Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, Origin Division

A gloomy, overcast rainy day.

On Great Harmony City's broad blue-brick streets, a luxurious carriage drawn by four magnificent white horses slowly rolled through the pooled rainwater.

The carriage was crafted from fine nanmu wood, giving off a delicate fragrance. Warm white-jade wind chimes hung from its four corners, swaying gently in the wind and rain and ringing out with crisp, pleasant notes from time to time.

Before long, the carriage stopped outside Purple Pavilion Manor.

Su Qingyang looked over the magnificent white horses and could not help thinking of his own unusual black steed. Since it had not been convenient for him before, he had entrusted Liu Qingni with caring for the horse as well.

Now, he had no idea how it had been raised.

"Young master, please board."

Eunuch Huang bowed and spoke softly.

Behind him, a squad of black-armored soldiers, clad in armor and bearing weapons, marched out in orderly formation. Each had a pitch-black firearm slung across his back.

Its design was completely different from the ones Su Qingyang had seen in the hands of the bandits on Spirit Peak Mountain. The body was thicker, and the barrel was longer!

It was presumably a new type of firearm.

He just did not know how powerful it was!

Su Qingyang nodded. Before boarding the carriage, he raised his eyes to the heavens, where rumbling thunder still rolled.

The carriage interior was elegantly furnished, with thick velvet carpets spread across the floor. Small tables stood on either side, laden with clear tea and pastries, while a faint fragrance lingered in the air.

As the carriage began moving again, the white-jade wind chimes continued to tinkle.

Su Qingyang leaned casually against the soft cushion behind him. He appeared to have closed his eyes in thought, but in truth, he was continuing to deduce the Soul-Mesmerizing Heart-Confounding Art within his mind.

Rolling thunder sounded.

Strands of silver-purple lightning repeatedly tore through the gloomy sky. Raindrops as large as beans fell, striking the carriage roof and walls with crackling, popping sounds.

Even the black-armored soldiers outside could feel the earth-shaking force of the storm, showing just how torrential the rain was.

"Young master, in another half an incense stick's journey, we will reach the palace gates," Eunuch Huang's calm voice came from outside the carriage.

"Eunuch Huang, come in and sit as well. At your age, don't let yourself get soaked outside," Su Qingyang said faintly as he came back to himself.

"Young master, that would be against the rules!"

"But I'm not even a prince yet!"

Silence fell outside the carriage for a moment. Eunuch Huang no longer refused. He lifted the curtain and entered, sitting upright in a corner.

"Thank you, young master, for showing consideration for these old bones of mine." Eunuch Huang chuckled. His old eyes, weathered by the world, quietly studied the young man before him, whose appearance was strikingly similar to someone from his past.

Sometimes, he truly wondered what kind of person the other party was!

Judging by his appearance, Su Qingyang greatly resembled Consort Scarlet Radiance. He was very likely the Sixth Prince who had been lost among the common folk.

What an identity that was—imperial blood, a scion of the royal house!

Yet on the very day when his identity was about to be confirmed, he still seemed utterly unconcerned.

Having lived so long, Eunuch Huang could naturally tell that this was not deliberate pretense or feigned composure. It was a calmness and indifference that seeped from his very bones.

It was as though the honor of being a prince and the status of imperial lineage were no more than insignificant dust to him.

Su Qingyang paid no mind to his scrutiny. His gaze fell upon the black-armored guards accompanying the carriage outside.

"Eunuch Huang, the weapons those black-armored soldiers carry on their backs should be the firearms people speak of, correct?"

"With such heavy rain, aren't you afraid they'll be ruined?"

Su Qingyang suddenly spoke as he picked up the tea that had already boiled on the nearby table, poured a cup, and handed it to Eunuch Huang.

Eunuch Huang glanced at Su Qingyang, accepted the cup, and took a light sip. Then he chuckled and said:

"Young master, you do not know this. These are second-generation firearms developed by the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, called Armor-Piercing Guns."

