Tracing the Origins of Craftsmen
The following morning, as dawn broke, Chang'an slowly awoke from its slumber. The curfew had just ended, the gates of the wards were just opening, and early-rising vendors were already busy at work, the air filled with the aroma of cooking smoke and breakfast stalls.
The gate to Yaotian's residence was gently knocked on.
The visitor was neither Di Renjie nor anyone from the Dali Temple, nor was he part of an envoy from Wu; he was an uninvited guest.
The man was about forty years old, with a thin face but bright, piercing eyes. He wore a slightly worn blue cloth robe, the cuffs stained with oil and sawdust, and he carried a faint scent of pine and metal. He looked like an ordinary craftsman, but there was an inescapable melancholy and... an undisguised sharpness between his brows.
When Pei Qinhu led him to the warm pavilion, Yi Xing had just finished breakfast and was enjoying some fresh air in the courtyard with Yang Yuhuan. The autumn morning light filtered through the golden leaves of the ginkgo tree, casting dappled shadows that fell on Yi Xing's pale face, as if gilding him with a layer of light gold.
The craftsman in the blue robe saw Yi Xing and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He seemed not to have expected that the person in charge of contacting him in Yaotian was such a frail-looking young man. But he quickly composed himself, bowed to Yi Xing and Yang Yuhuan with a respectful but not servile demeanor.
"My name is Mo Heng. I have come to pay my respects to Young Master Yi Xing at the invitation of Mr. Ming." His voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying the unique quality of someone who had long dealt with tools and machinery.
“Mr. Mo, there’s no need for such formalities. Please have a seat.” Yi Xing bowed slightly, gesturing for the other to sit on the stone bench. Yang Yuhuan poured him a cup of hot tea, then quietly stepped aside, playing the pipa. The melodious music, faint yet soothing, eased the awkwardness of their first meeting.
Yi Xing sized up the craftsman named Mo Heng. Ming Shiyin had told him before leaving last night that an old friend skilled in mechanical arts would be coming today to help decipher the hidden secrets of the mechanisms within the *Tian Yuan Ce*. It seemed this was the man. But… his surname was Mo? This was different from the “Mo of the Dark Night”…
Mo Heng seemed to sense Yi Xing's doubts and spoke directly, "Young master, there's no need for doubt. I am indeed from the Mo Clan, but I am not one of those 'Ink of the Dark Night' who has fallen into evil ways. My lineage upholds our founder's ideals of universal love and non-aggression, and is dedicated to using mechanical arts to benefit the country and its people. We are already irreconcilably opposed to those traitors who pursue absolute control and are willing to cause immense suffering." His tone was calm, but when he mentioned "Ink of the Dark Night," the hatred and contempt that flashed in his eyes were utterly genuine.
Yi Xing felt somewhat relieved; the person Ming Shiyin had found must have been carefully considered. "I see. Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Mo." He gestured for Pei Qinhu to bring out the copy of the section on mechanical structures in the "Tian Yuan Ce" that he had prepared beforehand.
The original copy of "Tian Yuan Ce" is now strictly guarded by the Dali Temple. Yi Xing can only rely on his memory and previous research to copy down some of the most obscure and seemingly unrelated strange symbols and diagrams.
Mo Heng took the drawings. At first, his expression was relatively calm, but as he carefully flipped through them one by one, his brows furrowed more and more, and his face became more and more solemn, even... showing a hint of horror.
“This…this could be…” His fingers trembled slightly as he traced a complex, nebula-like core design on the blueprint, his voice hoarse, “‘Hun Tian Zhu Ji’…this long-lost forbidden mechanical technique actually exists…and it’s even recorded in a chess manual!”
"The Celestial Pivot?" Yi Xing caught the unfamiliar term and his heart stirred. "Mr. Mo, what is the purpose of this?"
Mo Heng took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, and said in a deep voice: "According to the records of the Mo Sect's incomplete scrolls, the 'Hun Tian Shu Ji' is not a single mechanism, but a kind of... giant device core that can attract and amplify the energy of heaven and earth. It is said that the complete 'Hun Tian Shu Ji' has the power to change the world, can mobilize the earth's veins, influence celestial phenomena, and even... open or close a certain 'channel'."
Pointing to the patterns on the blueprints, he explained, “Look at these lines; they’re not simple mechanical transmissions, but energy guiding paths. These symbols aren’t decorations either, but ancient runes used to bind and manipulate energy! The Tianyuan Strategy… isn’t a chess manual at all! It’s a design outline for an ultimate ancient energy mechanism disguised as a chess manual!”
