Chapter 525: The Revelation of the Sun

On the second day after the wedding, Cheng Feng no longer indulged in tenderness.

At the first glimmer of dawn, he emerged from the bridal chamber, changed into a crisp, dark-gray martial outfit, and tucked a blade into his waistband.

Heimu Qingquan was still fast asleep; after a night of intimacy, her hair was disheveled, and a lingering flush remained on her face.

Cheng Feng tucked the corner of the quilt in for her, left a cup of warm tea on the table, and then exited the courtyard.

When he left, the entire Cheng Mansion was still quiet, with only the faint sound of pots and pans coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Cheng Feng did not disturb anyone; he only called for the group of people brought by Wei Zhuang and walked toward the outskirts of the city.

Lao Da Cheng Shu, Lao San Cheng Lei, and Babai were also among them.

As the group left the city, the horizon was just beginning to glow with a crab-shell green.

Cheng Feng walked at the very front, his steps steady.

Wei Zhuang followed behind with a dozen or so sturdy men, all wearing short tunics and leg wraps, with weapons tucked into their waistbands; their posture was uniform, and one could barely hear any extra footsteps as they walked.

These people were all veterans Wei Zhuang had handpicked from the Hong Sect.

Their Martial Dao cultivation was all at the Blood Refining level at a minimum, and some had already reached Bone Refining; they were also valued for being tight-lipped, loyal, and efficient.

Wei Zhuang had not brought those from the Sword Hall, Henglian Hall, or others whose conditions were slightly inferior.

As a descendant of the Zongheng School, Wei Zhuang had very high standards.

Wei Zhuang did not feel at ease with those who could not handle matters well.

What they called strong was not stronger than him.

Not far past the South Gate, Cheng Feng suddenly slowed his pace, turned his head, and glanced at Wei Zhuang: "Are the dozen or so people you brought reliable?"

Wei Zhuang was walking with his head down, but upon hearing this, he looked up, patted his chest, and said: "Rest assured, these people were all brought up by me personally."

"Their families are in my hands; no one dares to say a word."

"Furthermore, they have all come out of the blood and fire of the battlefield."

"Their vision and courage are both top-tier; they can serve as the pillars of the Hong Sect."

Cheng Feng nodded. He understood what Wei Zhuang meant.

In this day and age, the most reliable things are not silver, nor are they some kind of brotherhood, but rather leverage and attachments.

Only those with families dare not act recklessly.

Give them a little favor, and it should be enough to get things done.

Having received a firm answer, Cheng Feng asked no more.

He led the group off the official road and turned into a wild path half-hidden in the withered grass.

The group walked until the daylight was bright before arriving at a valley entrance surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a single opening so narrow that only one cart could pass through.

Cheng Feng had everyone stop and beckoned to Babai: "Show the flag."

Babai put on a show and took out a double-sided flag.

The front was red, and the back was green.

With the green side facing up, the signal in the brain connected directly to the Sun.

"Let's go in," Cheng Feng said, turning back.

Wei Zhuang and the dozen or so men looked at each other, suppressing the shock and doubt in their hearts, and followed Cheng Feng into the valley entrance.

After walking for about half a mile, the view suddenly opened up.

The valley was a flat expanse of gravel, with steep, cliff-like walls on all four sides; the sunlight shone straight down from above, illuminating the entire valley.

In the center of the valley floor lay a huge, dark-gray tarpaulin.

The tarpaulin was firmly fixed to stone stakes in the ground by a dozen thick ropes, its shape bulging, making it impossible to tell what was underneath.

But judging by its massive volume and sharp, angular outline, it was definitely a big one.

"Uncover it," Cheng Feng said.

Wei Zhuang and his men stepped forward to untie the ropes. A dozen people exerted force at once, and the tarpaulin was peeled back bit by bit.

When the thing underneath was completely exposed to the sunlight, everyone gasped.

With distinct lines, it looked like a cold steel beast crouching on the ground.

"Activate."

The chassis of the steel giant suddenly lit up, and a deep blue ripple flashed sequentially from the bow to the stern.

The hull vibrated slightly, and its hovering height rose by another half a foot. It slowly began to hover.

"Master Cheng... wh-what is this thing?" Wei Zhuang's voice sounded a bit airy. "Why is it floating? Can this thing fly in the sky?"

"I am going to the Immortal Sect in the future; this is my previous Immortal Fate. You must never leak this out, otherwise, if people become jealous, the disaster of total annihilation will be right before our eyes."

"In the future, if the people of the Hong Sect encounter a catastrophe, activate the Sun."

Cheng Feng turned to look at Wei Zhuang, his tone serious. "This ship can carry at most thirty people at a time. You don't need to ask why it can fly; you only need to remember two points."

