The four outer peaks, each with their various workshops.
The menial laborers were oxen, horses, and mules; the overseers were the landlord masters who drove them. Between them was another position, the inspector, who played the role of “house steward.”
To become an inspector meant no longer having to report for work on time each day. One also held a little petty power, enough to make things difficult for others.
It was, one might say, a fine position countless menial laborers dreamed of climbing into.
In the Quenching House alone, there were quite a few “old hands” who had completed twelve years yet still had not descended the mountain, signing another round of indenture contracts instead.
Every one of them watched eagerly, hoping to catch Yang Xun’s eye and be promoted.
There were even many menial laborers skilled at currying favor who, upon hearing that Yang Xun had lost his son, eagerly fawned over him, fantasizing about acknowledging him as a godfather in hopes of gaining his appreciation.
“How did that kid get ahead of us? Does he call him godfather more sweetly or something?”
“This makes no sense at all. In terms of seniority, how can he compare to me? I’ve worked diligently for Chiyan Peak for twenty years!”
“I saw that brat cozying up to Overseer Yang yesterday. Who knows what tricks he used!”
“Who would’ve thought? Brother Yi looks so honest and harmless, yet he got things done without making a sound…”
The many menial laborers hurrying to work looked at one another, all wearing expressions of shock. None of them had expected this outcome.
Especially He Laohun.
He was so aggrieved he wanted to beat his chest and stamp his feet. Everyone had been suffering as beasts of burden together—Brother Yi, how did you suddenly soar to success in one leap!
Could he still freeload meals, borrow money, and sponge off him in the future?!
“Greetings, Inspector Jiang!”
Among the menial laborers, there was never a shortage of sharp-eyed ones. Someone hurriedly rushed to shout first.
Even if they were ten thousand times unwilling and resentful, at this moment everyone still had to echo along:
“Inspector Jiang has always worked diligently. It is only right that the overseer promote him.”
“Overseer Yang has discerning eyes. Brother Yi truly deserves to be inspector…”
Jiang Yi still wore a genial smile. First, he cupped his fists toward the menial laborers, then received with both hands the verdigris token Yang Xun issued to him.
With this item, he would no longer need to go to the Labor Office to collect a tally before taking up work.
It could be considered a breath of relief, freeing him from the hardship of bodily labor.
“Begin work.”
Yang Xun’s face was as cold as iron, like a sinister man-eating mountain vulture.
Once he spoke, the menial laborers scattered like birds and beasts.
One after another, they came before the furnaces and began their preparations.
“Jiang Yi.”
“Here.”
Yang Xun instructed:
“From now on, you will preside over all matters large and small within the Quenching House. If the inner peak presses us on progress, that will also be left for you to resolve. You must ensure both quality and quantity, producing a full quota of usable bone materials.”
Jiang Yi acknowledged him. He knew this was the opportunity Yang Xun was giving him to “establish authority.”
In his previous life, his old leaders had often done the same: pick a “problem” that already had a solution, then publicly hand it over to him.
Others could not handle it, but the person by my side handled it beautifully!
That way, his promotion and reuse became perfectly justified, leaving no one with idle complaints!
“Under the Dao orthodoxies, the lineages of law rule the world. Cultivation is no longer merely fighting and killing…”
Jiang Yi accepted the order, then, according to the sequence of lighting the furnaces, explained one by one the improved refining process.
By using cold-water stone and gray phosphorus powder as catalysts, they could keep the firepower steady and better refine the impurities from the bone materials…
The more the many menial laborers listened, the more they felt this method was feasible. When they looked at Brother Yi, a trace of admiration appeared in their eyes.
A young person’s brain really was useful. They all worked day and night in the Quenching House—why had they not thought of it themselves!
When it was He Laohun’s turn, he stammered and changed his way of addressing him:
“Yi… Inspector Jiang…”
Jiang Yi laughed despite himself.
“Brother He, you should still call me ‘Brother Yi.’ It sounds better to my ears!”
He Laohun hesitated somewhat. He had stayed on Chiyan Peak for over twenty years and was close to completing two full terms.
He had seen quite a few menial laborers break free from their lot as beasts of burden and expendable materials. The first thing they did was cut ties.
They were often most unwilling for former coworkers to cozy up to them or invoke old friendships.
Toward He Laohun’s restraint, Jiang Yi seemed not to notice at all. He smiled at him and said:
“When work is over, let’s call everyone from the shared courtyard and go to Binghuo Cave for a meal!”
Immediately after, without waiting for He Laohun to react, he began personally teaching the other menial laborers how to spread the cold-water stone and scatter the gray phosphorus powder, and at what point the firepower would be high enough for them to pour on the quenching medicinal liquid.
