Chapter 1 Gusmao Airship

Suren had heard of the "Gusmao Airship" before, back in the Northern Sea, from the memory extraction of the Mechanical Knight of the Mafa Royal Family who was by Princess Sitka's side.

The Mafa military possessed some top-secret information, saying that the Lu Ying military industry was developing a super-strong aerial fortress to seize air supremacy for future battlefields.

This was not the ordinary airship with a gondola suspended from a balloon, but a true steel behemoth, which could even be understood as a steam-powered steel castle in the sky.

However, there were no reports of it being used in battle yet.

Even the Mafa intelligence agencies had only heard that the Lu Ying military was secretly developing it, and no one had actually seen it.

Suren never expected to see the real thing here.

No matter how the "Shadow Duke" managed to get this airship, this feat alone proved that his title as the King of the Underworld of Lingdun was well-deserved.

Seeing the military airship, Suren's thoughts raced: "A gang leader definitely couldn't do this. Who exactly is the backer behind this 'Red Oak Society'?"

After all, the Lu Ying Empire had a thousand years of history, and there were countless hidden leviathans beneath the surface.

Such as the low-key Lance family, the ambitious Grand Duke Raphael...

This also made Suren feel more cautious about this ball.

.......

After the subtle tremor like an earthquake just now, there were no more abnormalities.

But in the spatial perception, Suren knew that this behemoth was slowly ascending.

He didn't show any abnormality, and continued chatting with Shabina.

Half an hour later, Suren sensed that they were now at least three thousand meters above the ground, and the airship was still rising.

Suddenly, the sound of a mechanism opening came from behind a wall in their enclosed room.

Suren and Shabina turned their heads at the same time, and the previous decorative wall folded up, revealing a large area of tempered glass.

Looking at the clouds floating past outside, a hint of surprise appeared in Shabina's crystal eyes, obviously not expecting to be in the sky already.

Suren stood up, and Shabina naturally took his arm. The two walked to the viewing window.

At this sight, the entire Lingdun was in full view.

The city streets were brightly lit at night, and the height of the airship was just above the fog layer, so everything could be seen clearly.

The gray fog that enveloped Lingdun all year round gave the densely packed buildings a mysterious veil.

The lights along the Rocco Wallen River were the most dazzling, and the gas lamps on the riverside promenade lit up a long row of orange lights, dividing the entire city into two distinct halves.

The fog was the thickest in the southern city, and the tall chimneys in the factories spewed white smoke non-stop. Although the lights in the northern noble district were not dense, they were very bright.

The whole city was like a giant beast dormant on the ground, with the buildings like thorns on its back.

At this moment, a bright moon hung in the sky, and the white moonlight poured down on the misty land, adding a layer of mystery to the world in his eyes.

It was also the first time Suren had overlooked the super city of Lingdun.

He squinted at the bright lights below, and felt a sense of relief in his heart, exclaiming: "Standing high, the scenery is indeed different."

While admiring the scenery, he also looked out through the viewing glass, surveying the aerial fortress.

The hull was made of steel shells pieced together by huge rivets, and there were many propellers of various uses and sizes on the sides. The part of the power equipment visible from this angle had steam pipes chugging and emitting white smoke. There was no obvious airbag device, and the shape was very peculiar, resembling a fat whale.

A strong steampunk style.

Suren carefully examined it and roughly understood the general structure of the "Gusmao Airship", but he couldn't figure out how such a heavy steel castle could fly into the sky. The key to the energy system was hidden inside the airship.

After only one glance, he made some guesses: "Is it ancient gnome technology?"

Needless to say, any mechanical product that exceeded the current level of technology was likely an ancient black technology excavated from archeology.

Although Suren didn't understand it, it didn't stop him from hearing that in the once glorious gnome civilization, there were legends of a "Sky City" that could fly in the sky.

The adventurers of the Lu Ying Empire had been treasure hunting and exploring for so many years, so it was not difficult to understand that the royal family had some black technology.

......

Suren and Shabina were admiring the scenery in the sky by the window, and before long, another sound of gears meshing "click" sounded in the room.

A folding staircase slowly descended from the ceiling.

Shabina had been here once, and obviously knew what this meant. She took Suren's arm and said, "Sir, it's time for the ball."

Suren nodded, and the two walked up the stairs.