The warm pavilion was silent, save for the gentle, flowing sound of Yang Yuhuan's pipa. Pei Qinhu's eyes widened; though he didn't quite understand, he knew the matter was serious. Yi Xing's face paled further; he hadn't expected the secret hidden in the *Tian Yuan Ce* to be so astonishing!
“Drawing upon the energy of heaven and earth…opening the passage…” Yi Xing murmured to himself, a chill rising from the depths of his heart. He recalled the increasingly clear buzzing sound from beneath the Wanghai Villa, and the mad ideology of “Ink of the Night” that controlled everything. “Could it be…that they intend to rebuild this ‘Celestial Pivot’ at the Wanghai Villa?!”
“Very likely!” Mo Heng said with certainty, his voice tinged with deep worry. “The predecessor of Wanghai Villa was a base for researching mechanisms and formations in the previous dynasty, possessing unique leyline nodes. If we use this as a foundation, combined with the blueprints in the ‘Tian Yuan Strategy,’ and the sinister technology mastered by ‘Youye Zhi Mo’… they are likely attempting to activate a scaled-down version, or… a distorted and modified ‘Hun Tian Chu Ji’! Their purpose… is probably far from benevolent!”
He pointed to a particularly sinister-looking variant of a rune marked with cinnabar on the blueprint, his voice trembling with fear: "Look here! This isn't the orthodox 'Hun Tian' rune, but a tampered 'Xu Jie' mark! What they want to open isn't some fairyland, but... to unleash destructive energy from the dark void! They want to use this power to forcibly cleanse everything that exists and establish their damned 'new order'!"
"When knowledge and power fall into the hands of madness, the treasures of civilization will become weapons of destruction; the flame of protection must be ignited into a prairie fire before darkness engulfs everything."
Yi Xing's voice trembled slightly, but more so with a resolute determination. These words profoundly revealed the double-edged nature of technology itself and called for responsibility and commitment.
The truth is far more terrifying than they imagined.
What the "Ink of the Night" desires is not power, nor wealth, but... destruction and reshaping! They intend to sacrifice the entire city of Chang'an, and even the wider world, to achieve their extreme and terrifying ideals!
"We must stop them!" Mo Heng suddenly stood up, his face filled with anxiety and determination. "Once the 'Gate of the Void Realm' is truly opened, the consequences will be unimaginable! It will be... a true apocalyptic scene!"
Yi Xing forced himself to calm down. He knew that panicking wouldn't solve anything at this moment. "Mr. Mo, if we want to stop them, where should we begin? What are the weaknesses of this 'Hun Tian Cardinal,' or rather, their modified 'Gate of the Void Realm'?"
Mo Heng paced back and forth in the courtyard, trying hard to recall the records in the sect's scriptures: "'The core of the Hun Tian Pivot' requires an extremely large and stable energy source, usually relying on the earth's veins. But judging from the changes on this blueprint, they seem to have... also combined it with some kind of evil magic, which may require... the essence of living beings or some kind of extremely yin and cold substance as a catalyst... 'Soul-Separating Grass'! That's right! 'Soul-Separating Grass' can not only be used to refine deadly poisons, but the yin energy it contains may be the key they use to pollute and distort the earth's vein energy, making it compatible with the 'Ruins Realm'!"
The clues have closed again! The "Soul-Separating Grass" is not only a tool for killing, but also a crucial component of their horrific plan!
"In other words, destroy their 'Soul-Separating Grass' cultivation base, or... sever their connection with the earth's veins, or... directly destroy that core device?" Yi Xing quickly summarized.
“Indeed! But every aspect is extremely difficult.” Mo Heng’s expression was solemn. “The area beneath that villa must be a den of dragons and tigers, riddled with traps and heavily guarded.”
Just then, a brother from Yaotian walked over quickly and whispered a few words in Pei Qinhu's ear. Pei Qinhu's expression changed, and he walked to Yixing's side and whispered, "Xing'er, I just received news that the Wu delegation has a few people dressed as 'craftsmen' who went to the West Market early this morning. It seems they are purchasing a large quantity of... special tools and materials for deep excavation and breaking through hard rocks."
A glint of light flashed in Yi Xing's eyes.
Zhou Yu and Sun Ce... their movements are so fast!
Moreover, the target is directly underground!
In this game surrounding the "Celestial Pivot," all parties are finally about to reveal their respective bargaining chips.
He raised his head and looked towards the east of the city, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of buildings.
The humming from underground seemed to grow closer and more urgent.
It's as if the countdown to the end of the world has already begun.
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