Chapter 147
This spacious workshop serves as both a studio and a classroom. The vast majority of people working here are craftsmen learning basic forging techniques, with a few apprentices also there to lend a hand. Everyone starts working early in the morning, sweating profusely. Some are focused on forging iron, some are adjusting the furnace fire, and some are checking the instructions posted on the notice board. Everyone is busy with their own tasks.
"Have you guys skipped breakfast? I'm over five hundred years old and I'm more energetic than you two-hundred-year-old lads. This is utter nonsense! If you don't want to work here, get out of here now. I, the 'Number One Craftsman of Melting Gold and Iron,' would rather take on a bunch of idiots than a bunch of lazybones as disciples."
Gongshu Liang, who was respected and admired by everyone and was called Master, had a fierce voice. He stood in the center of the workshop and berated and cursed people from all directions.
The roar heard was directed at everyone present with extreme disappointment, mixed with resentment at their perceived lack of progress.
Upon hearing the stern, angry, and disappointed voice of the master craftsman, everyone present tensed up, shrinking back and focusing intently on their work, not daring to slack off for a moment. The workshop, already ablaze with four raging fires, seemed to grow even more stifling.
"Master Gongshu, someone outside is looking for you, yes, yes, yes..."
Just when the atmosphere in the workshop was so foul that no one dared to raise their head or make a sound, a loud and urgent shout, completely out of place, came from near the workshop's exit.
"No, no, no! I've said it hundreds of times: I refuse anyone who comes during my working hours. Even Lord Zhu Lun should be mindful of the time. Honestly, what kind of behavior is this, all flustered and panicked? Let me tell you, even if the sky falls, there are tall guys in the Artisanship Commission to hold it up. If outsiders see you looking so panicked, they'll definitely laugh at how the mighty Artisanship Commission has no one to rely on."
The apprentice, with a towel tied around his head, leaned against the wall near the entrance to the workshop and courtyard, panting heavily. Large beads of sweat dripped from his chin. He stammered, unable to speak coherently. Seeing the other's rude and gesticulating manner, Gongshu Liang, already in a bad mood, frowned unhappily and impatiently waved him away.
"I'm sorry, Gongshu, I do have some urgent business to discuss with you today. It's of great importance, so I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to pause your work for now."
Someone patted the apprentice on the shoulder and then slowly appeared from behind him.
With short, gray-black hair and a short stature reminiscent of Lord Huai Yan of the Zhuming Dynasty, he appeared to be in his early twilight years, but his robust physique could be discerned through his clothing. The old man, with many wrinkles, a high nose bridge, and a dignified appearance, arrived at the entrance of the workshop and personally explained the situation to the furious Gongshu Liang.
Hearing the heavy and helpless tone, Gongshu Liang was so frightened that his face changed drastically. When he turned around, he saw Zhu Lun, the head of the Luofu Artisanship Commission, standing there. Moreover, it wasn't just Zhu Lun; when he saw Bai Jun standing next to Zhu Lun, Gongshu Liang immediately put on a fawning smile. He abandoned the group of disciples behind him who were looking at him with disdain and hurriedly ran forward.
"Lord Zhu Lun... and Lord Bai Jun, what brings you two here today?"
"It's a long story, but to put it simply, there's something we need to investigate in the area north of the Artisanship Commission. I know you're busy, but we need your assistance right now, so I'll have to trouble you for now."
Bai Jun answered Gongshu Liang's question, but explaining everything in detail seemed like too much trouble. Instead of going into the details, Bai Jun politely stated his needs. Gongshu Liang raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you saying? It's my honor to help Hundred Refinements Master; how can you say it's a bother?"
After swearing his loyalty, Gongshu Liang could finally get down to business.
"So, what do Lord Bai Jun and Lord Zhu Lun need me to do?"
