“Your Highness, the Heavenly Devil Cult is, after all, one of the three holy lands. Although it has been without a cult master for over forty years, it still should not be underestimated.”
The middle-aged man said, “It has been without a cult master for forty years, yet it hasn't been destroyed and still possesses such formidable power. This demonstrates its immense cohesion. If it were the Great Thunderclap Temple or the Dao Sect, would they dare to go forty years without a Buddha or a Dao Master? Underestimating the Heavenly Devil Cult would likely lead to severe consequences.”
Crown Prince Yankang waved his hand and said, “Don't worry, I won't underestimate the Heavenly Devil Cult. The Heavenly Devil Cult managed to eliminate Grand Tutor Sun Nantuo without a sound, even eradicating the monks from Nantuo's separate palace. Nantuo Temple was uprooted, and no news reached the outside world. This shows the immense power of the Heavenly Devil Cult. How could I possibly underestimate such a sect?”
The middle-aged man looked puzzled. Crown Prince Yankang continued, “This time, I don't need to act myself to bring about the Heavenly Devil Cult's demise. The Dao Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple, these two holy lands, have a longer-standing feud with the Heavenly Devil Cult than with Yankang itself. Both holy lands are desperate to eradicate this demonic leader, but they haven't had the opportunity. What if...”
He said slowly, “What if the Emperor of Yankang stopped opposing these sects? What if the Emperor of Yankang no longer supported the Imperial Preceptor's reforms? What if the Emperor of Yankang dismissed the Imperial Preceptor? What if the Emperor of Yankang could make the conflicts between the sects and the state vanish like smoke? Do you think the Dao Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple would be willing to join forces with such an emperor? Would the Dao Sect and the Great Thunderclap Temple be willing to support this emperor?”
The middle-aged man's body trembled slightly, and he looked at Crown Prince Yankang.
Crown Prince Yankang's gaze was profound as he calmly stated, “While my father possesses great ambition and strategy, his trust in the Imperial Preceptor is excessive. This trust has allowed the Imperial Preceptor's influence to dominate most of the imperial court. This threatens to uproot our Ling family's foundation. My father has allowed the Imperial Preceptor to grow too powerful. Should the Imperial Preceptor rebel, my father would be powerless to stop him. If we continue to let the Yankang Imperial Preceptor's power expand, the heavens will change, and the dynasty will be overthrown!”
His gaze sharpened, and he said in a deep voice, “The elders of my Ling family and the virtuous individuals of our family have all recognized this growing danger. This is also why my Eighth Uncle supported me. Eighth Uncle once advised my father, but my father stubbornly went his own way, trusting only the Imperial Preceptor. In despair, Eighth Uncle then placed his hopes on me to bring about change.”
He spoke with passionate fervor, a mix of sorrow and indignation filling his voice: “Eighth Uncle, a senior figure in the Ling family who helped Emperor Gaozong establish this dynasty—my Eighth Imperial Uncle of Yankang—bore the infamy of treason without hesitation, contacting various martial arts sects and connecting with officials and generals across the land. All of this was to pave the way for me, to overthrow the Imperial Preceptor. But alas, he failed at the last moment! After his death, his body wasn't even whole; the traitorous Imperial Preceptor actually severed his head. And there are still rumors in the court and among the populace that he was disloyal!”
Tears welled in Crown Prince Yankang's eyes. He slammed the table fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, and declared, “I cannot stand by and watch the Ling family's empire be destroyed by my father's hand, even if it means being an unfilial son! Loyalty and filial piety cannot always coexist. I may be unfilial, but I am loyal to the Ling family! Some things must be done; there is no alternative!”
He paced back and forth agitatedly. “It's laughable how my younger siblings remain lost in pleasure, completely unaware that our Ling family is on the brink of disaster! My father has already been hollowed out by the Imperial Preceptor. If the Ling family is driven from the throne, they too will be annihilated! I cannot let this happen! I cannot allow this demonic Imperial Preceptor to usurp our throne! I must become emperor and turn the tide!”
At the Hukou Manufacturing Plant, the Heavenly Works Hall and the Artisans' Hall finally forged five flying ships after ten days. Everyone then installed the fifteen alchemy furnaces created by Qin Mu, placing the furnaces onto the ships and connecting them to the bronze beasts.
