Chapter 268: Airplane

The news Nina brought back surprised Wu Qingsong slightly, but since he had already stopped expecting much from the Silvermoon Wolf Clan, he didn’t show much reaction.

To Nina, this seemed like a sign of deep disappointment.

“Morin, keep up your sermons. Now that we’ve started, there’s no reason to quit halfway. Think of this as training to gain experience for preaching to the birdfolk on Gale Island in the future. Their beliefs likely differ even more from ours, and you’ll face even greater difficulties,” Wu Qingsong said.

“My lord, rest assured, I won’t be discouraged,” Morin replied.

Being looked down on by the wolfpeople certainly bothered him, but he was determined to show the right attitude in front of Wu Qingsong.

“Then let’s refocus on buying slaves and attracting refugees.” Wu Qingsong clapped his hands decisively. “Harold, you’ll be in charge of this. We need complete families with both young and old. Families like these have the highest cost of betrayal and are more likely to feel a sense of belonging here. The chance of spies among them is also low. When selecting people, make sure to assess their character carefully. We only want honest, dependable folks, even if they’re weak. Avoid anyone with bad habits, laziness, or a tendency to bully others.”

As for the spy Dark Moon had planted in Orgrimmar, he still hadn’t identified them, but he had decided to let it go.

This individual, or perhaps several people, might have died in battle or might still be alive. But he was confident that what he offered them would far exceed what Dark Moon could provide.

He hadn’t shared this with many, only advising Harold, Angus, and a few others to stay alert. Creating suspicion or division within Orgrimmar over a handful of spies, he felt, simply wasn’t worth it.

When everything was back on track, Wu Qingsong and Ling resumed testing the airplane.

Although the airship could barely meet flight requirements, it was too large and too slow. Its cruising speed of 40 kilometers per hour was much faster than most sailboats, but Gale Island was too far from Orgrimmar. He didn’t want each trip to take several days with multiple stops along the way.

Additionally, the airship’s payload capacity was too limited.

This time, Wu Qingsong first designed and constructed a parachute from silk, conducting multiple tests himself to ensure its reliability. Only after confirming its safety did he and Ling strap on their parachutes and begin a new trial.

For this version, the plane’s keel was made from insectoid legs, a hollow yet resilient material that proved ideal. It was much lighter than the wood they had previously used on Gale Island, with far superior strength and flexibility.

The wings and fuselage were covered with several layers of fine silk, topped with a layer of waterproofing adhesive to strengthen the structure. The wing shape was also adjusted multiple times using models to ensure it could generate sufficient lift during flight.

Wu Qingsong even built several unpowered gliders, transported them to the heights of the Tecks Mountains, and tested them by gliding down the slopes. He assessed the flexibility and control of the flight rudder, the fuselage’s strength, and the lift provided by the wings. After several failures and even two crashes, he finally settled on a relatively stable design, and he and Ling conducted a powered flight together.

On a clear night, they flew from the northern tip of the Tecks Mountains to the skies over Orgrimmar, then flew back, successfully landing on a flat patch of grass using landing gear Ling made with her ability.

No aviator had his ability to cheat death repeatedly, nor did anyone else have his complete concept, which helped him avoid many missteps. And, of course, no other aviator had someone like Ling to help solve issues with materials and manufacturing techniques. So when people praised his success, Wu Qingsong seemed calm.

The round trip, roughly 100 kilometers including takeoff and landing, took nearly forty minutes.

Wu Qingsong estimated that their airspeed reached nearly 200 kilometers per hour. While this was nowhere near the jet speeds of his previous world, or even the speed of an ordinary agricultural plane, he was very satisfied given the lack of resources and materials in this world.

The distance from Gale Island to Orgrimmar was around 2,500 to 3,000 kilometers, and Ling could probably sustain this intensity for about ten hours. This meant they could reach Gale Island in two days at most. They might even reach Gale Island in a single day if they found the shortest route and glided intermittently to let Ling rest.

In fact, with the continental map he had acquired, he realized that from now on, he could reach anywhere on the continent within just two or three days.

“Ling, I’ll be relying on you a lot in the future,” he said to her.

Ling quickly shook her head. For her, being an important and irreplaceable presence at Wu Qingsong’s side was the greatest joy.

Wasn’t this what all her hard work had been for?

“Take a good two days’ rest, and then we’ll start long-distance testing,” Wu Qingsong said.

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“What progress have you made?”

Nina finally couldn’t help but whisper to Ram after watching the aircraft, which Wu Qingsong had named the Taegmos, disappear into the night sky.

“Progress? What do you mean?” Ram’s face turned bright red.

It was an awkward question for Nina to ask, but as the leader, she saw the invisible divide between the Silvermoon Wolf Clan and Orgrimmar and felt anxious to find a way to bridge it. If Ram and Wu Qingsong could marry, maybe that would help reduce, or even eliminate, some of this divide.

Ram and Wu Qingsong had been together as a couple for almost two years now. Among the Silvermoon Clan, a young wolfkin couple would typically have married and started a family by this point. Nina knew that Wu Qingsong had spent much of that time away, busy with adventures and various matters, often traveling, while Ram was occupied with trade routes.

But given how long they’d been together, surely a young couple would have taken the next step by now, wouldn’t they?

“Have you two… done it?” Nina’s face flushed.

She certainly knew about relationships between men and women, but as an unmarried woman herself, discussing it felt strange. She could ignore it when others talked about such things in front of her, but saying it herself brought an odd discomfort.

Ram bit her lip and shook her head silently.

“Why?” Nina couldn’t help but ask, surprised by the answer.

“What do you mean, why?” Ram retorted, a bit embarrassed and annoyed.

“Ram, don’t be upset with me, but your relationship with Wu isn’t just between the two of you anymore.”

After a brief silence, Nina continued in a low voice, “You know the situation with Silvermoon. If… if you could marry soon, a lot of things might just…”

Ram felt uncomfortable at the suggestion. Of course, she wanted to be with Wu Qingsong, but if it was for reasons like this, it would feel completely different.

“Then why don’t you marry him yourself?” she blurted out without thinking. “If you two got married, wouldn’t it make uniting Silvermoon and Orgrimmar feel even more natural?”

“Ram?” Nina looked at her friend in surprise, only to see tears welling up in her eyes. “I never meant that. You should know I wouldn’t…”

“I’m sorry,” Ram said. “I’m sorry, Nina. You know that’s not what I meant. Just… please give me a moment.”

Nina watched in a daze as Ram quickly walked away. She didn’t notice that Liuli was nearby, hiding behind a tree and watching them angrily.