Chapter 96: The Sample

Qian Ye’s tranquil cultivation session was abruptly interrupted by a series of urgent knocks on the door. The only one who dared to knock so rudely could be none other than Song Zining. Perhaps Ji Tianqing might also act in such a manner, but she was currently nowhere to be seen, plotting something unknown.

Qian Ye ended his cultivation, opened the door with a frown, and asked, “What do you want now? Is your life in danger?”

“Although not quite, it’s close enough. I need your help with something,” Song Zining said, straight to the point.

“What is it? Tell me first.” Qian Ye was wary.

“Escort a merchant convoy to Guanlan City and then bring some cargo back. You’ve done this before.”

“That simple?”

“That simple.”

Qian Ye frowned, pondered for a moment, and then asked, “What kind of cargo?”

Song Zining put away his smile and said, “The previous convoy carried samples of various components from my Ningyuan Heavy Industries’ workshops here. I can’t say for sure, but I can guarantee that the quality and craftsmanship of these parts are two levels higher than what they could previously obtain. Once those families and merchants in Guanlan City see these samples, they should know how to proceed. If they don’t side with us honestly, they will be crushed out of existence by us.”

“Do you think they’ll play nice?” Having experienced the ambush in Guanlan City, Qian Ye knew very well what those families were capable of. What they couldn’t get at the negotiation table, they preferred to take by force in the wilderness.

“They never play nice, which is why I need you for this. No matter who dares to block the way, they shall be killed without mercy. Remember, this time, we aim to cleanse and establish our dominance. There’s no need for prisoners.”

Qian Ye nodded.

“The cargo you’re bringing back is truly important. In fact, it’s divided into two parts. One is a full case of rare metals, a specialty from the Great Maelstrom, essential for the construction of super engines. With these, my Ningyuan Heavy Industries can create alloys with performance beyond imagination and start developing battlecruiser-class engines. The other is an ancient engine of unknown origin. According to the owner, its principle is entirely different from any existing engines. If we can study it, we might make significant advancements in warship engine technology. Of course, there’s also a chance of gaining nothing, but I’m very interested in its origins.”

“Such an important task, am I enough?”

“Others won’t know your real purpose. They might think you’re just escorting the convoy for a reward. The real trouble will come after you retrieve those two items.”

Qian Ye frowned, “Someone will try to steal them? Has the information leaked?”

“It’s the seller who leaked the information, probably contacting multiple buyers. And this person has the power to perhaps set up an ambush along the way and intercept the cargo. Such things are common in the neutral territory.”

Qian Ye nodded, “What do you want me to do?”

Song Zining retorted, “What do you think?”

After a moment of thought, Qian Ye said, “Since the information is already out, we might as well be direct. No need to hide. Announce the time and route. Let anyone who wants to intercept come. I’ll move separately from the convoy. If anyone dares to attack the convoy, well, it’s their luck if they can get away with it.”

Song Zining laughed, “Even the Wolf King couldn’t withstand your single shot. Others would dare even less to face your gun. As long as they can’t find you, they won’t likely make a move.”

Qian Ye added, “Our main enemy is still the Wolf King. The tactics we used last time won’t work again. If he recovers, we might not be able to stop him.”

Song Zining nodded, “True, but I can’t think of a better plan. Any ideas?”

Qian Ye slowly replied, “Before the Wolf King fully recovers, we should strike his subordinates and surrounding forces, cutting off his wings. This time, in Guanlan City, I won’t hold back against his people, even if they retreat. We need to show them that we’re not afraid of the Wolf King. If it works, we might clear out his influence in Guanlan City after one battle.”

“Excellent idea!” Song Zining clapped, “That’s exactly what I had in mind, so I arranged the deal in Guanlan City.”

“But we still can’t defeat the Wolf King.”

Song Zining asked, “You injured him. How long do you think it will take for him to recover?”

Qian Ye frowned, “Werewolves have strong vitality, and the Wolf King has ancestral power to use. It’s hard to say. But I’d be surprised if he heals within a month.”

Song Zining looked at Qian Ye and said, “You’re getting more formidable. With a month, I’ll have a way to deal with him, as long as he dares to come.”

