The tyrannical father was so intimidated when his own daughter was found during the raid.

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th of August.

In the Great Abyss Kingdom, the Taiji Palace was brightly lit, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

Tonight's banquet was a grand affair.

The civil and military officials were seated on both sides according to their rank, and each of them had a table full of delicacies in front of them.

Everyone toasted each other, and everyone had a smile on their face.

But only they themselves know how many shady schemes are hidden beneath those smiles.

On the high platform directly above the main hall, Su Zhen sat on a brand-new dragon throne.

The dragon throne is rather large and heavy, and it gleams with a cold metallic luster under the bright candlelight.

That's right, this is the explosion-proof dragon throne that Su Zhen had someone weld overnight out of pure steel to match tonight's grand show.

Seated next to the dragon throne on a small gold throne studded with large diamonds was none other than Su Yaoyao, the newly found crown princess of the Great Yuan Kingdom.

To outsiders, she was just a pretty, delicate girl.

She was dressed in a gorgeous and elaborate royal princess outfit, with a heavy golden crown on her small head.

At this moment, the adorable little child is holding a piece of osmanthus cake that just came out of the imperial kitchen and is eating it without any regard for appearances.

Its cheeks were bulging from eating, like a little hamster guarding its food.

While enjoying her pastries, Su Yaoyao was secretly making plans in her mind.

The iron pipes have all been polished, and the gunpowder has been loaded.

[The hand crank on the prince's side has also been tested, and the rotation speed is perfect.]

[These gun barrels were made using rudimentary steelmaking methods in the cold palace; their heat resistance was simply too poor.]

If it fires continuously for more than a minute, the Gatling gun's barrel will definitely explode.

We need to find a way to get some materials that can withstand high temperatures and cool down extremely quickly, otherwise how can we put on this show tonight?

Hearing his beloved daughter's heartfelt words, Su Zhen paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass.

He had already secretly witnessed Gatling assembling day and night in the cold palace these past few days.

His violent and rugged appearance made his blood boil just looking at it.

If this precious metal lump explodes due to overheating, tonight's show won't be going to be enjoyable.

But where in the Great Abyss Kingdom could one find the perfect material that could withstand high temperatures?

Just then, a eunuch's shrill, high-pitched voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall:

"The Central Continent Empire delegation requests an audience!"

The once bustling Taiji Hall fell silent instantly, like a duck being choked.

The melodious sound of string and wind instruments came to an abrupt end.

All the civil and military officials of Dayuan put down their bronze wine cups, their expressions becoming solemn and vigilant.

The Central Continent Empire is the undisputed overlord of this continent.

They consider themselves the legitimate rulers of the world, with unfathomable depths of knowledge and experience.

In the eyes of these people from Zhongzhou, the Great Yuan Kingdom was a group of crude and barbaric people who only knew how to wield swords and spears and were ignorant of education.

Accompanied by a long announcement, the group entered the main hall.

They swaggered into the center of the Taiji Hall, dressed in wide, ornate, and elaborate robes.

The leader was the head of the delegation sent by the Central Continent Empire.

This made the troupe leader appear to be around forty years old, with a goatee and a jade-framed folding fan in his hand, which he carried with an air of refinement.

His walking posture was extremely arrogant.

Chin held high, nostrils pointing upwards.

His disdainful gaze swept over the officials of the Great Yuan Kingdom, as if they were looking at mud in the ground.

"This humble subject greets His Majesty the Emperor of Daeyu."

The head of the delegation walked to the center of the main hall and gave a perfunctory bow.

He didn't even bend over; his attitude was extremely arrogant.

presumptuous!

The generals of Dayuan Kingdom glared angrily, feeling a surge of anger rising to their heads.

Su Zhen sat on the pure steel dragon throne, his face ashen, his eyes surging with murderous intent.

But he held back.

He didn't draw his sword to kill anyone.

The situation tonight is extremely complicated. Powerful ministers and generals are still lurking in the shadows, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

If we clash with those arrogant guys from the Central Continent Empire now, we could easily be attacked from both sides.

The envoy leader completely disregarded the tyrant's wrath.

