Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 173 The Zhang Brothers: Inventors of the World's First Flintlock Gun!
Boom!

A thunderbolt struck overhead.

Wang Cheng leaped into the air and transformed into a winding dragon seven or eight zhang long, its entire body azure, complete with scales and claws, exuding divine might.

This caused the sailors, merchants, and passengers behind them, who already knew it was a misunderstanding, to gasp in surprise once again.
"It's Commander Wang, the Ghostly and Divine Commander of Zhenhai Guard! The rumors are true, he actually turned into a dragon! Just how powerful must this man be?"

Those with more knowledge felt a sense of pride and said:

"That day I witnessed Lord Wang and the second Prince Jinghai together kill Mao Haifeng. His [Overseas Star-Traversing Technique] and [Thirty-Six Paths of Thunder God's Cloak Mace] were both the signature skills of the Prince Jinghai back then."

Although there are many people in the East China Sea, very few can truly master the art. Commander Wang is even better at it than the second-generation Prince Jinghai.

If it weren't for Commander Wang's impeccable background, outsiders would have thought this man was the illegitimate son of the Prince of Jinghai.

"That's right. It is said that even the second-generation Prince Jinghai praised him for being very similar to Prince Jing. If the old prince were to be reborn, he would definitely take him as his successor."

He also said that Wang had done a great favor for the Wang family, and if they weren't both officials in the same court, they would have loved to become sworn brothers with him.

“I think that in the future when we travel the Yuegang-Pinghu route, we should ask the Qingyi Ship Escort Agency to escort us, raise the Five Peaks Flag, and head straight to the East Sea Kingdom along the route that the Zhenhai General and Daohai General regularly clear.”

This journey will definitely be smooth and safe.

Those people who specialize in running routes between Fuyu, Luzon, Manila, and the Spice Islands should just envy us.

Among them were a few women whose voices, weathered by the wind and sun at sea, suddenly drowned out the others' chatter, surprisingly bold and outspoken:

"Commander Wang! The officialdom is dangerous. If you're not doing well in the navy, feel free to come to Changfeng Trading Company and find me, Hong Lingyan."

"I'll take care of you then!"

"Come work as a manager at my Datong Money Shop. You won't have to do any work or suffer any hardship. Just go wherever I go, day or night."

The beginning was alright, but what came later was simply a case of the senior brother being right.

His model really has a large market.

Shen Yueye pouted in dissatisfaction upon hearing this:

"Tch, if my own junior brother needs money, I'll naturally take care of it."

He paused halfway through his sentence, then suddenly remembered that the Shen family's money and treasure bowl were all kept by his elderly father, so he continued:
“I’m using my father’s money to support you, how could it be your turn, you old women?”

Like a nimble swift, she leaped onto the dragon's back, sitting sideways on his body with her legs together.

The silver bells on her feet made a pleasant "jingling" sound.

Since Wang Cheng put it on her, she hasn't taken it off for the past few days.

In her view, this silver bell, though not valuable, held extraordinary significance.

In Bharata, where Buddhism originated, and in the Western Regions, which were deeply influenced by it, men giving women gold and silver anklets meant "locking in a bond in this life, to meet again in the next."

No one in this world has ever found the so-called underworld. She had always scorned such things in the past, but this time she took it seriously.

At this moment, the bookworm spirit that had been timidly following behind them also tried to jump up, but Wang Cheng quickly flattened it with a copy of "The Dancer's Tears," tucked it between the pages, and threw it back into the money box.

The evil spirit on the other end of the money box took it out again, shook it on the ground, and turned it into its personal secretary.

The outdoor exercise time is over, but this disrespectful spirit still has to work overtime for his master, traversing the vast sea of ​​documents and cooperating with "harmonizing yin and yang" to create tables.

"Lord Luo, Lord Li, this humble official takes his leave!"

Wang Cheng bid farewell to his two superiors, then suddenly shot towards the fleet that was waiting for him, creating a cloud of mist.

Luo Wenlong and Li Jingjiang then realized that this wealthy brother was far more capable than a simple impoverished centurion; what they had seen was probably just the tip of the iceberg.

