The team wasted no time after the decision was made to bring all the members to China. Xuan brought out an extra Sky Stick for Zheng while the rest of the team remained two people in each one.
“So you did really make fifteen Sky Sticks? If you get a chance, can each of us get one? Zheng asked Xuan.
Xuan replied, “Yes. The materials we obtained from team Celestial only has a little left after crafting the Magic Cannon and Sky Sticks. However, the Sky Sticks will be a critical item in combat as our strength continues to grow. Anyone who unlocked the genetic constraint can use it so the best option is to give one to each person.”
Zheng asked, “Then why don’t you bring out the rest to let them gain more experience?”
Xuan shook his head. “The rest are different. Those few are battle equipment with twice the speed. Max speed reaches up to 1700km an hour with a burst of up to 4000km using the jet system. Due to the different materials used, their energy consumption is much higher. A full refuel using your Qi only allows two hours of usage. We will use the normal ones for regular purpose.”
Zheng nodded. Xuan had fair amount of self control especially when it came to battle related. Though this self control sometimes was on the level of madness to others.
The team returned to the inn. No one had stepped inside while they were away. However, the return by flight was seen by the soldiers on the ground as they did not try to hide. There should soon be jets coming to intercept them. Of course, the jets in this era could not catch up to the speed of the Sky Sticks. The only worry they had was collateral damage.
“We are almost invincible in this era with the existence of the Dragonshard necklace, barring being surrounded by a large army or hit by close range weapons. Still, be careful of protecting the sleeping members.” Xuan placed two necklaces on each member who were asleep.
“If you worry about them being caught in collateral damage…” Zheng picked up several small rocks and smiled. “These should deal with it.”
“How?” Heng was standing nearest to him and asked.
“Shoot down the planes.”
Zheng did not get a chance to put his idea into action. They placed the sleeping members into the baskets and flew away with speed beyond imaginable by the people in this era. Soon, Cairo was left far far behind.
The moods of every member steadily rose as time went on. Zheng’s revival released everyone from the pressure of Xuan. Laughter came back to their conversations. Furthermore, their destination of the new China during its most volatile years gave them the urge to go on a killing spree. The technological level of the era posed no harm to them with the Dragonshard necklace’s existence. So the team relaxed their tension as they treat this trip as a vacation.
“Why do I have the feeling that you are scheming something?” Zheng asked Xuan on the Sky Stick.
“Not scheming anything.” Xuan did not take his eyes off the documents on hand.
(Lies.)
Everyone saw that he had been reading over a stack of documents since boarding the Sky Stick. They all skimmed through the documents but they were encrypted, which made Xuan all the more suspicious.
(Heng said he brought the Magic Cannon along. What is he planning to do? Erase Japan from the map?)
These thoughts raced through Zheng’s mind but he couldn’t stop Xuan from enacting his plans. Not just stopping Xuan since he couldn’t even figure out what Xuan was planning. This situation had existed since they first met. Zheng tried to change it but eventually he caved in and adapted. And now, it had become a habit. He didn’t know if he should be sad or happy… happy that Xuan was part of the team.
(Not a funny joke to treat him scheming me as a habit…) Zheng smiled bitterly.
He looked down at the rock in his hand. It was about half the size of his palm, a rock that can be found anywhere on the ground. He input Qi into the rock. Its surface smoothed out as though it had be sanded. Zheng breathed out at the rock then it was blown away as a powder.
Zheng reached out his hand and activated his refined Qi. The refined Qi spread around him in an aura then pulled the powder back into his hand. The powder reformed into the rock as though all that had happened was an illusion. Zheng threw the rock off the Sky Stick.
(Finally gained higher mastery of infinitesimal control. Though still a short distance away from the peak of mid-fourth stage. My gene selection is also a little off. The optimal balance is like my clone. But that form is tailored for blood energy, which condenses to magic and not refined Qi. Looks like I have to dig into the dragon’s genes.)
While Zheng pondered, a golden light spanned the horizon. The day had reached dusk before he noticed. Their flight only reached the Middle East at this point, still quite some distance away from China.
(The road ahead is still far. I have leaped across the most difficult obstacle but I still have a long way before I can defeat him.)
Time passed. Night descended upon Asia, which meant the end of the day in this era. There were a few exceptions to this rule, the biggest cities in the world and the volatile battlefields and barracks. Light illuminated the whole night and the end of the day did not exist for these places. Shanghai was such a city.
This was the Shanghai during the War of Resistance Against Japan.
“Mr. DingLi, this is lieutenant Yasuo Kojiro of Japan’s second army in Shanghai. This is the leader of Qingbang, the most powerful DingLi of Shanghai.”
A scholarly looking middle age man stared at the opera below from a luxury room. Next to him was a neatly combed young man with glasses. The young man lowered his head when he spoke to the military officer.
The officer was dressed in a Japanese uniform. He looked approximate twenty seven or eight. Probably a rising star in the army.
DingLi did not turn around to look at the two people. “You are the sixth group to seek me. Mr. Lieutenant, speak your intention. My time is too valuable to be wasted by your kind.”
Anger emerged on the young man’s face but the officer waved his hand to stop him. The officer bowed slightly at DingLi and said, “We apologize for taking up your time…” His Chinese was fluent as a native and had an Peking accent. One would mistake him for a Chinese if it weren’t for the Japanese military uniform.
“Since Mr. Ding’s time is valuable, I will get straight to the point. The Buddha head, a thousand million Yen or equal value gold. If you don’t think this money is safe in China, we can give you a legal identity in any country in the world, Japan, German, the United States… You can go anywhere you wish.”
DingLi shook his head, “First off I don’t know where the Buddha head is. And do you know how I replied to the previous five guests?”
Yasuo Kojiro was surprised for a second before he asked, “May I ask what was your reply?”
“I have committed all kinds of sins in my life. I betrayed my partners, forced women into prostitution, sold arms, drugs, and even humans. I know where my life ends, destined to in hell. I can sell everything, including my parents. But there is one thing I won’t dare to touch. I won’t fucking sell my country!”