Liu Jinyuan was completely bewildered by the actions of the Moon Worshiper and his followers. He did not understand why they were using various methods to weigh stones and water. So upon hearing this question he shook his head calmly and said "Jinyuan does not understand what the Master is doing. Could you please enlighten me?"
"Young Master Liu you are Master Alex's disciple. What has Master Alex taught you?" Instead of rushing to answer Liu Jinyuan directly, he asked a question in return.
"Jinyuan abandoned literature for martial arts so these days I have been studying martial arts and swordsmanship with Master Alex" Liu Jinyuan replied calmly though he did not know why the Moon Worshiper asked this.
"As the ancients said 'Buying the box and returning the pearl is unwise.' Young Master Liu was the top scholar of the dynasty yet you unexpectedly did the same foolish thing. You have not seen that Master Alex possesses peerless and extraordinary knowledge yet you have chosen to learn these mere martial arts." Shaking his head the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader felt genuine pity for Liu Jinyuan's martial arts studies.
If he were Master Alex's disciple he would certainly have mastered all of his unique knowledge before he would stop.
However while feeling pity for Liu Jinyuan's mere martial arts studies, the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader also felt pity for Alex himself.
He possessed such unique and revolutionary knowledge yet he kept it secret from everyone. Not even Liu Jinyuan himself knew. This showed that Alex like himself was alone. He was a sober soul amidst the drunkenness of the world.
Liu Jinyuan's mind filled with a sense of wonder. Young Master Alex's master's unique and extraordinary skill?
Liu Jinyuan immediately recalled that evening. Alex and the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader had indeed discussed many topics that were difficult for others to understand. Some of which Liu Jinyuan had overheard.
"Could it be that everything Master Alex and the Sect Leader had said back then was actually true?"
Although he had only heard a small portion of their conversation, looking back now any single word Alex said back then was enough to shock the world. Judging from the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader's actions was he confirming the astonishing knowledge Master Alex had previously shared?
"So far I have found ways to test most of what Mister Alex said and everything I have tried has proven to be absolutely true" the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader said with a look of genuine amazement.
As he spoke the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader took out a branch and drew a few strokes on the ground. Soon a massive ship's hull appeared in the diagram.
The Moon Worshiper also wrote numerous precautions alongside it.
What caught Liu Jinyuan's attention most was that the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader clearly stated that this enormous ship would be constructed entirely of steel.
"How is this possible? Wood floats on water while stone and iron sink to the bottom. A ship made of steel and five meters long must weigh tens of thousands of pounds. How could it possibly float?"
Liu Jinyuan stared at the Moon Worshiper's design and the precautions written beside it. He felt that the Moon Worshiper's idea was simply outlandish and impossible.
"A simple piece of iron would naturally sink to the bottom. But if it were a large ship as long as it was large enough and had a buoyancy greater than its own weight it would definitely float. The difficulty now is simply calculating the weight of the steel needed to build the ship and then the weight of the water displaced and then calculating the exact ratio..."
The Moon Worshiper shook his head at Liu Jinyuan's incredulity. His expression remained firm and confident.
Indeed perhaps only Mister Alex and I know this knowledge and perhaps only Mister Alex and I would believe it!
"Even though he is Master Alex's disciple he still does not understand Master Alex..." Finally shaking his head the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader gave up on explaining anything further to Liu Jinyuan.
As the old saying goes those with different ideologies cannot work together. Since they had completely different pursuits and goals he would not necessarily believe this knowledge. No amount of explanation would change that.
The Moon Worshiping Sect Leader was a man of action. After learning the knowledge Alex had imparted to him and thoroughly testing it he quickly set to work. He was preparing to build a groundbreaking steel ship.
Alex of course was completely unaware of this development.
Back in Nanzhao following the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader's order construction of the steel ship quickly commenced. Meanwhile Alex and Lin Yueru were still en route to Nanzhao.
While nothing particularly remarkable happened along the way Lin Yueru felt a deep sense of comfort walking side by side with Alex.
While this was not the first time she and Alex had been traveling together it was the first time they had spent any extended time alone together.
With Alex and Lin Yueru's martial strength they encountered no danger along the way. After about two weeks of steady travel they finally left the Central Plains and entered the territory of Nanzhao.
Despite the constant rush Alex and Lin Yueru experienced little actual hardship. With Alex's humanoid portal ability they could easily return to Suzhou City, the capital or even Mount Shushan whenever they wished. Everywhere Alex had previously passed could be reached through magical teleportation. This made return trips extremely convenient.
After about two weeks Alex and the others finally entered the territory of Nanzhao. They could clearly sense the distinct local customs and culture of Nanzhao. Even the architecture and clothing felt profoundly different from those of the Central Plains. This created a strong sense of exoticism.
"Alex what should we do next? Should we go directly to the Moon Worship Sect?" Lin Yueru asked Alex after entering Nanzhao.
"Well there is no rush to do that."
After hearing Lin Yueru's question Alex who had been making plans in his heart for the past half month said "You go to the palace first. Find Elder Shi and the others and let them discuss a suitable countermeasure. If I am not mistaken it will not be long before Li Xiaoyao and the others will come to Nanzhao Kingdom as well."
"I will go to the palace to inform Elder Shi and the others? What about you?" Lin Yueru asked with surprise.
"I will go to the Moon Worship Sect first and stabilize the Moon Worship Sect Leader. Then we can cooperate from inside and outside right? Do not worry. The Moon Worship Sect Leader just wants to discuss some knowledge with me. He will not attack me without good reason" Alex replied calmly.
"Well that is true."
In the past half month Lin Yueru had also come to know that Alex's martial arts were actually no match for the Moon Worship Sect Leader. She was a little worried at first. But after hearing Alex's words she thought about it and felt that Alex's reasoning was sound.
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