304: Chapter 298 Magical Creatures Class, A Tourist Group Arrives in Goldenwater Town Too.

The Director plugged the USB drive Yue Ruo had delivered into the interface, clicked the mouse rapidly a few times, and a 72-hour video began to play.

Despite the length, he still spent three days watching it at normal speed.

After all, this was something to be handed over to the Old Chief and released to the public; being cautious was never a mistake.

Don't misunderstand; it wasn't that he thought there was any harmful content inside.

From the fragments of information revealed by Immortal Xu and Ye Ming, he knew the primary purpose of this trial was to slay a Prodigy terrorizing a region, so intense battles were bound to be part of it.

Since there were intense battles, bloody scenes were inevitable, which might frighten children.

As expected, the Director found several such instances in the video and marked them one by one. He then picked up the phone to call Zhao Qi and Lin Miao, instructing them to censor the marked sections.

Having arranged everything, he carefully placed the USB drive into a briefcase and headed to the mountain airport outside the base to catch a special flight to Kyoto.

One day later.

In a simply furnished conference room, three elderly men and four middle-aged men sat around a long table in the center of the room. They were dressed differently, some in military uniforms and others in casual attire.

They were not talking; their eyes were fixed entirely on the giant screen on the wall.

The screen was playing a "period drama." The plot wasn't particularly exciting; over the 72-hour duration, the protagonists spent most of their time wandering around or locked in a dungeon.

By today's standards, it would inevitably receive a poor review for being "clichéd and boring."

However, the seven men watched intently. They didn't fast-forward even through the parts where the protagonists were sleeping in the cell, seemingly afraid of missing a single detail.

They stared like this for three days, not even stopping for proper meals, subsisting only on snacks and tea to stave off hunger and thirst, until they had finally watched the entire video without missing a beat.

The screen dimmed and went black.

Only then did everyone notice the fatigue in their bodies, letting out long sighs of relief.

Stretching his somewhat stiff limbs, the elderly man sitting at the head of the table scanned the six people around him: "What do you think?"

“I'll say one thing first,” a blunt Middle-aged Man in military uniform immediately replied. “The Mountain Gate is not as simple as the Blessed Land we speculated it to be.

From the words of the Jinshui Town residents and the Prodigy, we can infer that the mundane world there has a social structure similar to Blue Star's feudal period, rather than being tribes that spontaneously gathered to resist environmental threats.

Thinking deeper from this, there is likely more than one country in the mundane world of the Mountain Gate.”

This point was clearly reflected in the video, and the others had similar speculations, so no one raised any objections.

An elderly man in casual clothes marveled, “The area around Jinshui Town alone is a continuous mountain range; just how large is the mundane region?

Over there... what is it really like?

Is it a sandbox-like world, or... a universe?

No wonder, no wonder the Mountain Gate has shown no interest in Blue Star.”

“If they had any designs on Blue Star, Immortal Xu alone would be enough. You’ve all seen that sword scar on the outskirts of Su City; he made it with a casual strike.”

The elderly man at the head of the table smiled and said, “Moreover, Immortal Xu revealed that he has several senior brothers and a master above him. The Mountain Gate is an organization, so it must have a leader.

Cultivators... it should be a world where the strong are respected. Even if the Sect Leader isn't the strongest, they won't be far off.

Besides, since the Kunpeng has appeared, what about the other creatures recorded in the classic of mountains and seas?”

“Hmm... I’m curious now if Dragons, Phoenixes, Pixiu, and Yazi really exist,” a man in his thirties standing behind the middle-aged military man suddenly interjected. “Uh... I remember the classic of mountains and seas mentioned a creature that, if eaten, can boost virility?”

“Hahaha...” Everyone looked at the junior, momentarily speechless, before somehow becoming cheerful.

The elderly man at the head laughed and clapped his hands: “Let's talk business.

The progress from the NH Shore Base has been sent back. The preliminary verification work for the spaceship is basically complete, and manufacturing can now begin.

However, they also raised their own difficulties.”

“Technical ones?”

“Not exactly.” The elderly man at the head beckoned behind him, and a guard immediately placed a file in front of him.

Opening the file on the table, he said, “We kept a bit of Rhenium ore for emergencies and put the rest into this, but it’s still not enough.

Let me see, hmm... after careful calculation, the Rhenium ore they have is only enough to exchange for sixty percent of the materials.”

“A forty percent gap?” The military man frowned. “That’s not a small hole.”

“Is it feasible to acquire it on the international market?” someone suggested tentatively.

“It won't work. America has been watching lately. If we make even a small move, they will definitely intervene.”

“With the Kunpeng blocking sight above the base, there should be no possibility of the plan leaking. Why would they obstruct our acquisition of Rhenium ore?”

“I say, you’ve been fighting wars your whole life, and you can’t figure out this simple logic?

