Reach Heaven Via Feng Shui Engineering, Drug Trade And Tax Evasion

On the pamphlet, the sandpiercer looked bizarre and mysterious - an enormous chain of wagons, an entire building on wheels. In person, it looked no less strange - yet somehow, far more down to earth. Qian Shanyi could roughly see how it was put together, little hints into how it functioned - and that made it feel all the more real.

Its length was enormous, easily as long as Qian Shanyi's entire sect compound back in the Golden Rabbit Bay, forty cars linked together into one long, snake-like construct, one that stretched out far beyond the small platform. Sure enough, most of them were filled with sulfur - but thankfully they were sealed up, and separated from the passengers. It had come in during the night and was already unloaded - and then loaded up with new cargo, by the time the passengers came in the middle of the day.

It was impossible to confuse with anything else, but there were also differences to how it was drawn on the advertisement. For one, the paint on paper could not convey the fact that it glistened, thin sheets of metal covering it from the outside and reflecting the light. For another, it was fatter, thick panels of insulation added on top of the internal structure. Perhaps the picture was made with an earlier model in mind.

At the front, it was pulled by a massive, bulbous steel engine - one that cultivators from the Steel Torrent Sect told her in no uncertain terms was a sect secret. She wasn't even trying to spy, merely to take a look, but they seemed to be excessively paranoid - all she could figure out of its internal workings was that it spouted great gouts of steam and took in spirit stones as fuel, which she could have guessed without even seeing the thing.

She was already planning to try getting one of the engine handlers drunk to ply them for information. If they wanted to treat her like a spy, then she might as well play the part.

By the time they arrived on the platform, they were feeling well-prepared for their travel. Their world fragment was already designed to survive without much maintenance, and the machine would take a few stops along the way - bringing supplies to an occasional observation post along its travel path - giving them just enough time to cull the rosevines.

They spent the night reviewing what they knew and finishing up some books they borrowed from the library. But the night had passed quickly, and so did the day. Soon, it was time to set off.

The train could have fit two hundred people, but was only half-filled. Apparently the advertising campaign had only just started, and so far, not many people were willing to take the chance. It meant that even though they bought their tickets late, the trio had gotten an entire compartment all to themselves - a small room, all things considered, but a clean one, with very comfortable beds.

The first day of travel passed uneventfully. The train held a small library, and so they read some more; they joined Svarggam Xiaochun and her brother for meals, and made plans for what they would do once they arrived in the city.

Mostly, they played games.

"Fifteen times twenty," Qian Shanyi said, putting a small black stone onto the Go board and flipping a small sand hourglass set next to it. She was playing a stalling strategy, barely even paying attention to half the moves she made, and yet, she was still winning the game.

"Three hundred," Linghui Mei responded immediately and placed down a white stone of her own, flipping the hourglass right back.

Wang Yonghao glanced in their direction from where he was sprawled out on his bed, buried in yet another romance novel - this one written in the Solar Whirligig, which he'd borrowed from Svarggam Xiaochun. Sometimes he chose to torture Qian Shanyi by reading them out loud, but for now he thankfully stayed silent.

Though Qian Shanyi had to admit that he was pretty good at doing the voices.

"Sixteen times twenty one." Another black stone.

"Three hundred twenty six." Another white one.

"Wrong, it's three hundred thirty six," Qian Shanyi said, and stole one of Linghui Mei's stones off the board for free. Then she put down her own black stone, and flipped the hourglass.

The game was merely a distraction in the first place, just a way to put her disciple under pressure. In order to develop a new spiritual energy recirculation law, Linghui Mei would have to do a lot of mathematics, in order to make absolutely certain that all the energy flows remained in balance, without any risk of deviation. A strong foundation of basic arithmetic was, in Qian Shanyi's view, essential. She might even have to do adjustments on the fly, when doing experiments. Making even a single mistake might lead to her meridians tearing themselves apart.

"You are evil," Linghui Mei pouted. Usually when she made a mistake, Qian Shanyi stole a stone of little value - she hardly needed any help to win - but not this time.

"I could be more evil," Qian Shanyi said. "Twenty-seven times ninety nine."

Linghui Mei squawked in protest, but Qian Shanyi merely gestured to the hourglass with one finger. If it ever ran out Linghui Mei would lose outright, and when she was asked a question, she was forbidden from making any moves until she answered it.