The interior of the mechanical airship was also quite large. The two did not encounter any other participants in the corridor.

Soon, the bunny girl opened a door, and the view suddenly opened up.

This was a luxurious banquet hall, dimly lit.

When Suren and his party arrived, there were already dozens of masked people here. There were men and women, and they were dressed gorgeously. Just looking at the jewelry and decorations they were wearing, one could tell that these people were not ordinary.

The air was filled with a faint scent of incense, which Suren found refreshing.

Taking a closer look at the incense burner in the corner, he identified it as a potion with the strange name of [Could it be a Maiden's Legend].

Although the name was strange, Suren had long heard of it!

Because this was a legendary alchemical potion.

The potion had the miraculous effect of nourishing the face and prolonging life. It was said that people who were about to die would instantly live for another half a year after using it for the first time.

Long-term use could prolong life for many years!

The main ingredient of this potion was a billion-year-old fossil found only in the permafrost of the Arctic Ice Plains, which was hard to come by. It was said that it was a special potion refined by the Lu Ying royal family, and there was no way to buy it on the market.

"Good stuff..."

Seeing this, Suren suddenly felt a bit like a country bumpkin.

He had become rich overnight in the Sea Ruins, but his temperament hadn't caught up.

If it weren't for the Omniscient Eye identifying the names of many things at this ball, he would never have seen them before.

What Suren couldn't figure out was, why was this kind of good thing being offered for free?

He looked at the buffet table filled with wine and food, and unsurprisingly, they were all rare delicacies and vintage wines that were hard to find on the market. They were either nourishing and beneficial to the body, or they added various buff enhancements. In short, they were not ordinary foods that only satisfied the palate.

Seeing this, Suren understood that the things provided by the ball's organizers for the guests to enjoy must be rare items that could not be bought with money on the market, or were extremely difficult to buy.

Everywhere highlighted the strength of the organizers.

......

Suren and the two didn't wait long before some more participants came out of the hidden corners one after another.

It was easy to distinguish them. The participants all wore special masks to cover their faces.

And those young men and women who weren't wearing masks were all exclusive waiters.

Socialites from high society, members of the Royal Ballet, big singers...

Suren recognized several familiar faces among the bunny girls.

These sexy and charming beauties were unattainable to ordinary people, but in the eyes of real big shots, they were just part of the atmosphere of the ball.

Shabina looked at Suren a few more times, her eyes revealing an obvious meaning: If sir is interested, you can try it~

Suren chuckled.

He wasn't looking at those people out of lust, but to see clearly who was participating, so he could deduce more useful information.

He imperceptibly surveyed everything around him, but unfortunately the masks provided by the participants clearly had restrictions that interfered with perception, so he couldn't see their faces clearly.

Suren remembered their soul fluctuations.

.......

The Full Moon Ball was a membership recommendation system, so most of the people who came to participate were old members who had been here before, and they all knew the rules.

The desires of high society balls were hidden, but this "Full Moon Ball" was an underground ball, and the desires of the participants were released.

Those masked people wouldn't be surprised by anything that happened before them, and each did their own thing in the corner of the banquet hall. Old men could flirt with bunny girls, and wealthy women could find male models for pleasure. Everywhere was a scene full of life and color.

After all, it was a ball in name. Soothing music started, and the members found their dance partners and embraced each other.

Suren and Shabina also danced a slow dance together.

Shabina watched Suren seeming confused by the unseemly behavior of those pot-bellied nobles, and whispered in his ear: "Actually, many people here don't mind exposing their identities. Because everything about the ball is absolutely confidential, and even private discussions are forbidden. Otherwise, they will be erased by someone sent by the Shadow Duke. That person's intelligence network is very powerful, covering both the white and black paths. So far, no one has leaked information about the ball and survived. Besides, being able to join the ball is also a threshold for status for people in high society. Many people expose their identities, but it can raise their status in real social interactions..."

Suren also understood a little.

In fact, there were countless scandals in high society, and everyone knew it tacitly.

Now that there was a rule here that "cannot be leaked", those people naturally had no more scruples.

The ball was a membership system, and many people knew each other, or were connected.

This was also a special alliance.

Only when everyone had each other's dirty secrets could this alliance be more stable.

And from another perspective, the host, the "Shadow Duke", probably had a lot of dirty secrets of high society in his hands.

.......

