Voice Message

Su Ming received the letter, which carried the scent of the ocean, two days after Zijin wrote it.

He was surprised that Zijin would give him a physical letter, even though the two of them could communicate telepathically at any time.

"President, news has come from the Azure Stone hangar that the main framework of the large aircraft is complete," the secretary reported as he delivered the message.

"Okay," Su Ming said to Jielusi, "Let's go."

The group quickly set off. Su Ming, sitting on the dragon's back, opened Zijin's letter. On the rune-covered paper, which emitted a faint magical glow, were the girl's delicate yet powerful handwriting.

The letter contained quite a "hardcore" description. Zijin recorded the advantages and disadvantages of the Pansy's new propulsion system during continuous voyages, and even included several hand-drawn sketches and some suggestions for improvement.

She also mentioned the issue of subtle interference between the White Bone Mark and the magic circle, and proposed several new techniques to adjust the core runes of the White Bone Mark.

Su Ming read through the text line by line and found no problems with the spell formula. However, Zijin's haphazard way of writing rune spell formulas made him ponder for a while before he could fully understand it.

The letter also included a photograph, showing a view from a porthole of the boundless blue sea merging with the equally vast sky.

But the letter contained more than that. Su Ming had already identified it as a replica made by Zijin after she deciphered the characteristics of the "God's Wind Decree".

Therefore, it should have the same function.

Su Ming's fingertips had just begun to glow with a faint Magic Power light when he suddenly stopped. There were many people around; it wouldn't be good if they overheard some private message that Zi Zijin had hidden in the letter.

Su Ming had no choice but to put the letter back in the envelope and carefully put it away.

Inside the newly built massive hangar next to the Celestite Reservoir, a huge aircraft skeleton has been completed. The 120-meter-long fuselage presents a unique layout, with two pairs of huge wings staggered one after the other and stacked one on top of the other, outlining a powerful and huge "X"-shaped shadow in the air.

As soon as the group arrived, Ruixiuli was immediately surrounded by Miao Xin's Skeleton Pig, which squealed loudly. The two of them started "sparring" like ping-pong balls, the echoes of their collisions reverberating throughout the hangar.

Su Ming slowly walked to the bottom of the nose of the aircraft and looked up. The more than 20-meter-high hull of the aircraft exuded a cold and oppressive aura.

He raised his left hand, and a bone dragon lying on the ground, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, stood up. This was Zijin's Bone Dragon Form, and it was the first time Su Ming had controlled it.

Last time, this bone dragon was reshaped by Zijin and integrated into the interior of Type 59 Modified, forming the Magic Power node core that drives Type 59 Modified.

This time, for the same purpose, Su Ming unfolded the bone dragon, stretching it into a long, interwoven structure, and then incorporated it into the body of the H-6 WZ, filling the pre-reserved holes.

As the last skeletal unit was inserted into its designated position, the once cold, skeletal shell was instantly illuminated by a flowing, eerie light. The entire skeleton seemed to possess a rhythmic quality, as if breathing, and a profound power awakened and flowed within it.

Su Ming closed his eyes and clearly felt a strong spiritual bond established between himself and the magnificent construct before him.

[Hey, you've finished!] Zijin's message came through, clearly indicating that she had sensed the unusual movement of the Bone Dragon Form.

[Yes, it's assembled, H-6 WZ.] Su Ming replied, [Want to connect it and try out the controls?]

"No way!" Zijin scoffed. "[Did you receive my letter?]"

[Received it, haven't finished reading it yet.] Su Ming replied, his fingertips tracing the envelope in his pocket. [Thank you, this is the first handwritten letter I've ever received.]

Su Ming had received many emails and express deliveries, but this was truly the first time he had received such a traditional hand-gifted gift.

"Then find a quiet place to watch it properly," Zijin reminded him.

"Of course." A slight smile unconsciously curved the corners of Su Ming's mouth.

After the link ended, the team leader in charge stepped forward to report, "President, the materials are ready!"

Su Ming glanced around and saw piles of materials neatly arranged in the hangar. Meanwhile, in the Earth Support Team's warehouse in another view, twelve large propeller engines gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, along with various complex pipelines and supporting auxiliary and control equipment, were all ready to go.

All of these devices are clearly labeled with connection markings and layout instructions that even people from other worlds can understand.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said, "Let's begin!"

