Chapter 345: The Mo Sect

Wu Wu Youxu was merely a cover—the true owner of this tomb was Wang Su, the Grand Master of the Mohist school during the Tang dynasty; the two of them secluded themselves on Mount Songshan, restoring and improving Mohist mechanical arts…

They chose wisely—if this mechanical art had emerged during the chaos at the end of the Tang, countless lives would have been lost…

There are two tomb guardians inside, both found by them in the remnants of Yunmeng Marsh—one is the 'Manyan' you discovered, the other is 'Shirou'.

'Shirou' is recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas; it resembles a Taisui but has two eyes, can grow endlessly, and its most precious part is precisely those two eyes…

The two of them used a secret method to refine this 'Shirou' into a monster that devours gold, stone, and soil, forcibly eroding the mineral veins to create this golden-water-generating, iron-domed tomb, then sealed it with mechanical arts.

Unfortunately, a sudden earthquake destroyed the tomb's structure; 'Shirou' emerged prematurely and, drawn by the resentful qi of the submerged Gaochang County, devoured it and became a malevolent entity…

Since their relationship was still decent, Master Chengjue did not conceal anything and revealed every detail found within the tomb.

Li Yan listened, stunned.

He had never imagined there were so many hidden secrets.

Hearing that the tomb contained a legacy of mechanical arts, his expression changed slightly: "The remnants of the Golden Tent Kingdom and the Maitreya Sect have both entered—have they already taken the artifact?"

"Not yet."

Master Chengjue shook his head: "Though the tomb was damaged, 'Shirou' itself is the true chamber; after escaping, it devoured Gaochang City and now lies hidden underground, only appearing during storms, thunder, and lightning."

Whether the Tang-era Da Xuan soldiers or the remnants of the Golden Tent Kingdom, all entered through the Ghost City of Gaochang—and none survived.

The passage by the lake was only opened recently, when 'Manyan' emerged; the Maitreya Sect entered the tomb passage only by blood sacrifice, activating the divine embryo at the periphery—but never reached the inner chamber…"

"We'll discuss this later!"

The elderly scholar who had joked earlier asked eagerly: "I heard you came out of the Ghost City—and brought out Lu Ban's wooden magpie?"

Master Lin introduced: "Young Master Li, this is Yuan Feng, Director of the Ministry of Works' Bureau of Survey and Measurement—and currently an Elder of the Mo Sect."

"I rushed here from Wenzhen Academy and happened upon you two on the road—only then did I learn of this great incident."

Li Yan immediately rose and bowed: "Greetings, Director Yuan."

A smile had already appeared on his face.

It wasn't out of reverence for officials.

He treated provincial governors and princes as ordinary people—but this man's position was crucial.

The Great Da Xuan court's Ministry of Works had four bureaus: the Bureau of Construction, the Bureau of Survey and Measurement, the Bureau of Waterways, and the Bureau of Land Reclamation.

Each bureau was managed by one to five Directors.

The Bureau of Survey and Measurement primarily oversaw the harvesting and smelting of mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes across Shenzhou, managing all bird and beast resources.

It also handled the production of military uniforms, weapons, ceramics, coinage, and firearms.

A moment's thought revealed how vital it was.

"No need for formalities."

Yuan Feng rose quickly, eyes filled with anticipation: "May we see it?"

"Of course."

Li Yan nodded with a smile and led the group to the back courtyard of Shen's residence.

"This is Lu Ban's wooden magpie. Look here—when ignited, the skin expands, somewhat like a Kongming lantern; here you control its direction…"

"I know—the skin is from a sea monster called 'Longtun,' similar to a pufferfish but enormous, swelling when it absorbs water, impervious to blades, fire, or water—extremely rare."

"Director Yuan, your knowledge is vast."

"Hahaha, I've only heard of it. This wooden magpie is a treasure of the Craftsmen's Sect—yet I wonder how it ended up in the tomb of my Mo Sect's Grand Master…"

"Young Master Li, may I speak with you privately?"

Seeing the two converse warmly, Master Chengjue shook his head slightly and asked Li Yan: "Young Master Li, did you see any members of the Maitreya Sect in the Ghost City? Their other altar must be nearby—do you have any leads?"

"I didn't see any in the Ghost City…"

Li Yan replied, then suddenly recalled a figure: "But there was one peculiar man—a Daoist priest with astonishing powers. He lured the second and third branches of the Shen family into the tomb."

"What did he look like?"

"An old Daoist with white beard, tattered robe full of patches, hunched posture, but his eyes were strikingly sharp."

"He died before the altar!"

"Ask Master Shen."

Soon, Shen Shen Jinghong was summoned. After hearing Li Yan's description, he mused: "I recall him—he was the temple keeper of the nearby Water God Temple. Every festival, he came to collect incense money."

