Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

“I know a little bit. I have a teacher who knows a little bit about everything, you just can’t see it,” Shen Liang said casually. “In Fontainebleau, steam turbines are called ‘wind god wheels.’ They rotate by the impact of steam from a boiler on the blades. Initially, they used fire-elemental spirits to boil water day and night to maintain the supply. Later, they found inspiration in the magic bottle and used high temperatures to heat the inside of the container, and then sprayed the steam out through nozzles to do work, thus creating the first single-stage impulse steam turbine. The power of this kind of steam turbine is not large. The intensity of the steam jet can only be increased by increasing the number of containers or increasing the evaporation efficiency of the boiling water. It’s easy to understand…”

As I listened, something felt off. It wasn't a matter of finding like-minded people or people who didn't understand... She had only just started using this cutting-edge technology on the ship and had absolutely not revealed it to anyone!

"Where are you from...?"

"Where did you learn this? Is it some kind of cutting-edge technology?" Shen Liang glanced at her.

"Inazuma's marine engineering technology has reached this stage?" Vanan asked in surprise. "What you just mentioned about single-stage impulse..."

"Single-stage impulse steam turbine".

"I don't care what you call it, that's a technology that only came about this year! How could you Inazuma have achieved something like this already? I've seen it myself, your Inazuma ships are still entirely manpower-driven. If you had this kind of knowledge, you should have already... You have spies in Liyue?" Fanan took several steps back in an instant, almost stunned by his own wild imagination. "The Shadow Tengu of Lingshanfang! Yes, only extremely fast Tengu could possibly evade my senses. Damn it, I'm not sensitive enough on land. I should have let Sister Yingda live with me, sob sob..."

"Did I say that Inazuma has this ability?" Shen Liang looked at her with a completely strange expression. "It's me who has it, not Inazuma. I'm the one who's good, not Inazuma."

"You mean..." Fa Nan was somewhat confused, but still cautiously retreated. She seemed to have forgotten that this was her ship, and there was nowhere she could retreat to.

"Single-stage impulse steam turbines aren't even in mass production in Inazuma yet. I didn't tell my mom that any high school student could make such an outdated thing by hand. It would be too embarrassing for me, the son of Narukami, to make this."

"What...what is a high school student?"

"I'm not quite sure either. Anyway, Sister Yu Tu said that my hands-on skills are not as good as a high school student's. It must be a derogatory term, symbolizing low education or something." Shen Liang glanced at Misterin and found that Misterin was looking at him with a complicated expression.

【What's wrong, Sister Yu Tu? Don't you have a high school diploma?】

Chapter Nineteen: Don't call me Master, call me Brother.

“Learning… low-level education, outdated stuff?” Fa Nan let out a weak, mournful cry and collapsed in the corner.

Shen Liang couldn't understand Miss Water Demon's astonishment. He simply admired the deck and said, "But such a large ship seems to exceed the current requirements for navigation. Normally, the length to width ratio of a ship should be at least five to one. Your ship is forty zhang long and ten zhang wide, which is less than three to one. This kind of width simply does not have the capability for high-speed ocean voyages and military missions, does it?"

Fanan finally found a point to answer, and barely managed to cheer himself up from his disappointment: "No, our Liyue ships are usually very wide, because we can navigate the seas without hindrance, so speed is not important. No matter what kind of disturbances we encounter at sea, it will not affect us."

"How did you do that?" Shen Liang frowned his handsome eyebrows.

"Liyue has the world's strongest naval power. Our ships are incredibly sturdy and can withstand long-term bombardment even from arquebusiers. Our ships typically possess the most advanced and numerous naval arquebuses. Generally, even our cargo ships are equipped with three to six cannons, while warships range from twenty to over a hundred depending on their size. There is no army on the high seas with more firepower than ours, and pirates are no match for our arquebuses."

"What if the enemy uses a warship to ram us and get close?"

"What kind of warship could break through the attack of dozens of iron cannons on one side and rush to our side?"

"Hmm... organized pirates?" Shen Liang laughed after saying that. How could a disorganized and undisciplined group like pirates risk being sunk or even killed to ensure their teammates could board them? Only a regular army would carry out such a tactic, right?

