Chapter 55

"Keb'er, the little bit of委屈 (grievance) you're experiencing now is insignificant compared to what your father went through. What's a little resentment to you?" Wu Yaoshi patiently guided him, "I'm not asking you to elevate Xiaozé to the same level as Lu Hongshan, just to teach you a way to handle things."

Seeing Wang Bo still being stubborn, Wu Yaoshi continued, "Look at Wang Chen's current companion, Wang Zhongyong! You should have heard that ten years ago, when Wang Zhongyong was still a beggar, he split Wang Chen's head open with a gash an inch long. But what about now?"

"He has become Wang Chen's most loyal dog!" Wang Bo's eyes suddenly lit up as he pursed his lips, "Mother, I understand. You mean I should cultivate Xiaozé into my own Wang Zhongyong."

Wu Yaoshi smiled, "Exactly. If you have such a loyal dog by your side, Mother will have much less to worry about."

"But... how can I cultivate him into a loyal dog?" Thinking of Lu Buqi's touching persistence and ferocity, Wang Bo became hesitant again, "I'm worried he might turn around and bite me. After all, I beat him up pretty badly back then. What if he holds a grudge?"

Wu Yaoshi sneered, "He won't be that stupid. A little slave like him just wants a chance to rise to prominence. As long as you can give him what he wants, he won't bite you... Didn't you say you promised to reward him with money? Send it to him now, and even ten or twenty times the amount..."

Wang Bo was taken aback, "Ah? That would be ten million knives?"

"Would you care about such a small amount of money? You often give millions to your useless flatterers, don't you?" Wu Yaoshi chuckled, "Bo'er, just do as Mother says, and I guarantee you'll have a loyal and useful dog!"

After a moment's thought, Wang Bo nodded heavily, "Alright, I'll send Wang Duocai to Guojian Town tomorrow."

"That guy has a bit of cunning, but no real talent!" A hint of disdain flashed in Wu Yaoshi's eyes, "Bo'er, it would be best if you went there yourself to show sincerity..."

Wang Bo's expression changed, "Mother, it's just a little slave. Sending someone to deliver the reward is already a huge favor to him. Besides, all the Shenyan machines have been requisitioned by the local officials. Should I ride a horse to Guojian Town?"

"Riding a horse isn't a bad thing; it can be a form of training!" Wu Yaoshi said, "And you can visit other towns along the way, maybe even recruit a few talented people. Remember, even if your father dotes on you, if you don't have the ability to recognize talent, he won't entrust the vast Wang family to you."

"Mother, I understand that!" Wang Bo nodded, "But in this cold winter, riding a horse would be quite a hassle. Besides, if I go, I might miss the day when I welcome Father back, which wouldn't be good, right?"

Wu Yaoshi sighed lightly and nodded, "Alright, then send Wang Duocai to Guojian Town. Remember, he must show our sincerity. Tell him you've been paying attention to him all along, and when he arrives in Yangze, have someone receive him properly."

"Mother, rest assured, I'll arrange it well." Wang Bo nodded heavily, but in his heart, he thought, "Mother is smart. Once that little slave becomes my subordinate, I can do whatever I want with him. I'll make him bark like a dog in front of my cousin, and see if she still admires him so much!"

On the Shenyan machine, Lu Buqi naturally didn't know that because of Wang Yingfu's submission of the Wuding list, he had become a topic of discussion between Wu Yaoshi and Wang Bo, and was even being planned to be cultivated into a loyal slave by Wu Yaoshi.

"Guojian Forest has a total of seventeen villages. We will start from the southeast village, fly northeast, and then turn to the northwest village... Besides collecting supplies, we also need to handle some trivial matters in the villages, such as helping to hunt nearby spirit beasts. It will take about twelve to twenty days to complete the circuit and return to the town."

Wang Lishou chatted with Lu Buqi, but noticed that Lu Buqi was very interested in the structure of the Shenyan machine, "Do you have the urge to take it apart?"

Lu Buqi nodded slightly, "Just the flapping of those wooden wings can't support such a large machine to fly. And sitting on it, there's a strange vibration, which is really odd!"

"Don't be surprised. The Shenyan machine has a unique power source device created by the Jimo School of the former Song Dynasty. It produces a slight vibration when activated." Wang Lihong, who was standing nearby, explained, "We in Yunze probably had some master mechanics disassemble it, but it's said that the power source device is very intricate. If disassembled incorrectly, it can explode, so it has never been replicated."

