“Here comes Gongshu City!”
Two strange fish, or according to the official name from the Gongshu family, the Taimo Pi Shui Qilin Suo, docked by a lake. Wu Ming stepped off leisurely and saw this large lake was located inside a mountain cavity. The top was sealed, blocking the sky, with only stones that resembled stars glowing with a fluorescent light.
Beside the lake, there was a wide road leading to a cluster of buildings not far away. On both sides of the road stood statues glaring fiercely.
Of course, during invasions, these statues were far more than just sculptures.
“Welcome to Gongshu City!”
The side of the strange fish opened, and a young man in his twenties climbed out, a smile on his face.
Clearly, he no longer feared Wu Ming now that they had arrived.
He introduced himself with a grin: “My name is Gongshu He. I am in charge of the Watersplitting Instrument. Thank you, friend, for bringing back the news of Gongshu Zhe. I will naturally report to the elders, though the elder is busy with many affairs, so whether he can spare time to meet you is uncertain…”
As he spoke, a faint air of arrogance appeared on his face.
After all, the Gongshu and the Mo families had been rivals for over a thousand years.
Even noble families like the Xie family, who had helped establish the dynasty, were considered commoners by their standards.
“How can you say that, He Brother!”
Gongshu Rui puffed her cheeks angrily: “After all, he is Zhe Brother’s friend!”
She tugged Wu Ming’s sleeve: “Why don’t you come to my house, Rui’s home is very big, and we can easily accommodate one or two guests for a while!”
“Hmph!”
Upon hearing this, Gongshu He snorted: “What is Gongshu Zhe anyway? Just talented in making puppets. If it were me…”
Wu Ming paid no attention to this. At this moment, he swept his spiritual sense and smiled slightly: “No need to report. Look, here they come!”
“What’s coming?”
Gongshu He replied carelessly, then suddenly froze.
Boom!
The next moment, a tremendous roar echoed from Gongshu City. A giant white snake rushed out at high speed, creating an awe-inspiring scene.
Buzz!
All the statue puppets along the road had their eyes instantly turn blood-red, turning their heads to stare directly at the three people.
“What is this…”
Gongshu He was shocked: “The Grand Elder’s Heavenly Serpent Puppet, what has happened to disturb it?”
“He Brother…”
Gongshu Rui’s face turned pale under the gaze of the puppets: “Look at these puppets, this is a sign of the highest level of alert being triggered!”
“How is that possible… weren’t they set to activate only when called upon or when sensing energy sources at the Moon level or higher?”
As he spoke, his eyes glanced at Wu Ming. This young man didn’t seem particularly capable.
But suddenly, his eyes widened, staring fixedly at a small bird on Wu Ming’s shoulder: “What… what is this?”
“Oh! It’s just a pet I keep!”
Wu Ming looked at the encircling puppet guards with a satisfied expression: “It must have sensed the Phoenix’s flame power.”
Although he was a Celestial Immortal, his aura was well hidden, so the Gongshu family’s mechanisms couldn’t detect him.
But the Phoenix was different.
A level-five creature, the destructive power it brought could be imagined, so it was no wonder the Gongshu family was treating it as a major threat.
“Target detected!”
Swish!
With a mechanical voice, the puppets simultaneously raised their swords. The white serpent and other beast puppets roared over, their gaze like giant searchlights fixed on the bird on Wu Ming’s shoulder and Gongshu He.
“What exactly did you bring in, Gongshu He? The fire energy is incredible… My Skywatching Instrument nearly exploded…”
From a white tiger puppet, a furious voice came out.
“Second Granduncle…”
Gongshu He looked about to cry: “There’s nothing… just a person and a bird!”
“Chirp chirp!”
As if annoyed by being targeted, the Phoenix cried out, flew into the air, and suddenly spread its wings.
Whoosh!
Golden-green flames spread out like the sun’s corona. In the center of the flames, a magnificent giant flame bird cried out, its terrifying power radiating outward.
“What a terrifying spirit beast!”
“What kind of divine bird is this? It must be comparable to a Celestial Immortal. Could it be the Vermilion Bird!”
The puppets reacted as if facing a major threat, their voices serious.
“Alright, Huo’er! Don’t play around!”
Wu Ming scolded, and the Phoenix immediately obediently landed, shrinking into an unassuming purple-red little bird perched on his shoulder.
“My name is Wu Ming. This is my spirit beast. I apologize for the earlier rudeness!”
He smiled sincerely and slightly bowed his hand.
“A spirit beast comparable to a Celestial Immortal. Who exactly is this person?”
Beside him, Gongshu He was stunned, unable to move for a long time.
“Ah, it’s Wu Ming, young master!”
The giant white serpent extended its tongue, and a figure stepped down from it. He was eight chi tall, with purple-red skin. One of his eyes emitted a mechanical glow, clearly an artificial eye made of metal, flashing as it quickly examined Wu Ming.
“I am Gongshu Ao, the Grand Elder of the Gongshu family. Young master Wu, may I ask what brings you here?”
