The strange "chariot" left marks on the training ground.
If someone were to look down from above at this moment, they would see that these indentations form a pattern resembling an "arrow's rear end" pierced by arrows. Shen Tang also manipulated the "chariot" to dig one large pit after another in the training ground. After digging, he filled the pits back in with soil and compacted them.
Dig a hole, backfill it, dig again, backfill it again...
Soldiers with nothing else to do also gathered around to watch the spectacle.
Before they knew it, they were completely absorbed in watching this "chariot." It seemed to possess a unique charm, and the more they looked at it, the more they liked it, wishing they could try it out themselves. When they finally snapped out of their reverie and turned to look around, lo and behold, all their familiar comrades had come running over.
The large crowd eventually led to them being driven away.
The boss stormed over, yelling, "Are you all just killing time? If you're so free, then go practice around the training ground a couple more times!"
The soldier's face instantly turned more bitter than a bitter gourd.
Before long, loud slogans rang out again from the training ground.
Shen Tang, having had her fill of fun for the time being, jumped off the excavator.
She didn't know the internal structure of Bei Qiu's "excavator," but judging from the operation just now, its functions were similar to those of any excavator she knew. Shen Tang waved to Bei Qiu, who was standing in the corner and stepped forward somewhat awkwardly to bow: "My lord."
Shen Tang raised her hand and conjured the Mother's Sword.
I poked the shell of this "excavator".
She didn't infuse the Mother's Sword with either literary or martial energy, nor did she exert any force. The sword's blade struck its outer shell, producing a metallic clang without leaving a mark. Shen Tang asked with slight curiosity, "You have a connection with it?"
Bei Qiu stared at her blankly, confused, until Yun Ce's voice echoed in her mind: "[The lord is asking you, are you and your 'chariot' connected in spirit?]"
This is similar to the relationship between the martial arts totem and the martial arts warrior.
If the Martial Courage Totem is severely injured or dissipates, the Martial Courage warrior will also suffer a certain backlash. Warhorses also have this connection, but the connection between the two is not as deep as that of the Martial Courage Totem, and the backlash symptoms are milder, such as causing the martial energy in the meridians to stagnate for a moment.
Bei Qiu immediately realized what was happening and shook his head violently.
"Reporting to my lord, no, no."
Shen Tang asked her again, "Are you sure you don't?"
Bei Qiu, unaware of why Shen Tang cared about this, replied again, "Indeed... no, I have no connection with it."
There was no subtle feeling of spiritual connection.
The next second, she saw her lord swing her sword and cleave the excavator in two. This action not only surprised Bei Qiu, but also puzzled Liao Jia and the others—could this chariot have violated some taboo? But her lord had clearly liked it just now.
"Don't overthink it, I just want to see how defensive it is." Seeing that Bei Qiu's expression was off, Shen Tang spoke up to explain, putting some force into his sword and piercing the excavator's shell an inch with the tip. "Judging from the situation, it can at most block a full-force attack from a third-class Zan Niao. Zhou Kou has only been practicing for a short time, yet he has already achieved such a feat, which is truly beyond expectations. His future is promising."
Bei Qiu tried to explain, but stammered.
"My lord, this item is not... intended for combat..."
This "war chariot" excavator in front of us is at best a means of commuting and digging holes. Its speed, maneuverability, and defensive capabilities are no match for the war chariot summoned by the valiant warrior, let alone being used on the battlefield to kill enemies. It would probably disappoint our lord.
Shen Tang looked knowing: "Of course I know."
After saying that, he turned to Liao Jia and the others and asked, "Have you found anything?"
A seemingly random remark left Bei Qiu flustered once again. Before this, the highest-ranking official she had ever met was Qi Shan. Every time she saw him, she felt as if her tongue had been snatched away by a cat, and her hair stood on end in protest against being in the same room with him. If the other party's expression was even slightly serious, she would become extremely awkward. Now, with her revered lord in the room, the symptoms hadn't improved much; she was even more wooden than a block of wood.
Unable to resist, she turned her pleading gaze to Yun Ce.
What exactly did they discover?
However, Yun Ce also lowered his eyes in thought, but did not receive a signal.
Chu Yao stepped forward to get a closer look. He exchanged a glance with Liao Jia and realized what was going on. However, instead of revealing the answer, he asked Yun Ce to take action to further confirm his guess: "I'll trouble Yuan Mou to take action and shatter it completely, the more shattered the better."
Yun Ce did as he was told.
As everyone retreated, Liao Jia and Chu Yao simultaneously erected layers of spiritual energy barriers to prevent injury from the shockwave and flying debris. With a loud explosion, two of the barriers shattered. The shockwave was buffered, leaving only a gentle breeze nearby.
Bei Qiu stared at the magical scene before her with bright, sparkling eyes.
When the dust and smoke dissipated, only pieces of wreckage covered in ice and snow remained scattered around the large crater.
Shen Tang said, "Yuan Mou, remove the ice and snow."
In an instant, the ice and snow turned into a thin, icy blue mist that dissipated into the sky and earth, and the wreckage of the "chariot" did not disappear for quite some time.
