"Lou Gao?"
Li Chen pondered for a moment.
Huo Yuhao asked curiously, "Is this old craftsman that good?"
"He's decent. He should be the best craftsman of this era. But our soul guide lathes already have precision far beyond this age."
Li Chen smiled.
It reminded him of watching shows about master craftsmen on television as a child. Damn, they had really had him fooled.
Only after growing up had he realized that most of it was pure bullshit.
A little thought made it obvious. How could humans possibly compete with machines in precision?
If those craftsmen really could sense the thickness of a single hair with their fingers, what did they need lithography machines for? They might as well make chips by hand!
Of course,
it wasn't that Li Chen didn't love his country. He just hated that kind of boasting, like claiming someone needed to practice for an entire year to press a lousy button to launch a satellite. Were they fucking treating the audience like embryos?!
"Then should we...?"
Huo Yuhao drew a finger across his throat.
Huo Gua had read the historical records and knew that this old man had sacrificed himself to forge a complete set of Storm Pear Blossom Needles for Tang San.
Now, when it came to anyone who had helped Tang San,
Huo Gua didn't want to spare a single one. Killing them all would be the simplest solution!
"Better not. Lou Gao is the chairman of Gengxin City's blacksmith association, and he has a reputation. Besides, he doesn't even know Tang San yet. Yuhao, don't overreact."
Huo Yuhao smiled.
He couldn't help it. Tang San was the child of the plane in this era, after all!
As long as Tang San remained alive, Huo Yuhao couldn't rest easy. Luck was unpredictable. If Tang San escaped death and became a god again, it would be too late for regrets!
"How about this? Tell Lou Gao to return to the Star Luo Empire and help Ju Zi and the others persuade the Star Luo Emperor to approve construction of the Soul Guide Train tracks."
"If he succeeds, we'll let him join us. If not, he can get lost."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
Watching Huo Yuhao leave, Li Chen suddenly felt a little strange.
He felt like the foreigners who had built railways on Great Qing territory in his previous life, when their real objective had been colonial rule.
A pang of guilt struck him.
"What the fuck am I thinking? The Great Qing wasn't anything good either!"
Li Chen snapped out of it.
In Star Luo City,
Ju Zi entered the Imperial Palace alone. Along the way, the numerous palace guards pressed their hands to their swords when they saw her, their gazes hostile.
The third prince, Dai Mubai, had suddenly returned to Star Luo City some time ago and told the Star Luo Emperor everything about the Sun Moon Sect.
Thus,
when Ju Zi came to negotiate with the Star Luo Emperor as a representative of the Sun Moon Sect, everyone in the Star Luo Imperial Palace had mixed feelings.
On the one hand,
the Star Luo Emperor had already learned from his spies in Heaven Dou City and Spirit City that the Sun Moon Sect was cooperating with them.
This left the old emperor rather anxious. Of the three great powers, only his Star Luo Empire had no real dealings with the Sun Moon Sect. If he missed some opportunity, the other two might end up taking him down.
On the other hand,
Dai Mubai had described the Sun Moon Sect as utterly evil, especially Li Chen and Huo Yuhao. This also made the Star Luo Emperor highly wary of the sect.
The Star Luo Empire had no Titled Douluo,
while the Sun Moon Sect did.
What the old Star Luo Emperor feared most was a decapitation strike.
Thus,
for today's negotiations,
the Star Luo Emperor had stipulated that only Ju Zi could enter the Imperial Palace, and she could not bring any weapons.
When she reached the hall's entrance, a female Star Luo general searched Ju Zi from head to toe once more before allowing her inside.
Ju Zi entered the grand hall.
The Star Luo Emperor sat on the Dragon Throne, with Dai Mubai and the eldest prince, Dai Weisi, seated on either side.
Two squads of guards also stood in the hall, while several Soul Douluo guarded the old emperor's flanks.
Seeing that Ju Zi was indeed only a Soul Sage, as reported, the old emperor relaxed a little.
Ju Zi walked forward with quiet confidence and inclined her upper body slightly, counting that as her greeting.
"Star Luo Emperor, I am Ju Zi of the Sun Moon Sect. I've come to discuss the construction of the Soul Guide Train railway."
"How dare you!"
A guard shouted angrily, "You dare stand before His Majesty without kneeling?!"
Ju Zi cast him a sidelong glance, her powerful presence forcing the rest of his words back down his throat.
Then Ju Zi turned to the old emperor.
"Your Majesty, in our Sun Moon Sect, we kneel only to our parents. Please forgive me."
The old Star Luo Emperor chuckled and waved his hand. "No matter, no matter. You're our guest. Please, sit."
Ju Zi sneered inwardly.
In some ways, this old emperor was quite like Xu Tianran. He was clearly scared to death, yet dared not show it and had to put on an air of generosity and indifference.
Xu Tianran had been the same when using the Holy Spirit Cult. He feared them, yet also needed their help.
Ju Zi said with a smile,
"Your Majesty, constructing a Soul Guide Train railway connecting the entire continent from north to south would bring the Star Luo Empire every benefit and no harm."
Dai Mubai said grimly, "Why should we agree?