Before long, a mysterious person covered in a black robe and wearing a golden human-face mask walked into the banquet hall.

Suren noticed this person immediately, sensed the special soul fluctuation, and murmured in his heart: "Very strong."

This was the mysterious "Shadow Duke".

It was difficult for top-level professionals to distinguish the level from soul fluctuations, but Suren's feeling was that he was at least a Tier 7, and even somewhat like the illusory fluctuation of the Mirror Master's pseudo-Tier 8.

"But his soul fluctuation is very weak... Is his lifespan coming to an end?"

Although this person had an extraordinary bearing, Suren sensed some information that others couldn't sense.

Just like when he met Grandma Katusha on the ship to Shan Yin Country, the soul fire of the golden masked man in front of him was like a candle in the wind.

In other words, this guy was about to die.

Suren realized that the reason why the venue was decorated with [Could it be a Maiden's Legend] was also for his own use.

Thinking that this person was the King of the Underworld of Lingdun more than twenty years ago, it was understandable that he was getting old.

Seeing him come, everyone stopped and bowed.

The golden masked man waved his hand and said, "Everyone is an old friend, no need to be so polite. Before the ball officially begins, our 'Marquise Agnes' has an opening dance to perform for everyone. I think everyone would rather watch the beautiful lady dance, rather than listen to me, an old guy, rambling on..."

As he said this, a spotlight fell on a noblewoman in a black evening dress in the hall.

Although he couldn't see her face because of the mask, just looking at her attire and complexion, he knew that this was a well-maintained high-ranking noble.

Everyone's eyes looked over.

The noblewoman didn't waste any time, and directly took off her mask, revealing her true face and a slightly helpless smile: "Oh dear, it's embarrassing for me to dance naked at my age."

This was a charming and graceful woman. Although she ridiculed herself for being old, her skin looked as tender as a young woman in her twenties. Her shapely figure exuded the charm of a mature woman everywhere.

She directly took off her black evening dress, and then all the cover-ups, while saying: "But a bet is a bet. Since I made a request at the last ball, and a certain gentleman helped me complete that matter, and he wants to see me dance in front of everyone, then I can only make everyone laugh..."

None of the participants showed any unusual expressions, and applauded in a very cooperative atmosphere.

Facts have proved that whether it was before or after time travel, when it came to GHS, the onlookers would be surprisingly uniform gentlemen: Good people are safe for life.

Suren was also very surprised. A marquise was already a truly prominent figure in high society. She actually walked onto the stage under the spotlight without any clothes on, and danced such a sensual dance in front of everyone?

Noble ladies were already proficient in various dances, and this Marquise Agnes was not at all stage fright. Her dance was sexy and pleasing to the eye.

It had to be said that this opening dance was really good.

Suren had long been accustomed to various female dancers performing in nightclubs, and he could say that his heart wouldn't waver at all when watching flame dances or anything like that.

But seeing this marquise, who exuded nobility, dance gave people a different kind of pleasure.

At the same time, Suren was also amazed. Were the rules of this ball so hardcore?

Like truth or dare, if you say dare, then dare.

Even a dignified marquise had to personally come on stage?

Shabina, who was next to him, also watched with great interest, and whispered in Suren's ear: "So sir likes this kind of thing?"

Suren didn't deny that he was watching with great interest, "Not bad."

Shabina chuckled without saying anything.

Suren thought about it and could understand.

The private lives of the Lu Ying nobles were already chaotic. For young ladies and wives who had lived in noble families since childhood, they often didn't have any strong sense of chastity. They knew very well that their greatest value was in marriage. Beauty was just a tool. If they wanted to get it, it only depended on whether the price was high enough, not whether they liked it or not.

The fact that this marquise was dancing here meant that the benefits she had obtained in the exchange must be more than what she was paying now.

.......

A sensual opening dance kicked off the ball.

After all, these people didn't come to enjoy themselves, but to exchange resources and information.

After the golden masked man made his appearance at the beginning, he didn't speak again, but sat in a corner where the light could only shine on his shadow.

A butler-like man hosted the ball.

Then came the exchange session.

Those masked people spoke one after another, stating their needs.

"A reporter from the *Lingdun Entertainment News* has some scandals that are unfavorable to me. It's Senator Fiss's industry, who happens to be my political enemy. Someone is using this to blackmail me. I need someone to handle it. The reward is one Caron Silver Coin..."

