Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

After returning to Mount Shu, Chu Liang stood on Red Cotton Peak, staring blankly at the bustling and lively buildings before him.

"What are you thinking about?" Lin Bei asked.

Having heard that Chu Liang had come to Red Cotton Peak, Lin Bei came to meet him, only to find Chu Liang staring blankly at the peaks before him, as if he was envisioning the entire future of the Red Cotton Peak.

"I went to the Buddhist Cloud Monastery today. It was attacked by two demon kings, and many of the grand halls have been reduced to rubble," Chu Liang replied. "I’m a bit worried. The world is becoming more chaotic. What if Red Cotton Peak ends up like that after a fight?"

"It’s impossible," Lin Bei said.

"Why are you so confident?" Chu Liang asked.

Lin Bei explained with a calm demeanor, "How can Mount Shu’s peaks possibly compare to the buildings at the Buddhist Cloud Monastery? Except for the Heaven-Reaching Peak, all the other peaks on Mount Shu are only etched with enchanted formation inscriptions on the surface, leaving the peaks themselves unreinforced. In contrast, the Buddhist Cloud Monastery has even reinforced its great hall with Earth Mother Sand.

"Besides, all the buildings on Mount Shu are just regular structures. If a fight broke out, even a few seventh-realm cultivators could bring down the entire hill, let alone an eighth-realm greater demon, So it's impossible for us to end up like them. We're far inferior."

"..."

He then asked, "How do you know so much?"

"I have two friends in the Hall of Construction," Lin Bei replied casually. "So I know a bit."

"Then why was the Buddhist Cloud Monastery reinforced, while ours wasn’t?" Chu Liang asked in a puzzled tone.

During the last great battle on Mount Shu, the Dark King Sect had caused significant damage. While it was quickly rebuilt afterward, the restoration was relatively simple because there was little of true value to recover.

At this moment, Red Cotton Peak was worth its weight in gold. If it were destroyed, the entire peak would need to be reconstructed, and the extent of the losses from such devastation was beyond reckoning.

At the thought of this, Chu Liang suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.

Moreover, Mount Shu was different from the Buddhist Cloud Monastery. The Buddhist Cloud Monastery was protected by a legendary artifact. As long as the Dharma Lotus Platform remained, no one would dare to act recklessly. Mount Shu, however, was different. If an eighth-realm cultivator were to cause trouble, they could easily topple several peaks and obliterate countless buildings. It would be an entirely plausible outcome.

Chu Liang imagined Venerable Wen Yuan tossing Chu Liang's carefully managed Red Cotton Peak at a demon king like it was a mere rock and missing the target…

At the thought of this, Chu Liang could feel his blood pressure rising.

"No, I must figure out a way to reinforce this peak. I won’t care about the others, but Red Cotton Peak must be sturdier," he said with firm resolve.

"If you’re intent on reinforcing the mountain…" Lin Bei replied, thoughtfully stroking his chin, "I have two friends in the Western Regions who can provide the necessary materials. As for how to incorporate it into the construction, you’ll need to speak to the Hall of Construction. You can ask them about it. I am sure they’ll be very happy to help."

A few years ago, it had been very tough for the attendants of the Hall of Construction.

Every day felt the same—fixing things in the sect, building houses, and constructing scenery on Mount Shu. It was monotonous work with no financial gain, and there were very few peaks left that needed new buildings. The only thing that kept them occupied was trying to recruit new members for the Hall of Construction. However, hardly anyone wanted to join, and at one point, they were left with just three to five attendants.

Everything changed with the establishment of Red Cotton Peak. The demand for construction skyrocketed, and with most clients being outsiders, they were able to charge higher prices.

Those who had stayed in the Hall of Construction through thick and thin suddenly found themselves in the midst of a golden age, rising quickly to wealth and prosperity.

In many ways, Red Cotton Peak revitalized all of Mount Shu.

To them, Chu Liang was naturally regarded as a little god of wealth.

Thus, as soon as Chu Liang arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Construction, he was warmly welcomed.

…

"Junior Brother Chu!"

"Oh my! Junior Brother Chu! What brings you here today!"

Two Senior Brothers, covered in dust and grime, looking somewhere between young and middle-aged, grinned warmly, flashing their white teeth as they greeted him with such enthusiasm.

"Senior Brothers…" Chu Liang smiled. "Did you just return from work?"

"Yeah," the shorter, dusty one chuckled. "I’m at the construction site every day, and by the end of it, I’m covered in dust. Even if I clean up, I just end up dirty again, so I gave up on trying to stay clean."

"I was accompanying the attendants of the Hall of Discipline, who come to inspect our work every day," said the taller, dusty one. "It’s just a small project, yet they check us daily. It’s so irritating. I’ve even decided not to wash my face when I see them."

"The senior brothers from the Hall of Discipline are simply concerned about safety," Chu Liang said with a smile. "I’d like to speak with the supervising elder of the Hall of Construction. Is he available?"

"Of course!" The shorter tanned man grinned. "The Construction Master will definitely be glad to see you."

