Qing Xia chuckled and said cheerfully, “This big brother is indeed a sensible person. He’s so anxious because he’s afraid I’ll expose his schemes and ruin his conspiracy! Unfortunately, justice lies in people’s hearts – even if treacherous villains try to obstruct it, they cannot stop the advance of truth.”

Zhu Yuanqing turned around, bowed to Qing Xia respectfully, and said, “Please, Miss, explain in detail what you just said so we can judge whether Young Master Chu is deliberately concealing things or whether you are confusing the issue.”

“Good,” Qing Xia smiled. “Just having me speak won’t convince you. How about this – you find someone you consider deeply learned to test me. If I can answer correctly, it naturally proves your level is insufficient. If I can’t answer, I’ll submit to whatever punishment you decide. What do you say?”

Zhu Yuanqing looked at Qing Xia’s bright eyes, thought for a moment, nodded, and said to the elder below the platform, “Uncle Qing, you do it.”

The aged elder tremblingly climbed onto the high platform, cupped his hands toward Qing Xia, his face slightly pale as he said, “Then this old fool will question the young lady.”

Qing Xia smiled lightly and cupped her hands, saying, “Please ask, elder.”

Uncle Qing coughed once, his hoarse voice saying lowly, “After heavy snow, what method can make the snow melt quickly?”

Qing Xia smiled faintly, thinking he wanted to test physics knowledge, and answered with a light smile, “There are many methods. The simplest is sprinkling salt on the snow.”

Uncle Qing raised his eyebrows and said gravely, “Why?”

“Because sprinkling salt can lower the snow’s melting point, making heavy snow melt rapidly.”

Uncle Qing nodded and continued asking, “What does ‘sitting on the ground yet traveling thirty thousand li in a day’ mean?”

“This saying isn’t actually correct, but to some extent it does illustrate a point. The ancient theory of a square earth under round heaven is outdated. The world we live in is actually a sphere that constantly rotates. Even sitting at home, we relatively travel in one day.”

The old man’s eyes flashed with brilliance as he said, “That you can say the world is round shows extraordinary insight.”

Qing Xia smiled faintly, “Elder, you’re too kind. I’ve just heard much and understand a little.”

“Good, let me ask you again – does the outside world now possess technology for refining pig iron into steel? I remember when we came here, they were still using bronze implements above.”

Qing Xia laughed freely, “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Now that a thousand years have passed, how could they still use bronze implements? Please forgive my limited knowledge – I’ve only heard of three steel-making methods: converter steel-making, open hearth steel-making, and outdoor refining method, using pig iron and carbon as raw materials. Steel is harder than iron and more practical. Elder, please forgive me – I’m not a blacksmith, so I really don’t know the specific forging processes.”

The old man’s eyes widened. After thinking, he said gravely, “Then, Miss, do you understand firearms and cannons?”

Qing Xia smiled inwardly, thinking you’ve really asked the right person, and said clearly, “Since I’m often in the military, I know a bit more about firearms. Over these five hundred years, the development of firearms above has mainly included seventeen types. The main ones are called Divine Gun, Flying Sky Poison Fire Dragon Gun, Sword Gun, Great Wind Pursuing Gun, Thunder Blunderbuss, Self-Igniting Fire Blunderbuss, Self-Loading Firearm, Carrying Gun, and various cannons. Now mostly single-barrel guns are used, but imperial armies are equipped with double-barrel guns – longer range, greater power, faster loading time, convenient for continuous combat. I heard the Military Manufacturing Department is now creating a mighty cannon with a range of over a thousand li – that is to say, if fired from the imperial capital with locked coordinates, in no time your Penglai Valley would turn to ashes, and all of you would be utterly destroyed, dying without complete corpses.”

The elder stared dumbfounded. Everyone fell silent, looking at Qing Xia as if stupefied. Uncle Qing kept wiping sweat from his forehead, unconsciously bowing his head respectfully, “Could that be the flying projectile recorded in the texts? Miss, have you heard of a wooden bird that can fly in the sky?”

At this point, Qing Xia had no more doubt or worry. This so-called master from a thousand years ago, if not an imaginative prophet with rich imagination, was someone like herself who had traveled through time and written such bewitching construction secrets. She smiled and said, “In our place, this thing is called an airplane. It’s still being developed – forged from steel and iron, powered by huge fuel propulsion, it can soar through the sky carrying people and goods. If there are refueling aircraft to connect with, it can fly forever without landing. At the same time, this is also called a fighter plane – in combat, it fires shells for aerial warfare.”

Uncle Qing’s face turned pale, his lips trembling. Upon hearing this, he sat down with a thud, trembling as he said, “So… so it’s all true. I never thought that after a thousand years, worldly technology has developed to this extent. We… we truly have the vision of mice.”

Qing Xia thought she’d give him another strong dose of medicine and smiled, “The era of slash-and-burn farming is long past. Now outside, technology has advanced – there are iron vehicles that don’t need oxen or horses yet can travel a thousand li daily, ears that can hear across ten thousand li allowing mutual conversation across vast distances, giant ships that can carry ten thousand people on the seas, tall buildings and great structures standing in forests, commercial progress and development – it’s no longer the feudal and backward situation of a thousand years ago.”

