Chapter 50 Airliner

With that, Lu Huaiyang put down the newspaper. "Never mind all that for now, just mop this floor clean! Don't cause trouble for the people at the airport!"

[Ding-dong. Passengers bound for Ji'nei, please note. Flight Ninghe No. 2 is now boarding. Please proceed to Gate 9 with your travel documents.]

Apollonia mimicked the airport PA announcement, timing it down to the exact second.

Right on cue, the actual airport broadcast chimed in, matching Apollonia's words verbatim.

"Hey, why are you stealing the airport announcer's lines?"

[I announced it in advance. That's what you call 'acting before the intention forms.' They certainly have good taste, knowing the principle that in all martial arts under heaven, no defense can withstand speed—speed is the only invincible force. Oh, by the way, your plane doesn't seem quite right. I'm sensing high-energy readings ahead.]

"Huh?"

Shang Luo was slightly taken aback. He remembered General Baifeng seemed to have mentioned something similar earlier, though he had initially thought the old man was just suffering from altitude sickness or travel fatigue. But the old man's mindset didn't look old at all; he had consistently maintained that ethereal "state of heaven and man."

Shang Luo felt a twinge of panic... He couldn't imagine what kind of airplane could make even a being of heaven and man reluctant to ride it a second time.

"Alright, let's move." Lu Huaiyang patted his shoulder. The other Brocade Guards around them had all stood up—36 people in total. Each of them carried a small boarding suitcase issued by the Brocade Guards, leaving only Shang Luo empty-handed.

Summoning an airport custodian to finish mopping the floor, Lu Huaiyang offered an apology, and the 36 of them began boarding.

The plane was not parked directly at the boarding gate. After stepping outside, they had to take a shuttle bus to the tarmac.

Shang Luo sat by the window, looking outside. It was 7:00 PM, and the runway lights were already illuminated. The humid sea breeze had frosted the windows with a layer of mist, blurring the view outside.

When they reached their destination and the shuttle bus came to a smooth halt within the marked zone, Shang Luo noticed there were other passengers around.

The Yangzhou Field Army was currently being formed, and equipment and personnel from Ji'nei were being airlifted to Yangzhou. The faint, persistent roar of propellers never ceased in the background, and not far away, three newly landed fighter jets were taxiing down the runway. External fuel tanks were mounted under their wings; they had flown to San Francisco after a layover in Honolulu.

A massive six-engine "Roc" transport plane was parked nearby as well. This aircraft didn't even use conventional landing gear; instead, it rested on two rows of cart-like wheels.

Shang Luo had seen descriptions of this equipment in the newspaper. In reality, this model was so huge that it couldn't take off under its own power, even with the help of six propellers. Therefore, during takeoff, it required another high-powered four-engine bomber to tow it from the front, while the plane's own propellers were used merely to maintain altitude.

The nose of the transport plane was tilted upward, and a formation of soldiers was marching out from within.

Shang Luo hadn't paid attention to them at first, but Lu Huaiyang stopped and saluted the troops. The entire opposing formation halted and returned the salute with military courtesy, their iron fists striking their heavy armor with such force that it produced sparks—it was only then that Shang Luo realized the soldiers aboard the plane were all heavy infantry. Their footsteps sounded as heavy as rhinoceri, making the plane's cargo ramp creak under their weight.

Their armor looked very similar to the gear worn by the Brocade Guards in San Francisco he had seen earlier, except that it was almost twice as thick all over, and their necks were encircled by basin-shaped collars that left only half of their helmets exposed.

"Why are they all wearing heavy armor? Are they all Brocade Guards?" Shang Luo asked Lu Huaiyang after the mutual salutes concluded.

"The Brocade Guards don't have that many numbers. These are the Imperial Guards, the Imperial Guards of the Left Danyang Guard."

"Their armor..."

"You noticed? That's right. Their armor is identical to the Brocade Guard armor you saw earlier. Man and armor together weigh several hundred catties, which is why they require heavy transport planes for deployment."

"So all of them are...???"

Shang Luo felt as though he had stumbled upon a piece of classified information he had never known before.

