Superhumans of the Dome City-Chapter 1390 - 9: Master Jing (Part 2)

"I know who closed the martial arts school, but which hero was responsible for the Chief of Staff hanging himself?" Gongsun Ce asked.

Chi Zijing, with great interest, said, "Gongsun Qing, being new here, might not be aware. This all started when Yan Qi hung the Minister of Personnel at the west gate last time..."

"This beginning is certainly striking." Gongsun Ce commented.

Situ Yi shook his long sleeves and laughed, "In October, with the initial chill, the students of the Imperial Academy received their winter clothing; the fabric was thin, the cotton light, still cold when worn. All the students found this peculiar, so they went to the Ministry of Personnel to check the accounts. Upon scanning the records, they noticed silver worth one million taels was missing. No wonder the students’ clothes were lacking fabric; it turns out the Ministry had a massive hole in its finances.

The students, filled with fury, stormed Tianshu, went straight to the court to condemn loyal subjects. They hung the Chief of Staff at the west gate, forcing the ministers to patch the hole personally!"

"Well! The Chief of Staff himself leading the reimbursement, truly a hero!" Gongsun Ce respectfully declared, "But what does the Ministry of Personnel’s corruption have to do with the Ministry of Rites?"

Liu Zhongwu, expressionless, said, "Yan Qi turned the incident into a comic strip and spread it all over the city, and the Chief of Staff hung for a day, not knowing how much public ridicule he endured. Within a few days, the Minister of Rites came to the Academy to teach ancient rites, but the old scholar angrily denounced Yan Qi for being lawless in class, only to be scolded so fiercely by Yan Qi that he couldn’t hold back and struck first..."

"The old scholar, indeed versed in ancient rites, conducts himself with the style of old." Gongsun Ce said.

"Then the Minister of Rites was hung at the east gate, and with the previously affected Ministers of Revenue and Works, they were collectively known as ’the four departments all lost.’" Chi Zijing recounted eagerly, "Now, officials of the Ministry of Justice visit the Academy every other day with gifts of food and clothing as gestures of goodwill. The Ministry of War officials avoid the Academy altogether; no one wants to become the fifth department under Yan Qi’s grip. How would fake eunuchs dare to offend the Inner Gate?"

Gongsun Ce nodded, "I believe Yan Qi is capable of turning them into real eunuchs..."

"Absolutely, easily!" Chi Zijing’s eyes sparkled.

"If His Highness did not share, I would not know when I could learn such interesting tales; I must truly thank His Highness." Gongsun Ce smiled, "Now, seeing as more than half an hour has passed, further delay might cause issues, so I hope His Highness reveals the true purpose of this visit."

Chi Zijing raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Gongsun Qing? I just came here to play arcade games during my free time."

Gongsun Ce smiled without a word, and Liu Zhongwu sighed, "Your Highness, you are exceptionally gifted in the Heavenly Return Skill, this kind of entertainment meant to test reflexes is a piece of cake for you. If you were truly focused on the game, you wouldn’t let the character in the painting get hit by bullets so miserably."

Chi Zijing looked at the character on the arcade screen with just one life left and remarked, "You all are exceedingly smart, my little plan here is indeed a display of my own insignificance... Liu, you are quite right, I didn’t just come to play; there is also a small matter I wish to ask for your help with."

"Does Your Highness refer to the child in the corner?" Gongsun Ce inquired.

"Oh, Gongsun Qing, your perception is quite keen!" Chi Zijing stood up, looking toward the other end of the arcade hall.

Sitting in front of the broken, old machine in the far corner was a boy with a bowl cut, playing games without a fuss, his hands moving slightly, appearing timid. The young boy’s gaming skills were poor, losing all his lives in the fighting game within a few minutes. At that moment, a large ’Continue’ screen appeared, meaning his Game Coins were used up, and if no more coins were inserted, he had to leave and give way to someone with "money."

The boy crouched down as if to continue inserting coins. Gongsun Ce observed clearly, yet the boy held nothing in his hand. At that moment, the machine’s mechanical coin return slot silently ejected a black token. The young boy returned the special token, the ’Continue’ screen disappeared, and the number of lives at the top right of the screen was restored, granting him the right to continue playing.

In that instant, Gongsun Ce had gathered enough for observation, noting the boy’s special token, bright as black jade, etched with countless intricate patterns like micro-engraved circuits. He was reminded of the Array he had used upon arrival, those high-tech Arrays similar in design to the token.

"Liu, what do you think?" Chi Zijing asked.

"It must be Master Jing’s item." Liu Zhongwu said, "This child comes from the Grotto Heaven."

·

Within the mountains, there are chambers reaching to the heavens, and on earth, places of peace and happiness; such are the places where Heavenly Gods and Buddhas dwell, granting those who see them a blessed lifespan. The so-called ’Grotto Heaven’ of the Yong Guang Empire is, in historical records, precisely such a wonderful place where celestial beings reside. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Stories oft tell of ordinary folks who accidentally entered a Grotto Heaven, receiving warm hospitality from the immortals, only to find themselves decades in the future upon exiting, understanding then the principle of a day in heaven equaling a year on earth. These tales, in essence, are correct, as the Grotto Heavens are accidental, one-way time-space channels. Most appear in remote, desolate places, engulfing those who step in and sending them to distant times. The fortunate transcend a mere few years; the less fortunate might pass through decades or even centuries in mere days. The Empire’s officials strive to aid occasional ’transmigrators,’ though these individuals often struggle to integrate into the current society, living in unique environments.

In the 21st century Empire, Grotto Heaven is widely recognized as a kind of giant dragon phenomenon, yet Gongsun Ce had never heard the title ’Master Jing.’ He guessed it is likely a derivative species of the Fan Ding Realm, considering his "official" role is merely a student, and directly asked Liu Zhongwu: "I do not know much about Master Jing, might you explain a bit, Liu?"