Chapter 00146: Tide Sound Workshop, No Idle Persons Kept (Thanks to the Master of Turning Salted Fish into Another Turn)
# Tide Sound Workshop, No Idle Persons Kept (Thanks to the Master of Turning Salted Fish into Another Turn)
Chapter 146
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 146 – Tide Sound Workshop, No Idle Persons Kept (Thanks to the Master of Turning Salted Fish into Another Turn)
The screen flashed, and the message was sent.
Ji Jue turned off his phone screen and shook his head in exasperation, “Really, even a little thunder and some rain means people ask for leave. These useless folks are hopeless.”
He had planned to say a few more words, but he had just registered a little account called “Top Laner of Cliff City” and barely got off one curse before being banned—those municipal clowns at the City Hall, always doing nothing proper, yet they’re the quickest at acting the filial piety and handing out titles.
Ji Jue couldn’t help but feel a bit deflated.
Fine, he’d write it down and switch to another little account later to continue his curses.
In Cliff City there are three things you cannot avoid: wind, rain, and cursing the Governor.
Cliff City lies on the remote edge, right beside the endless sea.
Every year it suffers from endless typhoons and a long rainy season.
Every so often it floods, and just when you think it can’t get worse, its drainage system crumbles into a total mess.
You might say there is a system, but it might as well be nonexistent.
Over the years, Governors have come and gone, all too busy pocketing money while shouting slogans louder than anyone, yet they do absolutely nothing.
Instead, trash bins costing 800,000 each have been installed all over the streets.
Who wouldn’t call that unlucky?
Even now, all they do is curse the Governor.
That has become a tradition echoing the ancient, pure hearts of the people.
In just a short while, the originally clear sky was once again eclipsed by dark clouds.
A light drizzle began, quickly followed by flashes of lightning and booming thunder.
He yawned and made one final wave goodbye.
On the console, the alchemical items riddled with fissures shattered in response to the destructive Dissolution Technique, turning into dust.
A remnant strand of refined sparkle flew out, which Ji Jue quickly scooped up in his hand and had absorbed through his Mechanical Divine Descent ability.
Amid the onslaught of illusions and perceptions, Ji Jue couldn’t help but grimace, feeling a bit nauseated.
After several days of work, he had finally managed to pulverize all that scrap alchemical product he’d dragged back from the villa days ago.
The progress of the Dissolution Technique had made a pleasing jump—although its effect was rather weak, it was now possible to achieve a one-hundred percent release while keeping both hands free.
But the refined essence squeezed out of all that scrapped equipment was simply too scarce.
At least it was better than nothing.
So scarce, in fact, that his Mechanical Divine Descent made almost no further progress.
It was still stuck at the level of 95% of the second rank, with less than five points of improvement.
It goes to show, some people, no matter how many followers they parade around, their alchemical items are nothing but a pile of scrap—so low in quality they’re downright frightening, and their craftsmanship is embarrassingly poor.
Some operations are not even merely a minor inconvenience, but rather they literally flip the table over, always ready to surprise you in unexpected ways.
It’s just like when Ji Jue was fixing his car—after removing the wheel, he saw brake pads as smooth as mirrors; and the owner said there was a strange noise while driving, only to discover later that the drive shaft was completely broken and dragging along the ground.
It was so absurd it could only be called an engineering marvel.
Ji Jue almost wanted to hand the car over to Yan and ask, “Bro, how did you manage that?”
By comparison, the pendants from the Extraordinary Vision some days ago seemed quite decent and proper.
After growing accustomed to Professor Ye’s creation, which was as meticulous as it was flawless and flowed naturally like a masterpiece, Ji Jue’s standards had been raised so high that he could not tolerate the low-quality junk presently circulating in the market.
Just looking at it was enough to trigger his obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
But the truth was, in the ordinary alchemical creations that now circulated, 80 or 90 percent were of this sort.
