Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Code Name: True King
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"Heavenly Court?"
Situ Wen was somewhat puzzled.
"Heavenly Court is an organization under the Loose Cultivators—it's a code name."
Chen Shi explained the origins of the Loose Cultivators organization to him, then elaborated on Heavenly Court's background.
"My grandpa, along with Granny Sha, Uncle Qingyang, and a bunch of other Loose Cultivators, had this special hobby. They loved hunting down ruins everywhere, uncovering ancient lost secrets, and protecting the gods of华夏. That's why they founded Heavenly Court.
Now that my grandpa has passed, Granny Sha says I'm the head of Heavenly Court. But Heavenly Court can't just be the few of us—we need to recruit some people and build it up."
Situ Wen listened in a daze. Heavenly Court was under the Loose Cultivators, but the name didn't sound like a proper organization at all.
It had a real ring of rebellion to it, no matter how you sliced it.
Fine, rebellion it is, he thought to himself. "But is it rebelling against the imperial court, or against the true gods?"
"We're just gathered here out of shared interest," Chen Shi explained.
Situ Wen thought: Shared interest in overthrowing this whole rotten world.
Judging from the name Heavenly Court, they're probably rebelling against both the court and the true gods in one go.
Chen Shi said, "Now that you've joined Heavenly Court, you'll be our Heavenly Engineer, in charge of all engineering matters. From now on, when we explore ruins and build temples for the华夏 gods, you can't back out."
Situ Wen declared boldly, "Leave that to the Luban Sect—it's right up our alley! Over these years, we've been operating in all fifty provinces of West Ox New Continent: building structures, crafting tombs, training artisans and carpenters, digging ponds and mines, quarrying stone, carving roads, repairing bridges, paving paths, even building schools, dredging rivers, and opening canals.
Erecting temples? That's small potatoes."
Chen Shi's heart stirred. "The Luban Sect is in all fifty provinces?"
Situ Wen nodded.
Chen Shi was startled.
He'd thought the Luban Sect was just a small outfit holed up in Bath City, but it turned out they had operations across all fifty provinces of West Ox New Continent!
This was no small sect!
Composing himself, Chen Shi asked, "How many people in the Luban Sect?"
Situ Wen replied, "Registered artisans number over fifteen thousand, with about ten thousand cultivators among them.
Most are at the Divine Embryo Realm, though. Forming a Golden Core already qualifies you to be a provincial branch head."
Chen Shi was startled again.
He'd figured the Luban Sect was on par with the Peace Sect—maybe a hundred or so members. He never imagined it was this massive!
With a sect this huge, Situ Wen as sect master was only at the Nascent Soul Realm. Was Nascent Soul enough to command such a vast force?
He voiced his doubts, and Situ Wen explained, "The Luban Sect does hard labor.
A lot of folks can't make ends meet but have strong backs, so they join us.
Our rule is one master takes four or five apprentices. The clever ones who can handle the grind stay.
The lazy or dim ones? We kick 'em out."
The Luban Sect's apprentices learned crafts while practicing spells.
Most disciples were illiterate, never having set foot in a school.
During festivals, when they paid respects to the true gods, they might occasionally receive a Divine Embryo as a blessing.
But proper scholarly pursuit? Not a chance.
These types made up the bulk of the Luban Sect.
Chen Shi mulled it over. Rural kids not going to school was common—like Yuzhu from Huangpo Village, who never attended.
Only families with some means sent kids to school.
Once grown, these kids either toiled the soil at home or headed to the cities for work.
But city dangers were no less than the wilds— one slip, and you'd end up sold to a plantation or as a soul in some banner.
Scraping by was tough; joining a sect like the Luban Sect was often the best shot at survival.
Situ Wen continued, "Then there's a smaller group: young folks who studied a bit, maybe even passed the scholar exams but failed the juren, so they turned to craftsmanship.
Even some juren, after years of waiting with no post or salary from the court, ditch their robes and pick up a trade to eat."
"That's why our members' cultivation isn't top-tier.
Doesn't matter how high it gets—it's useless for the grunt work."
He left unsaid that advanced techniques were monopolized by the great clans. They only had access to low-level ones.
Even with talent and insight, there was nowhere to learn more.
Chen Shi smiled. "I figured you'd come, so I copied out the full Dragon Bridge Art right after getting back. Didn't expect you so soon, though.
I haven't finished writing it yet—hang tight in the village for a bit."
Situ Wen assented, barely hiding his excitement.
Chen Shi returned to the house to finish transcribing the Dragon Bridge Art, while Situ Wen wandered Hu Village. He saw the place run like clockwork, with the fox clan—high and low—actually reading and writing.