"I can solve this. I can guarantee that this news will not appear in the newspapers."

"..."

"The National Assembly will have a proposal on mineral trade reform the day after tomorrow. I need some accurate internal information. The reward is two Silver Coins."

"I know this information. But I need three Silver Coins."

"..."

"Regarding the assassination of Earl Mallory, I need information on the murderer."

"I have a batch of sensitive bulk military goods to be shipped out of the port, and I need a special permit personally signed by Commerce Minister Oliver."

"The Mastan Principality is at war, and I need a middleman to mediate. The reward is one Gold Coin."

"..."

One problem after another was raised, and then someone took it on.

Everyone was obviously very familiar with this process.

Only things that no one could solve would fall to that "Shadow Duke".

Although they didn't get an immediate answer, everyone knew that as long as it wasn't rejected, it could definitely be solved.

In addition to those who spoke out, there were also some members who didn't want to reveal their identities, so they used a special projection to project the demand instrument on the public screen.

Originally, this kind of resource exchange could be achieved at ordinary noble cocktail parties, but members were more willing to trade here.

Elsewhere, even people who knew each other in reality needed to worry about whether the other party would have any ulterior motives.

But the transactions here were absolutely safe.

Because all transactions were guaranteed by the "Shadow Duke".

If someone took it on, they had to execute it according to the contract.

This was the rule of the ball.

Just like the sensual dance performed by that Marquise at the beginning.

......

As expected of a high-end exchange meeting, they were all talking about real big business.

Suren listened silently to others speaking, and cautiously observed everything.

He wasn't in a hurry to speak.

From the questions raised, he could roughly guess the factions and identities of those people, and there were also some that he couldn't guess even with disguises.

He also found that the people at the ball had very mixed identities, and there were big shots from all walks of life.

And the things that could be brought to this ball to solve were all very tricky problems.

Listening to those messages, Suren also deeply felt that Lingdun, the capital of the Lu Ying Empire, hid too many big shots. Those problems that sounded difficult to solve were often just a matter of one sentence in these people's mouths.

Just coming to join the fun could allow one to hear a lot of top-secret information, and also deduce a lot of changes in the upper echelons of Lu Ying.

But Suren knew that it was impossible to freeload on information.

Members were very active because there was also a potential rule at this ball, that if one participated multiple times but didn't show "value", they would be kicked out of membership.

According to the information that Shabina had, this "Shadow Duke" had always represented absolute neutrality, not taking any position.

It could almost be determined that he didn't stand on the side of the royal family, nor was he a force supported by one of the six congressional members...

If there were conflicts between members, they could ask him to mediate, but he wouldn't favor anyone.

This was also the most important reason why Suren wanted to come to this place to find clues.

If "neutrality" was a persona that was created, then this ball, which had existed for more than twenty years and had gone through many political changes, should have collapsed long ago.

But the Mirror Master's bloodline, those intelligence personnel who had been lurking in Lingdun for hundreds of years, had never heard of it.

On the contrary, the "Shadow Duke" had become more and more mysterious in recent years.

The only thing that could be confirmed was that he was very strong.

It had always been rumored that people on both the white and black paths wanted to assassinate him, but he was still living well.

And the people and forces who wanted to kill him had all disappeared.

......

The atmosphere of the exchange session was very subtle.

There were many who revealed their identities, and many who hid their identities.

Suren observed for a while, and didn't find any danger, so he wrote his needs on a special sensor and projected it on the screen: "Recently, a special formula of psychedelic potion has appeared in the underworld of the southern city. I want to know the source of the potion and some detailed information. It would be even better if I could get the formula. The reward is one Caron Silver Coin."

The [Caron Silver Coin] was the circulating hard currency of the ball, and was the voucher issued by the "Shadow Duke".

The essence of the exchange at this ball was barter, but sometimes the two sides of the transaction didn't have equal bargaining chips, so there was this silver coin.

Suren would naturally not be foolish enough to directly ask about the identity of the "Curator".

They had only fought each other, and it would be easy to expose himself if the other party was also at the ball.

Besides, finding the "Curator" was not the ultimate goal.

Finding the source of the potion was.

And the fact that the potion had appeared in the southern city was no longer a secret. Many well-informed forces had received the news and were also inquiring about it. Asking in this way would not easily expose him.

