Chapter 334 — The Divine Pupil Reappears in the World
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
The Jingping Imperial Preceptor said with a half-smile, "The Holy Sect Master is hardly modest."
Shen Mu was somewhat perplexed. He had been modest — indeed, he had been entirely matter-of-fact, claiming only second place and never daring to claim first, never boasting in the least. How could that not count as modesty?
And Shan Youxin was far inferior to Shen Mu; Shen Mu reckoned himself no match for the Silent Artisan, so to call himself second was at once modesty and plain truth. Old Master Huo had taught him to be neither arrogant nor rash, neither servile nor overbearing, and he conducted himself by that standard.
Only, to others, a boy so young being the second greatest artisan under heaven was truly startling; and that this same boy also reckoned himself the second-ranked divine physician — that was frightening indeed.
Shen Mu pondered a moment, then drew up a list of the materials he needed and handed it to the Jingping Imperial Preceptor, saying, "To forge a cannon platform like this, I will need roughly these materials. If they prove insufficient, I will ask the Imperial Preceptor for more."
The Jingping Imperial Preceptor took the list, read it for a while, and said slowly, "Does the Holy Sect Master mean to empty the national treasury?"
Shen Mu said in surprise, "Why does the Imperial Preceptor say such a thing?"
"The mystic gold and mystic copper on your list are one thing — use a little more, and a few mines can supply that much gold and copper. But this divine gold and these divine materials — where am I to get them?"
The Jingping Imperial Preceptor flicked the list and showed a sincere look in his eyes. "Does the Sect Master intend to embezzle treasures from the national treasury? If so, there is a place for the Sect Master at Caishikou."
"Imperial Preceptor, what you are to build is a thing for slaying gods, not some sect-guarding treasure for killing a few sect masters! And — had you not spoken, I would almost have forgotten — the followers of my Heavenly Sacred Sect will help forge the treasure, and their wages must be paid."
Shen Mu thought for a moment, then added the wages, along with several supervisory workshops he required, and the names of several first-rank officials at court, all written out on the list.
"To forge this divine cannon, I also need the finest arithmetic adepts under heaven — the strongest divine-power wielders in the arts of calculation. Best of all would be to call upon the masters of the Daoist Sect!"
Shen Mu wrote the two words "Daoist Sect" on the list and said, "Every component of this divine cannon must be refined to the utmost; the volume of calculation is enormous. With only the scholars of the Grand Academy, it would take several hundred years to finish the reckoning — and there would still be errors. The masters of the Daoist Sect are mighty in the arts of calculation; they must be called upon."
The Jingping Imperial Preceptor's expression shifted slightly; he felt the list heavy in his hand, truly weighing him down.
Even with the strength of an entire nation, perhaps only one divine cannon could be built!
The hardest of all to summon were the masters of the Daoist Sect. The old Daoist Sovereign had once assassinated Emperor Yanfeng and nearly succeeded; he had also abducted the former crown prince, Ling Yuxia, and raised a rebellion, nearly taking the throne. After the rebellion was put down, Emperor Yanfeng and the crown prince Ling Yushu had ruthlessly suppressed the Daoist Sect, and the two sides were deeply estranged, as incompatible as fire and water.
To summon the masters of the Daoist Sect out of seclusion to help — that would be very difficult.
Yet this divine cannon had to be built; otherwise, when the next heavenly calamity came, there would be no way to withstand it at all!
He had not yet recovered to his peak state — who knew when the next calamity would fall?
"The national treasury is empty; there is not so much money."