In the backyard of Huo Yuhao's courtyard in Haoyue City, the clang of hammering iron and the clatter of colliding metal rang out.
After working for some time, Huo Yuhao hammered the last copper plate into its slot, stepped back twice, and surveyed his creation.
Before him stood a small two-wheeled vehicle. Its frame was made of refined copper, and its structure resembled a soul-powered bicycle from his previous life, though it was somewhat sturdier.
A palm-sized drive core was mounted at the front, with several Core Arrays inscribed inside. There were pedals in the middle of the frame, the seat was wrapped in thick leather, and a small iron basket had been welded onto the rear seat to hold things.
This was the Spiritual Power Vehicle he had been crafting recently, a fourth-level piece of alchemical equipment that could be pedaled by human power or driven by Spiritual Energy.
He had just fitted the chain when someone knocked on the courtyard gate.
"Little Brother Huo! Open up!"
Li Xin's voice rang out, as loud as ever.
Huo Yuhao went over and pulled the gate open. Li Xin stood outside, a bag of meat in one hand and a bag of greens in the other, her pink ponytail especially eye-catching in the sunlight.
Lin Jialu stood beside her, holding a ledger as usual, but in her other hand was an oilpaper package that looked, from its shape, like freshly baked pastries.
"Did you buy ingredients again today?" Huo Yuhao stepped aside to let them in.
"That rock bear meat you grilled last time stayed on my mind for three whole days after I went home."
Li Xin strode into the courtyard, set the meat on the stone table, and said casually:
"It's your turn to cook today. We brought the ingredients."
"When did I become your cook?"
"The first time you grilled that skewer of meat in front of us," Li Xin replied without a hint of shame.
Lin Jialu pressed her lips together and smiled, then placed the oilpaper package on the stone table. "These are from a pastry shop that just opened in the east of the city. I thought they were good, so I brought some for you to try," she said softly.
Huo Yuhao shook his head helplessly and took the meat and vegetables.
The two young women came over to mooch meals every few days, bringing their own ingredients each time, with sound reasons and earnest attitudes. He felt too embarrassed even to refuse.
Sharp-eyed Li Xin spotted the brand-new Spiritual Power Vehicle as soon as she entered the backyard.
"What's this?"
"It's called a Spiritual Power Vehicle. It's a piece of magical equipment I made. I just finished assembling it."
Huo Yuhao set the meat on the stone table and walked over to the vehicle. "You can sit on it and ride it. It can be driven by Spiritual Energy, or you can pedal it yourself."
At his words, Li Xin's eyes lit up. She hurried over and circled the vehicle.
Lin Jialu followed, standing beside it to examine it closely. Her fingers lightly touched the Spirit Eyes Inscription on the frame.
"Huo Yuhao, can I try it?"
Li Xin turned to look at him, her eyes shining with eagerness.
"Go ahead, just don't fall. I'll teach you both the basics."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao came over to the Spiritual Power Vehicle and explained the basics to them.
After listening to Huo Yuhao's explanation, Li Xin swung a long leg over the seat and gripped the handlebars with both hands.
She first tried pedaling two laps under her own power. The wheels rolled over the courtyard's stone paving at a modest speed, but as a knight, she had excellent balance, so she never came close to falling.
She went around the courtyard twice, turning, braking, and starting again, her movements growing smoother with each attempt.
"Not bad! It's about as fast as riding a horse!" Li Xin grew more enthusiastic as she pedaled. "How do I use Spiritual Energy?"
"Both handlebars can transmit Spiritual Energy. Just channel yours into either one."
After following Huo Yuhao's instructions, Li Xin found that the wheels suddenly accelerated, going more than twice as fast as they had when she pedaled.
Startled, Li Xin hurriedly squeezed the brakes. The wheels skidded a short distance across the paving stones before barely coming to a stop.
"Whoa, that's some speed." Li Xin let out a breath and loosened the lever a little. "But I'll need practice. I almost crashed into the wall just now."
Lin Jialu had been watching from the side for some time, and now she couldn't resist any longer. "May I try?" she asked softly.
Li Xin jumped off and let her have the vehicle.
Lin Jialu mounted much more demurely than Li Xin. She first tried pedaling two laps, then slowly channeled in her Spiritual Energy.
