Chapter 217: Non-consensual Acts Should Not Be Seen

Duke Weiguo glared at the plump boy. This boy enjoyed drama too much; he was pushing his own grandfather into a fire pit and would soon follow him in. There was no hope for him.

"Heavenly King Yu, Heavenly King Shi, please take a moment to tell Heavenly King Wei a few things about our Sacred Cult."

Qin Mu looked around and said, "Gentlemen, dismantle this place. Leave no trace."

Wei Yong and Duke Weiguo quickly rose. Figures flashed by, and in just a moment, the entire camp was dismantled clean. All wooden planks and beams were neatly stacked without a single piece out of place. Even the iron pots, oil lamp stands, and tripods were packed away.

Several hall masters unfurled large banners and gently covered the piles of wooden planks and pillars. When the banners were lifted, all the wood and pillars had vanished without a trace.

Other hall masters covered the bodies of the monks from Nanduo Courtyard. When the banners were lifted, the corpses also vanished.

Still other hall masters were shoveling the ground, digging up an area of more than ten acres and depositing it into the Tu River, where the strong current washed it away.

All these tasks were completed cleanly in mere moments, leaving no trace that a bustling night market had ever existed here.

"Disperse," Qin Mu said.

Hundreds of hall masters and guardians bowed to him. Some rolled themselves into a banner and disappeared, others departed, concealing their presence, some melted into the night, some left beating flower drums, and still others pushed small single-wheeled carts away. Soon, the area lost its previous vibrancy and plunged into darkness, leaving only Qin Mu, Wei Yong, Duke Weiguo, and the two Heavenly Kings.

Lights still glowed in the distance, marking the night market outside the city gates.

Qin Mu also stood up and departed, leaving the four behind.

Duke Weiguo had just joined the cult, so Heavenly King Yu and Heavenly King Shi needed to inform him of the Heavenly Devil Cult's rules to prevent any misunderstandings.

Qin Mu walked along, stopping frequently to admire the capital's night market and observe the lanterns. Unconsciously, he found himself back in the city. Some talented scholars and beautiful women lingered under the bright lights, unwilling to leave; literati displayed their charm; powerful martial artists demonstrated their divine abilities; and occasionally, soft female laughter drifted through the air.

"The capital truly possesses a magnificent atmosphere and is home to exceptional people."

Qin Mu sighed to himself. Suddenly, goose-feather snowflakes began to fall, drifting down heavily. Sparkling flakes settled on the shoulders of the lingering pedestrians. Many people looked up, and several exclaimed, "What beautiful snow!"

The snow, illuminated by the city lights, grew even more crystalline. Many girls stood beneath the eaves of shops along the street, extending their palms, and cool snowflakes landed in their hands. The number of pedestrians did not dwindle because of the snow; instead, it increased.

"It's snowing, and the New Year is approaching. The Imperial College will likely soon send its scholars home for the holidays. I wonder if Granny and the others have returned to the village?"

Along both sides of the street, many stalls emitted white steam and fragrant aromas. Qin Mu sat down at a noodle stall and ordered, "Boss, two bowls of *saozi* noodles, with extra chili oil."

"Coming right up!"

Moments later, two large bowls of *saozi* noodles arrived, topped with a layer of bright red chili oil. A few pieces of pork, seventy percent lean and thirty percent fat, floated in the oil, along with some segments of green garlic, making it incredibly fresh and aromatic.

Qin Mu took a bite; the delightful spiciness warmed him. He had only eaten one meal that day and felt quite hungry, so he ate with his head down, steam rising from him.

Just then, someone laughed and said, "Brother Qin, I finally found you! You promised to forge an iron-hulled ship for me, and this time, you can't escape! Boss, four bowls of *saozi* noodles, extra spicy, he's paying!" With that, he sat down opposite Qin Mu.

Qin Mu looked at the man and smiled, "Brother Fan Yunxiao, what brings you to the capital?"

The man was none other than Fan Yunxiao, the fire bandit, identifiable by a knife scar across his left eye, which Qin Mu suspected was artificial.

"Don't even mention it, it's been nothing but bad luck."

Fan Yunxiao sighed, "It's a bitter tale. My ship disintegrated in mid-air, almost killing all the passengers. I exerted myself catching them mid-flight, but I couldn't get them to the capital and lost a lot of money. I came looking for you earlier, but you weren't at the Imperial College. I was just strolling around the capital when I coincidentally ran into you. You simply *must* help me forge an iron-hulled ship. Now that there's peace, I need to resume my trade!"

