Zhang Wu Ji's First Treasure (2)

"Hei Tie! Summon my three disciples here! Quickly!" Zhang Wu Ji was wrecking his own brain with the memories related to the mineral resources available throughout the county, but only to find out that there wasn't any related information or changes of name in the mineral Borax, which used as the flux during welding and smelting the metal or crystals.

Without the assistance of the flux, the process to separates the two different type of materials will become much more difficult for him, especially when the total amount of raw material that he will have to handle is up to a total of 20 tonnes in raw weight. For a forge, 20 tonnes of materials can be easily processed within a few days, but for Zhang Wu Ji and his four helpers, their efficiency cannot be questioned.

It's considered efficient if their performance were a tenth of the speed if compared to all the workers working in a single Forge. If they managed to shorten it to one-eighth of the speed, they can be said to be performing very exceptionally. But at this moment, What Zhang Wu Ji was aiming for is to speed up his results even further, by searching for the existence of the item called Flux in his world.

Here in this continent, perhaps the exact usage of the flux in Metallurgy is still yet to be found, but in his own world, the metallurgy works are all related and supported by the existence of the Borax, acting as the flux to assist in the oxidation, increasing melting points, and also in this case, to separates the two components of materials through the extreme Cleansing process.

"Master, did you summon this three disciples here?" the three immediately greets their master when they reach the courtyard. The only difference this time, they did not kneel.

"Tell me, do you know what is Borax, or something similar to mutation, explosive power, or volatile crystals?" Zhang Wu Ji gave them a few examples to look for while they trying to remember the material that might happen to exist in their period of servicing the Sect as the Elder and Vice Elders in the Blacksmithing Department. Based on the number of raw materials they encountered until now, the three is the best candidate to ask at this crucial moment.

"Master, the disciple is useless in answering such question, but disciple does have an idea what master is looking for. Before the death of our previous master, he found a very special kind of crystal rocks that can be grounded into powder form, which when it was used in smelting, it will create amazing sparks and intensity of flames. We called this Crystal Rocks [Melting Crystal] because when it rains, the Crystal Rocks will melt and mixed with the water."

"The mixture did not create any pollution or whatsoever in the water sources, this it was treated as a stone similar to salt, something that formed in the nature but we do not know about their usage." the eldest explained what he remembered in the past, when they were looking at their master when he was forging a weapon or metal. They remembered that the effect of using this grounded powder is very special, but at the same time, their master's death is also due to this Melting Crystals.

"Great, where can we get them?" Zhang Wu Ji inquired. With the existence of the Borax in this world, his intention can be said to be half success. Without waiting for them to continue, he asked about the material's whereabouts. But the reaction from the disciples changed as soon as they heard him.

"Master, that place is not far. If we followed the east direction after coming out from the sect, we will travel past the Tian Village, Ren Village, and Yun Village. Heading up north from the Yun Village, we will reach the Salt Mountain. The Melting Crystal can be harvested from this area. But they were difficult to be transported, so even our master brings his own Bottle Gourd to collect the Melting Crystal's powder that he grounded after using a manual crystal grinder."

"Master, allow this three disciples to go and collect the crystals for you!" the youngest among the three suggested. But his suggestion was rejected without a moment of hesitation from Zhang Wu Ji.

"Tian Village, Ren Village, Yun Village. If I'm not mistaken, their distance was about 1 day from each another, and if the traveling is done by riding a horse, it will only take half a day to reach? That's fine. I will ride that lazy bull to visit the three villages and take a look on their local produce. You guys will overtake my position and complete my portion of the task as well, while I am looking for some new resources." easily, he distributes all his works for the four of them to handle before he decides to went for a journey by himself.

It was fortunate and unfortunate at the same time. The fortunate thing is that as a Master Senior, he's allowed to leave the Seven Star Sect without obtaining any approval from the elders or door guards before he leaves and enters the sect's vicinity as he likes. But the unfortunate thing is that because the Sect restricts the disciples to return to their hometown to visits their families, even Zhang Wu Ji is applicable to this rules.

Without even spending one complete day inside of the sect, he runs outside once more, just for the sake of having his own part of the fun, while his subordinates are still busy handling the task he delegates to each of them. Luckily, Zhang Wu Ji's fun is supported by his amazing abilities, from Pill Concoction to Blacksmithing, establishing the Seven Star Apprentice Hall, rebuilding the Wen Wu City, and many more of his sect shaking accomplishments.

If it was not because Liang Tian accepted him as the disciple without too much hassle, perhaps the one becoming the disciple is Liang Tian, but not Zhang Wu Ji. When it was taken into comparison, except the weaknesses in cultivation strength, Zhang Wu Ji's overall talents shocks everyone within the Seven Star Sect, or perhaps, outshine all of them even if mixed together to be compared.

