Fang Shuo knelt straight on the scorching bluestone slabs, completely oblivious to the sharp pain in his knees.
He raised his head, his sun-baked, red face filled with urgency and hope. Sweat trickled down his cheeks and slid into his collar, sticky and uncomfortable.
But he couldn't care less about that right now.
“Divine Lady, you... you wouldn't lie to me, right?”
His voice was laced with extreme caution.
The surrounding crowd, who had not yet dispersed, all turned to look.
When they saw that the audaciously kneeling figure blocking the Divine Lady's path was Fang Shuo, their expressions varied. Some frowned, some showed disdain, while others harbored a faint hint of envy...
“Who is that? Has he gone mad, daring to babble nonsense in front of the Divine Lady?”
Chen Zhi rolled up his sleeves, preparing to drag Fang Shuo away, but a classmate grabbed his arm.
The classmate quickly explained, “Chen Zhi, you've been busy raising pigs lately and only returned to the academy today, so you don't know. That's Fang Shuo, the son of the Governor of Chaoyang. I heard his father was an immortal official reincarnated from the heavens and a good friend of the Divine Lady.”
Chen Zhi knit his brows. “What is his character like?”
Most of the students at Yecheng Academy came from poor families. They had fought hard for this rare opportunity to learn under fair conditions. If Fang Shuo's presence threatened that fairness, Chen Zhi would rid them of this pest even if it meant spilling his own blood.
The classmate said tactfully, “He's a bit hard to communicate with. You have to break everything down into tiny pieces for him to understand. But he doesn't have any bad intentions. He's actually quite easy to get along with...”
“Just yesterday, I saw him helping a miner's family next door chop firewood. He's good-natured, just a bit clumsy. He almost chopped his own foot off with the axe...”
Whispers rippled through the crowd like a tide.
For a moment, everyone curiously sized up Fang Shuo, who remained kneeling before the Divine Lady.
Meanwhile, the Divine Lady stood on the steps of the academy entrance. The sunlight washed over her, draping her in a soft, ethereal glow.
Today, she wore a moon-white Daoist robe, its collar and sleeves embroidered with subtle silver thread patterns of clouds and cranes.
Her high-swept hair was pinned with a white jade hairpin, its dangling silver tassels swaying gently with her movements.
The hair at her temples was as white as frost and snow, accentuating a face as cold and clear as a moonlit pool. The cinnabar mole between her brows resembled a single red bean left on a snowy peak.
Her wide sleeves fell back, revealing a jade bracelet on her snow-white wrist.
“My promises always hold true,” her voice rang out, clear as a jade chime. “Today, I shall accompany you to Chaoyang City.”
Hearing this, Fang Shuo wept with joy. Not knowing what to say, he could only kowtow repeatedly.
“Thank you, Divine Lady...”
Seeing the large bump forming on Fang Shuo's forehead, Yun Shu felt a sudden prick of conscience, which silenced her for a second.
If she were to unify the world through war, it would inevitably cause countless casualties and bloodshed. Moreover, actively instigating a war did not fit her persona as a benevolent deity.
Dragging Fang Shuo into this game as a pawn was unfair to him, but it was the best compromise she could devise.
Chaoyang City was wealthy, with highly developed commerce and far more merchants than other cities.
Merchants prioritized profit, and many were greedy, but they deserved credit for making a city prosperous.
As the only son of the Governor of Chaoyang, Fang Shuo succeeding his father would not cause any public outcry. At the same time, this would send a signal to the merchants: as long as they submitted to her, became her believers, and followed her lead, she would not threaten their positions. Instead, she would offer them a brighter future.
People did not desire what they already possessed; they only craved what they lacked.
It was no exaggeration to say that after her continuous cheats to boost the productivity of Xindu City and Yecheng, the quality of life for the ordinary citizens in those two cities was now higher than that of some merchants in Chaoyang City.
Furthermore, in a chaotic world, even those living at the foot of the Emperor could not escape the ravages of war. Countless prominent families with centuries of history had been destroyed by military conflicts. However, under a deity's protection, one could live a peaceful life, never again having to worry about war turning their hard-earned family fortunes into ash.
As long as her upcoming performance went off without a hitch, securing Chaoyang City was practically a done deal.
“Host, I've adjusted the flight path,” the system's voice echoed in Yun Shu's mind, interrupting her thoughts.
Excellent. Another chance to show off.
Her newly acquired Cloud Shuttle Skyship was even better than a modern airplane. She absolutely had to bring it out to harvest a massive wave of Shock Value.
Yun Shu raised her eyes slightly, her gaze sweeping across the various faces in the crowd. She spoke calmly, “Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books. You all should go and see the world outside.”
Before the eyes of the crowd, a soft halo of light materialized out of thin air in the Divine Lady's palm. Within that glow, a tiny skyship could be faintly seen. It was exquisitely delicate, barely an inch long, resembling a masterfully crafted white jade carving.
The crowd gasped in unison.
With a gentle flick of the Divine Lady's hand, the tiny skyship rose from her palm, soaring into the air.
“Go.”
A soft command, spoken casually.
As the tiny skyship reached midair, it suddenly burst with a brilliant light, so intense that the onlookers could barely keep their eyes open.
Immediately after.
Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, it expanded rapidly. Its hull stretched and grew taller at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In the blink of an eye.
The inch-long toy transformed into a gargantuan vessel dozens of zhang in length!
The skyship hovered above the academy, blotting out the sun and casting the entire courtyard into a massive shadow.
“What... what is that...?”
“Such a huge ship... and it can fly in the sky...”
Everyone was utterly dumbfounded.
Someone dropped their scroll with a clatter.
Someone gaped with their mouth wide open, forgetting to close it.
Even the old scholars, who usually maintained the most dignified composure, couldn't help but take a few steps back. They stared up at the giant vessel spanning the sky, their eyes filled with shock and awe.
Sunlight spilled over the edges of the skyship, illuminating the runes carved into its hull, which flowed with a faint, shifting light.
A dead silence fell over the academy.
【Fang Shuo Shock Value +100】
【Fang Yingqiu Shock Value +100】
【Chen Zhi Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 885,000】
Yun Shu signaled the system to lower the skyship before speaking slowly. Her clear, crisp voice broke the silence.
“The Cloud Shuttle Skyship can carry three hundred people. If any of you wish to accompany me to study in Chaoyang City, you may board.”
She couldn't help it.
She hadn't gathered the complete Thousand Machines and Myriad Crafts Set yet. Otherwise, she could have upgraded and enhanced it to carry even more people.
It took a long time for the crowd to react. Some even thought they were hallucinating.
Go study in Chaoyang City?
Travel with the Divine Lady?
And ride on this... sun-blotting celestial skyship?
After a brief moment of dead silence.
The crowd instantly erupted.
“Did... did I hear that right?”
“The Divine Lady said we can board the ship?”
“Is... is this for real?”
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