Qin Mu's expression became odd. "Peace in the world," he thought, yet this bandit was clearly reverting to his old ways, no longer reformed, but resuming his life as a robber.

"Have you prepared enough profound iron, profound copper, and money?"

Qin Mu asked, "And what about the warship blueprints? Without structural diagrams, forging an iron-hulled ship won't be easy."

"It's all settled. I bribed the shipyard registrar and obtained a copy of the warship blueprint."

When the *saozi* noodles were served, Fan Yunxiao took a large bite and exclaimed, "So spicy, so fragrant! I've also bought the profound iron and profound copper; they're at the merchant ship construction factory at Hukou, on the Tu River, just outside the city. I'm practically broke now; I just hope to earn more money with the iron-hulled ship."

Qin Mu smiled, "Alright, I'll help you finish this ship before the Imperial College holidays. Come find me tomorrow." With that, he took out a Great Abundance Coin and handed it to the noodle stall owner.

The noodle stall owner wiped his hands with a towel and chuckled apologetically, "Sir, I can't make change. Do you have smaller coins? Six bowls of noodles would only cost thirty *wen*."

"Keep the change," Qin Mu said as he departed.

Fan Yunxiao watched his retreating figure and remarked, "He's truly wealthy."

Qin Mu remained utterly bewildered by the true value of Great Abundance Coins. When he dined out or purchased vegetables, fruits, rice, and noodles, even at the most extravagant restaurants, a table laden with the finest delicacies would only cost a dozen or so Great Abundance Coins. As for common street stalls, a single Great Abundance Coin would elicit immense gratitude from the vendor.

The following day, Fan Yunxiao came to the Imperial College to find Qin Mu. Qin Mu, accompanied by Hu Ling'er, Long Qilin, and the Dudian Demon King, traveled to the Hukou Merchant Ship Construction Factory. The factory bustled with martial artists and divine ability practitioners. Some used true fire to smelt profound iron and true water for cooling, refining cauldrons for the warships. Others, skilled in arithmetic, measured component dimensions. Some constructed molds using vital qi, while strongmen forged, and gigantic strongmen performed press forging. Carpenters shaped wooden tools with sword qi, creating a lively scene.

Fan Yunxiao arrived at a workshop. Qin Mu looked around and saw a variety of equipment: large blast furnaces for smelting, profound iron anvils for forging, scaffolding, ramps, wooden sliding tracks, and many profound iron and profound copper ingots neatly stacked in the corner.

The workshop was remarkably spacious and tall, large enough to accommodate six or seven large warships.

A registrar was already waiting there. Upon seeing Fan Yunxiao, he complained, "What took you so long? This empty space is only available for ten days; the factory will be sealed after that."

Fan Yunxiao chuckled apologetically, "Ten days will be more than enough!" With that, he slipped a money bag into the registrar's hand.

The registrar weighed the money bag in his hand and said, "For these ten days, I'll turn a blind eye. Work as quickly as you can, or it will be difficult for me if the supervisor arrives."

As the registrar left the workshop, Fan Yunxiao eagerly looked at Qin Mu and asked, "Brother Qin, can it be done in ten days?"

Qin Mu reviewed the blueprints, making over a dozen modifications. "It will be difficult for me to do this alone," he said, "I'll need some help. For the next few days, my assistants and I will be forging the iron-hulled ship here, and you are not to enter the workshop. Should you do so, you will bear all consequences."

Fan Yunxiao, not fully grasping the implications, nodded repeatedly and said, "Don't worry, I'm not a very curious person."

Qin Mu nodded, ushered him out of the workshop, and then told Hu Ling'er, "Help me summon a few people and have them enter this location using teleportation banners."

Hu Ling'er acknowledged the command and quickly departed.

Not long after, Hu Ling'er returned. "Young Master," she reported, "the Hall Masters of the Heavenly Crafts Hall and the Artisans Hall said they would arrive as quickly as possible."

As she spoke, two large banners suddenly appeared out of thin air. The banners furled, revealing a hundred members of the Heavenly Devil Cult beneath each. The Hall Master of the Heavenly Crafts Hall and the Hall Master of the Artisans Hall had arrived with their respective groups.

Qin Mu handed the blueprints to the two hall masters. "Can they be forged within ten days?" he asked.

The two hall masters examined the blueprints several times. The Hall Master of the Artisans Hall said, "The Cult Master wants to build an iron-hulled ship? The firepower of this cauldron must be sufficiently powerful!"

