Chapter 13 The First Believer

"High Priest."

Jiang Shuoye muttered under his breath.

He had never heard such a title before—this dream was just plain weird.

If only he could dream of the God of Wealth instead; he was really short on cash right now.

In his daily life, Jiang Shuoye was either drilling his troops or on his way to drill them, with almost no time for rest and rarely thinking about anything besides military matters.

Now, in this dream, he found his thoughts wandering freely into all sorts of absurdities.

Chu Jiubian, perched up high, could clearly observe the expressions of the guy below.

Seeing that the other seemed somewhat distracted, he knew Jiang Shuoye didn’t believe in him and wasn’t taking him seriously. It seemed he needed to teach him a lesson.

Chu Jiubian smirked.

Suddenly, the entire space trembled violently, and a deafening crack jolted Jiang Shuoye out of his thoughts.

His eyes sharpened, and he immediately rose from his seat.

Almost the moment he stood, the ground beneath his feet abruptly collapsed.

Fortunately, his *qīnggōng* and reflexes were exceptional, allowing him to step on the back of the chair and kick off, propelling himself upward.

Then he raised his fist, striking directly toward Chu Jiubian’s flickering image.

Even in a dream, even if he was as insignificant as an ant before this self-proclaimed god, he would never allow himself to be suppressed without a fight.

A deep laugh echoed through the mist, and Jiang Shuoye’s movements froze as all his strength seemed to drain away in an instant.

He was horrified—a sense of helplessness and dread he had never experienced before surged through him.

He was out of his league against this High Priest.

No, to be more precise, they were not even on the same level.

In front of him, Jiang Shuoye was like a defenseless baby who hadn’t even learned to crawl!

This was truly a nightmare, he thought.

He needed to wake up, and fast.

A strong desire to awaken flooded Jiang Shuoye’s mind. At the same time, exhausted and unable to channel his inner strength, his *qīnggōng* failed him.

And so, like an ordinary person without any inner strength, he plummeted from the heights.

The sound of wind whistled in his ears, and the pure white space before him was once again enveloped in clouds and mist.

At the last moment, he saw the enormous flickering image of the High Priest seemingly look down at him.

Jiang Shuoye’s eyes went wide.

The next instant, his eyes snapped open, and he instinctively sat up in bed.

Sucking in ragged breaths, his chest heaving rapidly, the despair of nearing death and the fear of facing the unknown shot through him.

But after all, he was a battle-hardened general, and Jiang Shuoye’s ability to pull himself together was extraordinary.

After just two deep breaths, he had recovered from the "nightmare."

Then, he instinctively glanced toward the spot he had noticed before falling asleep—still empty, with no sense of being watched.

His throat felt dry, and his throat worked.

He got out of bed, walked to the table, and drank the remaining half jug of water, finally feeling somewhat relieved.

Yet his brow remained knit, and he did not seem entirely at ease.

That "dream" had felt far too real—so real that he had nearly couldn’t tell the line between reality and illusion, even feeling as though he had genuinely been on the verge of death there.

Was it really just a dream?

And if not, what could it have been?

Jiang Shuoye was cautious by nature. He did not believe in the supernatural, but he would not recklessly dismiss any unexplained variables either.

It seemed he would need to investigate the people and events around him—to make sure nobody’s messing with him.

Inside the Divine Realm.

Chu Jiubian stared, lost in thought, at the now-empty space.

He had only intended to demonstrate his abilities to Jiang Shuoye, not actually to let him fall to his death. But before he could will the white mist to catch him, Jiang Shuoye was poof—gone.

The System informed him that Jiang Shuoye had awakened and therefore left the Divine Realm.

So, the Divine Realm was essentially a high-tech version of a "dream"—more logical than a typical dream and with Chu Jiubian as its only one in charge.

Yet the Divine Realm also retained characteristics of a "dream," such as the possibility that experiences like "falling from heights or life flashing before their eyes" could jolt someone awake prematurely.