"I remember you're usually in charge of the lower levels of the Artisanship Commission, right? You should be very familiar with the structure there, and you seem to have the keys too. If there are no problems, could you please go down to the lower levels and act as our guide? We need to investigate some things."
"Actually, Zhu Lun and I just did a thorough investigation around here. Now we're doing a final check to see if we've missed anything."
Bai Jun continued, following Zhu Lun's words. He explained that when he went to the Artisanship Commission today, he first discussed with Zhu Lun whether any strange phenomena had occurred in the Artisanship Commission recently, and told him the purpose of his trip. As a result, Zhu Lun nodded in affirmation and agreed to investigate the situation of the Artisanship Commission with him.
In fact, many people in the Artisanship Commission had long complained about the rampant growth of plants recently. Eyewitness accounts were concentrated on the north side of the Artisanship Commission, near the edge of the core Furnace of Creation.
Given the importance of the core Furnace of Creation, this area is one that must be investigated, even without eyewitness accounts.
The Artisanship Commission is a two-tiered structure. Bai Jun and Zhu Lun first investigated the northern area based on intelligence, but found nothing. Only the Underworld remains unsearched, and the person in charge of this area is none other than Gongshu Liang, the Chief Craftsman of the Artisanship Commission.
Zhu Lun excused himself, citing other official business, and handed over the task of accompanying Bai Jun on the investigation to Gongshu Liang. Under Gongshu Liang's expert guidance, they deviated from the main road of the Artisanship Commission and entered a complex alleyway unlike the tall buildings in other areas.
As he walked further, the dignified and clean avenue gradually transformed into a path paved with stone slabs, and soon Gongshu Liang stopped in his tracks.
Ahead of the narrow alleyway lies a small space surrounded by buildings.
Various forging tools were cluttered in a corner of the space, and there was also a detached hut.
"We've arrived. This is the entrance to the lower level—no, it should be called a special emergency passage, but for convenience, I basically use it as the main entrance."
After speaking, Gongshu Liang used the key hanging from his waist to open the gate and reached out to pull the heavy wooden door. With a soft scraping sound, the door slowly opened.
The small house was empty except for a spiral staircase, resembling a basement entrance, leading to the floor below. Gongshu Liang stepped onto it without hesitation, making a clattering sound as he descended the stairs.
After walking around the spiral a few times, the two arrived at the dimly lit lower world.
The historical origins of setting up the lower level are quite complex. Its main function is to store, collect, and purify the water wasted by the forging and smelting of the Artisanship Commission.
"It's terribly hot here..."
Dim lighting, the sound of running water, the constant heat, and the darkness spreading through the sewers.
"Haha, after all, there are two Furnace of Creation set up on the lower level to provide energy, so it's inevitable to feel hot in this stuffy place."
Gongshu Liang smiled at this, took out a portable lantern from a cloth bag on his side, and lit it. The lantern, which resembled a lanternfish, immediately illuminated the dark space around them. He then led the way, proceeding with Bai Jun through the sewers.
"I suddenly remembered that there have been various strange noises coming from the lower levels of the Artisanship Commission lately, but no matter how I investigate, I can't find the source. I initially thought it was because of the excessive pressure lately, but after Lord Bai Jun, I suddenly feel a little scared."
"No, you're just scaring yourself. When did I ever say anything so weird?"
Gongshu Liang shuddered with fear after learning the whole story from Bai Jun on the way, which earned him a disapproving look from Bai Jun.
After walking for a while through the narrow passage, the two headed north and came to the wide main waterway where the water was flowing.
The stone-built tubular tunnel is about seven meters in diameter, with water flowing through the center. There are footholds and passageways on both sides of the tunnel for people to move forward. Gongshu Liang and Bai Jun walked along the narrow passageway on the right side of the sewer.
The sound of rushing water was loud enough to obscure their conversation. Branch channels converged from all directions, making the sound seem to echo through layers of the sewers. Although the air in the sewers was indeed more polluted than above ground, it lacked the distinctive stench of sewage that made one want to hold their nose.
