Gao Wu: You have science, and I have magic!

Chapter 275 Industrial Cthulhu?
Rumble~
On the ground, tanks emitting hot steam rolled over the wheat seedlings in the fields. These 30-ton behemoths were extremely rugged in shape, like moving square coffins.

However, for the city-states of the Land of Sunset, this was a black technology that they could not resist. The knights who were proficient in martial arts were not much stronger than ants in the face of the torrent of steel.

The Silver Wing Kingdom, the last pure land in the Black Sea, was crushed to pieces today by the steam army of the Iron Wrath Empire.

The last king assembled the last one hundred Silver Wing Cavalrymen and launched a charge against the enemy, but unfortunately they were still crushed in vain by the tracks of the steam tanks.

Before being crushed into pulp, the Silver Winged King looked at the steel monster in despair and cried out in sorrow: "God, have you abandoned your people?"

Then, there was the sound of metal sheets being squeezed and crushed.

The Iron Rage Empire, the City Forged by Gods.

This place was originally the territory of the Kingdom of Embers, but now it has become the capital of the Iron Rage Empire. Because the steam battleship landed here, the Iron Rage clan called this place the God-given land.

The original kingdom buildings were basically razed to the ground, and in their place, factories with chimneys rose from the ground, and the roar of machines echoed in the city streets.

The clear sky became dark, the fresh air became turbid, and the pedestrians coming and going would cover their mouths and cough from time to time. They were in a hurry, as if someone was waving a whip behind them to drive them away.

Different from the gray, black and dirty production area, the aristocratic district of the God-Forged City is magnificent, and the imperial palace is built with extreme luxury, making people feel as if they have come to another world.

There is no disease or sewage here, let alone any smoke or dust. Instead, there are only birdsong, flowers, and gurgling water.

Inside the grand and solemn palace, Istar, dressed in formal attire and wearing a crown, was quietly waiting for the battle report from the front. He leaned sideways, half-lying lazily on a pure gold chair, his narrow eyes seemed to hide a bloodthirsty edge.

He was the first emperor of the Iron Wrath Empire, and on the road to ascending the throne, he stepped on the corpses of his father and brothers. Therefore, his imperial power was forged with blood and bones, and he was "affectionately" called the "Blood Emperor" by the subjects of the empire.

"His Majesty."

The dusty messenger brought back the military situation from the front: "The holy light of the Supreme Will has shone on the last piece of land in the Land of Sunset. The empire's territory has covered the entire White Sea and the Black Sea."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, for accomplishing such an unprecedented feat!"

"Long live your Majesty!"

"Long live the Empire!"

Listening to the compliments of his ministers, Ishtar said: "I have ruled the west of the earth. Next, I will continue to lead my army to conquer the east and spread the glory of the Supreme Will to every land illuminated by the sun."

"Are we going to war with the East?"

"It is rumored that it is a land flowing with milk and honey, and the land is covered with gold."

In the hall, countless imperial nobles in military uniforms all showed greedy eyes, and deep in their eyes, there was a bloodthirsty fanaticism: "The Empire's steam army is invincible. Even the distant East will surrender to your majesty!"

"We are willing to follow Your Majesty and conquer the distant East for the Empire!"

Like a pack of wolves, they have regarded the mysterious East as a piece of sweet cake, looking forward to the roar of steam and the ancient and magical country.

Afterwards, a grand celebration banquet was held in the palace. Countless delicious foods were pushed into the palace by dining carts, and soon the plates were piled up.

Nobles in gorgeous silk robes held up lead goblets, drank wine as red as blood, and talked about the great cause of conquering the East.

Even some impatient nobles could not wait to begin dividing the territory.

To them, the Empire's army is invincible, and the great supreme will is the omniscient and omnipotent God. As long as they are under the guidance of God, no enemy can stop the Empire's military advance.

Unlike the bustling palace, the slums of the Godforged City seemed like a dead tomb, and the low huts were like dirty tombs.