He looked around and suddenly let out a piercing laugh.

"Emperor of Dayuan, the scale of your Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is truly...unique."

He pointed with his folding fan to the musicians who had just stepped down.

"The music was as loud as thunder, without any transitions or rhythms; it was truly noisy and had no trace of the beauty of celestial music."

Then, he pointed to the whole roasted lamb and strong liquor on General Da Yuan's table.

"And the food was raw meat and blood, full of fishy smells, and utterly vulgar."

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the Emperor of Dayuan, but even the watchdogs of my Zhongzhou Empire eat three times more refined food than this."

Upon hearing this, the entire Taiji Hall fell into a deathly silence.

The civil officials of Dayuan Kingdom were so angry that they trembled with rage, and their beards stood on end.

The generals gritted their teeth, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

That's incredibly arrogant!

This is no ordinary provocation!

This is utterly disgracing the Great Yuan Kingdom!

However, not a single official in the entire court dared to stand up and refute this at this moment.

The Central Continent Empire's formidable strength is undeniable; they have every right to be arrogant.

The massive, million-strong armored army overwhelmed all nations in the world.

Su Yaoyao stopped eating the osmanthus cake.

She rolled her eyes dramatically, looking down at the arrogant delegation leader as if he were an idiot.

Who's Old Deng? Did he forget to take his medicine before leaving home?

[Trying to act like a big shot on someone else's turf, does he really think his big face can shield him from the rain?]

Is the Central Plains Empire really that powerful? In an era of insufficient firepower, what are you pretending to be?

[Or I could give him some laxatives later and make him have diarrhea right now.]

Hearing his daughter's ruthless thoughts, Su Zhen almost burst out laughing on the spot.

The humiliation and murderous intent that had filled him were completely dispelled by these few sarcastic remarks.

Su Zhen picked up the golden cup, concealing the barely suppressed glint of his lips, and spoke coldly:

"The envoy has come from afar; if he finds the food here unpalatable."

"You can go back to your Central Plains and eat right now."

The envoy's face stiffened, seemingly not expecting the rumored tyrant to speak so ruthlessly.

But he quickly reverted to his arrogant and condescending attitude.

"Emperor Daeyu is joking; I am merely stating the truth."

"I have come here today not only for food and drink, but also to carry the decree of His Majesty the Emperor of Zhongzhou."

The corps commander snapped his folding fan shut, his tone suddenly rising.

"Our Central Plains is the legitimate dynasty of the world, educating all people and persuading them with reason."

"I've heard that martial arts have become rampant in the Great Yuan Kingdom recently, and people frequently confiscate property and exterminate entire clans."

"But I wonder if his wisdom and literary talent are up to par?"

As he spoke, he turned around and arrogantly clapped his hands at his entourage behind him.

Two attendants immediately carried up a sandalwood tray covered with a red cloth.

Next to the tray was a palm-sized, snow-white jade box.

The envoy leader pointed at the jade box, his eyes full of pride.

"Emperor of Dayuan, please look."

The attendant stepped forward and carefully opened the jade box lid.

In an instant, a dense, white, chilling aura, visible to the naked eye, surged out of the jade box.

The temperature within a few meters dropped several degrees instantly.

The officials in the front row of the main hall couldn't help but shiver.

Inside the box lay a strange stone, only the size of a fist, with a deep blue color.

The stone's surface shimmered with a mysterious, undulating luster, radiating a chilling aura.

Su Zhen's pupils contracted, and he involuntarily leaned forward.

"Mystic Ice Stone?"

The officials of the Great Abyss Kingdom gasped in astonishment, and gasps of disbelief echoed throughout the hall.

This is a legendary top-grade military material!

Xuanbing Stone originates from the frigid lands of the far north. It is incredibly hard and possesses a bone-chilling cold that has remained unmelted for millennia.

If used to forge divine weapons, they can not only cut through iron like mud, but also withstand extremely high temperatures and never be damaged.

The Great Abyss Kingdom dreams of obtaining a piece of Xuanbing Stone to upgrade the military equipment of its top experts.

