Chapter 71: Nan Gong Xiaoniao

An elderly man standing nearby said, “Your Highness, this armor was crafted hastily. The mold is a bit rough, and the carvings are not as refined as they should be. However, all the necessary force arrays have been added, and they are of the highest quality craftsmanship.”

Wei Potian remained noncommittal, examining the armor’s plates and then activating the force arrays one by one.

This was a breastplate, the main material being the coiled-silk fine gold that Wei Potian had won from Zhang Zixing. Additionally, over a dozen precious supplementary materials were added. The Wei family’s artisans had spent several days and nights, from forging the model to engraving the arrays, all done by hand.

The breastplate was not large, shaped like an inverted maple leaf. Though the elder humbly admitted the mold was somewhat rough, the overall design was quite exquisite. However, it could only protect the vital areas of the chest, leaving the shoulders and parts of the waist and ribs uncovered.

Noticing Wei Potian’s displeased expression, the elder quickly explained, “Your Highness, to meet the requirement of withstanding a Level 6 force gun blast, we couldn’t make it any thinner. You know, with the limited amount of material, the total area is constrained. We specially designed this shape to cover all the critical areas of the chest and abdomen.”

Wei Potian knew the design of the breastplate was very ingenious. The attached force arrays were primarily defensive, employing a rare overlay technique to enhance the strength within the limited area. The Wei family’s artisans had worked day and night to complete it within the stipulated time, and he couldn’t ask for more.

The main reason for Wei Potian’s dissatisfaction was that the armor looked too much like a leaf. Every time he saw a leaf, he couldn’t help but think of a certain annoying person. But recently, he had managed to outmaneuver Song Zining twice, which had lifted his spirits considerably.

Wei Potian placed the armor back in its box and said, “Send this to the Darkflame headquarters later and give it to Uncle Hu. Hand it over to Qian Ye when he returns. Also, ask if there are any recent military reports. Where is Qian Ye now?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the elder replied, holding the armor box and exiting.

Wei Potian stared at the closed door for a while, then picked up a letter on the table and scanned it. This letter was actually from Duke Bowang.

In the letter, Duke Wei mentioned that although the marriage was still uncertain, Wei Potian had been away from home long enough and should return to the Far East Province immediately.

Although the cold wave had caused the Wei family and the dark races to face off outside the Jade Gate Fortress, the dark races showed no intention of retreating, and war could break out at any moment. As the heir of the Wei family, Wei Potian couldn’t stay away for long. Besides military matters, he needed to gradually involve himself in clan affairs to gain the people’s trust.

Wei Potian had anticipated this letter. Before his trip, he had known he could only stay in Evernight for about ten to fifteen days, and now that time was nearly up.

As the heir of the family, he naturally couldn’t act recklessly. Since he had received the letter, it was time to return. With age, the young man who once dreamed of breaking the sky with a single punch gradually felt a sense of helplessness.

Thinking of this, Wei Potian found himself somewhat envious of Song Zining. No matter how treacherous and cunning he was, he had resolutely given up the fight for the title and struck out on his own, tough and free.

Wei Potian sighed silently. He had already spread the word that he was leaving, and the noble ladies would likely follow. Even those with designs on Song Zining wouldn’t stay in the Evernight Continent for long. They would probably need two days to prepare for their departure, and he wasn’t sure if he would get to see Qian Ye again before they left.

At that moment, there was a knock on the study door. Wei Potian frowned slightly, closed the letter, and said, “Come in.”

The visitor was Nan Gong Ling, holding a tray of tea with a smile, “I just made some new tea. Let’s try it together! I never expected to find wild tea in a place like Evernight, and it tastes pretty good.”

“I didn’t expect you to be interested in such things.”

Nan Gong Ling smiled gently, “Everyone knows these common techniques; it’s just a matter of whether they have the heart to do it.”

Wei Potian picked up the teacup, about to drink, when he suddenly exclaimed and looked out the window. A floating airship appeared on the distant horizon, rapidly approaching Blackstream City. The airship was unusually fast, expanding from a black dot to the size of a washbasin in an instant.

With Wei Potian’s keen eyesight, he could see the scorpion tail emblem on the side of the airship, and his brows furrowed, “Is that a Red Scorpion airship? I’ve never seen this model before. What are they up to? Is this reinforcements?”

A few days ago, the two Red Scorpion battalions that had arrived in Blackstream City left abruptly, along with a giant metal box over ten meters long.

The Broken Wing Angels and the Red Scorpion army had always been at odds, and because of Qian Ye, Wei Potian was particularly annoyed by the Red Scorpions. Later, he learned that the two battalions were from the Blood Scorpion Camp, and had nothing to do with Qian Ye. Just as he was relieved, another battalion had arrived.