Asbestos tiles and various industrial waste are common building materials. There is no sewage system here, and when it rains, it is simply everyone's nightmare.

Mars smelled a pungent odor from several kilometers away. He looked at his former hometown in confusion: "Is this the City of Embers?"

Today, the old country has completely lost its original appearance.

The thick smoke from the factory turned into dust, almost covering the entire sky, preventing the golden sunlight from reaching the ground, so that the streets were gray.

"This place is now called the God-Forged City. It is a place that witnesses the miracles bestowed by the gods."

A bearded man in tattered work clothes walked towards Mars. He was blind in one eye and had a long and narrow scar on his left face, like a red and black centipede, almost splitting his entire face in half. It looked so hideous and terrifying.

However, Mars was very happy when he saw him: "Herbert, you are still alive!"

He stepped forward and hugged the former chief of the palace guards of the Kingdom of Embers tightly in his arms: "Great, I thought you were dead."

"Oh, I might as well be dead."

Herbert sighed, then coughed violently until his palms, which were covering his mouth, were filled with red and black blood.

"what happened to you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just dying."

"How can you say it's okay? I'll find someone to treat you right away!"

"No need, I have pneumoconiosis, which is incurable."

After Herbert rejected Mars, he asked helplessly: "Since you had already left, why did you come back? And you left a special mark and asked me to meet you."

"I come for revenge!"

Mars' eyes were filled with hatred. In the past seven years, he had never forgotten the blood feud of the Embers. "Come on, Herbert, join me in reclaiming the Kingdom of Embers!"

"Cough cough~"

Herbert coughed weakly and refused with a bitter smile: "What can we do alone? Moreover, even if we can gather a large army, even the bravest knight will be easily crushed in front of the steam frenzy of the Iron Rage Empire. Forget the hatred, you should think about how to survive."

"No!"

Mars' eyes were spitting fire: "If I can't get revenge, what's the point of my survival? And this time is different, I am not coming back alone. Behind me stands a great emperor. You can't imagine his power. I even think he is a living god."

Seeing that Herbert didn't believe him, Mars took out a steel dagger he carried with him and crushed it into a ball of scrap iron with his bare hands in front of the other party.

This time, Herbert showed a look of surprise, and then he became excited: "Flesh and blood can actually fight against steel!"

"Hahaha!"

Mars showed a happy expression for the first time: "This is the power of martial arts. The emperor of Da Qi has unparalleled martial arts skills and founded the Xinwu Sect. And I have also been granted this power."

"Great!"

Herbert's eyes welled up with tears when he heard this. His last remaining eye once again ignited the flame of hope. He looked at Mars with extremely hopeful eyes: "Can I also master such power?"

"can!"

Eventually, Mars brought Herbert back to the stronghold.

At the headquarters of the Cunning Rabbit Merchant Corps, Wang Junfeng took off his hood, revealing a blond and blue-eyed face. Beside him, there were also many followers whose appearance was no different from the people of the Sunset Land.

In fact, they are all genuine citizens of the Great Qi, but through the control of their bodies, they have temporarily transformed into some physiological characteristics of the people of the setting sun.

This trading post is actually the intelligence base of Da Qi stationed in the City of Divine Forging.

Seven years ago, after Ye Qingzhou learned about the existence of steam technology from Mars, he began to make preparations for the inevitable battle of Taoism.

Glancing at Herbert who was brought back by Mars, Wang Junfeng asked in a deep voice: "Who is he?"

The moment Herbert was caught by Wang Junfeng's peripheral vision, he felt as if struck by lightning. His muscles convulsed and he couldn't even move a finger.

He was horrified in his heart: "So strong! Just a glance can stun me and make me unable to move!"

Mars quickly explained: "General, please rest assured. He is a trustworthy person."

Then he explained Herbert's identity to Wang Junfeng. As the former captain of the palace guards of the Kingdom of Ashes, Herbert had barely escaped death and had been working as a coal miner in a coal mining plant to make a living over the years.