She rode slowly and turned steadily, circling the courtyard three times before stopping, a faint smile of lingering enjoyment on her face.
"It goes too fast when it's driven by Spiritual Energy."
Lin Jialu returned the vehicle and thought for a moment. "Ordinary people might not be able to control it well. Accidents could easily happen."
Huo Yuhao nodded. He had been watching the two of them ride the whole time.
Li Xin was a second-rank knight, quick to react and strong enough to barely control the speed with Spiritual Energy at full output.
Lin Jialu was a second-rank mage. Her physical reactions were somewhat slower, and whenever she channeled in a little too much Spiritual Energy, she became somewhat flustered.
"I'm planning to add a speed limiter," Huo Yuhao said after some thought. "I'll divide the Spiritual Energy output into several settings. The lower settings will be slower, so ordinary people can use it too, while the higher settings can be reserved for professionals."
Li Xin's eyes lit up, and she agreed. "That's a good idea. If the speed can be controlled, the city patrols could be equipped with a few too. They'd be much faster than walking."
"Let's test it first. We can talk about that after the improvements are done." Huo Yuhao pushed the vehicle against the wall. "You two sit down. I'll go cook."
He took some magical beast meat he had stored earlier from his storage ring, then dug a few fresh vegetables out of the bag Li Xin had brought.
There was a simple grill beside the stone table in the backyard. He lit a fire, sliced the meat thin, and marinated it with salt and spices.
Li Xin sat nearby and waited, while Lin Jialu came over to help wash the vegetables of her own accord.
Once the meat had marinated, Huo Yuhao laid the slices on the grill.
Fat dripped onto the charcoal with a sizzle, and the aroma soon spread. Li Xin leaned over for a sniff and swallowed.
"With cooking skills like yours, you could open a restaurant." Li Xin picked up a slice of grilled meat, blew on it, and stuffed it into her mouth, speaking indistinctly.
"Isn't the food at the Knight Temple branch's dining hall any good?"
"Don't remind me." Li Xin's expression fell. "The branch only makes sure there's enough food. Whether it tastes good is another matter. Maybe I'm just picky!"
Lin Jialu chuckled softly beside her, picked up a slice of meat, and ate it in small bites.
She ate very demurely, the complete opposite of Li Xin.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Jialu put down her chopsticks and pulled a stack of papers from her ledger.
"Yuhao, these are the formulas and illustrated designs we agreed on earlier."
She pushed the papers in front of Huo Yuhao. "Five third-rank potion formulas and three illustrated designs for third-rank equipment. I chose things that aren't easy to buy on the market. See if they're useful."
Huo Yuhao took them and flipped through them. The three potion formulas were for an "ice attribute resistance potion," a "Spiritual Energy burst potion," and a "low-rank mental barrier potion."
There was nothing unusual about the first two, but the third made him pause. The mental barrier potion could withstand mental attacks for a short time. Although it was only third-rank, it was indeed rare on the market.
Of the three illustrated equipment designs, two were weapon blueprints and one was for defensive equipment.
Huo Yuhao looked through them and put the blueprints away.
"Miss Lin, these are very useful," he said. "Once the Spiritual Power Vehicle has been tested, the Lin Family will have priority for the first batch."
Lin Jialu nodded, the corners of her mouth curving upward.
She picked up her cup and took a sip of water, then asked softly, "Are you planning to use these formulas and blueprints yourself, or sell them?"
"I'll use them myself." Huo Yuhao made no secret of it. "I have a lot to learn. These formulas and blueprints are the basics."
Lin Jialu glanced at him but did not press further.
Although she was curious why Huo Yuhao was so intent on potions and equipment, cooperation required a sense of boundaries. There was no need to insist on asking about things he didn't want to discuss.
Beside them, Li Xin stuffed another slice of meat into her mouth and said indistinctly, "Oh, right. Remember to tell me when you've finished improving the Spiritual Power Vehicle. My father's been trying to figure out how to make the patrols more efficient lately. If your vehicle works well, you might even be able to sell it to other cities."
Huo Yuhao acknowledged her and turned the grilled meat over.
The three chatted as they enjoyed their dinner.