The birth of the cannon Scale

Such familiar words startled everyone present. For a moment, they didn't know whether to look at Wu Yin or Wei Si. The students of Gezhong Middle School were not only close in Cizige, but also gathered frequently in private, forming true friendships and classmates.

If they could, they would truly be willing to die for those who understand them.

At this time, even those who were usually closest to Wu Yin did not know when Wu Yin and Wei Si had become so close.

When Wei Si was mentioned, the students of the Pavilion Academy all avoided him like the plague. They would never get involved if it didn't concern them, after all, they weren't all alone. However, after hearing that Young Master Yi Er, Yi Wo, had actually managed to make Wei Si pay compensation, they were all delighted, as if they had finally gotten their revenge.

To be fair, they disliked Wei Si's domineering and murderous style, but they couldn't afford to offend him.

Seeing that Wu Yin had not moved for a long time, Wei Si smiled even more warmly and said to Wu Yin, "Let's go, Ying Chang."

Wu Yin remained silent for a long time.

Seeing that Wu Yin didn't move, Li Jian stepped forward and blocked Wei Si's view with his body. It wasn't a secret that he had always been fond of Wu Yin and that's why he left Zige.

“Yingchang, your father is still waiting for you,” Wei Si said.

This time, Wu Yin did not hesitate. She got into Wei Si's carriage almost immediately after realizing that Wei Si's words were to her liking.

Wei Si said to everyone, "Farewell, everyone." After saying that, he lowered the curtain and left with Wu Yin.

Ning Xunxu said, "Wei Luanhua, is he crazy or stupid? He's sick."

Li Jian stared at the carriage and said, "We can't let Ying Chang be the one who goes crazy."

"Alright, Yingchang will be fine today." No matter how foolish Wu Rugui might be, he would never joke about his only daughter. Since he was present, Yingchang would be safe.

Master Sun gazed at the carriage and said to the crowd, "You should all hurry back to your homes and not worry your parents."

One by one, everyone bid farewell and headed home.

Wu Qi and his group returned to the Moonfall Camp to complete the production of the cannon scales, after which they could test its operation. If the test was successful, it could then be deployed to the battlefield.

Inside the carriage, Lin Kuo said, "I have not received any news that Wei Si will be coming today."

Ning Xunxu: "He's gone mad."

Lin Kuo: "Do you think he came to pick up Yingchang today because he was sincere?"

Ning Xunxu: "If he is sincere, then there is no one in the world who is not sincere."

Ning Xunxu's attitude towards Wei Si had never been good; in fact, hostility would be a more accurate description. Lin Kuo found this strange and asked him, "Han Su, why do you dislike Wei Si so much?"

"Disgusting?" Ning Xunxu snorted coldly. "I wish he could atone with his death. Before, my sister finally managed to go out for a trip, but who knew she would run into him sending his men to kill someone. My sister was close enough that the blood splattered onto her skirt."

"That dress was bought for my sister."

"And, after that day, my sister had nightmares for several days."

Lin Kuo said, "That really deserves to die."

Not only did she soil the carefully chosen dress, but she also kept Yuqu from sleeping well for several days. In Ning Xunxu's eyes, this was already deserving of death.

"But, is Wei Si out of his mind today? Why did he send a bunch of noisy kids to cause trouble?" Ning Xunxu got a headache just thinking about those troublesome kids. It was hard to hit them, and he was too lazy to scold them.

He sighed, "Why not send a bunch of assassins... Wei Si clearly knows that those children can't hurt Sister Xiao Qi today."

Wu Qi said, "You can't hurt me. However, the fact that your brother Weichong knows martial arts can't be kept secret anymore."

The incident escalated so much that everyone witnessed it. Even if the people from Cizi Pavilion didn't say anything, the onlookers would spread the word.

It's impossible to hide it even if you want to.

"Sometimes I really think Wei Si is a bit stupid. Even if my uncles, aunts and my sister know that Brother Weichong knows martial arts, so what? In this world, who doesn't have someone they favor? Isn't Wei Si able to act arrogantly and disregard human life because of the Emperor's and General Wei's favoritism?"

Ning Xunxu's gaze suddenly turned even more disdainful, and disdain was the rarest emotion people had towards Wei Si. Most people feared Wei Si, hated him, insulted him behind his back, and there were quite a few who fawned over him; such a charismatic figure could only earn Ning Xunxu's disdain.

"Wei Si is ridiculous. He has broken free from the rules of propriety and yet tries to use the rules of aristocratic families to restrain Brother Weichong. Moreover, with a great battle imminent, Brother Weichong has already joined the Moonfall Camp, and Sister Xiaoqi is so fond of Brother Weichong. Even if His Majesty is confused, he cannot pursue any of Weichong's transgressions at this time."

His analysis made sense, and Lin Kuo raised his hand to applaud Ning Xunxu. At the end, he wiped away non-existent tears with his sleeve and exaggeratedly cried, "Han Su, you've finally grown up. Your brother is at ease!"

Ning Xunxu said, "Such talent is not worthy of praise."

Song Yinxing said, "As for Brother Weichong's martial arts practice, please ask Uncle and Aunt to just put on a show. They should at least give him a small punishment to avoid any future troubles."

Wu Qi replied, “According to the etiquette and laws of aristocratic families, those who practice martial arts in private should destroy their martial arts, be confined to their homes for five years, and be forbidden from practicing martial arts from then on. If they dare to violate this rule again, someone will be sent to destroy their meridians, expel them from the aristocratic family, exile them to the border, and they will never be allowed to enter the capital again.”