After further consideration, Qian Ye was still concerned, “There’s one thing that’s not right. If it’s just me, and the other side doesn’t care about casualties and tries to stall me, while others take the opportunity to steal the cargo, what then?”

Song Zining seemed confident, smiling, “The truly important item is the rare metal. That’s what can immediately help us. As for the ancient engine, whether it’s really an engine or something else, it’s not as crucial. Even if the Spider Emperor, the Moonlight White Devil, or the Wolf King gets it, they’ll try to sell it to us.”

“Why?” Qian Ye was puzzled.

“Because no one in the neutral territory understands it. Any force’s floating ship technology is at least a century behind our Ningyuan Heavy Industries. If I can’t figure it out, no one else can. So, regardless of their intentions, even if they plan to steal it later, they’ll have to come to us.”

Qian Ye thought about it and agreed. But the key was the extent of Ningyuan Heavy Industries’ technological advantage; it had to be so significant that it made the opponent despair.

Song Zining, understanding Qian Ye’s thoughts, smiled modestly, took out a small dark silver gear, and handed it to Qian Ye, saying, “Take a look at this. It’s one of the samples I’m sending to Guanlan City.”

Qian Ye examined the gear. It looked like an ordinary, well-crafted gear, but in Qian Ye’s eyes, it was far from simple. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, and Qian Ye couldn’t detect any unevenness or gaps. Achieving this level of precision was extremely difficult. In his experience, only level-eight or higher force gun components could reach this level of accuracy.

He tossed the gear in the air, watching it draw a beautiful arc before landing back in his hand. From this small gesture, Qian Ye could tell that the gear’s weight distribution was perfectly balanced, with no internal imbalance or gaps. Even the tiniest bubble would be detected by him, yet most metal parts had some internal bubbles.

This gear was extraordinary, suitable for a level-eight gun.

Qian Ye grasped the gear with his fingers, wanting to test its strength, but glanced at Song Zining. The gear seemed unremarkable, but it was valuable, worth a level-four gun in the eyes of a connoisseur.

Song Zining smiled and gestured for Qian Ye to go ahead.

Without further hesitation, Qian Ye applied two-tenths of his strength, carefully holding the gear with three fingers and giving it a light squeeze. His body was incredibly strong, and two-tenths of his strength was enough to twist steel. Yet, the gear didn’t budge, clearly much harder than normal steel.

Seeing this, Song Zining laughed, “Go ahead, apply more force. Don’t worry about breaking it. It’s not easy to produce, but we can make batches. It’s not something to be precious about. I used all my strength and could only slightly deform it. You’re stronger, but don’t think you can do anything to it…”

Before he finished, Qian Ye increased his force to five-tenths, and the gear let out a sharp crack, starting to deform.

Song Zining’s laughter died in his throat.

Qian Ye let out a soft exclamation, surprised by the gear’s strength and excellent toughness. He wondered what alloy formula was used to make it.

Wanting to see its limits, Qian Ye continued to apply more force, increasing to six-tenths, seven-tenths, nine-tenths…

The gear became malleable, changing shape under Qian Ye’s fingers, from round to flat, stretched, compressed, and finally rolled into a ball. Qian Ye’s hands glowed with crimson gold flames, and the original force fire burned through the gear, sealing the last gap. He then molded it into a perfect sphere, so flawless that even precise instruments wouldn’t find a flaw. Unconsciously, Qian Ye displayed a skill that was unparalleled.

Throughout the process, Qian Ye kept praising, “Good stuff, really solid, really hard…”

When the sphere was complete, Qian Ye realized Song Zining had been silent for a while. He turned and saw Song Zining standing dumbfounded, staring at Qian Ye’s hands.

Qian Ye waved the sphere in front of him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Song Zining snapped out of his daze, chuckling, “Are you even human?”

Qian Ye was silent for a moment, then replied, “No.”

Song Zining remembered Qian Ye was half-vampire and half-human, and grumbled, “Even a vampire can’t do that! Don’t play the poor victim!”

“But this gear… it’s really good stuff.”