Siheyuan: A master brewer starts with a jar of bone-strengthening wine!

"Cultivators don't even have enough spirit stones for themselves, how could they possibly use them to pay for the boat?"

"It's only customers like us who are 'not short of money' who are willing to spend spirit stones to hire you to go out to sea."

Once those words were spoken, everyone understood.

At this moment, Jin Yu slowly woke up and heard Liu Dong's words. She was stunned and her face burned with embarrassment.

Huang Rujiao glanced at him and sighed deeply:

"Brother Jin, since things have escalated to this point, I also have to take half the responsibility."

"I should have sat down with you a long time ago and explained the situation to you in detail."

"Forget it, let the boat burn. It's not worth much anyway."

"At worst, we can build two more old-fashioned wooden boats. Anyway, we can make a more reliable living in coastal waters."

As soon as he said this, everyone could tell that Huang Rujiao really didn't hold it against him and was very open-minded.

Jin Yang lowered his head and rubbed his hands, his voice hoarse:

"Brother Huang... I'm sorry."

"I was so focused on my mechanical engineering that I had no idea what was going on outside."

"That day, seeing your subordinates busy preparing goods, I felt a surge of emotion and... I got caught up in a wicked thought."

"Brother Huang, please punish me, I'll accept it all!"

Jin Yao stood with her head down, her palms sweating, her voice full of guilt.

Huang Rujiao had said before that he wouldn't hold a grudge, so why would he really do anything to him now?

He waved his hand and said with a smile, "What's the point of punishing me? Don't bother with all this formalities."

He paused, then patted Jinbing on the shoulder: "I really feel bad about it. How about you come with us on this sea trip?"

"Besides, you're the most skilled at that spirit stone-driven operation."

"With you on board, our ship is like it has double insurance; it's incredibly stable!"

"Payment? Don't worry, you'll get yours in full. You won't miss out."

Jin Yao was stunned, her mouth slightly open, and she couldn't close it for a long time.

Unexpectedly, Huang Rujiao then handed over a ladder, and it was built so steadily.

A surge of heat rose in his chest, and his eyes welled up with tears. He quickly lowered his head and said, "Brother Huang, I was too petty and too serious..."

"I'll go with you! I don't want a single penny; consider it compensation for the burned ship!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Rujiao burst into laughter and grabbed his neck:

"Great! Brother Jin is back! You'll still be the CTO from now on!"

"While you were away, my ship was acting up all the time—the fuel line jammed, the rudder kept drifting, and the spirit stone tank kept overheating… I had to tighten all the screws myself!"

Seeing that the two had opened up to each other, Liu Dong and the others finally felt relieved.

Not only did I feel relieved, but I also felt that Huang Rujiao was a reliable person who didn't hold grudges, didn't put on airs, and truly treated people like family.

Ding Su didn't hide anything and immediately revealed that Jin Dong had secretly taken extra spirit stones to help the village survive the famine.

Huang Rujiao slapped his thigh: "No wonder! No wonder he suddenly moved so many spirit stones!"

"I was wondering if he accidentally took too many, but it turns out I was wrong!"

He turned and glared at Jin Dong: "You're too honest! Why didn't you just say you were having trouble?"

"You think Brother Huang is the kind of person who would stand by and watch someone die? Huh?"

Jin Wen's face turned completely red, and she stammered:

"Brother Huang... I'm so sorry, I should have explained it to you sooner..."

Liu Dong chuckled and smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, clearing up the misunderstanding is the best thing!"

"Jinwen, the villagers still talk about you every day. I'll take you back home, settle you in, and then pick you up."

"As soon as the boat is repaired, we'll set off immediately!"

Huang Rujiao and Jin Yao agreed in unison.

Without saying a word, Wang Zhonggui rolled up his sleeves and escorted Jin Deng back. With the speed of a late-stage Golden Immortal, he arrived in the blink of an eye, as fast as if he were riding on wheels of fire.

