Demon, come and cultivate for me.

The night sky was dotted with stars, and the moonlight shone on the grassy hills. A gentle breeze occasionally swept by, making it refreshing and pleasant.

Xie Ning covered Zhou Chu's mouth and continued to ask, "Tell me, are you going or not?"

Zhou Chu removed her hand and said, "What are you doing? Getting handsy like this is not good if someone sees."

Xie Ning looked around, but apart from the two of them, there wasn't a soul in sight on the hill. There was no one else around.

"I'm asking you, are you going or not?"

"No way." Zhou Chu refused decisively: "We've only known each other for a few days, and you're already talking about marriage? I, Zhou Chu, am not a casual person."

Xie Ning was speechless at his words, and punched him hard on the arm, saying, "What do you mean? Do you mean I'm a promiscuous person?"

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was..."

"What do you mean by 'meaningful'? We've been through thick and thin together in the Centipede Cave, don't you think?"

"Yes." Zhou Chu did not refute this statement.

"Since we're such good friends, it's only right that you help me, isn't it?"

"right."

"Going to my house to propose marriage is helping me, so you should go, right?"

"No...no." Zhou Chu almost got confused by her: "This is different..."

"What's the difference?" Xie Ning said angrily, "If I have to marry an old man, I'd rather die. You proposed marriage, so I don't have to marry the Crown Prince. You saved my life, and that's how you repay my life-saving grace."

"You mean you're using me as a shield? How can an unmarried woman treat such a life-changing event like a game?"

"I didn't use you as a shield..." Xie Ning's momentum clearly weakened.

"Do you not want to marry the Crown Prince, or have you taken a fancy to me?"

"I..." Xie Ning didn't expect him to ask so directly, and stammered for a moment, unable to speak.

"I don't want to marry the Crown Prince. That's simple. After I arrive in the capital..."

Before Zhou Chu could finish speaking, Xie Ning said:

"I want to marry you..."

Xie Ning's voice was barely audible. After speaking, she turned her face away and lowered her head, not daring to look at Zhou Chu.

"..."

Zhou Chu was taken aback by the girl's words and was momentarily speechless.

He did not develop romantic feelings for Xie Ning.

Xie Ning reminded him of the annoying female classmate who used to steal his pencils and erasers when he was in elementary school.

But Xie Ning was clearly much prettier than his female classmate at the time.

Xie Ning has bright eyes and white teeth, and fair skin; she is definitely a first-class beauty.

She's tall and slender with long legs and a slim waist... but she's rather plain. Compared to the Hu Xiaoxian and Hu Xiaobai sisters, she's practically an ordinary vegetable.

Furthermore, at sixteen or seventeen years old, she would have been a high school student in her previous life.

Although Zhou Chu is only nineteen years old now, he has lived two lives and his mental age is almost thirty. He simply cannot accept a high school student who is not yet an adult.

Moreover, Xie Ning is at an age where she is just beginning to experience romantic feelings and is quite naive; she might mistake other feelings for romantic love.

Thinking of Hu Xiaobai, Zhou Chu recalled the soft touch on his arm that day. Actually, if it had been Hu Xiaoxian, it wouldn't have been any different...

Zhou Chu shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off the embarrassing images from his mind.

Humans and demons are destined to be apart! Humans and demons are destined to be apart! Humans and demons are destined to be apart...

The two sat under the moonlight for a long time without saying another word.

The mountain wind, carrying the chirping of insects, blows into the distance.

This was the most relaxing night Zhou Chu had experienced since his transmigration.

It was also the most conflicted night for him, as he didn't know how to face Xie Ning next.

Who knows what kind of trouble this girl might cause?

After all, Xie Ning could even say things like "I saw his body naked, so I have to take responsibility for him" in front of her brother.

Zhou Chu dared not think about what she dared not do.

The convoy continued its journey early the next morning.

The sky was clear and cloudless.

The once lifeless valley is now teeming with birds and beasts, teeming with life.

It was noon when the convoy left Black Wind Valley.