【Host need not worry. Once the believers buy that you’re a 'god,' they will no longer leave the Divine Realm of their own accord.】

Chu Jiubian nodded.

He understood this principle.

If believers accepted his divine identity, they would become his die-hard believers, naturally obeying most of his decisions without question.

At that point, they would leave only when he permitted it, and they wouldn't just take off arbitrarily without his command.

So, in the end, he still needed to sell the act of a "god" convincingly to ensure his followers’ unwavering obedience.

But for now, Jiang Shuoye did not believe in him—he even thought the earlier experience was just a dream.

That would not do.

Of course, if Chu Jiubian kept dragging Jiang Shuoye into the Divine Realm, the other might eventually come to believe he possessed powers.

However, given Jiang Shuoye’s personality and mindset, it was more likely he would consider Chu Jiubian an "evil spirit" rather than a god.

Moreover, as a deity, just being scary to his followers was not enough.

Chu Jiubian also needed to offer some perks for his believers, to ensure they both respected and were loyal to him.

It came back to the same principle: to achieve cooperation, one must figure out what the other party needs.

When you get right down to it, the relationship between Chu Jiubian and his followers was really just a partnership.

He needed followers to build up his power base for a rainy day, while the followers weren't about to follow his orders for nothing—they had to gain some benefits as well.

Managing people is simple: it's the carrot and the stick, plain and simple.

Chu Jiubian had already given Jiang Shuoye the "stick"; now it was time for the carrot.

"System, can you check on what Jiang Shuoye is up to?"

"To do that, host, you need to purchase the permanent 'Card Visualization' function. Once purchased, you can check the current status of followers you've bound at any time through their character cards."

Chu Jiubian: "...How many points?"

"That'll be 20 Faith Points, host. Would you like to purchase it?"

This function is practical and would surely be useful many times in the future.

Without hesitation, Chu Jiubian said decisively, "Buy."

After 20 Faith Points were deducted, Jiang Shuoye’s character card popped up in front of Chu Jiubian again.

The card enlarged, revealing not the monotonous military tent but a desertscape under a haze of yellow sand.

Jiang Shuoye stood with his arms crossed, frowning, his sharp gaze fixed on the cavalry formation ahead.

The cavalry formation, consisting of fifty riders per column, was made up of tall warhorses and armored soldiers. They looked pretty orderly at first glance.

The leading centurion barked a command, and the entire formation took off in unison toward the distance.

However, the formation, which had initially maintained some semblance of order, quickly fell apart after just a few steps.

The horses wouldn't behave, and the soldiers appeared panicked. They squeezed the horses’ sides with their legs, yet a bunch of them still got thrown.

A unit like this, even maintaining formation was difficult, forget about using their lances in a fight.

Jiang Shuoye’s face, already grim, turned thunderous.

Chu Jiubian was amused.

What Jiang Shuoye wanted more than anything at that moment was surely to train this cavalry unit properly.

It was the season of lush grass and singing birds, a time when nomadic tribes like the Tatars were strong and their horses were fat. They would likely take this opportunity to harass the border, raiding for food and supplies to prepare for winter.

To keep them at bay, the Northern Desert Army stationed at the northern frontier needed to be even more formidable and courageous.

Chu Jiubian shifted his gaze from Jiang Shuoye to the ragtag cavalry trudging back.

In this day and age in Great Ning, all the iron was going into weapons, and nobody'd thought to use it for anything else.

Thus, items like horseshoes to protect horses’ hooves, stirrups for easier riding, and saddles to enhance combat effectiveness on horseback had not yet been invented.

No doubt, stuff like that would give the cavalry a major upgrade.

"System," Chu Jiubian asked, "if I draw some blueprints, can they be delivered to Jiang Shuoye?"

"They can be delivered, but you must first activate the Divine Realm and hand them over to your follower there."

"Then how can I bring the blueprints into the Divine Realm?"