Even if you don't know the purpose of the enemy's actions, does that stop you from causing trouble for them?”

The short exchange between the two made the key point clear—purchasing from abroad was not feasible.

With the plan stalled and no effective solution in sight for the moment, everyone fell into silence.

After a long while, the junior who was standing felt the atmosphere was a bit stagnant. Thinking to lighten the mood, he muttered, “There’s always a way when things get to that point. I think Immortal Xu is quite easy to talk to.

If all else fails, why not send someone to discuss it with him? Can we buy on credit first?”

“Heh.” The elderly man at the head snapped out of it, gave a light chuckle, and then said, “Just because someone is easy to talk to doesn't mean you can ignore boundaries.

But... hmm... it should be fine to express our difficulties to the Mountain Gate and ask Immortal Xu if he has any good ideas.”

These words were a bit euphemistic; in reality, it meant: we are short on funds, can the Mountain Gate lend a helping hand?

They didn't know that Zhang Mu had long anticipated the current difficulty—because he was the one who had orchestrated everything.

He had personally investigated China's Rhenium ore reserves, and for the spaceship blueprints, he had provided many ideas through the hands of "Senior Brother Zhou," allowing him to estimate roughly how much material would be needed.

Based on the total amount of material, Zhang Mu had also calculated how many "stones" a standard weight of Rhenium metal could be exchanged for.

All the Rhenium metal stored at the base could exchange for about sixty percent of the materials required for the spaceship.

What about the remaining forty percent?

With no other options, wouldn't China have to come to Zhang Mu for consultation?

At that time, Zhang Mu would put on a reluctant face and say, “Since you are in difficulty, and the Mountain Gate possesses a heart to look after our kin, I will reluctantly raise the exchange value of industrial goods slightly.”

In this way, the weapons Zhang Mu urgently needed to deal with the war could be quickly replenished.

When Zhang Mu reported the progress from the base to Kyoto, he speculated that the Director would soon come looking for him, and he was ready to open the door almost at any time.

Hearing his figure through the Kunpeng, he brought the man to the small courtyard on Yuzhang Mountain.

The Director stayed at the base every day and knew that the spaceship construction had come to a standstill, so he didn't waste time on small talk or pleasantries to warm up the atmosphere; he stated his purpose directly.

Zhang Mu feigned deep thought for a moment and said solemnly that this matter was not for him alone to decide and that he must consult the Sect Leader.

After speaking, his figure vanished from the spot. He ran to Geoffrey's research lab to wander for a while before returning.

When he reappeared, he had a smile on his face and said, “The Sect Leader has spoken.

The things you require are but a trifle to the Mountain Gate. However, I am well aware of how 'the grace of a bowl of rice' can lead to dependency; therefore, you must not harbor improper thoughts and must exchange items of equal value.

Considering that you share the same origin as the Mountain Gate, I, Xu, will use my discretion to assist.”

After that string of words, even though Zhang Mu spoke slowly and clearly, the Director still didn't quite understand. He asked blankly, “Can Immortal Xu put it more simply?”

“It is not easy for you, the Sect Leader understands, so he has allowed me to be slightly more lenient regarding the valuation of the exchange items.”

“For example?”

“To you, what is the cheapest of items?”

“Industrial goods.”

“However, industrial goods are useless to the Mountain Gate, and my previous pricing followed that logic.

Now, with the Sect Leader’s approval, the value of industrial goods can rise slightly, but it still follows the principle that rare things are precious. The higher the value of an industrial good to you, the more stones it can be exchanged for.”

Hearing this, the Director clenched his fist—it worked!

He had originally wanted to discuss with Immortal Xu whether the price of Rhenium ore could be increased a bit.

As long as it was enough to build a spaceship to go to the moon, they would have a channel to mine Rhenium ore in large quantities and then exchange it for other good things. He hadn't expected Immortal Xu to directly offer such generous terms.

The Director, having over-delivered on his mission, was extremely excited. After expressing his gratitude, he rushed back to the base to report to Kyoto.

With things progressing smoothly, Zhang Mu was no longer in a hurry. He turned and ran to visit the five people working hard on their cultivation at the peak of the back mountain.

Upon arriving, he found Ye Ming sitting cross-legged on the top of a small slope, head bowed and eyes glazed over, seemingly deep in thought about something.

Seeing Zhang Mu appear, he hurriedly stood up and asked about the doubts that had arisen during the trial.

What was the mundane world really like? How large was its area? In what form did it exist? How many dynasties were there? Besides humans and Prodigys, were there other races?

Zhang Mu felt a bit of a headache, but he had to clear the doubts.

Feigning a profound look as he gazed into the distance for a while, he gave a half-clear, half-vague answer.

On the surface, the mundane world appeared no different from Blue Star, but its true side could only be glimpsed by those of the Mountain Gate.

