurriedly thanked her, "Thank you very much, Madam, for finding such a precious medicinal material. Madam, please set a condition!"

Madam Qing smiled and said, "I am giving this 'Fairy Tears' to you, my Lord. I only hope that you will not trace me back to this place. I will be very grateful. How can I dare to make any other conditions?"

"Madam, you gave me rare medicinal herbs. I cannot even repay you, and how can I trace it back to you? I will always remember your kindness." After saying that, he put away the medicine bottle.

Madam Qing sighed sadly, "When my husband passed away, he was as old as you and as weak. More than 20 years have passed. I hope this medicinal herb can cure your illness so that you and I can grow old together." After saying this, she looked at Miaoxin.

When Miaoxin saw this, her cheeks immediately flushed, as if she was happy, but also sad.

"I'm sorry to have made your wife sad!" Wuzhan said apologetically.

Madam Qing drank it all in one gulp and said sadly, "In fact, living is a kind of numbness, deceiving oneself. So many young men died of poison gas. How can I not be shocked and feel at ease? But many things are beyond my control. Your Excellency is an important minister, so you should know better than me who we are working for and what is meant by a word of truth. If we obey, we will prosper, and if we disobey, we will perish."

Wuzhan saw Madam Qing at this time, and could only find the traces of time in her eyes. He picked up the golden cup and drank it all. To Wuzhan, this wine was only spicier than water, but it had no anesthesia at all. He put down the golden cup and said calmly: "When you are poor, you must change. When you change, you will get through. When you get through, you will survive. Madam, have you ever thought about changing?"

Madam Qing stared at Wuzhe, "How to change it?"

"Change the refining process, transform the furnace, and reduce the casualties of able-bodied men."

Madam Qing was skeptical and said, "This production process has been passed down from my husband's ancestors for hundreds of years. The craftsmanship has long been sophisticated and there is no better way. How can it be changed?"

Wuzhan smiled and said, "Another purpose of my exploration of the mines is to find a better way to improve the furnace and solve the problem of toxic gas emissions."

"Has the master been found?"

"It shouldn't be a big problem. Madam, please fetch some pen and ink. I'll draw a blueprint and you'll know it at a glance!"

The maid brought pen, ink, silk and a desk. Wuzhan turned around, held up his sleeve and picked up the pen, and started drawing on the silk with a calm face. Madam Qing stood up and sat beside Wuzhan, concentrating her attention.

Wuzhan slowly introduced while drawing the picture: "Use iron to cast the upper and lower cauldrons, seal them on the ground, punch a hole in the middle iron plate, put cinnabar on top, fill the lower cauldron with water, and burn the surrounding area with fire. The cinnabar will be burned and turned into mist, and the smoke will flow inside, fall down when it meets water through the holes, and mercury will be formed and flow out from the bottom, while the poisonous gas will not leak out. This is the opening for adding stones, and this is the opening for removing mist. It can be operated continuously. I will later name this method 'the method of upper fire and lower condensation'. Madam, what do you think of this method?"

Madam Qing was well versed in the principles of smelting. The more she listened, the more excited she became. She looked at Wuzhan with incredible eyes, "Your Excellency's method is extremely ingenious. If it works, it will not only be highly effective, but it will also save tens of thousands of lives!"

Wuzhan put down his pen, handed the blueprint to Madam Qing and said, "Madam, can you first order someone to build one according to this blueprint and try to verify whether this method is feasible?"

Madam Qing took the blueprint, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "How did you get this furnace structure and craftsmanship? Is it also passed down from your ancestors?" "I combined it with Madam's furnace and added my own guess!"

"Since you know this method, why don't you present it to His Majesty and let the court send someone to do it, instead of telling me?"

"Madam, you have gifted me such precious medicinal herbs. This is just a small reward for you. Besides, I believe that what you have done will benefit the people more than the imperial court!"

"I have given this 'Fairy Tears' to the right person. Your Majesty, it is a blessing for the Qin Dynasty and the people. Please accept my greetings!" As he said this, he prostrated himself on the ground.

Wuzhan stopped him and said, "Madam, why do you have to do this? Please get up quickly!"