“His Majesty will never allow Yi Shen to be confined for five years, and even if he were, it wouldn’t be now.” She pondered for a moment. “We need a reasonable reason to learn martial arts now to silence the gossip.”

Lin Kuo asked Yi Shen, "Wei Chong, what is your real reason for learning martial arts?"

Yi Shen replied, "Protect Xiao Qi."

"...Forgive me for asking, I should have thought of that sooner." Lin Kuo chuckled twice, his long arm around Song Yinxing, relaxed and at ease. "You don't need to worry about this matter. I swear, neither the countryside nor the government will have the slightest prejudice against you because of your martial arts skills. On the contrary, they will admire you even more."

"However, for now, you should return to the Yi residence to receive your punishment."

The carriage stopped at the Yi residence. Yi Shen got out to receive his punishment. If everyone followed him to plead for leniency, the punishment would only be more severe, so he simply lifted the curtain to say goodbye. Wu Qi waved to him and said, "Eat well, and take it easy if you can. See you tomorrow. I'll miss you."

"Okay, be careful," Yi Shen said.

The people in the car were speculating about what punishment Yi Shen would receive. Even Wu Qi was worried that Yi Shen was injured. His uncle and aunt saw the world better than they did, and besides, Yi Shen had two older brothers secretly pleading for him. He shouldn't be able to suffer any serious punishment.

Wu Qi indeed couldn't focus too much energy on Yi Shen at the moment.

Tonight, she needs to complete the cannon fin.

Tomorrow, she will test the operation in front of the Emperor.

It was late at night, but Wu Qi's chambers were brightly lit, as if it were daytime. Gears, iron and copper, crystal walls, and several thick stacks of blueprints remained in place as usual, awaiting the dawn. Several people gathered around the cannon unicorn, which was three or four people tall, staring solemnly at Wu Qi in mid-air.

Wu Qi had removed the flowers from her hair at some point and used a hairband to braid her hair into a braid that fell over her shoulders for easy movement. Standing on the iron ladder, she focused intently on installing the last piece of armor—the protective crystal wall—on Paolin.

Song Yinxing and the others held their breath, not daring to breathe loudly, their hearts filled with excitement and fear. Seeing Wu Qi exhale and lower his arm, they became even more nervous, unable to even utter a question like, "What happened? Did you fail?"

Song Yinxing said, "Xiao Qi, it's alright."

"It seems..." Wu Qi glanced at the armor, then looked down at his friend standing on the ground, "...It's a success!!!"

The cannon unicorn is about three or four people tall, made of iron and bronze. It has gilded halberds burning below and an operator sitting on top. It is insulated inside, with cannons in its hands and arrows on its arms. The operator can control the movement of the cannon unicorn, as well as the cannons and arrows, through a joystick. Sitting inside, the operator can also see the scenery outside the cannon unicorn through a crystal wall as clean as glass, so as to better attack or defend.

Despite its enormous size, its speed should not be underestimated.

According to Wu Qi's calculations, when the control lever is fully extended, the speed is the same as that of a galloping horse.

This is a weapon designed entirely for war.

"Damn!" Ning Xunxu patted Pao Lin. "Damn! That's really impressive!! Sister Xiao Qi, you're simply... you're the epitome of a role model."

Lin Kuo was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Song Yinxing smiled, but her eyes were filled with tears, her vision blurred, and in the blink of an eye, the tears fell. She clearly saw Wu Qi carefully reach out and touch Paolin, but then quickly withdraw his hand, and then gently press his forehead against Paolin.

When his warm forehead touched the cold, hard iron and copper, Wu Qi found it hard to describe the feeling. Perhaps because he had spent so much effort on it, at this moment, his ecstatic joy was lessened, and a feeling of soreness in his heart was more prominent.

Her forehead rested against the cannon blade, and even the cold, hard iron felt her tenderness.

"I did it, thank you."

For most people in the world, tonight is just an ordinary night. They sleep soundly, turning over occasionally, then pulling their blankets tighter before drifting back into dreams. Everything is so ordinary, so ordinary that even the moon is the same as yesterday's moon, last year's moon, and the moon of thousands of years ago.

The moon in the sky, as always, witnessed the night, both ordinary and extraordinary.

Perhaps, many years ago, at just such an ordinary moment, the Northern Kun appeared. From that moment on, the Northern Kun protected the peace of the Four Seas for many years. The people no longer feared war from enemy nations, nor did they have to worry about not being able to sleep soundly.

Many years later, at this very moment, Paolin was born.

On ordinary nights, when the people are fast asleep.

Everything is as usual, yet constantly changing.

The waves of history surge forward relentlessly, with countless sprays following closely behind, yet they are still scorched by the blazing sun until they disappear. However, that is just an ordinary moment. It is in such ordinary moments that the waves of history cross mountains and obstacles, spread across tributaries, extend glory together, and continue civilization.

Fortunately, human beings are not as heartless as history. They either pick up their pens or pass on their stories orally, carving those ordinary moments little by little into their memories and into history, so that future generations can refer to them.

Later generations, detached from this history, will watch the waves surge forward, heading straight for them. They will then discover that every ordinary moment etched into the waves is a turning point in an era.

But those at the turning point are completely unaware.