Chapter 18: Ignorant of Current Affairs

The noble young master Zhang Qitong chatted aimlessly with Zhang Gui, this fallen sparrow.

Zhang Gui was truly confused and could only follow the boss's lead, chiming in:

"Yes, yes.

My Lord is right.

Besides, although I am from a concubine's line, I also bear the surname Zhang; no matter how close I am to my uncle from the 'Shi Corpse Tribe,' I am only an outsider relative."

Zhang Qitong didn't speak again upon hearing this, just nodded lightly.

An old man wearing a scholar's robe flashed out from behind him and said with great fervor:

"Fellow Stewards.

Lord Qitong's coming to Giant Serpent Head Island to take charge this time is not just to promote Blackwood Town to a branch of the firm.

It is also to branch out and establish a new hall and title for the clan."

For a great clan to establish a hall and title is equivalent to a country splitting its territory.

Although they would still be under the control of the sect leader to a greater or lesser extent in the future, they would be a separate branch, and their autonomy would be completely different.

Zhang Gui instantly understood why Zhang Qitong, the apple of the Pingyang Zhang Clan Head's eye, would run to a ghost place like the Outer Wild Ocean.

Afterward, he heard the old man continue to speak passionately:

"Such a major event has not been encountered in a hundred years!

Even with Lord Qitong's heaven-sent genius, he needs tremendous help to succeed.

Therefore, the Clan Head has also bestowed an extremely precious and scarce ancient marvel, the 'Heavenly Craft Opens Things,' and brought it to the Outer Wild Ocean."

A marvel, according to Zhang Gui's understanding, was a type of extremely cutting-edge tool.

It was manufactured by the continent's top craftsmen, or even gods, and possessed all sorts of incredible abilities.

For example, the Heavenly Craft Opens Things.

Legend has it that it was made 384 years ago by the era-defining mechanism master Song Yingxing of the Dongsheng Continent.

The total number corresponds to the Heavenly Spirits, thirty-six in all.

Legend says its appearance is a brass metal box, one foot square.

Open the box and place it on the ground.

Put ore or metal into the box.

Close the box, and the box will take root on the spot.

Unless there is an imperial decree or the power of the dragon vein washes over it to restart it, it can never be moved again.

At this point, continue to put ore into the box.

Close the lid, and the box will automatically smelt the ore into metal.

The metal is cast into parts, perfecting itself until it becomes a huge automated workshop.

It can manufacture weapons and various utensils;

Shell rice, wheat, hemp, beans, and other crops;

Deep-process economic crops like mulberry, cotton, and kudzu;

Manufacture dyes from flowers with high pigment concentration;

Fire clay into ceramics;

Use seawater to make salt;

Brew wine from cassava... in short, with this one thing in hand, there is nothing else to ask for.

This type of economic marvel is worth a fortune.

With the Pingyang Zhang Clan's foundation, it would be very difficult to obtain; getting it was a stroke of extreme luck.

Now, to actually use it to develop Giant Serpent Head Island—this move not only instantly stabilized people's hearts.

It also created a grand atmosphere of a changing era, with newcomers creating a new pattern and building a new career.

The old man in the scholar's robe saw the group of losers dumbstruck all around, curled his lips in disdain, and continued to boast:

"Now everything is ready, only the east wind is lacking.

You stewards are all old-timers of Blackwood Town; why not come before the Lord tomorrow to listen to orders and help him familiarize himself with the situation in the Chaotic Teeth so he can establish a foothold early."

The words were high-sounding, but in reality, it was just asking the stewards of Blackwood Town to betray their old leader and follow the new boss.

The request was a bit excessive, but in fact, since Zhang Yan had already assumed the position of 'External Affairs Elder' of the Pingyang Zhang Clan, he was just lingering in the Chaotic Teeth and refusing to leave.

It was normal for the middle-level lackeys under him to scatter like monkeys when the tree falls, each looking out for themselves.