There were too few qualified craftsmen while the demand was too high.
Qualified alchemical craftsmen could independently accept orders and provide highly customized one-on-one service for clients; there was no need for them to set up street stalls.
The standard equipment mass-produced by large workshops couldn’t even meet the vast needs of the major organizations.
Thus, what ordinary folk managed to get were, for the most part, the items apprentices used for practice.
Their only merit was that they worked—and that was enough.
Because aside from simply working, they were lacking in durability, stability, and safety in every other respect.
Even the blessed higher creations were extremely rare.
Often, they had more backdoors than front ones, consumed more than merely burning spiritual essence, and the consequences of their use were worse than jumping off a building.
It was no wonder that when Chen Hangzhou heard Ji Jue say that becoming a craftsman was easy, he was left speechless.
In truth, when most people heard such cocky words, even managing to laugh out loud on the spot would be giving them enough face, let alone saying “Young man, don’t aim too high.”
For an apprentice to become a qualified craftsman, under the full nurturing and support of a teacher and possessing outstanding natural talent, it took an average of seven to nine years.
And that was in the most cutthroat, back-breaking conditions; if one slackened even a little or had slightly inferior talent, there were plenty who took ten or twenty years.
Year after year, people would sign up and then, after taking the exams, end up collapsing themselves and eventually being sent to a mental hospital.
The gateway to the dragon’s domain is difficult—the dragon’s gateway is never easy.
Even though now Ji Jue’s actual practice, thanks to Mechanical Divine Descent’s absorption, was approaching a perfect score level, the theoretical shortcomings still couldn’t be offset by simply cranking up the system.
Out of the sixteen types of apparatus that a formal craftsman was supposed to master, he had learned barely even half.
The imprinting of multiple high-level “Shangshan Emblems” and advanced composite circuits were only at the very beginning stage, not to mention his meager experience in creating blessed constructs.
There was still too much experience to be gained.
But having many little setbacks did not bother him—how long had he been practicing from the basics of alchemy until now?
Ji Jue had no worries at all.
After finishing his morning’s work, he glanced up at his watch.
It was only just past eleven.
His mood lightened considerably.
After washing his face and humming a tune, he made his way to the living room.
Just as he stepped out of the elevator, he bumped into Ye Chun.
Having woken late, Ye Chun was still stifling a yawn and hesitating whether to lie down a bit longer or not.
But when she saw Ji Jue, her face immediately shifted, and instinctively she was about to turn and leave.
Before she could, a hand gripped her shoulder.
Then, a smiling face emerged from over the shoulder, grinning mischievously, “Hey, how did you know I got the Church’s Emblem of Benevolence?”
“Oh, come on, here we go again!”
Ye Chun couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Who the hell asked you?
Ever since that wretched little brat returned from leave a few days ago, he hadn’t stopped at all! Clipping the Emblem of Benevolence on his lapel, he’d polish it off every time he met someone, sitting right across from Ye Chun with long sighs and exclamations about how hard it was to accumulate good deeds, lamenting the hardship of working for the impoverished people of Cliff City.
But the moment he saw the smiles on everyone’s faces, he felt it was all worth it, heh heh heh...
Right, senior?
It was enough to make Ye Chun have nightmares about that brat constantly flaunting his emblem, heh heh—utter spiritual pollution!
“Hey, it’s been ten minutes since I last told a story about the great benevolent Ji,” Ji Jue said with bright enthusiasm. “Do you know why the great man Ji Jue doesn’t hide his past of once suffering through being stuffed with a second author’s paper by our senior?”
Before Ye Chun could answer, he patted his knee and said solemnly, “Because, you see, he is benevolent!”
What benevolence, you pompous little brat!
Ji Jue, you sly dog—even on your leave you’re writing papers in secret just to upstage me.
If you had an iota of conscience, you wouldn’t stoop to such personification, would you?