But Fa Nan smiled slightly, "Even if someone were to board, it's unlikely they could defeat Liyue's ships. Liyue's ships have a deeper draft than those of the Seven Kingdoms, and their height is astonishing. If they were to come in a small boat, it would be impossible to board them; they would have to use grappling hooks or rope ladders. And the deck below is where the soldiers live; by opening the hull, they could pour hot oil or fire rockets. Moreover, the treasure ship is the flagship; in times of war, it is escorted by countless warships. If anyone were to actually reach the treasure ship, they would likely be a defeated and broken force."

【Aircraft carrier tactics?】Mistelin felt this idea was familiar.

"But what if the attackers aren't ordinary warships?" Shen Liang suddenly asked.

By this time, they had left the deck and walked into the wheelhouse, passing the captain's cabin, the first mate's cabin, and the bedrooms of senior officers, before finally turning down the corridor and stopping at the door of the last room. Clearly, this was the cabin for VIP guests.

"Does the Princess mean the holder of the Eye of God?" Fanan inserted the key, turned the doorknob, and opened the bedroom door for him. She turned back and smiled gently. "Above the sea is the great demon who fought against the Emperor during the Thousand-Year War. Fanan is confident that she can fight it for a while, let alone the Primordial God."

Leading Shen Liang into the VIP cabin, the coffin Shen Liang was carrying slammed against the door frame with a thud.

Shen Liang tried putting the coffin in different positions – upright, tilted, vertical, and horizontal – but still couldn't get it in. In the end, he had no choice but to manipulate the Eye of God to try and put the coffin away. To his surprise, he discovered that the Eye of God, which had a small space inside, couldn't hold the coffin.

Fa Nan was somewhat surprised.

"I've wanted to ask this from the very beginning: what exactly is that... well, coffin-like object that the Princess has been carrying on her back?"

“It’s a coffin.” Shen Liang was always straightforward. “The kind used to put a dead person in.”

"Ah... Oh, Inazuma customs?"

"What kind of custom is it to carry a dead person around? That's so unlucky!" Shen Liang, hands on her hips, loudly mocked Fanan's ignorance. The gentle little demon was about to burst out laughing, her expression turning strange.

She had probably figured out the thought process of this white-haired Princess Inazuma. Raiden Ryo probably didn't know how to hide his feelings or social etiquette. His personality was very willful and direct, to the point of being a bit eccentric.

“Yes, it’s a bit ominous…” Fa Nan felt that people with such a carefree and willful little princess personality should just go along with what he was saying.

"Is this how the Great General of Liyue treats his guests? You're saying it's unlucky for a guest?" Shen Liang glared angrily.

"..."

Fanan felt there was no need to delve into his logic anymore and changed the subject, saying, "Since you brought a coffin onto the ship, it must be very important to you, as you wouldn't let go of it even when you were going to study in Liyue. Is there someone very important to you inside?"

“The person inside isn’t dead yet.” Shen Liang put the coffin down next to the soft imported Fontaine sofa, sat on the sofa, and casually put his legs up on the coffin lid. “You’re right, the person inside is very important to me, well… not necessarily very important, but their identity is very strange.”

"Hmm?" Fa Nan wasn't actually very interested in the person in the coffin, but continued the conversation out of politeness.

"The person inside is named Mistelin Schariac. It's a long name, so I usually just call her Sister Feather Rabbit. She's still alive. If you don't believe me, open the coffin and feel her heart. It still beats about once every half hour."

Are you sure you're still alive if your pulse only beats once every half hour? Are you perhaps heartbroken and losing your mind, mistaking your own pulse for someone else's heartbeat?

But before she could even complain, she saw Shen Liang casually open the coffin. Fa Nan was immediately drawn to it and then froze.

Fanan has always been quite confident in her appearance. Although her non-human nature makes her unattractive to human aesthetics, she knows that this is just prejudice against people of her kind, and she is still a pretty girl to some extent.