As for the cultivation strength, it can be strengthened by time, but how about talents and experience? This is depending on the person himself, especially when it was taken to a comparison, Liang Tian's age at least fourfold older than him. Without wasting his time, Zhang Wu Ji rides the Iron Scale Bull as the duo went out from the sect in haste, afraid to miss the morning in their first village, also known as Tian Village.

Although this Tian Village is the closest to the Seven Star Sect, they were not overly pampered by the sect. Their main produce includes Edible fruits and meat products, Cooking Grade Charcoals, and Wheat in powder or raw form. The production of this three type did not obtain the appreciation from the Seven Star Sect itself, but due to their position as the closest neighborhood to the Seven Star Sect, this Tian Village is also known as the [Village Food Grows].

Every month, the villagers pay the tax to the sect in the form of food supplies. And in the few recent years, their soil is suffering from a certain kind of issue, causing the crops and livestock grown is inflicted by the disease. Because it wasn't transferrable from the livestock or crops to human, they're practically safe from the disease. But the problem caused the Tian Village to suffer from the low yield of grown crops and the burden from high tax.

When Zhang Wu Ji entered the village, his black Disciple Uniform with seven stars on both shoulder reveals his identity to everyone in the village, causing everyone, no matter they're working, cooking, sleeping, or playing, to come before him and kneel as they greet him.

"Greeting to Master Senior. This Village Chief is too slow in receiving the arrival of the Master Senior and makes the Master Senior wait plainly while entering the village. This Village Chief worth dying ten times for his negligence, worth dying ten times for his negligence!" the Village Chief is treating him like a tyrant, that will come and destroys their village if the villagers did not kneel.

But for Zhang Wu Ji, this kind of honor means nothing to him, because even if one were a trash, he was still a man, women, an elder, or the parents of a family! If it was to kneel, they should face their parents, their elders, and not somebody like him!

"Please stands up! Why are the villagers closest to the Seven Star Sect is put into such a condition!" Zhang Wu Ji yelled, ordering all of them to stand up. During his short path from the main road to the village, he noticed that most of the crops are suffering some kind of disease, and even the cows and poultries appeared to be dying from sickness. If this matter was made a note to the Seven Star Sect, won't the sect order a complete destruction to the village to control the spread of the disease?

"Dear Master Senior, the Tian Village has been struck by this disease for almost two months now. We already checked the water source, and also stop planting crops, but it was no help to cure this disease. We tried asking the sect to help in this matter, but they were no response until now. Please forgive us, please forgive the people of Tian Village!" the Village Chief treats Zhang Wu Ji like the person that came to shut their village and not a savior.

It was normal. In fact, which youth in the age like Zhang Wu Ji have the ability to find the cure to this matter, when even those that born and grown in this village failed to look for a solution. If a Beast Tamer failed to tame a beast, will ask a dancer to help works? If a construction worker unable to build a building, can a Pill Master help?

If only they know that Zhang Wu Ji has the [UPGRADE] system in his arsenal of trump cards...

"Start from the beginning, when did this happen?" since he was already here, it wasn't a trouble for him to stay for a day or two to help them to solve this matter. If the edible sources were to be gone from the Seven Star Sect, from where they will have to search for the next supply of raw edible materials? What's worst, the incident of the bandit's attacks towards Wen Wu City already destroyed most of the edible Ruby Grains, which means this year harvest is going to be nothing at all.

If the Seven Star Sect faced food supplies difficulties, won't that made the Seven Star County the biggest laughing stock amongst the ten counties in the Upper South State? Reason? It was a simple one to answer. If the richest State in amongst the three in soil is facing food difficulties in one of their counties, what would that imply?

The unworthy ruler of the county or the useless State Minister that unable to do his job properly? If this really going to happen, maybe out of wrath, the emperor of the Southern Imperial Kingdom will give the verdict to chop all the heads belonged to the peoples of Seven Star Sect.

"Master Senior, the problem starts like this..." the Village Elder with a few trustable villagers came forward to begin explaining the situation for him to make a conclusion.

It seems that two months ago, there was an issue of a few outsiders is killed and left on the source of the river, but after it was noticed by the villagers, they quickly went to clean the spot and buried the six unfortunate outsiders not too far from the river source. At the first week, nothing particular happened, but when it comes to the second week, the chickens and ducks were the first one to be inflicted with the disease.

At the third and fourth weeks, the cows and sheep are affected, and some weaker crops withers without reason, leaving only some stronger plants like fruits and grains still survive. But few more weeks after that until now, even the grains and fruits are affected and begin to rot without reason.