“Alright, alright, that’s enough. It’s quite enough already,” Ye Chun said as her eyes twitched.
She raised her hands in surrender, “Many big shots aren’t as good as you, Ji Jue. Stop showing off.”
Ji Jue’s expression immediately turned somber, and with a long sigh he lamented as if deeply hurt inside, “Ah, isn’t this just sharing the joy? Senior, why are you so cold?”
Before he could finish, he perked up boastfully, “By the way, would you like to feel my emblem?”
“…”
Ye Chun gritted her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead.
Her knuckles began to crunch as her fist rubbed—the sound of bones cracking filled the air.
She finally couldn’t hold back any longer!
Can’t stand you any longer, you damn brat!
She turned, sighed deeply, and looked toward the main seat in the living room where Auntie sat.
Professor Ye was reading a newspaper, completely unresponsive, as if she had no intention of stepping in.
So, Ye Chun nodded.
With a twitch of a smile, forcing sound out from between her teeth, she said, “Fine, let’s share your joy, shall we?”
Without waiting for Ji Jue’s reaction, she motioned for him to wait before turning toward a cabinet.
From its lower compartment she pulled out a box.
Opening it—one could only wonder how many things were inside and how much space it held—she even had to stick half her body in to rummage around.
After a while, she pulled out a smaller box.
She placed it on the table in front of Ji Jue.
“You mean this?”
As soon as the box was opened, Ji Jue almost felt his eyes go blurry...
It was an emblem that looked almost identical to the one pinned on his own chest.
In fact, even the golden trim on it was one line thicker than his own!
The engraving of the Church of Radiance was impossible to forge.
After his trembling little hand finally managed to flip the emblem over, he saw the name in bilingual print on the back printed by the United Federation Empire—it read: [Ye Chun]!
“Ah, uh…”
Ji Jue’s vision went dark for a moment.
His mouth was agape in disbelief.
At that moment, looking up at Ye Chun who sat with legs crossed and a cold sneer, he couldn’t help drawing in several sharp breaths, wanting to speak yet at a loss for words.
Such a low-key style, such a sharp counterattack, and such a familiar storyline...
Could this be the legendary “playing dumb to beat the tiger”?
What? The protagonist in this ordinary triumph story isn’t even him?!
No, this can’t be—he’s become the supporting character who gets his face smashed in according to the plot!
Are you really the Dragon King?!
“What’s wrong?”
Ye Chun clipped the emblem onto her chest, crossed her legs, and looked down as if she were surveying from a mountain peak, casting a shadow that seemed to engulf the imp in front of her. “Need a closer look at my emblem?”
Like a deity in solemn glory, with an expression dignified and awe-inspiring, she looked down upon the mischievous monkey before her.
“Wretched mortal, having seen the future, why not prostrate yourself?!”
There was a dead silence.
In the prolonged silence, Ji Jue tried several times to speak, but at the very end, he stiffly averted his gaze, “Well then, perhaps we should talk about the blessed favor I just received…”
“No, let’s talk about the Emblem of Benevolence!”
Ye Chun raised her voice, “It’s been ten minutes since I last heard about the great benevolent Ji’s deeds. I so want to relive that classic tale again. Come on, tell me—how did the great benevolent Ji painstakingly persuade others to turn virtuous, and how did Chen Hangzhou find his way back, shedding tears at the spirit hall?”
“Maybe we should talk about the blessing,” Ji Jue pleaded humbly as he slumped his head.
“Emblem!”
Ye Chun snorted coldly, then suddenly gave a crooked smile, “Do you know why the great one Ye Chun still hasn’t smashed that foolish, competitive little underling’s head?”
“…I’m off to cook.”
Ji Jue lowered his head like a dog, obediently rising without daring to cause further trouble, retreating all the way to the doorway before finally disappearing into the kitchen.
