Pursued by the Heavenly Dao, first level up in the courtyard.

The next morning, Qi Bing, alone at home, silently contemplated the meaning behind the imagery.

His understanding of the concepts of Yin, Yang, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Thunder has almost reached a minor level of mastery.

For an ordinary person, possessing these five things is considered a success: a house, a car, money, a wife, and children.

For Qi Bing, only by defeating the Heavenly Dao can he achieve true success.

Before defeating the Heavenly Dao, any success can only be considered a minor achievement.

With the Heavenly Dao as a mortal enemy, Qi Bing couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency deep down.

"The great god Pangu used an axe to cleave the chaos, so I should also choose a weapon."

After much deliberation, Qi Bing decided to use a knife as his weapon.

"If I can't even grasp the essence of power, how can I understand the laws and rules of power? First, I'll use the sword intent to carry the power of various intents. Later, I'll integrate other intents, and eventually, the sword intent of various intents will be fused together. Its power will definitely be very strong."

Discarding all distractions, Qi Bing began to comprehend the essence of the sword.

Compared to the concepts of Yin Yang, Five Elements, Wind and Thunder, the intent of the sword is simpler and purer.

Upon entering the manor in the Xuanhuang World, Qi Bing set an alarm clock and devoted himself to comprehending the essence of the sword.

In order to earn money for matchmaking, Wang the matchmaker praised the Yan family highly.

Upon learning the truth, the Yu family sought justice from Matchmaker Wang, which severely damaged her reputation.

Having suffered a loss, Wang the matchmaker demanded compensation from the Yan family.

Unfortunately, the stingy and calculating Yan family brazenly turned the tables and accused the victim.

"Old Zhang, you're still asking Matchmaker Wang to introduce a potential partner to your daughter? Aren't you afraid she'll scam you?"

"Old Wu, what do you mean?"

"Old Zhang, don't you know? The man Wang the matchmaker introduced to Yu Li, Yan Jiecheng, is an electrician apprentice at the steel rolling mill. He earns eighteen yuan a month, and he has to give fifteen yuan back to his family."

"You earn eighteen yuan a month, and you have to give fifteen yuan to your family?"

"Yan Jiecheng's job was bought by his parents for 500 yuan. Yan Jiecheng has to pay back 600 yuan. They bought the job for their son and now they want him to pay back the money with interest."

"This is outrageous! Not only do they charge money for buying a job for their own son, but they also charge interest."

"I heard that at Yan Bugui's house in Nanluoguxiang, peanuts are divided by the piece, and pickled vegetables are divided by the piece. No one is allowed to eat an extra peanut or a single piece of pickled vegetable."

"Yan Bugui? Is that the Yan Shuzhai bookstore from before?"

"It's that Yan Shuzhai."

"Yan Shuzhai, Yan Bugui, a stingy small business owner."

"That's a good nickname. The homeowner is stingy, so he should be called a stingy homeowner."

"The term 'stingy homeowner' is too long; it's easier to just call him Old Stingy Yan."

The story of the stingy homeowner, Old Man Yan, spread rapidly from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

Wang Yunxia couldn't sit still any longer because someone in her jurisdiction had such a bad reputation. She had someone summon Yan Bugui and criticized him for more than ten minutes straight.

"Director Wang, it's not that I want to charge Jiecheng interest, it's just that my family is really struggling. There are six of us in my family, our salaries are low, and our house isn't big enough. Jiecheng and his family need money for their weddings, for buying houses..."

"Then you can't ask Yan Jiecheng for interest, you're his biological father."

"Director Wang, Yan Jiecheng can't save money, so I'll save it for him. He eats lunch at the factory and usually eats at home. It's three yuan a month, which is about enough for him. If he doesn't have money, how could I refuse to give it to him?"

"Yan Bugui, be mindful of your behavior. You should go back now."

One of the teachers at the school had a bad reputation, and the principal couldn't sit still. He had someone summon Yan Bugui, and then launched into another tirade of abuse.

"Principal, it's not that I'm stingy, or that I like to calculate; it's just that my family is really struggling. There are six people in my family, and three of my children are still in school. We need money for their weddings..."

