Having faced fierce beasts many times before, Wenlong rose to the challenge. Besides, he was almost certain he would succeed.
At critical moments, he still used throwing darts to kill the vicious beasts. That counted as a kind of training too, he supposed.
Between the hides he hunted himself and those he bought from hunters, he finally gathered enough.
He immediately returned to his rented lodging, planning to ask the village chief to hire fishermen to help him build a hot-air balloon, with Wenlong paying their wages.
Upon returning to his lodging, Wenlong immediately found the village chief and explained his idea. The chief was delighted and more than willing to help his villagers earn some extra income.
Though the fishermen found the idea of a hot-air balloon novel, they agreed to help him.
Working together, everyone began building it out of animal hides and a few simple materials.
Throughout the construction, Wenlong kept refining the design, striving to make the balloon sturdier and safer.
After several days of effort, the hot-air balloon was finally finished. Brimming with excitement, Wenlong tied some weights beneath it and carried out a simple test.
Watching the balloon rise slowly, he knew he had succeeded, but he wanted to test it a few more times to ensure its quality was up to standard.
He also asked the villagers about the best time to head out to sea and the seasonal weather.
Having lived by the sea for years, they certainly knew what they were talking about. There was an old fisherman in the village, and Wenlong asked him which season was best for setting out.
What he feared were typhoons and unpredictable changes in the weather. The old fisherman was much more familiar with such things.
Stroking his beard, the old fisherman said earnestly,