Chapter 524
But after a moment, a hint of bitterness crossed her face as she shook her head and said, "Improving the craft... I'm afraid this is beyond my capabilities. If it delays the important matters of the sect..."
Zheng Fa chuckled, trying to reassure her. "Of course, we won't let you, Xuanhua, fight this battle alone. We shouldn't take too big a step at the beginning. Sister Zhang and I plan to start with six industries."
"Six?"
Zheng Fa turned a page of the document and pointed to the text. "Yes, six."
"The first, of course, is the production line for spiritual talismans, primarily focused on talismans. This is a strong suit of our Jiu Shan Sect, especially the talismans themselves, which are unique to us. The future direction is to manufacture a wider variety of talismans."
Madam Xuanhua's expression was a bit strange.
Zheng Fa was aware that this was a bold statement:
Researching more types of talismans (×)
Extracting blood from other demonic sect disciples (√)
Now that the Grand Freedom Demon Ancestor was finished, talismans made from the blood of Grand Freedom Demon Sect disciples were no longer a hidden danger.
In fact, Zheng Fa was no longer particularly wary of other demon ancestors.
Or rather, being wary was pointless; as one of the six sects, Jiu Shan Sect was bound to be a thorn in the side of those demon ancestors...
It was better to boldly pursue research.
Of course, there were improvements to be made in the talisman-making process itself.
Seeing that Madam Xuanhua understood, Zheng Fa continued, "The second is the production of external elixirs. This shouldn't be difficult for you, Madam."
Madam Xuanhua nodded slowly.
Jiu Shan Sect's external elixirs had gained some reputation and were quite profitable.
It made perfect sense for it to be one of the six industries Zheng Fa had planned.
"And another is the production of spiritual tools, like the Shenxiao Flying Boat. The demand for this in the future should be enormous, and there’s room for improvement."
He hadn’t forgotten his ambition to develop maritime trade routes.
"These two industries currently require a large number of cultivators and will be established on the Nine Islands of the Heavenly Palace," Zheng Fa continued. "The other three industries, however, will primarily be based in the mortal realm."
"The mortal realm?"
"Yes, the mortal realm. These three industries are food processing, textiles, and spiritual ore mining."
Seeing her confusion, Zheng Fa patiently explained, "Our agriculture in Jiu Shan Sect is unique, and with the new silkworm breeds developed by Ancestor Blood River and others, food processing and textiles are essential to the lives of all Jiu Shan people. These two industries are foundational."
"Spiritual ore mining is also important; there are plenty of spiritual ores in the mortal realm of Jiu Shan, and there should be some market in the Xuanwei realm as well."
"Recently, Sister Zhang has been inspecting the realm, verifying the accuracy of the data on our mortal resources. Once she returns, we can start the factories."
"Factories?"
"My idea is to use machines to replace manual labor, just like the Shenxiao Flying Boat."
In Zheng Fa's view, the utility of the simple Golden Elixir was immense.
Supplying only the Shenxiao Flying Boat was a waste.
Industries like food processing, textiles, and mining didn’t even require many cultivators; with the help of the simple Golden Elixir, production efficiency could be increased a thousandfold.
However, Madam Xuanhua frowned, taking a long time before saying, "These factories will need machines... I'm afraid we still need to research this further."
It was clear she lacked confidence.
But Zheng Fa was overly confident—
Did this really need research?
I’ll just bring you into the modern age!
"Leave this to me."
Zheng Fa's words made the troubled look on Madam Xuanhua's face vanish instantly. She nodded and said, "So, the most important thing is still the three industries on the Nine Islands of the Heavenly Palace?"
"Exactly. The industries in the mortal realm rely on the simple Golden Elixir and the production of spiritual tools."
"Starting with the simplest spiritual tools will also help us train a batch of qualified workers."
After hearing this, Madam Xuanhua put away the documents on the table and said to Zheng Fa, "I need to go back and take a look at this; I might not understand some parts..."
"This isn't urgent," Zheng Fa reassured her. "We need to wait for Sister Zhang to return, and some machine designs will take time. If you have any questions later, feel free to ask me."
Madam Xuanhua nodded, turning to look at Xiao Yuying. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuying, who had been quietly listening, stood up and said to Zheng Fa, "Come with me."
"!"
Madam Xuanhua's eyes widened. I didn’t even avoid you just now, so why are you brushing me off now?
But at that moment, Xiao Yuying truly seemed to be turning her back on her. She looked at Zheng Fa with a determined expression.