"This time, Brother Fugui was dressed in a qilin robe, which pleased the emperor and brought him great prestige through his association with Prince Jinghai."

When he returns to Zhenhaiwei, Xing Baichuan, the commander of that faction of upright officials, is likely to be in for a rough time.

"It's a pity we have to return to the capital first, so we won't be able to see what Xing Baichuan and Wang Bengu's expressions will be like when they lift a rock only to drop it on their own feet. But just thinking about it is enough to make us drink a lot!"

"Well said. My wife is an excellent cook. Brother Li, how about we have a drink together?"

"Haha, I'll gladly accept your offer."

Li Jingjiang followed them back to the cabin, unaware that Luo Wenlong and Wang Fugui had received a secret order. Although more than half of the treasures in the Luo family's treasury were gone, they had gained two more Five Temples Divine Treasure Flowers!
One is a "liver flower," and the other is a "kidney flower." Although they both look like they've lost a lot of moisture and are a bit withered and droopy, they are both genuine elixirs of immortality.

In addition to the [Heart Flower] which was already in the hands of the Lu family and Wang Fugui and was not yet mature, Emperor Daojun had obtained three of the five flowers he had been longing for.

Overjoyed, the emperor knew that if their official ranks were even slightly higher, their future prospects would be far greater than what they had achieved.

Wang Cheng's idea was quite simple.

He knew from the beginning that this thing had significant side effects, and he also knew that the emperor would not personally consume the first elixir of immortality that was ever refined.

He was simply enjoying the spectacle and wanted to see what the side effects would be after collecting all five [Five Temples Divine Treasure Flowers] and combining them into a pill.

Whoosh-!
Halfway there, Wang Cheng carried his senior sister on his back when the damselfish spirit Gulu Gulu, who was in charge of managing the underwater seaweed fields, came to greet them with her aunts and uncles.

It has been several months since I last came here.

He learned from the damselfish that many monkey brain sea urchins from other places have now migrated to this seaweed field, and the small sea urchins left behind have matured and are all waiting for him to harvest them.

Wang Cheng extended his dragon claw and casually pointed at the damselfish spirit, turning it completely into his guardian spirit.

Not only did it randomly activate a demonic power called "Fish Herding," allowing it to spread its beliefs widely in the ocean and draw upon the incense offerings and prayers of any sentient being.

I also learned some very useful vegetable-growing skills from it. Anyway, wherever Chinese people go, they always start by growing vegetables; it's always good to have more skills.

Only then did he land on the flagship [Qingyi] and transform back into human form.

"Big ship's bow!"

Wang Cheng waved ahead, signaling most of the people who had come to greet him to return to their posts, and walked straight to Zhang Wu, the deputy captain, who was standing in front of a Dharma altar in the center of the deck.

The man was emaciated with dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he was about to die from exhaustion, yet he kept grinding tofu with a dazed expression, as if he hadn't noticed Wang Cheng's arrival at all.

"If you can't do 500 rotations of the millstone in one go, then strike the blacksmith 1200 times!"

"If you can't hammer the iron 1200 times, then wipe the deck 2000 times!"

"If you can't wipe the deck 2000 times, then swing the oars 2500 times."

Today is April, the month of the rising sun, and the third pentad of the Summer Solstice solar term is "Wang Gua Sheng" (王瓜生). The Wang Gua is red, signifying the peak of Yang energy.

Zhang Wu wasn't simply torturing himself at this moment; he was actually conducting a promotion ceremony for the "hard-working and enduring" officials of the water service [salt workers].

The Salt People, born in the Salt-Making Household, live in extremely harsh conditions.

Prolonged exposure to intense heat, high salt, high humidity, and high corrosiveness can cause salt brine vapor to corrode the eyes, and the brine can also lead to chapped and ulcerated hands and feet.
Therefore, their advancement in rituals requires them to undergo various extreme survival challenges.

Previous generations summarized eight branches: crossing a desert without supplies and enduring thirst; surviving on a deserted island without any water or food and enduring loneliness; and challenging snow-covered, treacherous peaks naked and enduring extreme cold.
Zhang Wu chose the most arduous yet cheapest path—enduring extreme suffering.