The water in the ditch is clear and transparent, powered by two Furnace of Creation located on the lower level. The purification columns, arranged in parallel like fences, purify the polluted water flowing through it, turning it into clean water; in other words, it is a water purification device.
As they approached the northern area, the two were suddenly surprised to find that the entire passage ahead was flooded with water up to their knees. "This shouldn't be happening. Could it be that some pipe has burst? But why didn't the warning system alert us?" Gongshu Liang was the first to speak.
Seeing the path ahead turn into a puddle of water, Gongshu Liang, already having second thoughts, immediately suggested turning back, no longer daring to proceed rashly. However, Bai Jun, who was about to reach their destination, naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. He grabbed Gongshu Liang by the back of his collar and commanded in an unyielding tone:
"Keep going. I'll protect you if anything goes wrong."
"I... I understand..."
With a mournful face, Gongshu Liang had no way to refute and could only submit to Bai Jun's tyranny.
After walking along the water's flow as if against the current for a while, the two finally arrived at the northern area, which is the lower level of the core Furnace of Creation.
Before me stood a circular hall that echoed the structure of the ground. Huge, thick stone pillars pierced through the ceiling and floor, supporting this underground space, which was about ten meters high. The stone walls of the waterway were cracked and collapsed, severely damaged. Water seemed to flow from here, wandering and turning back in the old underground waterway.
The cold, damp sensation disappeared, and the two walked on the hard floor, quickly entering the hall from the passageway.
Bai Jun's intuition told him strongly that something was wrong. The next second, he raised his head like an alert wild beast, able to observe his surroundings without needing any light. Soon, Bai Jun's attention was completely drawn to the ceiling directly above him.
"Tch, it seems the situation is far more serious than we imagined..."
"What are you saying, Lord Bai Jun?"
Unable to observe the darkness with the naked eye like Bai Jun, Gongshu Liang curiously turned to look at Bai Jun. He saw that Bai Jun's profile looked somewhat awkward under the lamplight. Gongshu Liang swallowed hard, a sense of unease rising in his heart, but he still mustered his courage and followed Bai Jun's gaze, raising the lantern to look at the ceiling above.
Snap...
The lantern slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. Gongshu Liang's eyes widened, and he was speechless, his face pale.
Above the center of the ceiling, enormous roots, like writhing dragons, sprouted from nowhere and spread outwards, almost completely filling the ceiling.
Unfortunately, directly above the ceiling of this hall is the core of the Furnace of Creation of the Artisanship Commission. In other words, they have unknowingly allowed such a dangerous thing to envelop the entire ground of the core Furnace of Creation. Given time and space for these plants to grow, the moment they break through the soil, they can destroy the Furnace of Creation that supplies the entire Luofu.
Fear, confusion, and the unknown overwhelmed Gongshu Liang's nerves, and he was panting heavily, covered in cold sweat.
Perhaps sensing Gongshu Liang's heavy breathing, the roots clinging to the ceiling seemed to come alive as they looked down. First, they wriggled and trembled, then the vines began to bloom, releasing sticky sap, and from the flower's heart, a soccer ball-sized seed fell to the ground.
"Waaaaaaah--!!!"
The moment the seeds from the plant roots fell to the ground, it was as if a struggle to break free of a cocoon gave birth to life. Emerging from the resilient vines was a life form with a ferocious appearance, like that of an infant. Accompanied by a jarring cry, the twisted life form, filled with murderous intent, crawled over.
"You'll be fine staying here."
Upon hearing Bai Jun's calm yet unyielding words, Gongshu Liang stared at his profile and then obediently complied.
"It seems the investigation can be considered over. It was simpler and clearer than I imagined. I thought it would be some kind of detective game, but it turned out to be nothing more than a pointless struggle... Sigh, is it a good thing or a bad thing?"
