Chapter 937: It is Part of My Sword
Fan Shangzheng wore a strange expression. "Heavenly Lord, common folk reading 'The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon Extermination Saga' will never truly believe it," he said. "Unless something catastrophic, like the last locust plague, were to happen. Otherwise, even if the Heavenly Lord were to manifest his divine powers directly, it would only shock them."
The Heavenly Lord replied, "I'm well aware of that. But Gao Jie is different from ordinary people. I don't want to frighten the common people, but as for this Gao Jie, he could use a good fright. Otherwise, he'll become defiant and unruly, unleashing his soldiers to pillage the populace. At that point, I wouldn't just scare him; I'd strike him down myself."
With that, the Heavenly Lord concluded, "Heaven is endowed with the virtue of cherishing life. For those who can still be saved, it's worth a try."
"Heavenly Lord, your benevolence is boundless," Fan Shangzheng replied. "Your subordinate understands."
He swiftly arranged for copies of 'The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon Extermination Saga' to be prepared, then personally carried the collection and returned for another visit.
As luck would have it, when he arrived, He Renlong wasn't in his own camp; he had gone to Cao's camp to visit Cao Wenzhao and his nephew, who were recovering from injuries. Only Gao Jie remained.
Fan Shangzheng entered the military camp, ushered Gao Jie into the main tent, and only then did he produce the complete set of 'The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon Extermination Saga', laying them out before Gao Jie.
Gao Jie's eyes widened. "Huh? Are these books for me, Governor?" he asked, then trailed off, clearing his throat. "This general... I'm illiterate, you see. These books..."
Fan Shangzheng smiled. "These books can be enjoyed even by those who cannot read. They are picture stories."
Fan Shangzheng warned, "General Gao, now that you've turned over a new leaf and embraced a new path, you must shed the lingering vices of your bandit days. Otherwise..."
Gao Jie scoffed inwardly, but outwardly, he still had to maintain appearances for the Governor. He quickly cupped his fists and declared, "This general understands. I shall certainly conduct myself honorably from this day forward."
With that assurance, Fan Shangzheng could only rise and bid him farewell.
As soon as Fan Shangzheng left, Xing Shi emerged from behind the tent flap. Her face etched with worry, she whispered, "Husband, what did the Governor come to see you about? He's not here to settle scores with us, is he?"
Gao Jie let out a sly chuckle. "Of course not! The Governor seems to hold me in high regard. Look, he even bestowed upon me twelve volumes of erotic art! Heh heh heh, my little vixen, let's gaze at these pictures together now, and contemplate them, perhaps learn some new diversions, shall we?"
Xing Shi shot him a playful glance, brimming with allure. "Alright," she purred.
They settled in close, their anticipation mounting, and together they opened 'The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon Extermination Saga'. Their eyes fell on the first page, and there, vividly depicted, were bandits menacing a mountain village, followed by a giant hand descending from the sky, *SMASH*...
Xing Shi spread her hands, utterly bewildered. "This is what you call erotic art?"
Gao Jie could only stare.
The embarrassment was palpable!
Gao Jie exploded. "What was that Governor thinking, showing me this mumbo-jumbo nonsense! Who is this so-called deity?"
"Shh!" Xing Shi hissed, clearly alarmed. "You may not believe in deities, but you must never disrespect them! Husband, please don't curse him. If this immortal is fake, then so be it. But if it's real, and you curse him like that, be careful he doesn't strike you down with a single blow!"
Gao Jie was a rough-hewn man and had never been one for such delicate sensibilities. But after Xing Shi's warning, he found himself truly hesitant to utter another curse. He huffed, "I don't believe any of this."
Xing Shi pressed on, "Regardless, we need to keep a low profile these days. My former husband is relentless in his pursuit, and we can no longer make a living among the bandits. If we fail to carve out a respectable position within the court, we'll meet a wretched end, without even a proper burial."
"Mm-hmm!" Gao Jie responded. "I understand."