"Take us there at once!"

…………

"Venerable Masters, this is the place."

The Water God Temple wasn't far; Shen Shen Jinghong quickly led them there: "This is the Dragon Girl Temple. Legend says the daughter of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea married a mortal, and the people built this temple to worship her—it's ancient."

Among Master Chengjue's warrior monks were some skilled in detection; one listened intently, then shook his head: "No one inside."

"Search!"

At Master Chengjue's command, the warrior monks and soldiers rushed in.

Li Yan followed closely, forming a hand seal and inhaling deeply, then turned toward the main hall: "There's a hidden passage behind the deity statue."

The Maitreya Sect's hidden passage could fool ordinary people—it was only hidden because it lay in a remote village.

Following the passage, they soon found the altar.

The Maitreya Sect's chief and the several elders lay dead on the ground, their bodies blackened, faces caked in blood, utterly lifeless.

The lotus lamps had been kicked over, all extinguished.

Seeing the scene, Master Chengjue's heart sank; his face darkened: "Search everywhere—look for clues."

The warrior monks of the Enforcement Corps were elite—not only in martial skill and spiritual power, but also trained in the Commandant's Office's methods of investigation.

Soon, they found traces.

In the ice cellar lay another waterway, cleverly concealed by rocks and wooden planks, leading directly to Lake Liangzi Lake, with wooden stakes for mooring ropes beside it.

"Issue orders—seal all waterways along the route!"

Master Chengjue ordered grimly, his mood dark.

Li Yan's expression was equally grave.

From this scene, the ritual must have gone wrong.

The Maitreya Sect's goal—to resurrect Ming Wang Chen Chen Youliang—wasn't even extraordinary; countless others in the world had attempted more violent resurrections.

Just recently, Huang Huang Liushi had been a major problem.

Few knew of this.

Specifically targeting the Maitreya Sect—and the ritual had succeeded…

The entity that descended,

Was almost certainly the Black Heaven Ming Wang!

……

On a government road in Jiangxia, a woodcutter with snow-white hair walked, carrying a bamboo basket, his movements indistinguishable from an ordinary villager.

He glanced at the distant river and spoke respectfully: "Lord, I used a ruse to lure the pursuers toward the waterway. Once we reach Sun Datong, someone will meet us there."

"Hmm."

From within the basket came a shrill voice.

The old man continued walking, but soon ahead appeared a checkpoint; several soldiers from the garrison yawned as they patrolled. "Stop! What are you doing?"

"Your Honor, this old man is delivering firewood to the city."

"Firewood?"

One soldier approached with a spear, said nothing, and yanked open the old man's bamboo basket.

Inside sat an infant, legs crossed, forming a strange hand seal, pupils as black as ink.

The soldier locked eyes with the infant, startled—then a flicker of black qi passed through his own eyes. He covered the basket, expressionless: "Nothing. Let him pass."

"Thank you, Officer."

The old woodcutter bowed deeply, then walked away, basket on his back…

…………

In the following days, inspections grew stricter across the land.

Especially along roads heading north—not just Ezhou, but even the Enforcement Halls of Shanzhou, Yuzhou, and Jinzhou received orders to investigate.

!.

But as Li Yan had predicted, they found nothing.

The suddenly descended Black Heaven Ming Wang vanished like a drop of water merging into the sea, disappearing entirely from all factions' sight.

Clearly, the remnants of the Golden Tent Kingdom had planned for years and had contingency measures for every scenario.

Fortunately, their plan had already been exposed—they intended to infiltrate a certain princely mansion in the Great Da Xuan court; the Commandant's Office had already prepared targeted countermeasures.

As for Li Yan, he was busy selling Lu Ban's wooden magpie.

Yes, from the very beginning, he never intended to keep it.

First, word of the artifact had already leaked—it couldn't be hidden. And the court would never let such a military asset slip away.

Second, to them, it was useless.

Others found it fascinating, but Li Yan didn't care—and with their constant travels for cultivation, they had no time to guard it.

It offered little use and would attract endless trouble.

Thus, from the moment it landed, Li Yan had already planned to sell it for a high price.

The only problem: who to sell it to?

The artifact would inevitably end up in the court's hands—but whose hands it passed through made all the difference.

If he simply handed it over, he might get some rewards and a plaque from the court, but it would be utterly useless.

Although he has connections with the Commandant's Office and the Enforcement Hall, he only knows mid-level officials—just avoiding being snatched away by higher-ups is already a blessing.

Yuan Feng's arrival could not have been better timed.

This old man is not only a Minister of the Department of Works, Bureau of Survey and Measurement, but also an elder of the Mo Men.

To be honest, the Mo Men have long declined.

The Mohist school originated in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, primarily composed of merchants and artisans, occupying the lowest rung of society.

