"The Thousand Mechanism Bell isn't a magic treasure. It's a tool, rather like a Storage Bag, that measures the amount of spiritual energy," Daoist Wealth said. "You should know that weights and measures in the mortal world are determined by musical tones. Cultivators were the first to discover this principle. They used sound to judge how much spiritual energy an object contained, then bartered accordingly. As things developed, the Thousand Mechanism Bell fell out of use, but powerful cultivators still consider the spiritual energy in an object when bartering. Two things can only be exchanged if they contain roughly equal amounts. If you want to quantify it, the Thousand Mechanism Bell is indispensable."
Weights and measures meant length, volume, and weight, which seemed to have nothing to do with music.
For length, some people used their own feet as the basic unit, while others used their palms. She had never seen anyone measure length with music.
They called it music, but it actually relied on musical instruments. To produce the same sound, one needed identical instruments. And instruments had length, volume, and weight.
For different sounds, an instrument's length, volume, and weight would all differ. Conversely, matching tones corresponded to instruments of identical length, volume, and weight. Sound could therefore establish weights and measures.
The spiritual energy contained in an instrument also affected its sound, so cultivators used sound to deduce the amount of spiritual energy in reverse.
"Where can we find a Thousand Mechanism Bell?" Mo Caihuan asked.
"No one makes them anymore, and the designs were lost long ago."
"Then doesn't that mean we can't find one?"
"Don't worry, little sister." Daoist Wealth patted his belly and said, "Since your big brother brought it up, naturally I can get a Thousand Mechanism Bell. I know a young master from a fallen family whose household has one. I'll just go buy it."
"Sorry for the trouble, big brother."
"I happen to need some talismans too. Go home and wait a few days." Daoist Wealth took a deep breath, overcame his fear, and set out once more.
The work of quantification had finally begun.
Everything went smoothly after that. Yan Hu bought Peiyuan Pills from Yanliang Mountain, and Daoist Wealth spent three hundred Spirit Stones on the Thousand Mechanism Bell.
The Thousand Mechanism Bell was an antique bronze bell only the size of an adult's head. Striking it with different objects produced different sounds, and ancient characters would appear on its surface.
Daoist Wealth said those ancient characters were numerals from a million years ago.
"How wide is the Thousand Mechanism Bell's measurement range?"
Daoist Wealth said, "The smallest unit is a thread-a single thread of spiritual energy. Its upper limit should be a hundred million times a hundred million units of spiritual energy."
"Can a thread be divided further?" Mo Caihuan asked curiously.
"No. A thread is the smallest unit of spiritual energy."
Next came all manner of measurements and calculations, combining different values and different properties. She linked length, mass, time, temperature, heat, spiritual energy, and everything else together, converting between them through mathematical formulas.
Mo Caihuan put Earth's mathematics, physics, and chemistry to use. With a foundation of quantification, studying arrays became much easier.
Arrays involved many factors, and relying on experience alone was far too troublesome. Converting them through data made things much simpler.
She did not need any large-scale arrays, only something to draw on the spiritual power of Spirit Stones and print a few talismans.
"These aren't talismans. This is practically a money-printing machine." Daoist Wealth was stunned. He had never expected Mo Caihuan to master printing technology that could mass-produce talismans.
"I'll need your help selling them from now on, big brother."
"Don't worry. I've already hired three Qi Refining cultivators to help."
"Are they trustworthy? What if they take the talismans and run?" Mo Caihuan asked.
"Don't worry. Their character is certainly reliable, and I won't give them too many talismans at once. Just twenty or thirty, and they can come back for more after selling them. They wouldn't run off over a few hundred Spirit Stones," Daoist Wealth said. "Of course, if they insist on running, it'll be their loss. Little sister, how many kinds of talismans can you print now?"
"Only three: Glue Talismans, Swordlight Talismans, and Diamond Talismans. Once I draw more talismans and determine how much spiritual energy they need, I can produce new ones."
"We really are going to strike it rich this time," Daoist Wealth said. Then his expression changed. "You'd better tell your master and ask her to protect you. If other cultivators learn about this method, their eyes will turn green with envy. Getting the Covering Moon Sect's protection would be best."
"Then we'll have to give the Covering Moon Sect a share." Mo Caihuan pondered for a moment, considering how much would be appropriate.