Bei Qiu cautiously took a step closer to Yun Ce.
He asked in a low voice, "Is there something wrong with this?"
Yun Ce was also a smart man. Even though he was a little confused at first, after two rounds of operation, he discovered the key problem: "Chirp chirp, something is wrong. The 'chariot' you conjured is too stable, which is very abnormal."
Bei Qiu was still completely confused: "Too stable?"
Yun Ce carefully observed Shen Tang and the others. Since their lord and the others couldn't attend to this matter for the time being, he felt relieved and whispered to Bei Qiu.
"A warrior's warhorse, formed from martial energy, will revert to its martial energy essence once it is severely injured or suffers a fatal wound, just as a chariot will disintegrate. Similarly, a warrior's weapon or armor, if damaged, needs martial energy to repair it. Even if they are not damaged, they still need a continuous output of martial energy to maintain their physical form. But this 'chariot' you have conjured is different."
As he spoke, Yun Ce discovered another crucial point.
“A warrior can only control his own warhorse and chariot; he cannot truly lend them to others. Even if the reins are handed to an outsider, the warrior still needs mental coordination to operate them. Just now, the chariot’s actions were all in accordance with the lord’s will.”
Bei Qiu did not participate in the entire process.
She didn't continuously expend "qi" to maintain the "chariot's" existence, nor did she use her mind to control the "chariot" when Shen Tang entered the carriage. Once Bei Qiu created the "chariot," it became completely independent.
This situation is similar to the lord's words conjuring food.
Yun Ce still remembers the scene of his lord casually conjuring up a large pancake and stuffing it into his mouth. With that skill, it would be hard to starve to death! On the other hand, although the Martial Warrior can conjure up warhorses, they are essentially purified heaven and earth energy, not horse meat.
Bei Qiu knew too little about martial arts warriors and literary scholars. Even with Yun Ce's patient explanation, she was still a little confused—why were the lords so serious about such a small difference?
She patiently waited for the outcome of the discussion.
Instead of waiting, they received an inquiry from their lord.
Her brows furrowed as if in puzzlement, but her eyes were full of encouragement as she looked at Bei Qiu: "Yuan Liang wrote a letter saying that you spent more than a month studying the blueprints I drew, and that you even had a dream that day? Zhou Kou, could you describe the dream in detail?"
Bei Qiu can answer this question.
She carefully recalled the dream she had that day.
"Reporting to my lord, in my dream..."
Her previous dreams were chaotic and disorganized, leaving only vague impressions upon waking, which she would soon forget. But that day's dream was different; it was so vivid, as if Bei Qiu had personally experienced it. She could recall every detail of what she saw and heard in the dream, down to the smallest detail. She clearly remembered that for the first few days, she maintained a normal routine in order to decipher the secrets her lord had hidden in the blueprints, but as her research deepened, coupled with the scrolls of treasures sent by Qi Zhubu, she entered a state of complete absorption.
If someone hadn't reminded her to eat and sleep on time, she would have completely forgotten that her body needed these things, especially when she hit a plateau, she would lose track of time. Every time she briefly snapped out of her reverie, the sky outside the window looked different.
On the night of her success, she was shocked to find herself more exhausted than ever before. Her eyes felt heavy as if they were filled with lead, and she groggily dragged herself onto the bed. That sleep was the most peaceful and sweetest she had ever had in her life.
I opened my eyes, but did not see the familiar roof beams.
Giant carpenter's tools are flying through the sky!
Chisels, planes, saws, rulers, ink lines, shovels, and even balls of thread flew over her head one after another.
The Northern Chicks instinctively chased after them in the direction they had flown.
She didn't know how long she had been running.
She only knew that her body grew lighter and lighter as she ran, and increasingly out of her control, without even stopping despite the bottomless abyss before her. Strangely, she felt no fear, as if subconsciously certain she wouldn't fall to her death.
And indeed, it turned out that there was none.
He stepped off the cliff and landed on a giant wooden ruler.
The wooden ruler carried her higher and higher, higher and higher, until it flew out of the clouds.
Dark green light shimmered at the edge of the clouds.
Countless particles of light swirled around her body. As if drawn by some kind of attraction, they swirled around her, penetrating her skin and merging into her bones. Curious, she tried to grab a handful, and the particles of light, seemingly sentient, danced incessantly between her fingertips.
[That's amazing!]
Bei Qiu couldn't help but sigh.
As soon as the words were spoken, an indistinguishable male or female voice echoed from the sky.
The sound was very soft and indistinct, and the content was unclear.
Listening closely, it sounded like a woman, yet also like a man; like one person, yet also like a group of people. The more she listened, the more confused she became, her vision blurring. Bei Qiu couldn't help but close her eyes and sway. When she opened them again, gigantic phantoms swept past her on both sides. There were men and women, old and young, some in brocade robes, others in plain white robes. Bei Qiu was completely stunned.
Who are you?
She couldn't help but raise her voice.
Where is this place again?
Until a figure looked somewhat familiar to her.
Although the giant phantom was blurry, Bei Qiu felt it was familiar and blurted out, "Teacher!"