Precisely because of this, they advocated theories like universal love and non-aggression, and equality—though famous, they could never enter the mainstream.

Especially after "abolishing all schools except Confucianism," Mohist ideas, which were detrimental to rule, lost their foundation entirely and gradually vanished.

The Mo Men that followed merely inherited the name of the Mohist school.

They no longer speak of universal love or non-aggression; the slogan of universal harmony has been utterly abandoned—they are merely merchants and artisans banding together for mutual support.

Precisely because of this, they survived, gradually gaining court acceptance, primarily serving as technical bureaucrats in the Department of Works.

In short, they are a completely harmless organization.

Yet Li Yan holds a different view.

Now is the age of great navigation; the Great Da Xuan Dynasty has implemented an open-sea policy and begun elevating the status of merchants—so long as no mishaps occur, technological innovation will continue unabated.

The Mo Men's status will only grow higher!

Especially since this old man is Minister of the Bureau of Survey and Measurement, responsible for managing resources across Shenzhou—even if only overseeing statistics, this brings considerable benefit to Li Yan and his group.

For instance, new-style gunpowder now has a channel.

If they need to find certain materials, they'll know where to start.

Moreover, this old man is a shrewd individual.

When he arrived, he deliberately did not wear his official robes; Lin Lin Fuzi introduced him, and he spoke with the demeanor of a fellow martial practitioner, showing great interest in Lu Ban's wooden magpie…

Li Yan is no fool—he knows exactly what this means.

Of course, he did not immediately agree; he waited two days, until the old man grew increasingly anxious, before finally laying his cards on the table.

"Elder Yuan."

In the side room of the small courtyard, Li Yan met Yuan Feng alone, poured tea, and smiled: "I hear that Han Mo, the Left Vice Minister of the Department of Works, is also from your Mo Men?"

"This Minister Han is young and vigorous, overseeing the forging of the court's new firearms. If Lu Ban's wooden magpie were added to it and proved devastating in the southwestern campaign, wouldn't he have a chance at becoming Minister of the Department of Works?"

Unlike other Dao lineages, the current Mo Men are tightly dependent on the court, essentially serving as assistants to Confucianism.

Yuan Feng is an old fox; seeing Li Yan had already grasped the underlying logic, he remained expressionless, sipped tea, and shook his head with a sigh: "Difficult indeed. The court today is full of shifting clouds and treacherous winds."

"The open-sea faction and the isolationist faction are fighting to the death. We dare not offend either side—we can only keep earning merit to win His Majesty's favor."

"Elder Yuan, you jest."

Li Yan smiled faintly. "I can give this to your Mo Men—just to make a friend for the future."

Yuan Feng froze, his guard rising. "What do you want?"

He was right about one thing: the Mo Men's status is rising, and they control the forging of new-style firearms. Though they cling tightly to the emperor's leg, many eyes are watching them.

Precisely because of this, they must constantly earn merit to protect themselves, avoid involvement in any court struggles, and never take sides—lest they incur the emperor's suspicion.

This is the Mo Men's current way of survival.

Li Yan is merely a martial practitioner, but who knows who stands behind him?

"Elder Yuan, don't misunderstand."

Li Yan directly unfastened his musket from his waist and placed it on the table. "To be frank, we are all martial practitioners. Though we spent vast sums to create this, gunpowder is becoming harder to obtain. I ask you, Elder Yuan, to occasionally lend us a hand."

To refine new-style gunpowder, one needs "coal essence" and "red saltpeter."

They previously obtained some "coal essence," and later, through intermediaries, purchased "red saltpeter," finally producing a small amount—but if several major battles occur, it will be entirely consumed.

These two celestial treasures are now monopolized by the court; acquiring them is extremely difficult, and they will eventually be held hostage by others.

Others or factions face the same problem.

For instance, if the Commandant's Office uses gunpowder as leverage to force them to take on dangerous missions, would they foolishly comply?

Trading this mediocre Lu Ban wooden magpie for a stable gunpowder supply is already more than worth it.

"Oh, I see…"

After hearing this, Yuan Feng relaxed, stroked his beard, and said: "Li Li Shaoxia truly thinks ahead. Most mineral veins across the realm are now under court control; private individuals may not dig for 'coal essence' or 'red saltpeter' at will. I travel the land precisely to inspect this."

"But the court has rules: our Mo Men are only responsible for inventory and production, not allocation. Many eyes are watching—we cannot act recklessly, or someone will blow it out of proportion."

Seeing Li Yan's eyes filled with disappointment, Yuan Feng smiled. "But there is a way around this."

Li Yan asked quickly: "What way?"

Yuan Feng sipped his tea slowly. "The court is about to establish a new academy…"

Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Qiankun Academy?"

Happy National Day! May the nation's fortune flourish!

Three chapters today: the second at noon, the third in the afternoon.

(End of chapter)