Chapter Ninety: My Precious Darling

Mankh’li naught saw that something was wrong and hurried forward a few steps. When he caught sight of the scene before him, his heart clenched.

Kuang Shao had only been wondering whether that time the girl from the network had slipped him some kind of potion, when he reached the doorway and found the two of them blocking his path. “What are you two doing standing here?”

When neither of them reacted, Kuang Shao squeezed past them from the side. One look at what was before him, and a shrill cry tore from his throat. “My precious!”

That piercing wail woke the two dazed people in front of him at once. Before they could even come to themselves, Kuang Shao charged straight over. “My precious Xuan Yang, why must you suffer so much?”

Xuan Xuan watched Kuang Shao burst out. Why had he come out so early? She still hadn’t put it back together yet.

At first she had only meant to look, but the more she looked, the more her hands itched. A mech could never be understood from the outside; it had to be taken apart to see how it truly worked. Such an excellent mech lay right before Xuan Xuan, and she simply could not resist. Besides, her father probably would not be out this early. As long as she took it apart and then put it back together, who would know she had ever touched it?

With that thought, Xuan Xuan had simply started.

Mech exteriors generally had anti-disassembly programs, after all. Once a mech was taken apart, someone might discover its core structure.

So for the sake of protection and to prevent imitation, such measures were necessary.

Ordinary mechs might be simpler, but a high-end mech like Xuan Yang was another matter entirely.

Under normal circumstances, it would have taken Xuan Xuan quite some effort to open it without damage. Who would have thought that Old Master Kuang had already taken apart part of it? It was like a half-nude beauty standing before a lecher: how could one possibly stop halfway?

Xuan Xuan had only just begun to dismantle it and was already studying the principles in the middle, thinking that the Federation’s way of thinking was rather marvelous indeed, entirely different from the path of Matar Continent.

The workings of a mech might not be as intricate as a puppet’s on Matar Continent, but a mech was a purely mechanical existence. Of course, that was in the past. Xuan Xuan had read several books on the development of mechs; the most primitive mechs had been transformed directly from the oldest robots.

It was not until more than three hundred years ago, with the discovery of energy stones, that mechs truly began to develop.

Because mechs were too large and consumed far too much energy in operation, while their weapons were weak and utterly unprofitable, the idea had been proposed at first, but mass production had not been pursued.

Then the discovery of energy stones three centuries ago made mechs a reality.

The energy within energy stones had been harnessed for all manner of magnetic radiation, energy cannons, and other weapons powered by them. Such weapons were tremendously powerful; energy stones held abundant power and were small in size. With energy stones, it became entirely possible to sustain both the operation and combat of mechs.

Only then did mechs truly begin to flourish.

Over these three hundred years, mechs had evolved from purely manual machinery to semi-manual systems, integrating psychic control. But the psychic aspect remained imperfect, and psychic control was limited to assisting the machinery.

In recent years, some had proposed refining psychic control of mechs, but the idea was quickly rejected, because the cost was far too high and utterly unsuitable for widespread use.

It could only be installed on star battleships or advanced mechs, assisting people in controlling mechs or ships.

Both mechs and warships were made of machinery. Then, like the human nervous system, each part of a mech was connected to a terminal intelligence, which was equivalent to the human brain.

A mech pilot controlled the machine by directing that intelligence, and certain aspects of the intelligence could be manipulated through psychic power, while others could not.

Using psychic power naturally allowed faster response and greater flexibility.

But the demand on psychic strength was extremely high.

Ordinary mechs, however, could never be so advanced; they were only manually operated through the mech’s artificial intelligence.

Yet the puppets of Matar Continent were different. They too had a control center, but no artificial intelligence operating within it; instead, the center was entirely overlaid by a human’s psychic power. In that way, control became far more effortless, dexterous, and free.

Two completely different paths had nevertheless arrived at nearly the same result. Xuan Xuan felt that perhaps this was simply the difference between the two civilizations: the Federation relied on technology, using steel to create all manner of things, while Matar Continent relied on energy—whether magic, psychic power, crystal stones, or anything else—to achieve what it desired.

After taking apart Kuang Shao’s mech, Xuan Xuan had gained a great deal of understanding of Federation mech technology. She had long coveted Kuang Shao’s mech, and at last it had not disappointed her. Only the artificial intelligence and programming within it remained a complete mystery to her.

She had originally thought that it would be fine as long as she took it apart and then reassembled it; surely no one would notice. Yet she had never imagined they would come out again so quickly.

Looking at Kuang Shao before her, Xuan Xuan thought: wasn’t his precious still there? Just put it back together. Was there any need to cry so miserably?

Such a grown man, too, and not ashamed of himself.

Kuang Shao did not think his mech was still there. His beloved Xuan Yang had actually been dismantled into separate parts. How had such a giant machine become nothing but scattered components on the floor?

“My Xuan Yang—who tore you apart until not a single bone remains?” Kuang Shao lay beside the mech. This machine was practically his lifeblood; whoever touched it, he would destroy. Even on ordinary days, when he disliked repairing mechs, he would still care for Xuan Yang properly.