The sunlight was so bright that people could barely open their eyes, and everyone hurried along with their heads down.

After walking only a few miles, a huge shadow suddenly appeared on the ground.

Someone in the group shouted, "Look, a flying boat!"

Zhou Chu looked up and saw a huge ship floating in the air.

From a distance, the ship appeared to be at least forty or fifty zhang long and several zhang wide. As it flew over the convoy, its shadow was so thick it blotted out the sun, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

Zhou Chu felt like his megalophobia was about to flare up.

How does such a huge thing fly into the sky?

"Flying boat? You've never seen one before, have you?" Chen Xiangzi asked.

"This is the first time we've met," Zhou Chu replied truthfully.

"This is my first time seeing this too," Chen Xiangzi said.

It's the first time we've met, so why are you asking me if I've seen it before? It's like you're some kind of expert.

Zhou Chu glanced at him and continued to look up at the flying boat.

Chen Xiangzi continued:

"This is a flying boat made in the State of Lu. When I passed through the State of Lu, I heard that someone wanted to build a flying boat, but at the time I thought it was just a pipe dream."

Unexpectedly, it was actually built in just two or three years.

The craftsmen of Lu truly lived up to their reputation.

Zhou Chu asked, "What makes it fly?"

"Runes, true energy." Chen Xiangzi answered without hesitation: "The most crucial thing is true energy; runes are merely channels connecting the ship's hull and true energy."

How did you know?

"The shipbuilder once consulted me about runes."

"So, you also deserve some credit for building this flying boat?"

"That's natural."

"How high a cultivation level would it take to power such a large ship with true energy?"

"Twenty people are needed for beginner-level martial artists. Ten people are needed for intermediate-level martial artists. Three to five people are enough for peak-level martial artists."

"If I were to drive, wouldn't it be enough for just one person?"

"Uh..." Chen Xiangzi was speechless for a moment, after all, he had never seen many martial artists at the True Body Realm.

Zhou Chu was the first True Body Realm cultivator he encountered.

Watching the flying boat disappear into the distance, Zhou Chu couldn't help but sigh, "If only we had flying boats, transporting demon corpses wouldn't be so arduous."

At this moment, Xie Qi walked over and said, "What are you thinking? The value of these demon corpses is not even as high as the value of a sail on the flying boat."

"Young Master Xie, do you know how much silver this ship is worth?" Chen Xiangzi asked curiously.

Xie Qi said, "This is a flying boat ordered by the King of Yan from the State of Lu. I don't know how much silver it cost, but I do know that the King of Yan exchanged it for several cities, including Langya, Chunyu, Yeyi, and Donglai."

"A city for a flying boat? This flying boat is truly priceless." Chen Xiangzi was taken aback, but he quickly realized something was amiss:

"That's not right. These cities you mentioned are all under the jurisdiction of Qi. How could the King of Yan offer them up to exchange with Lu?"

"Is that even a question? Of course, we'll conquer it and give it to the State of Lu."

"..."

"You come from the State of Chu, so naturally you don't know how powerful the army of my Great Yan is. Back in the day..." Xie Qi spoke eloquently about the Yan army.

Among the various states in the Central Plains, the State of Yan was known for its generosity and warlike nature.

The northern border of the Yan Kingdom is located in a harsh and cold region. Since ancient times, the people there have been fierce and brave, with many warriors. Therefore, the first king of Yan chose to establish his capital in Ji City in the north.

On the one hand, it facilitated the management of the unruly people under its rule; on the other hand, it allowed for timely conscription of soldiers from the north to fight against the invasion of the northern barbarians.

Over the centuries, the Yan army not only made a name for itself among the northern barbarians, but also earned a formidable reputation among the southern states.

In recent years, however, the State of Wei has undergone reforms, recruiting only warriors to form the Wei Wu Zu, whose strength has greatly increased and whose reputation has long surpassed that of the Yan army.

The Qin state learned from the Wei state, formed the Qin elite army, and offered them titles and generous rewards, making it even stronger than the Wei state.