Wayne Shen's face immediately fell—going out on a training trip with Quinn Shepherd was absolutely a hardship assignment.
Last time, their group followed Quinn to the Southern Frontier for training, first encountering the Nine Hells Gate and Corpse Immortal Sect's Hongshan branch resurrecting the dead to massacre a city, then the Heaven-Wave City Nethervault Demon King slaughtering all sides, and later the Southreach City rebellion battle. Wayne had never faced so many certain-death calamities in his life!
After returning to the capital, Wayne Shen needed a long time to recover. He'd trained at Qingmen Pass before, fighting Wild Di soldiers on the battlefield, but at least that was soldier against soldier, general against general—nothing like training with Quinn.
Training with Quinn Shepherd meant constant sect wars and slaughter, even summoning demon gods; at Southreach City, it was full of Cult Master-level experts, and there were hundreds of Heaven-Man and Life-and-Death Realm powerhouses everywhere!
Even now, Wayne Shen shivers when he thinks back on his training trips with Quinn.
He’d also heard about Quinn’s later exploits: returning to the Great Ruins for New Year, chased by countless masters, stirring up Great Thunderclap Temple, then coming back to join the Dao Gate and Great Thunderclap Temple siege of the emperor—rescuing Emperor Evan and the Imperial Preceptor, then returning to the capital to behead Crown Prince Yuxia Ling!
If he’d had to go through all that himself, he’d probably have died a hundred times over.
He’d resolved not to travel with Quinn again, but this time the Crown Prince named him personally—it felt like a death sentence.
He wondered if this Holy Cult Master was cursed—wherever he went, disaster followed.
Quinn noticed Wayne’s grim expression and tried to reassure him: “It’s not dangerous this time. Crown Prince Luther Ling used to study at the Imperial Academy—he’s an old acquaintance of ours, and we get along well. He’s going out to provide disaster relief, but he’s bringing Ministry of Works experts, not fighters. I think this trip’s about inspecting local manufactories, clearing snow mountains after the blizzard, building bridges and dams—nothing dangerous.”
Wayne Shen put on a mournful face. "Let’s hope so."
Serena Yunxiang looked disappointed. "No danger at all...?"
The three followed the steward to their rooms in the Divine Arts Quarters, all arranged close together.
Quinn told Wayne and Serena, “No telling when we’ll be back—pick some divine arts to study while we’re out.”
Wayne’s eyes lit up and he suggested, “Claire Yue and Elias Yun are about to break through the Wall and become divine arts cultivators. Cult Master, if we’re going out to enjoy ourselves, why not bring them too? Blessings and hardship should be shared.”
Quinn laughed. "Good idea. Anyone who breaks through and becomes a divine arts cultivator before we leave, we’ll bring along."
Wayne perked up and hurried off, thinking, "If we’re going to die, better to do it together—nice and lively!"
Serena Yunxiang blinked, then extended a pale hand toward Quinn. He handed her his Heavenly Records Tower token; she cheered and hurried away.
The Divine Arts Quarters’ tokens only grant access to the second floor of the Heavenly Records Tower, but Quinn’s token lets you reach the third floor and browse the full scriptures. Every time Serena visits, she borrows Quinn’s token.
The Imperial Academy has a Heaven-Craft Hall, modeled after the Cult of the Heavenly Demon’s Smithing and Heaven-Craft Halls. The Heaven-Craft Hall specializes in machinery, spirit-weapon forging, shipbuilding, bridge-building, roadwork, and vehicles—these are all crafted by its scholars.
The Imperial Academy was jointly founded by the Imperial Preceptor and the Heavenly Demon Patriarch, so its teaching halls were often modeled directly after the various halls of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon. This is one reason why the Everpeace Empire is looked down upon by orthodox sects like Great Thunderclap Temple and Dao Gate.
After graduating, most Heaven-Craft Hall scholars go on to serve in the Ministry of Works. The experts Prince Luther brought this time are mostly Heaven-Craft Hall graduates, with the rest being Ministry of Works officials.
Many Ministry of Works officials come from the Heaven-Craft Hall, so they're practically classmates of Quinn and the others.
Within the Ministry of Works, the Minister holds the highest authority, followed by the Deputy Minister.
The Ministry’s Deputy Minister is none other than the Cult of the Heavenly Saint’s Heaven-Craft Hall Master, Shan Youxin.
The Ministry is divided into four departments: Construction, which oversees city works and civil engineering; Tuntian, which manages land measurement and allocation; Forage, which is responsible for produce and provisions; and Water, which supervises waterworks.
Most of the directors and vice-directors of these four departments are Cult Hall Masters or incense-masters, and many other officials are also disciples of the Cult of the Heavenly Saint. The remaining officials are largely graduates of the Imperial Academy.
The Cult of the Heavenly Saint and the Imperial Academy have occupied nearly all positions in the Ministry of Works.
Putting knowledge into practice, the Cult’s Heaven-Craft, Smithing, Food, Rain, and Agriculture Halls all provide the talent needed for the Ministry of Works, and their disciples can enter government service.
So when Quinn saw the officials Luther brought along, he couldn't help but find it odd—most of them were actually his own cult’s people.
Wayne Shen, Claire Yue, Elias Yun, Wes Young, and Serena Yunxiang all hurried over as well. Wayne, his face swollen and bruised from being beaten by the others, nevertheless looked oddly satisfied.
Serena Yunxiang, seeing the Ministry of Works officials brought by Prince Luther, couldn't help showing surprise. She quietly asked Quinn, "Cult Master, is the Crown Prince one of our people too?"
