Chapter 713 — City of Doom
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
The Yong River Academy stood on the riverbank. The reason Su Yunzhi had built the academy here was to draw talent from both banks; moreover, the Yong River Dragon Emperor's Dragon-Keeper Lord, the Flood Dragon King Deity, and the White Crack Deity all dwelt here, and ordinarily, inviting these three deities to give lessons required only a few offerings. The White Crack Deity in particular was the cheapest of all, costing hardly any money.
Shen Mu walked toward the Yong River Academy, and along the way he saw many novel large-scale prime soldiers parked on either side of the road.
Some scholars were teaching power-wielders how to operate them. The scholars of the Yong River Academy clearly did not yet know that calamity was at hand; the place remained peaceful and at ease. Shen Mu had Long Qilin halt, and stood watching. Some of the prime soldiers were windmills, with seven blades and a small pill furnace; by placing medicinal stones into the furnace and burning them, one could set the blades turning. As the blades turned, wind blades sliced along the ground one after another, and in no time a patch of some mu of land would be turned over.
Once the ground was broken, one could push the windmill forward and turn up the next plot. "A tool for plowing! " Shen Mu was astonished.
Under Jingping's reforms, most work was done by paying wages to power-wielders: those who cultivated wind-element arts plowed the fields with spells, likewise using wind blades to break the ground.
But now someone, he knew not who, had built these windmill prime soldiers, using medicinal stones to supply energy and letting the windmill prime soldier itself perform the art. Truly an ingenious design. He asked a scholar beside the windmill, and the scholar said, "Besides windmills, there are cloud carts, rain carts, mining carts, and smelting furnaces.
They were all designed by the Celestial Works Bureau of the Celestial Works Hall, and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping has ordered them promoted throughout the realm. " "Could it be that Grandpa Mojiang designed these everyday prime soldiers?
But if they are promoted throughout the realm, I fear the medicinal stones will not keep up.
Growing spirit herbs takes time for the herbs to mature.
" Shen Mu asked, "Is Grand Libationer Su Yunzhi at the academy? " "The Grand Libationer is just ahead, inspecting the herb fields with the Jade-Faced Poison King of the Imperial Physician Bureau.
" Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly. "Grandpa Alchemist is here too?
Does he not have the Empress Dowager and a whole bevy of beauties already? Could it be that High Minister Su is also involved with him? Bah, bah - how can I slander Grandpa Alchemist behind his back.
. .
"