Chapter 13 The First Believer

"High Priest".

Jiang Shuoye murmured a sentence.

I've never heard of that name before; this dream is truly bizarre and fantastical.

If only he could dream of the God of Wealth, he's really short of money right now.

Jiang Shuoye was always either training his troops or on his way to training, with almost no time to rest and rarely using his mind on things unrelated to training.

Now, in his dreams, he can let his thoughts wander and come up with all sorts of random ideas.

Chu Jiubian sat in a high position, able to take in the expressions of the people below.

Seeing that the person seemed lost in thought, he knew that the other party did not believe him and did not take him seriously. It seemed that he needed to teach him a lesson.

Chu Jiubian curled her lips.

The entire space suddenly shook, and the thunderous sound jolted Jiang Shuoye out of his thoughts.

Jiang Shuoye's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he immediately stood up from his seat.

Almost the instant he stood up, the ground beneath his feet suddenly collapsed.

Fortunately, his lightness skill and reaction ability were excellent, so he stepped on the back of the chair and used the momentum to leap into the air.

Then he raised his fist and attacked Chu Jiubian's illusory figure directly.

Even in a dream, even if he were as insignificant as an ant before these so-called gods, there was no reason for him to be suppressed and beaten.

A low laugh came from the mist, and Jiang Shuoye froze, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

He was terrified, overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness and panic he had never felt before.

He couldn't defeat the high priest in front of him.

No, it should be said that he and the other party are not even in the same league.

In front of the other party, he was just a defenseless toddler who couldn't even crawl!

This is a nightmare.

You'd better wake up soon.

Jiang Shuoye had a strong desire to wake up, but at the same time, he was so exhausted that he couldn't even mobilize his internal energy, and his lightness skill was also lost.

So, just like an ordinary person with no internal strength, he fell from a great height.

The sound of the wind entered my ears, and the pure white space before me was once again enveloped by clouds and mist.

In the end, he saw the enormous phantom of the high priest, who seemed to be looking down at him.

Jiang Shuoye's pupils suddenly contracted.

The next moment he suddenly opened his eyes and instinctively sat up in bed.

He was panting heavily, his chest heaving rapidly. The despair of being on the verge of death and the fear of facing the unknown were driving him crazy.

However, being a seasoned general, Jiang Shuoye possessed an extraordinary ability to adjust himself.

He only needed two deep breaths to recover from the nightmare.

Then, he subconsciously looked in the direction he had noticed before going to sleep, but there was still nothing there, and he didn't feel like he was being watched.

My throat was dry, and my Adam's apple bobbed.

He got out of bed, walked to the table, and drank the remaining half-pot of water, which made him feel better.

However, his brow was furrowed, and he didn't seem completely relaxed.

The "dream" he had just experienced was so real that he almost couldn't distinguish between reality and dreams, and he even had the illusion that he was really going to die there.

Was that really a dream?

But if it's not a dream, then what is it?

Jiang Shuo was naturally cautious. He did not believe in supernatural forces or strange phenomena, but he would not rashly eliminate any unstable factors.

It seems he needs to investigate the people and events around him, to see if anyone has sabotaged him.

Within the realm of God.

Chu Jiubian looked at the now empty space, lost in thought.

He had only intended to prove his abilities to Jiang Shuoye and hadn't really meant to kill him, but before he could control the white mist to catch him, the man vanished.

The system told him that Jiang Shuoye had already woken up, which was why he left the Divine Realm.

Therefore, the Divine Realm is actually a higher form of "dream". It has more logic than a dream and has Chu Jiubian as its sole master.

However, the divine realm also retains the characteristics of a "dream," such as "falling from a height or being on the verge of death," which may cause people in the divine realm to wake up prematurely.

[Host need not worry. Once the believers accept your identity as "God," they will no longer leave the divine realm on their own.]

Chu Jiubian nodded.

He understands this principle.

If believers accept his divine identity, they become his absolute supporters and will naturally obey most of his decisions.

When the time comes, he will tell people to leave, and they will leave. If he doesn't give the order, the believers won't leave at will.

So ultimately, he still needs to play the role of a "god" well so that his followers will obey him without question.

But Jiang Shuoye doesn't believe him now, and even thinks that what he just experienced was just a dream.

That won't do.

Of course, if Chu Jiubian repeatedly pulls people into the realm of gods, perhaps the other party will believe that he has supernatural abilities.

But rather than believing he is a god, given Jiang Shuoye's personality and way of thinking, it's more likely he's a "monster."

Moreover, it is not enough for a deity to simply earn the fear of believers.

Chu Jiubian should also provide something for his followers so that they can both respect and love him.

The same principle applies: to achieve cooperation, you need to understand what the other party needs.

Ultimately, the relationship between Chu Jiubian and his followers was one of cooperation.