"First, every time you need to use it, you just need to contact Babai. I have already handed full authority to Babai; if you need to go anywhere, find him."

"Second, every time you finish using it, you must follow the method I told you and find a hidden valley to hide it."

Wei Zhuang swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly: "I have noted it down. But... Cheng Feng, do we dare use this thing during the day? Wouldn't it be seen by anyone with a glance?"

"Rest assured, it contains all-weather stealth technology; it can also be used during the day."

Cheng Feng's words caused the strategic value of the Sun to rise sharply.

Wei Zhuang's expression turned stern as he looked around at the dozen or so brothers behind him.

Those people had long been stunned speechless by this Flying Boat, their faces pale, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Wei Zhuang knew in his heart that from this day forward, the lives of these people were tied to this Sun.

"Now, get on board. I call this vehicle the Sun. You can sit wherever you like for now."

He said to Wei Zhuang in a low voice: "This ship is the final retreat I have left for the Hong Sect."

"If Qingxi County and Heimu Prefecture can no longer be stayed in, thirty people, take a boat south, a thousand miles in a day. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Wei Zhuang nodded heavily.

"Also," Cheng Feng paused, "after I leave, if my family in Heimu Prefecture meets with trouble, you are to activate the Sun immediately. Even if only one person remains, you must save them."

Was this entrusting an orphan to someone?

Wei Zhuang's eyes grew slightly warm, and he nodded heavily again.

As Cheng Feng's voice fell, he lifted his foot and walked toward the Sun.

He walked up close, and that pitch-black steel beast seemed to sense something; a slit slid open silently on the side of the hull.

The slit was about a person's height, and a very faint, soft blue-white light shone from within, like a layer of thin frost rising on the sea in the dead of night.

A dry and slightly cool current of air surged out from it, carrying an indescribable metallic scent; it didn't smell foul, but rather made one's spirit perk up.

"All of you, come up with me," Cheng Feng said, turning his head.

Wei Zhuang and the dozen or so brothers looked at each other in dismay.

The largest boat they had ever seen was those cargo ships from the Canal Gang that traveled the canal; where had they ever seen this kind of spectacle?

A man called Tietou had legs that felt like they were filled with lead; he only moved forward after being pushed by a companion behind him.

Babai, on the other hand, was quite natural; he fished that two-colored flag out from his bosom, stowed it away, and swaggered on board, as if he had boarded eight hundred times before.

The group filed in one after another. Once inside the cabin, everyone couldn't help but hold their breath.

The space inside the cabin was extremely large, much more spacious than it looked from the outside. The four walls and the dome were covered with a layer of dark green metal plates, and the floor was as smooth as a mirror, glowing with a faint, deep blue light.

On both sides of the cabin were two rows of seats; the backrests were high and wide, and the surface was some kind of unknown animal hide, cool to the touch.

In the middle was an aisle a foot wide, leading straight to the bow.

At the very front was a huge glass window, and outside the window was the bare mountain wall of the valley.

"Sit wherever you like," Cheng Feng walked to the very front,

"Sit tight, we are about to set off."

Wei Zhuang and the others cautiously chose seats toward the back and sat down.

Just as Tietou sat down, the seat actually adjusted its angle automatically,

supporting him steadily; he was so startled he almost jumped up, but was pressed down hard by a brother beside him, so he didn't make a fool of himself.

"Don't move around," Babai said from the side, arms crossed. "This Sun recognizes people. Since Brother Cheng gave the authorization, just sit tight, nothing will happen."

Cheng Feng stood at the bow and said without looking back: "Set off, activate stealth mode, destination Qingxi County."

The Sun rose slowly, three feet off the ground, hovering motionless.

A cold light like flowing water swept across the surface of the hull. About three breaths later, the entire ship, along with the people and the cabin, disappeared completely from the valley.

Wei Zhuang looked out the window, his whole body stiff in his seat. He watched as the thing he was sitting on rose up, and watched as the valley outside was left behind bit by bit.

That feeling was extremely unreal, like being in a dream. Yet the slight vibration coming from beneath his feet and the low hum in his ears were solid and real.

"This... it really flew up?" Wei Zhuang's throat went dry.

The few men beside him dared not even breathe loudly; one by one, they gripped the armrests of their seats tightly, their faces as white as paper.

The Sun flew extremely steadily, with almost no swaying felt. If not for the scenery outside the window receding at high speed, one wouldn't even notice it was moving.

A moment later, the Flying Boat had crossed the mountain peaks and risen above the clouds. The sunlight from outside the window shone in, a vast expanse of white that made it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Cheng Feng turned the helm, letting the Sun slowly circle once above the valley.

The Flying Boat was in a state of complete stealth; seen from the ground, it was just an exceptionally thin cloud in the sky. Or perhaps, not even the cloud could be seen.