When he had entered the Divine Realm earlier, he hadn’t been able to bring anything in with him except the clothes he was wearing.

"Host, please spend 30 Faith Points to permanently activate the trading function within the Divine Realm. Once activated, you and your followers can trade items back and forth. You can bring items from outside the system into the Divine Realm, and followers can also bring other items in with your permission."

Chu Jiubian: "..."

He was running low on points as it was! Now this? And that?!

You have to know when to save and when to spend, and this trading function was essential.

But 30 points was really expensive.

Chu Jiubian tried to haggle with the system. The semi-intelligent system seemed to stall for a moment before responding normally: "Deal. Twenty-eight Faith Points have been deducted. The trading function within the Divine Realm has been activated for the host."

Chu Jiubian had originally bargained for 26 points.

Well, 28 was better than nothing—he'd still saved a couple points.

As soon as he was out of the Divine Realm, he would first draw the blueprints. Then, when Jiang Shuoye fell asleep that night, he would drag him back into the Divine Realm and hand over the blueprints.

After some thought, Chu Jiubian opened the system shop again.

In the military section, he found "A Summary of Contemporary Military Training Methods" and a book that was a mishmash of military strategies. From other categories, he also selected "A Guide to Livestock Rearing."

By helping Jiang Shuoye, he was really helping himself strengthen his armed forces. So, when Chu Jiubian spent six points to buy these books...

Well, it still stung a little.

But since he’d already bought them, there was no turning back.

He instantly absorbed the contents of all three books, understanding them completely.

He even felt that he could now lead troops into battle or assist in the birthing of livestock like cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs without any issue.

But as the saying goes, if you don’t know how to lead a team, you’ll end up doing all the work yourself.

What he needed to do was sell the whole "High Priest" act well—everything else could be left to his followers.

"System, these books can also be delivered to Jiang Shuoye, right?" Chu Jiubian asked again, just to be sure. If not, Jiang Shuoye would have to study them in the Divine Realm and take the knowledge back with him.

"Yes, Host. Items tradable within the Divine Realm include those purchased from the system shop. According to your needs, the text of system-produced books can be adapted to the era-appropriate language and expressions for easier understanding."

Completely reassured, Chu Jiubian opted to adapt the books’ text and expressions. Then, he closed the view on Jiang Shuoye’s card and exited the Divine Realm.

Coincidentally, the moment he opened his eyes and woke up, he heard Xiao Xiangzi calling him softly from outside the bedroom to come out for lunch.

Chu Jiubian got up and walked out.

After the meal, he had Xiao Xiangzi grind ink for him, then secluded himself in the study to draw the blueprints before storing them in his spatial inventory.

Everything was ready. All that remained was to enter the Divine Realm again that evening.

==

The most bustling area in the capital was undoubtedly the Brocade Quarter located in the West Market.

Shops lined the streets—taverns, theaters, rouge shops, general stores... you name it.

Most of the customers here were nobles from the capital or wealthy city residents. Ordinary commoners, at most, came to set up stalls here but lacked the means to spend lavishly.

Without exception, all the storefronts along the street belonged to well-known nobles in the capital.

Whether it was some lady’s rouge shop or a restaurant or theater opened by a young master, each one had a powerful backer behind it.

However, the two best-located shops naturally belonged to the emperor—one being a restaurant and the other a general store named "Treasure House."

The restaurant needs no further elaboration—both its decor and cuisine were top-tier.

On the other hand, the general store had initially sold various spoils of war from Emperor Wu's campaigns, which sold quite well.

But these days, the store had long lacked any fresh merchandise, though servants from various households still occasionally came to buy things, simply to show support for the royal business.

In the evening, as the sun dipped westward, a servant from the household of Minister of War Lu Youwei came to the general store as usual, buying a few small items from the shopkeeper.

Their master had given orders to visit the store twice a month to buy things, to show the imperial household how much the Lu family respected the royal family.

