Chapter 106: Successful Development of the Cannon Gun

Chu Xiao led his men to lie in ambush in the forest they had just passed through, waiting for the right moment. As the giant serpent slithered away, they prepared to assassinate the Underworld King. But just as they were about to strike, the serpent suddenly returned!

The Underworld King was no fool; fearful that someone might come after him once the serpent left, he had not dared to pursue too far.

“Retreat! The serpent is back!” Chu Xiao ordered.

Seeing the serpent’s return, Chu Xiao realized the opportunity was lost. A forced attack now could lead to the total annihilation of his troops.

Chu Xiao waited at the rendezvous point for the soldiers from the other three nations. One by one, they returned, but the losses were severe: out of four thousand men, only a little over two thousand remained.

“This mission’s failure is my responsibility. I will report to Commander One and accept any punishment. I owe you all an explanation,” Chu Xiao declared solemnly.

“General Chu, you speak too harshly. We must also return to report. Farewell,” one replied.

These men clearly harbored dissatisfaction toward Chu Xiao, yet dared not openly confront him. His unit had suffered the heaviest casualties. Only five hundred men remained, with over two hundred wounded. The other three nations had already ordered a retreat when the situation worsened; it was Chu Xiao who stayed behind to cover their withdrawal.

“Soldiers, I, Chu Xiao, have failed you due to my command errors. I bear all the responsibility for the needless loss of our brothers,” Chu Xiao said, tears streaming down his face as he mourned the fallen warriors. They could neither bring back the living nor recover the bodies, and this filled him with unbearable grief and guilt.

“General Chu, what fault lies with you? If not for that giant serpent, we would have already eliminated the Underworld King. Besides, we embarked on this mission prepared to face death. If our leader blames you, then we all share that responsibility. We stand with you!” a soldier declared.

With that, all present gave Chu Xiao a sharp military salute, even the wounded enduring pain.

Upon returning to Yanjing, Chu Xiao immediately sought out Commander One to accept his punishment.

“Failed?” Before Chu Xiao could speak, Commander One guessed the outcome. He had stayed awake all night awaiting Chu Xiao’s return.

When Chu Xiao remained silent, Commander One continued, “As long as you’ve returned, that’s what matters.”

“Commander, please punish me as you see fit. I am ashamed before our fallen comrades and the people of Jiuzhou who trusted me,” Chu Xiao said earnestly.

Seeing no intention to punish him, Chu Xiao’s tears fell once more, overwhelmed by self-reproach.

“Why should I punish you? You are a hero—a hero of our Jiuzhou. As long as you live, we will exact this revenge,” Commander One said, placing a reassuring hand on Chu Xiao’s shoulder. “We believe in you.”

Those few words rekindled Chu Xiao’s fighting spirit. He inquired about the progress on the cannon’s development. Ordinary weapons were ineffective against the Underworld King’s new robot.

All hopes rested on the cannon; failure would be disastrous.

Commander One replied, “The results should be ready soon.”

“Report!” Just as he spoke, someone knocked on the door.

“Enter.”

“Commander, the cannon’s development is complete!”

Hearing this, both Commander One and Chu Xiao felt immense relief and joy.

“Let’s go see the cannon’s power,” Commander One said.

Together, they went to an open field surrounded by a crowd awaiting their arrival, all eager to witness the cannon’s might. A thick iron plate and a titanium alloy sheet stood as targets in the distance.

“Prepare for test fire!”

“Aim!”

“Fire!”

With a muffled boom, the iron plate was instantly flattened, and a crater thirty meters wide appeared around the impact site.

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers. Yet Chu Xiao remained calm, betraying no joy.

Though the cannon’s power was immense, he still doubted whether it could subdue the Underworld King’s advanced robot—it was simply too formidable.

“Prepare to fire the second shot. Target: titanium alloy,” Chu Xiao instructed.

“Yes, ready for second shot!”

Moments later, another boom sounded. The titanium plate, though not as flattened as the iron, was compressed to half its original thickness.

Chu Xiao and Commander One exchanged satisfied smiles.

“Can we manufacture smaller weapons using the same principle?” Chu Xiao asked.

The weapons expert replied, “That’s not difficult, but the power would be halved.”

Chu Xiao understood that the large air compressors used were cumbersome. Smaller compressors would naturally be less powerful but still sufficient against the Underworld King’s current robots.

“Since the cannon test was successful, we must begin mass production immediately!” Chu Xiao urged, unwilling to wait another minute. The Underworld King’s forces could attack at any moment, so speed was vital.

Xu Ning, the factory manager, said, “Currently, all air compressors produced are large. Small ones will require additional time.”

Commander One assured, “Don’t worry; I will arrange for personnel to expedite this.”

At that moment, Chu Xiao felt a chill on his back—as if fierce eyes were glaring at him. Turning, he found Wang Lulu standing there.

Commander One noticed Wang Lulu’s fierce expression and said, “Everyone, get moving. Do whatever needs to be done—let’s produce the first batch as quickly as possible!”

Sensing tension, Commander One led the others away, leaving only Wang Lulu and Chu Xiao standing silently.

Chu Xiao saw tears welling in Wang Lulu’s eyes and, unable to hold back, comforted her: “Lulu, don’t cry. Look, I’m back safe and sound.”

Wang Lulu’s hostility vanished instantly. She threw herself into Chu Xiao’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s my fault—I should have come to find you the moment I returned,” Chu Xiao soothed, gently stroking her hair. Seeing her so heartbroken pained him deeply, yet he struggled to find the right words.

“Do you know I spent the entire night awake? When you didn’t return, I was terrified. I thought you wouldn’t come back!” Wang Lulu cried, growing more distraught. She had come to Yanjing hoping to ask Commander One for news of Chu Xiao, only to be told he had returned.

“Do you know how heartbroken I was when I heard? I waited for you all night. You came back but never told me. What am I to you?” Wang Lulu sobbed, pounding Chu Xiao’s chest, making his heart ache even more. He had never seen her so devastated.

“I’m sorry, Lulu. I didn’t get a chance to tell you—I reported to Commander One as soon as I got back. But next time, I promise I’ll notify you immediately,” Chu Xiao promised.

“What? You say there’ll be a next time...?” Wang Lulu snapped.

Chu Xiao was speechless. How could this normally gentle, reasonable girl be so fierce and unreasonable when angry?