He lived a miserable life and even had a terminal illness. He didn't look like a spy at all and should be trustworthy. But Wang Junfeng didn't believe him. He turned his eyes to Mars and asked, "Are you a spy from the Iron Wrath Empire?"

"No."

"Will you betray us then?"

"will not."

"Good, you didn't lie."

Wang Junfeng sensed Herbert's thoughts with his martial arts heart and confirmed that the other party was a reliable person.

Finally, he found a local who had experienced the changes of the old and new God-Forged City. Wang Junfeng then patiently asked Herbert about the local situation.

Then, Wang Junfeng was stunned by all the news.

It has to be said that the Iron Rage Empire, which has acquired steam technology, is very developed in terms of productivity, and it can even be said that its technical strength is far superior to that of Da Qi.

However, this increased productivity did not benefit the middle and lower class people of the Tienu Empire. It can even be said that their living conditions were far worse than those of the people of the Great Qi Kingdom. Even in the late period of Daliang, the peasants in the Central Plains who were brutally oppressed and exploited definitely lived a much better life than the workers of the Tienu Empire.

Among the civilian class in the God-Forged City, the average life expectancy of workers is only a pitiful twenty-two years old, while in other cities, workers are considered lucky if they can live to the age of nineteen.

In slums without sewer systems, workers' life expectancy is only thirteen years, and half of them start working at the age of eight.

These children were a vital workforce in factories, mines, and agriculture, often working the same twelve-hour shifts as adults, crawling under dangerous looms, carrying coal in cramped mines, or working in agricultural gangs for meager wages.

The remaining half have to participate in work from the age of two, such as unclogging narrow chimneys because adults cannot enter.

Of course, many times the factory does not shut down the machines when unclogging the chimney, so young children can only work under high temperatures and thick smoke.

Many children were suffocated to death in the chimney until the next child came to clean up his body, or simply no one cleaned up, and he was "smoked" and "dried" alive until he was discovered many years later.

For the factory owner, the compensation for the death of a child is much higher than the loss caused by the shutdown of the machine.

Herbert's description made Wang Junfeng shudder. The Iron Rage Empire was simply an indescribable industrial Cthulhu that ruthlessly devoured the flesh and bones of living people, and then spit out countless cheap products to feed more people.

"A barbarian land! It's a barbarian land indeed!"

Wang Junfeng simply couldn't understand it. He looked at Herbert in disbelief and said, "Why don't you guys rebel like this?"

In Wang Junfeng's eyes, the people of the Land of Sunset were so docile that they could even endure such cruel exploitation. If they were in the Central Plains, the people would have long shouted "Kings, princes, generals, and ministers, are they all born with a different kind of blood?"

Herbert smiled bitterly: "How can we rebel? In front of steam armor and steam tanks, the power of flesh and blood is meaningless. The imperial army can easily crush all resistance."

"It's so brutal."

Wang Junfeng felt a chill in his heart. The brutality of this deformed country before him was beyond the imagination of the people in the Central Plains.

Compared with those tyrants recorded in the history of the Central Plains and the nobles of the Iron Wrath Empire, they all seem so pure and harmless.

No matter how advanced the production technology is, it cannot cover up the cruelty and tyranny that is deeply rooted in the Iron Rage Empire. To the nobles of the empire, human lives are nothing more than bargaining chips.

When interests are more important than human life, they will choose interests without hesitation and without scruples.

This kind of systematic persecution and exploitation is enough to make any tyrant pale in comparison. After all, compared with the tyrant's killing efficiency, the factory is obviously superior.

But Wang Junfeng soon had an idea and felt that this might not be a bad thing for Da Qi.

'The emperor once said that where there is oppression, there is resistance. The people of Sunset Land are not without resentment towards the cruel exploitation of the Iron Wrath Empire, but they are powerless to resist and can only choose to endure. If they have the power to resist, will they still willingly accept slavery and oppression?'

will not!

Even cattle and horses have tempers!

