"oxen and horses?"
Gan Xin turned his gaze away from the battlefield and looked to the other side, where he could vaguely see a large group of yellowish-brown objects moving rapidly several kilometers away on another road.
He couldn't see it very clearly and couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it looked more like large animals migrating.
If he couldn't even see anything clearly, then it's even less likely that he saw "Gongshu Jiruo" mentioned by Zheng Quchi.
“Master, did you see Gongshu Jiruo?” he asked.
Zheng Quchi's dynamic vision was extraordinary. She pointed in that direction, squinted her eyes and said with certainty, "Isn't that the same outfit that Gongshu Jiruo wore before? He is leading a group of cattle and horses, no, things that look like cattle and horses, towards this battlefield."
"Something shaped like a cow or a horse... what is that?" Gan Xin stared blankly, completely unable to comprehend the adjective.
Zheng Quchi scratched his head vigorously, trying to find the right words: "How would I know what it is? But I once read in a book that a divine person once created a transportation tool called the wooden ox and flowing horse. It looks like an ox, but it is actually a mechanically self-propelled transport tool. It's complicated to explain... In short, if Gongshu Ji really appears, it may bring a lot of trouble."
Gan Xin's expression immediately turned serious. He pondered for a moment and said, "Master, if Gongshu Jiruo's... oxen and horses are as you described, then they are just transportation tools. Perhaps the real weapons are hidden inside. If we just destroy them on the road, they won't pose a big threat, right?"
That's the theory, but it's very difficult to put into practice. They don't know how many people and reserves the other side has, but they are certain that they only have the master and apprentice, and two pairs of hands.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi looked at him. After calming down, she said in a deep voice, "He is in the open, and we are in the dark. I am not really sure what these cattle and horses he drove here are. In any case, let's find out first before making a decision."
Gan Xin nodded: "Then I will listen to my master."
——
Throughout this journey, Zheng Quchi has been tirelessly traveling back and forth, deeply concerned about the outcome of this battle.
Only when she got closer did Zheng Quchi realize that what looked like "oxen and horses" from a distance were not living things, but mechanical objects made of wood. In order to find out the specific purpose of the "oxen and horses" that Gongshu Jiruo brought to the battlefield, she decided to set up an ambush on the road first, no, to dig a trap.
But we can't set up any large-scale or sophisticated traps; we don't have the time or the resources.
She planned to "rob" some "cattle and horses" to study them, but in order to avoid being discovered, she had to do it secretly and insidiously.
"This is similar to highway robbery. First, create an accident, then take advantage of the chaos to destroy their escape route, and finally you can start robbing them with confidence."
The plan was as described, and it was proceeding relatively smoothly. Taking advantage of the terrain's flaws, she deliberately covered the uneven road with dust to make it appear level, covered the potholes with dry wood, and widened the narrow road by filling it with loose sand. In short, she created all sorts of illusions to make them think that the road ahead was flat and open, and that they could drive freely.
But in reality, if they are unsure of the road conditions and haven't prepared in advance to slow down, decelerate, and navigate rough terrain, then what follows will definitely be various "bumps" and "rollovers"...
Thinking of this, Zheng Quchi chuckled to himself.
Zheng Quchi, who was hiding in the bushes with Gan Xin, was stunned when he saw the "oxen and horses" that were two to three meters tall and comparable to models in a public square being driven over.
From a distance, it looks no bigger than a fingernail. But when you get closer, you realize that it's not made to the size of a normal cow or horse. It's clearly made to resemble a large Gundam model.
The scene was incredibly exaggerated and astonishing. A gust of wind swept in from afar, carrying sand and stones, like a ferocious wild bull howling and rampaging across the wilderness.
Zheng Quchi spat out a mouthful of dust with a blank expression: "Luckily, we didn't stupidly block our way..."
Gan Xin was also dumbfounded: "Otherwise... he would have been crushed into mincemeat."
Because of a miscalculation, they overestimated the strength of Gongshu Jiruo's "oxen and horses," which could flatten even the most uneven road. Their hastily set up, crude traps only caused minor trouble...
But this slight disturbance did not hinder the other side's progress; it only caused them some minor trouble. One of the "cattle and horses" on the very edge collapsed the loose roadbed, lost its balance at the edge, crashed into a large tree, and inevitably overturned.
This minor "accident" did not cause Gongshu Jiruo to stop or waste time. After learning about it, he had no doubts and left only two people to guard the place before leaving with the other "oxen and horses".
This can be considered a result where luck played a large part.
After the large number of "oxen and horses" followed Gongshu Jiruo away with a rumbling sound, Zheng Quchi finally breathed a sigh of relief and secretly gave Gan Xin a wink.
superior!
Gan Xin understood immediately. With a flash, he stepped forward and knocked down the guards one by one. Then he threw them directly into the ditch. When he returned, he saw that his master had already started to dismantle the "ox and horse" that had fallen to the ground.
"Master?"
Zheng Quchi was lying on the belly of the "ox and horse" and first examined a small piece of iron embedded there, on which some information was marked - the country of invention, the inventor, the manufacturing time, etc.
This is the personal mark that craftsmen inevitably place on every piece of their invention.
"Indeed, this was invented and supervised by Gongshu Jiruo. It wasn't called an ox or a horse, but an iron horse..."
Hearing Zheng Quchi's mutterings, Gan Xin raised an eyebrow and examined the heavily forged machine: "Iron horse? Shouldn't it be a wooden horse?"
How could he tell that this was clearly made of wood?
Just as Gan Xin was wondering about the origin of the name "Iron Horse", he saw Zheng Quchi take out his full set of craftsman's tools and begin to work on the Iron Horse.
"Master, are you going to take it apart?"
"I just looked outside and didn't find anything. How can I know what functions it has inside if I don't take it apart?"
What can you tell from the outside, the shape and the materials?
Gan Xin didn't quite understand her choice of words: "Function?"
Zheng Quchi nimbly twirled the handle while talking non-stop: "Only by knowing its internal structure can we deduce its use. I don't have time to slowly study how to use it, so I'll just disassemble it by force and make it clear."
No matter how long you observe from the outside, you won't understand the whole picture inside. Only by "entering the room" can you find out what it really is.
Zheng Quchi's hands moved quickly, which stemmed from her continuous research and practice, and even more so from her precise analysis and judgment.
Click—
She removed a piece of the "skin" from the belly of the iron horse without damaging it and then threw it aside.
Click—
One piece was successfully removed and set aside. It was like a puzzle piece, assembled by snap-fit clips. All that was needed was to pry off the most crucial piece, the one that would form the final closed piece, and the rest would be easy to handle.
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