"Power source device? Self-destruct?" Lu Buqi was taken aback.

"Isn't it surprising? Everyone feels that way when they first encounter it. These are top-notch mechanical arts, which ordinary people rarely get to see!" Wang Lihong's eyes sparkled with hope, "I've always thought, if I had the chance to study at the Jimo School of the former Song Dynasty, it would be a wonderful thing."

Lu Buqi smiled faintly, saying nothing. He was taken aback not because he found it surprising, but because in his previous life, spaceships on Earth were almost used for tourism.

Lu Buqi didn't expect to hear such technological terms in this world, but he soon understood. In any world, there are always pioneers in research, and some concepts coinciding is quite normal.

"Wuqi, you don't need to be like Lishou and Lihong, always pondering these intricate mechanisms. They have low martial talent and probably won't reach the Blood Boil realm in their lifetime." Wang Yingfu, lying on a wooden bed, looked more prosperous than a year and a half ago, "You are still young and have a chance to reach the Blood Boil realm. At that time, you will definitely be heavily relied upon by the Wang family. By the way, have you shown any signs of breaking through to the Bone Roar realm recently?"

Lu Buqi shook his head, "No, Old Wang and the others have often given me pointers, but I haven't been able to find the feeling of mobilizing bone marrow energy."

Lishou interjected, "If the bone marrow energy doesn't come out, I think it's because Wuqi's body hasn't fully matured yet. I believe that within three years, Wuqi will definitely break through to the Bone Roar realm, and might even achieve perfection in the ninth level!"

"Ha ha... That's true, Wuqi, you don't need to feel pressured. With your current strength, you can already defeat Lishou, so participating in the Wuding selection will definitely catch the family head's attention." Wang Yingfu laughed, "When the family head gives you some pointers, it will definitely help you break through your bottleneck. I heard that the family head is about to break through to the ninth level of Blood Boil, reaching a realm called Xuantong."

"Ah?" Lu Buqi suddenly remembered the old household head's jest and was shocked, "Is there really a Xuantong realm?"

Wang Lishou and the others were also surprised. Even Wang Liqing, who was responsible for driving the Shenyan machine, couldn't help but say, "Head, I've also heard that if a top expert in the ninth level of Blood Boil can break through, they can reach a realm where they can live by consuming qi. Is that true?"

"It seems so," Wang Yingfu sat up slightly, "This time, I went to the inner castle of the Yangze main family, but I didn't see the family head. I heard he was invited by the Marquis to the Yunze Sect to seek a magical pattern. Out of curiosity, I asked a few more questions. I heard that the magical pattern is a tool used by those who have broken through to the Xuantong realm, with the power to split mountains and rocks."

"Does that mean the family head has already broken through to the Xuantong realm?" Lishou gasped, "The family head is already very powerful in the Blood Boil realm. I heard that his casual punch has the strength of tens of thousands of pounds, and no one can match him. It's hard to imagine how powerful the family head will be with this magical pattern."

Lihai pondered a different question, "I'm curious, is the Yunze Sect a sect? It has the same name as our Yunze country. Even the Marquis and the family head, who are so powerful, have to go there to seek a magical pattern. How prestigious must that place be?"

"I finally understand why Boss Chu laughed at me for being a frog at the bottom of a well!" Lihong nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of nostalgia and sorrow, "How many things in this world do we not know, and may never touch in our entire lives?"

As the four great kings of Guojian Town sighed, Lu Buqi looked out the window, gazing at the dark forest under the night sky, his mind already wandering far away...

This world is not as simple as he thought. After all, beasts can become spirits, mechanisms can fly, and a martial artist with a bit of talent can have the strength of a thousand pounds after a few years of practice. How can such a world be measured by the worldview of his previous life?

Lihong's voice also drifted into Lu Buqi's mind, and his eyes shot out a fierce light, "No! I... didn't live enough in my previous life, and in this life, I can't be a frog at the bottom of a well! Bone Roar, Blood Boil... what are these? Xuantong, I must reach Xuantong, stand on a higher peak, and look down on this world!"

Facing the night sky, Lu Buqi was silent, but his heart was screaming, "I must figure out what kind of world this is!"

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