"Yes, all of them have reached the Qi Refining stage. The eight Imperial Guard divisions, including the Left Danyang Guard, total 44,800 personnel, and every single one of them has achieved it. The Imperial Guards are an army composed of warriors at the Qi Refining stage—this is the imperial court's ultimate trump card. However, they aren't true cultivators; only those who embark on the path of immortality can be called cultivators. Anyone who consumes an immortal root has a chance to step into the Qi Refining stage, but only a select few possess the talent for true cultivation. We recruit powerhouses of the Qi Refining stage into the Imperial Guards, and from among them, we select those with genuine spiritual roots to join the Brocade Guards and become true cultivators."

"Do ordinary people know about this?"

"Well... you have to understand, one needs to reach at least the Foundation Establishment stage to manifest true qi outwardly. Even cultivators like us cannot stand alone against thousands of troops. So although they have crossed the threshold of the Qi Refining stage, they merely exhibit greater strength and superior physical constitution. To some extent, they can be considered 'superhumans,' but not to an absurd degree. The Wei Wu Zui of the Warring States period also wore triple-layered armor, drew 12-stone crossbows, and could march a hundred miles a day. People simply think of us as modern-day Wei Wu Zui. The imperial court treats the Imperial Guards as a lethal weapon to deter foreign barbarians. In many operations, they have achieved records of zero casualties while completely annihilating enemy forces several times their size. They are truly heavenly soldiers and generals in the flesh."

"I'm trying to imagine what kind of grave mistake someone must make to provoke them..."

"Generally, we don't frequently deploy formed units of the Imperial Guards. After all, a single guard division is enough to wipe out a mid-sized nation. I recall the last time they were deployed was five years ago when some criminals rebelled in New Jinshan over in Haozhou. But times are changing, and occasionally we need to pull out some new tricks to better deter the barbarians. Ah, here it comes. Look back."

Lu Huaiyang flashed a kind smile. The plane had arrived.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzt!

A bizarre, vibrating roar echoed from behind. It sounded somewhat like a motorcycle, but far louder and much smoother—like countless explosions linked together in a continuous line, vibrating so intensely that it made Shang Luo's internal organs resonate in unison.

The aircraft slowly taxied toward them. Its slender nose extended straight like an arrow tip, and its swept wings formed a backward triangle. A pair of pitch-black inlets were carved into the wing roots, but inside those openings, there were no propellers, no fan blades, and no visible rotating mechanical structures whatsoever. The design was so simple it defied belief; one could look straight through to the bright glow of the exhaust nozzle at the other end of the engine.

Aside from those two intake holes, two massive cylinders were suspended from the tips of the delta wings, each easily as large as an 'Imperator' stretched limousine.

...

"Welcome, esteemed commanders, esteemed colleagues, and brave soldiers of the Empire, aboard the Ninghe-class supersonic rocket airliner of Lanfang Airlines. I am the captain for this flight, surnamed Lin."

Captain Lin, dressed in a crisp uniform, stood at the front of the cabin with a smile.

"Some of you have flown on our Lanfang rocket planes before, and some have not. Therefore, before takeoff, allow me to brief you on a few safety notes. The Ninghe is powered by four pulse detonation rocket engines. We will cross the upper atmosphere of the Pacific at twice the speed of sound, sprinting like angels. Getting from San Francisco to Songjiang will take a mere five and a half hours. However, pulse detonation rocket engines only function properly at high speeds. Therefore, please direct your attention to both sides."

He gestured toward the windows on the left and right.

"During takeoff, we will use two jettisonable solid-fuel rocket boosters to help the aircraft reach the altitude and speed required by the pulse engines. Consequently, upon takeoff, this aircraft may experience some 'slight' turbulence, the climb will be 'rather' steep, and during level flight, the pulse engines will generate some 'minor' oscillatory vibrations. Of course, for the esteemed Qi Refining cultivators present here, this will naturally pose no problem at all. Surely there isn't anyone here who hasn't reached the Qi Refining stage yet, right? Ah哈哈哈~"

He chuckled playfully, assuming that since everyone present belonged to the Brocade Guards, they were undoubtedly all at the Qi Refining stage. That was until he noticed a hand raised near the back of the cabin, freezing his smile in place.

"If... if someone hasn't reached the Qi Refining stage, what should they do? Do you have a child seat?" Shang Luo asked, raising his hand.