Dao of Money-Chapter 88: Machine and machinations

Xueying Shenmu, clan head of the prestigious Xueying clan, swung his sword, feeling the ripple of his biceps. His muscles strained as each blow landed. A sharp crack formed against the wooden dummy in front of him.

“Argh!” He swung it again, this time aiming at the dummy’s neck. It once again caused wood to splinter. Beads of sweat ran down his face as he brought his sword back, just to hit the dummy again, and again.

His grunts filled the air, as he kept on swinging.

The movement became one of practice rather than conscious as his eyes grew distant, lost in memories.

Every strike reminded him of his childhood.

Born to a branch family of cultivators, Shenmu had once dreamed of rising above his humble beginnings, wielding a sword with enough strength to topple mountains and make the heavens tremble. His days back then had been spent just like this—relentlessly swinging his weapon, sharpening his skills, and preparing for the moment he could step onto the path of cultivation and bring glory to his family.

But fate had been cruel. Extremely cruel that he almost felt bad for himself.

When his spirit roots had finally been tested, the results were devastating. None. While his two younger brothers were found to have excellent cultivation potential and had been chosen as the future scions of their branch family, Shenmu had been left behind, crushed beneath his shattered dreams.

For years, he only tasted one thing; bitterness.

Until, one day, he didn’t.

The realisation hit him; there was more to life than just chasing unreachable heights. There were other ways to bring pride to his clan—other ways that he could stand tall. And so, he had set down his sword and chosen a different path. The path of money.

His lips twitched upward slightly as he thought about how far he’d been able to come. Through grit, ambition, and relentless effort, he had built a fortune so vast that no one dared to look down on him now. He was still mortal, but he commanded the respect of both cultivators and commoners. His family, once just a branch, had become one of the most powerful clans in Jingxi. And countless cultivators now bowed their heads to his family—because of his wealth. He hired more than half of them to work for him.

Still, even after all those years of training, he had never let go of the discipline he’d forged in his youth.

Every morning, he trained, swinging his sword as if he could carve those dummies with it.

Thwack! Another strike, and he pushed another painful memory aside.

Maybe this was his way of coping, but it’d helped him for years.

Thwack!

He pushed past another memory of his siblings this time. He raised his sword again—

Knock! Knock!

Shenmu frowned, lowering his weapon as he turned toward the door that slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was the chief steward, Dexin, an elderly man with a thin frame and a perpetually serious expression. He bowed deeply.

“Master.”

Shenmu’s frown deepened. “You know I don’t like to be disturbed during this time.”

Dexin straightened. “I wouldn’t have, Master, unless it was important. I know better.”

A moment passed before Shenmu gave a curt nod. “Very well. Speak.”

“We’ve just received word, Master. A new delivery of Heavenly Fragrance bottles and materials was made to their shop about an hour ago.”

At those words, Xueying Shenmu's eyes widened, shock flashing across his face. “What happened? We sent Yushu and the others, right?”

“We did, Master. But none of them have reported back. We’re assuming they’ve been captured by the forces of the Tang Clan and the Divine Coin Sect.”

Shenmu’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening until he heard his teeth grind. He shook his head after a few seconds of contemplation. “That can’t be. No, check once again. Yushu is a qi refinement realm cultivator. According to what we know, this so-called sect is a newly established one, no different from any other Emerging sect.”

Dexin cleared his throat. “Master, we assume that Chen Ren himself might have protected the carriage. And as far as things have been confirmed, he is in the qi refinement realm too.”

“Even then, we sent more cultivators with Yushu. There’s no way he could have done this alone. This Chen Ren must have brought in more cultivators to support his sect, or it wouldn’t have been possible.” He paused, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully, before asking, “Did they at least manage to damage some of the supplies? There were orders to harm and retreat if they weren’t confident in winning.”

Dexin shifted uncomfortably, a trace of hesitation in his voice as he responded, “No, Master… There wasn’t anything like that. All the materials were delivered safely, and the scouts specifically reported that the Heavenly Fragrance bottles were in pristine condition.”

Shenmu’s teeth clenched audibly, a flash of anger rippling through him. “How can that be?”

“Because we were tricked, Master.”

Shenmu’s head snapped up. “Tricked? How?”

“When we observed the delivery, we noticed that the supplies didn’t come from the Tang Clan’s carriage as expected. Instead, there were six carriages owned by ordinary merchants, carrying mixed supplies. We later identified them as traveling merchants whose business route runs between Cloud Mist City and Jingxi City. It seems the Tang Clan paid them to hide their supplies among their other goods.”

Shenmu’s eyes glinted with cold fury as he considered the implications. He certainly hadn't expected such a move.