Wang Junfeng looked at Herbert: "Are you willing to join Xinwumen?"

"Can I?"

Herbert's eyes were full of desire. Who wouldn't want the power to crush steel with bare hands?
"Haha, the emperor once said that the world belongs to everyone in the world. To become an emperor, one must not only possess unrivaled military power, but also have virtues that benefit all people. Although the emperor is a pioneer and forerunner of martial arts, he does not monopolize knowledge and paths. He believes that everyone has the right to practice."

Wang Junfeng said proudly.

The more people embark on the path of Xinwu, the stronger the power of Xinwu will become. Therefore, as a pioneer, Ye Qingzhou is never afraid of others coming to learn the skills of Xinwu.

Even people from the Land of Sunset can embark on the path of martial arts if they are willing.

In this way, Xinwumen began to settle down in the Land of Sunset, especially among the common people of the empire, where it became popular secretly, like a spring rain, moistening everything silently.

Another five years passed like this, and the power of Xinwumen continued to grow. It had begun to spread to every corner of the empire and was even infiltrating the aristocratic class.

After all, no matter how powerful the steam armor is, their bodies are still very fragile.

The City of Gods, the Cunning Rabbit Chamber of Commerce.

The once small Chamber of Commerce has now become a very large Chamber of Commerce with more than 10,000 employees. With luxury goods such as porcelain, silk and tea shipped from the far east, the Chamber of Commerce also has deep connections within the empire's aristocracy.

In the study, Wang Junfeng had just sent away a nobleman who was purchasing silk when Herbert came to tell him an important piece of information: "Sir, the empire's railway has been laid to the Thousand Swords Mountains."

"really!"

Wang Junfeng instantly perked up.

The Thousand Swords Mountains run across the east and west, and are a natural geographical barrier that separates the two great civilizations. The fact that the Iron Wrath Empire's railway was built there means that the outbreak of war is not far away.

Although Herbert is a man of the setting sun, he has a blood feud with the Iron Wrath Empire, so he naturally stands on the side of Da Qi.

What's more, if he had not practiced the inheritance of Xinwu Sect over the years, activated his life potential, eliminated impurities in his body, and cured his pneumoconiosis without medication, he would have been tortured to death by the disease long ago.

Therefore, he was very grateful to Xinwumen and was even willing to give his life for it.

It can be said that Herbert has taken shape of Xinwu Gate from the inside out.

"Alas, what a pity! Over the years, the mission entrusted to me by His Majesty has not been completed."

Wang Junfeng was also a little anxious at this moment.

Ye Qingzhou sent him here to collect intelligence, especially core information about steam technology.

However, although the officials of the Iron Rage Empire were corrupt and greedy for money, they had always been very strict in managing the steam cores that drove the machinery.

Even if the machine is damaged, the steam core must be recovered on the spot, otherwise the person responsible will lose his head.

Therefore, for a long time, Wang Junfeng had no chance to succeed.

Seeing this, Herbert gritted his teeth and suggested, "Why not just go all out and rob it."

"Rob?"

Wang Junfeng was not a pedantic person, and he quickly came up with an idea: "Three days later, Istar will hold a glorious festival in the Colosseum. If we can create enough chaos, perhaps we can create an opportunity for our action."

Herbert agreed: "I can mobilize the secret agents who have infiltrated the palace over the years to assassinate Istar. Even if it fails, it will be enough to attract the attention of the city guards."

After these years of practice, Herbert's life has been constantly sublimating, and now he has opened two doors. As long as he opens another door and connects a meridian, he will be able to awaken his martial arts supernatural powers.

In addition to the original three magical powers of bronze skin and iron bones, dragon spirit and tiger ferocity, and tremendous power, the Xinwu Sect has been constantly innovating and has developed new magical powers.

One of the bodies is called "Flesh and Blood Derivation", which can regenerate severed limbs and heal itself.

Herbert longed to use this magical power to get back his lost left eye!

(End of this chapter)