Chapter 123: Selling Blueprints of Hidden Weapons
While the students exchanged names and brief pleasantries with He Caitou, Zhou Yi had already walked quietly to Fan Yu's side and said in a low voice, "Their understanding of soul tools runs deeper than mine. I'll leave them to it."
Fan Yu looked at his wife, gently patted her arm in a gesture of comfort, and said nothing more.
He Caitou, meanwhile, had already slipped into the role of guide. Rubbing his hands together, he addressed the new students enthusiastically: "Since everyone's here to tour the Soul Tool Department, how about I first take you to see the most basic soul tool manufacturing process? That said, for safety reasons and considering your visitation clearance, we can only observe the production procedures for Class 1 and Class 2 soul tools for now. If anyone's interested, I can also find some safe Class 1 or Class 2 soul tools later and let you all get a hands-on feel for how they operate."
Furina stood among the crowd, regarding the youth named He Caitou with a calm, measured gaze. Within her "memory" data, this individual held a rather unique status. He was originally of imperial bloodline from the Sun Moon Empire, forced to seek refuge at Shrek Academy after a palace coup.
However, what left a lasting impression on her was not his turbulent background, but rather the attitude he had displayed in certain scenarios from the original story—a demeanor that could only be described as cold indifference toward the lives of civilians in his former homeland. That psychology of directing his resentment over internal imperial strife toward innocent commoners, along with the dismissive lightness with which he later treated a horrific explosion that claimed millions of lives, left Furina perpetually maintaining a degree of scrutiny toward his fundamental character.
At this moment, He Caitou appeared honest and simple on the surface. His martial soul, outwardly a food-type cigar, was in truth complemented by a second martial soul: the Sun. His talent was outstanding, especially in the realm of soul tools, where he had displayed extraordinary aptitude. In the early portions of the original story, he maintained a positive image, and his romantic subplot with Xiao Xiao also drew considerable attention—he was indeed a potential asset worth recruiting.
Yet Furina knew that He Caitou poured a great deal of his energy into the "Ultimate Soldier Project" spearheaded by Fan Yu. In her view, this was, to some degree, a waste of his twin martial soul talent.
The so-called "Ultimate Soldier Project" carried a resounding title, but in Furina's estimation, the concept behind it was rather narrow. Its aim was to concentrate resources into cultivating a scant few all-around "super soldiers," akin to an ace among special forces.
But in the world of the Douluo Continent, where individual might and collective strength carried equal weight—and especially given the limited resources of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department at its nascent stage—staking everything on one or two individuals made the risk-to-reward ratio highly debatable. Rather than that, perhaps devoting more resources to training a greater number of high-ranked soul masters, or to advancing the widespread accessibility of soul tool technology, would yield more significant gains for overall strength.
Of course, Furina could understand the context behind Fan Yu proposing this plan. During the era of Douluo Dalu 2, Shrek Academy, along with what had once been the three great empires, lagged behind the Sun Moon Empire in soul tool development as a whole. As the academy's sole Class 8 soul engineer and a Soul Douluo, it was only natural for Fan Yu to produce some forward-looking, even somewhat idealized, concepts in the process of exploration.
This same plan would even evolve, in the far-flung future of Douluo Dalu 4, into the "Stellar Warfare Experimental Class," which emphasized team coordination—a kind of ideological reflection and upgrade. But all of that was a matter for a much later time.
For the present, Furina had other plans. She turned to Huo Yuhao and a few core companions beside her, lowering her voice: "You all go ahead and tour the facility properly with Senior Brother He. Listen more, observe more, ask more. Yuhao especially—like I mentioned to you before—pay attention to Senior Brother He's insights and craftsmanship in soul tools. See if there's an opening for deeper discussion."
She hinted at the intention to recruit, and also hoped that Huo Yuhao could use this opportunity to showcase his own interest and potential in the field of soul tools.
Huo Yuhao took the hint and nodded. "Alright, Furina. Leave it to me."
The other classmates had no objections either. Under He Caitou's enthusiastic guidance, the group of curious youths and maidens began to follow him toward the workstations flickering with the light of soul tools.
Once the majority of the students had departed, only Furina, Fan Yu, and Zhou Yi—who had quietly stepped back several paces, seemingly reluctant to engage in conversation—remained at the edge of the expansive area.
Fan Yu studied the white-haired girl who had chosen to stay behind, his thick brows lifting slightly with a hint of inquiry. "Student Furina, remaining here alone—is there something you wish to discuss with me?"
He had naturally heard about the previous day's classroom upheaval, how this very white-haired maiden had sparked that subversive debate and produced that astonishing "pistol" that required no soul power to operate.
Furina met his gaze, the corner of her lips curving into a perfectly measured smile. She came straight to the point: "Teacher Fan Yu, as the pillar of the Soul Tool Department, you must surely possess profound mastery and understanding of every facet of soul tools, yes?"
Fan Yu inclined his head slightly, offering no false modesty. "I have a passing knowledge. But as for you, Student Furina—so young, yet you not only possess unique insights into soul master theory, you also seem to have a deep understanding of soul tools. I've heard that you were even able to produce a special soul tool that can function without relying on soul power?"
His eyes carried undisguised interest. He was clearly extremely focused on that "pistol."
"Are you referring to the 'pistol'? Or to those hidden weapons of the Tang Sect that rely on mechanical spring force?" Furina asked, fully knowing the answer.
"Unquestionably the former," Fan Yu admitted frankly. "I have heard of the Tang Sect's hidden weapons as well—their mechanisms are ingenious and they certainly possess unique merits. However, in comparison, the 'pistol' you demonstrated—its design philosophy, its power, and its potential for further development—seems considerably more novel and worthy of deeper contemplation."