With that, the two of them escorted him to the third floor, stopping outside the Construction Master's private chamber and knocking on the door.

When Chu Liang entered, he saw a middle-aged man with slightly tanned skin and a protruding belly. Despite his position as elder, he looked to be in his forties or fifties, no older than his esteemed teacher.

This was Mount Shu Sect’s Construction Master, Xu Heng.

"Construction Master Xu," Chu Liang greeted with a polite nod. "I have an idea and wanted to hear your thoughts on it."

"Oh?" Xu Heng poured Chu Liang a cup of tea. "Let’s hear it."

"I want to reinforce Red Cotton Peak," Chu Liang began. "Renovate the mountain structure and all its buildings to make them more defensible."

"Reinforce Red Cotton Peak?" Xu Heng's eyes lit up, his smile growing wider. "That’s a huge project. How strong do you want it to be?"

"At a minimum, it should withstand a full-force strike from a seventh-realm cultivator. Ideally, it should hold up against a large-scale attack from an eighth-realm cultivator," Chu Liang replied.

"That’s impossible," Construction Master Xu said, shaking his head immediately.

"Is it that difficult?" Chu Liang asked, frowning.

"It’s not just a question of difficulty," Xu Heng replied with a wry smile, setting down his teacup. "Anything that can endure a full-force strike from a seventh-realm expert or a large-scale attack from an eighth-realm expert would be on par with the artifacts recorded in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures. Don’t tell me you want us to turn the Red Cotton Peak into a massive enchanted artifact?"

"Exactly!" Chu Liang exclaimed as he nodded. "As expected of one of Mount Shu's elders, you’ve understood me perfectly."

"I…" Construction Master Xu paused, wondering if there was something wrong with his tone that caused Chu Liang to misunderstand him.

"That wasn’t a question," he clarified firmly. "I’m telling you this is absolutely impossible. Even if you brought someone from the Hall of Weapons, it would still be impossible."

"Actually, this should be simpler than refining an enchanted tool," Chu Liang pressed on. "I can invite Formation Sage Dong Futu to design a complete Grand Mountain-Protecting Formation, and I’ll procure whatever materials you need—"

"This isn’t a matter of formations," Construction Master Xu interrupted, trying to explain to Chu Liang again. "Formations have their limits. Even the ones on Heaven-Reaching Peak can only do so much. They protect the surface, but they can’t change the inherent fragility of the mountain’s core. The same goes for buildings. If a structure takes a heavy blow, no matter how strong the formation around it is, the overwhelming force will still destroy everything inside."

"I can get this," Chu Liang said, extending his hand to reveal a handful of cloudy, crystalline sand.

"This is… Earth Mother Sand?" Construction Master Xu's eyes widened in recognition before narrowing in surprise. "How did you manage to get it in such a fine form?"

"If I can acquire a large quantity of this Earth Mother Sand," Chu Liang countered confidently, "would completing the project then be possible?"

Naturally, Chu Liang had gotten it from the Buddhist Cloud Monastery. He had brought that piece of Sumeru Crystal back and cut it back and forth repeatedly until it was reduced to these fine, sand-like fragments.

"If we could incorporate this Earth Mother Sand into the mountain structure and buildings," Construction Master Xu mused, "the spiritual energy of the formations could permeate the interior, enhancing their effects by at least tenfold. It does seem quite feasible."

"That’s fantastic," Chu Liang said with a smile. "That’s exactly what I want."

"But about that…" Construction Master Xu chuckled. "You know, we’ve never attempted anything like this before. It’s definitely going to be a challenge, and the cost will undoubtedly be significantly higher."

"Money isn’t an issue," Chu Liang replied firmly. After a brief pause, he asked, "I heard that attendant disciples of the Hall of Construction get discounted rates for construction of houses, is that true?"

"Yes, that’s right," Construction Master Xu said with a nod. "Back in the day, it was hard to recruit people, so we introduced those discounts as an incentive."

"Good." Then, Chu Liang suddenly said something that left the Construction Master dumbfounded: "Then I’ll join the Hall of Construction."

"Huh?" Construction Master Xu froze, staring at Chu Liang in disbelief before hurriedly waving his hand. "Absolutely not. Aren’t you just trying to exploit a loophole in our system? Discounts for building a house don’t extend to construction on an entire mountain!"

"Come now," Chu Liang said with a smile. "Once I join the Hall of Construction, we’ll all be family. And when you’re family, everything’s negotiable, right?"

"I won’t agree to this," Xu Heng quickly declared. "As long as I’m still the Construction Master, this will never be negotiable."

Initially, he had seen this as a golden opportunity—a major project with ample chances to pocket some extra benefits. If Chu Liang joined, he would be able to see every operation. With Chu Liang keeping a close watch, how could he get away with anything?

"Alright then…" Chu Liang said regretfully as he stood up.

Without another word, he descended the stairs and exited the Hall of Construction. Then, he made a turn and headed toward the nearby Boundless Palace.

Chu Liang said, "Sect Leader Venerable, I have an important matter to report."

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: GT

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