The beauty of Inazuma, this little demon, was already astonishing to her. She had seen a portrait of Inazuma's most beautiful woman, Mikoto Chiyo, and felt that even the so-called most beautiful woman was probably inferior to this princess. Perhaps because she was the child who inherited the rule of thunder, the appearance of demons often surpassed everything. They were the pinnacle of power and authority, and naturally, they should also be the pinnacle of beauty.

But the woman in the coffin made her instinctively fall silent.

That was the most beautiful woman Fanan had ever seen in his life, with the same long white hair as Shen Liang, and an exquisitely beautiful and dignified sleeping face. Fanan almost instantly agreed with Shen Liang's point of view; he didn't need her to know that this person was not dead. She was frozen inside the extremely cold coffin, but her skin was still fair with a rosy glow, and her lips were a faint pink even in such cold air. She was so beautiful that it made people subconsciously think of the two words "saintly maiden".

Only a saint could have such a flawless appearance. Fa Nan herself didn't know whether she felt that Shen Liang was alive because he said she wasn't dead, or simply because she couldn't believe that such a perfect "Mistelin" was dead.

“Your sister… looks just like you.” After a long silence, Fa Nan said softly.

[Hahaha, did you hear that, Pandora? She said you and I look alike, hahaha!] Mistylin laughed so hard she could barely stand up, leaning against the wall. [Good girl, Pandora, stop calling me Sister Feather Rabbit, call me Mother Feather Rabbit and let me hear it!]

Shen Liang scoffed, "Do you dare answer if I call your name?"

"What's wrong with me...? Well, never mind." Mistelin pouted. "That would be boring. I don't want to be like her..."

"I came to Liyue to revive her from her frozen state. Yu Tu's physical body is in a deep sleep because it is being eroded internally. The only way to prevent her body from continuing to collapse is to seal off all the internal circulation," Shen Liang said. "I must find a cure in Liyue. I've heard that the Ji Palace has all the immortals of Liyue teaching here?"

"Immortals?" Fa Nan snapped out of her daze, blinked her beautiful eyes at Shen Liang, and subconsciously said, "Liyue is a vast land, and countless immortals survived the thousand-year war between demons and gods. Fa Nan is one of the immortal yakshas... You came to find me?"

Shen Liang never expected that so-called immortals were so common in Liyue. Such beings with combat power comparable to the Great Youkai Inazuma... were actually called "countless immortals" in Liyue?

“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you before. If you come to Jigong to study, Fanan will be your senior sister.” Xiaoyuer sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled shyly. “Jigong teaches without discrimination. Unlike the Sumeru Academy, Jigong is not just a school, but a think tank and a place for talent exchange in Liyue. Anyone with talent can teach or be taught at Jigong. If the princess wants to learn immortal techniques, Fanan will probably be her teacher.”

"Sister Fa Nan just said she was my senior sister..."

"Everyone in Jigong is both a teacher and a student. For example, the 'engineering' that the Princess just mentioned... Well, since you don't think much of the engines at Liyue Shipyard, there must be something more advanced. If Inazuma can't let you use your skills, how about letting Fanan take a look?" Fanan swung her legs, which were adorned with delicate eyebrows. "At the same time, Senior Sister Fanan, as well as Senior Sister Yingda and Senior Sister Ganyu, whom you will meet later, will teach you the Immortal Arts. If fate allows, several True Lords or even the Emperor himself may come to Jigong to teach. With such excellent teaching resources, it's natural that the Princess should contribute her share."

"This is outrageous! Our esteemed Fire-Chasing Demon God Pandora, the beloved daughter of the Thunder Ruler, the eldest princess of Inazuma, the most powerful second-generation official in the world!" Mistilen whispered. "We're already giving her face by coming to Jigsaw Palace to study, and she actually wants us to exchange knowledge for it! How hateful! We're not going to Pandora's school anymore! We'll just kidnap Fanan, sail back to Inazuma, and complain to her mother, and she'll incite divine wrath to take down Liyue Harbor!"

【Great! That suits me perfectly! I'll go knock Sister Fanan unconscious right now; I've wanted to ride her for so long!】

【You're kidding me!】

"But speaking of which, why do you always refer to me as 'senior sister'? Don't I have any senior brothers in Jigong?" Shen Liang suddenly thought of this.

