Chapter 73

Chapter 72

In fact, the scene of constructing a pagoda was not a particularly good spectacle. It was a common sight for people and, above all, quite boring. However, the construction of the ten-story pagoda, the Zaojia Fuhetian Shanglou, claimed by the Zaojia Trading Company, was a different story altogether. Filling a pit the size of a house took only half an hour. Tamping down a rectangular foundation with a large wooden mallet took no more than an hour. The massive procession of carts, though clearly pulled by people, moved faster than ordinary carriages, and such a vast variety and scale of raw materials were pouring into the site like a flood. The construction, which began early in the morning, continued without a break until the sun set behind the western mountains. People, even though they saw it with their own eyes, could hardly believe it was real. The undulating hills, small streams, wild mountains, and grasslands were all being transformed into flat land. With a single swing of his sword, the young swordsman split the wild mountain, overturned the fields, and buried the stream. In just half a day, the diverse terrain was flattened and compacted into a solid, square plot. Such an extraordinary scene was almost awe-inspiring. People's perception of 'martial artists' changed. To ordinary civilians, martial artists, or jianghu people, were more formidable than officials. They were as proud as their martial skills and sometimes arrogant and merciless. People were afraid to look at these jianghu people directly, and when they met those with swords, they always had to lower their gaze. A dispute with a jianghu person could end not just in humiliation but in the loss of a limb or even one's life. Yet, these formidable individuals were doing the same kind of 'dangerous work' as everyone else. This alone was a cultural shock, but to witness the incredible efficiency of martial arts directly was to feel the power of martial artists to the core. Additionally, the awe inspired by the young swordsman. The martial artists of the Black Heaven Chain, who had dominated Jiangxi, were truly unruly and arrogant. Yet, these heaven-defying demons were now obediently following the light commands of the young swordsman, who appeared like a celestial being in the sky. People realized that the authority and dignity of the leader of a faction could be so overwhelming. However, the young swordsman was not just a leader who only commanded his subordinates. He suddenly disappeared from the sky and then reappeared, holding something incredibly thick with both hands. As he threw it onto the flat ground, a thunderous explosion shook the earth. Only then did people realize it was a massive bundle of steel and were shocked. Could one person really carry such a huge bundle of steel so easily? But that was not the end. As workers hurriedly dismantled the steel pillars, the young swordsman embraced one of the steel pillars and straightened his back. With an incredible display of inner strength, the bottom part of the pillar in the young swordsman's hands turned a deep red. With a strange noise, the steel pillar began to rise into the air. Lifting a massive steel pillar, which would require three strong men to barely hold, by its bottom with sheer strength. People were speechless. Their mouths gaped open in astonishment, and they stood there like statues. However, the young swordsman's might did not end there. With a tremendous shock, the massive steel pillar was driven into the compacted ground. The steel pillar, which had boasted an incredible length, was now mostly buried underground. The young swordsman then punched the steel pillar, which was embedded at a perfect right angle, and with a deep rumble, the ground shook, but the steel pillar remained firm. He seemed satisfied and smiled. This was just the beginning. With a thunderous sound, the massive steel pillars were driven into the well-compacted foundation one after another. In less than an hour, all the steel pillars were completed according to the design. Workers with wooden planks in hand rushed to the site, checked the boundaries of the square foundation, and formed a square formwork. Workers carrying rammed earth on their backs began to pour it in an orderly manner. This was known as 'gongguri.' Despite the massive excavation, they added a layer of rammed earth several feet thick to further secure the pillars. It was truly the pinnacle of modern construction techniques! To think that such a robust steel pillar could be finished with such brute force! Even if the earth dragons went mad underground, it would surely remain unshaken. When the layer of rammed earth reached the designed thickness, the young swordsman raised his hand and stopped the site command. "Good! That's it for today! Everyone did a great job! Let's go back!" The Black Heaven Chain workers, who had burned their inner strength to the point of exhaustion, finally collapsed on the ground. Going back? They didn't even have the strength to stand. "What? Don't you want to eat? Do you know that all the inns in the headquarters close after the hour of the rooster?" The faces of the Black Heaven Chain workers, who were panting on the ground, turned pale. They had never heard of such a thing. The inns in the headquarters, which used to operate even