Chapter 136: Shocked Manager He

The next morning, Cang Luo tucked a set of blueprints under his arm, rode out of the inn on his rune-powered chariot amid the shopboy’s stunned gaze, and drove off with effortless grace—his destination: Divine Weapon Workshop.

Along the way, Cang Luo drove slowly to avoid drawing the attention of imperial troops, causing passersby to turn their heads, stare wide-eyed, and chatter among themselves.

Several bounty hunters and martial artists asked Cang Luo what the vehicle was, their expressions filled with confusion and greed.

Cang Luo’s heart tightened; he immediately replied, “It’s a mechanical vehicle, jointly crafted by the Profound Heaven Sect and the Mo Family Mechanical City. If you want one, go ask them.”

Hearing this, they left without further pursuit—clearly afraid of offending the Profound Heaven Sect and the Mo Family.

Additionally, Cang Luo attracted a group of seven- or eight-year-old children who happily chased after the rune chariot.

Cang Luo thought: With these kids following me, I’ll probably be safer—maybe they’re all brats of martial cultivators.

So he let them take turns riding on the back, carrying them all the way to the entrance of the Divine Weapon Workshop, where they refused to leave, clamoring to ride just a little longer.

Cang Luo had no choice but to play along.

Inside the Divine Weapon Workshop, the vast shop had no customers; a few clerks chatted quietly.

Zhang Zi wasn’t joining them—he still wiped weapons with a coarse cloth, his gaze dull, lost in thought.

Manager He Jiu didn’t care—he was enjoying the peace, sipping tea.

Suddenly, he frowned, hearing a group of brats making noise at the shop’s entrance—it annoyed him, disrupting his tea.

He Jiu snapped, “Zhang Zi, it’s too loud—get those brats away. No wonder no customers come in...”

Zhang Zi replied and rushed out to shoo them off.

A moment later, he returned—but the noise outside persisted.

Those brats hadn’t left!

He Jiu roared, “What’s going on? Can’t even handle this simple task and still think you’ll join the Profound Heaven Sect? Are you honoring your brother?”

“Your brother’s already ruined—he’s a spell array master now, not a martial artist. He’s worked himself to the bone saving resources for you, waiting until you’re fourteen to send you to the Profound Heaven Sect—is this how you repay him?”

Zhang Zi’s older brother was Zhang Han; their parents had died early, leaving them orphaned and destitute, surviving on the streets with meals uncertain.

Five years ago, the brothers met a beggar with no hands—once a martial artist and a fifth-rank armorer.

Unfortunately, his cultivation had been destroyed by enemies, and both his hands had been severed...

The beggar discovered Zhang Han could sense primordial energy, but his meridians were blocked—he could never become a martial artist, but becoming a spell array master wasn’t bad.

Perhaps out of pity, or perhaps hoping they’d one day help him seek revenge.

So he took the brothers in, begged with them, and taught Zhang Han spell array theory—though he only knew Yellow-grade arrays; whether Zhang Han would succeed was left to fate.

A year later, he managed to obtain for Zhang Han a Yellow-grade low-tier mental cultivation jade tablet—only by practicing the mental art could one control primordial energy and draw arrays.

But the beggar was killed for it.

After the beggar’s death, the brothers were left to rely on each other once more.

Another year passed, and they saw the Divine Weapon Workshop hiring assistants for spell array masters.

So the younger brother, Zhang Zi, became a lowly clerk—room and board provided, no salary—while Zhang Han became Lu Zheng’s assistant and apprentice, earning little.

Though called an apprentice, Lu Zheng rarely taught him spell array theory—he’d never passed on a single Xuan-grade array.

After his life stabilized, Zhang Han considered leaving the workshop several times, but remembered the kindness shown to him and stayed, waiting until his brother joined the Profound Heaven Sect before departing.

Zhang Zi quickly recalled the hardships he and his brother had endured, clenched his fists tightly, and whispered, “Manager He, the Profound Heaven Sect disciple came yesterday...”

