Chapter 754

Now there are two large smelting workshops in the mountains, one belonging to the imperial court, the other to Wang Cong.

At first, Wang Cong enthusiastically took Wang Xiaojing to help the Ministry of Works artisans build furnaces, thinking these Ministry craftsmen, focused on silver refining, must possess advanced silver-refining methods and advanced furnace blueprints.

But when he helped out, he discovered they were still using the traditional ash-pit method.

He knew that method too!

He even knew the calamine method—didn't Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu" record it in detail?

It was already very detailed, though ordinary people might not replicate it, since it relied on experience.

But was he an ordinary person?

He was a Daoist Priest!

Not only him, but Xue Hua and Zhang Weiliang from the Imperial Academy also quickly mastered it after a few failures.

As a Daoist Priest, other abilities might be average, but furnace-building skills were certainly within his reach.

Pan Yun went to observe; she picked up a piece of slag, broke it open, smelled the heavy odor in the air, and furrowed her brow: "This won't do. Not only does it leave behind so much silver residue, the pollution level is unacceptable—how can one bear to destroy such green mountains?"

Wang Cong nodded vigorously: "I feel the same, so we must improve this furnace—you must bring Miao Zhen and Miao He over. They know furnaces best, especially Miao Zhen. Previously, when Miao He refined cinnabar, she added a curved channel and cooled it with water, which not only made the cinnabar purer but greatly reduced toxic gas. Before, every time Miao He refined cinnabar, she had to spend ten days strengthening her body and expelling poison. Later, she only needed to wear a mask to completely block toxic gas from entering her body."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and stood up: "Fine, I'll return tonight to fetch them."

She also brought Pan Xiaohei along, instructing it to search the Spirit Realm for all knowledge related to silver refining and smelting.

Then she transcribed it, her fingers going numb before she'd copied only twenty-some pages.

Thinking it over, Pan Yun pulled Xue Shao, who had nothing else to do, into the effort; at night, she controlled the Three Treasures Cauldron, split her attention to observe the Spirit Realm, and recited the recorded information aloud.

Xue Shao stayed up late, writing it all down by lamplight.

When the two flew back to Quanzhou, Xue Shao's eyes were dark with exhaustion; when Pan Yun pulled him out of the Three Treasures Cauldron and landed, he swayed violently.

They had departed from Japan at night and returned to Quanzhou the next evening, resting three times en route.

Xue Shao had memorized over eighty pages, combined with Pan Yun's twenty-some to form a complete book.

Pan Yun eagerly dragged him back to Quanzhou City to find Miao Zhen and the others.

Miao Zhen was diligently cultivating; Tao Yanbai and Miao He, under Miao Zhen's watch, were also working hard, and the three occasionally carried banners through streets and alleys, offering fortune-telling and healing…

And they each went their own way, never gathering together.

Their diligence and hard work made Sister Hong Yan and Xiao Hong suffer.

Sister Hong Yan's fifth tail had grown—though small, she had broken through; now, when she transformed, she could fully retract her tail and alter her ears, no longer risking exposure.

After this stage-by-stage victory, she no longer wanted to strive, and lately had been living in lazy sloth.

Xiao Hong, sharing meals and lodging with her, had been influenced and now also slacked off, no longer cultivating much at night.

Every day, the fox and the ghost carried a chubby baby around, deliberately seducing people.

Truly seducing.

Not only did the personnel of the Maritime Trade Office become utterly bewitched by them, but many young masters outside the mansion were also head over heels.

Had they not feared Pan Yun, they would have acted long ago.

Eunuch Cao Jixiang was beside himself with headaches; he had repeatedly advised them, openly and covertly, until finally he found an old palace maid who had left the court long ago to teach them, hoping they'd stay indoors.

Yet they learned happily, then immediately applied the old maid's lessons to the men.

Somehow, though their behavior had become far more dignified, they attracted even more attention.

Cao Jixiang's head felt ready to explode, terrified that if he blinked, the two would be carried off by some outside man, and Pan Yun would come demanding answers.