He needs his followers to be his power for any eventuality, and the followers cannot obey him for no reason; they must receive some benefit in return.

The art of managing people is as simple as giving them a beating and then offering them a treat.

Now that Chu Jiubian has already given Jiang Shuoye a "stick," it's time to give him a treat.

"System, can you check what Jiang Shuoye is doing?"

[Please purchase the permanent 'Card Viewing' function. After successful purchase, you can view the status of your bound followers at any time through the cards.]

Chu Jiubian: "...How many points do I need?"

[Back to host, only 20 Faith Points required. Purchase?]

This feature is very useful and I will definitely use it many times in the future.

Without hesitation, Chu Jiubian decisively said, "Buy."

After deducting 20 faith points, the character card belonging to Jiang Shuoye reappeared in front of Chu Jiubian.

The card is enlarged and unfolded, and the scene is no longer a monotonous camp, but a desolate Gobi Desert with yellow sand stretching as far as the eye can see.

Jiang Shuoye stood with his arms crossed, his brow furrowed, his cold gaze fixed on the cavalry formation ahead.

The cavalry squares, each column consisting of fifty men, were made up of tall horses and armored soldiers, and at first glance they looked fairly orderly.

The centurion leading the formation shouted a command, and the entire phalanx charged off into the distance.

The queue, which could barely maintain its order at first, fell into disarray after only a few steps.

The horses were unruly, and the soldiers panicked. They gripped the horses' bellies tightly, but many were still thrown off.

Such a troop could barely move, let alone pick up a spear and fight the enemy.

Jiang Shuoye's already unpleasant face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Chu Jiubian found it amusing.

If Jiang Shuoye wanted something most right now, it would probably be to train these cavalrymen well.

It is currently the season when grass grows and birds fly, and nomadic peoples like the Tatars are at the height of their military strength. They will likely take this opportunity to harass the border and plunder food and supplies to prepare for the winter.

Only by becoming even stronger and more valiant can the Northern Army stationed in the northern frontier deter the enemy.

Chu Jiubian shifted his gaze from Jiang Shuoye to the sparse cavalry returning to the field.

At this time in Da Ning, all the iron was used to make weapons, and no one was researching what else could be made from iron.

Therefore, things like horseshoes to protect horses' hooves, stirrups and saddles to facilitate riding and improve combat effectiveness on horseback, had not yet appeared.

If these items were equipped on warhorses, the strength of the cavalry would surely be greatly improved.

"System," Chu Jiubian asked, "If I draw up the blueprints, can I send them to Jiang Shuoye?"

[It can be delivered, but you, the host, need to activate your divine realm and deliver it to the believer within it.]

"Then how can I bring the blueprints into the realm of the gods?"

When he entered the divine realm, he brought nothing with him except his clothes.

[Please spend 30 Faith Points to permanently activate the in-game trading function within the Divine Realm. Once activated, the host and followers can engage in two-way trading. The host can directly bring items from outside the system into the Divine Realm, and followers can also bring other items in with the host's consent.]

Chu Jiubian: "..."

He only has so few points, and he wants more! He wants more!

Points should be saved where possible and spent where appropriate; this transaction function must be enabled.

But thirty points is really expensive.

Chu Jiubian and the system engaged in haggling. The system, being a semi-intelligent system, seemed a bit slow to react, pausing for a moment before returning to normal and saying: [Sold. Twenty-eight faith points have been deducted. The divine realm trading function has been activated for the host.]

Chu Jiubian originally wanted to negotiate a price of "26" points.

But 28 is fine, at least I saved two points.

Once they leave the Divine Realm, he will first draw up the blueprints. Then, after Jiang Shuoye falls asleep at night, he will bring him back to the Divine Realm and hand over the blueprints.

Chu Jiubian thought for a moment and then opened the system store.

He found "A Summary of Contemporary Military Training Methods" in the military section, as well as a miscellaneous book on military strategy, and "A Guide to Livestock Breeding" in other categories.

Helping Jiang Shuoye was essentially helping himself improve his own armed forces, which is why Chu Jiubian spent six points to buy these books...

Okay, it still hurts a little.

But since the purchase was already made, Chu Jiubian couldn't return it.

I already have a complete understanding of all the content in the three books.

He even felt that he could now directly lead troops on the battlefield or deliver babies for livestock including cows, horses, sheep, and pigs without any problem.

But what's that saying again? If you can't lead a team, you'll just have to work yourself to death.

All he needs to do is play the role of "high priest" well; the rest is up to the believers.

"System, these books can also be sent to Jiang Shuoye, right?" Chu Jiubian asked again, still worried. If not, Jiang Shuoye would have to finish learning them in the Divine Realm before taking them out.

[Yes, host. Tradeable items within the Divine Realm include those purchased from the system's marketplace. The text of books produced by the system can be modified to reflect contemporary language and expressions for easier understanding, depending on your needs.]