He Jiu knew Zhang Zi meant Cang Luo—likely here to collect his equipment.

But why does that matter? I told you to clear those brats from the door!

He Jiu slammed his teacup down, voice rising in anger: “Let him come! But it’s too noisy out there—chattering like birds! I won’t say it a third time—go drive them away!”

Zhang Zi didn’t move. He stared blankly. “Manager He... he arrived riding a mechanical vehicle! That’s why the kids are shouting—they’re gathered around it.”

“Mechanical vehicle?”

He Jiu froze, thinking he’d misheard. “What did you say? A mechanical vehicle? He has one? How? And he’s riding it? Are you sure it’s not a beast companion?”

Zhang Zi scratched his head, thinking. “At first I thought it was a beast, but when I got closer, I saw wheels—and it moved on its own.”

“My brother said the Mo Family Mechanical City’s vehicles don’t need horses or pushing—they move by themselves. That must be a mechanical vehicle, right?”

He Jiu gasped. “Wheels? And it moves on its own? Not a hand-pushed cart?”

Zhang Zi shook his head firmly. “No—it moves by itself.”

He Jiu lost his composure. He stopped asking—he’d go see for himself.

As a Wu Ling cultivator, he set down his teacup and vanished in an instant, appearing at the door before the cup even hit the ground.

Outside the Divine Weapon Workshop, He Jiu stared—and instantly recognized the “mechanical vehicle” Zhang Zi described: it was made from the armor Cang Luo had forged yesterday.

Yesterday, Lu Zheng had mocked his master: “A fool! Not even a martial artist, clueless about spell arrays, and he dares design a mechanical vehicle?”

But what was Cang Luo riding now?

Feet off the ground, no one pushing, no horse pulling—it moved on its own!

Was it a bull or horse, or some beast, encased in armor?

He Jiu’s eyes weren’t blind!

He wasn’t some low-rank martial artist with weak spiritual sense who couldn’t even detect a beast.

It was definitely a mechanical vehicle!

But why did it have only two wheels?

He’d seen mechanical vehicles before—Mo Family’s had at least four, some with ten, even dozens.

Two wheels were odd enough—but why were they aligned in a straight line?

How could a straight-line wheeled vehicle stay upright?!

It drove steadily, accelerated, slowed, turned...

And behind the vehicle, it emitted red light!

Was that the location of the core array?

Beep! Beep! Beep!

“It even makes noise!”

He Jiu was stunned again, eyes wide, watching Cang Luo ride the mechanical vehicle, circling with the brats on board...

The next moment, he remembered something—and slapped himself hard.

Yesterday, the Lord, after hearing Lu Zheng’s words, thought the air-blood-vessel designs were trivial and simple, and offered Cang Luo’s master one top-grade primordial stone per month.

The man had flatly refused. The Lord and Master Lu hadn’t cared—the Divine Weapon Workshop didn’t lack designers.

But now, this man could not only design, but actually build a mechanical vehicle!

The Divine Weapon Workshop had just lost a mechanical vehicle master!

He Jiu slapped his own face again and again—loud cracks echoing. Zhang Zi stood frozen, dumbfounded.

Why is Manager He slapping himself?

Are there mosquitoes?

He Jiu ignored him, barked sharply: “Zhang Zi, go fetch Master Lu... no—fetch the Lord! Tell him to come immediately—something of utmost importance!”

“It concerns the Divine Weapon Workshop’s future for a hundred years!”

“Hurry!”

“Go now!”

“Don’t stand there!”

He kicked Zhang Zi with soft force, sending him flying. “Go fetch the Lord!”

He wasn’t exaggerating. Mechanical vehicles were vital for transport, defense, and siege warfare.

If he could build this small one, he could build larger ones.

Mechanical beasts were even more powerful—equivalent to high-rank beasts in combat, never tiring, needing no rest, food, or water. Break? Repair. Lost? Recreate.

