You promised steampunk martial arts, but you've got an internal combustion engine in your chest

The three mechanics had already gathered around.

Their eyes were fixed on him, demanding that Baili Jing explain his earlier idea.

Baili Jing swallowed hard, gathered his thoughts, and began to explain haltingly:

"Um... Masters, this is what I'm thinking. You said that the core of my dantian is like a runaway high-pressure steam engine, constantly spewing energy out in a disorderly manner, right? When a steam engine does work, it expands the high-pressure steam once, pushes the piston, and then it is discharged. This is called single expansion."

He paused, trying hard to recall the mechanical knowledge he had gained from his previous life:

"But what if we don't see it as a steam engine, but... see it as another kind of machine?"

"We can first channel this energy into a dedicated channel, preventing it from directly impacting the internal organs; then compress it within the channel to increase its density and storage efficiency; finally, store it, and release it directionally when a fight is needed! In this way, it becomes a fuel distribution valve, rather than a runaway boiler?"

He added somewhat embarrassedly:

"Simply put, a steam engine is a single-stage expansion engine, but what I'm thinking of is... a multi-stage compression engine. I understand, that's all. I really can't explain the specifics."

This is indeed Baili Jing's limit.

He was, after all, just a driver, not a mechanic.

After he finished speaking, he looked at the three mechanical masters with some trepidation.

However, the three masters could not give him a response.

The three people, A, B, and C, stood motionless in place as if they had been simultaneously frozen in place, their eyes frozen, like three wax figures.

Bai Lijing felt a chill run down his spine and tried calling out, "Hey? You three? Hello? Kou Ni Ji Wa? Are you... alright?"

next second...

"Aaaaaaah!!!"

Bing suddenly let out a scream, which startled Baili Jing so much that he trembled all over.

Before the scream had even faded, he suddenly turned and ran out of the room, his legs flaring inwards.

As for A and B, they remained rooted to the spot, their eyes vacant, as if their souls had left their bodies.

Less than ten seconds later, a scream came from the next room:

"You two!! Get your asses over here right now! I can't lift this thing by myself!!"

A and B suddenly came to their senses and rushed out without saying a word.

After a series of ping-pong sounds, the three of them carried a heavy object back to the workshop.

Baili Jing turned his head curiously to examine the object.

The object was about the size of a dressing table, supported by four solid small copper wheels. The overall frame was made of brass and black iron, with a dense array of gears, connecting rods, and springs exposed.

Most notably, it is covered with rows of copper discs, each edge of which is engraved with intricate numbers and symbols.

The three had a clear division of labor: B and C took out notebooks and pens, squatted on either side of the machine, and stared at the copper turntables; while the old man A rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a crank on the side of the machine, and began to crank it vigorously at a very rhythmic speed.

As the crank handle turned, a series of dense and crisp gear meshing sounds rang out, and the entire row of copper turntables began to spin, jump, and mesh wildly, emitting bursts of hum.

Baili Jing was completely bewildered and couldn't help but ask, "What... what is this thing?"

As the old man vigorously cranked the handle, he answered without looking up, "This is called a difference engine, specifically used for data calculation! It's a real treasure; there are no more than five in the entire Great Jing Dynasty!"

"So... my idea that I just mentioned worked?"

Baili Jing asked cautiously.

The woman suddenly raised her head, her eyes shining like will-o'-the-wisps, her tone filled with adoration:

"Useful?! It's fucking useful! Your idea is simply genius! No, genius isn't even enough to describe it! These things... are simply extraordinary wisdom from another world!"

Bai Lijing grinned somewhat embarrassedly.

This is indeed from another world, but it's not something I can imagine.

Bing also raised her head, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection, and said in a sweet, delicate voice, her fingers twirling like orchids:

"Hey buddy, this is great... I finally have a chance to thoroughly examine your internal organs from head to toe..."

Baili Jing shivered. He suddenly felt that... dying like this might not be such a bad thing.

After the difference engine had been running at high speed for a while, the three mechanics gathered around the table, discussing intensely while quickly sketching on the blueprints.

Old Man Jia said in a deep voice, "A piston is definitely needed; it's the most basic working unit! A cylinder block is also necessary. The intake manifold should be made of tin-plated brass—it conducts heat quickly and is corrosion-resistant. That should do the trick!"

The woman slammed her hand on the table and retorted, "Why are you worrying about these trivial details?! The key issue is energy conduction! The traditional black gold wiring network solution is definitely unusable; we need a completely new conduction method!"