Suren's purpose was to find out who made the batch of potions, and how the Red Death came about.

He had originally wanted to try his luck.

He didn't think he would definitely get accurate information.

But unexpectedly, not long after this message was asked, a row of anonymous text responses appeared on the notebook-like sensor: "This batch of goods was secretly developed and produced by 'Bacchi Pharmaceutical Company'. The laboratory is in the headquarters, which is heavily guarded. I happen to know that they will hold a new drug launch conference recently, and will officially release this potion. Don't even think about the formula. The interests involved in this matter are too great. It is a special medicine for a disease, and will generate huge profits in the future. It will never be sold to the outside world. This is all the information. As for the reward, you can give it as you see fit. Oh, I'll give you another message. There are many people paying attention to this potion now. If you want to buy shares, you have to find a way as soon as possible."

"..."

Suren saw this and knew that he had come to the right place!

This directly asked for the origin of the potion.

This "Bacchi Pharmaceutical Company" was one of the giants of pharmaceuticals in Lu Ying, and was also the industry of the Rodriguez family.

The Great Senator of the Rodriguez family was the staunchest supporter of the "Freedom of Belief Act".

Now that he knew who the opponent was, he had a direction for the subsequent response.

......

Suren didn't think it would be so easy to get the information.

Now that he had achieved the greatest purpose of coming to this ball, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he could quietly be an observer.

The ball not only had needs, but also idle resources, mostly special items that could not go through formal channels.

Soon, Suren saw a piece of information that he was very interested in.

Someone posted a message: "I still have a batch of special equipment that those new faction guys imported from Mafa during the Mist Moon coup to prepare for imitating mechanical armor. 90% new. They are now sealed in the Royal Shipyard warehouse. Duke Raphael is secretly trying to buy it. At the latest, half a month later, the Royal Shipyard will probably sell it to him. But someone doesn't want this thing to fall into his hands. Interested friends can make an offer. The transaction adds two silver coins, and the machine price is calculated separately. I will find a way to get it out, and the transaction channel guarantees safety."

"Imported equipment for imitating mechanical armor?"

Suren was pleasantly surprised to see this.

Although Mafa prohibited the export of mechanical armor, it did not prohibit the export of various mechanical equipment. However, with the war between the two countries, it was very difficult to find a purchase channel. Especially military equipment related to mechanical armor.

And Rena's rich woman's chamber of commerce had also helped to scrape together a batch of second-hand mechanical equipment, but Suren had seen those lists, and they were mostly outdated production equipment produced by Lu Ying.

Although they could barely be used, they could not meet the production needs of that war workshop in the Little Void Realm.

But this batch of goods imported from Mafa was different.

It was very suitable!

During the Mist Moon Coup, the new faction seized power and wanted to reform the Lu Ying Empire. They also came up with a lot of plans to learn from Mafa's advanced system.

Among them was a plan for a "Mechanical Armor Factory".

This imported equipment was obtained from Mafa at a great price and through special channels. The Prime Minister at the time wanted to start by imitating it, and gradually explore a path for Lu Ying to become a mechanically powerful country.

But later, the Empress quickly restored her power, and the old faction directly hammered the New Deal that had been in place for a few months.

All proposals related to the New Deal were crazily suppressed.

As a result, those expensive imported equipment had not had time to produce anything before they were sealed.

Without policy support, this special equipment was really not of much use in other people's hands.

Because manufacturing mechanical armor required senior mechanics, precise drawings, and a systematic mechanical talent training system...

None of them could be missing.

Even if the major Lu Ying arms dealers held these instruments and equipment, they would be like chicken ribs.

Many of these equipment were special instruments, and there were also some core instruments missing that could manufacture high-precision parts for mechanical armor.

So even if they had them in their hands, they couldn't make slightly better mechanical armor at all.

Using them to manufacture Lu Ying's mechanical weapons that were decades behind was not as good as using old equipment.

But what others didn't have was what Suren had!

Whether it was mechanical armor blueprints, mechanical talent, or precision core instruments (that batch on the submarine), he had them all!

Suren was immediately moved when he saw this information.

Sure enough, high-end resources were in the hands of that small group of people.

This ball was too worthwhile!

ps. The comments these past few days haven't been deleted, it's because the policy prevents them from being visible. It should be better in these few days.