Please pull the trigger for this world one more time.

Inside the largest auto dealership in Licheng, all the mechanics were gathered around Gui Haishuo's car.

"Holy crap! Is this car burning 'ether tanks'?"

After opening the hood, the mechanic in charge of the assessment was utterly bewildered. "Didn't we say that small 'ether containers' were still in use on civilian cars and hadn't even left the testing bench yet? Is this a decade-old car?"

"They're truly skilled; they must have saved it up themselves."

Another mechanic picked up the tin can, which was about 10 inches (50cm) high and 6 inches (30cm) wide, with both hands. "That's right, it's for tying trucks."

The Ether Jar is the unparalleled masterpiece of the Guangwu Empire's Ether Industry.

Simply put, it is a technology that uses a complex and special process to blend low-quality ether stones into a paste-like fuel, thereby fully releasing etheric energy and thermal energy.

Generally speaking, these "ether containers" are used on ships, trains, large trucks, or even on the vehicles of armored vehicles like the Iron Tiger.

Ordinary ether vehicles have limited space and cannot currently accommodate engines that use ether cans.

On the other hand, most ordinary ether vehicles are not heavy enough, and using the current ether tank would waste energy. Moreover, the ether tank's power supply is too intense, which can easily cause a series of problems such as unstable power output and loss of control.

"Won't this car turn into a rocket?" a mechanic next to me said incredulously. "Won't it just fly straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate if you step on it?"

"Won't!"

At this moment, the mechanic in charge of the assessment spoke up, "This vehicle was self-assembled, so it's not considered a passenger car. It's already quite heavy, and if it's loaded with cargo, the power won't be wasted. And look here..."

The mechanic pointed to a certain spot, "This current limiting and adjustment system alone could keep me studying for several years."

In the end, Gui Haishuo's car sold for a full 10500 silver dollars. This old car, which had been driven for who knows how long, sold for a price that was even higher than that of a new car.

Mo Zian was curious about who this expert was, but Gui Haishuo told him that this was one of his former teammates who had settled in Guangwu City.

Gui Haishuo then told Mo Zian that there was a military academy in Guangwu City that was said to be the best in the entire empire, called the Capital Military Academy.

After hearing this, Mo Zian immediately became looking forward to life in Guangwu City.

A few days later.

The sky was overcast and slightly damp.

After packing up, the three of them, carrying large and small bags, first took a train to Yuecheng, the capital of Southern Xinjiang Province, and then arrived at a civilian airport.

This is also the only civilian airport in the southern Xinjiang province; all other airports are military.

This is not because the Southern Xinjiang Province is underdeveloped, but because it is located by the sea, and external transportation is mostly carried out by waterway, while internal transportation relies on railways and highways. Moreover, the Southern Xinjiang Province, which is located on the border, is mostly mountainous and forested, and the limited space must give way to military facilities.

This was Mo Zian's first time traveling by air in this world, so his curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but look around—

The main body of the airport is actually a terminal building and a large area of ​​open space used as a take-off and landing field.

The exterior wall of the six-story white brick building is painted with a picture of a flying dragon in the sky in black paint, which, together with the green tiles on the top floor, has a strong ink painting style.

In a world where bungalows still dominate, this building looks visually striking.

However, once the three entered the terminal, they found a completely different scene.

The entire interior of the building features a warm-toned wood-based interior design, complemented by the soft yellow glow emanating from the oil lamps at the top, adding a touch of comfort to those in a hurry.

Continuing to walk in, after passing the ticket checkpoint, you arrive at the bustling first-floor lobby.

Similar to airports and train stations in my previous life, the hall was surrounded by various restaurants and teahouses, but unlike those, this hall had many small tea stalls scattered throughout its center.

These small tea stalls are surrounded by four long tables, and in front of the tables are four long benches. They encircle the steaming tea stalls from four directions, as if forming their own little world.

The three of them drank a cup of tea, and soon after, a broadcast came from the loudspeakers in the terminal.

"Attention passengers, boarding for flight [Southern Sky A02] is now commenced. Please proceed to Gate 1 (East) for boarding..."

As the announcements were made in the waiting hall, long queues formed at the ticket gates.

After having his tickets checked, Mo Zian arrived at the boarding platform with his master and mistress. What came into view was a colossal vessel approximately 300 zhang (150 m) long—

This thing looks somewhat similar to the Zeppelin airships of my previous life, the difference being that it has a large crew cabin underneath.

"Welcome guests from all directions and enjoy peace and prosperity around the world. Welcome to Dragonair."

The flight attendants and emcees, all dressed in black short-sleeved tops and red skirts, bowed gracefully to the passengers.

Many men couldn't help but stare intently at this scene. Mo Zian curled his lip in disdain. Was he such a vulgar person?

Yes.

Mo Zian has always been self-aware.

Following the group, Mo Zian stepped into the air transportation of this world for the first time.

The interior decoration and layout are somewhat similar to a ship's cabin, except that the airship's cabin has rows of leather benches on both sides, and the round windows are made of extremely thick glass and sealed with large rivets.

"Passengers, please be seated and fasten your seatbelts. This airship is about to take off..."

Mo Zian fastened a belt around his neck, and soon after, with a clear ignition sound, the loud engine noise passed through the soundproofing layer of the passenger cabin and turned into a humming sound, and the hull began to vibrate slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Mo Zian could feel a noticeable lift, and through the small round window beside him, he found himself getting farther and farther away from the ground.

