State Duke Wei shot a glare at the chubby kid. This boy was the type who loved stirring up trouble, pushing his own family’s old patriarch into the fire pit, then jumping in himself after—utterly hopeless.
"Heavenly King Yu, Heavenly King Shi, would you two kindly explain a few things about our Cult of the Heavenly Saint to Heavenly King Wei?"
Quinn Shepherd looked around and said, "Everyone, dismantle this place—leave no trace behind."
Wei Yong and State Duke Wei hurried to their feet, only to watch shadowy figures flash by. In moments, the entire village was stripped bare—every wooden plank and beam stacked in perfect order, not a hair out of place. Even the iron pots, fire oil stands, and racks were all packed away.
Several Hall Masters unfurled their banners, gently draping them over the piles of wood and pillars. When the banners were lifted, all the materials had vanished without a trace.
A few more Hall Masters covered the corpses of the Nanda Side Palace monks. When the banners were lifted, the bodies too had disappeared.
Other Hall Masters were shoveling up the earth, stripping away ten acres or more of soil and dumping it all into the Torr River to be swept away by the current.
All of this was done in just a few moments—utterly clean, leaving not a hint that a bustling night market had ever existed here.
Quinn Shepherd said, "Dismissed."
Hundreds of Hall Masters and Dharma Protectors bowed to him in turn. Some vanished in a swirl of banners, some melted into the night, others slipped away beating flower drums, or pushed single-wheel carts into the darkness. In no time, the lively crowd was gone, leaving only Quinn Shepherd, Wei Yong, State Duke Wei, and the two Heavenly Kings behind in the pitch-black night.
In the distance, lanterns still glimmered—that was the night market outside the city gate.
Quinn Shepherd rose as well and left, leaving the four behind.
State Duke Wei had only just joined the Cult of the Heavenly Saint, so Heavenly King Yu and Heavenly King Shi still needed to explain the cult’s rules to him—otherwise, trouble might arise.
Quinn Shepherd wandered through the night streets of the capital, pausing to admire the lantern displays. Before he knew it, he’d circled back into the city. Talented scholars and lovely ladies lingered under the bright lights, poets showed off their wit, martial artists flaunted their powers, and now and then came the soft laughter of women.
"The capital truly is a place of endless wonders and outstanding people."
Quinn Shepherd marveled inwardly. Suddenly, goose-feather snowflakes began to fall from the sky, swirling down in a dazzling flurry. The crystalline snow landed on the shoulders of lingering passersby; many looked up, exclaiming, "What beautiful snow!"
The snow sparkled even more under the city’s lanterns. Girls stood beneath shop eaves, reaching out their palms to catch the chilly flakes. Far from thinning the crowds, the snow only drew out more and more people.
Steam billowed from food stalls lining both sides of the street, carrying tempting aromas. Quinn Shepherd sat down at a noodle stand and said, "Boss, two bowls of spicy minced-meat noodles—extra chili oil."
Steam billowed from food stalls lining both sides of the street, carrying tempting aromas. Quinn sat down at a noodle stand and said, “Boss, two bowls of spicy minced-meat noodles—extra chili oil.”
“Coming right up!”
After a short while, two big bowls of spicy noodles arrived, each topped with a glossy layer of red chili oil. Floating in the oil were chunks of pork—seven parts lean, three parts fat—and a scattering of green garlic shoots, fragrant and fresh.
Quinn Shepherd took a bite—the spiciness was invigorating. He’d only eaten once all day and was starving, so he dug in, soon enveloped in clouds of steam.
Just then, someone laughed and called out: "Brother Quinn Shepherd, finally found you! You promised to forge me an iron-hulled ship—no escaping this time! Boss, four bowls of spicy noodles, extra heat, he’ll pay!" With that, he sat down across from Quinn Shepherd.
Quinn Shepherd looked at him and smiled. "Vance Skyler, Brother Vance—what brings you to the capital?"
It was none other than Fire-Bandit Vance Skyler, a scar running over his left eye—though Quinn Shepherd suspected it was just stuck on for effect.
"Don’t ask—bad luck all around."
