Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 123 The Money Sword, Thunderclap, an Unpayable Loan of Gratitude

call--!
In the vast East China Sea, a magnificent fleet consisting of more than ten large ships with a capacity of over 500 liters sailed northeast towards the sixty-six kingdoms of Yingzhou.

The flagship of the fleet, located in the center, is a massive five-masted sealed ship specifically used for official missions to tributary states.

It is 47 meters long, 12 meters wide, 16.5 meters deep, and has a draft of 4 meters. Even without the five masts, it has a height of 12.5 meters at sea, making it look like a small mountain when it sails on the sea.

This was the flagship of Luo Wenlong, the imperial envoy of the mission and a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat.

Wang Cheng, who was part of the entourage, was naturally also in the fleet and lived on the flagship, a five-masted sealed ship.

Although there was a slight mishap in the battle at the drill ground, Wang Fugui's reputation for sweeping away five seventh-rank officials in one fell swoop still spread throughout the various guard posts of Minzhou.

Even disregarding Wang Cheng's actual age, judging solely by the age of "Wang Fugui," a sixth-rank official who is not yet twenty is already quite outstanding.

Among the younger generation of hereditary officials in the garrison, they are extremely rare.

The fact that he only became a disciple of Zhi Suitang at the end of last year and began his Shinto practice made the officers and generals even more amazed.

Many people have given him serious nicknames: "The Second Genius of the Twenty-Four Guards" and "Awesome to Ghosts and Gods"!
It seems reasonable that her talent was only "enviable by gods and ghosts".

Wang Cheng, however, wanted to say: "Where in the world is there any genius? I just used the time others spent drinking tea to cling to Sister Axiao's leg."

So it's not that I'm jealous or frightened by ghosts and gods, but rather that they love me!

Capable people always have privileges. Wang Cheng has servants and a special cabin on this flagship. He can even go fishing when he has nothing to do. His conditions are much better than those of ordinary sailors.

The buoy in the sea trembled, and the fishing line suddenly tightened.

Standing on the edge of the deck, Wang Cheng, with his waist and body in perfect harmony, no longer needed to rely on any "turtle head and body" technique. He simply used his skillful strength to pull an ugly, black, white and green fish out of the sea.

Neigh!
The large fish struggled violently in the air, making loud neighing sounds, and most strangely, it had a long, ugly horse face.

It's quite rare to find a fish that's this ugly.

The busy sailors on the nearby boats all cast envious glances. Anyone with knowledge could tell that this was a vessel with physical characteristics that combined those of land and sea creatures, totaling 100,000 kinds of seafood!

Rare find: Ten thousand kinds of rare seafood - filefish
Value of goods: 280 incense money
Taboo: If you eat its flesh, you will only be able to say two phrases all day: "May you make a fortune at first sight" and "May the world be at peace." Eating peaches can cure this.

Besides the effect of replenishing vital energy with 100,000 kinds of seafood, if you can remove its bone and grind it into powder, collect ten portions and eat them, you will obtain the special skill: 'Frightening Ghost'.

A face alone can scare away all sorts of low-level ghosts, but it might also accidentally scare a living person to death.

Wang Cheng weighed the large fish in his hand with satisfaction.

"I no longer need to use the Qi Observation to determine the location of the 100,000 Sea Treasures."

By simply releasing a wisp of dragon energy and then using the combined abilities of Bai Shuilang and Chao Fenglang, one can easily lure willing individuals into the trap.

The offerings for sword practice are here again today. Not bad, not bad.

Following the fine tradition of anglers who catch fish, he carried the fish around the deck of the boat for a moment, and was about to return to the cabin when a voice of admiration rang out above him:

"Lord Wang is truly skilled at fishing. He has been able to catch a rare seafood worth 100,000 every day since he boarded the ship."

Jiang had met quite a few charlatans, but none could compare to Lord Wang. Truly worthy of the renowned 'Ghostly and Divine Astonishment'.

Wang Cheng looked up and saw a scholar in his early thirties, dressed in a blue robe, standing behind a door on the third floor of the ship building. He was exuding an air of refinement and held a yellowed scroll in his hand, smiling and bowing to him.

"So it's Vice Envoy Jiang. You flatter me. My skills are trivial and not worth mentioning. They can't compare to your profound knowledge as a scholar."

Having little interest in chatting with this "enemy," he returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute and went back to his cabin on his own.

After breaking through to the sixth rank, Wang Cheng's mind-eye could easily cover two five-masted sealed ships.

Scarcity can be effective wherever the senses can reach.

From the very first day of departure, he had a general understanding of everyone on board.

Jiang Zimin, Deputy Envoy of the Mission, Disciple of Grand Secretary Xu, and Rising Star of the Qingliu Party

Although they were far away in the East China Sea, the intense political struggle in the central government of Dazhao had already spread to this place.

Grand Secretary Yan, who supported Governor Hu Ruzhen's policy of appeasing pirates and limiting maritime trade, clashed sharply with Grand Secretary Xu, who strongly advocated maintaining the maritime ban.

The chief envoy of this delegation was from the Yan faction, while the deputy envoy was from the Xu faction, making the factional struggles in the court almost public.

Jiang Zimin watched Wang Cheng's departing figure, his eyes narrowing slightly:
"Yan is already old and frail. At the latest, the struggle for the position of Grand Secretary will be decided by next year."

Before the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, whether it was Hu Ruzhen, a high-ranking official of the second rank, Wang Zeng, the most powerful water collector of the time, Luo Wenlong of the Yan faction, or Wang Fugui, a fifth-rank officer, they were all just pawns crossing the river.

Previously, the fact that a member of the Han family clan, a "dragon's offspring," was able to stir up trouble in Minzhou was simply because he understood the rules and took advantage of the factional struggles to create such a big scene.

