400: Chapter 400 The Dream of Flying

"At most, if the military factory wants to give it a try, you can invest a little, but the Northern Trade Alliance absolutely must not invest."

Su Wansha analyzed, "This glider is too expensive, and not many people will buy it, so... it will be a losing business."

"How could it lose money!?" Fangfengzi said unhappily, "There are so many people in this world who want to fly!"

Xie Juner said, "Daoist, don't get excited yet. While the flying fairy is indeed very interesting, think carefully: if Su Wansha and I didn't have sufficient lightness skill cultivation, could we really have glided with you so calmly for so long?"

"That's correct. The biggest problem with this glider is that once something goes wrong, even for a martial artist, falling from hundreds of zhang in the air, those without sufficient cultivation will face a near-death experience."

Su Wansha said, "It's too dangerous to use as a commodity for sale. How could the things we sell at the Northern Trade Alliance cause loss of life?"

Fangfengzi looked displeased, but he didn't know how to refute this.

"Then how much money are you actually willing to give?"

Fangfengzi was a straightforward person, and he said, "If the money is too little, this Daoist won't go."

Lin Xiao asked unhurriedly, "Daoist, I am curious about one thing. How did you know that the place just now was suitable for takeoff, and that you could glide to our current position?"

"Because I've flown it! I've flown it more than a dozen times."

Fangfengzi said casually, "I know which places in the Southern Ridge, Western Border, and Northern Border provinces are high, and what kind of winds blow in which seasons!"

"After all, the wind direction in different places varies by season, so some flight routes will change."

Lin Xiao's heart stirred, "Really? Then let me ask you, from Du Province to Shun Prefecture, in what season, and how does one fly the furthest?"

"That would naturally be taking off from the Black Tooth Ridge in Du Province. Every summer and autumn, if you head towards the Luoyun Lake in Shun Prefecture, if you're lucky, you can fly for half a day!"

Fangfengzi answered without hesitation.

Lin Xiao quickly asked about several other different places, and Fangfengzi spoke with great expertise, such as where one must fly in the morning, where it's easy to crash into mountains, and where the air currents are chaotic...

The women all listened in amazement. This Fangfengzi had been flying since he was young; he had probably spent a third of his time up in the sky!

Lin Xiao was secretly delighted. This guy's true value wasn't in manufacturing gliders, but in his ability to act as a "navigator"!

These routes most suitable for gliding on the Tianwu Continent were, militarily speaking, an invaluable treasure!

Of course, Lin Xiao wouldn't tell him, lest he raise his price on the spot.

"Daoist Fangfengzi's dedication is admirable. Since that is the case, I will take the initiative to open a 'flying fairy Department' for you at the Northern Military Industry."

"From now on, Daoist, just focus on making gliders for my Zhenbei Army, and you don't need to worry about money!"

Lin Xiao signed with a flourish, giving Fangfengzi a letter of appointment.

Fangfengzi was wild with joy. He hurriedly said a few words of thanks before bidding farewell to Lin Xiao to take up his post in the Northern Border.

After Fangfengzi left, Su Wansha couldn't help but ask, "Husband, is this glider of much use to the Zhenbei Army? When Xie Juner and I used it just now, we felt it was hard enough just to operate it. If the soldiers use this, can they still fight?"

"Husband, are you thinking of having scouts use them? But isn't the cost too high?" Zhao Caiwei asked hesitantly.

Lin Xiao smiled, "You are right. As of now, the use of this glider is very limited."

"It is expensive to build, unstable, limited by terrain, and very dangerous. Just training one person to be proficient in using it costs a lot of money and time."

"But have you ever thought, what if one day, this glider improves..."

"It won't need to rely on the wind to take off, it can carry many people, it can carry a lot of cargo, and it can fly across a province in one go..."

"At that time, do you still think this thing is useless?"

The women's eyes lit up, imagining such a huge flying wing carrying many people soaring through the sky...

