"This is precisely why I came," I chuckled. "If you agree, I'll let you learn to operate cannons first, turning you into skilled technicians. This way, in the underworld, they'll have no choice but to value you."
"Agreed, then, Lord Wu. We are entirely at your disposal!" the middle-aged man clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.
"Excellent. Then, wait for my news. I'll head back first."
"Farewell, Lord Wu!"
Passing through the villa complex, I returned to where Yaoyao and the fox spirit were. They were house-hunting, and had even taken a fancy to a seaside villa. I told them there was no need to buy, as President Cheng had promised to gift us a villa.
As we drove back, I called the Young King of Hell. I asked if she had received the future artillery commander I sent her. She replied that someone had picked her up, but after the girl inspected their cannon factory, she felt the potential for improvement was limited. She wanted to discuss with me whether to adopt the g98 method again and transport a batch of cannons to the underworld.
"Didn't you deny that method before?" I asked. "You said the cannons were too large and unsuitable for transfer."
"That's what I told the girl. She said we don't need to transport entire cannons. We only need to forge some core components in the mortal realm, and build the main components in the underworld. This could significantly improve the performance and range of their cannons. This matter... I don't quite understand, and none of us do. We still need you to come and coordinate with the girl."
"Alright," I said. "Where should we meet?"
"I'll send someone to pick you up. Where are you?"
"Old Turtle Bay."
"Got it. Five minutes."
She could find me? I was on the road!
I briefly explained the situation to Yaoyao and the others. It seemed I might have to visit the underworld again. The fox spirit stopped the car and thoughtfully helped me buy some stationery, compasses, and set squares from a nearby shop, fearing I wouldn't have tools in the underworld.
Five minutes later, a familiar purple aura appeared. It was Xie Bi'an.
She didn't say much, simply gesturing for me to follow her.
"...You're so fast, how can I keep up?" I asked with a frown.
Xie Bi'an thought for a moment and unbuckled the belt from her uniform.
"What are you doing? Are you going to tie me up?" I asked with a laugh.
"Stand behind me," she said.
I stood behind her. She then instructed me to hug her and tied us together with her belt.
"Hold on tight, I'm going to be very fast!" Xie Bi'an announced.
"Alright, fly away," I said. Before I even finished speaking, I felt as though my internal organs were about to fly out! The acceleration was faster than any astronaut's. I felt the belt at my waist was about to snap. Everything in my visual field blurred into nothingness, making it impossible to discern anything. Even the starlight transformed into streaks of light!
Fortunately, the speed eventually stabilized. I had no idea of the exact speed, but it was likely around or even exceeding the speed of sound. My vision remained blurry. After about a minute, Xie Bi'an stopped. I blinked and looked around. It was a place I recognized – the City God Temple near Black Mountain Fort!
One minute. From Lushun to Shengjing, over two hundred kilometers. It was incredibly fast!
Xie Bi'an didn't untie me. Synchronized, we entered the City God Temple. Judge Cui was asleep, so we didn't disturb him. We passed directly through the Ghost Gate and swiftly crossed the Bridge of Sighs, re-entering the underworld.
"Even here, you can travel this fast?" I asked. It was daytime, and we had emerged from the mist, standing in a forest next to a village.
"Not anymore," Xie Bi'an began to untie the belt. "We need to ride horses."