Quinn was tempted and asked Luther, "Your Highness, have you ever heard of the Cult of the Heavenly Saint?"
Luther dodged the question and quickly said, "Everyone's here, let's set out as soon as possible. My father ordered me to survey the geography of all the prefectures, check post-disaster waterworks and city defenses, measure the land, and inspect grain and produce. At each location, I'll question the local officials while you all verify the water systems, defenses, land, and provisions, then cross-check our findings."
The officials all answered in the affirmative.
Luther continued, "No matter which prefecture we visit, if waterworks or defenses need adjustment, or if officials and gentry have seized land, or if there's a grain shortage, you must report it truthfully."
The Minister of Works quickly objected, "Your Highness, the country is vast and there are so many prefectures—I'm afraid it would take two or three years to inspect them all!"
Luther smiled, "That's why I found a fast ship, which should be arriving soon. It's the fastest ship in the empire, called the Cloudchaser. They say it's a work of ghostly craftsmanship, and you'll see its furnace soon—it's quite marvelous. And it's even an iron-hulled ship!"
Many Ministry of Works officials exchanged strange looks, coughing repeatedly; some glanced over at Quinn.
Quinn’s own expression was odd—the ship Luther described sounded exactly like Vance Skyler’s Cloudchaser Pirate Ship. Back then, Quinn had forged five such treasure-ships: three large ones for the Holy Cult, one small for himself, and one for Vance. Many Ministry of Works officials had been present during their construction.
During the forging of the treasure-ships, many Ministry of Works officials were present!
“Maybe the next emperor will be a Heavenly King or Protector from the Cult of the Heavenly Saint.”
Quinn mused to himself, “Prince Luther really is fated to be tied to our Holy Cult.”
The Heaven-Craft Hall Master quietly told Quinn, “Chief Vance came to me a few days ago, asking to exchange his small ship for a larger one. I was puzzled, but now it’s clear—he’s been doing business with the Crown Prince.”
Quinn couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the situation.
After a short wait, a wooden-patterned tower-ship slowly descended from the sky, docking at the Imperial Academy’s mountain gate.
Vance Skyler and his former bandit crew, now dressed smartly, stood at the bow and saluted in unison. “Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Greetings, Cult Master and Sacred Teacher!”
Luther turned to Quinn in surprise. “Cult Master Quinn, is this ship a Holy Cult property? The charter fee is outrageous—it’s daylight robbery!”
Quinn soothed him, “You may not know, but they used to be bandits—so their hearts are a bit black.”
Luther was left speechless.
Everyone boarded the ship, but just then another scholar rushed up and climbed aboard. “Sorry I’m late!” he said—a very handsome young gentleman.
Luther hurried over and whispered, “Sister, why are you here?”
The handsome young gentleman was actually Lynn Ling, the Seventh Princess, dressed in men’s clothes. She laughed, “You forbade me, but I asked Father and he gave me permission. Cowherd!”
She left Luther behind and ran to Quinn, her eyes curving with delight. “Recognize me?”
Quinn hesitated, “F—Yuxiu! Little sister!”
Lynn Ling’s anger turned to joy. She punched Quinn in the chest, laughing, “Say that again and I’ll toss you off the ship!”
Seeing her punch Quinn’s chest, Luther grunted—his little sister seemed less and less willing to listen to her big brother.
Serena Yunxiang came up beside Quinn, glanced at Lynn Ling, smiled, and said nothing—then bent down to tease the Dragon-Qilin.
Lynn Ling glanced at Serena’s back, her eyes twinkling. She whispered, “Cowherd, I’m going to change clothes.”
Luther hurried over and said, “Sister, men’s clothes look great on you! You really do look amazing!”
“Really?”
Luther nodded emphatically.
The tower ship rose into the sky, heading toward Jiazou three hundred miles away. Jiazou lay downstream; two thousand miles further east was the Eastern Sea. The Ministry of Works had once built a great bridge here, spanning the Torr River’s twenty-mile width.
From the ship, the hundred or so passengers looked down to see the bridge broken in the middle—about half a mile of roadway and piers missing. It must have been the winter disaster: an ice mountain slid downriver, smashing the bridge.
Now the river was wild and fast—repairing the bridge wouldn’t be easy.
The ship landed at Jiazou City. Luther’s local prefect rushed to greet them. Luther said, “Prefect, assign your cultivators to the Ministry of Works’ deputy to repair the bridge.”
The Jiazou Prefect quickly mobilized the city’s cultivators. Hundreds followed the Heaven-Craft Hall Master to the riverbank. Quinn and the others wondered how the bridge could be repaired with the river so fierce. The Hall Master led the cultivators in a mighty shout—magical power surged, and the Torr River’s water soared into the air, arcing five or six miles before falling back.
For five or six miles, the riverbed was dry—no water at all, even the mud was drained by the cultivators.
“Everyone, melt stone and join the bridge!”
At the Hall Master’s order, many Vermilion Bird–spirit cultivators moved in. Huge furnaces were set up on the riverbed, loaded with stone. The cultivators unleashed their powers—firebirds whirled around the furnaces, melting the stone into magma. Ministry of Works officials shaped the magma and poured it into stone pillars.
Soon, pillars rose from the riverbed. More officials flew in from the mountains with cut stone, laying slabs in an orderly fashion.
An hour later, the bridge was complete.
Quinn was awestruck, silently marveling: “This is true divine craftsmanship—a work of ghostly hands!”