"It's worth it," Daoist Wealth urged.
"Yes, I understand. I'm just considering how much to give them."
"I think seventy percent should do," Daoist Wealth said after making some calculations.
Mo Caihuan's heart bled. That was seventy percent! But without the Covering Moon Sect's protection, she probably could not even keep thirty percent. She nodded and said, "I'll take your advice, big brother. I hope the Covering Moon Sect will be satisfied and won't ask for more."
Daoist Wealth thought that was far from certain.
The two hurried without pause to the Double Clamp Ravine market to seek an audience with Fairy Cang Yue.
Cang Yue knew Mo Caihuan must have business with her and let her in. This disciple she had picked up so cheaply did have some ability. Though she lacked a spiritual root, she was quite capable of getting things done. Excavating an ancient battlefield a hundred meters underground had previously reshaped everyone's understanding of mortals.
"Your unworthy disciple, Mo Caihuan, pays her respects, Master." As she spoke, she presented a wrapped gift.
Cang Yue placed the gift on the tea table without examining it.
"Rise." As elegant as ever, the fairy looked at her cheaply acquired disciple and asked, "What brings you here this time?"
"Please take a look, Master." Mo Caihuan brought out a second package, filled entirely with printed talismans, and carefully offered it with both hands.
"Hmm?" Cang Yue picked up two talismans and examined them. They were all Low-Rank Talismans, but there were quite a few. A single glance revealed the issue: every talisman was exactly identical.
If they had been drawn individually by hand, there would have been subtle differences. They could never have been this alike.
"What are these? I mean, who drew them?" Cang Yue asked.
"They were printed by a mechanism," Mo Caihuan said. "Your disciple is willing to offer seventy percent of the talismans in exchange for the sect's protection."
"Printed by a mechanism? No wonder they're identical." She took one and channeled magic power into it. A sharp swordlight appeared in her palm. "They are indeed Low-Rank Talismans. How many kinds can you print?"
"The machine is crude at present, so it can only print Low-Rank Talismans. But in theory, any Low-Rank Talisman can be printed. Your disciple can currently print three kinds. My next goal is to improve the mechanism's capacity so it can print mid-grade talismans."
Mo Caihuan said earnestly, "Without you, Master, I would be nothing. Without the sect's protection, your disciple could accomplish nothing. Of course, I will deliver your personal offering separately: one thousand Spirit Stones each year. Please don't think it too little, Master."
Hearing that she would receive a separate offering, Cang Yue swept her Divine Sense over the package on the tea table. Inside were one thousand Spirit Stones.
Her expression softened considerably. "I am pleased that you have shown an aptitude for the art of mechanisms. Here is what we shall do: I'll take you to see the sect leader. I imagine the sect leader won't mind having some extra talismans. Then I'll take you to the Book Pavilion and choose a puppetry manual for you, to help you achieve something in the art of mechanisms."
"Thank you, Master."
And so Mo Caihuan entered the Covering Moon Sect once more. Last time, she had merely viewed the flowers from horseback; this time, Fairy Cang Yue patiently showed her cheaply acquired disciple around and even let her experience a Short-Distance Teleportation Array.
The sect leader naturally had no objections. An extra batch of low-grade talismans at no cost could be used to motivate the Qi Refining Stage disciples. As the strongest sect in the Yue Kingdom, the Covering Moon Sect would have no trouble protecting Mo Caihuan. Petty villains would not dare make trouble.
Then they went to the Scripture Pavilion, where Cang Yue let Mo Caihuan choose for herself.
There were few books on puppets. She wanted to find material concerning both arrays and puppets, but there was none. In the end, she found only a little information about arrays in an ancient book titled Puppetry.
Fairy Cang Yue helped her make a copy, then left with her disciple.
On the way, Fairy Cang Yue said, "For puppetry, you must look to the countries in the far west of the Heavenly South. But reaching the west requires crossing a boundless desert, and the journey is difficult. Few cultivators in the Yue Kingdom study puppets."
"Thank you for clearing that up, Master."
Cultivators sought out all kinds of materials to refine puppets, which possessed considerable power. When their numbers increased, their might became even more terrifying. Anyone controlling over a hundred puppets could storm cities and seize strongholds.
But Mo Caihuan had neither magic power nor spiritual sense, so she could not control puppets at all.