They busied themselves for the entire morning, until Guanlan Peak’s bell rang once more.
The menial laborers filed out, scrambling to line up and return their tallies.
Inside the Quenching House, Yang Xun inspected the bone materials produced that day. Not only had their appearance and texture risen a level, the quantity had also increased.
This made him find Jiang Yi even more pleasing to the eye.
He truly was an outstanding talent!
“That secret formula of yours really is effective. Just now, I saw every one of the menial laborers praising it. Today’s work didn’t consume as much true qi as usual, and was much easier.”
Yang Xun ascended to the second floor, his expression looking very satisfied:
“I imagine that regarding your promotion to inspector, they won’t have much to quibble about either.”
Jiang Yi remained respectful as ever, his posture obedient:
“It is all thanks to the overseer’s appreciation and willingness to give me an opportunity.”
According to what the Heavenly Book had shown, this Overseer Yang’s temperament was actually not very good.
To put it plainly, he had a strong “fatherly airs” about him.
He most liked acting arbitrarily and arranging others’ lives.
Yet his son Yang Zhi had not suffered much hardship, and with factors such as losing his mother in childhood and falling in love with his stepmother, the reasons piled up one after another.
Naturally, whenever father and son met, they would clash, the smell of gunpowder thick between them.
But Jiang Yi did not care at all.
It was like a beast of burden who had once screwed bolts in an electronics factory encountering a domineering old grandfather who insisted on buying him a car and a house and arranging his future.
How could he possibly feel any rebellious urge? He would rather kneel on the spot and shout, “I have drifted half my life and never met a foster father!”
“Those words are pleasant to hear.”
Regardless of how much was true and how much false, Yang Xun felt comfortable inside. It had been a long time since he had felt so at ease.
“Who do you plan to have watch the workshop in your place?”
Jiang Yi replied:
“He Laohun. He’s an old face on Chiyan Peak, and he handles matters capably. He should be able to do it.”
Yang Xun slanted him a glance. His long face and hairless brows gave him a fierce look that made people afraid. He asked coldly:
“You child, you do value old ties. But he lives in the same work dormitory as you. If you give him a hand, aren’t you afraid others will gossip?”
Jiang Yi thought briefly, then chose his words and said:
“This boy is arrogant. I am determined to cultivate the Dao and resolved to become someone of worth. Becoming an inspector in the Quenching House is like all myriad Dao paths beginning with qi refinement—it is merely the first step outward.
“Some people only think of staying here their whole lives, while others yearn for the scenery at higher places.
“What do others’ judgments matter? So long as the overseer permits me to advance, I have nothing to fear.”
This spirit was not bad.
Yang Xun smacked his lips. Before he could speak, a pot of sweet-aftertaste vine tea had already been offered up.
Jiang Yi said softly:
“The Quenching House is scorching hot, and the dry heat is dense. I saw that the overseer rather liked this tea yesterday, so I took it upon myself to bring some again.”
Yang Xun sighed. If that stubborn son of his had even two-tenths of Jiang Yi’s sensibility, how would things have deteriorated to the point where they refused to see each other until death, with him ultimately perishing in the Hundred Beasts Grotto?
“I’ll teach you a principle. Making people find you pleasing to the eye and comfortable to be around is your ability, but don’t overdo it. You must grasp the degree.
“This old man’s term is almost up. I won’t be overseer for many more years. Have you ever thought about this: if you serve me too comfortably and I become unwilling to let you enter the inner sect, what then?”
Jiang Yi was slightly stunned.
Yang Xun continued:
“In the demonic Dao lineages, among every sect and school, there are merely rules to form boundaries. But if you peel away all those articles and regulations laid down by the big shots above, underneath it all, people are eating people.
“Your temperament and way of doing things are enough to be useful. But to become someone of worth—especially to become a great talent in the demonic Dao—you are still lacking somewhat.”
Jiang Yi had not expected Yang Xun to suddenly say such words, which carried quite a sense of heartfelt sincerity.
Before he could think of how to respond appropriately, the black-robed, fierce-looking old overseer with white beard and hair said again:
“However, you are still young. Some things you can slowly see for yourself, slowly ponder over, and then you will understand.
“Let us speak of the present first. In the outer peaks of Qianji Sect, every workshop has its place occupied.
“Now that you occupy the inspector’s position in the Quenching House, that group of menial laborers does not dare say much. But in the other two workshops of Chiyan Peak, someone will inevitably test your mettle.
“If you are easy to bully, then in the future, what ought to be allotted to you will naturally be short in weight and quantity, dealt with perfunctorily.
“You work in the Quenching House, so you should understand even better: for good material to become useful, fire refining alone is not enough. It must be ground and carved. It must be hammered!
“This old man will only say this much. The rest depends entirely on you.”