"Teacher Fan Yu indeed has a discerning eye," Furina praised. She then put forward her own viewpoint: "However, in my opinion, the Tang Sect's hidden weapons can, in a broader sense, also be regarded as a branch of soul tools, or perhaps a precursor. Both aim to amplify or convert the user's power through specialized construction."
"It is only that the Tang Sect has clung to tradition and never actively evolved toward the direction of soul tools. If one could combine their ingenious mechanical structures with soul tool technology, it might truly be possible to create a new generation of soul-powered weapons that are easier to popularize, possess greater power, and perhaps even require no soul power from the user at all."
Her words subtly hinted at a potential development path distinct from the current mainstream approach to soul tools.
A glint of light flashed through Fan Yu's eyes. Furina's insights coincided with some of his own vague notions, yet were even clearer and bolder. "Your ideas are quite inspiring. I wonder..."
He hesitated briefly, then asked directly, "I wonder if that 'pistol' in your possession—would you be willing to sell it to the academy's Soul Tool Department for research? The price is negotiable. Soul bones, rare metals, gold soul coins—so long as it is within reason, we will do our utmost to accommodate."
Although the Soul Tool Department's resources could not match those of the Martial Soul Department, they were willing to pay a substantial price to acquire such a critical research sample.
Furina, however, gently shook her head and declined the tempting offer. "The pistol is currently my personal self-defense weapon, and as for its related technologies, we have only just begun systematic research on our end and are tentatively attempting mass production. For the time being, it is inconvenient to allow it to circulate externally."
She had her own calculations. Casually handing over a weapons technology that could potentially alter the landscape of localized warfare would undoubtedly strengthen Shrek's power. The future was ever-shifting and unpredictable, and she could not afford to add chips to the hand of a potential adversary—whether her own or the Church of the Water God's.
Although the likelihood of conflict with Shrek currently seemed low, and Huo Yuhao might even hold a lofty position within the academy in the future, it was always wise to guard against eventualities.
That said, she had no intention of completely shutting the door in their faces.
"However..." She shifted her tack. "I can provide complete design blueprints for some classic Tang Sect hidden weapons. For instance, the Zhuge Divine Crossbow, the Sleeve Dart, the Shade-Piercing Needle, and the like. Teacher Fan Yu might be able to draw inspiration from them, integrate them with soul tool technology, and blaze a new trail."
Originally, she had even considered pointing out some of the limitations of the "Ultimate Soldier Project" directly and offering suggestions. But on second thought, it seemed that only Fan Yu and He Caitou were currently privy to the details of that plan. Raising it rashly might invite suspicion, so she held her tongue for the time being.
A trace of unmistakable disappointment flickered across Fan Yu's face, but reason quickly reasserted itself. Obtaining the core blueprints of the Tang Sect's hidden weapons for reverse engineering and fusion research was, for Shrek's Soul Tool Department—which presently lacked high-end technological accumulation—likewise an extraordinarily precious asset. What was lost on one front was gained on another.
"In that case, Student Furina, what do you desire in exchange for these blueprints?" Fan Yu asked earnestly.
"Let's simply consider it building a favorable connection," Furina replied with an air of magnanimity. "If Teacher Fan Yu insists on purchasing them, then a fair price in gold soul coins will suffice. Whatever you deem reasonable."
So saying, she withdrew from the storage-type soul tool she carried a stack of meticulously drawn blueprints, prepared well in advance, and handed them to Fan Yu. "Here are complete blueprints for several relatively foundational yet quite representative hidden weapons, such as the Zhuge Divine Crossbow and the Sleeve Dart. More complex and advanced ones—like the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus or the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles—naturally carry higher value and greater difficulty of acquisition for their blueprints."
Fan Yu accepted the blueprints, quickly flipping through a few pages, a sharp light flickering in his eyes. The precision of these drawings and the ingenuity of their structural design far exceeded his expectations. After a moment of deliberation, he raised his head and stated a price that caused even the silently observing Zhou Yi to widen her eyes slightly:
"Should I be able to acquire the complete blueprints for all of the Tang Sect's hidden weapons... I would be willing to pay ten million gold soul coins."
This price clearly and vastly exceeded the current market value of these blueprints, which, in the present era, were regarded more as "antiquated craftsmanship."
On one hand, Fan Yu intended to use this opportunity to establish a favorable relationship with this mysterious and limitlessly promising young woman. On the other, he genuinely saw, within these blueprints, the enormous latent potential to drive a revolution in soul tool technology.
Furina, too, was momentarily taken aback. She had not anticipated such "generosity." Ten million gold soul coins—even for her and the Church of the Water God at present—was an exceedingly substantial sum of resources, capable of solving many practical problems.
"Teacher Fan Yu is truly magnanimous." A smile blossomed across Furina's face, and she no longer hesitated.
"Good. It's settled then. Deal! As a token of sincerity for this first collaboration, in addition to these blueprints, I can also include a few physical items—finished products like the Zhuge Divine Crossbow and the Sleeve Dart, to facilitate your more intuitive analysis and testing. Consider them... complimentary extras. I wish us a pleasant transaction, and I look forward to further cooperation in the future."
She extended her hand.
Fan Yu's broad, powerful hand clasped hers in a steady grip. "Pleasant transaction. Student Furina, I eagerly await the blueprints you will provide subsequently. Shrek's Soul Tool Department welcomes exchange and cooperation with all individuals of insight."
A mutually beneficial deal was thus quietly struck within this metal-scented soul tool experimentation zone. Zhou Yi watched silently from the side, her emotions complex. And Furina had already begun calculating in her mind how best to apply this massive sum of gold soul coins where it would count most, further advancing her many plans.
This tour and initial engagement with the Soul Tool Department, it seemed, had yielded a far greater "first pot of gold" from Shrek Academy than she had anticipated.