Otherworld Advance Team -
Chapter 1534 - 1527: Hidden Circumstances
Chapter 1534: Chapter 1527: Hidden Circumstances
"To aspire to establish a sect in Kyushu is akin to scaling the heavens; hence I had no choice but to seek the next best thing. Under the pretense of joining the Military Armament Department in Fengyu, I broke free from familial constraints and came here." Dongliang Yu spoke with a hint of sigh.
"So that is the case. Sect Master served as the Duwei of the Military Armament Department in Fengyu because of such reasons." Cheng Ziang commented.
"As long as I could escape that oppressive environment, whether as Sect Master or Duwei, it didn’t really matter to me," Dongliang Yu said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Is the pressure in Kyushu really that immense?" Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but inquire with curiosity.
"It’s the same everywhere in Kyushu," Dongliang Yu replied with a smile and an indifferent expression, "Back then, the Sects in Kyushu were locked in battle, and the powerful families were at odds with each other. Although order stabilized after the formation of the Heavenly Dynasty, the days for our Wu Family became increasingly difficult."
"Why is that?"
"It’s all because of those people in the Imperial Court, those Civil Officials who hold supreme power without any true scholarship." Dongliang Yu said.
"Without any true scholarship..." Upon hearing this, Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but snicker inadvertently.
Because from their perspective, it was the Cultivators who lacked scholarship, whereas the Civil Officials in the Imperial Court were in fact learned individuals with abundant knowledge.
"So now, in Kyushu, both Sects and the powerful families are actually suppressed by the Civil Officials of the Imperial Court?" Cheng Ziang asked tentatively.
"Yes," Dongliang Yu nodded, "They set a multitude of rules, and anyone who violates them is dealt with accordingly. These haphazard regulations bind not only the Sects but also the Nobility. It’s strange when you think about it, even though everyone has the capacity to resist, they still remain bound by these rules—odd, isn’t it?"
"Rules are made to be followed and enforced, not to be broken, just as a sword is forged not to be snapped in half." Cheng Ziang said.
"Do you think so too?" Dongliang Yu asked with a sigh.
"I always feel that we need to analyze specific problems specifically. If Civil Officials can use this method against you all, surely you can use the same approach against them, can’t you?" Cheng Ziang looked at Dongliang Yu, and even though he couldn’t see Cheng Ziang’s expression, he could sense his gaze.
"This is a fair point..." Not sure if it was a concession, Dongliang Yu nodded slightly, closing off the topic.
"I have a question I want to ask the Sect Master." Seeing Dongliang Yu end the topic with silence, Cheng Ziang decided to start a new one.
"Feel free to ask," Dongliang Yu nodded.
"How does the Dongliang family regard the establishment of the Wuyun Sect here? Are they willing to support your establishment of the sect?" Cheng Ziang inquired.
"If they had approved, I wouldn’t have specifically come to Fengyu to take on the Duwei position," Dongliang Yu said with a smile.
"Given that, how did you manage to establish the Wuyun Sect without any backing or support? Judging from the current situation, the financial cost of setting up the sect must not be small, right?" Cheng Ziang asked, tilting his head.
"What are you trying to say?" Hearing his words, Dongliang Yu’s face suddenly turned somber as he asked with a stern look.
"Oh, I was just curious and wanted to ask," Cheng Ziang waved his hand and spoke in an unhurried manner, "Although the path to success can’t be replicated, listening to the advice of successful individuals can always add some wealth to one’s own life."
The more he found himself in such situations, the more Cheng Ziang felt the utility of the mask on his face, for it perfectly concealed his features, preventing any giveaway of his expression when he posed these questions.
"Hehe..." Dongliang Yu thought for a moment, a smile suddenly spreading back across his face that had been strained a moment ago, and, shaking his head gently, he said, "To be honest, the Wuyun Sect was built up bit by bit, and it certainly didn’t start off this large."
"Really," Cheng Ziang nodded with understanding, turning to look at the outer disciple’s lined up with lanterns, saying involuntarily, "It is clear to see, these outer disciples of the Wuyun Sect, each one of them is a formidable hand, although not Cultivators, they are beyond the reach of ordinary people."