"Their firing mechanisms and powder chambers have been improved. Their seals are excellent, and they fear neither wind, rain, nor dampness. They can fire normally even in rain or snow."

"Compared to the first generation of firearms, these Armor-Piercing Guns not only have a longer range, but far greater power as well."

"This old servant has personally watched the Imperial Guard test them. From two hundred zhang away, they could blast a fist-sized bloody hole through an armored death-row prisoner."

At the mention of firearms, Eunuch Huang grew animated, his words carrying sincere admiration.

Su Qingyang nodded slightly. "Divine Craftsmen Pavilion... it truly does seem to be an extraordinary place."

"Of course!"

A fiery gleam instantly ignited in Eunuch Huang's eyes. His expression turned distant and solemn as he slowly said:

"It was a secret pavilion established at the late Emperor's behest and personally overseen by His Majesty, gathering skilled craftsmen, extraordinary individuals, and artisans from across the realm."

"Moreover, the funds allocated by the court each year account for one-third of the national treasury's tax revenue!"

As he said this, he could not help shaking his head lightly, his tone carrying a trace of ruefulness and mockery.

"Those pedantic Confucian officials and short-sighted ministers in court submit memorials every year, condemning the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion for squandering the treasury and neglecting proper affairs in favor of studying bizarre and impractical tricks."

"But ever since firearms emerged and were issued to the Imperial Guard, no one in court has dared make reckless criticisms again."

Su Qingyang raised a brow and looked with interest toward the imperial palace.

It seemed the Jin Emperor's ambitions were far greater than the world imagined!

Even before knowing the power of firearms, he had dared pour so much of the nation's strength into them and resolutely support the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion.

And though the court's firearms had already developed to such a degree, they remained hidden and unrevealed...

Su Qingyang was certain that the Armor-Piercing Guns now being displayed were absolutely not the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion's latest firearms. There had to be even more terrifying weapons concealed away.

Judging by the rate at which firearms were developing, the Jin Emperor was likely waiting for an opportunity. Once firearms could threaten Grandmaster martial artists, he would suddenly make a massive move.

Did he want to sweep away every force in the martial world and truly unify the realm?

But...

Could the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion truly forge firearms capable of harming Grandmasters through mundane craftsmanship alone?

Where did the Jin Emperor get such confidence?

Was he forced to lie low? Or had the birth of firearms in this world also originated from the Transcendent Realm?

Countless thoughts swirled through Su Qingyang's heart.

At his side, Eunuch Huang was still murmuring to himself with feeling. "His Majesty is farsighted and deeply calculating. He is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

"I have heard that His Majesty not only intends to continue expanding the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion, but also plans to establish an Origin Division."

"As for what exactly the Origin Division will study, this old servant has no way of knowing. I have only heard that the funds invested each year will not be the least bit less than those given to the Divine Craftsmen Pavilion."

"Now the ministers in court are going to raise a fuss again."

Su Qingyang narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Divine Craftsmen Pavilion specialized in firearms and slaughter. Now the court was establishing the Origin Division as a separate undertaking.

Could it be...

With a turn of thought, he did not need to ponder deeply to guess it. The Divine Craftsmen Pavilion sought outward, pursuing weaponry and firepower. The Origin Division, then, would most likely seek inward, researching the mysteries of the human body itself.

This was getting truly interesting!!!

Rumble!

Another thunderclap exploded above the imperial city. The rain suddenly intensified, a curtain of water filling the sky and obscuring the palace halls and lofty buildings.

Eunuch Huang, who had been sighing with emotion, abruptly straightened his back. His wrinkled old face was filled with gravity.

His sharp gaze turned toward the wind and rain outside the carriage, then shifted to Su Qingyang, who still looked relaxed as though he sensed nothing. With a stern expression, he said:

"Young master, be careful."

"There is killing intent!"

The black-armored guards traveling outside seemed to sense it as well. Their vigilant eyes swept across the eaves on both sides of the street and the shadows at the mouths of alleyways.

Rainwater washed over the bluestone slabs with a rushing roar, concealing many sounds.