Liang Xin’an said with great pride, looking just like a child showing off his toys.
Gui Xuanqing and Jin Fu naturally applauded, and even Zhao Ya had to admit that the people of the Mechanical Sect indeed had their own unique insights.
"Let’s go, I’ll show you something else."
With that, Liang Xin’an led the group down the mountain.
This time, they didn’t walk far.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they arrived at a platform hidden in the mountain forest.
Brushing aside the concealing weeds, a strangely shaped iron cart appeared in front of them.
Then, Liang Xin’an skillfully pushed the iron cart out of the track and sat in the driver’s seat.
"Get in, it’ll be much faster going down the mountain with this thing!"
Gui Xuanqing and Jin Fu eagerly got on the cart, but Zhao Ya didn’t move.
"What? Are you scared?" Liang Xin’an laughed.
"Not really, I just want to see if your cart is faster or if my legs are faster!"
"Alright, let’s have a race then!"
Saying this, Liang Xin’an released the brake.
The cart rumbled forward, rushing swiftly downhill along the track under the influence of gravity.
Zhao Ya gave chase.
The cart went faster and faster, and since the track was laid in the mountains, it couldn’t be smooth and even, so there were inevitably rugged and challenging spots.
Hence, the cart frequently maneuvered through the bends and dangerous spots with dangerously high-difficulty moves.
Zhao Ya didn’t move fast, keeping up at a steady pace, so he could clearly see Gui Xuanqing and Jin Fu’s gradually pale faces, causing him to secretly laugh.
That’s exactly what he noticed earlier, which is why he found an excuse to walk down the mountain.
Finally.
After a jarring and terrifying ride, the cart finally rushed down the slope and reached a flat area among the mountains.
As the terrain gradually leveled, the cart’s speed also gradually slowed down.
When the cart finally came to a complete stop, Gui Xuanqing and Jin Fu could no longer hold it in and got out, vomiting profusely.
Liang Xin’an, however, was invigorated, laughing heartily: "Heh, it might be a bit uncomfortable at first, but after a while, you’ll understand the fun of it."
Gui Xuanqing and Jin Fu looked bitter.
If they had known earlier that riding the cart down the mountain would be so thrilling, they would have rather walked down step by step.
This was when Liang Xin’an looked at Zhao Ya, who had just arrived.
"Kid, you lost!"
"Yes, I lost!" Zhao Ya admitted his defeat decisively, catching Liang Xin’an a little off guard.
"Damn it, I forgot to make a bet with you at the start." Liang Xin’an felt at a loss.
By now, they were very close to that Mechanical City.
And because of the noise from the iron cart earlier, someone soon came over.
"Senior Brother Liang, you’re back!"
The newcomer hastily shouted upon seeing Liang Xin’an.
"Yes, I’m back. These two are good prospects I’ve found for the sect, and this one is my friend."
Liang Xin’an simply introduced Zhao Ya and the others before heading towards the Mechanical City.
"Has there been any news in the sect lately?"
"News? Nothing really, except..."
The person’s words hadn’t finished when the ground suddenly trembled, and a loud boom was heard as a plume of black smoke rose in the distance from the Mechanical City.
Gui Xuanqing and Jin Fu were startled.
Zhao Ya’s heart also skipped a beat.
But Liang Xin’an and the people who came to greet him wore faces of nonchalance.
Liang Xin’an even looked at the black smoke in the distance with interest and asked, "Are those Thunder Fire Department guys still blowing things up every day?"
"Blowing up? When aren’t they? If they didn’t, could they still be called the Thunder Fire Department? Thankfully, the brothers from the Celestial Craft Department are strong, and the city walls they built are thick and sturdy; otherwise, our Mechanical City would have been blown to bits." The person said gloatingly.
"Humph, just a bunch who know how to mess around."
Liang Xin’an clearly held some prejudice against the Thunder and Fire Department and thus spoke disdainfully.