Anyway, after Blackwood Town established a new hall and title, all personnel matters would operate independently, and even if Zhang Yan became the External Affairs Elder, he wouldn't be able to manage much.

It was a matter of time and circumstances.

Accepting the new boss's summons now was undoubtedly the most correct choice.

But while it was hard to say for other stewards, Zhang Gui knew deeply that when things are abnormal, there must be demons.

With his old boss Zhang Yan's methods, he must have known Zhang Qitong's purpose in coming to the Chaotic Teeth long ago, and deliberately making things difficult was clearly contrary to reason.

There must be reasons that others couldn't fathom, so it was better to be careful.

So he bowed deeply and said:

"My Lord, I am just a small steward and cannot withstand the wind and rain.

What seems like a small splash to you could drown me, so I only dare to act according to the rules."

According to the rules, naturally, it meant Zhang Qitong had completed the handover with Zhang Yan and moved into the Blackwood Town Office.

Only after managing affairs in the main hall could he issue orders to the stewards of Blackwood Town.

There was silence all around for a long time.

Zhang Gui didn't dare to raise his head and could only hold his ground.

He didn't know how long it had been when a voice containing anger came: "If that's the case, you may go down."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui continued to bow deeply and retreated step by step out of the tent.

Outside, the moon was dark and the wind was high, and the air was cool.

Zhang Gui let out a long sigh of relief and hurried toward the outside of the camp.

Inadvertently, he saw on a side path nearby, a few armored soldiers leading crimson horses flash by.

These soldiers looked like they had been through many battles, and their style was that of heavy cavalry.

Although their numbers were few, the dark patterns printed on their armor were shocking—they were the 'River Pattern' of the imperial regular army.

"What does this mean? Someone in the Ministry of War, or is there a big shot supporting him from behind?

None of them are ordinary people!"

A thought flashed through Zhang Gui's heart, and his eyes, which had returned to looking straight ahead, drooped again.

He quickened his pace, left the camp, and disappeared into the dark night.

A gale suddenly rose, and dark clouds covered the entire sky; the great monsoon of the sea had arrived.

After a short while, Zhang Gui returned to the market office against the wind and rain.

The large courtyard was already empty.

He lit the stove in the main hall, took off his boots that were dripping with water, and stuck his feet directly into the fire.

Having basked in the scorching sun for so many days, influenced by one of the main Divine Cong, 'Swallow Crow,' the pale gold blood pumped out by another main Divine Cong, 'Water-Fire Harmony,' had already spread throughout his body.

Although a new 'Secondary Divine Cong' had not formed, his physical body could now come into direct contact with flames without harm.

Faintly, one could see the firelight in the stove turning into wisps of flowing fire, surging into his pores.

After Zhang Gui roasted his body dry, he got up and took half a plate of 'Dried Nut Candy' to eat.

He then stirred thirty raw eggs in a large basin, added three catties of sesame oil and three catties of white sugar, and used boiling water to make egg tea, drinking it all in one go.

He filled the large stove with charcoal again and was just about to sleep when Zhang Gui suddenly felt a jolt of fear.

Blackwood Town was in his Divine Promised Land, so it was normal for his heart to surge occasionally.

He walked to the door and looked; the rain was as heavy as a downpour, and even if the situation was special, he really didn't want to go out, so he planned to go back and continue roasting by the fire to sleep.

Suddenly, he felt another jolt of fear.

This could not be tolerated.

Zhang Gui changed into rainproof oil-silk clothes, opened the door, and walked into the rain.

The rain was like pillars, the land seemed to have turned into an ocean, and he actually felt like he was choking on water when he breathed.

This gave Zhang Gui a new inspiration.

Since Swallow Crow could let him eat fire with his skin, why couldn't Drink River let him drink water with his skin?

Thinking it, he did it.

Zhang Gui returned to the room, made the stove fire bigger, stripped naked, and jumped straight in.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 19 =====

(End of this chapter)