So when Pan Yun returned to Quanzhou Prefecture, Cao Jixiang was secretly arranging matchmaking for them. Oh no—actually, it was a marriage recruitment.

Two rows lined the courtyard, each row at least ten men—all officials and Embroidered Uniform Guards from the Maritime Trade Office. The Embroidered Uniform Guards had broad shoulders and narrow waists, each with at least eight abdominal muscles, upright features, martial skill, and even literary talent; the officials ranged from refined and scholarly to steady and capable, all broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, with imposing appearances.

Cao Jixiang, face solemn, took notes with his brush, occasionally turning to ask Sister Hong Yan and Xiao Hong: "What do you think?"

One held a fan to half her face, the other shyly lowered her head, twisting her handkerchief, whispering: "We leave it to my lord's judgment…"

The three of Miao Zhen sat nearby, holding mallets, watching with great interest.

Pan Yun and Xue Shao: …

Pan Yun cleared her throat loudly.

Everyone turned to look; seeing Pan Yun, the candidates for marriage scattered in a rush.

Pan Yun felt a lump in her chest and turned to Xue Shao: "Am I that terrifying?"

Xue Shao suppressed a laugh and shook his head: "They probably know you'd never approve of any match, no matter who it is."

Pan Yun snorted.

Cao Jixiang dropped his brush and sighed in relief: "You're finally back!"

Miao Zhen and the others rushed to Pan Yun's side, circling her happily.

Pan Yun said: "I've returned to take you all to Japan."

Sister Hong Yan fanned herself and asked: "And what about us?"

Pan Yun: "I originally planned to send you and Xiao Hong to Ji'an, or perhaps you could stay here…"

"No way—" Cao Jixiang's voice cracked; he pointed at the three: "Letting them stay is fine—no matter how long, I can protect them for you, but these two are out of the question."

Cao Jixiang didn't know Sister Hong Yan and Xiao Hong weren't human; he'd sent people to investigate them—no registered origins, no place of origin, as if they'd appeared out of thin air.

Pan Yun hadn't even prepared travel permits for them; he had no idea how they entered and exited so many cities.

Had he not been in partnership with Pan Yun, he would have demanded a full accounting.

To Cao Jixiang, these two were bombs.

He stared intently at Pan Yun, his gaze forcing her to change her mind.

Sister Hong Yan was displeased; her fan whipped rapidly as she said: "You don't want us to stay? We don't want to stay either! Do you know how many disasters we've blocked for you these past twenty days?"

Xiao Hong: "Exactly! Ungrateful!"

Pan Yun mused: "Fine, fine, fine—take you along."

Cao Jixiang exhaled a breath and said privately, "I know they drove off many assassins who came at night, but I need these assassins!"

"Do you understand the helplessness I felt—after going to great lengths to lay bait and setting up a net across the Maritime Trade Office, waiting for them to walk into it—only to open my eyes and find the assassins fleeing from a hundred meters away, scared off and beaten off?"

Pan Yun opened her mouth, cleared her throat softly, and said guiltily, "Why didn't my lord inform them?"

"How else should I inform them? If I hint, they don't understand; if I spell it out, they lie on the rooftops waiting for assassins to come knocking—but do you think our opponents are fools? Once or twice might fail, but would they still show up brazenly a third time?" Cao Jixiang said. "Often, they sense something amiss before they even arrive and flee."

Pan Yun silently apologized to Cao Jixiang in her heart, then shoved them all into the Three Treasures Cauldron and took them away.

After sleeping through the night, Cao Jixiang's mood improved, and he decided to have a friendly chat with Pan Yun, taking the opportunity to ask about the mining situation of the Japanese silver mines—only to find the house empty when he went to knock on her door.

Pan Yun left only a letter.

Cao Jixiang gritted his teeth: "I hate people who leave without saying goodbye!"

I was going to tell her that the Great Ming's envoy to Japan had already set out and would arrive no later than in ten days. (End of chapter)