"After all, the daily tasks and combat of the Sects all need to be maintained by them," Dongliang Yu said with a smile.
For some reason, even though Dongliang Yu seemed very sincere, Cheng Ziang always felt that he was intentionally hiding something. The establishment of the Wuyun Sect was certainly not as simple as he described, but carried a deeper meaning.
As for what that was, Cheng Ziang had yet to find out. He needed to observe more to glean further clues.
Having arrived at the Wuyun Sect at night, the Sect was lit with lanterns and bonfires. Cheng Ziang outlined the contours of the buildings in his mind by the light, while internally calculating the cost of fuel for these lights to burn all night.
In the feudal era, there wasn’t much nightlife to speak of, apart from the few night markets. Most cities practiced curfew, casting the entire city into pitch black silence.
The reason for this was the low productivity of the feudal era, insufficient to support a night-time lighting system.
Do not underestimate the significance of these simple candles; in the feudal era, most commoners couldn’t afford such lighting, and come nightfall, they could only fumble around in the dark to sleep. This is why the idiom "Chisel Wall and Steal Light" could become celebrated in later generations, a symbol of students’ perseverance in their studies.
Although the Otherworld and Earth had different environments, any feudal era would have similar levels of productivity. Moreover, the most important point is that the East Continent, unlike the Western Continent, had not widely adopted the Magic Crystal lighting system and still relied on traditional means such as candles and bonfires.
Hence, the observant Cheng Ziang noted this and, from his observations, inferred that the Wuyun Sect being able to light so many candles and bonfires signified considerable wealth—evidently, they had collected substantial funds from the townspeople and traders of Bianzhen Town over the years.
Dongliang Yu did not notice his intention but enthusiastically invited him to a banquet in the living room. Unlike the Ghost Race, who bowed their heads and ate quietly, Cheng Ziang was relatively more familiar with the banquet culture of Fengyu and even Kyushu.
However, they wore masks and made clear they couldn’t easily remove them. Dongliang Yu understood and decided to pack the food to their room for them to enjoy by themselves, whereas, here, he merely needed to accompany the host, Dongliang, for a few drinks.
The drinks provided by Dongliang Yu were typical fermented wines, rich, mellow, and sweet—different from the pungency of distilled spirits. This type of wine was common in the Otherworld, whether in the East Continent or the Western Continent, they preferred fermented wine. Although some preferred Earth’s distilled spirits and beer, due to the expensive cost, most common folks more often consumed locally produced liquor.
While drinking, Cheng Ziang also paid attention to his surroundings, noting that the furniture and meals were beyond the means of an ordinary family. He would occasionally ask about the prices out of curiosity, meanwhile calculating the total value of these assets in his mind, to estimate the overall wealth of the Wuyun Sect.
After a few drinks, Dongliang Yu had someone show them to their guest room to rest. After closing the door, looking at the sumptuous food and drink on the table, Feng was already famished to the point of collapse but still dared not to act impulsively, instead, she looked at Cheng Ziang with longing eyes.
"Go on and eat," Cheng Ziang said, finally taking off the mask that he had worn all day, using a towel to wipe the grease and sweat from his face.
"The Wuyun Sect isn’t as simple as I thought," Cheng Ziang sat across from Feng, watching her gobble down the food and muttered to himself.
Feng certainly could not provide any analytical results for him, but he didn’t care and merely wanted to speak aloud his thoughts. Since they were speaking in Tasta, there was no need to worry about eavesdroppers, so he did not deliberately lower his voice.
"Mhm, mhm!" Feng nodded vigorously upon hearing Cheng Ziang’s words, her mouth full of food letting out indistinct noises.
"Eat slowly, no need to reply to me, I just wanted to speak my thoughts to someone," Cheng Ziang said, amused by her cute appearance and couldn’t help laughing.
But soon, his smile faded, and he lapsed into deep thought. He was eager for dawn to arrive, for there were many tasks waiting for him, and he was too keen to verify his own conjectures.
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