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month record rogue 5 2 3
'I told you guys, it should look like a Feranmut.'
Nian looks at the giant mechanism in front of her, then shakes her head as she sighs.
'Aren't you wrinkly old prunes always saying stuff like 'the Way follows Nature'? Feranmuts have structures that work for both offense and defense. Besides, it's crazy cool!'
The wizened Tumu Tianshi does not understand a word of Nian's indulgent, nonsensical ramblings. He swallows the words he is about to say on how heavy the project weighs on the court and how inflexible the Ministry of Revenue is regarding the budget. How can he convey their concerns to this 'Xian'?
'The Chamber of Heaven's Designs is still waging a bitter war in the north, while Dahuang's plate remodeling must proceed sooner rather than later... Time is short.'
'Then you guys need to put your backs into it. It's not the kinda thing you can let me handle.'
Nian really was going to watch others do all the work. Throughout the entirety of this massive project, she has created not even a single rivet. After all, if the worst were to come to pass, and the siblings and their creations were to disappear from this land, any past interactions with humanity could bring about untold chaos. And so, some of their number have made preparations. Even Nian couldn't help letting her imagination run a bit wild.
The giant device, shaped like a mortise and tenon, hangs high above. It looks as if hewn from white jade, the luster on its surface flowing faintly. It is an exact replica of the model she gave the Ministry of Works six months ago, enlarged several thousand times.
It is a 'heart', a bold plan beyond the wildest imaginations.
Nian is not entirely sure what internal struggle and war of words took place before the Grand Tutor gave her this project. She could guess most of them, but she did not care enough to look at the details too closely. But since this was a deal where both sides had to trust in one another, before Nian gave her answer, she asked some of her older siblings what they thought.
After hearing about it, her second eldest sister gave her a comprehensive analysis of what issues might arise once the project is complete. Her fourth sister, Shu, has laid deep roots here, and upon hearing the project would help with Dahuang's agricultural development, she offered to help right away. Her eldest brother laughed but gave no answer, letting Nian make her own decision. As for Ling... Nian couldn't find her at all.
After ten minutes of intense thinking, Nian accepted the Grand Tutor's invitation.
This special nomadic city will become the most steadfast bastion of Yan's northern border, as well as the energy source that she and her twelve... eleven siblings would rely on to sustain themselves. The Feranmutologists only had the scales and claws from that ancient hunt to work with, but after a thousand years of study, they were able to make this idea a very real possibility.
The confluence of past and future, the anchor point of legend and truth.
From that mausoleum to this project known as the Twelve Pagodas and Five Cities, they have walked for a thousand years. From that terrible age after the flames of war died out to now, humanity has walked for a thousand years.
Time is slow, yet time is short.
Nian is lost in her thoughts.
'Tell it to me straight, where's the problem?'
'We still need a conductor that is strong enough to—'
'Here, take it.'
Nian seems to have anticipated this, and without any cajoling needed, she straightforwardly pulls out the materials from somewhere and hands them to the Tianshi.
'I can only cast stuff to this stage, but I'm sure you guys can put your heads together to figure out what to do with it without much issue.'
The old Tianshi accepts it, then looks at Nian again, as if trying to figure out if this Xian smith has finally stopped lazing about, before turning back toward the laboratory.
'Hey, once we get this Twelve Pagodas and Five Cities up and running, can we give it a test demo for technological feasibility or something... And once the reports are all filed, then we make it look like a Feranmut, how's that sound?'
