Leng Xiyue planned to name the new trade guild "Dawn." Against cavalry charges that had remained unchanged for thousands of years, the weapons it would specialize in truly did herald a dawn.
Once they had finished discussing the trade guild, Leng Xiyue took out another blueprint and handed it to Bibi Dong. "Master, this is something I tinkered with a couple of days ago. I think it's quite feasible. If you can't make sense of it, you can show it to the senior researchers at the Martial Soul Research Institute. I'm sure they'll understand."
What Leng Xiyue had brought out was a tank blueprint that was only eighty percent complete. It was not an advanced model, merely the classic Panzer IV Ausf. G. The missing portion was an engine adapted to local conditions. She would have a hard time putting such a creation into practice herself, and she lacked the ability to attempt construction while using the Forge to improve the blueprint. She might as well take this opportunity to have Bibi Dong assign people to research it gradually. In any case, the finished product would be for Spirit Hall's own people, so there was little profit to skim off it.
A thorough overhaul would probably require improvements to even more of its structure, but that was fine. She could leave that to the senior researchers at the Martial Soul Research Institute. All the theoretical principles were on the blueprint; she trusted those leading scholars to get the job done.
Bibi Dong indeed could not make much sense of it. From the annotations, she could only tell that it was a steel war vehicle that could move quickly, carry weapons, and needed just one soul master to replenish its energy. It required neither horses nor other soul beasts to pull it and could move under its own power. Her first impression was that it was boasting about something utterly impossible.
Had it been nothing more than a concept, Bibi Dong would naturally have dismissed it with a smile. Yet the extraordinarily detailed sketches and all the theoretical reasoning she could not understand testified to its genuine feasibility. Rather than treating it as a child's game because of Leng Xiyue's age, she solemnly addressed Yue Guan beside her:
"Elder Ju, take this to Li Yuyuan. Have him personally assess whether it's feasible, then prepare a written evaluation report for me."
Li Yuyuan was the director of the Martial Soul Research Institute. Although he was not a Titled Douluo, he was a true master of theory. He had put both his own research and many advanced theories left by his predecessors into practice. Even ordinary elders sought his guidance when their cultivation hit a bottleneck. His power and standing rivaled those of the highest-ranking consecrators in the Elder Hall, and several current Platinum Bishops, as well as the head of Spirit Hall Academy, were his disciples. Calling him a walking library would have been no exaggeration.
Normally, he did not need to prepare any documentation himself. When reporting the results of something to Bibi Dong, he only had to give a rough description that made its purpose clear. This time, however, Bibi Dong had explicitly requested a written report, which spoke volumes about the importance she attached to the matter.
"Yes." Yue Guan bowed slightly, then left with the blueprint.
After seeing Yue Guan off, Bibi Dong asked Javier, who was approaching her, "Javier, do I have anything important coming up? If not, I'd like to have dinner with Xiyue. It seems we haven't shared a meal in quite some time."
Leng Xiyue did often come back to visit Bibi Dong, but she was always in a hurry. She had not expected Bibi Dong to take the initiative and ask her to stay for dinner today.
"Your Majesty, no major figures are visiting this afternoon, and there's nothing urgent. However, your daughter... wishes to come and see you." Javier's voice grew much quieter toward the end.
Her daughter?
Qian Renxue?
Watching Bibi Dong's expression, Leng Xiyue felt that the conflict between mother and daughter was probably even worse than she had imagined.
Bibi Dong seemed not to have heard the latter half of his words. She merely waved a hand, her expression placid. "Mm, understood. It's good that there's nothing pressing. Prepare some afternoon tea first, then a nicer dinner tonight. Just for Xiyue and me."
"As you command." Having received his instructions, Javier withdrew.
Throughout the afternoon, Bibi Dong chatted with Leng Xiyue about everyday trifles and ordinary domestic matters.
Leng Xiyue was enthusiastic, talking at length about how she had connected her creations to the ancient soul tool system and researched them. She also shared her hopes for the future, explaining how she wanted to deal with the empire and accomplish Spirit Hall's grand undertaking of unification.
She had thought that Bibi Dong, who was full of ambition and had reorganized Spirit Hall into the Spirit Hall Empire in the original story, would be very interested in the subject. To her surprise, Bibi Dong's response was lukewarm. She seemed not to care at all whether Spirit Hall could achieve complete unification. She merely praised Leng Xiyue's enthusiasm for Spirit Hall's development, and it was not difficult to see that Bibi Dong herself had no desire to do such a thing. Leng Xiyue found that rather strange.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Leng Xiyue, and she remembered the Rakshasa God's succession trials that Bibi Dong would face in the future-or was already undergoing.
Bibi Dong's reputation had clearly worsened over time. At first, people had praised her rule, and even the lowliest peasants knew to turn to Spirit Hall for help when trouble arose. Over the past two years, Leng Xiyue had indeed felt the people's adoration of Bibi Dong growing by the day.
But what was Rakshasa? A deity synonymous with calamity and death. Could the divine trials she imposed possibly be anything good?
What if the objective of one of those trials was to start a war, or to cause hundreds of thousands-even millions-of deaths through her policies?
At that thought, Leng Xiyue could not help feeling a chill run down her spine.
Insane missions, combined with Bibi Dong, a woman the Grandmaster had driven to the brink of madness-it would hardly be surprising for a thousand-year legacy to collapse overnight.
I have to find a way to stop this from happening.
"Master, you..." After dinner, Leng Xiyue hesitated, trying to find a reason to ask about Yu Xiaogang. At the very least, she wanted to confirm exactly how Bibi Dong felt about him now.
After all, he proclaimed himself the continent's foremost theorist, and Leng Xiyue was widely read, so asking about him would not be particularly strange.
"Hmm? What is it?" Bibi Dong looked at Leng Xiyue with the tender gaze of a mother watching her child. Her usual imposing air had vanished completely, making it hard to connect her with that lofty female Pope.
Their eyes met, and Leng Xiyue suddenly found herself speechless. Bibi Dong was living a fairly happy life now. Perhaps she had spent years forgetting that past she could not bear to look back on. Was it really right for Leng Xiyue to bring it up again?
"Mm, it's nothing, Master. It's getting late, and I'd like to go back to school. I have classes tomorrow." Leng Xiyue changed what she had been about to say.
"It is getting late. Javier, see her back." Seeing how late it was, Bibi Dong did not try to keep her.
"No need to trouble yourself. I can go back on my own." After bowing respectfully to Bibi Dong, Leng Xiyue headed toward the exit.
Watching Leng Xiyue's retreating figure, Javier asked Bibi Dong, "Your Majesty, should we investigate?"
Naturally, Bibi Dong had sent people to watch over Leng Xiyue as she grew up. However, after confirming in the first few months that she was fully capable of being independent, that supervision had all but ceased. Javier only consulted Bibi Dong when something seemed particularly unusual.
Clearly, the way Leng Xiyue had started to speak only to stop herself showed that something was weighing on her mind.
"There's no need. If she wants to tell us, she will sooner or later. If she doesn't, then I think we'll never find out anyway." Bibi Dong took a sip of black tea, clearly understanding Leng Xiyue's character very well.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
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