Jiang Yi’s heart tightened.
This feeling was very familiar.
In his previous life, when old leaders evaluated whether a “newcomer” drawing near and attaching himself to them was useful, and whether he had methods, this was precisely the attitude they took.
They would specifically take one matter and have you go settle it.
If you succeeded, they would cultivate you!
If you failed, you could go back to wherever you came from!
It seemed that becoming an inspector would be followed by no small trouble!
Jiang Yi bent forward and cupped his hands:
“I will keep the overseer’s teachings firmly in mind!”
…
…
“You didn’t see it! Brother Yi just walked right up in front of Old Yang, all bold and swaggering, received the token, and became an inspector!”
In the shared courtyard, He Laohun’s tone was excited as he vividly recounted the “great event” that had happened in the Quenching House to Widow Qin and Old Li’s family.
Old Li said dryly:
“Brother Yi really has ability!”
In his view, an inspector did not have to bitterly work every day, and could still receive four or five thousand talisman coins a month.
It was simply a beast of burden turning over a new leaf!
“Isn’t that so? I long saw that Brother Yi was no creature meant for a pond. He never should’ve been entangled with Little Lady Luo!”
He Laohun’s spittle flew everywhere. Widow Qin dodged aside in disdain and looked toward the courtyard gate:
“Where is Brother Yi? This is a joyous event as big as the heavens, so why haven’t we seen him?”
He Laohun’s tone was complicated, sour with envy:
“A new official taking office has many social obligations! When I got off work and returned my tally, I already heard that Zhang San from the Engraving House and Dong Si from the Forging House both wanted to invite Brother Yi to a meal!”
Widow Qin shot him a sidelong glare and said irritably:
“Didn’t you just say that Brother Yi called us to Binghuo Cave? Since he said so, how could he go back on his word!”
He Laohun said gloomily:
“That’s hard to say. Sister Qin, have you ever seen a phoenix fly out of a chicken coop and still be willing to land back in it?
“Even if Brother Yi really does invite us to eat, I’m afraid it’ll be a farewell meal.”
Once these words came out, the shared courtyard immediately fell silent.
“If we’re not going to Binghuo Cave, then we should start the fire early…”
Old Li’s wife broke the silence. No matter whether Brother Yi was good or bad, whether he was walking upward or flowing downward, life still had to go on, and meals still had to be eaten.
Before she could rise, footsteps sounded outside the shared courtyard.
Jiang Yi, wrapped in a cotton Daoist robe, stepped over the threshold and called out:
“Brother He, Sister Qin, and Brother Li, Sister-in-law Li! I just went to Binghuo Cave and reserved seats. The waiter said we’re lucky today—they got hold of two spirit fowls, flower-tailed hazel grouse!
“One will be stewed, the other roasted. They’re both prepared already. Let’s hurry over!”
Everyone sitting in the courtyard was dazed. First they stared blankly at Jiang Yi, then looked at one another, and burst into loud laughter.
Brother Yi was still that same Brother Yi!
…
…
In the B-rank work dormitory, inside a large tiled house.
Crash!
A delicate porcelain cup shattered to pieces!
“Still wet behind the ears, yet after becoming an inspector, he’s already putting on airs! If one day he becomes an overseer, won’t his tail stick straight up to the heavens!”
The person cursing angrily had a dark, rough face and disheveled hair. His manner was coarse and fierce; one look was enough to tell he was not someone easy to provoke.
“Brother Dong, why get angry? He offered up a secret formula of great use. Among Chiyan Peak’s three workshops, who doesn’t owe him some goodwill?”
The other person’s eyes were bright, his brows parted like the character 八. Compared to the rough man opposite him, he appeared rather dignified.
“Put yourself in his place. If you were promoted by an overseer to inspector at seventeen or eighteen years of age, what would you do? A bit of youthful arrogance is normal.”
The two of them occupied a square table. A copper pot had been set atop it, with a charcoal stove burning beneath, sending up waves of heat. Milky-white broth bubbled and gurgled.
The dark-faced man was called Dong Ba, the inspector of the Forging House.
The dignified-looking man was called Zhang Chao, the inspector of the Engraving House.
Both of them were the sort who could squeeze piss out of a toad, absolutely no good people.
Thus, the menial laborers called them “neither three nor four, troublesome little ghosts.”
“I heard it with my own ears. Overseer Tang praised that Brother Yi, saying that the bone materials from the Quenching House were much better in quality than before, more convenient to engrave, and sufficient to answer the inner peak’s demands.”
Zhang Chao picked up slices of beef and mutton, swished them a few times through the boiling water in the copper pot, then placed them into his mouth.
“At the end of the day, we are doing work for the overseers. How many talisman coins is face worth? Brother Dong, calm your fire.