"Husband, can that really be achieved?" Xiao Qingxuan couldn't help but ask. It was too dreamy.

Lin Xiao shrugged, "I believe it can. But one cannot reach a thousand miles without taking small steps. To achieve such a goal, we must start supporting Fangfengzi in his research now."

"Moreover, Fangfengzi's current flying wings actually have many results worth learning from, such as the waterproof fabric and the flexible frame; these are all very good material technologies."

"Taking a step back, even if we only train a dozen scouts who can use gliders, it would still be a surprise force."

The women all nodded in agreement. Thinking about it this way, they really needed to plan ahead.

At the very least, this flying fairy technology must be in the hands of the Zhenbei Army.

"Husband is far-sighted; I was short-sighted," Su Wansha said shamefully.

"It's not just you; none of us could think that far ahead. Only Husband has such vision and the ability to secure victory from thousands of miles away," Xiao Qingxuan said affectionately.

Lin Xiao was looked at with admiring eyes by the women, and he couldn't quite handle it. It really wasn't that he was so awesome; it was just that they hadn't seen airplanes before.

He hurriedly changed the subject, "We'll be at Blade Mountain in two days, right? Is there any news from Yaner?"

"Not yet."

Xiao Qingxuan said, "Yaner is going to the border of Du Province and Shun Prefecture. The terrain there is treacherous, with towering mountains and ridges, so it's not easy to find the Black Dragon Cavalry."

"But rest assured, Husband, the Leng Family Army has its own unique secret contact signals. Yaner will surely have a way."

Lin Xiao nodded, calculating in his heart. He didn't know what kind of person his cheap father-in-law, General Leng Duo, was.

If he could obediently cooperate with him to take down the Moon Worship Cult, that would save trouble.

If he had some self-righteous ideas, then Leng Bingyan might have to be sad and heartbroken...

Shun Prefecture, a dense forest deep in the mountains.

A woman in black, wrapped in a headscarf and veil, with a slender figure, walked along a small mountain path with hoof prints, holding a long sword.

The woman glanced at a specific type of tree, which had inconspicuous marks made by scraping the bark.

A trace of joy appeared in her eyes, and she quickened her pace, her figure weaving through a patch of forest.

The area ahead suddenly opened up; it was a cliff, with a small river below, passing through a valley.

About a hundred horses, along with soldiers wearing black light armor, were resting here.

The woman leaped down, appearing directly in the middle of the cavalry unit, startling everyone around so that they all stood up and drew their swords.

"Put them down!!"

A vigorous voice came, and an old general, who looked about fifty, thin but spirited, ran over.

"Eldest Miss! Is it you!?"

Leng Bingyan took off her mask, looking at the old general with graying temples before her, her eyes brimming with tears: "Uncle Tong, you've aged so much..."

The old general before her was named General Tong Yu, one of the Five Tiger Generals under General Leng Duo, and an uncle figure who had watched Leng Bingyan grow up.

Leng Bingyan didn't know how many of the Five Tiger Generals were still alive, but seeing that General Tong Yu, the most loyal and honest among them, was still alive, she let out a long sigh of relief while also feeling very sad.

The last time she saw General Tong Yu, he seemed only in his early forties. In this past year or so, his hair had almost all turned white.

The pain of losing their country was truly a devastating blow to these patriotic soldiers.

"Eldest Miss?"

"It really is the Eldest Miss!"

Many former members of the Leng Family Army excitedly came over to greet her.

"Eldest Miss, you've finally come. I left many secret signals; actually, half of them were intended for you to see, hoping that you would come sooner..."

General Tong Yu's expression was somewhat uncontrolled; he was happy, yet filled with countless bitterness and sorrow that could not be expressed in words.

"Uncle Tong, what happened? Why are there only so few people? Where is my father? Why isn't he with you?"

Leng Bingyan felt a bit panicked; she felt that something was wrong.