Chapter 362: The Thickness of the Sky
To activate the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon, Qin Mu needed the jade disc in his hand. The cannon itself was too massive to move or control easily, so Qin Mu had refined another jade disc to resonate with it. Through this disc, he could control the enormous divine cannon, aiming it wherever he wished. The jade disc served as the cannon's brain and central hub.
Qin Mu taught the method of controlling the jade disc to Emperor Yanfeng. It was simple to learn and even simpler to use. As a master forger, Qin Mu had managed to simplify extremely complex tasks, a skill that set him far above other forging masters.
Emperor Yanfeng put the disc away, but after a moment, he took it out again to fiddle with it. Then he put it back, only to retrieve it once more.
Qin Mu kindly suggested, "Your Majesty, you could try firing a shot."
Emperor Yanfeng shot him a fierce glare and said irritably, "One cannon shot, and the national treasury will be empty! I'm not like you, spending money recklessly."
Qin Mu replied, "Hasn't the Crown Prince returned from the Snow Plains? He should have brought back plenty of wealth."
"Even so, we can't just fire the cannon casually! The treasury funds can't be touched carelessly. The nation is in ruins and needs rebuilding—where isn't there a shortage of money?"
Emperor Yanfeng put the jade disc away again. A moment later, Qin Mu saw the emperor secretly take it out once more. He couldn't help but shake his head. The emperor, having never fired a shot himself, would surely lose sleep and appetite, constantly dreaming of firing it for the thrill.
But his reason would tell him not to waste the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannon, and then the emperor would continue to agonize over it.
"Let him be," Qin Mu thought.
Suddenly, several officials from the Celestial Surveillance Bureau approached, carrying thick scrolls. Leading them was the Volcano Commandant, who bowed to Qin Mu and said, "Lord Superintendent, when you fired that shot into the sky earlier, our Celestial Observation Platform detected some anomalies. Since you have many mathematical experts here, we'd like to ask for your help in calculating the matter."
Qin Mu asked curiously, "What anomalies?"
"When the sky broke, the celestial phenomena shifted."
The Fire Well Commandant of the Celestial Surveillance Bureau added, "The sky split open, and the celestial phenomena shifted. After it closed, everything returned to normal. We've recorded the angles of deviation, but our mathematical skills are limited, making it hard to calculate what happened. Lord Qin, please look at these star charts from past years."
He unrolled the star charts, flipping through them page by page. Qin Mu observed that the Celestial Surveillance Bureau's records of the sky's stars followed a regular pattern each year, with only subtle changes.
"This is the star chart from after Lord Qin's shot."
The Fire Well Commandant opened the final page and pointed to it. "After that shot, the sky went dark for an instant. The armillary sphere on the Celestial Observation Platform recorded the positions of the stars. The Sun Star shifted by one inch and seven fen. After the crack healed, the Sun Star returned. The other stars that appeared during the darkness also shifted, some more, some less. But at the location of the crack, there were no stars at all. That's absolutely abnormal. That crack should have contained one hundred and seven stars!"
Qin Mu was still puzzled. "Could it be that the divine cannon's power was so great it tore space, distorting our vision and causing the shift?"
"That's possible," the Fire Well Commandant said. "But the Celestial Surveillance Bureau monitors celestial phenomena using the armillary sphere, a heavy spiritual treasure. Our cultivators' vision might be distorted, but the armillary sphere wouldn't be. The stars on the armillary sphere move in sync with the stars in the sky. If the armillary sphere's stars moved, it means the real stars in the sky truly moved. The key question is: why were there no stars at the crack?"
Qin Mu's heart stirred, and he probed, "What are you implying?"
The Celestial Surveillance Bureau officials exchanged glances. The Volcano Commandant cleared his throat and said, "Before we have a calculation result, the Celestial Surveillance Bureau makes no guesses and takes no responsibility for anyone else's guesses. Please understand, Lord Qin."
"These guys are being mysterious."
Qin Mu frowned. "The experts I have here are mostly mathematical masters from the Dao Sect and Little Jade Capital. They're about to leave and return to their sects, so I can't guarantee I can persuade them to help."
Xu Shenghua stepped forward eagerly. "I have some skill in mathematical calculations."
Qin Mu smiled. "Brother Xu's help would be welcome. I'll go invite Sect Master Lin Xuan and Wang Muran."
Jing Yan quickly said, "Since my young master is helping, does that mean the debt of a thousand coins..."
Qin Mu didn't look back. "If you don't help, I still have plenty of mathematical experts here!"
Jing Yan's face darkened. "You miser!"
Xu Shenghua said, "Yanzi, don't be angry. Actually, I also want to know what happened in the sky after Lord Qin's shot. And he's not wrong—whether we help or not doesn't matter much to him; it's just a matter of time."
Qin Mu found Sect Master Lin Xuan, Wang Muran, Mu Qingdai, and other young experts. When they gathered, Wang Muran asked, "What does Lord Qin want to calculate?"
Qin Mu looked at the Fire Well Commandant of the Celestial Surveillance Bureau. The Fire Well Commandant's eyes flickered. "Calculate the celestial phenomena."