“There will be plenty of days dealing with him later. If we want to deal with him, there is no need to rush.”
Before ascending the mountain, Dong Ba had once been a mounted bandit and highway robber, so naturally he had no good temper.
Because his stockade had been exterminated and he was wanted by the authorities, he simply shaved his head and became a monk. In the end, through a strange twist of fate, he was sent to Qianji Sect.
“Third Brother Zhang speaks reasonably. I just can’t stand that surnamed Jiang putting on airs. He picked up some secret formula from a broken book and was lifted up by Overseer Yang, and now he really thinks he has some great ability!”
Zhang Chao laughed.
“Eat meat, eat meat! Let’s not talk about him. It spoils the mood!”
Dong Ba and Zhang Chao had known each other for many years. The two colluded in wickedness and had earned no small amount of benefits from Chiyan Peak’s menial laborers.
His pair of small eyes rolled, and he leaned closer to ask:
“Third Brother Zhang, you have the most ideas. Do you already have a way to straighten out that surnamed Jiang?”
Zhang Chao smiled without speaking. Seeing this, Dong Ba offered him several cups of wine in succession.
When the atmosphere was right, Zhang Chao slowly opened his mouth:
“Brother Dong, you and I both understand that inspectors can skim profits. Whether those menial laborers toil themselves half to death for four hours in vain or not depends entirely on what we say.
“In past years, the inspector position in the Quenching House was vacant, so it was equivalent to us taking an extra share for free. Now that Brother Yi has risen into that position, we will have to divide out a portion.”
Dong Ba nodded. This was precisely where his resentment lay.
In the past, he could earn an extra ten thousand or eight thousand talisman coins every two or three months. Now part of it had to be deducted.
Was that not the same as taking it out of his own pocket!
Zhang Chao chewed the scalded meat slices and grinned.
“Since the rules are like this, Brother Dong, we need not be stingy either.
“If Brother Yi is willing to accept it, that would be best. Everyone can make money in harmony and avoid extra trouble.”
Dong Ba heard the meaning behind his words and looked toward Zhang Chao, whose expression was obscured by the steam from the copper pot.
“Third Brother Zhang, what if he doesn’t know what’s good for him?”
Zhang Chao spat onto the ground, spitting out the chewed-up meat in his mouth.
“This flavor isn’t right! Could the cooks of Shenghe Cave be using rotten meat to fool me!”
After cursing, he then said:
“If he refuses the toast only to drink the punishment wine, then this elder brother has at least nine ways to cripple him!”
On Qianji Sect’s outer peaks, being crippled was more frightening than death.
Even if one’s hands or feet were broken, so long as the twelve-year term was not complete, one still had to continue working.
If one was absent from work and delayed tasks, talisman coins would be deducted.
Once one’s savings were exhausted and one still owed money, bearing Qianji Sect’s debt,
one could use one’s own bones, flesh, and skin to pay it off!
“Third Brother Zhang’s methods are both high and hard! How could that surnamed Jiang possibly contend with you!”
Dong Ba had always been narrow-minded, so he asked again:
“Third Brother, today he made the two of us lose face. Is there any way to also knock down his arrogance a little?”
Zhang Chao said lightly:
“That is simple. I heard Brother Yi is infatuated with Little Lady Luo from Sewing Peak. As it happens, I have dealings with Overseer Zhou of the Washing House.
“Another day, once we find out where he often eats, the two of us will host a table and invite Overseer Zhou over!
“Haha, we’ll let him watch with his own eyes as the fairy in his heart rests in another man’s embrace…”
Dong Ba hissed softly, then raised his porcelain cup again.
“Third Brother Zhang, what a brilliant move! No matter how arrogant a youth he is, what right does an inspector have to put on airs before an overseer! When the time comes, you and I will call him over to toast Overseer Zhou!
“We’ll take a good look at his expression. Hahahaha, just thinking about it feels satisfying!”
The two drank wine and ate meat, their complacent laughter blocked by the thick curtain.
Outside the tiled house, cold surged fiercely, blowing snowflakes like cotton batting. Instead, it made the inside seem even warmer and more flavorful.
In the courtyard, there were two more shrinking figures, wrapped in drab gray Daoist robes, chopping firewood and tending the fire.
Only after they were summoned could they go inside in turns to warm wine, slice meat, and perform miscellaneous serving tasks.
From behind the thick curtain, mocking voices faintly emerged:
“This bunch of menial laborers only know how to bury their heads and suffer. How can they compare to us, eating meat and drinking wine? How delightful!”
“Exactly, exactly! Come, come, Third Brother Zhang, this little brother offers you a cup!”
The undisguised mocking voices drifted and floated. Before they had gone far, they were torn apart by the wind and snow.