A figure resembling a teacher swept past her to the left.
Bei Qiu turned and followed.
I witnessed firsthand how the latter transformed from a human figure into a tool.
Not only this figure, but other illusory figures also transformed into different implements: repeating crossbows, rotating projectiles, and even land boats, zip lines, bridges, and giant waterwheels...
Are these people or ghosts?
Bei Qiu felt helpless and fearful.
At this moment, the indistinct sound gradually became clear.
A voice chants: "Heaven covers and earth sustains, countless things exist, and events unfold accordingly, complete and without omission. Is this truly due to human power?"
Bei Qiu's attention was instantly drawn.
She subconsciously murmured along with the voice: "Of all things, how can one truly understand them without first learning them orally and by sight? Of all things, what benefit is there..."
What she said was exactly the same as that voice.
Because this is the opening statement of "Tiangong Kaiwu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature).
Since joining the government, Bei Qiu had been terrified that he might never be able to access the sacred artifact again. He dared not slack off every day, studying the books with rapt attention. He seemed to want to engrave every word into his very bones, and his body had developed a habit of doing so.
However, the text was too long, and her memory was not as good as that of a scholar with a photographic memory, so she soon began to memorize it haltingly.
He shut his mouth, looking dejected.
Listen quietly to the voice reciting from the sky.
The voice seemed to possess a unique magic, and Bei Qiu was surprised to find that she could miraculously remember every word she heard!
Pearls flow and jade turns, the years and months are unknown.
The memorization is nearing its end.
Bei Qiu felt neither bored nor tired, only that he wanted more. Just as he was about to regret that the voice hadn't recited more, heavenly music sounded in his ears, and a flock of white cranes gracefully danced.
Her eyes widened in astonishment as she looked up at the colossal palace that seemed to blot out the sky. The palace wasn't ornate; in fact, it was somewhat rustic and simple, yet its details revealed its extraordinary grandeur. Bei Qiu, sitting on the wooden ruler, reached the bottom of the palace's thousand-step staircase…
Should I go up?
Bei Qiu pointed to the steps that were taller than herself and murmured.
Looking around, no one answered.
I had no choice but to bite the bullet and start climbing.
Amazingly, she stepped over the step with a single stride.
The steps we just climbed are now behind us.
It really was a dream; anything can happen.
Thinking this, Bei Qiu lifted her skirt and ran forward, quickly climbing the steps. She got faster and faster until she felt like she was flying, and she could even hear the wind in her ears.
With each step she took, unfamiliar scenes appeared before her eyes.
Some stand in the mountains, holding wild grass covered with tiny serrated teeth; some, dressed in simple clothes, engage in lofty discussions with kings and nobles; some hold chisels, cutting a slit in a piece of wood; some stand by the irrigation canal, watching the waterwheel; some are on the battlefield, gazing at the siege ladders in the distance…
The voice from before reappeared.
But this time it's not "Tiangong Kaiwu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature).
Bei Qiu felt her body pass through a transparent barrier.
When she came to her senses, she had already stepped onto the last step.
The palace doors at the end of the steps were tightly shut, and all was silent.
Is anyone here? Is anyone here?
Beijiu lingered in place, but no one answered.
Can someone tell me where exactly this is?
There was still no one else.
She was somewhat discouraged and had no choice but to rely on herself.
Until she looked up at the plaque above the palace gate.
A few blurry words can be vaguely seen.
[Ink?]
She murmured to herself, recognizing only one person after a long while.
[Ink...what?]
My eyes hurt after looking at it for a long time.
Bei Qiu turned around and rubbed her eyes, wondering how to wake up from the dream, when a gentle breeze swept up behind her, making her clothes flutter. She subconsciously turned her head and saw the previously tightly closed palace doors slowly open with an ancient call.
Someone sighed and chuckled with apparent satisfaction.
Finally, you've arrived.
This place is the sacred temple of the Mohist school.
Welcome, Mohist.
|ω`)
PS: The Mohist school in this article mainly focuses on infrastructure construction, not warfare.
PPS: Sigh, now I'm worried. Scholars, warriors, and then Mohists just feel weird (they're all "something-something" types). Wouldn't it be better if scholars, warriors, Mohists, and physicians were all like the medical profession? Sigh, I can only think of a new Mohist school.
I'm giving a shout-out to my friend's book. (heart emoji)
Book Title: I Extended My Life After Death Through Merit Points in the Livestream Room
Author: Skin as White as Snow
Synopsis: {Mystical Sect + Seeing Through Fate + Worldly Matters}
Nanxing died, yet she came back to life; she became a corpse that could walk, eat, and sleep, but had no heartbeat.
What's different is that she can see other people's past and foresee their future.
If one wants to survive in this world while keeping a low profile, it seems the only option is to provide consulting services.
So, a small stall offering "professional consultation" was set up under the overpass.
"Young man, your life has been switched. You only have three days to live."
"Sir, your wife is cheating on you, and none of the four children are yours..."
Get a professional consultation. If it doesn't work, you don't have to pay!
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