After all, as a direct descendant of the Wuwei Lu clan, their master’s every word and deed represented the Lu family.

The shopkeeper of Treasure House was named Qin Su, assigned to the shop five years ago by the late Empress Qin Feng.

Five years was enough time for him to recognize every regular customer and had a good idea of which days they’d come.

Today was the day the servant from the Minister of War’s household was expected to visit.

"Young man from the Lu family, these are the items you requested," Qin Su personally wrapped the goods for the servant. His rounded figure and full cheeks made his smile particularly amiable.

The servant particularly enjoyed being called "Young man from the Lu family" by the shopkeeper, as if he were really one of the Lu family. He raised his chin a little higher.

"Thank you," he said, picking up the items. "I’ll take my leave now, Shopkeeper. See you next time."

"Wait a moment, young man," Qin Su stopped him, smiling. "Don’t rush off. I’ve just gotten something new, and you’re the first person I thought of. Would you like to take a look?"

"Oh?" The servant grew curious. "What new item?"

Qin Su narrowed his eyes with a smile, playing it up mysteriously. "When you entered the store today, didn’t you notice something different from usual?"

"Now that you mention it, it does feel a bit strange," the servant said. "It’s so hot outside today it’s like a steamer. Even with two buckets of ice in our master’s room, it’s still sweltering. But your store feels quite cool."

He paused to feel the temperature again and confirmed that the room was indeed cool, reminiscent of the coolness in his master’s room a few days ago when it rained and ice was placed inside.

"You noticed it, young man!" Qin Su looked around conspiratorially.

Business in his store had been slow, and with the hot weather keeping people indoors, the place was empty. Aside from the servant, there were no other customers—just the shopkeeper and a couple of clerks.

The servant grew even more curious at his mysterious demeanor. "What is it? Quit keeping me in suspense, Shopkeeper."

Qin Su stepped out from behind the counter and waved a hand. "Please follow me, young man."

He then led the servant to a corner of the store.

Rows of shelves blocked much of the view.

As the servant followed Qin Su past several shelves, he felt—or perhaps it was his imagination—that the further they went, the cooler the room became.

Qin Su finally stopped. "Take a look."

The servant followed his pointing finger and saw a good-sized vat placed against the wall. Inside were chunks of something translucent emitting a faint, cold mist.

The servant stood there stunned, almost dropped what he was holding.

This is... ice? It’s actually ice!

Before long, the news that "Treasure House sells ice" spread throughout the city. The price of ice was set at just the right level—not so high that people felt cheated, yet not so low as to be unprofitable.

Minister of War Lu Youwei stood with his hands behind his back, pacing around a large vat of ice in the middle of his study. He stroked his graying beard and sighed, "This Qin Xiao... he really found a way to break the deadlock."

His strategist, Lu Tong, rubbed a well-polished string of beads in his hand, his narrow eyes glinting. "The news from the palace came this morning, and by afternoon, Prince Ning had a response ready."

He walked to the ice vat and laid a hand on the clear ice, his voice low. "That Ninth Young Master is really something."

After various factions decided to use their spies, they openly sent these spies to check out Yaotai Residence and Qin Xiao. Thus, the news that all the saltpeter from the Imperial Hospital had been delivered to Yaotai Residence was impossible to hide.

That morning, no one knew what the saltpeter was going to be used for. They only knew that after the morning court, Qin Xiao and Baili Hong had both gone to Yaotai Residence.

The two stayed there for over an hour and left with two palace servants from Yaotai Residence.

Soon after, Qin Xiao sent people to buy all the saltpeter from every pharmacy in the capital and have it taken into the palace. The government then issued a notice banning private sales of saltpeter.

Only a newly appointed ninth-rank official called "Saltpeter Officer," appointed by Baili Hong, could set up saltpeter procurement offices in the capital and other regions.