And now, in such a short while that he had merely been absent, how had it come to this?

Xuan Xuan pouted. Weren’t all the parts still there?

Not a single bone remains?

Didn’t they all remain exactly as they were?

“Xuan Xuan.” Mankh’li naught also recovered from his shock. After glancing at Xuan Xuan’s expression, he felt it was impossible, and yet he still believed it must have something to do with her. “Did you do this?”

Xuan Xuan lowered her head, looking at the tips of her shoes and saying nothing. She did not think there was anything wrong with it.

“What did I tell you before?” Seeing that she would not answer, Mankh’li naught knew instantly that it had to be her. “Why did you take apart Master Kuang’s mech?”

Before Xuan Xuan could answer, Kuang Shao looked at her and said angrily, “You’re exactly the same as your teacher—taking apart anything you lay eyes on. Truly taught by your teacher!”

After saying that, he turned back to his mech and wailed again, “My precious!”

Mankh’li naught’s expression darkened. He picked Xuan Xuan up and said, “Apologize to Master Kuang.”

Xuan Xuan was unwilling and turned her face away.

Mankh’li naught stepped forward and said to Kuang Shao, “Master Kuang, I’m truly sorry. We will take responsibility for this. The Mankh family can also produce S-rank mechs. They may not be quite as good as what your father makes, but if you have any requests, please feel free to make them.”

Mankh’li naught shot Xuan Xuan a glare. Xuan Xuan lifted her chin and said, “At worst I’ll just put it back together for him. It isn’t broken.”

Mankh’li naught did not understand mech construction. Back when he attended the Federation First Military Academy, he majored in command, so his knowledge of mechs mostly concerned maintenance.

Thus, when Mankh’li naught saw the mech parts scattered on the ground, his first instinct had been that Xuan Xuan had simply ruined someone else’s mech. But after hearing her explanation, he looked more closely himself. The pieces on the floor all seemed to be intact. Frowning, he still scolded her, “And you still think you’re in the right?”

Xuan Xuan curled her lip. She had been in the right to begin with.

Just as she was about to speak, one of the elder Kuangs, who had walked a circle around the mech parts, came over and examined many of the components on the ground. He asked Xuan Xuan, “You took this apart?”

Xuan Xuan looked at him and nodded.

Elder Kuang’s eyes were filled with fervor as he said to Mankh’li naught, “Give me your daughter.”

Mankh’li naught was dumbfounded. What did he mean, give him his daughter?

Was a daughter some sort of thing that could just be handed over at will?

“Uncle Kuang...” Mankh’li naught had barely opened his mouth.

Elder Kuang seemed afraid he might refuse. With utmost sincerity, he said, “Give me your daughter. I’ll treat her very well.”

Kuang Shao, who had been in the midst of shouting and crying, abruptly stopped, looking awkward. What was wrong with their old man?

Mankh’li naught gave a bitter smile at the eager old man before him. Somehow he felt that such a line would be more fitting coming from his future son-in-law.

“Uncle Kuang, please be clear,” he said helplessly.

“Then give me your daughter—let her be my... disciple.” Elder Kuang was too excited to speak clearly, and after a long moment he finally made himself understood: he wanted her as a disciple.

What was Elder Kuang’s greatest lifelong regret?

It was that Kuang Shao refused to learn mechs from him, leaving his craft with no heir.

He did not think much of mediocre students, and among the good prospects in Elder Kuang’s eyes, aside from Xuan Xuan, there seemed to be no one suitable.

“Take Xuan Xuan as your disciple? Wouldn’t that make our generations all mixed up?” Mankh’li naught did not dare乱 the seniority. Though he had jokingly said before that Xuan Xuan should call Kuang Shao brother, he had not counted Elder Kuang in the matter. It was merely because Kuang Shao and Zhan Yu got along well. In families like theirs, without special marriage ties, everyone generally addressed one another according to their own generation.

The Mankh family and the Kuang family had never intermarried, while the Mankh family was a little closer to the Zhan family. So having Xuan Xuan call Kuang Shao brother in accordance with Zhan Yu’s example was not much of a problem.

Besides, people of Kuang Shao’s age certainly would not be eager for Xuan Xuan to call them uncle.

But for Mankh’li naught to be placed in the same generation as Elder Kuang—he did not dare.

“What’s wrong with generations?” Elder Kuang did not care at all. He glanced at Mankh’li naught again. “You won’t refuse, will you? The mech construction, mech design, and mech repair departments of Federation First University all invited me to be dean, and I didn’t even care to go.”

Mankh’li naught did not dare say he was unwilling, and no one in the Federation could deny Elder Kuang’s ability. “Uncle Kuang, Xuan Xuan is only a little over six years old. There’s no need to rush to have her become your disciple, is there?”

Xuan Xuan was still too young. Mankh’li naught did not want to define the path of her growth in advance. Whatever she wanted to learn, he would not stop her; whatever she did not want to learn, he would not force her.

She was only six now, unable to tell what she wanted and what she did not. Mankh’li naught did not want to shackle the future before her.