****

When the transfer was about one-sixth complete, Su Ming waved his hand to signal a pause. He rubbed his throbbing temples and walked to the shade of the trees by the river outside the hangar.

Although these devices are far smaller than the water turbine units of Tianqingshi, they are much more complex. Su Ming plans to complete them in multiple sessions over three days.

The air was filled with the scent of moisture and grass. Su Ming sat down against the thick tree trunk, opened a package wrapped in fresh leaves, took out the sandwich prepared by Jielusi, and took bites of it.

He took out the runic letter from his pocket, releasing a wisp of Magic Power onto the paper.

The delicate handwriting on the letter paper, like fireflies awakened, lit up with a soft glow one after another. At the same time, the sincere voice, like an echo from the distant sea, mingled with the sound of the wind in the treetops, flowing out gently.

When the words "Academy Spell: Sound Imitation" and "God's Wind Decree" are written, the surrounding sounds are also "imprinted" between the lines.

Su Ming closed his eyes, and the sounds around him gradually became clearer: the low, rumbling waves crashing against the ship's hull, the faint, crisp sounds of tools clashing on the distant deck, the deep hum of the steam turbine, and sounds coming from higher up...

The long, drawn-out cries of seagulls.

He held his breath, and amidst the background noise, he caught the faint sound of Zijin's breathing, its unique rhythm brushing against his heart.

Su Ming opened his eyes, his fingers tracing the photograph pressed against the letter paper—an empty horizon where the sea and sky meet.

Zijin simply shared with him the sounds of the sea she had heard and the scenery she had seen, but all of it was a whisper of longing.

Su Ming also wanted to write something, to tell her that the rain had stopped at the Ruby Base, that wildflowers were blooming all over the mountains and fields beside the Celestite Reservoir, and to tell her how magnificent the huge skeleton of the H-6 WZ was, and that her bones were a good fit.

Unfortunately, the Pansy is currently sailing on the vast deep sea, and there is no way to catch up with its message delivery.

[You're really cheating, Zijin.] Su Ming couldn't help but complain.

"Where did I foul?" Zijin's voice came through, tinged with a hint of smugness.

You're so cute it's unfair!

Not far away, Jielusi was taking small bites of her sandwich. She watched as Zijin used expensive sound-enhanced stationery just to be affectionate with Su Ming, and suddenly felt a little bloated.

Jielusi closed her bread bag, glancing at Ruixiuli next to her still chewing heartily, and felt even more suffocated.

"Hmm... if you're not going to eat, give it to me?" Ruixiuli mumbled, reaching out his hand. "I just had a physical fight with that tough girl Miao Xin, and I'm starving."

Jielusi irritably nudged him away with her elbow.

The Skeleton Pig, having no one to play with, wandered over to Su Ming's side, its empty eye sockets curiously "staring" at the shimmering rune letter in his hand.

"Wow! This is so much fun!" Miao Xin exclaimed excitedly, hearing the clear sounds of waves and seagulls. "It's just like being on a real ship!"

"It's just a voice message, isn't it?" Su Ming put away the letter, and the lingering sound immediately disappeared. "Did you use too few green bubbles on Earth?"

"You're so unromantic!" Miao Xin complained.

Her gaze fell on the letter with its intricately detailed runes. "A pure magical mistake!" she smacked, tilting her head. "Sending this from the magical side, it must come at a high price, right?"

"Yes," Su Ming explained, "This thing is a semi-espionage tool developed by the Temple of Light. It can record the ambient sounds when a target writes a letter, such as conversations. The Pope probably used this kind of paper to write to me because he wanted to hear how we were whispering to him behind his back when we replied."

"Hmm, if we're not careful, he might actually overhear us." Miao Xin said thoughtfully, "When I used to text my mom on my phone, I would often grumble and complain about her."

Miao Xin lowered her head as she spoke.

Su Ming reached out and gently patted the skull of the Skeleton Pig.

"Zijin judged at the time that Fernand would definitely be able to see through the letter's malfunction, but he would absolutely not be able to discern its true function," he continued, veerging a different topic, "So we set a trap for him."

"I remember now." Miao Xin recalled, "Was it when you asked me to download the AI speech generation software for you?"

"You have such a good memory!" Su Ming praised sincerely.

"So," Miao Xin's voice rang with curiosity, "What kind of 'good stuff' did you record in that letter to Xialike Like?"

"Just a meeting," Su Ming replied with a smile. "A meeting between us and Fernand that didn't even exist!"

