Chapter 350: Preparations for the Long Journey

For Sinuoli, the reason for going to the Cathay Empire, while somewhat far-fetched, was barely passable. After all, Cathay specialties such as tea, silk, and spices were sold throughout the Old World via the Southlands, bringing him, as the handler, enormous profits.

There was nothing wrong with taking a look at the situation of one's trade partners when the time was ripe, in order to increase mutual trust and deepen cooperation. As for why it had to be placed before the wedding, it was simply because the mountains were high and the roads were long; it would be inconvenient to set off either during the preparation period or after the wedding.

Regarding the high-level meeting, both sides had already held several consultations, and some adventurous clansmen, represented by Bulai'en-Tongxu, had already traveled to that ancient Eastern country by Cathay merchant ship.

With his strength and influence both reaching their peak, Sinuoli was more concerned about the safety of the ocean voyage; he did not want to hand his life and assets over to others. If whether or not he could return depended on the other party's mood, the negotiations would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.

After the news was released, Thorgrim and his son finally gained some peace and quiet. Sinuoli participated in the celebrations throughout, which could be considered a bit of relaxation from the work pressure.

After private exchanges with several important allies in the Old World, Sinuoli waited for the pickup notification from Krag Master. This Rune Demigod was not affected by weddings or the like when it came to working.

"I've mixed in some good materials and recast this hammer for you; both the inside and outside are a step up from before. Additionally, I've added a Heavy Strike Rune to it, so its power has also increased."

"The energy transmission performance has improved quite a bit! What did you add? Mithril?" Sinuoli exclaimed in surprise after attempting to infuse it.

"I used some talc; Mithril is generally only used by the pointy-ears. Weapons crafted from it are helpful for manipulating unstable Winds of Magic, but their hardness is poor—they might get damaged if smashed by a decent fellow!"

The old Dwarf shook his head; he had never been satisfied with his apprentices' craftsmanship, but seeing the scroll in Sinuoli's hand, he forcibly suppressed the urge to provide further instruction.

"Master, look, I've prepared these few routines. You can choose to use them according to the actual situation, and when necessary, they can even be combined. The same moves can be used again in different places!"

After handing over the scroll, Sinuoli gestured to the content and explained it with great enthusiasm; these were the essence of his memories from his previous life! But Krag's brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

"Hmph! You, are you sure I should do this? Like this third move, to disguise—disguise as an old beggar? This is somewhat detrimental to one's dignity, isn't it?"

"What is the core point of a good story worth spreading widely? It's contradiction and conflict! Whether it's us Dwarfs or the Humans down the mountain, everyone likes this! It's right that it's unreasonable; isn't ascending to godhood about breaking common sense?"

While waving his hands, Sinuoli glanced at his master's attire. This Rune Demigod was unkempt when working; judging by his appearance alone, he might even be able to serve as an elder in the Gaobang!

"That seems to make some sense!"

Krag muttered while twitching his cheeks. It had to be said that this content was very exciting; some of the plot points made his heart, which had been as still as an ancient well, start to beat faster just by thinking about them.

"No time to lose, I'm heading down the mountain now! Be careful on your way to the Cathay Empire. I also know a little about the Cathay Dragons; if something really happens, I'll have to wait until after I ascend to godhood to have a chance to uphold justice for you."

The guests gradually dispersed, and Everpeak returned to its usual tranquility. Sinuoli set off on his return journey with his guards. The railway between Haimenguan and Everpeak had already been put into operation, and the time it took for a trip now was much, much shorter than at the beginning.

"Greetings, King Sinuoli. The Princess has sent word that she has led the Dragon fleet to set sail. Her Highness plans to clear out the desperadoes along the route on her way, and is expected to visit your territory in the middle of the year."

Just after disembarking and returning to Red Cloud Mountain, the Jade Blood Clan official Wan'er was already waiting for Sinuoli in the office. She brought the news Sinuoli had been looking forward to for a long time.

"Good! I will welcome her at the port of the Bone Temple when the time comes! I brought back one large and three small ships on this trip; when I return, I'll ride them to your country to broaden my horizons!"

The Dwarf King rubbed his hands excitedly. From the moment he saw the Cathay merchant fleet at the Dongfang Bazha in Tiaya Kua, he had been planning this trip, but it had been delayed until now for various reasons.

Of the entire Qunshan, the ones he was most worried about were Belegar Ironhammer and the Tiefengbao passage that had been opened with such difficulty. Although the other two members of the Three Hammers Alliance were no slouches, the enemies were equally cunning and unpredictable.

Only after carefully arranging patrols and defenses and leaving behind emergency plans did he step onto the train, not forgetting to give earnest instructions to the Elder Councils of the two fortresses along the way. The previous arrangements finally ensured that the Southlands would not go off track in the years he was away.

Returning to Gaoyuanbao, Sinuoli did not stay long. He organized a construction team and rushed to the Bone Temple to repair the ley line buildings for Outekelasi.

This was, firstly, because the knowledge learned from the two plaques obtained earlier needed practice to become familiar, and secondly, he wanted to finish the project before going on a long journey. Even if the client didn't urge him, it wasn't good to hard-test someone else's bottom line, right?

The repair work went very smoothly on the whole. The clansmen had already finished the main body, and Sinuoli spent time connecting the modified bridge towers to the ley lines and performing some debugging, and that was it.

He also took time to inspect and comfort the navy under his command. The four warships had circled a large loop from the southernmost Liming Yaosai before arriving at the Bone Temple. The new sailors recruited from the Southlands were racing against time to board the ships for training.

The Ironclads did not rely much on ocean currents or wind direction, and the core operation was also completed by the Engineers. The main challenge for ordinary sailors was to adapt to the winds and waves of the open ocean.

"Oh? Yin Yin is almost here too!"

Just after sending two clansmen to notify the Skink Priest to wake up the meditating Lord Outekelasi for inspection, Sinuoli received a message from Wan'er.

"Send a telegram! Have Balin and the others bring the troops over. The Bi Hai Nuzhu has brought out the main force of the Dragon fleet; we cannot lose face!"

Sinuoli leaned in the shadow under the bridge tower, feeling the ley line network here. After being combed by the special building, the violent energy became gentle and easy to guide.

When this batch of experienced craftsmen returned, bridge towers would also be built on the identified nodes in the four fortresses of the Southlands, and Sinuoli's combat power would then rise to another level.

"Such heavy dark clouds on the horizon! Could a storm be coming? This is not a good omen!"

Three days later, most of Sinuoli's managers had gathered in the Shenmiaochengshi, standing by in full battle array to welcome the Dragon God's visit.