The passenger airship slowly ascended, moving very slowly as it left the ground, but began to accelerate after reaching mid-air.

Soon, the area outside the small round window was shrouded in a light white mist.

The airship continued to climb, quickly passing through the thickened clouds caused by accumulated rain, and the view suddenly opened up.

A bright sun on the horizon cast its light upon the rolling clouds, turning them a golden hue. The swirling clouds resembled rolling waves, like a sea of ​​gold.

The airship floated above the clouds, cutting through the waves.

According to Master Gui Haishuo, these civilian passenger airships are all old models of the "Kun-type" airships that were phased out by the military, with a speed of up to 480 li (120 km/h).

This flight to Guangwu City will have two layovers before arriving in Guangwu City in the evening.

As the journey progressed, the cabin lights gradually dimmed, and the passengers began to doze off, including Mo Zian.

His seat was on the inside, so he could lean against the bulkhead and soon fell asleep.

In a dream.

Mo Zian suddenly woke up and realized that he had experienced this lucid dream state again after many years.

The surroundings were still shrouded in a thick, gray fog, and those annoying eyes reappeared.

Just as Mo Zian was about to take action, the scene before him suddenly changed, and he found himself in front of the small courtyard in Munan Town—all the windows of the old house were shattered, and looking inside from the outside, there was a little boy lying in a pool of blood on the ground.

Mo Zian showed no fear and strode into the courtyard.

The little boy on the ground slowly sat up and turned to look at Mo Zian. The boy had no face, only a pair of eyes filled with malice and resentment.

Upon seeing Mo Zian enter, the other party was clearly taken aback, and then, without warning, a hideous mouth suddenly appeared on the lower part of his back.

"roar!!!"

With a non-human roar, Mo Zian's consciousness blurred instantly. In the final moments, Mo Zian vaguely heard a sentence.

"Is it too late? We can't wait any longer..."

……

"what!"

Mo Zian suddenly woke up and found a warm and strong hand resting on his leg.

"Zi'an, I notice your breathing is unstable. Did you have a nightmare?"

"I'm fine, Master." Mo Zian shook his head. "I just dreamt that someone was watching me."

"Oh?"

Gui Haishuo nodded noncommittally after listening. "Don't overthink it. Use the method I taught you to adjust your breathing. Although you haven't cultivated the ether yet, it can stabilize your mind."

"Yes, Master."

Mo Zian lost all sleepiness and began to adjust his breathing and calm his emotions. If it were someone else in this situation, they might be scared, but Mo Zian was not afraid at all. Instead, he was filled with anger.

He even started looking forward to what would happen when he went to sleep at night.

"You son of a bitch, don't let me catch you."

……

The airship cut through the air, sailing from day into night, and finally landed in another dimly lit place.

"Passengers, we have arrived at our final destination – Guangwu City. Please take your belongings and disembark in an orderly manner..."

Mo Zian followed his master and mistress off the airship and walked with the crowd toward the exit.

"Is this Guangwu City?"

As Mo Zian walked, he curiously looked around. Clearly, even from the inside, the terminal building in Guangwu City was much more magnificent than that in Yuecheng.

The massive stone pillars are adorned with exquisite bas-reliefs, and the interior of the tall roof is covered in colorful paintings. The flowers in the flowerbeds on both sides have not yet bloomed, but it's not hard to imagine what it will look like when they are in full bloom.

It's no wonder it's the capital city.

At that moment, a dry, cold wind blew by, causing Mo Zian to shiver involuntarily.

"Hurry up and put your clothes on. This place is not like the warm and humid Licheng."

Looking around at the scenery, Gui Haishuo said with some emotion, "I didn't expect the airport in the capital to be renovated so beautifully... Let's hurry up and walk a few steps, I guess that family is getting impatient."

……

at this time.

Outside the terminal exit, two figures stood amidst the swirling snowflakes.

Although it is already early spring, Guangwu City, located in the north-central part of the city, has not yet seen much of spring. The lingering cold front has met with moisture, so it snowed again in Guangwu City today.

"Shushu, why did Guihai suddenly change his mind?"

A woman who wasn't very tall but had a voluptuous figure, dressed in a red uniform of an official from the Imperial Ministry of Works, reached into her pocket, pulled out a small, flat iron flask, unscrewed the lid, and took a big gulp.

"If I had known he was coming to Guangwu City, I wouldn't have worn this outfit."

"It's a good thing that you've entered the officialdom; it will bring you many conveniences in Guangwu's country."

A tall male figure draped a coat over the woman's shoulders. "You and I both know too well what kind of person Guihai is. There's only one way to make a stubborn mule turn back."

"You've broken through the south wall?" The woman was slightly taken aback. "My goodness..."

The tall man looked into the distance, then his eyes lit up. He then took off his cotton hood, revealing long ears and pale gold hair that were quite different from those of the Guangwu people.

"They're here!"

The woman picked up the wine jug, her expression brightening.

"You two kids, come here right now!"

Two young men, one tall and one short, emerged from the etheric vehicle and took a few quick steps.

Not far away, a familiar figure came into view.

"Brother Guihai, Sister Fengye! Over here!" The woman waved and jumped up.

Upon hearing this, Gui Haishuo quickened his pace and took a few steps.

"Li Yu! Heng Shu! Long time no see!"