Only the Mo Family Mechanical City on the Yuanwu Continent could build mechanical vehicles and beasts. With them, the Mo Family ruled a single city—even without a Wu Sheng to stand guard, their power rivaled a nation!

If the Divine Weapon Workshop could master mechanical vehicle production...

Zhang Zi was frozen in shock; though he didn’t know why Manager He had suddenly become so furious, he knew something crucial had happened—something tied to the mechanical cart—and without looking back, he rushed off to summon the family lord.

Zhang Zi was terrified—he didn’t know why Manager He had suddenly become so frantic, but he knew something monumental had happened, tied to the mechanical vehicle. He turned and ran without looking back to fetch the Lord.

Seeing Zhang Zi leave, He Jiu turned back to Cang Luo—and made his decision instantly.

He Jiu touched his face—it hurt—and let out a long breath, shifting his mood as he broke into a run toward Cang Luo, bowing with a smile as he chased after the mechanical cart: “Younger brother, you’ve finally arrived! Your elder brother has missed you dearly...”

He touched his stinging cheek, exhaled deeply, adjusted his expression, and trotted toward Cang Luo, bowing with a smile: “Younger brother, you’ve finally come! Your elder brother misses you dearly...”

“Come, come—come in, have some tea!”

Cang Luo slammed on the brakes, staring blankly at Manager He—his cheek was swollen and red.

Younger brother? Elder brother? Who the hell are you calling?

Cang Luo wasn’t stupid. He saw He Jiu’s eyes darting greedily at the rune chariot—he instantly understood why he’d suddenly become so polite.

He must’ve mistaken the rune chariot for a Mo Family mechanical vehicle, wanting to buy it to study and copy.

Or he’d remembered his “master,” and thought the vehicle was designed and built by him—now he wanted to reopen the guest artisan offer.

Cang Luo sneered. Sell? Impossible. But the guest artisan position? Maybe worth reconsidering.

Hmph! Yesterday you offered one top-grade primordial stone per month to brush me off—now, aren’t you going to pay me dearly?

Cang Luo thought this through, then silently shook his head—he couldn’t go too far. His master was fake, and he himself was weak. If they decided to kill him for it, he’d be dead.

So he smiled. “Manager He, good morning. I’m here to collect the remaining armor from the mechanical vehicle.”

He handed over twenty sets of weapon blueprints he’d drawn all night. “Here are the twenty designs we agreed on. No tea—I’ll take what I came for and leave—back to the Profound Heaven Sect.”

Cang Luo used reverse psychology, reminding He Jiu of his Profound Heaven Sect identity—just in case the workshop entertained thoughts of murder.

He Jiu sighed inwardly, glanced at the blueprints—and was stunned again. Another never-before-seen design.

[101] Master.

This kid’s master is definitely a master!

We must keep him at the Divine Weapon Workshop!

He Jiu immediately said: “The Profound Heaven Sect is only a two-hour walk from Dan Yang County. Brother, why not stay for lunch? I’ve already prepared wine and dishes—please don’t refuse.”

We must keep him, at least until the clan lord arrives. I’m sure this kid won’t want to leave once he sees the clan lord.

First, keep the disciple here, treat him well, then discuss the master’s matter.

Cang Luo smiled and shook his head, saying nothing. He parked the carriage at the entrance of the Divine Weapon Workshop and told the group of reluctant kids: “Watch this for me, brother’ll take you out to play soon.”

After entrusting a group of likely second-generation warriors to guard the vehicle, Cang Luo strode into the Divine Weapon Workshop with his chest out, heading straight for the back courtyard’s forging workshop to retrieve the external equipment for the mechanical war chariot.

He Jiu saw that Cang Luo had casually left the mechanical vehicle at the entrance without concern for theft—he must have installed some forbidden array on it.

“When he got off the mechanical vehicle just now, he seemed to pull out something—probably activated the mechanism.”

Thinking this, He Jiu stepped closer to examine the mechanical vehicle, but found no visible mechanism or control point. Unable to make sense of it, he hurried after Cang Luo—first, keep the man from leaving.