Linghui Mei's forehead creased in deep concentration. "Two thousand six hundred… eighty three?" she finally said, rushing to put her stone on the board and flip the hourglass.

"Wrong again," Qian Shanyi replied mercilessly, and stole another key stone from Linghui Mei's position. "Two thousand six hundred and seventy three. You best shape up if you don't want to lose."

Linghui Mei was about to protest again, when the door to their cabin flew open, and Svarggam Xiaochun burst in, as excited as always. "Eeee, Ah Qiaoli, it's time!" she said, making a little dance in the doorway. "We are having lunch and you just have to try the stew -"

It was in fact quite early for lunch, but Svarggam Xiaochun liked to chat before the meal, so it amounted to the same thing.

"Of course, Ah Xiao," Qian Shanyi said, winking at Linghui Mei. She knew Svarggam Xiaochun was about to interrupt them, of course, her spiritual energy signature wasn't subtle. "We'll be right there."

The meals were served in a special dining wagon, close to the middle of the train. The wagon itself was perfect in its compactness, not even a little space left to waste. Polished wooden tables that would have suited even the best restaurants in the Golden Rabbit Bay took up most of the space, covered up in beautifully embroidered tablecloths. A narrow passage was left to the side, going down the entire length of the wagon right next to the wide glass windows. They were only ever opened on one side of the wagon, and otherwise were closed up with shutters to block out the harsh rays of the suns.

Many of the ordinary people choose to eat in their cabins, but the cultivators all came in person, to talk and mingle, and, of course, to watch a little show performed by the ministry of cooperation - one that taught everyone something new about the province. They organised a new one for every meal, right in the middle of the wagon on a special raised platform, in full view of every table.

There was no strict requirement that they all come, but Zhang Xiaogang had been very insistent - a little push here, a little nudge there, and so far, Qian Shanyi didn't see any cultivator choose to skip. The wagon couldn't fit everyone at once, and so there was a little schedule, drafted up to make everyone meet everyone else at least once over the course of their three-day trip.

By the end of her first day, Qian Shanyi already knew everyone's names, especially once she consulted the list of passengers that Zhang Zhuangtian provided her on request. She even recognised the spiritual energy signatures of some. She didn't have enough time to get to know everyone in person, not even close, but a couple people interested her enough to pay more than a cursory amount of attention.

Qian Shanyi was almost certain that she already knew everyone on board. She certainly knew everyone even remotely notable. It was to some shock, then, when she saw someone new.

Her first impression of the man was that he was ancient. Her second, that he was extremely eccentric.

His hair was pure white, just like his beard - both reaching down to his belt. His skin was only a shade darker than his hair, translucent and the kind of pale that only comes from age or sickness, so dry that cracks covered every square centimeter of it with a net so dense it obscured the veins beneath. He wore ridiculously bright yellow robes that looked too short for his stature, textured with pink flowers, and tied so loosely it was almost improper, revealing his naked chest. As for his feet, he wore nothing at all.

Spiritual energy flowed neither in nor out of his body, but around, circulating just over the surface of his skin. He must have been building foundation, and already filled to the brim. It was a rare sight - for a cultivator to accumulate so much spiritual energy, yet still choose to not spend any on their own improvement. The mark of either a true eccentric or a miraculous talent who didn't need to bother.

Or perhaps one that was already at the peak of the building foundation stage, but delaying his tribulation.

They saw him the moment they walked into the wagon. He was up on the stage, arguing with Podi Jianhua - an ordinary man from the Solar Whirligig. The mysterious elder didn't speak loudly, but his lips were split in a sneer that seemed to be etched into his very bones. Whatever it was, it sounded incredibly petty - he was lecturing the other man over refusing to pour him a glass of wine.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The moment Wang Yonghao laid his eyes on the man, he sucked in a breath, and grabbed Qian Shanyi by the shoulder, trying to pull her back out of the wagon. She had only barely managed to twist that pull around, make it seem as if they tried to hug, but thankfully, the eyes of everyone in the wagon were glued to the man on stage, and nobody paid them any mind.

Linghui Mei asked to stay back at the cabin, citing complete mental exhaustion. Qian Shanyi felt a brief twinge of worry. She hoped she wouldn't need a jiuweihu's skills here.

<What are you doing?> she signed to Wang Yonghao, turning slightly to conceal her gestures from the wagon.

