Hearing Meng Hongchen's distinctly unusual voice, Xu Tianming's body gave a sudden shudder, but he said nothing.
Although it was clearly a put-on voice, it was surprisingly pleasant to hear. An occasional listen could lift his spirits.
Ye Guyi, however, was clearly unable to stand it. Before she could stop herself, she let out a soft "tsk" on the spot.
The sound wasn't loud, but Meng Hongchen's hearing was exceptionally sharp. In an instant, she pinpointed its source and shot Ye Guyi an unfriendly look.
Faced with such unmistakable hostility, Ye Guyi refused to back down. Her eyes, the only part of her face not hidden by her mask, immediately met Meng Hongchen's in a challenging stare.
Seeing the sparks between the two women grow more intense, Xu Tianming felt a faint headache coming on.
Now was not the time to let these two start arguing.
So he quickly interrupted:
"Show us the way."
As soon as he spoke, the tension between the two women vanished.
After all, neither wanted to lose her composure in front of Xu Tianming and leave a bad impression.
With Meng Hongchen leading the way, Xu Tianming and Ye Guyi soon found Xuan Ziwen's private workbench.
At that moment, Xuan Ziwen was using a carving knife to inscribe a Soul Guidance Array onto a Soul Tool Sword. He couldn't afford to have anyone disturb him.
Standing beside him was a dashing young man dressed in the same uniform as Meng Hongchen.
When the young man saw the three of them approach, he turned and nodded to Meng Hongchen, then looked at Xu Tianming and the masked Ye Guyi following at her side in confusion.
He didn't say anything, but his gaze clearly asked Meng Hongchen who these two strangers were.
Understanding what her brother meant, Meng Hongchen thought for a moment, then acted as though she hadn't noticed and stayed silent:
Given my brother's personality, if he doesn't know this Fourth Prince's identity, the two of them will probably end up clashing...
Hehe, you brought this on yourself, you stinky older brother! You made me mad a few days ago, and you still haven't apologized!
Once my stinky older brother makes the Fourth Prince angry, I'll step in at just the right moment and play peacemaker. Then I refuse to believe the Fourth Prince won't be charmed by me!
Ye Guyi happened to catch the calculating look in Meng Hongchen's eyes.
She had no idea what Meng Hongchen was planning, but she instinctively went on guard:
Whatever this woman does next, if it concerns His Highness, I have to stop her... But His Highness did tell me not to start trouble with anyone unless he orders me to...
For a moment, Ye Guyi was at a loss.
Perhaps it would be best to tell Xu Tianming directly about the suspicious behavior she had just noticed. But seeing her prince completely absorbed in watching Xuan Ziwen carve the Soul Guidance Array, she didn't dare interrupt him. She could only keep the matter to herself for now and pay closer attention to Meng Hongchen's actions.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen was standing beside Xuan Ziwen.
Seeing that his younger sister had ignored his look, he was first taken aback, then instinctively wanted to question her.
But just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered where they were. He could only force down all his confusion and carefully study Xu Tianming and Ye Guyi with a penetrating gaze, hoping to make a rough guess about their identities from their clothing and appearance.
However, after Xu Tianming had just taken his waist token back from Meng Hongchen, he had casually slipped it into his pocket instead of hanging it back at his waist. And when he'd left the palace this time, he'd worn only ordinary clothes that didn't advertise his status.
So Xiao Hongchen could only conclude that Xu Tianming was no ordinary person.
After all, no one who could enter Mingde Hall was ordinary.
They either had powerful backgrounds or exceptional talent.
And on top of that, this man had somehow gotten his lively little sister to lead the way obediently...
At the very least, Xiao Hongchen wasn't going to start trouble before he learned the other man's identity and background.
For a while, the room remained quiet, but the three young people all had complicated thoughts racing through their minds.
As for Xu Tianming, the person at the center of their tangled thoughts—
The moment he saw Xuan Ziwen, his consciousness had already sunk into his Mental Sea of Consciousness, where he began speaking with Mavuika and Columbina.
"So this is the Soul Tool technology of this world? I once watched Xilonen build me a greatsword that wouldn't melt in flames, from start to finish. The technology in these two worlds feels pretty similar at its core."
"I've also watched Sandrone conducting research in her laboratory before. This person seems every bit as focused as Sandrone. He looks like a very capable person."
After the two women had finished sharing their thoughts, Xu Tianming interjected at the right moment:
"Mavuika, don't forget why we came here. How are the detailed plans for your Chilun Vehicle? Do you really still remember them clearly?"
The main reason Xu Tianming had come to Mingde Hall today was that the previous night, after learning about this world's Soul Tool system, Mavuika had suggested that he try to have her Chilun Vehicle—the motorcycle—built here.
Xu Tianming hadn't refused when he heard her proposal.
As far as he knew about Mingde Hall, if they had detailed design plans, building the Chilun Vehicle shouldn't be too difficult.
But the problem was getting those plans.
If he remembered correctly, Mavuika had found the plans for the Chilun Vehicle in an ancient dragon ruin in Natlan and then given them to Xilonen.
Without a way to return to the Teyvat Continent, how could they get their hands on the plans?
When he raised the question, Mavuika had laughed and said it wouldn't be a problem.
According to her, she had an excellent memory. Once she'd seen something, she'd never forget it.
Although she'd last seen the Chilun Vehicle's plans a long time ago, if she had enough time to recall them, she could reproduce them in full and ensure they were exactly right.
Yet recalling them had taken the entire night.
Xu Tianming had originally planned to wait until she'd finished remembering everything before coming to Mingde Hall.
But Mavuika had confidently assured him that she'd almost remembered everything. Only a few particularly intricate details remained. He should go ahead, and by the time they reached their destination, she would surely have recalled the rest.
Now that they had found someone to build the Chilun Vehicle, Xu Tianming naturally wanted to check with Mavuika on her progress.
"Don't worry. I've just finished recalling everything. I guarantee I won't get a single detail wrong. Come a little closer, and I'll synchronize the complete plans to you."
Xu Tianming was surprised.
"Synchronize memories? You can do that, Mavuika?"
"I couldn't before, of course. But after becoming your Martial Soul, it seems I can."
Before you continue