Senior Brother, Vroom-Vroom, Bad-Bad, Fix-Fix~

Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, Hall of Virtue.

When Xuan Ziwen finished researching and designing the new civilian soul tool, he realized that the sky outside had somehow gone completely dark.

His stomach lodged a timely protest of hunger. Xuan Ziwen subconsciously rubbed it.

"Sorry, I've neglected you again today. But don't worry—once this project succeeds, I'll definitely treat you well!"

Really, what researcher wasn't at least a little crazy?

He could even gaslight his own stomach. Xuan Ziwen's mental state right now... well, those who knew, knew.

Just then, a knock suddenly sounded outside Xuan Ziwen's private laboratory. Before he could respond, the door was pushed open.

Following the sound, Xuan Ziwen froze.

"Your Highness the Fourth Prince? What brings you here so late?"

Seeing the undisguised exhaustion on Xuan Ziwen's face, Xu Tianming immediately felt somewhat guilty.

It seemed he had come at a bad time...

But since he was already here...

With that thought, Xu Tianming took a deep breath, then sidled up to Xuan Ziwen as though trying to butter him up.

"Senior Brother Xuan, you're still conducting research in Hall of Virtue at this hour. You've truly worked hard. With a pillar of the nation like you in our Sun Moon Empire, how could we possibly worry about the future not flourishing?"

The moment he heard that, alarm bells blared in Xuan Ziwen's mind.

As far as he was concerned, given the Fourth Prince's habit of never visiting without a reason, this sudden flattery meant either treachery or theft!

His head immediately began to ache, but he could only patiently endure it.

"Enough. Don't feed me that worthless nonsense. Just say it—what do you need my help with this time?"

Xu Tianming paid no mind to Xuan Ziwen's impatient attitude. After all these years, he had long since figured out this genius researcher's temperament.

"Senior Brother Xuan, you know me. If I weren't truly out of options, why would I come trouble you?"

"My patience is limited."

"Alright, alright! I'll get to the point... Senior Brother Xuan, do you remember that specially made soul-powered motorcycle you forged for me two days ago?"

The instant he heard the words "soul-powered motorcycle," Xuan Ziwen's head began to hurt, and an ominous feeling rose in his heart.

A few years ago, who knew what had gone through the Fourth Prince's head? Right in front of him, Xu Tianming had drafted an incomparably detailed blueprint for a soul-powered motorcycle. It had greatly piqued Xuan Ziwen's interest, prompting him to make a promise in public that he regretted to this day.

He would help build the soul-powered motorcycle and guarantee that the Fourth Prince would be satisfied.

If he could travel back in time, Xuan Ziwen would definitely slap his past self several times.

Though the blueprint for that soul-powered motorcycle had looked simple, building it from scratch had taken Xuan Ziwen a full two and a half years!

According to Xu Tianming's utterly inhuman demands, its primary material had to be forged from a special fire-attributed rare metal, and it also had to be capable of climbing cliffs, flying through the sky, and crossing the sea.

Although Xu Tianming had offered some help whenever he encountered difficulties over those two and a half years, compared to the effort Xuan Ziwen had spent creating that one-of-a-kind soul-powered motorcycle, that help had been insignificant!

"Didn't you inspect that soul-powered motorcycle in front of me two days ago? Every function already met your expectations. It hasn't even been two days, so don't tell me you've come up with some new idea and want to add more functions! I'm warning you, I haven't even finished researching my new civilian soul tool. Don't even think about it!"

"Senior Brother Xuan, you've misunderstood me. I'm extremely satisfied with your craftsmanship. I have no intention of adding any new functions."

"Really?" Xuan Ziwen was unconvinced.

"Of course it's true! Truer than true gold—I swear upon the royal family's honor!"

Seeing Xu Tianming's solemn expression, Xuan Ziwen nodded skeptically.

"As long as you're not asking for new functions..."

As he breathed a sigh of relief, he pressed further.

"So what exactly did you come here for today?"

"Ahem... Senior Brother Xuan, you know that I took little sister Meng'er out today to hunt for a soul ring. But who would've thought that something unexpected would happen on the way back..."

"Get to the point!"

"Oh. The soul-powered motorcycle suffered some accidental damage during the battle. Some of its soul tool formations have stopped functioning. I came to ask Senior Brother Xuan to help repair the bike..."

The laboratory immediately fell silent.

From Xu Tianming's perspective, Xuan Ziwen's face darkened instantly after hearing his words. His breathing rapidly grew heavier, while the twitching at the corner of his eye practically spelled out his current mood.

Seeing this, Xu Tianming hurriedly tried to salvage the situation before Xuan Ziwen exploded.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Xuan, I definitely won't make you help for nothing. Haven't you been doing research on new soul tools lately? I may not be able to help with the technical issues, but leave any research funding problems to me. If I step in, that old fool Jing Hongchen will definitely obediently approve more funding for you!"

Only then did Xuan Ziwen's expression improve somewhat.

After all, his ideas clashed with Hall of Virtue's mainstream philosophy. To force him to yield, Jing Hongchen, as the hall master, naturally did everything he could to make things difficult for him, and withholding funding was one of those methods.

If Xu Tianming had not helped him secure funding over the past few years, who knew how much longer his research projects would have been delayed.

"Fine. Leave the soul-powered motorcycle in my laboratory and come collect it in three days. If there's nothing else, I won't keep you."

After saying that grumpily, Xuan Ziwen rose directly from his chair. At that very moment, however, his stomach let out an uncooperative growl.

"Ah! Senior Brother Xuan, you haven't eaten yet? That's on me, that's on me. Say no more—let's go to Mingdu Grand Hotel! Order whatever you want, Senior Brother Xuan. My treat!"

After eating with Xuan Ziwen at Mingdu Grand Hotel, it had become late at night.

After bidding each other goodnight and parting ways, Xu Tianming packed several portions of food. Then, humming a tune all the way, he leisurely returned to his own luxurious residence, Prince Yan's Palace, located in Mingdu's central district.

That was right. In the year Xu Tianming awakened his martial soul, the current emperor of the Sun Moon Empire—his imperial father—had already granted him the title of prince. However, because he had been too young, he had not been granted a fief. For now, he lived in Mingdu, with further arrangements to be made once he came of age.

Normally, those familiar with him should have addressed him as "Your Highness Prince Yan."

But for Xu Tianming's own reasons, he had forbidden people close to him from using that title.

After all, being both the Fourth Prince and Prince Yan made it far too easy for a transmigrator like him to let his thoughts wander!