<Shanyi we have to leave, now.> Wang Yonghao signed back to her, pressing his hands up against her chest. He didn't gesture towards the elder, but the implication was obvious.

<Obviously, but we can't leave just as soon as we've arrived. You will only make us look incredibly suspicious, especially to Xiaochun.> She glanced back into the wagon. There were nine other people there, not counting the elder. <We'll drink one cup of tea, then leave. Is that acceptable?>

Wang Yonghao looked sick, but nodded and allowed himself to be led inside.

Qian Shanyi scanned the audience as they walked in, searching for anything notable. Five of the people present were obviously from the Solar Whirligig, easy to tell by their dark skin. Aside from Svarggam Xiaochun - who was already seated, and waving to them with great vigour, as if they could have possibly missed her - and the unfamiliar Elder, there were only two cultivators, Su Mengyao and Zhou Xiaoyan, two women from the eastern provinces.

Qian Shanyi was almost certain that they were a couple, though they didn't kiss in public; Zhou Xiaoyan worked for the ministry of agriculture, sent to the province in order to organise farm revitalisation efforts, and Qian Shanyi spent a good hour questioning her about the details at dinner last night, hoping to learn something they could use in the inner world - but most of it had to do with droughts, and so ended up of little use. They were very pleasant to talk to, and she gave each of them a nod as she passed their table.

The mysterious Elder worried her, of course he did. If Wang Yonghao's luck was to blame - and why else would he be here? - then he was going to be trouble. She could already see the shape of it - he was getting angrier by the second, the argument with Podi Jianhua quickly heating up. Perhaps he would snap, damage the train… Or threaten Wang Yonghao into becoming his disciple.

It was best to dissolve the conflict right away. This was really supposed to be Zhang Xiaogang's responsibility, as the highest ranked civil servant from the Ministry of Cooperation on board, but he hadn't arrived yet - and besides, Qian Shanyi could handle such a simple problem alone.

She stepped onto the stage, reaching behind her back to motion for Wang Yonghao to keep walking, and bowed deeply to the old man. "Honourable Elder, this here humble daoist would be more than happy to pour you wine," she said with a light smile. "Please, allow me."

She reached for the wine cabinet before he could stop her, and quickly took out an empty glass and a bottle of wine. Podi Jianhua gave her an infuriated glare, her gesture undermining his refusal to be a servant, but she couldn't help but feel that he was being silly. It was truly such a simple request.

Turning back to the old man, she presented the full glass with another deep bow. "I don't believe we've been introduced," she said. "This here daoist is Xing Qiaoli. Please, enjoy the wine."

For a moment, she met the elder's eyes - and barely suppressed a shudder. They were wrong. It was as if he was looking forward to doing something awful, and she had just ruined it - but then he blinked, and the feeling was gone.

"Pfeh," the elder sneered, taking the glass. "Qiaoli? What kind of name is that?"

"Only the one that would have pleased my mother and father," Qian Shanyi said, bowing even deeper.

"Hmpf. At least some of you might still understand respect," the elder said, jerking his head towards Podi Jianhua, who had demonstrably turned away from him. "You should learn from this woman, dog!"

Qian Shanyi winced internally. Why was he so rude? It's like he was looking for a fight. "Most honorable cultivator, if only I knew your name, then I could tell my family of this fortunate encounter," she said to bring his attention back to her. "My mother would be moved to tears knowing I had the fortune of meeting someone as venerable as you."

The cold, dismissive eyes of the elder turned back to her. "You will address me as Duke Lei Kou."

Duke?

Qian Shanyi made her retreat, all bows and politeness, until she was back at the table Svarggam Xiaochun reserved for them. She slid into the seat right alongside Svarggam Xiaochun, keeping her eyes on the self-proclaimed duke.

What kind of cultivator calls themselves a duke?

Even the word itself stank of ancient history. As did the name Kou. Qian Shanyi didn't know anyone by that name, she only saw it in books.

Svarggam Xiaochun was shaking her by the shoulder, and Qian Shanyi surfaced out of her thoughts for the briefest of moments. Tea, it was about tea. She nodded, pulling a smile onto her face - yes, she very much would like a cup, thank you.

And then she zoned out again, noticing the direction the conversation was going. Wang Yonghao had loaned the Spring of Plums to Svarggam Xiaochun, which she apparently read overnight, and now they were talking of other romance books. Why were there even so many? How many possible ways could you write about people decidedly not fucking each other without getting bored?