As he spoke, he glanced at the books laid open on the table. For a fleeting moment, he swore the Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan depicted in the book had twisted his mouth into a smirk, but when he rubbed his eyes and looked closely again, it appeared perfectly still.
An eerie feeling crept into his mind...
*You may not believe in deities, but you must never disrespect them,* he reminded himself. *Low profile! I absolutely must keep a low profile these days—*
Puzhou, Yellow Stone Flats, Yellow Pole Military Academy.
A brand-new, cutting-edge combat vehicle was parked on the school's training ground.
When Principal Sun saw the vehicle, his jaw dropped, remaining agape for a long moment.
With just one glance, dozens of utterly fantastical scenarios flashed through Sun Chuanting's mind. For instance: Someone hacked at the vehicle with a knife, but it merely scraped the surface. A Flintlock Rifle extended from the armored hull, and with a sharp *CRACK*, the knife-wielding assailant fell dead.
Then, he imagined, another fired a firearm wildly at the vehicle, but the shots merely ricocheted off the armor. Again, a Flintlock Rifle emerged, and with a sharp *CRACK*, the enemy with the firearm was dispatched.
Dozens of battle scenarios, each employing tactics he knew intimately, were utterly crushed by this newly invented Light Armored Car...
A soldier from Gao Family Village's Armored Grenadier Battalion gave Principal Sun a sharp salute with a *snap*. "Reporting, Principal Sun," he announced crisply. "The Light Armored Car has been successfully delivered to you. My mission, starting today, is to assist you in familiarizing yourself with this combat vehicle, training students, and researching tactics."
Sun Chuanting let out a soft gasp, then finally shook himself from his reverie. "Thank you for your efforts," he said.
He walked to the Light Armored Car, reaching out to stroke its steel body, a look of profound awe on his face. "This invention... it will utterly transform warfare," he breathed, a sense of wonder in his voice. "It's incredible, truly incredible... The moment this thing enters the battlefield, traditional weapons—blades, spears, and halberds—will all be rendered obsolete..."
"Halt!"
From a distance, a booming voice suddenly echoed: "I have no objection to eliminating blades, spears, and halberds, but to eliminate swords? Absolutely not!"
Sun Chuanting instantly recognized the voice: his most exasperating student, Padi Tu, had arrived.
He turned, and sure enough, the speaker was indeed Padi Tu.
He was approaching with long, dramatic strides, stopping directly before the Light Armored Car. With a *swish*, he drew his ancestral treasured sword and proclaimed in a booming voice, "You lump of iron, do you truly believe you're so mighty? Think again! No matter your strength, you're no match for this Lord Rabbit's treasured blade."
A collective silence fell over the onlookers.
Padi Tu suddenly took a dramatic lunge forward, letting out a wild battle cry. He brandished his treasured sword with both hands and brought it down in a mighty cleave against the Light Armored Car: "My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword!"
"*CLANG!*"
The long sword skipped from his grasp, and vanished into the distance.
Padi Tu fell to the ground with a *thud*.
The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances.
Padi Tu lay on the ground, his face a mask of utter despair. "Impossible! It can't be like this! The sword *must* be useful! The sword is the king of all weapons! How could it possibly be rendered obsolete? I simply refuse to believe this wretched contraption could ever make the sword obsolete!"
Sun Chuanting turned and met the gaze of Zheng Gouzi, who had followed closely. A knowing look passed between them. "Padi Tu seems very upset," he suggested wryly. "Why don't you go comfort him?"
Zheng Gouzi gave a slight cough and walked towards Padi Tu, his mind already drafting comforting words.
Just then...
Padi Tu suddenly sprang to his feet, a triumphant grin splitting his face. "I understand!" he exclaimed with great joy. "I'll stand on the roof of this Light Armored Car with my treasured sword, and as the Light Armored Car smashes into enemy ranks, I'll leap down, delivering 'My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword' from a commanding height, cleaving enemies from above, hahahaha! That's the only way to unleash the true might of 'My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword'! This Light Armored Car, you see, was born for my sword! It is an extension of my blade!"
The onlookers exchanged another round of baffled looks.
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