Qin Mu made slight modifications to the flying ship blueprints, altering some of the layout. Each ship required three alchemy furnaces. There were three bronze beasts on each ship: two at the stern and one at the bottom. The heads of the bronze beasts could rotate in all directions.
Converting the original wooden flying ships to dark iron and dark bronze greatly increased their weight. With the substantial increase in weight, a single alchemy furnace would certainly not be enough to make them fly. Therefore, two more furnaces were added. Additionally, a bronze beast capable of spewing flames downward was placed at the ship's bottom, allowing for smoother takeoffs and landings.
Of these five iron-clad flying ships, three were large and two were small. Though compact, they were fully equipped. The cabins and guest rooms in the two smaller flying ships were also fully furnished.
Qin Mu had the five ships painted with a wood grain finish, making them appear like wooden flying ships, so as not to cause a sensation.
Fan Yunxiao was inexplicably excited, pacing around the five flying ships. He eagerly asked, “Cult Master, which ship is mine?”
Qin Mu pointed to one of the smaller ships. Fan Yunxiao's face immediately fell. “Can I have a larger ship?” he asked.
“The large ships are for transporting troops and waging war; they aren't as fast as the smaller ones,” Qin Mu replied.
Qin Mu said, “If you continue to be a sky bandit, you should still choose a small ship. If you choose a large ship, it could work for carrying passengers, but large ships consume a lot of medicinal stones, and in times of peace, the fare might not even cover the cost of the stones.”
Fan Yunxiao hesitated for a moment. “Then I'll stick with the small ship. What's the remaining small ship for?”
Though called a small ship, it was not truly tiny. It was over ten zhang long (approx. 33 meters), three to four zhang wide (approx. 10-13 meters), and five zhang high (approx. 16 meters). It could carry twenty to thirty people.
Qin Mu had the Heavenly Devil Cult disciples change their clothes and depart with the three large ships. He then sent the remaining small ship to the Imperial College. He said, “The New Year is approaching, and this small ship will be for my personal transportation. Hall Master Fan, you've joined the Cult's Bandit Hall, which is also one of the Cult's departments. I won't say much more, as it's a livelihood for the Cult's disciples. However, robbing for wealth is acceptable, but taking lives or committing sexual assault is not.”
Fan Yunxiao chuckled. “I come from the Dao Sect, though it was the old Dao Master who expelled me. But our sky bandits, as you know, do not take lives or commit sexual assault. Rest assured, as the saying goes, 'among three hundred sixty trades, every trade has its master.' I will certainly excel and live up to the Cult Master's high expectations and tutelage!”
Qin Mu was dumbfounded. After a long moment, he waved his hand. Fan Yunxiao excitedly boarded the remaining small ship. The other dozen or so sky bandits vigorously pushed the iron ship off the wooden tracks and out of the factory building.
Outside, the snow had stopped, and the weather was freezing. There was no one left in the manufacturing plant.
Fan Yunxiao shouted, “Ignite the furnaces! Set sail! This ship will be our new Cloud Chaser pirate ship! We won't be good anymore; we'll fly the flag of sky bandits! Out there is the sky and countless riches!”
The iron-clad flying ship slowly ascended, gradually picking up speed. Suddenly, it broke through the air and sped away. The sky bandits on board called out one after another, “It's so cold, so cold! Boss Fan, don't stand on the deck anymore; hurry inside and warm up!”
Qin Mu watched them depart. Then he turned back, returning to the capital with the Dragon Qilin, Hu Ling'er, and the Devil King of the Capital.
For the past few days, heavy snow had fallen continuously. Although the snow had stopped, the sky remained overcast and gloomy, with no sign of sunlight. A biting wind howled, and everything was frozen solid.
“It's been ten days since we last saw the sun,” Hu Ling'er said, looking up at the sky.
Qin Mu paused, slightly startled. Ten days without sunlight? This snow had been quite heavy, but why hadn't the sun appeared after it stopped?
He didn't dwell on it. With the New Year approaching, the capital was filled with festive cheer, decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers everywhere. As Qin Mu entered the city, he saw large flying ships soaring into the sky. Besides soldiers, there were also imperial ministers on board, and he wondered what they were doing flying into the sky.