Huang Rujiao was also busy, leading his men to repair the ship with all their might.

No sooner had Jin Dong left than word came back from the village: the explanation was clear, and the villagers gave him a thumbs up!

As soon as he returned, the work immediately changed. He flipped through the blueprints quickly, matched the parts accurately, and calibrated the spirit stones in one go.

What was originally planned to be a two-day job was compressed into a day and a half!

Meanwhile, all the groups of people that Dong Rujiao had sent out to procure supplies also returned to their posts.

Huang Rujiao inspected everything one by one: the spirit stone warehouse was full, the array patterns were intact, the anchor chain was sturdy, and the sails had no holes...

"Immortal Liu, everything's settled! You can leave anytime!"

Liu Dong and the others were already waiting there.

"Okay, let's set off at noon today!"

"Alright! I'll call everyone to eat, line up, and raise the flag right away!"

Huang Rujiao turned around and ran towards the dock, his steps large and steady.

Liu Dong and his group didn't need to pack any luggage at all; everything they wore, carried in their waistbands, and put in their storage bags was already there.

Just fold up your change of clothes and stuff them into your bag, and that's it.

The main ship is in the middle, with one ship on each side and the stern ship at the rear, arranged like soldiers in formation, neat and orderly.

Each boat was packed with people, at least ten, all of them looking energetic.

Liu Dong glanced around and found that each ship had at least one expert in the early stage of Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness. Without this level of cultivation, it would be impossible to stabilize the core array driven by spirit stones.

Huang Rujiao and Jin Yu stood on the main deck of the ship, waving to them in the sunlight:

"Immortal Liu, everyone, please board the ship. We are about to set sail!"

"Okay!"

Liu Dong readily agreed and led Ding Su and the others forward in single file.

"Brothers, weigh anchor! Raise the sails! Light the fire!"

Huang Rujiao roared, and three cannon shots rang out, causing the waves to surge.

The main ship led the way, slowly gliding out of the bay; the three escort ships followed closely behind, forming a straight line.

It's not that we don't want to drive side by side, but the mouth of the bay is only so wide, and leaving a safe distance is necessary to avoid collisions.

Before leaving the bay, the boat moved at a steady speed, like taking a walk.

As soon as they entered the open sea, the spirit stone array hummed with a blue light, the ship dipped slightly, and then accelerated!

Vido clung to the gunwale, marveling at the sight:

"Brother Liu, I never imagined this ship could run so fast using spirit stones!"

"At this speed, even a regular boat would be panting for ages if it were to rear-end it!"

Liu Dong nodded, his gaze fixed on the undulating horizon in the distance:

"Who would have thought that we would be so lucky to actually run into a knowledgeable and reliable fleet?"

I used to only hear Huang Rujiao boast about it, but now that I'm standing on the deck and the wind is blowing in my face, I can truly appreciate how real that speed is.

Compared to the old-fashioned steamships in his memory, it was still far inferior, but it was enough to warm his heart. Time was of the essence; every day he ran faster meant he could accomplish one more task, save one more person, and explore one more secret realm.

After the boat's speed stabilized, Huang Rujiao and Jin Yu strolled over together.

"Immortal Liu, are you satisfied with the speed of this 'Flying Shuttle'?"

Liu Dong laughed: "That's impressive! If it were running on the road, the ships behind wouldn't even be able to see its taillights!"

Qiao Yuanmu rolled his eyes at him: "Nonsense! How can a boat propelled by spirit stones compare to a wooden lump rowed by oars? It's not like we're racing a tortoise!"

Liu Dong grinned and waved at Huang Rujiao:

"Renting your boat was a bit pricey, but it was definitely worth it!"

"As long as I get to my destination smoothly, it's all worth it."

Huang Rujiao patted his chest: "Don't worry, Immortal Liu. We've been to that sea east of the East China Sea more than once."

"There are waves and the reefs are hidden deep, but as long as you have sharp eyes, a careful mind, and steady hands and feet, you can be sure you won't capsize."