Chapter 12: Duty Of Worry
Inside Yongji Pass, at the Stargazing Tower, in front of the guest table filled with the aroma of tea, Xuan Chong felt that his system appeared in his field of view with a “floating orb” running.
Xuan Chong muttered in his mind to the system: “What’s up, what’s the fuss?”
System: “Nothing, just replanning the teaching syllabus and verifying the safety of certain ‘teaching aids’.”
After hearing the word “teaching aid,” Xuan Chong asked curiously: “Is it this one in front of me?”
Switching back, Wu Fei looked at the reaction of the Kun Dao in front of him and masked it with a polite smile.
System: “You can hide the floating orb now and go about your business.”
Xuan Chong coughed, his mind racing as he dismissed the system. He said to the Kun Dao who came to support him: “Yao Lian Xian Zi, I just zoned out. Let’s continue.”
Yao Lian Xian Zi: “Young Master is busy with myriad affairs; it is I, the Daoist, who is disturbing you.”
Wu Yuanchang’s mouth curved up. This one called herself “the Daoist,” but her appearance clearly did not match the cultivating immortality style. She was more like cosplay from those flashy mobile games of the 21st century.
She had a head of blue hair, a high bridge of nose, and was not of Eastern facial features at all. Especially when she first arrived at Yongji Pass, she did not fly on a sword but relied on the pair of wings on her back to fly in.
At that time, her only difference from an Envoy was that her wings were purple-blue. Since her face differed from native Da Yao women, she had worn a veil when she first arrived.
But Xuan Chong, who had seen much on Western websites in his previous life, thought: this beauty was “wine from grapes in a luminous cup.” Not to mention those long legs.
……
One shichen ago, Zhao Tu—oh, the character “Tu” was too murderous, now granted the name “Xian Zhong” by Wu Fei—
Zhao Xian Zhong seemed somewhat wary of this Yao Lian Xian Zi, so he advised Wu Fei: “Young Master, this is recommended by Xian Daoren beside the Old General. That Xian Daoren is Heterodox Path; this is a demoness, not a fairy.”
Wu Fei nodded solemnly at Zhao Xian Zhong’s advice, and earnestly assured Xian Zhong: if this demoness misbehaves, he would definitely hand her over to be chopped into pieces.
Of course, the above assurance was just to soothe Zhao Tu, this fierce general under his command. This guy was just a knife that needed oiling and wiping.
As for this Yao Lian Xian Zi, regardless of what Heterodox Path her sect behind Xian Daoren was, he was currently short of this kind of “Master” unit under his command.
Half a year ago, during the battle with the Snake People, Wu Fei had suffered from the Snake People’s witchcraft. He had a very deep memory of the power of witchcraft. So he needed a spellcaster.
Thus, Wu Fei began to get chummy: “Yao Lian Xian Zi is not a Da Yao person, right? Are you from the same sect as Xian Daoist?”
Wu Fei’s tone of chit-chat at this time was about the same as checking household registration during blind dates in his previous life.
Yao Lian Xian Zi: “Young Master guessed correctly. I come from Taixi. Senior Brother Xian Fei and I are from the same sect. Young Master need not be distant; just call me San Gu.”
Curiosity rose in Wu Fei’s heart because after transmigrating to this world, it had always been an Eastern immortal fantasy style world. Taixi? Magic? The Shanhaijing he obtained through his channels had never recorded it.
The Shanhaijing recorded that to the west of Han Province, there were treacherous mountains and vicious waters, and it was passed down in the human world that there were remnants of primordial species surviving in the world, hidden in deep mountains and valleys, with lifespans over ten thousand years, yet unseen by anyone.—Wu Fei secretly pondered: probably some monster who transformed form, right?
Curiosity welled up in Wu Fei, and he could not help staring at Yao Lian’s face, trying to find some clues from her facial contours.
One must know that after Snake People ate the “Qi Ling Dan,” they still retained some alien characteristics, such as Xiao Qing, who had remaining scales on her back.
Yao Lian had extremely fair skin, extremely delicate, with eyeshadow in faint blue. And this did not seem like applied foundation but natural pigmentation in the skin, and there was a very bright blue gemstone at her brow center.
Wu Fei’s gaze lingered at her brow center, and he could not help feeling that this gemstone was extremely profound, like the eye of the ocean gazing at him, arousing endless associations.
Unknowingly, Wu Fei zoned out, contemplating the oceans and skies of this world’s planet.
In an instant, he seemed to see a blue planet, and looking around in a daze, it was the starry sky. And in the starry sky, there was a blue, great figure. Just as he wanted to probe this figure further—the system played BGM, interrupting Wu Fei’s wild thoughts. The BGM volume was not loud, but the impact on Xuan Chong was extremely strong.
