Chapter 643 It's Been a While Since I Stretched My Muscles
Soon, Li Daoxuan had all the information on the new furnace technology in hand. After thanking the anonymous individual who provided the reply, he printed the documents onto tiny sheets of paper and returned his gaze to the Diorama Box.
Bai Gongzi, Song Yingxing, Wang Zheng, along with a throng of graduate students and senior engineers, were all craning their necks, waiting in eager anticipation. They resembled a flock of quail, eagerly awaiting their master's feed.
Wang Zheng had only recently arrived at Gao Family Village and had been diligently studying under Song Yingxing and Bai Gongzi, devouring books on "Physics" and "Chemistry" stored in the school. Those miraculous texts had utterly captivated him. When he inquired about their origin, everyone simply told him they were "Heavenly Books" bestowed by the Heavenly Lord. Consequently, he had always been deeply fascinated by how the Heavenly Lord granted these "Heavenly Books," and now, finally witnessing it firsthand, he was beside himself with excitement.
Just then, the clouds in the sky parted, and Li Daoxuan's colossal golden hand descended, clutching a thick stack of papers.
"Heavenly Books! The Heavenly Books are here!" Wang Zheng exclaimed with delight. "This is my first time witnessing the Heavenly Lord bestow Heavenly Books firsthand. May the Heavenly Lord protect us, Amitābha, Infinite Life and Fortune, El-Lahil-Allah, Hallelujah..."
Song Yingxing asked, "Old Wang, what on earth are you chanting?"
Wang Zheng replied, "I'm thanking all the deities!"
Song Yingxing pressed, "These are clearly Heavenly Books bestowed by the Heavenly Lord. What's with thanking a whole host of others?"
Wang Zheng explained, "The Heavenly Lord said he retrieved these 'Heavenly Books' from the Celestial Sutra Repository. So, who put those books in the repository? It might not have been the Heavenly Lord himself. Perhaps other deities researched them and placed them there, and the Heavenly Lord merely borrowed them? If I only thank the Heavenly Lord, I might miss someone, and that wouldn't be right. To avoid any omissions, thanking everyone is never wrong."
Li Daoxuan couldn't help but chuckle at his words. While some details were slightly off, Wang Zheng's general reasoning wasn't wrong; he truly *had* obtained the information from others. With a swift mental shift, he performed a Co-sensing transfer into the test-02 puppet, then chuckled and said, "Wang Zheng is not wrong. This method for smelting high-quality iron ore isn't something I invented. It was researched by a deity far more brilliant than myself; I merely borrowed it."
Song Yingxing uttered, "Ah, I see!"
Wang Zheng beamed, "See? Even the Heavenly Lord says so. I was indeed right to thank everyone."
Song Yingxing covered his face with his hand. "But your gratitude is still a bit too scattered. That 'El-Lahil-Allah' you mentioned—which country's deity is that? I've never even heard of it."
Wang Zheng shrugged. "I don't know either. I just shouted it out randomly. What if there *is* a deity with that name?"
Song Yingxing let out a choked laugh.
Wang Zheng continued, "With all deities honored, there's no hardship to fear, and no corner of the world we can't conquer. Old Song, safety first, you know!"
Song Yingxing burst into laughter.
As the two bickered, the thick stack of "Heavenly Books" had already been laid out neatly. A large crowd of graduate students and senior engineers gathered around them. Although Li Daoxuan had printed them on tiny pieces of paper, to the little people, each sheet was still an enormous page, requiring several of them to work together to turn just one. Standing on the paper, they couldn't make out the details or view the full scope. They had to climb onto a nearby rooftop and peer down to read what was written.
These individuals, already steeped in extensive knowledge, seemed to grasp something profound the moment they saw what was written on the papers.
"So that's it! Coal contains sulfur, and when sulfur enters iron, it makes the iron brittle, reducing its strength. That's why we must first transform coal into coke. Coke has low volatility when burned, which means less sulfur seeps into the iron, and the iron's strength increases."
"And we need to add limestone... What's the principle behind that? Quickly, turn the page, it must explain it on the next one!"
The group was utterly absorbed, gazing with rapt fascination. The mysteries of the world truly were endless.
While the scientists were engrossed in their frenzied study of the Heavenly Books...
Tie Niaofei, Zao Ying, and Zheng Daniu, leading a cavalry unit of three hundred and protecting a fully loaded merchant caravan, were preparing to depart.
They set out from Yongji Ferry, which had effectively become a crucial resource storage hub due to the vast quantities of supplies stockpiled there. Goods from Gao Family Village, Puzhou, and Hedong Circuit all passed through Yongji Ferry, and supplies destined for Henan, to support Bai Yuan's expeditionary forces, were also loaded onto ships there.
Tie Niaofei glanced at the jubilant scientists, shaking his head with a smile. "These people are all quite old, yet they're making such childish noises."
Zheng Daniu chuckled. "Exactly, exactly! Laughing like children, it's embarrassing."
No sooner had he spoken than Zao Ying pulled out a piece of Jingjin rice puff candy from her pouch, broke off a small chunk, and offered it to Zheng Daniu. "Daniu, try this quickly. The Heavenly Lord rewarded me with this last time I performed a meritorious service. It's food only found in the celestial realm!"
Zheng Daniu took it, popped it into his mouth, and exclaimed, "Wow! Hahaha, hahaha, this is amazing! So delicious!"
He roared with laughter, like a two-hundred-pound child.
Tie Niaofei's eyes widened.
Zao Ying asked, "Is it good? Do you like it? I have more, you know."
Zheng Daniu was overjoyed. "More? That's fantastic!"
Zao Ying countered, "If you want more, come for a walk with me after dinner tonight."
Zheng Daniu nodded furiously. "No problem! A walk it is!"
Tie Niaofei was speechless. There was no reasoning with these two ridiculous characters. *Ignore them! Just ignore them!*
The trio, still bantering and laughing, set off towards the northern border towns.
Northward, along the banks of the Yellow River!
The entire route now featured a well-constructed road, allowing them to easily reach the Yellow River Dragon Gate Bridge. From there, they took a boat past Jishan County and continued northward, arriving at Pingyang Prefecture several days later.
This was where Wang Er and Bai Mao were stationed.
Everyone sat down together for a meal.
Wang Er said gravely, "Beyond Pingyang Prefecture, gentlemen, we lose our sphere of influence. Remember, in places untouched by the Heavenly Lord's blessing, you must act discreetly. Do not stray from the main road; follow it straight to Taiyuan."
Tie Niaofei nodded. "We understand. By the way, it's already August. Has there been any news from the Imperial Court?"
Bai Mao interjected, "Yes! Just yesterday, the court gazette reported that Kong Youde had besieged Laizhou, employing various stratagems, but failed to take it. In early August, the imperial army counter-attacked and encircled him. Kong Youde, unable to resist, was defeated and retreated. Cornered, he intends to surrender to the Later Jin..."
Upon hearing this, Tie Niaofei couldn't help but click his tongue in awe. "Indeed! Everything the Heavenly Lord foretold has come true. Well, then, our journey north to Datong Prefecture promises to be quite a show, hehehe. The blood debts the Jin merchants owe me can finally be settled openly."
Zao Ying clenched her fist. "It's been a long time since I stretched my muscles."
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