By this time, they had entered the city.
Although it was called a city, upon entering, one could distinctly feel the difference from an ordinary city.
The first was that the streets were empty, not even a pedestrian in sight.
Secondly, what stood on either side of the streets were not shops, but workshops.
Only these workshops were mostly separated by high walls, with only faint sounds coming from within.
Not far ahead, Zhao Ya saw a ruin.
That’s right.
Literally a ruin.
A workshop had been leveled to the ground, spewing thick black smoke.
Occasionally, explosions could still be heard from the ruins.
Yet beside such a hazardous site squatted a row of people.
These people were all in tattered clothes, covered in the black soot from explosions.
Without showing their teeth, it was hard to tell front from back.
Even so, they were still gathered together, heatedly discussing something.
"I knew I was right. You can’t have too much nitre, or the gunpowder becomes unstable. See, just a little carelessness, and the workshop we finally repaired was blown to flat ground again."
"Damn it, all because those Celestial Craft Department guys were so stingy. Last time we rebuilt the workshop, I wanted them to cast it entirely in stone, but they refused."
"Come on, if it were made of stone, we’d all end up in the sky with the rocks."
"But this explosion was pretty powerful, so the recipe needs to be recorded. It could be used as a one-time weapon in the future."
"Already noted. This workshop’s damage severity can be ranked in the top three of a few hundred previous records, so this explosion is very valuable."
"Indeed."
"Absolutely!"
The group echoed, even sounding somewhat unfulfilled.
Although they were some distance away, Zhao Ya clearly heard these people’s words and couldn’t help but find it absurd.
The workshop got blown up, and these people thought it was worth it.
What kind of lunatics were they?
At this point, this group also spotted Liang Xin’an and the others approaching, pausing their original debate.
Someone stood up and said, "Senior Brother Liang, is this your return?"
"Yes!" Liang Xin’an nodded.
Though he always had little regard for the Thunder and Fire Department, considering them lacking in technical grace, seeing these disheveled yet exhilarated people, Liang Xin’an had to admit that in terms of sheer madness, these guys were number one in the Mechanical Sect.
"Why another blowup?" Liang Xin’an asked casually.
"Heh, lately we’ve been experimenting with a kind of gunpowder that’s both powerful and safe to store, but the formula ratio is hard to pin down, so explosions happen more often." That person laughed awkwardly.
"Are you guys alright?"
"Don’t worry, we’re used to it. Explosion is an art, and surviving them is our Thunder and Fire Department’s unique skill, so we’re all fine."
"Good, keep it up!" Liang Xin’an didn’t know how to respond, so he could only encourage them.
"Sure thing, Senior Brother Liang. By the way, how were the burst arrows we made for you last time?"
"Great effect, any more?"
Previously, Liang Xin’an nearly wiped out Zhen Juncheng’s men with these burst arrows, so he was naturally satisfied with their power.
"Yes, of course, we’ve upgraded them; the arrowhead design has been changed, allowing for more charges while reducing weight. Perfect for home and travel..."
"Cut the crap, what’s the price?"
The man held up two fingers.
Liang Xin’an frowned, "Two Mechanical Orders is too expensive!"
"That’s already the cost price. If you don’t believe me, I can provide you with one to try first, and I promise after one use you’ll be hooked."
"I’m on good terms with Senior Brother Niu of the Celestial Craft Department; I can ask him to help you guys repair your workshop." Liang Xin’an interrupted the sales pitch, speaking in a firm tone.
The man was overjoyed at this, immediately stretching out his hand, "Deal!"
After concluding this transaction, Liang Xin’an led Zhao Ya and the others away from the ruins.
Until he walked a considerable distance, Zhao Ya looked back to see those Thunder Fire Department disciples, pitch-black and resembling wild men, still fiercely debating something, paying no heed to the ongoing explosions behind them.
This was indeed the Mechanical Sect, famed as a sect full of madmen.
It truly lives up to its reputation!