The area had never been measured, but it was certain to be more vast than Blue Star.

Dynasties were numerous, varying in scale.

As for whether there were other races, Zhang Mu brushed it off with the reason that "you must explore that for yourselves."

After listening, Ye Ming instantly felt comfortable and clear-headed; he had truly been tormented by curiosity these past few days.

Before asking, he had been worried that if Immortal Xu was unwilling to explain, he would be in a bad way.

Afterward, he asked casually, “This trial was quite dangerous, and the restrictions on us were very strict.

By this standard, the personnel losses for the Mountain Gate's trials must not be small, right?”

Zhang Mu was just about to give a perfunctory answer when a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind, and he changed his tone.

“Since you have passed the test, there is no need for me to hide it anymore.

Jinshui Town is a trial ground meticulously crafted by the elders of the sect. Its transportation is tedious and inconvenient, making it almost isolated from the world, and Prodigys often come here for refuge.

The Prodigys forced to hide in Jinshui Town are inevitably weak, making them extremely suitable for honing inexperienced new disciples.

Therefore, even with the restrictions, the new disciples who descend to the mundane world each year do not suffer excessive losses.”

Ye Ming realized, “So that's how it is.”

Following that, Zhang Mu smiled and said, “Because of its special nature, if you wish to go again, as long as no disciples are carrying out a mission, you may.”

“Really?!” Ye Ming’s eyes lit up.

He was very curious about a real feudal dynasty, rather than one recorded in history books.

This trial had been completed and they had returned in just three days. He was feeling regretful that he couldn't stay a few more days to personally experience the ancient customs and culture, but he hadn't expected things to take such a turn and that he could actually go back.

“Indeed.”

“What about the Director and the others?”

“It matters not, but considering we cannot overly affect Jinshui Town, the number of spots for each trip is limited—at most five people.”

“Thank you so much!” Ye Ming was very happy, planning to take Lin Miao on a "time-travel journey."

Zhang Mu had nothing else to do. After saying, “Come find me before you go,” he ran to Hogwarts to give a class to the new students.

...

Hogwarts.

At a corner of the academy, a separate patch of grass had been cleared out specifically for the raising and resting of magical creatures.

Beside the grass was a sparse forest with a winding path inside. Five new students were walking in a long line on the path.

It was early morning, and the morning sun was just rising.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the ground in mottled patches of light and shadow.

Leon, walking in the middle, kept looking left and right: “The Headmaster said this is where the magical creatures live, so why haven't I seen a single one?”

Toby, at the very front, didn't look back: “I told you to listen carefully in class.

The teacher emphasized that although most of the raised magical creatures are gentle, if they are provoked, they can react violently and easily hurt people by mistake.”

“If we don't get close, will just looking from a distance also provoke the magical creatures?” asked Wino at the back of the line.

Toby didn't want to deal with him, but remembering the Queen's teachings, he still replied sullenly, “I know you’ve studied many books on the habits of magical creatures.

The books describe them in great detail, but the types of magical creatures are too diverse; a few books are completely insufficient to cover them all.

In case we encounter one that considers eye contact a provocative act, we might be attacked just because you took a look.”

“I see.” Wino nodded and said no more.

Seemingly sensing the tension in Toby's words, the three of them instinctively fell silent. Wino, however, didn't care and occupied himself with admiring the charming scenery around them.

As the five of them moved forward, the forest became increasingly sparse until they reached a clearing in the woods and stopped.

By the clearing were two rows of long benches. The Queen sat alone in the front, with Butler Li standing by her side. Behind them sat three reporters and a cameraman side by side.

Toby had heard that there were about a dozen people in this traveling party, but there were only five in front of him; clearly, the others had been left behind in the academy.

He went forward to pay his respects and asked casually. The Queen's reply confirmed it—the Headmaster felt that too many lenses might provoke the magical creatures, and one person was enough for filming.

So most of the accompanying personnel were staying at the academy.

Of course, they weren't unhappy because they had been given permission to "interview as long as the other person agrees," and they were currently scurrying all over the academy looking for upperclassmen.

“Is everyone here?” The Headmaster's thin but upright figure appeared to the side.

The group, already accustomed to this, wasn't surprised and responded calmly. The cameraman in the back, however, jumped up and began recording with his camera on his shoulder.

At the same time, his expression was somewhat annoyed, as if blaming himself for why he hadn't turned on the machine earlier, causing him to miss that magical entrance just now.

“Mm.” Scanning the crowd and confirming everyone was there, the Headmaster turned toward the other side, “Prepare for class.”

The neighing of a horse came from the woods over there. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the forest, but for a long time, no horse was seen running out.

Just as they were feeling confused, Misha suddenly shouted, “Look at the sky!”

They instinctively looked up and saw a Pegasus with two wings, gallopng through the air with its four hooves moving rapidly.