The villagers started to kill the livestock inflicted with disease, but who knows, even those animal that they purchase from outside their village also inflicted by the disease after few days. Although the meat is still edible and the sickness does not spread people, the weird thing is, only the cultivated grains, livestock is inflicted with this disease, but those random fruits, trees, and animal-like wolves or foxes are fine and free from those diseases.

"This is weird. How can the disease spreads to the crops and livestock, but not the wild trees, wild animals, and humans?" Zhang Wu Ji is puzzled by such an explanation, but to make sure he got to the root of the problem, he will need to inspect everything happened in this village.

"Take this Name Plate and send a villager to the Seven Star Sect. Look for Tang Yuan and pass my message to him. After that, guide the people this person name Tang Yuan gathered and return here. He will act as I required." Zhang Wu Ji withdraws a piece of Jade with his name on it, and hand it over to the Village Chief. His instruction was;

"Bring me peoples with good agricultural expertise."

"Yes, Master Senior! This old man will quickly go and instruct the healthiest person to deliver the instruction!" the Village Chief took the Jade with both hand and retreats. It was better for him to inspect the surrounding by himself, thus Zhang Wu Ji waved his palm and ordered the others to leave him alone. Without wasting time, Zhang Wu Ji explored the Tian Village and inspect most of the items that can give him any tiny bits of detail.

After checking most of the item touchable, including dead animals and crops remains, Zhang Wu Ji still failed to found the reason for this issue. He did not give up but went upward following the water source, all the way until he reaches the place where not too far from the river is six simply made graves.

He went and inspect the grave and its stones, but noticed only another clue. All six of them were the students that came from a Medicine School for the reason to search for a poison similar to cyanide. But it did not says that their death is related to the cyanide, nor it was due to the poison existence attracts the attack from the Lan Shan Bandits.

"Wait... Cyanide? Don't tell me..." Zhang Wu Ji emptied a jade bottle and used them to collect the water that came from the lake not far from the graves. He remembered that the villagers said that the six of them were killed by the Lan Shan Bandits, so as they afraid that the infection will come if the corpses are unattended, they dug six holes to give these unfortunate people a proper burial.

But in exchange for their kindness, the villagers are struck by disaster, where their crops and also livestock is dead after they give these people a proper burial. Of course, this was the opinion from an outsider, but given the fact Zhang Wu Ji possess the [UPGRADE] system, the jade bottle finally explained the reason why this disaster happened.

0.07mg Cyanide Concentration Liquid in Jade Bottle

Usage: Pesticide, Gold Mining. Concentration too low to affect human, but long period consumption will cause organ and oxygen processing failure.

Durability: -/-

"No wonder the crops and livestock are dead. They were drinking these cyanides all along! Although the concentration is lack to kill a human, overconsuming them for a longer period still equals to an organ failure too! But why did the plants and wild animals is fine? This is the main question!" Zhang Wu Ji continued to look for the main reason of this differences, and left with no choice, Zhang Wu Ji can only dig the soil in the nearby tree to check the main reason.

When the soil is proof to be wet, but void of the cyanides poisoning, this leads to another question.

"Do the underground still comes with another usable water source? The Tian Village has been using the water source that comes from here for many generations, but do the source of water from this lake comes from another hidden location?" Zhang Wu Ji questioned his own findings, and try to follow the trail to look for the true origin of the water source.

But to do it, he only has two option to choose.

First of all, is to search around the lake, and see if there were a hidden cave where the water source flows out from. As for the second, will be personally entered the lake and search for an underground water channel which diverts all the flow of water from somewhere else to here. The first option is practically safer, but the second option's possibility is higher.

"I wasn't in a rush, so I don't mind trying the first option now." Zhang Wu Ji explored and check all the nooks and crooks all around the lake, and even harvested a few matured seeds to be planted back in his courtyard in the future. But this option did not have a positive or reliable result.

The mounds were all closed and no water source is especially richer at these areas, so the only choice left for him is to dive into the lake and search for the water channel. This may be his one and only options now because, except the flat area surrounding the lake, there was no other positive opening that will lead him to where he wanted.

"Wait... Cyanide... Cyanide Poisoning... Poison... Mining... Extraction... Gold... Metal..."

"Damn! I actually that fool to not realize that this source of cyanide can help me in many of my metallurgy needs!"

"But first of all... Where, how, and in what way can I extracts the Cyanide from the water source?" Zhang Wu Ji searched his pocket and all over his body for something that might be useful, until he found something.

"You damn knife, it is your time to contributes!"