Vance Skyler sighed. "It’s all tears, really. My ship fell apart midair—came apart at the seams and nearly killed all my passengers. I had to burn through all my strength catching them mid-fall, but I still couldn’t get them into the city, and I lost a pile of money. I started looking for you this morning, but you weren’t at the Imperial Academy. Figured I’d wander the capital, and lucked into running into you. You have to help me forge a new iron-hulled ship—now that the world’s at peace, I’m back in business!"
Quinn Shepherd’s expression was odd. "World at peace," he thought—clearly, this bandit’s business was back to the old ways, not going straight, but gearing up for another round of robbery.
"Got enough black iron, black copper, and cash ready?"
Quinn Shepherd asked, "And the tower-ship blueprints? Without structural diagrams, forging an iron-hulled ship isn’t easy."
Quinn Shepherd smiled and said, "Alright, I’ll help you finish this ship before the Academy break. Come find me tomorrow." With that, he took out a large Dafeng coin and handed it to the noodle stall owner.
Quinn Shepherd left without waiting for change.
Quinn Shepherd was still clueless about the actual value of a Dafeng coin. He’d never really understood how much it was worth. Whether he was eating out, buying groceries, or even at the fanciest restaurant with a table full of rare delicacies made from the best ingredients, it rarely cost more than ten or so Dafeng coins. As for ordinary street stalls, just tossing them a single Dafeng coin would earn the owner’s endless gratitude.
The next day, Vance Skyler came to the Academy to find Quinn Shepherd. Quinn Shepherd brought Lina the Spirit Fox, Dragon-Qilin, and the Nethervault Demon King along to the Hukou Shipyard. The shipyard was bustling with martial artists and cultivators: some smelted black iron with true fire, others cooled it with true water, some forged pill furnaces for the tower ships, some measured components with sorcery, some used vital energy to shape molds, some strongmen hammered and forged, some giant laborers pressed and cast, and carpenters honed wooden fittings with sword energy. The place was lively and packed with action.
Vance Skyler led the way to a workshop. Quinn Shepherd looked around: the factory was full of all kinds of equipment—massive furnaces for smelting, black iron anvils for forging, scaffolding, bridges, sliding tracks, and neat piles of black iron and copper stacked in the corners.
Quinn Shepherd leafed through the blueprints, making a dozen changes. "Doing this alone would be tough—I’ll need some helpers. For the next few days, my team and I will be forging the iron-hulled ship here. You’re not allowed in the workshop. If you come in, you’ll face the consequences."
Quinn Shepherd nodded and shooed him out of the workshop, then said to Lina the Spirit Fox, "Can you summon a few people for me? Have them use teleportation banners to enter."
Quinn Shepherd handed the blueprints to the two Hall Masters. "Can you forge it within ten days?"
Quinn Shepherd smiled. "I have some skill with forging—I can make a pill furnace with even greater firepower. But the shipyard’s only given us ten days, so we’ll have to finish within that time. Are you confident?"
Quinn Shepherd was stunned, then considered. "There isn’t enough black iron and copper here for five tower ships…"
Quinn Shepherd’s eyes lit up. "Then let’s make five!"
Five days passed. Vance Skyler came by several times but never dared enter the workshop, only listening to the constant clanging inside—like hundreds of people forging at once. He wanted to peek but remembered Quinn Shepherd’s warning, and didn’t dare.
He couldn’t stand it any longer. After two more days, Vance Skyler finally couldn’t resist. "Just one peek shouldn’t hurt, right?" he thought.
Vance Skyler hurriedly shouted, "Brother Quinn Shepherd, it’s me, it’s me!"
Vance Skyler saw the crowd and jumped. When he noticed their uniforms, his face changed. "Cult of the Heavenly Saint… I didn’t see anything! I’m blind, where am I, why am I here…"
Quinn Shepherd was busy forging a pill furnace, but when he heard the commotion, he told the two Hall Masters, "You keep forging. Leave this to me."
"Brother Vance, I told you not to come in. You’ve put me in a tough spot."
Quinn Shepherd raised two fingers, grinning. "Two choices. You’re an old hand—you ought to know what they are."
Quinn Shepherd burst out laughing and had the Nethervault Demon King release him. "From now on, we’re brothers!"