“Lately, keep the flavors light. Stir-fry four dishes with a soup. Go easy on the oil and salt. When you finish cooking, mop the floor, tidy up the kitchen, and wash the fruits—remember to peel them.”
Ye Chun ordered, “And hurry up – at Tide Sound Workshop, we don’t keep idle persons.”
Upon hearing the clatter of pots and pans from the kitchen, she couldn’t help but sneer softly, crossing her legs and reclining on the sofa with smug satisfaction, “Hmph, can’t you be managed even now?”
Little Ji Jue was so easily manipulated!
Next time you sneak in some paper padding, I’ll even let you be the second author!
Meanwhile, in the main seat of the living room, the sound of pages being turned in the newspaper was heard.
“Enough showing off, put it away,” Professor Ye said coolly. “You’ve been dragging it out for days. Remember to hand in the revised arguments today.”
And so, the familiar sound of lamentation filled the room again.
She picked up a teacup and took a small sip of tea.
Behind the newspaper, the corners of Professor Ye’s mouth curled into a slight smile.
Life was really beginning to get interesting.
After a hectic flurry of activities, a meal of five dishes and one soup was finally brought to the table—seeing that there were still some vegetables in the fridge, Ji Jue casually tossed together some cold bitter melon salad.
Though his skills might not be outstanding, after all those years helping Mama Lu in the kitchen, he had learned a thing or two.
At least what he made wasn’t inedible.
Even though Ye Chun had picked at it and complained for a long while after being outsmarted, at least she hadn’t lost her human rights and still sat down to eat.
“Because, Senior, she is benevolent, you know?”
Ye Chun unceremoniously stuffed the largest piece of sausage into her bowl, enjoying the fruits of her labor.
Even when it came to picking apart the fruits in the afternoon, she’d already rehearsed the sharp lines in her mind.
Having finally gained the upper hand after eating so little these past days, wasn’t it time to take a hearty revenge?
As for the question of how long this cycle of mutual reprisals would continue, that was never something she ever cared to consider.
The strong must always humiliate the weak with bold words!
After dinner, while Ji Jue busied himself in the kitchen, an electronic alarm clock in the living room began its beeping, prompting Ji Jue to poke his head out, his face lit up as he wiped his hands and moved forward to check the time.
“How long has it been?” asked Professor Ye.
“Seventeen hours and forty-one minutes,” Ji Jue replied, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “I’ve surpassed my previous record.”
Before the timer started, Ji Jue had applied just the minimum effort on his clock with his Mechanical Divine Descent.
His only command was to halt the countdown and give a reminder before the effect ceased.
Now, his minimal Mechanical Divine Descent had maintained the effect for nearly eighteen hours!
If he injected more spiritual essence, while the increased time might not be significantly longer, he could at least stretch it to about twenty hours.
And in his estimation, this was still not the limit.
With further training, keeping the effect running for twenty-four hours wouldn’t be a problem.
That is to say, at that point, a single release could maintain the effect of Mechanical Divine Descent for an entire day.
And once twenty-four hours passed, as long as he reapplied it before the effect ended, it would last for another day.
Now he could effortlessly maintain constant control over multiple targets.
Considering the recovery rate of spiritual essence and his own carrying capacity, without affecting the delicate operations or his ability to deal with sudden battles, Ji Jue could now keep the effect on five targets at any time.
Placed in Cliff City, that was like having five full-loaded trucks in any battle to create an advantage.
Even if one took into account leaving some battery reserve for drones, it was still like having five ever-alert eyes.
Or…
Ji Jue had already begun planning just how ruthlessly he would handle things.
He intended to seize the little grenade launchers from the warehouse of the local garrison base in Cliff City and bring them home.
He had calculated that with just two units he could cover the entire Northern Mountain District and more than half of the South Slope.
Imagine being in the Northern Mountain District, able to call for fire support at any time… Life would be too beautiful, safety completely maxed out, right?
Alas, once that level of safety was reached, Ji Jue himself would be far from safe.