Studying Confucian classics and Daoist arts in private schools.
"Even beasts know the value of learning, yet we humans squander our potential—what a tragedy."
He mused to himself.
After wandering a bit, Situ Wen approached Chen Shi's wooden cart.
As a craftsman at heart, his eyes lit up at the sight. He leaned in to study it—when suddenly the cart sprouted arms, bared its fangs in a gaping maw, and warned him to stay back.
Situ Wen's eyes bulged, his heart pounding. A voice screamed in his mind:
That's it! I want to learn that! I have to learn that!
Learning the Dragon Bridge Art alone wouldn't surpass the Luban Sect's ancestors, but pair it with this? He'd eclipse them all!
Chen Shi finished the Dragon Bridge Art and handed it over.
Summoning his courage, Situ Wen stammered, "Sir, could I learn this too?"
He pointed at the wooden cart.
He'd seen Chen Shi hijack the Luban Sect's prized mechanism with ease—it had whetted his envy.
Chen Shi laughed. "This is southern talisman craft—pretty niche, not easy to pick up.
But here, talismans don't split north or south; it's all one family. You want to learn? I'll teach you."
Situ Wen was thrilled. Chen Shi simply passed on the ghost-house style talismans.
Situ Wen already had a foundation in talisman drawing, but southern styles were too arcane for quick mastery.
The complete Dragon Bridge Art, though? He grasped it in no time, his cultivation surging ahead.
His Nascent Soul, once just a foot tall, now teetered on the edge of Soul Transformation—but he'd lacked the follow-up method to break through.
Now, channeling the full art, he felt his Nascent Soul stirring, signs of transformation emerging.
At this pace, breaking to Soul Transformation and forming a True Soul was just around the corner!
"You'd best solidify your foundation first—don't rush the breakthrough to Soul Transformation," Chen Shi cautioned.
"Your old Dragon Bridge Art was full of gaps; your Nascent Soul and Golden Core bodies have unrefined spots galore. Now with the complete method, polish them in Nascent Soul a while longer till there are no flaws, then advance."
Situ Wen assented.
Seeing his talisman skills sorely lacking, Chen Shi said, "I have a friend, Yu Tiancheng—a talisman grandmaster.
Southern talismans will take you time. He's hall master of the Red Mountain Hall Talisman Masters Association. I'll write you a letter; head to Gong Province and see him. He'll teach you everything he knows.
Get the basics down, and southern talismans will be a breeze."
Situ Wen beamed. "Hall Master Yu of Red Mountain Hall? I've heard of him—a real hero of Gong Province! But the Talisman Masters Association is mid-tier ninth-rate; I'm worried he'll look down on me."
Chen Shi shook his head. "Yu Tiancheng isn't like that."
Situ Wen said, "Sir, the Luban Sect used to submit our annual surplus to the Young Master's chief steward for review. Now that we're breaking from him, who handles our surplus?"
Chen Shi's heart stirred. "The Young Master takes money from you?"
Situ Wen nodded. "Not much. We pull in over thirty thousand taels a year; he takes ten thousand, and we manage the rest.
The Luban Sect is poor, but Rouge Alley's surplus is huge.
Just Bath City's Rouge Alley brings in over two hundred thousand taels annually. As for Phoenix Pavilion, Matchmaker Association, and Pleasure Grove, their surpluses vary."
Chen Shi hesitated. Heavenly Court was a ragtag bunch—no one managed finances.
Back when Grandpa was alive, they were dirt poor, so clearly no spare cash.
Granny Sha scraped by as a shaman, Hu Xiaoliang as fox chief never wanted, Uncle Qingyang haunted hill villages as a spirit for free room and board—none of them flush.
Heavenly Court might have others, but no treasurer.
"Shao Jing runs things well—maybe have him handle the money," Chen Shi thought.
Money could wait, though—he wasn't exactly rolling in it himself.
"Hold onto the Luban Sect's surplus for now," Chen Shi said. "We aren't short yet."
Situ Wen paused, then said, "When I left, Aunt Xue of the Matchmaker Association said she'd located your hometown and was gearing up to raze Huangpo Village."
Chen Shi arched a brow, smiling faintly. "Heard the Dao at dawn, and one could die at dusk. Aunt Xue's too slow.
Sect Master Situ, what exactly does the Matchmaker Association do?"
Situ Wen explained, "The Matchmaker Association arranges marriages and matches—two types: matchmakers and go-betweens."
Chen Shi was surprised. "Aren't matchmakers and go-betweens the same?"