"Your Sun Moon Sect acts like a bunch of tyrants. Not long ago, you nearly blew me up. Who knows what you're plotting? What if you use railway construction as a cover for something sinister?!"
The old emperor narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
Such had always been the art of imperial rule. Whatever an emperor wanted to say had to come from someone else's mouth.
If things went well, the emperor took the credit. If they went badly, his subordinates took the blame.
"Your name is Dai Mubai, correct? The third prince of the Star Luo Empire."
"That's right!" Dai Mubai replied grimly.
"Heh. I truly didn't expect the Star Luo Empire to send a child to discuss affairs of state, judging everything by personal grudges. My apologies for the intrusion on behalf of the Sun Moon Sect."
Ju Zi rose to leave.
Talking to a brat like Dai Mubai was simply a waste of her time.
"Wait."
The eldest prince, Dai Weisi, quickly spoke up. "My younger brother Mubai has always been impulsive. Please don't take his nonsense just now to heart, Miss Ju Zi. Let's all speak openly before making any decisions."
Ju Zi sat down again.
Dai Mubai was furious, but he dared not lash out.
In the Star Luo Imperial Family's struggle for the throne, only one prince was ever allowed to survive. Dai Weisi was far stronger than him at present. Dai Mubai truly feared he would die if he clashed with him.
Dai Weisi asked, "What benefits would building this railway bring our Star Luo Empire?"
Ju Zi smiled. "Many. Economically speaking, the Soul Guide Train can reach an average speed of 500 kilometers per hour. In other words, traveling from Star Luo City to Heaven Dou City would take only two days."
"With transportation that efficient, trade could flourish all along the route. Militarily speaking, once the railway is built, deploying troops and defenses within the Star Luo Empire would become much faster. That's a good thing for you."
Dai Weisi said thoughtfully,
"The problem is, why must it extend all the way to Heaven Dou City? And why must it pass through Spirit City?
"Wouldn't that also increase the risk of Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire invading us?"
Ju Zi smiled. "Would not building the railway prevent Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire from invading? Besides, why couldn't your Star Luo Empire invade them instead?"
"Well..."
Dai Weisi was at a loss for words.
Ju Zi looked at the old emperor.
"Your Majesty, we have an old saying in the Sun Moon Sect: aim high and you achieve something middling; aim for the middle and you achieve little; aim low and you achieve nothing."
"If the Star Luo Empire remains set in its ways, afraid of every threat, it will only be a matter of time before Spirit Hall annexes it."
"Only by finding a way to seize the initiative will you have a chance to survive!"
Dai Weisi grew a little excited. Ju Zi's words struck a chord with him.
Father is old now. His fists are neither fast nor ruthless enough!
Just as Ju Zi had said, if they didn't seize the initiative, then with Spirit Hall recruiting Soul Masters across the continent, it would soon be only a matter of time before it launched a war to annex the Star Luo Empire!
The Star Luo Emperor glanced at Dai Weisi.
Dai Weisi took the hint and said,
"That's easy to say, Miss Ju Zi. What can you offer that would enable the Star Luo Empire to seize the initiative? A single railway?"
"Do you think the only reason our Star Luo Empire hasn't taken the offensive is that we lack a railway?"
Ju Zi smiled. "Our Sun Moon Sect has a type of Soul Tool Shield that can withstand attacks. The highest grade can even withstand attacks from a Titled Douluo."
Ju Zi took out a Soul Tool Ring.
"Your Majesty may test it."
The old emperor immediately sat up straight, his eyes gleaming.
He had a Soul Douluo attack Ju Zi at full strength, and sure enough, she emerged completely unharmed.
The old emperor narrowed his eyes, greed showing through.
The Star Luo Empire had no Titled Douluo. If he could obtain this ring for protection, his safety would be far better assured.
"Miss Ju Zi, what are your Sun Moon Sect's terms?"
This time, the old emperor spoke personally.
"Very simple. We want the entire city of Gengxin as our sect's base. Gengxin City will also be under our sect's autonomous rule, and the Star Luo Empire must not interfere."
Ju Zi added, "Our Sun Moon Sect is devoted to artifact forging and has no other ambitions. As long as you supply the metal materials we need, this Soul Tool Shield ring will belong to the Star Luo Empire."
Dai Mubai turned back anxiously. "Father, don't agree! Their Sun Moon Sect isn't like that! She's playing you, Father!"
Dai Mubai remembered all too well how hostile Li Chen and Huo Yuhao had been toward Shrek.
Especially that Huo Yuhao,
who had looked as though he wanted to slice him into a thousand pieces.
If the fucking Sun Moon Sect becomes the Star Luo Empire's partner, I'm dead!
Besides, the eldest prince, Dai Weisi, already wanted him dead!
Smack!
The old emperor slapped Dai Mubai across the face with the back of his hand, then smoothly extended his hand toward Ju Zi.
"My worthless son always likes to bark. Please don't mind him, Miss Ju Zi. Here's to a pleasant partnership."
Ju Zi stepped forward and gave the old emperor a polite handshake, smiling as she said, "To a pleasant partnership."
Dai Mubai's face filled with terror. It was over!
He was finished!
Before you continue