Bai Jun didn't take the enemy in front of him seriously, as could be seen from his unguarded movements. He was just a little troubled as to why the "Abundance" aura was emanating from Luofu's ship. At the same time, he leaned forward slightly and reached out his hand as the enemy roared.
"Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire-- "
Losing patience, Bai Jun directly used a portion of the power of the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire.
As if succumbing to a higher power, all the enemies that attacked were instantly burned to ashes by the flames containing the power of the "Sun." At the same time, the bursting flames dyed everything in front of them crimson. The hall was filled with heat and sparks, and the world was surrounded by scorching heat.
Upon witnessing this scene, Gongshu Liang's face, contorted with shock and disbelief, turned crimson.
The fire that illuminated the world slowly faded until it gradually went out. Bai Jun stepped over the ashes of the burned branches and bent down to pick up a branch that still retained its emerald green color—evidence that he had barely managed to preserve by deliberately controlling the fire.
Upon closer inspection of the slender branch, aside from the power of the Abundance fruit itself, Bai Jun also found other auras on it.
That force probably acted as a catalyst, so the remaining aura was quite faint. However, for Bai Jun, this aura was all too familiar. He had even had the opportunity to come into close contact with this force while on the space station.
"Stellaron..."
Bai Jun frowned slightly, and said its name with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
Chapter 183 Wow, they even offer door-to-door service!
After thoroughly cleaning up the roots that had grown in the north hall of the lower level, Bai Jun carefully searched all four directions of the lower level.
The severity of the situation was beyond imagination. Starting from the main hall on the north side, a cave-like passage—as if traces of some huge object had passed through—penetrated the waterway walls several times. Huge roots, like writhing dragons, pierced through and connected the east, west, and south directions, occupying the lower level of the Artisanship Commission like a tightly sealed nest.
Given the urgency of the situation, Bai Jun only used the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire to clear a few key points before hastily ending the Artisanship Commission's investigation and immediately returning to the Shence Mansion to tell Jing Yuan about the matter.
"That's roughly the current situation at the Artisanship Commission. Driven by the power of the Stellaron, the Ambrosial Arbor continues to grow. Even if I cut off its roots, it will only solve the immediate problem. I'm afraid that in a day or two, those withered roots and branches will come back to life."
"Stellaron... Qing Yan, are you sure it's something like that causing this trouble?"
Jing Yuan observed the emerald green branch that Bai Jun had brought back, and asked Bai Jun a question as if he were deep in thought.
"I did indeed sense an aura similar to Stellaron among the roots that sprouted throughout the lower levels of the Artisanship Commission; there's no mistake about it."
"So, Ambrosial Arbor was revived because it was affected by the Stellaron?"
"I'm afraid so."
Faced with his doubts, Bai Jun nodded, confirming his guess once again. Hearing this, Jing Yuan stared at the emerald branch in his hand again, and his grip tightened involuntarily.
Seeing Jing Yuan, looking utterly exhausted, lean back in his chair and close his eyes as if giving up, Bai Jun offered a suggestion:
"I know an expert who deals with Stellaron. If you ask her for help, this simple Stellaron problem can be solved quickly. Jing Yuan, you don't need to be so nervous."
The expert Bai Jun mentioned was none other than the renowned Ms. Herta.
Although she hasn't spoken to me since I sent her Xue Yi's measurements and asked her to create a high-quality doll body... she should reply if it's something serious.
Actually, before this, Bai Jun's first thought was of the group of Nameless on the Astral Express. After all, when they parted last time, they mentioned that they would actively search for the Stellaron and try to solve its mysteries during the upcoming voyage.
Nan Liujing: There's a problem with the Stellaron in Luofu. Can your Astral Express's track be temporarily diverted here?
"Stellaron Spirit: I really want to too, but right now March 7th and I are being chased by a nasty woman with big breasts and a big butt. Looks like we have to get through this first before we can think about anything else. Ugh, those guys are coming again, I'm outta here!"
