Chapter 1658: Chapter 841: The Winds Begin to Stir
"Steam engines..."
Li Yan and the others followed the direction pointed out by the messengers from the Crown Prince Mansion.
They saw, in the middle of the wide street, ten gigantic objects draped in thick oilcloth, being slowly dragged forward by sturdy water buffaloes and dozens of strapping men working together.
The oilcloth could not fully conceal their outlines, revealing a cold steel framework and thick rivets.
Under each one were special round wooden rollers. As they crushed the bluestone slabs, they let out a heavy, rhythmic rumbling, like the heartbeat of some slumbering behemoth, drowning out the surrounding clamor.
The crowd was completely boiling over.
"Heavens above! Is this the so‑called ’Iron Bull’ that can run by itself and possesses infinite strength?"
"I heard it burns coal? Isn’t that just like burning incense in a temple?"
"Good grief, such a huge lump of iron—how much silver must it be worth? The Thirteen Lines really are making a grand gesture!"
"I’m afraid it’s going to be installed in silk workshops, eh? They say a single one can replace dozens, even hundreds of workers!"
Of course, there were also those who muttered under their breath, faces clouded with worry.
"What a sin... after this, the brothers carrying cargo on the docks might not have any rice to eat..."
A few bold children tried to squeeze forward for a better look, but were yanked back in panic by the adults.
An old Confucian muttered about "devious skills and clever tricks," shaking his head repeatedly, yet the shock in his eyes could not be concealed.
Some went even further, already burning Incense and Candle at the roadside, silently praying toward these cold steel machines, mumbling for Sui Lun True Monarch to bless them.
Li Yan reined in his horse and halted, quietly watching this procession move along the street.
The massive bodies of the steam engines reflected a cold, hard ghostly sheen in the sunlight. Together with the roar of the crowd, the silk and bamboo Nan music drifting from the teahouses on either side of the street, the cries of hawkers peddling their wares, and the faint shouts from the docks all wove together into something bizarre and phantasmagoric.
"A new era has arrived..."
Beside him, Wang Daoxuan could not help stroking his beard with a sigh.
Li Yan inclined his head slightly, then looked up toward the sky.
A new era, a transformation of the Human Dao, a calamity of the Dharma Realm...
He had a premonition that these events were all interconnected, and the future could no longer be predicted.
...
The group hurried back to the Guangzhou Crown Prince Mansion, caked in dust from travel, and laid out in full the horrifying "Pillar of Passage" conspiracy they had witnessed in Nanling.
Li Yan no longer concealed anything. Aside from his secret connections with Immortal Master Erlang, the Five Dao General and such Divine beings, he almost completely divulged his conjectures about Zhao Changsheng’s plot.
After all, this was already far beyond what a few people could handle.
When Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng heard that the Jianmu cult demon was actually plotting to overturn the very foundations of the Divine State, his expression instantly turned as dark and heavy as water.
He knew full well that this matter was anything but trivial. It was by no means a calamity limited to one region or one fortress, but a world‑shaking undercurrent concerning the entire Jiang Mountain and the state.
"We must report to Father at once!"
The Crown Prince made his decision on the spot and summoned a trusted secret emissary.
This trusted emissary was a Magician of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He took out a specially made Bone Talisman, dipped his fingertip in vermillion, and swiftly wrote a few lines of secret script on its surface, then ignited a special strip of ignition talisman paper.
The Bone Talisman not only failed to burn up in the talismanic fire, but instead gave off a faint white glow, whereupon the emissary carefully sealed it inside a copper box densely engraved with runes.
"This is a ’Qingfu Letter.’ Using the blood resonance between mother and child of the green coins, supplemented by a Secret Technique channel, it can reach the Capital within a single day and night."
The Crown Prince did not conceal it, and explained in a deep voice, "This concerns the foundation of the nation; we cannot afford even a moment’s delay."
Li Yan and the others exchanged glances, praising it inwardly.
Such a mysterious Secret Technique most likely required the power of national incense offerings and sacrifices to fuel it. The consumption must be immense, far beyond what Loose Cultivators like them could accomplish.
As expected, in just two days, an urgent reply from the Capital came back to Guangzhou via the same secret channel.
The Emperor, in his fury, ordered the Xuan Sacrificial Officer to take full charge of the case, mobilizing every available force and making it an absolute priority to eradicate the hidden threat in Nanling.
To strengthen manpower, the Holy Decree also mentioned several special units:
The elite of the Xuan Sacrificial Officer’s office went without saying. As the institution that oversaw the Mystical Sect of the entire realm, with many orthodox branches attached to it, it was packed with experts and possessed deep reserves. This time, they would dispatch seasoned operatives to intervene directly.
There was also a "Dragon Erosion" traveling immortals squad, from the newly established Qiankun Academy, specially recruited to deal with Earth Vein irregularities and Dragon Vein upheavals.
It was said that its members were adept in Fengshui and geomancy, and versed in ancient methods for suppressing Earth Evil.
In addition, several Feng Shui Masters from Ganzhou and a few High Priests from Dragon and Tiger Mountain would also be coming to lend their aid.
With this news, the heavy atmosphere in the Crown Prince Mansion eased slightly.
Wang Daoxuan twirled his beard and pondered aloud, "The Xuan Sacrificial Officer in charge, Dragon and Tiger Mountain’s prestige to cow demons, ’Dragon Erosion’ specialized in countering Earth Vein abnormalities, the masters from Ganzhou versed in Fengshui, and the garrison army conducting sweeps in coordination... This time the court has brought out all its trump cards for dealing with ’National Fortune Feng Shui.’ With a lineup like this, let alone thirty‑six Earth Vein Acupoints, they could even straighten out the entire Southern Dragon Vein."
The taut strings in Li Yan’s heart loosened slightly as well.
With the court taking this so seriously, the forces mobilized could only be described as luxurious and highly specialized. Their odds of directly smashing the Jianmu arrangement in Nanling had risen sharply.
The hard‑traveled group of theirs could finally afford to catch their breath.
As it happened, the Dragon Boat Festival was just around the corner. Guangzhou City was already filled with the fragrance of bamboo leaves for rice dumplings, and the Dragon Boats were ready to launch. After days of intense battles and treks through deep mountains, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. The Crown Prince took pity on them and specifically arranged for them to rest and celebrate in the West Garden.
"We’ve caught it just right. Everyone’s been strung tight for so long; it’s time to loosen those muscles and soak up a bit of this Human World’s ordinary smoke and fire." Sha Lifei rubbed his hands, watching the servants of the mansion hang up calamus and mugwort, his face showing a rare relaxed smile.
On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the banks of the Zhujiang River were a sea of voices.
Li Yan and the others changed into casual clothes and blended into the weaving crowd.
Amid thunderous gongs and drums, dozens of elaborately decorated Dragon Boats shot across the water like arrows leaving the bowstring. Bare‑chested Zhuang boatmen shouted out the rhythm, muscles knotted and bulging, oars flashing as they rose and fell. The water splashing up shone like broken silver in the sunlight.
