Chapter 752: Begin Mining

Wang Cong sniffed, held back his tears, and asked: "Does she need money? Little Master, weren't you supposed to retrieve the ocean's treasure?"

Pan Yun: "You know my luck—how could I keep that money? Taken from the people, used for the people. Just happened to coincide with wind disasters along the southeast coast, floods in Jiangnan, and human calamities—all the treasure, except for some hard-to-liquidate physical goods, was spent."

The hard-to-liquidate items were handed over to Senior Brother for disposal; you know me—my pockets are usually cleaner than my face."

Wang Cong looked toward the three ships by the sea: "Those…"

"Oh, newly earned. The ships are mine—do you think I brought all these people for free? Add a bit of cooperation here, a bit there, and the money piles up."

Wang Cong: "... Little Master, once you promise someone, you must keep it."

"I've kept it," Pan Yun spread her hands. "I brought them here and gave them the chance to cooperate. Now, how much meat they can chew off from the port or the silver mountain depends entirely on their own abilities."

Wang Cong now confirmed: his little master truly didn't care about this port or the silver mountain.

This person really…

"Little Master, why did you originally demand the port and ships from the Ouchi clan? You could've just demanded silver outright—it would've saved us the trouble of earning it."

She didn't want the silver mountain, had no interest in the port—ended up making it all someone else's wedding gift.

"You don't understand—how can silver compare to these fixed assets? These are hens that lay golden eggs," Pan Yun grinned. "We're all family. I don't use them myself, but I'm happy to hand them over to you—and as long as they're unhappy, I'm pleased."

Wang Cong laughed and shook his head: "I've returned to Dasen Village three times recently—they still haven't finished exploring the silver mountain; you can imagine how vast it is. But they've selected several suitable mining sites and marked them off, though they lack manpower and can't use locals, so they're still in preparation."

Pan Yun: "Song Dalin and the others were miners originally—they know the work. Among those who came with the ship are officials from the Ministry of Works and skilled metallurgists."

"Are we going to cooperate with them to mine?"

Pan Yun smiled and asked: "Do you want to mine?"

"Of course!" Wang Cong answered without hesitation, his gaze firm: "Silver refined is money straightaway."

Pan Yun nodded: "Let Xiaojing pick a few sharp people to follow those craftsmen. I'll find you a few books on metallurgy later. Since you're serious, get ready—the silver mountain, pick your spot first. The rest, let them fight over it themselves."

Wang Cong: "Little Master, didn't you already offer the silver mountain to the imperial court?"

"I did," Pan Yun winked at him. "But I never said which mountain range. Besides, even if I gave it all away, can the little emperor control such a vast silver mountain?"

"Cong'er, anything you want, I can help you keep," Pan Yun nodded to the bewildered Wang Cong.

Wang Cong stood stunned. Only after Pan Yun walked far away did he snap back, grabbing Xue Shao's arm: "What's going on? How come my little master's changed so much in such a short time?"

Xue Shao: "Because of Wang Xiaojing."

"What?"

Xue Shao turned to him: "Didn't you just say you were shocked? The rebel Assistant Regional Commander turned out to be your childhood cousin—you felt sorry for him."

Wang Cong numbly released Xue Shao's arm.

Xue Shao said: "Deng Maoqi's Fujian rebel force has grown to over eighty thousand, and over half a million civilians have been drawn in. If we can't save everyone, then just do what we can."

Xue Shao smiled: "So, do whatever you want—don't worry about what she promised others."

Motoda Shintaro quickly received word that Pan Yun had returned, but he was in this corner of Ogi City; by the time he reached Weigang Port, Pan Yun had already sailed with the fleet to Onsenzumi. He hurried to Onsenzumi.

Onsenzumi was bustling—merchants, hearing the news, arrived with carts to stock up at the port.

Wang Cong was generous—he had no intention of monopolizing everything himself. He displayed many fine goods for the arriving merchants to choose from.

The Motoda clan's people beamed with joy; his father grabbed his hand and exclaimed excitedly: "Though you're not my eldest son, the clan headship will pass to you—you've brought us Ebisu (the god of wealth)."

Motoda Shintaro suppressed his joy, bowed low, and said respectfully: "This is merely what a son should do, Father. Do you know where Master Pan is? The clan lord wishes to see him."

The Motoda patriarch immediately pointed toward Dasen Village: "She went to Dasen Village."

Pan Yun returned to Dasen Village with her six hundred people, plus others from various factions—a thousand strong, a massive procession.

As soon as they entered Dasen Village, the locals and monks were startled, thinking a large army had come to attack.

Only after confirming these were the people brought by the Central Plains Daoist living halfway up the mountain did they return home, uneasy and uncertain.

Yet they remained deeply worried.

Even the monks of Shizui Temple, who had always ignored them, now gathered together: "Why so many Han people?"

Soon, they found out.

Pan Yun spread the word: she would build a Sanqing Temple on the mountain, and these people were craftsmen she had brought from Great Ming to construct the temple.

Pan Yun put on her finest Daoist robe, smoothed her brand-new flywhisk, let Pan Xiaohei perch on her shoulder, then activated her cultivation method to stimulate the merit on her spiritual realm, making it flow, loosened the array's restraint on the spiritual realm, and stepped outside.

Not just Song Dalin and the others—even Xue Shao, seeing her, felt her aura of divinity and nearly knelt.

Oh, Song Dalin and the others had already fallen to their knees with a thud.

Pan Yun immediately reined it in, suppressing the flowing merit—but even just loosening the spiritual realm's restraint caused the merit stone's power to manifest, making her glow all over with golden light.

Song Dalin and the others watched her leave, awestruck, whispering among themselves: "So… could Master Pan really be a divine reincarnation?"

"Definitely! Wang Xiaojing didn't lie—there really are immortals in this world!"

Villagers at the mountain's foot, seeing Pan Yun, rushed over in a wave, kneeling to listen to her recite scriptures.

Speaking Japanese was no difficulty for Pan Yun now—she even spoke the local dialect.

After her sermon, villagers who had previously worshipped Shizui Temple instantly decided to worship the Three Pure Ones.

Pan Yun smiled slightly, saying she would have the Three Pure Ones' divine tablets set up first for worship, while the rest of the temple would be built gradually.

Pan Yun preached for half a day; in the afternoon, she took the thousand-plus people into the mountains, dug one shovel into the ground, and revealed the silver mine. Then she pointed to the endless mountain range: "All of this is silver ore. Take what you want. I have only two conditions: one, after the imperial court sends troops to manage it, you must not compete with the state for profit; two, you are all subjects of Great Ming—do not fight among yourselves over the silver mine. If I find out you do, you will be expelled from Dasen Village."

Wang Cong walked straight over to Minister Kuang Ping of the Ministry of Works, bowed, and said: "Minister Kuang, my little master told me the court comes first—my people will assist you in mining first, and the first two ships of silver must be sent back to the court."

Kuang Ping was overjoyed, quickly returning the bow: "Master Pan and Master Wang demonstrate great righteousness—I will surely report to the court to petition for your rewards."