Gongshu Ao, as head of the family, couldn’t very well argue with a bird, but he glared fiercely at Gongshu He, clearly not fond of the younger generation for causing this misunderstanding. There would be a reckoning later.
Gongshu He was close to tears, completely at a loss over this unexpected disaster.
“I have been entrusted with delivering a message from an old friend, and also wish to request the Gongshu family’s assistance!”
Wu Ming got straight to the point.
“This…”
To request the Gongshu family’s help meant representing at least a considerable domain.
Even Gongshu Ao had to be cautious and couldn’t outright refuse. He immediately said: “Please, honored guest, enter the city for tea, and we can discuss further!”
“Thank you!”
Wu Ming smiled slightly and unhesitatingly mounted a centipede puppet beast. His open demeanor further caught the attention of the Gongshu elders.
…
Moments later, in a large house filled with various unfinished puppets, resembling a craftsman’s workshop.
“This is the Tongming tea we cultivate here in the Gongshu family. Please, honored guest, try some!”
In the main hall, several Gongshu elders looked serious while accompanying him. Gongshu Ao smiled and clapped his hands. A mechanical figure brought a tray forward with two cups of tea exuding spiritual energy.
“Indeed excellent, not inferior to the spiritual tea from the blessed lands…”
Wu Ming blew off the steam and took a sip, then praised it.
“So the young master knows of the blessed lands…”
Gongshu Ao’s eyes lit up. Then another Gongshu family member hurriedly approached and whispered in his ear. His expression changed, and he stood again to bow: “So you are here for Wuzhen!”
Although Wu Ming hadn’t specifically hidden his identity, the Gongshu family found out so quickly after he gave his name, enough to show their constant vigilance over the world, giving Wu Ming even more confidence.
“Not entirely. While traveling, I once met a Gongshu family disciple named Gongshu Zhe…”
He casually repeated the previous story and handed over a storage bag: “After Gongshu Brother’s death, he entrusted me to return these belongings…”
Inside were things he didn’t value. Combined with Gongshu Zhe’s character and the secret message he left, it was enough to pass as genuine.
“Young master’s noble deed, Gongshu Ao thanks you here!”
Gongshu Ao took a brief look, his expression slightly moved. Clearly, Gongshu Zhe’s mastery of puppetry exceeded his expectations. He then ordered someone to take the storage bag for safekeeping.
After all, it was just a foot in the door. Neither side paid much attention to it.
“Just a small favor. Actually, Wuzhen sincerely invites the Gongshu family’s talents. May I ask how the Grand Elder will respond?”
Wu Ming smiled, and an indistinct aura emerged from him, forming a blessed land scene, creating shocking pressure that made the Gongshu elders’ hairs stand on end. Some immediately extended mechanical arms defensively.
“A Celestial Immortal’s Domain!”
Gongshu Ao’s artificial eye gleamed with sharp light: “So you are already a Celestial Immortal! Indeed… someone who can tame such a spirit beast cannot be an ordinary person!”
He seemed somewhat tempted but also shook his head: “Since you are a Celestial Immortal, it’s no wonder Wuzhen wants to marry you. If she weren’t a woman, perhaps she could reenact the tale of Yuying meeting the True Dragon three hundred years ago!”
Implied was that he still didn’t think Wu Zhao was a good match.
“Haha… Who can truly understand the will of heaven?”
Wu Ming laughed loudly: “Grand Elder, you haven’t even heard my conditions yet. Don’t be too quick to refuse!”
“Oh? Please, go on!”
Gongshu Ao’s eyes gleamed with interest, clearly not believing the other had anything that could truly sway him and the elders.
“Firstly, if you come, you will be honored guests, with excellent treatment. Additionally, you will have full autonomy over funding, as long as you complete our military equipment tasks. The rest of the budget you can manage as you see fit…”
Wu Ming said lightly.
“And?”
These were standard terms. Gongshu Ao clearly didn’t think Wu Ming would offer anything more.
“There’s more…”
Wu Ming’s lips curled into a smile: “I’ve long heard that the world’s mechanical arts are led by the Mo and Gongshu families. Is that correct?”
“Hmph! The Mo family are mere clumsy craftsmen!”
Gongshu Ao snorted but didn’t directly refute him.
“According to ancient mechanical arts, the highest achievements are the ‘Tiangong Kaiwu’ and ‘Guifu Shengong Juan.’ Grand Elder Gongshu, your lineage inherits the ‘Di Gong’ branch from ‘Tiangong Kaiwu,’ correct?”
Wu Ming said: “Please take a look at this…”
With a confident smile, he pushed a wooden box directly towards him.
“What is this…”
Gongshu Ao opened it and saw several pages of manuscripts inside, densely written in tiny script, with several intricate and meticulous drawings.
At a glance, he couldn’t tear his eyes away: “This seems to be… the Guifu Shengong Juan!”
“What? Let me see!”
All the Gongshu elders immediately couldn’t sit still and rushed over quickly.
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