Nan Gong Ling was also watching the airship, her gaze narrowing slightly as if she noticed something, and a shadow crossed her face. Her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing.

Blackstream City signaled to the Red Scorpion airship, and it was granted airspace. The airship’s tail burst into flames, and it charged forward at full speed. As it approached the landing field, jets of flame erupted from both sides, revealing hidden thrusters. The airship braked sharply, hovering in the air.

This kind of maneuver was usually seen in high-performance ground vehicles. People were accustomed to airships gliding like whales in the sky. Some battleships took several kilometers just to turn. This demonstrated the extraordinary maneuverability of the airship.

After halting, the airship suddenly sank, dropping several dozen meters, and jets of flame shot out again, stopping it in mid-air. The airship was now only a few dozen meters from the ground, and the hatch opened, releasing over a dozen figures.

One of them, in the center, was entirely encased in heavy armor, resembling a humanoid mech. After landing, the person raised the visor, revealing a pair of large, luminous, round eyes, with a touch of childish innocence.

Inside this war machine was a young girl, and not an old one at that. Despite her youth, the surrounding Red Scorpion soldiers treated her with great respect. A few Red Scorpions walked onto the landing field, led by a tall man with the rank of Major General, the commander of the Red Scorpion battalion.

He hurried to the girl, looking a bit surprised, “Colonel Nan Gong, what brings you here?”

The girl saluted, “General An, I’m here to conduct some research in the Evernight Continent. I’m just making a stop in Blackstream City for supplies and will head to Darkblood City tomorrow or the day after. You’re busy with your mission, so don’t worry about me.”

Major General An was taken aback, “Darkblood City is a key stronghold of the Rock Stronghold. The situation there is extremely complex, and it has been rather turbulent lately. The public transport flights between Blackstream City and Darkblood City have been reduced by half. If you can adjust your research location, it would be better to stay in Blackstream City or Broken River City, which is another nearby war zone. Apart from their smaller size, the geographical and weather conditions are similar.”

The girl lowered her eyes and said softly, “I’ll consider your suggestion, but I want to go to Darkblood City first and assess the situation.”

Major General An seemed to understand the girl’s temper, nodding, “I expect to remain in this war zone for about a week. If you need anything, feel free to ask. If necessary, I can assign two squadrons to assist you.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll request your help if I need it.”

At this moment, two off-road vehicles were lowered from the airship, their most noticeable feature being a large jet exhaust at the rear.

Major General An led the newly arrived Red Scorpion soldiers into the Seventh Division’s headquarters. In Qian Ye’s absence, the command was handed over to General Zhang Zixing, and the Third Legion and Red Scorpion troops occupied most of the barracks.

Wei Potian stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of Qian Ye’s office, watching the two non-Evernight-style off-road vehicles drive in. Despite his dislike for the Red Scorpions, he came to see which battle camp they were from, out of concern for Qian Ye’s safety.

However, when Wei Potian saw the visitors, a puzzled look crossed his face, and a thought occurred to him, though it seemed unbelievable.

“Could it be her?”

Nan Gong Ling, who had followed closely, had a very grim expression, saying coldly, “Who else? Hmph, not very strong, just fiddling with useless things.”

Wei Potian chuckled and relaxed, “If it’s really her, she has even less connection with the Tiger Scorpion Camp where Qian Ye used to be. I heard that your family and she had a falling out in the past?”

“Just a small disagreement. What can she do on her own?”

Wei Potian smiled meaningfully, neither confirming nor denying, and looked at the heavily armored girl jumping out of the off-road vehicle. He walked toward the door, saying, “I wonder what she’s doing here.”

Nan Gong Ling followed, about to say something, but suddenly realized she might appear too harsh in front of Wei Potian. She bit her lip and held her tongue.

At that moment, Zhang Zixing and several officers from the Third Legion emerged from the rear camp, followed by some noble ladies who had been chasing after Wei Potian. The small square in front of the division headquarters instantly became lively.

Not only Zhang Zixing, but the senior officers of the Third Legion and several temporarily assigned war generals, seeing the girl’s appearance and the Red Scorpion insignia on her armor, exchanged looks, whispering, “Could it really be her?”

“Why isn’t she staying at the Red Scorpion headquarters? Why is she here?”

“Only a few guards? She must have sneaked out.”

Major General An led the Red Scorpion group to Zhang Zixing. After exchanging greetings, he introduced, “This is Colonel Nan Gong from the Red Scorpion Mechanical Battalion.”

The heavily armored girl, expressionless, said, “Nan Gong Xiaoniao.”