Lin Xuan Sect Master laughed. "Celestial phenomena? Lord Qin has cultivated our Dao Sect's Dao Sword, and the fourth chapter of the Dao Sword is about celestial phenomena. With him here, why do you need us?"
Qin Mu shook his head. "The fourth chapter of the Dao Sword calculates normal celestial phenomena. But what the Celestial Surveillance Bureau wants us to calculate is abnormal celestial phenomena."
Lin Xuan Sect Master and the other Dao Sect disciples were puzzled. Celestial phenomena could be normal and abnormal?
The Fire Well Commandant explained the phenomena observed by the Celestial Surveillance Bureau. "The stars moved, and the stars in the crack disappeared. This celestial phenomenon is absolutely abnormal. It's as if, as if..."
Mu Qingdai blurted out, "It's as if the stars are hung on a curtain!"
The Fire Well Commandant clapped his hands. "Exactly! As if they're hung on a curtain. Lord Qin's cannon light tore the curtain, and then the stars, sun, and moon parted to the sides!"
The young people exchanged glances, their expressions grave.
The celestial phenomena were hung in the sky?
Xu Shenghua looked up at the sky, steadied himself, and said, "Lord Qin, what exactly do you want us to calculate?"
"Based on the star shift caused by that shot, calculate the height and thickness of the sky!"
Qin Mu glanced at the Celestial Surveillance Bureau's star officials. "Is that what you mean, gentlemen?"
The star officials exchanged looks and slowly nodded.
"Lord Qin is perceptive."
The Fire Well Commandant said hoarsely, "We used to believe the sky was infinitely high and infinitely thick. But Lord Qin's shot has made the Celestial Surveillance Bureau think that the sky might have a limited height and thickness. The stars in the sky might not be as big or as far as we imagined. The sun might also, also..."
He dared not continue.
Qin Mu looked at the group. "What do you all think?"
They were all young, with different backgrounds, traditions, and loyalties, but they were all curious. One by one, they looked up at the sky.
Lin Xuan Sect Master withdrew his gaze. "Since Lord Qin's shot has shown us that the sky has thickness and height, why not calculate it?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Wang Muran said, "We need the specific deviation data for the stars to calculate."
The Fire Well Commandant said, "The Celestial Surveillance Bureau has records for every star, including the sun."
"Then it's easy!"
They immediately set to work, measuring and calculating. After a long time, they compiled the numbers. Everyone's faces grew heavy and confused.
"I don't believe it!"
A Dao Sect disciple suddenly stood up, slammed the Bagua diagram in his hand to the ground with a crack, shattering it, and shouted angrily, "I don't believe it!" Then he stormed off.
The other mathematical experts were silent. Long Yu muttered, "This can't be. We must have calculated wrong. This is absolutely impossible..."
Several Dao Sect experts broke down, laughing bitterly. "It's definitely a mistake. The sky can't be that thin..."
"It's definitely wrong!" the Fire Well Commandant said firmly.
"Yes, it must be wrong!" many echoed.
Xu Shenghua shook his head. "Can all of us have calculated wrong? Everyone got the same number. So the result is correct. The sky is exactly this high and this thick."
"This can't be! It can't be..." Long Yu, dazed and stumbling, walked away, half-mad.
Mu Qingdai felt dizzy and quickly crouched down, sitting on the ground.
Qin Mu stared at the numbers they had calculated, lost in thought. The sky was a hundred thousand li high, but its thickness was a mere three hundred zhang. That meant within that three hundred zhang of thickness were the sun, the moon, the Milky Way, and countless stars!
How was that possible?
"Heh heh heh heh..."
Suddenly, his own composure cracked. He laughed uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face, laughing so hard he sat down and slapped his knees.
"Lord Qin, what are you laughing at?" Lin Xuan Sect Master glared at him and shouted.
"Abandoned people..."
Qin Mu laughed heartily, pointing at his nose. "You're an abandoned person! You're an abandoned person too! And you, you, you! You're all abandoned people!"
Everyone stared at him coldly. Qin Mu's finger pointed at each of their faces, finally landing on Xu Shenghua. His laughter subsided, and his face turned terrifyingly cold. "You're an abandoned person too!"
Xu Shenghua frowned. The sky was only this high and this thick. Not only could it not contain the sun, moon, and stars, but even a large mountain couldn't fit inside.
Yet the sky had the sun, moon, and stars. That meant only one possibility. The brilliant stars, the blazing sun, the radiant moon, and the billions of stars like the Milky Way were all fake—pasted on!
The sky was like a seal, sealing this world. The sun, moon, stars, constellations, and galaxy presented to them were all illusions.
In the Great Ruins, surrounded by the Divine Fault Mountains, there was no daylight. At night, darkness encroached, and looking up, you could never see stars or the moon.
The people of the Great Ruins were the abandoned people of the gods.
But the creatures of this world might also be abandoned people, just like those in the Great Ruins!
Lin Xuan Sect Master suddenly shook his sleeves and said coldly, "I won't be an abandoned person! Dao Sect disciples, let's go back to the mountain!" As he walked, tears suddenly streamed down his face.
"Dao follows nature... that's a damn fake nature!"
The young sect master looked up at the sky and cursed at the top of his lungs: "A lifetime of hard work, all wasted on this damn fake nature and all its phenomena!"
—Second update in ten minutes!