Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 869 Chicken Coop

Being the heroine in a male-oriented novel Chapter 3: Emerging as a Talent** The autumn cicadas were chirping feebly in the locust tree of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Lin Xia squatted in the corner of the abandoned warehouse, and the smell of old sawdust and ink lingered on her nose. The candlelight cast a swaying shadow on her cheek, and the tip of the wolf-hair brush in her hand was suspended above the yellowed ancient scroll, and it was slow to fall. The record of the "Xuan Ji Lock" in the scroll made her frown. This is a long-lost mechanical technique with interlocking mechanisms. The method to crack it is hidden in the operating rules of the twenty-eight constellations. "Miss, the third lady is here." Xiao Cui's voice came from outside the door, with a hint of nervousness. Lin Xia quickly stuffed the ancient scroll into the secret compartment, stood up and patted the dust off her skirt. The door was pushed open with a creaky sound, and Su Wanqing's sister Su Roulian walked in with lotus steps. The lotus embroidered on her goose yellow skirt trembled slightly with her steps. "Sister, are you tinkering with these weird things again? Father said that girls should learn needlework and not mess around with these broken copper and iron all day long." Lin Xia raised the corners of her lips and showed a meaningful smile: "Sister, you don't know that the knowledge hidden in this mechanical art is much more interesting than needlework." As she said, she took out a palm-sized wooden box from her sleeve. The box surface was engraved with a lotus pattern. It looked ordinary, but it actually contained a mystery. Su Roulian came over curiously. Lin Xia pressed her fingertips on several hidden protrusions on the edge of the wooden box. With a "click", the wooden box automatically popped open, and twelve delicate copper gears were neatly arranged inside. Su Roulian exclaimed, and a trace of jealousy flashed in her eyes: "It's just some tricks." She shook her sleeves and turned away. Lin Xia looked at her back and shook her head gently. Since she found the ancient books on mechanical devices in the warehouse, this scene has been played out countless times. But she doesn't care, she knows that this knowledge will be the key to changing her destiny. A few days later, in the morning, Lin Xia was debugging the newly made mechanical bird in the yard. This mechanical bird is made of bamboo as its skeleton, silk as its feathers, and its wings are inlaid with delicate gears. She gently turned the mechanism of the bird's tail, and the mechanical bird "fluttered" and spread its wings, drawing a beautiful arc in the air, and finally landed steadily on the stone table. "Good! Good!" A hearty laugh came from outside the yard. Lin Xia looked up and saw an old man with messy hair like a chicken coop and wearing a gray robe stained with oil striding over, holding a strange device in his hand that was emitting black smoke and making "crackling" sounds from time to time. The old man was followed by the housekeeper, who looked helpless: "Miss, this is Master Xuanjizi, who must see you." Xuanjizi casually placed the device on the stone table, and the bottom of the device immediately burned a burnt mark on the bluestone slab. He narrowed his eyes and looked Lin Xia up and down: "I heard that you can do mechanical tricks?" There was a bit of doubt in his tone, but also a strong curiosity. Lin Xia was not in a hurry, and bowed: "Master, you are too kind, I just know a little bit." She took out the mechanical box again and handed it to Xuanjizi: "Master, please teach me." Xuanjizi took the mechanical box, rubbed the surface of the box with his rough fingers, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He tried to press the pattern on the surface of the box, but the mechanical box did not move at all. "Interesting." Xuanjizi's mouth curled up, and he became interested. He turned the mechanical box over and over to study it, sometimes frowning, sometimes nodding. Lin Xia stood aside, waiting quietly. After a while, Xuanjizi handed the mechanical box back: "Little girl, come." Lin Xia walked forward, tapped the "lotus seeds" and "lotus leaves" on the box surface with her fingers in turn, and then gently turned the hidden buckle on the side of the box, and the mechanical box opened with a sound. Xuanjizi's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Lin Xia's wrist: "Where did you learn this art of mechanical engineering?" Lin Xia told him the truth about how she found ancient books in the warehouse and taught herself mechanical engineering. After hearing this, Xuanjizi raised his head and laughed: "Great! Great! It's really a piece of cake to find it without any effort! Little girl, are you willing to be my disciple?" Lin Xia was ecstatic, but still remained dignified. She knelt down and said: "Wanqing is willing!" Just like that, she became Xuanjizi's last disciple. Xuanjizi's Refining Pavilion is located in the green mountains outside the capital. It is full of all kinds of strange refining materials and mechanical devices. For Lin Xia, it is like a paradise full of treasures. Under Xuanjizi's guidance, Lin Xia's mechanical engineering has made great progress. Xuanjizi not only taught her the principles of mechanical engineering, but also took her to know various rare minerals and learn the art of refining. He often drank strong liquor while mumbling: "The art of mechanical engineering and the art of refining are originally of the same origin. Only by integrating the two can a true artifact be created." One day three months later, Lin Xia was refining a defensive mechanical wristband. This wristband is made of fine iron, with defensive runes engraved on the surface and twelve retractable silver needles hidden inside. When in danger, just touch the mechanism on the wrist, and the silver needles will shoot out like a rainstorm, and a layer of spiritual power shield will rise on the surface of the wristband. Just as she was concentrating on refining, an uninvited guest came to the refining pavilion. It turned out to be the housekeeper of the Zhenguogong Mansion. He was ordered by the Duke to buy a mechanical magic weapon for self-defense. Xuanjizi pointed at Lin Xia who was busy: "Go find her, my apprentice is more powerful than me." The housekeeper looked Lin Xia up and down, his eyes full of suspicion: "Little girl, the Duke's Mansion is not a place for children's play." Lin Xia did not speak, but put the newly refined wristband on her wrist and gently pressed it against the wooden stake beside her. Suddenly, twelve silver needles shot out of the air and accurately nailed into the wooden stakes. Then a layer of light blue spiritual power shield appeared on the watch face. The housekeeper's eyes widened, and his attitude immediately changed 180 degrees: "I don't know the real man! Please make a pair for my Duke." From then on, Lin Xia's reputation gradually spread in the capital. Dignitaries came to her door one after another to buy the mechanisms and magic tools she made. The automatic cleaning wooden man she made can clean the room spotlessly without anyone controlling it; there is also an anti-theft mechanism box that can automatically sound the alarm, which is deeply loved by the nobles. Even the palace came with news that the queen mother was very interested in her mechanism sachet. At a banquet hosted by aristocrats, Lin Xia showed her latest work - a firework mechanism that can bloom gorgeous patterns in the night sky. When the fireworks bloomed into the four big words "Peace and Prosperity" in the night sky, the whole audience was amazed. From then on, the name Su Wanqing was no longer just a synonym for the vicious female supporting role in the Prime Minister's Mansion, but was closely linked to the "Master of Machinery". And Lin Xia knew that this was just the beginning, and her goal was to write her own legend in this male-oriented world.