****

Inside the Pope's office in the Radiant Holy City.

Sunlight streamed through the towering stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor, while the air was filled with the mingled scents of parchment and incense.

Augustus sat behind his large desk, a letter lying quietly before him. It had been presented to him by Fernand, the Foreign Minister of the Star Empire, more than half a year ago.

At that moment, Fernand explained with a solemn expression that the letter had been entrusted to him by the Bone King Su Ming. However, with his "keen eyes," he immediately recognized that the letter was sealed and written on using a set of confidential stationery from the Temple of Light.

"The God's Wind Decree"

"To prevent treacherous individuals from using this to sow discord between us, I hereby request that this be opened in person, to demonstrate the Star Empire's openness and integrity," Fernand stated earnestly.

At that time, the handover of Midsummer Island was underway, Star Empire was naturally extremely cautious, fearing that any disturbance might interfere with this significant transfer of interests.

Meanwhile, the Temple of Light had barely managed to stabilize itself from the doctrinal crisis storm created by the Bone King and the Bay Owl. The church had undergone Qingfeng, with a large number of elite members from commoner backgrounds and with "active" ideas being removed and successively exiled to the harsh and impoverished Northern Lands of the Cold Mountain Kingdom, severely damaging its grassroots strength.

Both sides are carefully maintaining this fragile balance, fearing any further unexpected events.

The letter was opened on the spot before the Pope. However, the contents of the letter were astonishing—it was simply Su Ming and Zijin demanding 500,000 gold coins from the Star Empire!

Fernand, utterly astonished, took his leave. Augustus initially thought it was just a farcical misunderstanding, and he didn't want to pry into how the Bone King and the Bay Owl could extort such a large sum of money from the Star Empire.

But when he activated the "God's Wind Decree" and began writing with the tip of his pen, the voiceprint hidden within the text completely astonished him.

The sounds of a conversation could be clearly heard coming from above; it was none other than Su Ming, Bay Owl, and Fernand!

Augustus was unfamiliar with Su Ming's voice; this needed to be confirmed through intelligence channels. However, he was familiar with Zijin's voice. Especially Fernand's slightly smooth tone—the Pope had just heard it before, so there was no mistake!

This was definitely not the letter Fernand claimed was delivered to him, the Pope thought angrily. This high-ranking official of the Star Empire had clearly concealed his whereabouts and gone to meet with them in secret!

But what chilled Augustus even more was the content of the meeting: while they were writing this letter, they were discussing how to jointly deal with the Temple of Light!

Based on the details revealed in the conversation, they had clearly just finished a fierce round of bargaining and formally finalized the shady terms of their cooperation. Su Ming's side promised to continue to openly cause trouble for the Temple of Light and launch attacks; while the Star Empire played the role of a "good Samaritan," offering "help" when the Temple of Light was overwhelmed.

Their target was none other than the economic lifeline of the Temple of Light – the Four Seasons Archipelago!

There are four islands like Midsummer Island in the Temple of Light, each named after one of the four seasons, collectively known as the Four Seasons Islands. These islands are either jewels embedded in the Golden Route or treasure troves rich in rare tropical spices. Although they only account for about 7% of the total area of Temple of Light, they contribute nearly 30% of the temple's revenue!

After seizing Midsummer Island amidst the chaos, the Star Empire made no attempt to conceal its greed and set its sights on the remaining three islands!

The recording of "God's Wind Decree" continued to play, and the two parties agreed that for every island in the Four Seasons Archipelago that the Star Empire successfully captured, it would have to pay Su Ming and Zijin 1.5 million gold coins as "labor fee"!

Augustus's fingers gripped the letter so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his teeth clenched, and the rage surging in his chest almost burst through his shackles. He listened repeatedly, and finally confirmed without a doubt—it was indeed Fernand's voice!

This bastard is playing him like a fool!

The "Academy Spell: Echo" hidden on the "God's Wind Decree" letter paper was a spell created by the genius scholar Ashy Drongo Chloe, who passed away before it could be released, and therefore remains unknown to the public.

However, the Temple of Light did not question the Star Empire's confidence at the time. Augustus could only pretend not to know anything about it, silently shrinking his cooperation with the Star Empire and carefully guarding against their schemes.

He comforted himself, telling himself that being coveted by the Star Empire was just the usual kind of intrigue and power struggles between factions.