“Do you want us to take action against those merchants?”

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He fell silent, lowering the sword slowly as he sank into deep thought. Did he want to go against those merchants who had crossed his their clan? Did they even know what they were doing or were they simply after some easy coins? His mind spinned with different scenarios.

After a long moment, he sighed and spoke.

“No… leave them be.”

Dexin blinked in surprise but remained quiet as Shenmu continued.

“Even if we warn those merchants, the Tang Clan will just find someone else next time. And they might even employ more clever tactics to avoid detection.” His lips curled into a smile. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had outsiders bold enough to stand against us. Bold… and cunning.”

He took a slow breath. “But they’re forgetting one thing. We have roots in this city, deep roots that have grown strong over generations. They’re just a sapling. And there’s no way this ends well for them.”

“What are your orders, Master?”

“For now, do nothing. Watch them carefully, but don’t interfere. They’ll be expecting retaliation, waiting for us to make a move. Let them fall into a false sense of security.”

He rubbed his hands; one thing on his mind. “And when they finally open up, we’ll rip that sapling out of the ground.”

***

Chen Ren moved through the spacious two-storey building. Tang Yuqiu walked beside him, her eyes squinted in pride and excitement. He glanced around, taking in the place she had spent the past few months renovating. Sunlight poured in through large windows. It made the space feel warm.The ground floor had an open layout, perfect for displays, with sleek counters, shelves, and plenty of room for customers to move around. The high ceilings gave it a grand, airy feeling, and the decorative lanterns hanging from the rafters added a touch of refinement.

The first floor had smaller sections partitioned for specialty goods, areas were connected by smooth, dark wood railings and stone steps. The second floor, he assumed, would be for administration or VIP clients and they could always add more floors. It was clear Tang Yuqiu had spared no expense.

Chen Ren let out a low whistle, impressed. “You sure you didn’t just empty everything you earned through Heavenly Fragrances—and more—by buying this building?”

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Tang Yuqiu turned to him with a confident smile. “I still have money left,” she said breezily, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I wouldn’t have put this much into it if I didn’t think I’d earn it back the moment this store opens.”

Chen Ren arched a brow. “You could’ve asked me for some help, you know.”

She shook her head, a light chuckle escaping her lips. “You were busy with your sect. I know you’ve taken in a lot of people, and feeding them every day can’t be easy.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but she wasn’t done. “Besides,” she added, “you’re already giving ideas on perfumes and clothes. It’s only natural that I handle the rest. I can’t be a bad business partner, now, can I?”

Chen Ren nodded, not arguing, but inside, he felt a quiet wave of gratitude. He’d definitely made the right call by partnering with her. Their relationship hadn’t started off smoothly, but now, he knew he could leave a lot in her capable hands and trust that she wouldn’t let him down.

More than that, she was keeping his situation in mind—managing the business without asking him for money, even though they were partners. That was as good as a business partner could get.

The only thing he could do to repay that trust was to make sure this expansion worked out. For both of them.

As they descended to the ground floor, Chen Ren’s eyes were drawn to the organized chaos of crates and supplies scattered across the room. Large wooden crates labeled with the distinctive mark of Heavenly Fragrances were stacked neatly along one wall, while rows of wrapped wooden bottles gained his attention almost immediately. The perfume bottles, with their elegant designs and delicate stoppers, seemed almost out of place amidst the rough, utilitarian packaging.

Nearby, smaller containers filled with raw materials for production were stacked in clusters. Dried herbs, powdered minerals, and oils imported from the outskirts of Cloud Mist City were neatly packed, labeled with the contents and sources. Tang Yuqiu’s thoroughness was evident in every detail. He was glad that none of it had broken.

Even if he knew his plan was most likely to work, he was still concerned and had sent Tang Boming and his men to each of the merchant carriages that had the materials to protect them. Fortunately, they had delivered the materials in good condition.

Chen Ren crossed his arms, nodding appreciatively. “When are you planning to start production?”

They had gotten enough perfumes for the grand opening, but they were setting up a factory in Jingxi as well. It made more sense for them to supply the raw materials from Cloud Mist City since they were cheap and abundant there. It would save them a fortune in transportation cost down the line if they produced everything locally.

“In a day or two.”

Chen Ren nodded. “Sounds good. What about the clothes?”

“We’ve already prepared samples. Depending on how well they sell, I’ll expand production. But it might take some time. These designs aren’t easy to make, and crafting them is labor-intensive. Even if I hire more workers, the profit margins will shrink. It’s a fine balance, you know.”