“It doesn't look like they're going to war,” he mused.
Qin Mu looked up and saw the more than ten flying ships ascending higher and higher. They only flew straight up into the high sky, not heading in any other direction, which puzzled him.
He returned to the Imperial College, where many scholars were discussing the upcoming New Year. No one mentioned the imperial ministers flying into the high clouds. Some scholars were discussing the flying ship docked in front of the scholars' residence, saying, “I wonder which wealthy young master is so rich that he got a flying ship for transportation.”
The next day, the sky was still gloomy. Gu Lihuan gathered the Imperial College scholars and announced, “The Emperor has granted the New Year holiday; you may now return home for the festivities.”
Cheers erupted throughout the mountain.
Qin Mu looked up and saw a few more flying ships ascending, heading for the high sky.
Meanwhile, on the Cloud Chaser pirate ship, Fan Yunxiao stood shivering at the bow, twisting off an icicle hanging from his nose. Looking down, he asked, “Second Brother, where are we now?”
One of the sky bandits looked down, identifying the geography. “We've reached the Li River,” he said.
“How is it snowing even in the Li River region?”
Fan Yunxiao was surprised, pointing to the snow-covered mountains and rivers below. “That's not right. The Li River is in the southernmost part of the Southern Border; even in the depths of winter, one can walk around shirtless there. Why is it blanketed in heavy snow this year?”
Numerous sky bandits emerged from the cabin, looking down and marveling.
Fan Yunxiao's expression suddenly changed slightly, and he hastily asked, “We've flown tens of thousands of miles from the capital to get here, haven't we? Have any of you seen the sun?”
The dozen or so sky bandits exchanged glances and shook their heads.
Fan Yunxiao gasped, looking up at the dismal overcast sky, and murmured, “A massive cloud covering tens of thousands of miles—is this even a normal cloud? And this snow, heavy snow even in the Southern Border... Next year might not be a year of peace, but one of widespread famine and disaster... When people are hungry and can't eat, they will rebel... I thought we could enjoy a few years of peace and make some money. Second Brother, full power on the furnaces! Let's continue flying south!”
After more than an hour, the Cloud Chaser pirate ship flew out of the Southern Border and into the sky above the South Sea. Suddenly, a blinding light appeared ahead. Upon reaching the source of the light, they saw the scorching sun freely casting its rays, illuminating the sea surface as transparently as a sapphire.
Fan Yunxiao looked back and gasped.
An incredibly vast, dark cloud covered the entire territory of Yankang!
At the Imperial College, Qin Mu was packing his belongings, preparing to board a ship to return to the Great Ruins. Suddenly, an Imperial College official approached and called out loudly, “Gentleman-Adviser, the Emperor has commanded that all officials of the sixth rank and above in the capital must attend court for discussions! Otherwise, they will be punished!”
Qin Mu put down his luggage and said to Hu Ling'er, “You two stay here for now. I'll go to the palace and see what's happening.”
It was his first time attending court. When he arrived at the imperial court, he saw that it was already packed with hundreds, even thousands, of officials. Fortunately, the Golden Imperial Hall was large enough to accommodate so many people.
Emperor Yanfeng sat on his throne in the Golden Imperial Hall, his face etched with worry. From time to time, he would ask, “Has the Imperial Preceptor arrived yet?”
Upon hearing that the Yankang Imperial Preceptor had not arrived, the emperor's worry deepened.
A moment later, Emperor Yanfeng cleared his throat and, with a voice like a resonant bell, said in a deep tone, “We will not wait for the Imperial Preceptor any longer. My beloved ministers, it has been over ten days since you last saw the sun, hasn't it? I, too, haven't seen the sun for over ten days. Not just me, but the entire Yankang nation hasn't seen the sun for over ten days. In the past few days, I have received memorials from officials across the land, pouring in like snowflakes. From Mo Bei in the north to Tian Nan in the south, from Sunrise Island in the east to Mishui Pass in the west—heavy snow, six or seven days of heavy snow!”
He rose from his dragon throne, pointed upwards, his fingers trembling slightly. “A single cloud has covered the entire territory of my Yankang!”
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