after the hour of the tiger, suddenly closing at the hour of the rooster? "You need to rest a bit more to work tomorrow, don't you? Get up quickly!" So, is this to force them to go to bed early? "Isn't it better to just let them rest? Why would the young swordsman easily give up his subordinates?" "It's better to just let them rest, isn't it?" "Can you handle those terrifying Black Heaven Chain remnants?" "Ah..." Thus, the construction site of the Hao Lian Ping, which began, soon became a famous attraction by Poyang Lake, drawing crowds of people. * * * Inside Zha Hui's office. Zha Hui answered Zhegai Yun's insatiable curiosity very simply. "Rumors must be covered with more rumors." Covering an issue with another issue was a classic but powerful modern media technique. Zhegai Yun revealed a strong sense of doubt again. "A needle in a bag will eventually come out. The problem of the Wunei Sanxie cannot be simply passed over without a clear explanation." "How can we do something about the people enshrined as memorial tablets in various sects? They are already treated as dead by their own sects. Unless we bring out the recluses who have been in hiding for a long time, there is no one to testify to the existence of the Wunei Sanxie." "We need to find a recluse who can confirm the existence of the elders! If this issue is not resolved, the Wulin Alliance will continue to treat the Zaojia Trading Company as a fraud!" "How can we bring out those old men who have hidden in the mountains? If we waste time, it will only play into the hands of the Wulin Alliance. We must not get involved in a disadvantageous battle. We need to move the battlefield here!" As Zha Hui argued, it was true that the news of the Zaojia Trading Company's unprecedented construction method had shaken the entire jianghu. However, the problem of the Wunei Sanxie was a type of issue that could not simply disappear from the minds of jianghu people. This was because the source of the news was the Jianghu Fengyunlu. As long as the revised Jianghu Fengyunlu was not out of print or the author, Man Bozi, did not retract his claims, this issue would continue to haunt the Zaojia Trading Company. Of course, Zha Hui also knew that the public disclosure of the construction site of the Zaojia Tian Shang Fu He Lou was only a temporary solution. However, there was no other clear solution. "Can't we bring the Kongkong Dashi to our side?" He is the oldest and most revered figure of the righteous faction, known as a living Buddha. Considering his nearly two-hundred-year lifespan, he was the only one who could prove the survival of the Wunei Sanxie. "Kongkong Dashi was the first to stamp his seal on the proposal of the Chief Strategist. It's better to give up on that. He is already a perfect subordinate of the Chief Strategist." "Then what about it?" To publicly declare the survival of the Wunei Sanxie, it would be impossible without a senior who lived in the same era as Kongkong Dashi. Zha Hui was once again amazed by the incredible age of the Wunei Sanxie. "But weren't they the great heroes of the New World War? Why isn't there even a simple portrait or a description of their appearance? Shouldn't there be at least a portrait of their appearance from the New World side? They are great heroes to the righteous faction, but to the New World, they are enemies to be torn apart?" "That's because they were so mysterious. They performed good deeds and heroic acts in the shadows." "But isn't the shadow the domain of those with dirty backgrounds?" Zhegai Yun sighed deeply at Zha Hui, who was tilting his head. "You shouldn't always look at the world through your own perspective." "What?" Afraid that the blame might fall on him, Zhegai Yun quickly got up. "In any case, this is a problem that must be resolved. You should handle it since you are the leader of the Zaojia Trading Company." "You're just leaving me with all the trouble and saying you won't be the Chief Strategist?" "Better to continue as the vice-chief." As Zhegai Yun shuddered and hurriedly left, Zha Hui heard the voices of the venerables in his mind. - After meditating for three thousand years, how could he lose his sharpness? - Tsk tsk. He may look vigorous, but he is more aged than we venerables. Naturally, his sharpness has dulled. Zha Hui frowned. "I'm under a lot of stress right now. Don't make me angry. I could just go to the Spirit Realm and flip everything upside down!" The voice of the sword spirit, sounding frustrated. - Boy, who is the greatest hero of the New World War? "Of course, it's Wu... Hmm?" Wu Shen. The great hero who ended the New World War, a legend in his own right. His great reputation still resonates throughout the world through the Sima family. But Zha Hui tilted his head. "How could Wu Shen come out of the Spirit Realm?" The sword spirit sighed. - Hey, boy. Have you forgotten the strange transformation technique you learned? "Ah?" Zha Hui blushed and scratched the back of his head. Well, that could happen! Even the venerables, try being locked up for three thousand years! In the history of jianghu, the names of the Three Gods were legendary, but Wu Shen was particularly special. The New World War was the closest history of bloodshed for the jianghu people of that era. Wu Shen, the great hero who almost single-handedly ended such a