Qin Mu smiled. "I possess considerable skill in forging and can refine cauldrons with much greater firepower. However, the factory has only granted us ten days. Given the tight schedule, it must be completed within that timeframe. Are you confident?"

The Hall Master of the Heavenly Crafts Hall and the Hall Master of the Artisans Hall exchanged glances. "How many ships does the Cult Master wish to build?" they asked. "Our two halls, working together, can construct five warships within ten days. Any more than that would be impossible."

Qin Mu was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he said, "There isn't enough profound iron and profound copper here to build five warships..."

"Our Artisans Hall and Heavenly Crafts Hall have sufficient materials."

Qin Mu's eyes lit up. "Then let's forge five!" he exclaimed with a smile.

The two hall masters immediately set about making arrangements.

Five days later, Fan Yunxiao visited several times but consistently refrained from entering the workshop. He could only hear clanging sounds from within, as if hundreds of people were forging simultaneously. He wanted to investigate but remembered Qin Mu's warning and held back.

Outside, heavy snow had been falling for two or three days, accumulating deeply. Within the capital, the Directorate of Heavenly Supervision had led a group of divine ability practitioners to fly into the sky and burn away the snow clouds, dispersing the heavy snow. However, outside the capital, the snowfall remained intense.

Fan Yunxiao's curiosity intensified, making him increasingly restless. After another two days, he finally couldn't resist. "It should be fine to take a quick peek, right?" he thought.

He quietly pushed open the workshop door and peered inside. Suddenly, an eight-armed, four-faced demon god appeared before him, grabbing his neck and roaring, "How dare you spy, brat!"

Fan Yunxiao quickly cried out, "Brother Qin, it's me, it's me!"

Inside the workshop, over two hundred Heavenly Devil Cult members turned their heads towards the sound, their gazes uniformly falling on him. Then, they all simultaneously turned to Qin Mu: "Cult Master, this person..."

Fan Yunxiao was startled to see so many people, and his face changed dramatically upon recognizing their attire. "Heavenly Devil Cult..." he stammered, "I didn't see anything! I'm blind, where is this, why am I here...?"

Qin Mu, who was refining a cauldron, heard the commotion and instructed the two hall masters, "Continue refining; I'll handle this."

Held in the grip of the eight-armed, four-faced demon god, and with a dragon qilin nearby, Fan Yunxiao dared not resist. He chuckled nervously, "Brother Qin, I accidentally wandered in here. I didn't see anything at all..."

"Brother Fan," Qin Mu said, "I told you not to come in and look. You've put me in a very difficult position."

Qin Mu held up two fingers and said with a smile, "Two paths. You're an old hand in the Jianghu; you should know what they are."

"I'm joining!"

Fan Yunxiao made an immediate decision. "From this day forward," he declared, "I am a member of the Sacred Cult!"

Qin Mu laughed heartily, then had the Dudian Demon King release him. "From now on, we are brothers!" he said.

At the Crown Prince's separate residence, a middle-aged man resembling a scholar rushed over and reported to Crown Prince Yankang, "Your Highness, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince is indeed dead, and not a single monk can be found in Nanduo Palace; it is presumed they all met a tragic end. Yesterday, news arrived from Fengyu Prefecture that Nanduo Temple was also annihilated. The Emperor is enraged and has ordered an investigation, but no clues have been found. They only say it was the Loulan Golden Palace from beyond the Great Wall that acted. The Emperor is also preparing to dispatch troops to the frontier after the New Year..."

The light in Crown Prince Yankang's eyes flickered. He stood up and said, "No clues found? I fear Father Emperor may not be very keen on investigating this. It's clearly the work of the Heavenly Devil Cult! Only the Heavenly Devil Cult, the paramount power of the demonic path, could achieve such a feat so stealthily! They lost two Heavenly Kings, so it's natural they would seek revenge on me! Go to the Great Thunderclap Temple and request an audience with the Old Buddha. I want to know who the new Cult Master of the Heavenly Devil Cult is!"

He clasped his hands behind his back and said coldly, "Nanduo Temple is also a Buddhist sect; the Old Buddha will not stand idly by. The Grand Tutor is dead, but this connection with the Great Thunderclap Temple cannot be severed. The Old Buddha is quite dissatisfied with Father Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor, so he will certainly be willing to support me. I will make an example of someone to warn the others, to make it clear to these Jianghu sects that I am not incompetent. Those who dare to harm my people will face annihilation!"