Situ Wen shook his head. "Nope.
Go-betweens focus on proposals. They hear a girl is of marriageable age, pitch suitors to the family.
There's rules, though. If the family pays well, they tout upright households.
Pay little or displease the go-between? They peddle concubinage to the rich—or badmouth the girl behind her back as loose, a slut, whatever."
"Or if some rich powerful type fancies a girl, they send the go-between to propose. Even if the family balks, the go-between finds a way to make them agree.
Marriage is big business."
Chen Shi asked, "And matchmakers?"
Situ Wen grinned. "Ever read The Romance of the Western Chamber? The maid Hongniang serves in the prime minister's house, as Miss Cui Yingying's girl. She plays cupid for Zhang Sheng and Cui, making their romance happen.
Matchmakers pull those strings for lovers."
Chen Shi pondered. "Sounds good."
Situ Wen shook his head with a smile. "Sometimes.
But not always.
Say I fancy Aunt Xue, but she's married. I want a romp with her? I hire a Matchmaker Association matchmaker to hook us up."
Chen Shi raised a brow. "How?"
Situ Wen said, "They befriend her as 'sisters,' sing my praises nonstop, engineer chances for us to get close.
Before long, we're in bed.
Normal matchmaking pays peanuts. This is the real money."
Chen Shi's eyes widened. He blurted, "It works like that?!"
Situ Wen said, "The Matchmaker Association sends the Young Master over a hundred thousand taels a year. Their business isn't tops in Bath City—it's best in West Capital.
Aunt Xue's just the Bath City branch head. The president? A West Capital bigwig, thick as thieves with the Young Master.
Folks like me can only look up."
He laughed. "Plenty of big shots' secrets end up in Matchmaker Association hands.
They build the Young Master connections.
That said, Aunt Xue may be just a branch head, but she cultivates the Seven Turns Seven Changes Heavenly Dance Art—said to be from the Young Master himself. Deadly stuff, on par with me."
Chen Shi nodded slightly. Situ Wen was powerhouse-level; she'd likely lose a straight fight.
But he'd seen Seven Turns Seven Changes Heavenly Dance in the True King stele forest—called Divine Continent Seven Turns Seven Changes Heavenly Dance Scripture. Same art?
He hadn't memorized it closely, but recalling now, he got about seventy or eighty percent.
Situ Wen continued, "Besides me, Aunt Xue called in Pleasure Grove. It's a casino, Young Master property.
Boss is Du Divine Hand, cultivates Silent Illumination Divine Transformation Art—also from the Young Master. Terrifying."
Silent Illumination Divine Transformation Art?
Chen Shi's heart stirred. He'd seen a Silent Illumination Divine Transformation Samadhi Scripture in the stele forest—wonder which was stronger.
Situ Wen went on, "Aunt Xue also tapped Phoenix Pavilion's Manager Qiu. He trains Thunderclap Body Usage Art—brutal and domineering, fiercer than my spells by miles!"
Chen Shi thought it over. He'd seen Thunderclap Body Usage Art in the stele forest too.
Wonder how Manager Qiu's stacked up.
Chen Shi smiled. "They planning to hit Huangpo Village and kill me?"
Situ Wen said, "My puppets are watching. They're still at their HQs, haven't mobilized."
Chen Shi asked, "Where's the Matchmaker Association branch altar? Pleasure Grove, Phoenix Pavilion—directions, Sect Master Situ?"
Situ Wen rose. "I'll lead you."
Chen Shi shook his head. "You head to Red Mountain Hall in Gong Province, lay low.
Bath City's about to see some action."
He stood, stretched, and smiled faintly. "They want Huangpo Village? Confucius said a gentleman should be sparing with words but quick in deeds. Their grasp of the Master falls short!"
Situ Wen was awestruck. "Worthy of sir—one quote after another!"
He added quickly, "My puppets will guide you!"
As Situ Wen turned to go, he paused. "Sir, for a Heavenly Court outfit, I can't just call you 'sir.'
We need a proper title—can't have authority without the name."
Chen Shi thought, then said, "Young Master is taken. I won't touch that one."
Situ Wen ventured, "How about True King for your code name?"
"Code Name: True King?!"
Chen Shi lit up. "Bold name! Perfect—True King it is!"
Situ Wen buzzed with excitement, morale soaring. "True King has rebel ambitions! Didn't back the wrong horse! Unlike the Young Master—rebelling like a simpering girl!"
Chen Shi's spirit surged.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Laozi, older even than Confucius, said: Know your foe is a thousand li away? March at once and slay him! Let alone Aunt Xue's crew, right here in the city—