Chu Jiubian was completely relieved. After choosing to change the textual expression in the book, he turned off the image on Jiang Shuoye's card and then exited the Divine Realm.

Coincidentally, just as he opened his eyes and woke up, he heard Xiao Xiangzi softly calling him to come out for lunch outside the bedroom.

Chu Jiubian got up and walked out.

After dinner, he asked Xiao Xiangzi to grind the ink, and then he hid in the study to draw a picture before storing it in his spatial storage.

Everything is ready; we just need to enter the Divine Realm again tonight.

==

The most bustling area in the capital was Jinxiufang, located in the West Market.

The area is lined with shops, including restaurants, theaters, brothels, and general stores... you name it.

Those who come here to spend money are mostly the powerful and wealthy in the capital and the city. Ordinary people may set up stalls here, but they have no purchasing power.

Without exception, all the shops along the street belonged to the powerful and influential people in the capital.

It was either a lady's cosmetics shop or a young master's restaurant or theater; behind each of them was a behemoth.

But when it comes to the two shops with the best locations, they naturally belong to the emperor's restaurant and a general store called "Baibaoju".

The restaurant itself is top-notch, both in terms of decor and food.

On the contrary, the general store, which originally sold various war spoils from the reign of Emperor Wuzong, had very good sales.

However, the shop has not had any new items for a long time now, but servants from other families still come here from time to time to buy things, all as a way of supporting the royal business.

As evening approached, the sun began to set in the west.

As usual, the servant of Lu Youwei, the Minister of War, came to the general store and bought a few small items from the shopkeeper.

Their elders had ordered them to come to this general store twice a month to buy things, so that the officials could see how much respect the Lu family had for the royal family.

After all, as a direct descendant of the Wuwei Lu family, their elders' every word and action represented the Lu family.

The shopkeeper of Baibaoju is surnamed Qin and named Qin Su. He was assigned to the shop by the late Empress Qin Feng five years ago.

Five years is enough time for him to get to know each of his regular customers and to figure out which one comes on which day.

Today is the day the servant boy from the Minister of War's household will be coming.

"Young Master Lu, here are your things." Qin Su personally wrapped up the items for the servant. His slightly rounded figure and cheeks made him look especially kind when he smiled.

The servant liked it best when the shopkeeper called him "Young Master Lu," as if he had really become a member of the Lu family, and he would hold his chin up even higher.

"Thanks." He picked up his things. "Then I'll be going now. Goodbye, shopkeeper."

"Wait a minute, young man." Qin Su stopped him and said with a smile, "Young man from the Lu family, don't be in such a hurry to leave. I've got something new here, and you're the first person I thought of. Would you like to meet it?"

"Oh?" The servant became interested. "What new gadget?"

Qin Su smiled, his eyes crinkling, and deliberately kept everyone in suspense, saying, "Young man, didn't you notice anything different from usual when you came into my shop today?"

“You know what, it’s really strange,” the servant said. “It’s so hot outside today, like a steamer. Even with two basins of ice in our master’s room, it’s still unbearably hot, but your shop is still quite cool.”

As he spoke, he took another look around and found that the room was indeed cool, somewhat like the time a few days ago when the master had placed ice blocks in the room during a rainy day.

"You guessed right, bro!" Qin Su looked around, feigning nervousness.

His shop was already not doing well, and today, with the hot weather, people were reluctant to go out, making it even more deserted. So, apart from the young man in front of him, there was really no one else in the shop at the moment, just him, the shopkeeper, and a few employees.

The servant was even more curious by his mysterious manner: "What is it? Manager, please stop keeping us in suspense."

Qin Su came out from behind the counter and gestured, "Young man, please come in."

Then he led the people to a corner of the shop.

The rows of shelves in the store blocked a lot of the view.

The servant followed Qin Su around several rows of shelves, and whether it was just his imagination or not, he felt that the further he went into the room, the cooler it became.

Qin Su finally stopped: "Please look."

The servant looked in the direction he was pointing.

In the corner of the wall stood a half-sized water vat, filled with some crystal-clear things that were emitting wisps of cold air.

The servant stood there dumbfounded, almost dropping what he was carrying.

This, this is...

ice?

It's ice!

Before long, the news that "Baibaoju is selling ice" spread, and the price of ice was neither too high nor too low, neither too high for people to feel it was not worthwhile, nor too low for people to not make a profit.

Minister of War Lu Youwei walked around a large vat of ice in the middle of his study with his hands behind his back. He stroked his beard, which was quite white, and sighed, "This Qin Xiao... he really did find a way to break the deadlock."

The strategist Lu Tong twirled the shiny beaded string in his hand, his slanted eyes gleaming with shrewdness: "The news only came from the palace this morning, and by this afternoon the Prince of Ning already has a countermeasure."

