Gongsun Huaizhi, the elder, revealed a harmless and hearty smile:
"You don’t really think, like Feixue, that Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse are merely used for transporting grain, do you? Ahahaha...haha..."
He let out a laugh characteristic of a scholar deeply engrossed in Mechanical Techniques.
Li Guanyi held in his hands a small, exquisitely crafted, yet extremely heavy Mechanical Car.
He silently thought to himself:
Gongsu Mechanism Skills·Fully Automated Crossbow Loading·Wide Area Coverage·Splitting, Poison-Quenched, Explosive Fire Crossbow Carriage.
Li Guanyi felt that if it weren’t for Gongsun Wuyue keeping these craftsmen of the Gongshu Lineage in check, the Gongsun Family would have perished eight generations ago. He looked at the Mechanical Master, whose face beamed with pride and naivety, twitched the corners of his mouth, and simply replied, "Good, good."
"It is a fine piece."
Gongsun Huaizhi burst out laughing, "As long as you know it’s a good piece, come, come, there’s more!"
"This is a turning crossbow machine."
The elder stuffed another object into Li Guanyi’s hands and said, "The Mechanical Crossbow Carriage is powerful, but it’s too heavy. This one is lighter and only requires three Martial Artists of the Entering Realm to operate it."
"Placed atop the city gates, among them, one with vigorous Inner Qi operates the Mechanical Crossbow."
"One loads the specialized bolts onto the axle so they can be strung by turning the axle."
"Another can control the mechanism, allowing the base of the Mechanical Crossbow to rotate."
"On top of the city gates, three giant turning crossbow machines on each side can cover the entire area directly in front of the city."
Li Guanyi envisioned the scene in his mind: "..."
The young general blurted out, "Will this thing spout blue fire?"
Gongsun Huaizhi touched his sparsely-haired head and said, "This device can’t, but there are indeed things designed for fire attacks."
"Well, surely not... wait, what, really!?"
Li Guanyi was dumbstruck.
Gongsun Huaizhi’s eyes shone as he handed something to Li Guanyi and said, "This device is called the ’suspended train.’ Three people operate it, using charcoal red-hot with Kerosene. With the Martial Artist’s strength, they pull the machine to full power for an instantaneous burst, capable of attacking over a hundred paces."
"Hahaha, what’s called charcoal is named as such but is not truly charcoal; it’s a Mechanism."
"Hollow inside, like a full ball, have you ever seen a kind of fruit that burst open the moment it falls to the ground, sending seeds flying in all directions? Over a hundred years ago, our founder, inspired by nature, created this."
"It contains poison-quenched iron caltrops that explode upon impact, the thirty-six blades of the caltrops spread over several yards upon hitting the ground, cutting through muscles and breaking bones. It is indeed top-notch, ahahahaha!"
"There is no need to kill; it’s meant to debilitate the soldiers’ combat abilities, effectively crippling an entire army!"
Gongsun Huaizhi, cradling this ingeniously crafted mechanism, became increasingly excited and burst into laughter. Though his laughter was originally merry, in the secret cave within the mountain, it echoed madly, sending chills down Li Guanyi’s spine.
The young general’s mouth twitched.
No wonder, no wonder.
Li Guanyi had originally thought the Mo School’s Mechanical Techniques were extremely strong in siege warfare and wondered why they were referred to as "good at defending." But now, having seen the Mechanism Skills of the Gongshu Lineage, he understood.
Being good at defense and good at attack are relative.
Compared to these madmen, the Mo School was indeed a picture of benevolence.
No wonder Gongsun Wuyue had previously planned to form a marriage alliance with Li Guanyi’s side.
She had chosen this ancient path of alliance, connected by blood.
Because she was keenly aware of why the Gongshu Family’s Mechanism Skills were so terrifying, and why the ancestors of the Gongshu Family were persecuted to death, with their descendants scattered across the Martial World.
Who wouldn’t get goosebumps looking at this thing?
Li Guanyi had thought that Yan Daiqing of Ying Country was magnanimous enough to tolerate the Gongshu Family, but it seemed that this heroic figure had no idea how outrageous these madmen of the Martial World family were. Li Guanyi immediately realized that if it weren’t for the relationship between Elder Zu and Gongsun Wuyue, even he wouldn’t have been able to see these mechanisms.
The youth inadvertently gripped the pine pattern ancient sword in his hand, thinking of the old man:
Had you foreseen all this?
Furthermore, the Gongshu Family had birds that could fly, beasts that could walk, and many other devices. When Li Guanyi mentioned the achievements of the Divine Beast Manor disciples over the past year, Gongsun Huaizhi was overjoyed.
"If one could tame Exotic Beasts to carry Mechanical Crossbow Carriages..."
"Then only one person would be needed on top to operate the turning crossbow machine, turning it into a siege weapon, hahaha! With a few hundred Exotic Beasts, wouldn’t that be equivalent to having a whole Heroic Pass level of Mechanism firepower at one’s disposal?"
"Only special mechanisms are needed, and a Heroic City could be constructed overnight!"
"Where is that boy?! I’ve been wanting to join forces with Divine Beast Manor for a long time, but the Family Head held me back, hahaha, now I can finally have my wish fulfilled!"
Gongsun Huaizhi couldn’t wait.
Gongsun Wuyue personally selected thirty craftsmen, and Gongsun Huaizhi led them himself, setting out from this place and heading straight for Jiangnan.
On a bronze Mechanical Ship that moved without sails, the propellers were turned by mechanisms, breaking through the water. With only thirty people, like the usual trading hands of the Gongsun Family, when this group arrived, Yan Daiqing erupted with moderate anger.
"Again with the recruitment!"
"Again with the recruitment!!!"
"Li Guanyi, you brute, brute!"
The handsome young scholar nearly wanted to eat the letter Li Guanyi had previously sent!
That young Monarch had spoken with sincere earnestness, promising not to entice anyone away.
And yet, before long, thirty people had arrived.
Alright, alright, not seducing from the Academy, but now enticing the Martial World’s aristocratic families, is that it?
Alright, alright, Li Guanyi, you’re formidable!