After Madam Qing stood up, she handed the blueprint to Tinglan and ordered the craftsmen in the mansion to build the furnace overnight and put it into use as soon as possible.

At this time, the dark cloud in Miaoxin's heart finally dissipated. What she saw today was shocking. Although she knew the suffering of the people, she didn't know that their lives were as worthless as grass. She felt depressed and desolate, and even wanted to blame Madam Qing. Now she saw Wuzhan drew a picture and solved the problems of those suffering people. Her admiration for Wuzhan increased. She vaguely guessed why her master stayed indoors and refined pills after returning to the mountain, and asked her to go down the mountain to give them to Wuzhan and protect her.

The night sky is already lit up, the crescent moon is like a hook, the evening breeze brings coolness and pleasant fragrance, the lights in the mansion are bright, music is rising, and several girls are dressed in beautiful gauze clothes, graceful and exquisite, singing and dancing, graceful and charming.

Madam Qing drank quite a bit of wine, and her smile was as beautiful as a flower, as if she had returned to her marriageable age. She held Miaoxin's hand, sometimes chatting and laughing, sometimes whispering secretly, which made Miaoxin's cheeks so red with shame that she dared not look her in the eye.

It was not until midnight that they stopped. Two luxurious rooms were arranged for Wuzhan and Miaoxin to rest. Madam Qing also gave Miaoxin three sets of beautiful new clothes and precious ornaments. Miaoxin couldn't help but be tempted by worldly desires, and the two of them did not sleep all night.

……

On the second day, before leaving, Madam Qing said to Wuzhan, "Someone wants to use you to get rid of a certain group of people. Many masters who disappeared in the cultivation world have appeared in Xianyang City. You must be careful and don't look into it too much, so as not to get involved."

Wuzhan bowed and thanked him: "Thank you madam for your reminder. I am afraid that I will have to get involved. Thank you madam for your hospitality. I will take my leave!"

"I'm sorry that I can't see you off. I look forward to your visit to our village in the future!" He bowed in return.

After Wuzhan and Miaoxin rode away, Madam Qing watched them leave for a long time and said, "When the Flower Feather Saint Envoy mentioned this person, I still found it hard to believe. This time, it turned out to be true. If this person can live longer, he will definitely be a person who can cover the sky with one hand. What a pity!"

"If it weren't for him, how could Miaoxin obtain the divine fire and reach the level of a wandering immortal, becoming the youngest wandering immortal today. Being a bodyguard is really a great profit. It depends on whether she can protect her lucky star this time." Tinglan whispered aside.

……

Wuzhan and Miaoxin traveled day and night, and it took them three days to get back to Xianyang. They went directly to the Imperial Court to meet Yao Jia. When Yao Jia saw Wuzhan coming back, he said anxiously, "Master Yushi, you are finally back!"

Wuzhan asked, "Is there any progress in the case?"

Yao Jia sighed and said, "Before we could find any clues, another major case happened last night!"

"What major case happened again?"

"The official ship carrying tribute from the southeastern counties was attacked by water ghosts when it passed Fengling Ferry last night. Ten boxes of jewels are missing, and the handwriting and porcelain pieces were left on the ship again. Censor Feng mobilized a thousand people to search, but not a single ghost was found that day. When His Majesty learned of this, he was furious and insisted that we get to the bottom of it. I am now extremely anxious, but I have no idea what to do. I feel more and more that this has nothing to do with the remnants of the six kingdoms, but is really the work of those undead spirits in troubled times."

Wuzhan asked, "Are there any survivors?"

"Only eleven people survived out of the five hundred. They are all imprisoned in the dungeon. They are heavily guarded and their every move is monitored at all times to prevent anyone from seeking an opportunity to assassinate them. We have already recorded their confessions. Your Excellency can interrogate them again." He handed Wuzhan a large scroll of bamboo slips.

Wuzhan took the bamboo slips and examined them carefully for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Then bring them to the court, and I will examine them again with you, my Lord."

……

Half an hour later, a dozen terrified soldiers were brought in and knelt in front of the hall. Wuzhan said loudly: "Give each of them a pen and bamboo slips, separate them, and let them write down how they survived!"

(End of this chapter)