All the Penglai people were immediately shocked upon hearing this, because these words were exactly what the civilized age described in the maxims left by the master back then. They stared dumbfounded at the black-clothed woman standing on the high platform, feeling as if a basin of cold water had been poured over their heads. What pacifying the realm, what dominating all directions, what being ennobled as marquises and ministers – all were cast aside. Now everyone worried only about when those flying projectiles with thousand-li range might suddenly appear overhead and explode on their heads!

Defeating the enemy’s troops without fighting – Qing Xia knew she had already won.

Mountain winds stirred, night mist spread, bronze bells rang sonorously, strings and bamboo instruments played together. In the melodious music, the grand banquet officially began.

Inside the brilliantly lit Phoenix Cry Palace, cups clinked as crowds surged. Qing Xia, dressed in black with a calm expression, sat composedly and coolly in the seat of honor. To her left sat Lin Mubai, who remained confused and staring blankly. This former prisoner, now honored guest, sat beside Qing Xia, occasionally stealing glances with eyes full of undisguisable curiosity and awe.

Qing Xia paid no attention to whatever dull thoughts he was turning over, raising cups with the Penglai people from afar, everyone enjoying themselves.

That Chu Zheng had managed this place for two years, yet Qing Xia had stripped away all his influence in just a few words – this was truly not accidental. The main reason was that Qing Xia possessed insights and experience that people of this era could not surpass. Though the Penglai people styled themselves with the name of immortal island, they had lived like snails here for a thousand years with simple minds. Besides arrogance and love of daydreaming, they were accustomed to comfortable living. Not having seen blade edge or blood for a thousand years, they were extremely timid. What they relied on was merely their advanced weapons and technology. Now hearing Qing Xia’s words and learning the outside world had developed to this extent, how would they dare go up to invite suffering?

How could they imagine that Qing Xia was also a figure from the civilized world a thousand years in the future? They only thought that since this person had never seen their construction secrets yet possessed such broad knowledge, naturally what she said was true. Thus, that Chu Zheng who had continuously incited everyone to rebel and wage war for two years naturally wasn’t a good person.

This group of people had devoted themselves to researching various high-tech skills for a thousand years, but their intelligence was somewhat simple. The reason they had been so bold before, besides relying on their own technology, was also because they had captured Southern Chu soldiers who followed Chu Li jumping into the gorge in the snowfield. Knowing Chu Li was mostly no longer among the living, they became so arrogant, preparing to burn their boats for a desperate battle.

Now, learning that Chu Li had escaped alive and was prepared at any time to use those flying projectiles to wipe out Penglai Valley completely, they naturally desperately tried to keep this seemingly high-ranking hostage, doing their utmost to curry favor with Qing Xia.

Outside Phoenix Cry Great Hall, bonfires blazed everywhere, bright as day. Dozens of cooks busied themselves grilling over the bonfires as waves of elegant fragrance drifted over, perfuming the air.

Penglai Valley truly produced talented people in great numbers. Here Qing Xia saw many crafts not found in the outside world. Their mechanical arts surpassed ancient and modern times – many techniques even Qing Xia couldn’t explain. For instance, they could actually drive wooden birds to fly high in the sky using only the mechanical force of wheels and axles. Though not for long, it was still shocking enough. Their theories on defense were even more thought-provoking. Their mechanical wooden men were comparable to modern high-tech robots with extremely high sensitivity. They could create the famous wooden oxen and flowing horses without relying on gasoline engines – their construction was so ingenious and thoughts so meticulous that it made one clap in great praise.

Listening to the red-faced Uncle Qing’s animated explanations, Qing Xia couldn’t help but sigh in relief, silently calling it fortunate. She didn’t pretend either, patiently explaining the differences between modern technology and this place’s technology, and very sincerely asked the elder about mechanical principles, telling him everything she knew.

At this point, the Penglai people had not the slightest doubt about Qing Xia. Over these years, they had repeatedly studied the construction secrets left by the master, discovering there were many things they simply couldn’t create. For example, what was a steam engine, what was gasoline, what was diesel, and so on. So they followed the descriptions above, imitating as closely as possible using mechanical numerical theories. Now hearing Qing Xia’s words, they discovered how similar they were to the secrets left by the master and suddenly understood.

Qing Xia knew this was because geographical constraints meant they could never find those things in their lifetime, but she didn’t point this out.

After three rounds of wine, Qing Xia was somewhat intoxicated. The wine-making technique here had deeply grasped the essence of modern distillation methods – the alcohol content was extremely pure. Qing Xia, who had been drinking the yellow wine from outside for two years, soon became dizzy and lightheaded. After greeting the Penglai people, maidservants came forward to guide Qing Xia to the rear hall to rest. Seeing Qing Xia leave, Lin Mubai was alarmed and tried to follow, but was forcibly held down by everyone.