Zheng Fa, puzzled by her sudden change, nodded to Madam Xuanhua and followed Xiao Yuying to her home.
Xiao Yuying led the way, guiding Zheng Fa into the main hall.
As soon as they entered, a flash of light from her hand revealed a magical screen that stood at the entrance, blocking the view of anyone outside.
"With this, no one can hear or see us," Xiao Yuying said softly.
"Xiao Fairy?"
"I have something to ask you."
"…Do I have to answer?"
"If you refuse, I just want to leave Jiu Shan Sect. Whether you want me to swear a great oath of heart demons or erase my memories, I’m fine with either."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuying's expression was extremely serious, and her words were resolute.
Zheng Fa hadn’t anticipated that as Madam Xuanhua drew closer to Jiu Shan Sect, Xiao Yuying seemed to be drifting further away.
"…Xiao Fairy, go ahead and ask."
"What kind of Jiu Shan Sect do you want?" Xiao Yuying asked as if she had pondered for a long time. "Or rather, what kind of Xuanwei realm do you envision?"
Before Zheng Fa could respond, Xiao Yuying continued, "Do you realize that by doing this... you are making enemies of all cultivators? Your path may be more dangerous than that of the Tianhe Venerable."
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 399: Heartfelt Conversations, A Desire to Depart
Zheng Fa looked at Xiao Yuying, who stood before the magical screen, gazing at him intently. Her eyes, though not sharp, were exceptionally clear, as if she could see through everything.
On the screen, a jade-colored fawn appeared, partially hidden among the mountains, side-on to the two, as if it were about to venture into the rolling hills.
Seeing Zheng Fa silent, Xiao Yuying pressed on with her questioning: "Though the Tianhe Venerable is a taboo among the five sects of Xuanwei, your current actions are actually offending all cultivators... Others may not know, but do you really not understand?"
"I’ve seen quite a few records about the past and consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about Xuanwei's history..." Xiao Yuying, who was usually extremely confident, even arrogant, now seemed a bit fearful. "What you are doing... has never been dared by anyone throughout history. No, not even thought of."
Zheng Fa finally understood why, after entering Jiu Shan Sect, Xiao Yuying had been cooperating with him but had gradually distanced herself, even to the point of wanting to leave.
He had thought it was because she was proud of her background and reluctant to pledge allegiance to Jiu Shan Sect too soon.
Now it seemed that Xiao Yuying had been observing coldly, as if she had seen through him and the current state of Jiu Shan Sect.
He had believed that Sister Zhang might understand his ideas a bit, and others might have some guesses, but no one saw as far or as deeply as Xiao Yuying did.
In a nutshell, Xiao Yuying's words meant... Zheng Fa had betrayed the cultivator class!
This point might even be lost on Sister Zhang.
"Xiao Fairy, I’ve always thought of you as a historian... I didn’t expect your vision to be so far-reaching..."
"What are you really thinking?" Xiao Yuying said, her tone growing impatient, as if she wanted to scold Zheng Fa. "You’re working on the 'Golden Elixir Project,' and I could still say you’re doing it for your own advancement."
"But what are you doing now?"
"Simplifying the cultivation methods and spreading them widely, even teaching the methods of crafting spiritual tools to mortals... If it stopped there, it would be one thing."
"But what does this line of thinking lead to in the end? Do you understand?"
"It means everyone can learn the theory of cultivation!"
"It means all cultivation techniques will either be eliminated or become worthless!"
"It means cultivators will no longer be exalted but will have to work for mortals!"
"Which cultivator can accept that?"
"Which sect can tolerate it?"
Xiao Yuying's words came faster and faster, her voice rising higher: "Zheng Fa, with your talent and such high potential, why do you want to become the enemy of all cultivators?"
Xiao Yuying looked extremely anxious, while Zheng Fa's smile only grew more pronounced.
"What's so funny?"
Zheng Fa clasped his hands together and said, "I’m just grateful to you, Xiao Fairy, for your concern."
He truly hadn’t expected that not only was Xiao Yuying gifted in lightning techniques, but her insights into many matters were also exceptionally profound. Her impatience now was, in fact, a sign of her goodwill.
"You should understand... with your current achievements and talents, if you abandon this path and ally with one of the five sects, while you may not have the same status and reputation, you wouldn’t be cutting yourself off from the Xuanwei cultivators."
Zheng Fa remained silent, not rejecting her, but that silence was a form of resistance.
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