However, because this thing is so rare, it has been sought after but never obtained.

Who would have thought that the Central Plains delegation would so brazenly take it out directly!

Sitting on the small golden throne, Su Yaoyao's eyes instantly lit up like a 200-watt light bulb.

She sat up abruptly, not even bothering to brush off the pastry crumbs that had fallen on her clothes.

[Mystic Ice Stone?! My God!]

This is a super-strong thermal conductivity and cooling material that hasn't disappeared even in the interstellar era!

If I crushed this stuff and added it to the coating of my Gatling gun barrel...

[Don't even mention firing continuously for a minute; even if you held the trigger and fired for three days and three nights, the barrel wouldn't emit a single puff of smoke!]

Su Yaoyao stared intently at the Xuanbing Stone, her mouth watering.

[This is like a pillow delivered just when you're sleepy; I was just worried about not having any materials to cool down.]

[This old man from Zhongzhou is practically a walking deliveryman! Sigh, they're all such kind people!]

Upon hearing Su Yaoyao's clear and crisp voice, Su Zhen's eyes also lit up with a green light.

So this broken stone can cure my daughter Gatling's heat intolerance?

That's great!

Even if we have to steal it today, this piece of Xuanbing Stone must remain in the Taiji Hall!

The envoy leader took in the shocked and eager looks in the eyes of the Da Yuan king and his ministers, and felt increasingly smug.

They really are a bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world.

They were so tempted by just a stone.

"Emperor Dayuan has a good eye. Indeed, it is the Xuanbing Stone."

The regimental commander stroked his goatee, his tone extremely arrogant.

"These rare treasures are offered as a prize by His Majesty of Zhongzhou, out of consideration for the diplomatic relations between our two countries."

"Today, my Central Plains will have a fair contest with the Great Abyss, a battle of mechanics and arithmetic!"

The hall erupted in uproar, with voices of discussion rising everywhere.

A contest of mechanical and arithmetic skills?

This is absolutely devastating!

They're stabbing the Great Abyss Kingdom in its most fatal weakness!

It is common knowledge that the Great Yuan Kingdom reveres military might, and there are countless brutes who are barely literate.

When it comes to things that require ingenuity and a strong foundation in arithmetic, the Great Abyss Kingdom is at the very bottom.

The Central Continent Empire is clearly trying to use its strengths to publicly humiliate the Great Abyss!

The senior scholars of the Hanlin Academy were so anxious that they were sweating profusely and almost pulled their beards off.

If we lose, we'll lose face for the entire Great Yuan Kingdom!

But faced with the immense temptation of the Xuanbing Stone, how could Su Zhen possibly back down even a step?

"Oh? How does the envoy intend to compete?"

Su Zhen leaned back in his chair and asked with a cold smile.

The envoy leader snorted coldly and placed his hand on the tray covered with a red cloth.

His gaze became unusually sharp.

"The rules are simple: one round determines the winner."

"If anyone from the Great Abyss Kingdom can unravel what's beneath this red cloth..."

"The Mystic Ice Stone is presented to you with both hands, without a second thought!"

At this point, the commander paused, a venomous glint flashing in his eyes.

"But if the entire court of Da Yuan is filled with civil and military officials, not a single one can win..."

The commander raised his head and looked directly at Su Zhen, who was sitting on the dragon throne.

He arrogantly issued an ultimatum:

"The Emperor of Dayuan must then submit to the Central Plains, pay tribute, and come to court annually!"

These words shocked the entire court!

"presumptuous!"

"You audacious scoundrel, you've gone too far!"

The generals could no longer contain themselves; they all drew their broken swords, their eyes blazing with fury.

This is a blatant threat and a declaration of war!

The envoy leader, however, showed no fear, a mocking sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

He wanted to see how this group of savage bulls from the Great Abyss, who only knew how to wield knives and wanted good stuff, would solve this age-old mystery.

Then, to the delight of the crowd, he lifted the red cloth on the tray.

"Emperor of the Great Abyss, watch closely!"

The red cloth fluttered down.

The national treasure, known as an unparalleled puzzle throughout the ages, was revealed.