“Thunder means rain coming Lei Ou
(What)
Rain means open umbrella Lei Ou
(I know this too)
Cold weather wear cotton jacket
Lei Ou Lei Ai Ou
……”
“Thunder your head!”, Xuan Chong who came back to his senses turned off the system’s alarm clock in his view.
Then he apologized to the Yao fairy in front of him: “Sorry, Yao Xian Zi, I just thought of an old acquaintance and zoned out.” (“Really zoned out?” Although he would not admit that the system prompt was key to pulling him back, Xuan Chong stubbornly insisted he had not lost himself, but that did not mean he was not vigilant after snapping back.)
Yao Lian showed particular concern: “Oh, Young Master has overworked his mind. I have a good remedy here that can refresh and relieve fatigue.”
Xuan Chong waved his hand: “No need, I appreciate the fairy’s kind intention. This is a heart ailment; medicine and stone cannot cure it!”
Regarding “refreshing and relieving fatigue” medicine, Xuan Chong as a modern Easterner from his previous life was highly vigilant: because the most refreshing was not “coffee,” it might be something like “opium” or “marijuana.” Medicine absolutely could not be taken randomly.—Especially since this female salesperson selling medicine in front of him did not have a “medicine production license” from a Prestigious Sect; what if it was “Three Corpses Brain Divine Pill,” his fragile willpower could not withstand the torment.
Yao Lian saw Wu Fei’s firm refusal and nodded slightly, no longer persuading.
Wu Fei continued the previous topic, fishing for intelligence: “I heard that Taixi has many races, such as elves living in the forest with pointed ears, and dwarves in the mountain ranges who are short and stout but skilled in smelting.”
Wu Fei threw out Western fantasy settings he was familiar with, trying to probe the diversity of his plane.
Yao Lian’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she leaned forward propping her cheek, asking: “Young Master, where did you hear these stories from?”
Wu Fei paused, laughed it off: “Uh, read it in a book. Seems like nonsense.”
Yao Lian: “Actually, the books Young Master read may not be nonsense, but—” She changed tack, gazing at Wu Fei like stars, enunciating each word: “The world is vast with all wonders, not to mention there are other worlds in the starry sky. What Young Master heard might really be true.”
Wu Fei snapped awake from zoning out once again, rubbed his eyes, and confirmed this woman had issues. In an instant, he felt the blue gemstone at Yao Lian Xian Zi’s brow center turned into a weird eye. Of course, looking closely now, it was gone.
Yao Lian still wore a smile, not letting Wu Fei off, continuing: “Or perhaps, Young Master, you are not a person of this world?”
Wu Fei was stunned, then laughed too. As a stubborn person, he naturally would not admit it, so he raised his hand to touch Yao Lian’s forehead, then his own (meaning, are you feverish?).
However, Yao Lian was interrupted in her momentum by Wu Fei’s rude action. She stiffened slightly after his hand touched, and only moved after his palm left.
Her gaze followed Wu Fei’s hand back to him, as if wanting to see some change. Because even she herself dared not casually touch the source of knowledge at her brow center; once touched, one would sink into it, and only by sacrificing part of the soul could one escape. And most people, just by gazing at the holy mark, had already enshrined their souls.
Wu Fei: “Our chat is a bit brain-burning. San Gu fairy, if you have any needs in your cultivation, please tell me, and I will try to satisfy them.”
Wu Fei glanced at the sundial outside the building and said: “The sun is not early anymore; I will take my leave.”
Speaking of which, touching her forehead just now seemed a bit abrupt—especially that gemstone, which did not seem like stone but a soft eye. Wu Fei felt uneasy under Yao Lian’s direct stare and wanted to slip away.
As Wu Fei went downstairs and rode away, Yao San Gu still leaned on the railing watching his departing figure.
After Wu Fei was completely gone, Yao Lian whispered: “Is he a chosen of another god? My Lord’s holy mark did not imprint on his hand.”—At this time, the blue gemstone on her forehead turned into a slit, like the squinted eyes of someone not fully awake.
…Physical examination antivirus divider…
Here, after returning to his residence, Xuan Chong looked at his palm. Not sure if it was muscle memory too obvious or what, his palm kept savoring the feeling of just stroking the fairy’s moth-like eyebrows and snow-white forehead; it was incomparably wonderful smoothness, and after touching that gemstone, it was like pressing a switch that opened a new world.
Just as he was feeling his palm, the system popup appeared. Wu Fei noticed his current appearance was too lecherous, immediately restrained himself, coughed, thought of something, and asked the system: “Did she just now recognize that I am a transmigrator?”
