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Chapter 1096 Follow the Devil to Heaven

"... Phew... Your Majesty, please forgive my rudeness, but this tower does not contribute to the beautiful scenery below the mountain. It is better to tear it down. There is a phrase in Chinese, 'adding feet to a snake', which is very appropriate." When the two men climbed the wooden tower accompanied by several eunuchs and warriors from the imperial stables, Descartes discovered that there was another mystery.

The top of the tower is neither pointed nor round, but a layer of wooden boards is laid on it to form a rectangular platform, about twenty meters long.

Standing on the platform, you can have a panoramic view of the nearby lakes and mountains, but every time I see the rough wooden boards under my feet and think of the appearance of the tower, my mood for enjoying the scenery becomes a little worse. I can't help but offer some suggestions.

"Well, your Chinese level has improved. I'm lucky today, the wind direction is just right. Come on, get ready!" Hong Tao didn't take such comments to heart at all. He took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket, held it high up, letting the mountain breeze blow through it, and smiled proudly.

The next scene made Descartes even more confused. Two young eunuchs took out a lot of cloth strips from a wooden box and began to tie them to the emperor. These cloth strips were very thick and had metal buckles, connecting from the shoulders to the crotch, like the skeleton of a piece of clothing.

"Don't be afraid, it's there to protect you. We're going to do something very exciting next, so we must ensure safety. Don't refuse, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life. I guarantee it on my honor as the Emperor!"

After the emperor was finished tying up the bodies, the eunuch took out another pair and wanted to tie them on himself, which made Descartes very reluctant. At this time, the emperor spoke again with a sly smile on his face, and even offered his identity as a guarantor.

The next scene was even more bizarre. Four horse guard warriors took out a piece of silk that looked light but felt very thick from a larger box. Unlike ordinary silk, it had many ropes sewn around it. When pulled against the wind, it would unfold like a huge umbrella, but in a rectangular shape.

"Remember, if I say run, run as hard as you can. You've been a soldier, right? Now's the time to test your courage as a man, and don't let me down."

Without waiting for Descartes to ask a question, the emperor had already walked behind them and seemed to be connecting the thick cloth belts worn by the two men with metal buckles one by one, while provoking them in a teasing tone.

"But could your majesty first tell me what to do?"

Although he had no idea what the emperor was going to do, nor did he know what the big umbrella was for, Descartes instinctively sensed a strong sense of danger. He wanted to turn around and resist, but was ruthlessly corrected by a pair of big hands. Only then did he realize how powerful the emperor was!
"Take a deep breath... get ready... go!" There was no answer, only an order. And then, regardless of whether his legs wanted to move or not, the push from behind forced Descartes to run forward.

"No! No, don't...!" But Descartes soon regretted it, because the edge of the platform was approaching quickly, and if he continued to run, he would fall. Now he had forgotten the instructions just now, and his legs desperately braked hard to try to stop the trend of falling.

"Ah...ah..." Unfortunately, he was weak, and he felt his body lighten as the emperor lifted him up from behind by his armpits, and then he fell headfirst from the platform. A long scream suddenly rang out in the valley, with an echo.

But apart from the oncoming mountain wind, Descartes did not feel any signs of falling at high speed. Instead, there was a force constantly pulling upwards, so that the thick cloth belt was tightening his body, which was a bit painful.

"If you keep messing with us, we're really going to fall to our death! Please take a deep breath, straighten your legs and arms, and stretch your body as much as possible." Before I could figure out what state I was in, that hateful voice rang in my ears again. "Oh my God... Oh my God... Am I in heaven?"

Descartes slowly opened one eye and was immediately shocked. He was actually floating in the air, not just floating, but also moving quickly, because the hillside and forest under his feet were passing by at high speed and were about to reach the lake.

Even though my body position was not comfortable and the wind was very strong, I could not stop myself from trying to retract my outstretched right hand and make the sign of the cross on my chest. I may have met the devil, but I ended up in heaven. Why do I think so? Because I would never admit that the person who killed me was an angel!
"If that's the case, then all birds are angels. You are a scholar after all, and you are well versed in philosophy. Can you be more rational and look at the situation clearly before shouting?" The devil spoke again in the back of his head, still with that lazy tone, and kicked his calves hard to accompany the action.

"…I…are we really flying? With an umbrella…a magic umbrella?"

Only then did Descartes realize that he was still alive, and looking around, he knew that he was innocent in both heaven and hell. So his neck began to move, and his eyes opened wider and wider, and he refused to blink even when the strong wind made his eyeballs dry and painful.

It was amazing. The emperor behind him was riding on his waist, holding several ropes with both hands, and at the end was the thick silk. At this time, it was blown up by the wind and fully opened. Descartes was sure that it was the rope that was carrying the two people flying in the air.

But no matter how big the umbrella is, it is impossible to take people to the sky, otherwise the sailors on the ship can all pull the sails to fly, and the sails are much bigger than this umbrella. Then the answer is obvious, the emperor is not only a devil, but also knows magic.

"We'll discuss the specific principles later. Now you should enjoy the feeling of flying and listen to me talk about how to land. If you forget a word, you might break a few bones or even die!"

Hong Tao freed one hand to grab Descartes' neck, forcing him to turn his head back. Then he pulled the right control cable and, with the help of a hot air current rising from the lake, entered a spiral ascent.

Paragliding, also known as wing-shaped paraglider, is a very popular sport in later generations. It is different from traditional parachutes. The canopy is streamlined, like a wing. The canopy is not one layer, but a double layer of upper and lower wing surfaces, and is divided into front and back.

The front end of the two-layer wing surface has an opening, and the trailing edge is sealed, forming a number of air pockets. When the airflow passes through the air pockets, the flow speed changes, faster at the top and slower at the bottom, thus creating lift.

Hong Tao originally wanted to make a wing suit, but he couldn't find a thin and tough material, so he had to give up. But he didn't give up, and turned to gliders, and also made paragliders. After several years of testing and improvement, it is basically usable.

Of course, there are dangers, and they are bigger than the paragliders of later generations. But if this thing is not dangerous at all, it will be meaningless to play with it. The fun lies in the fact that it is unknown whether you can survive this time, and you have to overcome your inner fear and helplessness throughout the whole process.

After getting used to it, you will have a different understanding of life, become stronger in your heart, and no longer be afraid of things that scare ordinary people. You can't say you are ready to die, but you can face danger more calmly. In many cases, the more afraid you are, the faster you die, and vice versa, you may escape.

(End of this chapter)