Commoners who collected saltpeter could now sell it at these offices, and the purchase price was slightly higher than before.

Once this news spread, not only people in surrounding counties and distant regions but even residents of the capital began collecting saltpeter, hoping to make a little extra money.

Lu Youwei’s agents reported multiple times that, in just one afternoon, the newly appointed Saltpeter Officer had already set up procurement offices in the capital, and many commoners had brought in saltpeter they’d gathered to exchange for coins.

People in surrounding counties had also received the news, and they sent messengers to more distant regions. It wouldn’t be long before the entire Da Ning Dynasty learned that "saltpeter can be exchanged for money with the government."

Qin Xiao’s quick, decisive moves had already been witnessed by everyone during the palace coup.

Thus, they grew even more curious about the purpose of the saltpeter, which had driven Qin Xiao to make such a bold move.

Spies in the palace tried to find out more, but no one could approach the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so no news leaked out.

It wasn’t until evening, when news spread that Treasure House was selling ice, that everyone finally understood what was happening.

The saltpeter was likely used to make ice.

Previously, no one had known that ice could be artificially produced—it seemed almost unbelievable.

But now, with the ice right there in front of them, they had no choice but to believe it.

At least Lu Youwei and Lu Tong believed it, as the vat of ice in front of them had been hauled back by the servant from Treasure House.

Treasure House had three full vats of ice but sold only one to the Lu family. The other two were displayed in the store, waiting for others to come and see.

Households wishing to use ice could place orders directly with Treasure House.

By the next morning, Treasure House would deliver the ice to their doors.

According to reports, in just one evening, Treasure House had already made hundreds of taels of silver from selling ice.

"The uses of saltpeter likely extend beyond making ice," Lu Tong remarked.

If it were only for making ice, Qin Xiao wouldn't need to buy it in bulk.

Buying in such large quantities, even going so far as to create a specialized official position for it, clearly indicates a long-term operation. Yet "ice" loses its importance after the dog days of summer.

"What else can saltpeter be used for?" His brow furrowed.

Lu Youwei, however, remarked, "Whatever it can produce, it's definitely thanks to the skills of that Ninth Young Master."

"His abilities certainly go beyond this," Lu Tong worried. "The mysterious forces behind him are not to be underestimated either."

If they are working for Qin Xiao, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Lu Youwei narrowed his eyes slightly, looking toward the palace. "Such a person, if he cannot be working with our Lu family..."

After a moment of thoughtful consideration, Lu Tong said, "Sir, right now, Ninth Young Master is trapped in the palace and can only deal with Prince Ning. If we can find a way to have Prince Ning bring him out of the palace, we would have a chance to get close to him."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn’t our people report that Ninth Young Master left Yaotai Residence this afternoon?"

Chu Jiubian’s transaction with Qin Xiao was successful, so he spent the afternoon walking around various parts of the palace to familiarize himself with the layout, though he did not venture into the rear palace.

But his stroll did not go unnoticed—many saw him, and by now, all the powerful figures in the capital know he has "gained some freedom."

"In three days, isn’t the Qiu family holding an auction?" Lu Tong said with a smile. "If we can let Ninth Young Master know, he might be interested."

"Whether he’s interested or not is one thing, but even if he wants to come out, if Qin Xiao doesn’t allow it, he won’t be able to leave."

Who doesn’t know that Chu Jiubian is currently being held in the palace?

Lu Tong, however, wasn't worried: "He managed to convince Prince Ning to release him from prison and gained some freedom within the palace. This person is anything but simple."

So, if he wants to, he will definitely get Qin Xiao to let him leave the palace.

Chu Jiubian had no idea that he was once again being plotted against. As soon as night fell, he eagerly cleaned up and went to bed, bringing the drawings of the stirrups, saddle, and horseshoes he had made into the Divine Realm.

Then, he waited until around 10 PM before Jiang Shuoye finally fell asleep.

Immediately, he pulled him into the Divine Realm.