System replied: “No,”
Xuan Chong: “Then what did she mean by saying I am from another world?”
System: “According to data statistics, in Da Yao Dynasty, the other world most people refer to is the planet cultivators ascend to via energy teleportation arrays. She might think you are an alien.”
Xuan Chong pressed: “So does that mean in this universe, on other planets, there are settings with dwarves and elves?”
System: “Don’t know.”
Faced with the system that did not know three questions in a row, Xuan Chong understood: this thing probably did not want to say anything!
It seemed to sense Xuan Chong’s “curiosity” was too strong, and the more concealed, the more unmanageable.
System: “This physics rules plane universe, according to current observation data, is a great universe. The universe is vast, not excluding other alien life with life and special culture.”
Xuan Chong nodded, as if understanding, and said: “Xian Daoren and Yao San Gu come from beyond the heavens.”
After understanding, his interest dissipated, because he could not explore planets now, and even if he could in the future! Well, he did not want the system to force a mandatory task now either! Oh, his own system called it “required exam.”
At this time, Xuan Chong was like a primary school student. When the teacher reached the door at the end of class, he dared not remind if the teacher really forgot to assign homework.
Endless curiosity was often because one did not know the cost of reaching that step, while Xuan Chong roughly knew the cost of leaving the planet was one he could not afford. Not to mention leaving the planet; even managing this feudal military group right now felt very troublesome to Xuan Chong.
…When walking down the city tower…
The killing shouts on the drill ground gradually shifted Xuan Chong’s attention.
Wu Fei arrived at the drill ground, where Zhao Xian Zhong was holding a great saber teaching the soldiers how to swing and chop. A pig tied to a wooden post had its throat neatly slit by Zhao Xian Zhong. He held the pig head and explained the force and technique of striking to the soldiers.
After drawing the cleaver, Zhao Xian Zhong’s face was splattered with blood he did not wipe clean, and he had the soldiers come try the feel of gripping the knife handle.
Wu Fei frowned but did not avoid it, passed through the drill ground, and signaled Zhao Xian Zhong to continue.
…Then headed to the Artisan Camp; military equipment technology needed upgrading, that was what to worry about right now…
In the Artisan Camp, Wu Fei sat on the bench and began listening to the artisans’ explanations, striving to understand what the front-line production lacked, and also to break the current feudal class barriers.
Wu Fei directly set the system: himself and the clerks from his General’s Mansion would take turns staying here with the artisans for fixed periods.
Why fixed time and place for exchanges? Because as a superior, impromptu inspections only see the achievements displayed below. Who in the team dares speak of problems would be suppressed by mid-level managers, hence the saying “county magistrate inferior to current manager.” But after setting the system, the information barrier created by the current manager ceases to exist.
Wu Fei knew he could not thoroughly reform the drawbacks of the feudal system. He only now had time in non-wartime to directly insert into artisan posts. Once he left, without promoting a new artisan overseer, it would immediately revert; and even if a capable artisan was promoted, it was hard to guarantee they would not be assimilated by interests in a few years.
Modern systems required deep elimination of unequal class systems and abandonment of privileged work responsibility systems to ensure smooth information feedback between front-line technical personnel and ruling class.
But Wu Fei, by making an effort now, could obtain some results.—Not making effort and spending time on composing poetry, accepting gifts from merchants, that would absolutely be the greatest waste.
In the Artisan Camp, Wu Fei now looked at the warehouse statistics: raw lacquer, silk, ox horn, various materials were all fully stocked! Since Wu Fei came personally, not a bit was embezzled; all were completed in full quality and quantity.
Wu Fei asked the artisan leader: “Quantity is sufficient; can you produce the quota of bows?”
The old artisan nodded: “Yes, definitely can complete.”
Wu Fei nodded: “Good, I will pay you wages by piecework.”
At the same time, Wu Fei looked down at the roster and added: “This bow-making, if all pass inspection, I will record a merit for you.”
The old artisan hurriedly knelt and said: “Rest assured, sir.”
Wu Fei did not think in modern terms: train a batch of workers, give you money. These artisans’ skills were all hereditary, and for them, monetary incentives beyond a certain amount were far less than merit incentives. The old artisan hoped his several sons could use his merit to get an official position in the future; actually, the official the old artisan could think of was just the positions of the supervisors Wu Fei had dismissed.
With the large windmill turning, rows of gears greased with butter, the start-work signal sounded.
The 25-person artisan team, after predetermined division of labor, began coordinating and busying themselves; some for money, some for official status. In any case, in the setup Wu Fei arranged, everyone was united.