Old Man Jia, annoyed by the retort, glared at the man and shouted, "The main structure isn't even finished yet, and you're worrying about the black gold wiring network?! You don't even know which way the valves on this thing open, and you're already talking about transmission schemes?!"

The second woman, not to be outdone, retorted with her hands on her hips, "That's why you have to design it in reverse, based on human anatomy!! You just open an exhaust vent, and then high-pressure gas sprays straight into his head, blowing his skull off!"

The two argued more and more fiercely, spitting as they spoke, and eventually started fighting again, rolling on the ground and wrestling as they exchanged punches and kicks.

Bing completely ignored them and continued to scribble and draw rapidly on the drawings.

Suddenly, he raised his head and shouted:

"Stop right there! That's not the point at all!"

A and B were grabbing each other's collars, and at the same time turned to look at C, both looking bewildered.

Bing proudly brandished his pen, his eyes gleaming, and said, "The key is... what to name it! This work is destined to be remembered for generations! The name is the most important thing! Only a good name can ensure its legacy!"

There was a two-second silence.

A and B exchanged a glance, reaching a tacit understanding. They released their grip on each other's collars, rolled up their sleeves, and turned to walk step by step toward C.

Upon seeing this, Bing's expression changed drastically: "What...what do you want to do?! I'm...Hey! Don't hit my face! Ouch!!"

The three of them fought again, causing chaos and destruction. Tables were overturned, blueprints were scattered, and the difference engine was almost knocked over.

But this time, as Baili Jing lay on the iron bed, watching the noisy scene, he felt very at ease.

He grinned and smiled silently.

After an unknown amount of time, the three bruised and battered mechanical masters finally completed all the calculations and blueprint designs.

They brought in a huge pile of parts, tools, and semi-finished instruments.

They disassembled the once-intact machinery into parts scattered all over the ground, and then quickly began to reassemble it.

During the assembly process, the three fought countless times due to various disagreements. The old man's right eye was swollen from being hit, a large clump of the woman's hair was pulled out, and the man was also beaten until his nose bled profusely, and the cloth covering his face was soaked with blood.

But Baili Jing no longer cared.

Because while these operations were being performed, the three masters, through some means he couldn't understand, properly guided and alleviated the violent heat within his body.

Now, instead of feeling pain, he felt a long-lost sense of comfort and warmth.

In a daze, he simply closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

I don't know how long I slept.

Half-asleep, Baili Jing suddenly felt a strange sensation.

The feeling was as if countless tiny plant roots were spreading, unfolding, and entwining along his blood vessels and meridians between his chest and abdomen, eventually interlocking with his organs and becoming one with them.

"Well……"

Baili Jing suddenly opened his eyes and subconsciously looked down.

I saw that there was a big gash torn from my collarbone to my navel!

The edges of the bloody, mangled wound were pried open by several metal forceps, revealing the still slightly pulsating organs inside.

Meanwhile, Bing, the effeminate man, was putting his hand inside his chest, fiddling with something.

Holy crap!!!

Baili Jing was so frightened that he let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

C was so frightened by the howl that he almost lost his balance.

After regaining his balance, he pointed a delicate finger and lightly tapped Baili Jing's forehead, scolding him playfully:

"Hey buddy, don't scare me! Luckily my hand was steady. You startled me just now and almost tore your trachea off! That thing is thinner than a hair. If it broke, where would I go to reconnect it?"

Baili Jing was terrified, his voice trembling: "What...what are you doing?!"

Bing rolled his eyes at him, then continued working on his project, speaking casually:

"Oh dear, don't make a fuss. We've set up a gold conduction network for you. Don't worry, we've given you a full dose of anesthetic, so you won't feel any pain."

Hearing this, and seeing that he didn't feel any pain, Baili Jing was slightly relieved.

But why isn't this level of surgery performed under general anesthesia?

How could I still stay conscious?

What is the principle behind this?

He didn't quite understand, and was too lazy to think about it, so he simply turned his head and looked at the other side of the workshop.

Sparks and white steam flew together as A and B sat together, their fingers flying across the paper.

Those intricate gears, connecting rods, copper pipes, and valves, in their hands, seemed to come alive, gradually piecing together a strange machine.

The machine was extremely complex in its construction, possessing both the robust and rugged feel of a steam furnace and a sophisticated beauty that was completely out of step with the times.

As Baili Jing watched the gradually taking shape, a strange premonition suddenly welled up in his heart.

These three lunatics...maybe they can actually manage to develop an internal combustion engine?