No valuable offerings, wealth, catches, or external conditions are needed; all that is required is to abstain from food and water and engage in various high-intensity exercises and labor without sleep.

The longer you persist, the better.

Thanks to his innate "forgetful fate", he has persisted for three and a half days. Even while performing the rituals, he did not forget to work. He chose heavy physical jobs such as blacksmithing and milling, which still yielded results and did not let his physical strength go to waste.

It's like experiencing all three of life's greatest hardships at once.

"It must be said that this kind of most arduous and tiring official position is a perfect match for Zhang Wu's 'Forget-Too-Miserable Destiny,' perfectly showcasing his talent."

The only ones who can compare to the Salt People are probably the ascetics of the scattered kingdom of Bharata; I've heard their asceticism has reached inhuman levels.

Wang Cheng had long ago sent Aji to deliver their lineage's protective charm, the "Craftsman's Silver," to the ship. As Zhang Wu's body and mind reached their limits, the ritual was officially launched.

With astonishing willpower, Zhang Wu forced himself to continue chanting incantations and immediately received a response from the Heavenly Toad Qi of Water.

A crimson talisman gradually lit up between his brows, and his destiny surged and sublimated.

When he opened his eyes again, although his body was still somewhat weak, his eyes were exceptionally bright, and even carried a hint of enjoyment.

At this moment, this newly minted "Salt Man" has already received the spiritual response of "bitterness and joy" bestowed by Guasheng, the King of the Seventy-Two Seasons.

From then on, they possessed almost the strongest vitality, the strongest environmental tolerance, the strongest endurance, and the greatest ability to endure hardship among the three ranks of officials. Making them die suddenly was harder than climbing to heaven.

[Salt Man] doesn't need to make money like a wealthy merchant or a white-water merchant, nor does he need to taste and make various delicacies like a chef. He can become stronger by enduring hardship.

It consumes very few social resources and has an extremely high average growth ceiling.

"If I could use the knowledge I gained by standing on the shoulders of giants to lead this world into the industrial age."

The "Salt Man" position is practically a natural-born machine for producing powerful and influential people. Once you take office, you can easily overwhelm all your colleagues.

The job search success rate can increase by more than 100%.
Regardless of one's original profession, even if it's a part-time job with loans, one probably needs to arrange a place for oneself first.

Looking at Zhang Wu, who was so hardworking, Wang Cheng secretly admired him.

Subconsciously, I felt an urge to introduce him to my senior brother and have them form a group to open a male escort club so I could make money.

This line of work at least has its sweet moments amidst the hardship; grinding grain for a rich woman is much more lucrative than pulling a donkey or horse.

"Big ship, you're back."

Zhang Wu then noticed that Wang Cheng was standing right next to him, and quickly walked over and bowed deeply to him.

Before today, the Zhang family would never have dared to dream that one day they would have two officials in one family. What changed their fate was the large ship in front of them.

"Take it, work hard, and becoming a high-ranking official in the future is not just a dream."

Wang Cheng tossed him a copy of the "Guide to Sending Goodbye by the Wind" containing the extraordinary technique called "Bone-Melting and Gold-Dissolving Method."

From the very beginning of cultivation, one can cultivate a breath of Nine Yang Turbid Qi in one's chest. Once exhaled, it will transform into a high-temperature corrosive mist that can easily melt bones, metal, and wood.

It can also be freely shaped into various demons and monsters, with extremely strong group killing power.

Master Wang has one good quality: he never makes empty promises and never lets honest people suffer losses.

As his direct disciple, Zhang Wu had already arranged generous onboarding benefits that others could only dream of.

His generosity was rewarded.

"Big Boat Leader, as you said, my brother and I have been experimenting for a month, and the product is finished. Come and take a look."

Beside him, the silversmith Zhang Wenxian handed over a long, narrow box. Inside, lying inside, lay an exquisite gilded short-handled musket.

Unlike ordinary matchlock guns, this gun has a flint attached to its hammer.

Therefore, this is no longer a common matchlock gun, but a flintlock gun that appeared at least twenty years earlier than the normal timeline—the world's first flintlock gun!

(End of this chapter)