You people would be crushed to pieces if you were even hit by the aftershocks of the adults' fighting.

Moreover, with that secret concerning the Black Kirin Mao Haifeng, none of you will be able to return this time. The sea ban absolutely cannot be lifted! We, the Qingliu, say that even the Lord of the State cannot stop it.”

Back in his cabin, Wang Cheng pouted:
"As long as they can destroy their opponents, they don't care about sacrificing the interests of the country. Once the factional struggle begins, the signs of the dynasty's twilight are already evident."

I wonder how long the Mandate of Heaven that the Han family stole from the Zhu family can last? In any case, it's impossible for it to continue for sixteen emperors.

I wonder if that great reformer, skilled in governing the country but inept at self-preservation, who could turn the tide and extend the nation's life by sixty years, will ever have the chance to step onto the historical stage again.

However, Wang Cheng had no intention of getting involved in the fierce political struggle.

After all, neither the emperor nor the two sides in the current factional struggle are any good people, and the people would applaud whoever dies.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, my consciousness sank into the money eyes of the Four Seas Tongbao.

In front of the treasury of this small world, a golden toad altar for gathering treasures had already been set up.

Offerings included one deer lung, one black-boned chicken, one freshly caught pufferfish, 49 pieces of paper money, seven lamps, seven vases of flowers, seven bowls of steamed buns, seven bowls of fruit, one and two taels of sandalwood, and six taels of cloud incense.

A few days before his departure, Zhang Wen had already handed him the exquisite metal sword blank that he had personally forged overtime hours, and he began refining it that very day.

The sword blank was forged from a single piece, and according to the standard specifications of a flying sword, it was two feet and four inches long, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms, and was placed in a sandalwood sword box.

After six days of continuous refinement, the sword embryo was completely white, radiating a dazzling, sharp golden light. Just one glance at it was enough to bring tears to one's eyes.

It takes seven days to master the first level of the Five Emperors' Golden Coin Sword, and today is the last day.

Wang Cheng arranged the last batch of "Five Emperors Coins" around the sword embryo according to the five elements, and then breathed in front of the altar.

Chirp chirp chirp.
White light emanated from its mouth and nose, and equally agile sword light rose from the blade, leaping and tumbling like a swimming fish, sweeping away the surrounding offerings and coins.

The surface of the sword blank naturally develops coin-like patterns, as if forged, which run inch by inch along the spine of the sword.

I don’t know how long it took.

Clang——!
With a clear and melodious sword cry, the sword light on the altar shone brightly.

The Five Emperors Golden Coin Sword in the box automatically sprang up, transforming into a line of white-gold sword light that circled around Wang Cheng in the air, tearing sounds echoing wherever it passed.

Wang Cheng raised his hand and summoned the sword light, which then transformed back into an incomparably sharp divine sword.

Without needing to acquire it by chance, he instantly understood the many wonders of this precious sword simply through their natural spiritual connection.

"【Five Emperors' Coin Sword】Forged from coins, it is born to command ghosts and communicate with gods!"

It stirs up the greatest human desire—money—as if possessing the power of a demon or deity, with three wondrous aspects.

First, [Hundred-Step Flying Sword]:
The basic ability of various flying swords and leaping balls in this world, when at the middle level three, can fly more than a hundred steps away from the body, transforming into a rainbow and beheading the enemy with a single sword strike.

One can also use the sword light to protect oneself and fly close to the ground to escape.

Only those who cultivate to the highest level (top three ranks) and wield their swords with divine power can possibly ascend directly into the azure sky and travel a hundred miles in a single leap.

"Second, [Golden Coin Sword Qi]:"
It can transform every incense coin into a sharp golden sword aura.

In the case of rare and valuable goods, no matter how much a person's goods are worth, as long as one is willing to spend three times the amount of incense and offerings, one can surely break through the barrier!

The higher the level of the magic sword, the less it consumes.

With its foundation ranked first on the weapons list, this is truly a case of one's wealth subduing ten others.

The first two special skills were fairly normal.

But when Wang Cheng saw the third one, he inexplicably felt a tightness around his neck, as if a rope hanging from a street lamp was slowly tightening.

"Third, [Loan of Gratitude/Thunderbolt]: "
There was a conventional method for calculating the interest rate on loans made at exorbitant interest rates in the world at that time, which was called "nine out, thirteen back", which translates to a monthly interest rate of about 44.44%.

Under the exploitation of usurious profits, countless people were ruined and, in their hatred, cursed those money houses to be struck by lightning. Therefore, the people also called it "thunderbolt".

This unique skill comes from the gold coins of the first British Empire, the East Frankish Empire. With this sword in hand, you will be the sun on earth!
By placing the tip of a sword on someone's shoulders, completing a ceremony resembling the investiture of a knight by a king in Western countries, one can lend their 'favor' to the other party, including but not limited to: spiritual light, Taoist cultivation, unique skills, extraordinary arts, magical money, power, and other tangible and intangible things.

The other party must repay the debt monthly according to the "Nine Out, Thirteen Back" rule, or other interest agreed upon with the sword master. If the other party dies midway, all valuable items on their person will be used to settle the debt first.

If that is not enough, the debt will be repaid by the borrower's French and blood relatives respectively.

Once you obtain the 'Loan of Gratitude,' you've got it for life, and your descendants will never be able to repay it.

The more you lend out, the faster you become stronger.

Note: The more loans you complete, the more coins you absorb from the five great empires, and the stronger the Five Emperors' Money Sword becomes. You may even unlock the exclusive abilities of all five great empires in sequence, with unlimited potential.

Taboo: You can only lend money to weaker beings. Lending money to the strong is not a favor. The stronger the divine sword, the more money you lend, and the greater the probability of being struck by lightning!

(End of this chapter)