He walked to the ice vat, reached out and touched the clean ice, and said in a deep voice, "That Ninth Young Master is truly remarkable."

After the various factions decided to use their covert tactics, they simply let these spies openly investigate Yaotai Residence and Qin Xiao's whereabouts. As a result, the news that all the saltpeter from the Imperial Hospital had been sent to Yaotai Residence could not be kept secret.

In the morning, no one knew what the saltpeter could be used for. They only knew that after the court session, Qin Xiao and Baili Hong went to Yaotai Residence.

The two stayed inside for more than an hour, and when they left, they took two palace servants from Yaotai Residence with them.

After that, Qin Xiao sent people to buy up all the saltpeter in the pharmacies in the capital and put it into the palace. Then the government posted a notice that private individuals were no longer allowed to buy and sell saltpeter privately.

Only a low-ranking official of the ninth grade, newly appointed by Baili Hong, known as the "Salt Salt Official," was allowed to open salt salt purchasing offices in the capital and other regions.

After the people collected saltpeter, they could take it to the purchasing station to sell, and the purchase price was higher than before.

As soon as the news came out, not only people in the surrounding counties and even further afield, but also people in the capital city began to collect saltpeter, hoping to supplement their household income.

Lu Youwei's men reported several times that in just one afternoon, the newly appointed saltpeter official had already set up the purchasing office in the capital, and many people had already sent over the saltpeter they had collected to exchange for copper coins.

Many people in the surrounding counties have already received the news, and people from even more distant places have been sent to spread the word. It is likely that before long, the entire Great Ning Dynasty will know the news that "saltpeter can be exchanged for money with the government".

Everyone had already witnessed Qin Xiao's swift and decisive methods on the day of the palace coup.

Therefore, they became even more curious about the purpose of this saltpeter, which made Qin Xiao so arbitrary.

The palace spies wanted to get a feel for the situation, but no one could get close to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so no news came out.

From then until evening, when the news spread that Baibaoju was selling ice, everyone finally understood what was going on.

This saltpeter was probably used to make ice.

No one knew before that ice could actually be made by humans; it's simply unbelievable.

But now this "ice" is indeed laid out so clearly before us, it's impossible not to believe it.

Anyway, Lu Youwei and Lu Tong believed it, since the vat of ice in front of them was brought back from Baibaoju by the servant.

The store had three full vats of ice, but only one vat was sold to the Lu family. The other two vats were left in the store for others to see when they heard the news.

Those who want to use ice can order it directly from Baibaoju.

When it gets light tomorrow, Baibaoju will deliver the ice to each household.

According to the news that came back, Baibaoju had already earned several hundred taels of silver from selling ice in just one night.

“The uses of this saltpeter are probably not limited to making ice,” Lu Tongdao said.

If it's only for making ice, then Qin Xiao doesn't need to make a large-scale acquisition.

The large-scale acquisitions, even creating a special official position for it, clearly indicated a long-term business plan. However, "ice" is not so important after the hottest days of summer.

"What else can saltpeter be used for?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

Lu Youwei replied, "Whatever can be accomplished, it must be the skill of that Ninth Young Master."

“His abilities are certainly not limited to these,” Lu Tong said worriedly. “The mysterious force behind him should not be underestimated.”

If the other party were to be used by Qin Xiao, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Lu Youwei narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing towards the palace. "Such a person, if he cannot be used by my Lu family..."

Lu Tong frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "My lord, the Ninth Prince is currently trapped in the palace and can only deal with Prince Ning. If we can find a way to get Prince Ning to take him out of the palace, we will have a chance to get close to him."

"you mean?"

"Didn't our people report that the Ninth Young Master left Yaotai Residence this afternoon?"

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao completed their deal, and in the afternoon he went out to walk around the palace to familiarize himself with the location of each palace, but he did not go to the inner palace.

But he made this trip, and many people saw him. Now, all the powerful and influential people in the capital know that he has "regained his freedom".

“Isn’t the Qiu family holding an auction in three days?” Lu Tong said with a smile. “If we can get someone to inform the Ninth Young Master, he might be interested.”

"Whether he's interested or not is another matter. Even if he wants to come out, he can't if Qin Xiao doesn't allow it."

Who doesn't know that Chu Jiubian is currently under house arrest in the palace?

Lu Tong, however, was not worried: "He was able to get Prince Ning to release him from prison and also gain some freedom in the palace. This person is definitely not simple."

So if he wanted to, he could definitely get Qin Xiao to let him leave the palace.

Chu Jiubian was unaware that he had once again become the target of a group of people's attention. As soon as night fell, he couldn't wait to wash up and go to bed, taking with him the drawings of stirrups, saddles, and horseshoes he had made, and entered the Divine Realm.

Then they waited until Hai Shi (9-11 PM) before Jiang Shuoye finally fell asleep.

He immediately dragged the person into the realm of gods.