Chen Ren sighed, knowing she was right. In this world, sewing and cloth-making were entirely handcrafted processes, demanding years of practice to master. Unlike the convenience of machines he remembered from his previous life, here it was an intricate art form. Each stitch, each pattern was a testament to the skill of the artisan. Even cultivators often took it up as a discipline, producing enchanted robes and garments as a specialty.

But waiting wasn’t something he was fond of. He had a strong feeling these clothes would be a hit, and the more stock they had, the better. The thought of missing out on potential sales because of slow production didn’t sit well with him.

Fortunately, he’d already devised a way to speed things along. A small, satisfied smile played on his lips as he thought about it. It was time for him to step up as a business partner—Tang Yuqiu had already more than proven her worth, and now it was his turn to do the same.

“Actually, I do have a way to speed things along,” he said casually.

She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Oh? You’ve got another method to make clothes? Like the perfume idea?”

“Something like that. It’s very simple. You just have to rely on a machine to reduce the manual work. With that, we’ll increase production by a lot.”

Tang Yuqiu blinked at him, and then her eyebrows squinted “A machine? What kind of machine?”

Instead of answering right away, he reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a rolled-up parchment. He unfurled it on a nearby crate, revealing a detailed, hand-drawn diagram. It was filled with precise sketches, tiny notes, and arrows pointing to various components.

“I came up with this design once I returned to my sect after our talk,” he explained, tapping the parchment. “It won’t be the easiest thing to build since it needs some fine-tuning, but if we can pull it off, I think we’ll have a machine that could change the way clothes are made.”

She traced her finger along some of the lines, trying to make sense of it, but her expression quickly turned puzzled. “I’m not going to lie, this looks… complicated.”

“It is. This is a sewing machine.” He pointed to a part of the drawing where a small, sharp object was prominently featured. “See this here? This is the needle. It’s the core of the whole machine. As the machine works, the needle pierces the fabric automatically. And that means on its own.”

Tang Yuqiu squinted at the parchment, then glanced at him. “On its own? How?”

Chen Ren tapped another part of the diagram. “This is the hand crank. It’s a small wheel on the side that you turn by hand. That, in turn, moves the needle up and down. And here—” he pointed again, “—are the feed dogs.”

Tang Yuqiu immediately straightened up, giving him a wide-eyed, incredulous look. “Feed… dogs?” She tilted her head. “Wait, why are we talking about dogs all of a sudden? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”

Chen Ren couldn’t hold it in a laugh. The seriousness in her eyes made him shake his head, but he could see why she would get confused by the name. “Yes, I’m fine. It’s just the name of the component in the sewing machine,” he explained, pointing at the small part on the diagram. “It’s called that because it looks like a dog’s teeth.”

Tang Yuqiu tilted her head, studying the drawing again before nodding. “Okay, that makes sense… sort of. But your naming sense is still a little strange.”

Chen Ren considered telling her that he wasn’t the one who came up with the name, but he let it slide and continued his explanation instead. He walked her through the various parts of the machine, explaining how they worked together—the hand crank turning the gears, the needle moving automatically, and the feed dogs pulling the fabric forward.

At first, he’d thought of making a more modern, electronic version. But as soon as the thought came to mind, he dismissed it. The lack of electricity in the empire was a major issue, and he didn’t want to add an array to every machine, knowing it would be too much effort in the long run—costly and impractical. So, he’d settled on a gear-based design instead—something anyone could use.

Besides, it would get the workers used to the concept, and later on, he could always upgrade the design when the time wasis right.

By the time he finished explaining, Tang Yuqiu looked far less confused, though a flicker of astonishment lingered on her face. She tried to hide it, but Chen Ren could see it clear as day.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to build it exactly like this… but if we can, it’ll be a massive innovation. Something that could change the entire clothing industry.”

“Exactly. And we’ll be at the forefront of it.”

“How do you even come up with all these things? Noodles, ice cream, chips, perfumes… and now this? Sometimes, I think you’ve stumbled upon the hidden knowledge of some ancient sage.”

Chen Ren didn’t reply right away, but internally, he thought she wasn’t entirely wrong. It wasn’t exactly a sage—more like the collective wisdom of the internet. Most of his knowledge came from browsing random topics during high school and college, a mix of curiosity and procrastination that was now paying off in ways he’d never imagined.

Not wanting to dwell on that thought, he changed the subject. “Anyway, the faster we get a prototype made, the better for us. Once we have that, we’ll need to make at least a few machines to ramp up production. The opening day of our little mall is getting close, and we want to be ready.”

Tang Yuqiu nodded. “Got it. I’ll get to it.” She rolled up the parchment carefully, cradling it like it was a treasure. “You won’t be disappointed.”

Chen Ren smiled. “I know I won’t.”

***

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