"Teacher Yan, there are many people whose lives are harder than yours. You, as a father, spent money to buy your child a job, and now you expect your child to pay you back with interest. Is that fair?"

"Principal, I know I was wrong."

"Alright, don't do this kind of thing again. You can go now."

Time flies, and the world of courtyard houses arrives at July 1st.

With school on summer vacation, Liu Xiaoqian had some free time.

After thinking for a moment, Qi Bing drove his wife straight to Chongqing.

The highway from Yucheng to Beicheng has been completed, with a total length of about 1,800 kilometers.

They set off at three in the morning and arrived in Chongqing by evening.

Qi Bing has an apartment in Yucheng, which was provided to him by Yucheng Industrial Group.

After returning from the battlefield, Qi soldiers would come to Chongqing two or three times a year.

As an engineer at Yucheng Industrial Group, Qi Bing, accompanied by Liu Xiaoqian, visited one factory after another.

In recent years, Chongqing has developed rapidly, with the scale and number of factories constantly increasing.

After the dilapidated houses in the city were demolished, they were rebuilt into brand-new reinforced concrete buildings.

The originally narrow streets and highways have been transformed into six- or eight-lane roads, and water, electricity, and gas pipelines have been built along the sides of the streets and highways.

After taking a look at Yucheng Industrial School, Qi Bing was fairly satisfied.

The large number of students admitted to universities without examination last year led to a decline in the overall quality of new university students.

With just over ten days until the start of this year's college entrance examination, Chongqing Industrial School will welcome its first batch of college students after the exam.

Visiting factories, attending meetings, and shopping with my wife Liu Xiaoqian—more than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Qi Bing resolved some technical issues, then drove his wife back to the east wing of the northern city.

"Hey soldier, are we going to my parents' house for dinner tomorrow?"

"Okay, the fruit in the yard is ripe too, let's pick some and give them to Mom and Dad."

Qi Bing planted grapes, plums, peaches, cherries, and watermelons in the east courtyard. Although he didn't plant many, it was enough for him to eat.

Most of the fruit he and Liu Xiaoqian usually eat is picked from the Xuanhuang World.

Many students who took the exam applied to Yucheng Industrial School.

Yucheng Industrial School offers junior high, high school, and university education. Tuition, meals, and accommodation are all free for students enrolled in Yucheng Industrial School.

Most of the grain supplied to Yucheng Industrial School came from Sanhe Company.

After the highway from Chongqing to the coast of Guizhou was completed, transporting grain became very convenient.

Some of the grain from Sanhe Company was transported to the dock on the coast of Guizhou, and then loaded onto trucks and transported to Chongqing.

Sanhe Company imported some grain from overseas and transported it directly to the docks on the coast of Guizhou, from where it was then transferred by trucks and trains.

The research centers, factories, and schools under the Yucheng Industrial Group not only provide students with enough to eat, but also a meat dish every day.

After summer vacation, Liu Xiaoqian returned to school as a teacher.

Qi Bing went to see some elders and suggested that they sell off the obsolete weapons and equipment.

After the Type 5 and Type 6 series weapons were first issued, more and more individual weapons were replaced.

Qi Bing's reasoned and well-founded analysis won the support of the elders.

The discarded individual weapons are sold by Sanhe Company.

The cost of a single five- or six-step water bead is far lower than the price of a second-hand water bead overseas.

Sanhe Company earned a small profit, and Xia Jun switched to self-produced firearms, so he not only didn't lose money, but also made a little.

While bolt-action rifles are outdated for the Xia Kingdom, they are still coveted weapons in certain parts of the Blue Star.

After years of war, the Xia Kingdom purchased and seized countless guns and ammunition.

Overseas forces, lacking funds to purchase firearms and ammunition? They can exchange them for supplies.

Sanhe Company buys iron ore, copper ore, oil, timber, and more.

Those who think of Chisha will leave next year. On a whim, Qi Bing develops his own pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, precision rifles, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, light machine guns, heavy machine guns, and shotguns.

Using the crafting skill, guns and ammunition can be produced instantly.

Problems were discovered during testing, optimized in the blink of an eye, and then resolved again during further testing.

In less than three days, Qi Bing developed several weapons and their corresponding ammunition.