Not to mention, even if having two units watching over the important areas of Cliff City might keep the Governor awake or worried, the Haizhou Military Department would surely come down with an iron fist and hammer Ji Jue into pulp.
The ideal is too beautiful; reality is too cruel.
He sighed softly, eventually pulling one leg back from the edge of crime.
As for the other leg, well, he might as well leave it there—a memento at least, right?
“It seems you’ve really reaped a good harvest this time,” Professor Ye said with a shake of her head and a note of admiration.
She had finally come to understand that someone like Ji Jue—the demolition expert turned amateur demolitionist—was only capable of causing trouble at home.
He had to go out into the world to grab something substantial.
The last time he went out into the Rift Zone, he had managed to grab the long-lost Non-Attack Matrix and a complete Fluid Alchemy Technique.
This time, with just a week’s leave, he’d brought back a critically important blessing.
The duration of his Mechanical Divine Descent had literally doubled!
That streak of luck was beyond being merely bad or bizarre—it was downright uncanny.
Within the Codex of All Phenomena compiled by the Aether beings, most of the embers’ abilities were designed to alter the properties of matter.
Whether it was the dissolution of matter, the guidance and transformation of spiritual essence, the acceleration of reactions—even alchemy itself, in its earliest days, was created by those chosen ones who could transform stones into metal.
Abilities like Mechanical Divine Descent are categorized as control-type.
And most control-type abilities are inherently closer to the primordial state, transformation, or the heart pivot.
Very few were invested in by the embers.
Within control-type abilities, if we divide further, there are command-type, manipulation-type, and autonomous-type, each with its own advantages and drawbacks.
Take command-type, for instance—it directly issues commands to the controlled object—pushing a machine gun forward fifty meters, and fifty meters is exactly fifty meters, neither more nor less.
Its advantage is that it saves on mana and spiritual essence; given that the object has its own motive power, you can issue dozens or even hundreds of commands without tiring it out.
Its drawback, however, is that it is too rigid; if there’s a wall in those fifty meters, it simply fails because, before the command changes, the controlled object will plod along a preset path like an NPC in a game developing “wall encounters.”
The manipulation-type, as its name suggests, replaces the object’s own will and preset instructions—like directly controlling a character in a game, maneuvering around walls and ditches, fine-tuning until you’re satisfied, without any “artificial idiocy” hiccups.
Its downside, however, is that it requires one’s own energy.
The operation is too complex, making it hard to simultaneously control multiple objects to perform intricate maneuvers.
Then there’s the autonomous-type of abilities like Mechanical Divine Descent.
It is the most complicated and most draining in terms of spiritual essence.
Its effects might not even match up to the previous two types, and against some objects, its coercive force can be insufficient.
But its advantage lies in its incredible adaptability and, most of all, its ease of use—Ji Jue just needed to give a command, and how the controlled object executed it was not his problem at all.
These three types don’t always exist in strict isolation; sometimes they even overlap.
As with Mechanical Divine Descent’s effect, if necessary, Ji Jue could completely assume control of the object himself, taking direct manual control.
However, the thinking ability and autonomy bestowed by Mechanical Divine Descent were so strong that most of the time, there was absolutely no need to intervene manually.
Under these circumstances, a shortage of mana became Ji Jue’s most fatal flaw.
Once his tools broke down too quickly or were dragged into long-drawn conflicts, in no more than five minutes he would completely deplete his spiritual essence and be utterly ruined.
The arrival of the Transformation Blessing had, to some extent, compensated for this shortcoming.
It doubled the effective duration of his Mechanical Divine Descent, indirectly saving the spiritual essence that would otherwise be spent repeatedly reapplying the ability, while further increasing both his spiritual essence cap and its recovery rate.
Even within the Transformation series, such a precious blessing was exceptionally rare.
—The Foundation of Transformation: [The First Nature of Spirit]!
(The chapter ends.)