I had planned to ask Miss Stellaron Spirit to come and see if she could handle the Stellaron problem, but it seems they also have their own troubles right now.
"Thank you for your kindness, Qing Yan, but the Xianzhou has sailed for eight thousand years and is accustomed to crises and annihilation. Although the current disaster is fierce, the Xianzhou has the capacity to handle it. It is merely Stellaron; the Alliance is already aware of this, and has its own ways to deal with it."
Jing Yuan rejected Bai Jun's proposal, and his words conveyed a sense of nonchalance.
"The most urgent task at hand is to find the Stellaron that is causing this trouble as soon as possible and seal it away."
After a brief moment of adjustment, Jing Yuan, whose face showed no signs of fatigue, gave the order and simultaneously instructed the Vanguard outside the door:
"Notify the Tianbo Division and the other Six Commissions to temporarily seal off Luofu and cut off all contact with the outside world until the exact location of the Stellaron is found, in order to prevent the Stellaron's influence from expanding further. At the same time, order all Cloud Cavalry to thoroughly search the entire Luofu, even if it means turning the heavens upside down, to find the Stellaron at all costs!"
"Yes!"
The Shence Mansion's Vanguard began their operation. Bai Jun watched from the sidelines and, seeing that Jing Yuan had regained his composure, set off to report the situation to the Divination Bureau.
Watching Bai Jun's departing figure, Jing Yuan sat up straight, silently picked up the quill pen on the table, and began to draft an official document to notify the various departments.
"Sigh, so many things have changed as I approach retirement... Troubles on the Xianzhou, paperwork on my desk, weeds in the flowerbeds—these are the only three things that can never be completely eradicated. It seems I'll have a lot to do before the next successor takes the stage."
Helpless sighs and bitter laughs frequently echoed in the spacious office.
Then, only a few days later --
An unprecedented uproar and unrest spread through Luofu, which was under complete lockdown under Jing Yuan's orders.
The unsuspecting residents, upon hearing that Luofu had sealed off all borders, initially cried out that the general should not close the country off. However, as the Ambrosial Arbor's revival deepened, the resulting anomalies could no longer be concealed. Huge roots broke through the soil, completely binding the nearest Alchemy Commission within layers of vines and wood.
The people living in Luofu were filled with fear. If Jing Yuan hadn't ordered the border to be sealed off in advance, Luofu would probably be in complete chaos by now.
The unrest never subsided, and the once vibrant Luofu flagship has now become a cold prison.
The grim Cloud Cavalry occupied and blocked the north and south gates of Luofu, shutting down both exits. Except for caravans transporting goods in and out, all travelers were turned away. Even those inside Luofu who wanted to leave had to go through a long and tedious series of procedures.
Under Jing Yuan's reassuring instructions, the seemingly chaotic Luofu maintained its previous Order, with everything proceeding in an orderly manner. Presumably, it won't be long before the Stellaron hidden in Luofu is found, sealed, and the journey returns to its peaceful state.
Before they knew it, the day had come for Huai Yan to leave.
As the general of a dignified Xianzhou, just like Feixiao before him, Huai Yan couldn't abandon Zhuming for too long. Now, on the deserted Starskiff Wharf, Bai Jun and Huai Yan were saying their final farewells.
"I deeply regret the disaster that Luofu is currently suffering..."
Huai Yan gazed at the boundless Starskiff Haven, gently stroking his pale beard. This week had passed in a flash. Recalling his life in Luofu these past few days, he was filled with mixed emotions and couldn't help but sigh with a sense of sorrow.
"Grandpa, you're about to leave, so don't worry about so many trivial things. No, instead of lamenting here, why don't we send some professionals from Zhuming's team over to help search for the exact location of the Stellaron hidden in Luofu?"
Bai Jun crossed his hands behind his head, his voice carrying a hint of teasing laughter.