"Of course there are, but since the Princess is new to Ji Palace and unfamiliar with the place, it would be more convenient and considerate for her to communicate with other girls. Although the dormitories in Ji Palace are not separated by gender, the Princess is, after all, a distinguished guest of Daozaki, and should have her own courtyard." Fanan sat cross-legged on the bed, smiling as she looked at the beautiful girl opposite her. "Or is it that the Princess doesn't like to mingle with girls and would rather meet the senior brothers of Ji Palace? Fanan is worried that you are so beautiful and young, what if you are lured away by some wicked senior brother? Liyue will not be able to explain it to your mother."

Shen Liang nodded: "I do prefer playing with girls, especially pretty girls, like Sister Fanan."

Fanan blushed slightly, thinking to herself that she actually found this younger sister quite nice after spending more time with her; because of her innocent nature, her praise seemed sincere. Being affectionately called "beautiful Sister Fanan" by such a noble princess did indeed fill her with a pride that was hard to express.

"Things have been settled. I have much to do on the ship, so I'll take my leave now. Your Highness, please rest. I'll come to find you at dinner time," Xiaoyuer said softly, bowed, and left behind the door.

--------

Shen Liang then looked around the room.

Although it was a VIP bedroom, this treasure ship was, after all, a warship, and the "VIP" treatment provided on the spot wouldn't be too good. The room wasn't large, at most thirteen or fourteen tsubo. "Tsubo" is Inazuma's way of calculating area; one tsubo is the size of two tatami mats, approximately 3.3 square meters.

The room was furnished with soft wool blankets and a Fontaine-style Simmons bed. On the other side of the room was a tea area with a marble table and Fontaine-style sofas, where Liyue green tea was being steamed. Perhaps because shipbuilding originated in Fontaine, the luxurious interiors of large ships around the world reflect Fontaine aesthetics. Even in such a small space, a terrace was squeezed in, offering a panoramic view of the vast ocean.

"It's a pity that ships in this era don't have toilets in private cabins." Mistelin lazily enjoyed the feel of the soft bed. "If I want to take a bath before going to bed, I have to get a wooden tub in the room."

"Take off your shoes before getting into bed!" Shen Liang shouted. "By the way, I'm a boy, I can take a shower in the ship's hot water room."

"Your germaphobia is so severe that you won't even let me, a projection, wear shoes on the bed. You dare to go to a place where all those naked men shower? People there urinate while showering, you know." Mistelin chuckled wickedly. "You slipped and fell, your hair instantly landing in the sewage. Your long, white hair, so carefully protected by lightning, got swept up in the sewage and urine and ended up in the sewer, impossible to pull out..."

"Why do you have to describe it in such detail!" Shen Liang complained, breaking out in a cold sweat and feeling a chill run down his spine.

"You're the one I raised, don't I know how pampered you are?"

Shen Liang rolled her eyes at her, then noticed the exquisite wooden box that had been sent to the ship by the shogunate and was now lying quietly against the edge of the bed. It was obvious that it had been casually brought in by the workers as luggage, and had been placed there as such.

Shen Liang suddenly felt a little unhappy.

He knelt cross-legged on the bed, lifted the wooden box onto the bed, and pushed aside Mistelin's long legs to make room for it.

Then he turned the combination gears, unlocked the wooden box, and lifted the lid. Huddled inside the red velvet of the box, the little doll "General" finally opened its emotionless eyes.

"Brother...Master brother, hello."

For some reason, Shen Liang felt even more unhappy, and Mistelin seemed to have noticed his change in mood as well, giving a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

"Just call me brother." Shen Liang's usually cheerful tone turned a little somber. "You don't need to call me master. Just call me brother anytime."

"I don't know."

“You are a doll created by Sister Ying, and like Lei Dapao, you are, in a sense, Sister Ying’s child. Sister Ying is my mother’s sister, so you can be considered my sister too,” Shen Liang said. “So you just need to call me brother, be good, call me brother… remember the pronunciation, oniqiang.”

Chapter Twenty: Liang'er...Do you like Sister Ying's gift?

The general remained silent.

In the Inatsume language, there are many pronunciations for "older brother," and different terms are used depending on the closeness of the relationship or social status.