She stirred a spoonful of honey into her tea. Her brain needed the sugar. Keeping her eyes carefully pointed nowhere in particular, she studied Lei Kou out of the corner of her eye, the way one might a poisonous snake that took residence upon their bed.

What does he want?

He wasn't acting, merely sipping his wine, leaned up against a wall. Qian Shanyi didn't want to meet his eyes again, lest she attract even more attention - but from what she could see, he was gazing at the other passengers with pure disdain.

Still. She had gotten him to calm down, hadn't she? Perhaps the direct danger had passed, at least for now.

You don't believe that. You saw it - he wanted something. What?

The door leading into the wagon opened wide, and Zhang Xiaogang stepped through, taking everything in a single glance. His eyes immediately fell upon Lei Kou, and he headed over to him, his steps precise and measured.

"Fellow cultivator, may I have a moment?" Zhang Xiaogang said, making a curt gesture. He was frowning ever so slightly. Behind him, Qian Shanyi saw another passenger poking their head into the wagon - perhaps someone went to bring Zhang Xiaogang here.

Qian Shanyi breathed out a bit of tension. Resolving disputes was the responsibility of Zhang Xiaogang in the first place. She could simply let him do his job.

Even the conversation between Wang Yonghao and Svarggam Xiaochun no longer sounded quite so annoying. She listened to it with half an ear, reserving the other half for the talk between Lei Kou and Zhang Xiaogang. He wanted to know where Lei Kou came from, and about the tickets. It sounded tense, but manageable. It was his job, he knew what he was doing.

She looked down into her tea cup, stirring it again. She promised Wang Yonghao one cup of tea, and it was already halfway over. Soon, they'd go back to their cabin, and make a plan to -

A sudden thunderclap had burst the windows open. Something warm had splashed against Qian Shanyi's face. And in her tea - scarlet, the swirl mixing it into the water. She stared dumbly into her cup.

What is this? I did not put any jam in my tea. So why -

Qian Shanyi slowly turned her eyes upwards, and saw -

It was impossible.

- she saw -

It didn't happen. It couldn't happen.

It felt as if the time had frozen solid.

A scarlet blotch had stretched out across the wall and ceiling of the wagon, shapeless, like the outpouring of a champagne from a vigorously shaken bottle. It narrowed down closer to the middle, where Lei Kou stood, with his arm outstretched to the side.

And in front of him, Zhang Xiaogang's headless corpse.

Without any warning, the time resumed its merciless passage. The corpse fell, screams filled the wagon, and with them came a wave of spiritual energy far stronger than anything Qian Shanyi had felt in her entire life. It burst forth from the old Lei Kou, smothering the entire wagon. Its flow was so great that the glasses set on the counter next to him were shot into the walls, shattering to pieces, the tablecloths torn off tables, and even the ceiling itself had bent and flexed under the pressure. It wrapped around Qian Shanyi so tightly that her own spiritual energy senses were simply snuffed out, forced back into the confines of her own body.

Qian Shanyi felt like a toddler, blind, helpless, vulnerable. She stared in shock at the ancient cultivator, her mind scraping for any purchase even as it slid towards the inevitable, horrifying conclusion.

This man wasn't building formation at all. He was golden core.

He simply slapped him. That was a single slap!

At her side, Svarggam Xiaochun made a strangled noise, the beastly wail of such raw pain and fury it could not, should not have come out of a human throat. Her eyes stared dumbly forwards.

And then she lunged out of her seat, and Qian Shanyi had just barely managed to grab her by the collar of her robes, clasp a hand over her mouth and wrestle her back down, before the girl could rush off to her own untimely death.

"Pfeh. How the youth has degraded," Lei Kou sneered, snapping his hand to the side. Qian Shanyi didn't even see it move. It simply blinked in between two ends of one motion, another thunderclap tearing the blood and brain matter off the skin, painting a second, smaller blotch all across the floor. His hand was left clean and unblemished in its wake, though a diagonal streak of crimson still colored his robes. It stood out gruesomely against the yellow fabric. "Can't even take a brief nap without them losing all respect for their elders."

Lei Kou pushed Zhang Xiaogang's mutilated corpse away from himself with one naked foot, then stepped over it, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Despite what it has turned into, this pigsty remains mine to rule," Lei Kou pronounced, paying no attention to the screams. "And this here Duke will correct any lapses in the education of his subjects."