Chapter 137: The Miraculous Wooden Kite

"Nonsense! What 'Old Mo'? You must address him as Elder Mo, understand?" Liu Yao retorted with immediate dissatisfaction, before suddenly realizing the implication and shouting excitedly, "Mu Yuan! You mean the wooden kite has been built?"

"Yes, it has." Liu Xin stared at Liu Yao’s shocked expression, completely bewildered as to why he was so stirred up.

Unable to sit still any longer, Liu Yao immediately ordered Shi A to prepare the carriage, taking Liu Xin along as they headed toward the Research Institute.

The distance between the General’s Mansion and the Research Institute was not great—by carriage, it took roughly the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn. Yet, for Liu Yao, those few minutes felt like an eternity. He had been waiting for this invention for years; now that it was finally finished, how could he not be impatient?

Inside the Youzhou Research Institute:

"Elder Mo! Elder Mo!" Liu Yao rushed in, calling out repeatedly.

"Greetings, My Lord, Princess," Mo Tian and Ma Jun said, bowing quickly as they saw Liu Yao and Liu Xin arrive.

Liu Yao waved his hand dismissively and said with excitement, "Forget the formalities, Elder Mo. Where is the wooden kite? Take me to see it at once."

"My Lord, follow me." Having prepared for this, Mo Tian led them toward a large open space at the back of the institute.

Upon arriving, Liu Yao saw an object resting in the center of the field, completely obscured by a sheet of Shu brocade. "My Lord, it is only fitting that you be the one to unveil the wooden kite," Ma Jun said solemnly. As one of the ancestral treasures of the Gongshu clan, it deserved such reverence.

Liu Yao grew serious as well. He stepped forward and pulled away the brocade, finally revealing the wooden kite.

The kite was dark brown, eight feet long with a wingspan of sixteen feet, and its back was just large enough to seat one adult. On each of the two wings sat a small, protruding wooden lever. The entire body possessed a metallic sheen; if not for the fact that Liu Yao knew it was crafted from Iron-Flower Wood, he would have sworn it was made of metal.

"Deheng, is this the legendary wooden kite?" Liu Yao asked, looking at the seemingly plain object with skepticism. He could not discern anything particularly miraculous about it.

"Reporting to My Lord, this is indeed the wooden kite passed down by our ancestors. Though it appears plain and lacks the supernatural capabilities of the ones crafted by the ancestor Gongshu Zi, it is capable of carrying a person in flight for half a day or more without issue. As for speed, it is comparable to a horse, and its altitude is limited to roughly fifty zhang," Ma Jun explained with a touch of frustration. Despite having the diagrams and materials, he could not replicate the feats of Gongshu Zi; the gap in their craftsmanship remained significant.

Liu Yao contemplated this. If it could only travel at the speed of a horse, it would not be ideal for long-distance intelligence gathering unless further improvements were made. However, as a surprise force during a siege, it might prove remarkably effective.

"Deheng, how exactly does this thing fly?" Liu Yao asked, unable to suppress his curiosity. A mechanical device that could achieve flight without any engine was truly wondrous. Even in the modern era, airplanes required thrusters; he could only marvel at the wisdom of the ancients.

"My Lord, the wooden kite achieves flight by harnessing wind power and utilizing its intricate internal structure. The force generated by the interaction of these various mechanisms allows it to ascend," Ma Jun explained.

Liu Yao shook his head; such complexity was beyond his imagination. It was enough for him to know it could carry a person.

"Deheng, show me how to operate it. I want to give it a try!" Liu Yao exclaimed, feeling a deep yearning for the skies.

"Absolutely not, My Lord! You are of noble status; you cannot risk yourself on such a dangerous contraption. If something were to—" Shi A stopped himself, realizing it was disrespectful to continue. As Liu Yao’s bodyguard, he would never permit such a risk.

Liu Yao’s heart sank. Even in the modern era, air crashes happened; in this primitive age, a fall from the sky would certainly be fatal. He didn't fancy dying in such a miserable fashion.

Ma Jun, sensing their hesitation, spoke confidently to put them at ease. "My Lord, the kite is perfectly safe. Let me demonstrate." He climbed onto its back and tapped the head of the wooden kite twice. To the astonishment of Liu Yao, Liu Xin, and Shi A, the kite slowly lifted off the ground.

Ma Jun flew in the sky for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before tapping the head four times to descend. During this, Liu Yao observed the controls: two taps to take off, two more to accelerate, three to decelerate—with five levels of speed in total—and four taps to land.

The small levers on the wings were even more impressive. The left one controlled altitude, while the right one controlled direction, much like a modern remote controller.

Liu Yao could only sigh at the ingenuity of the ancients. In such a primitive environment, they had harnessed natural forces to invent something that rivaled modern technology—it was a pity that such wisdom was often buried by time.

"Wow! Imperial Brother, that looks so fun! I want to ride the big bird too!" Liu Xin was immediately captivated. In this era, while one could sail the seas, the ability to soar into the blue sky was an irresistible temptation.

"Alright, alright! But you must not fly too high!" Liu Yao said, stroking her hair with doting concern. Despite seeing Ma Jun’s successful flight, he couldn't help but fret.

With Ma Jun’s patient instruction, Liu Xin quickly mastered the controls—it was, after all, quite simple.

Soon, the young girl began her aerial adventure, enjoying herself immensely. Though Liu Yao knew it was safe, his heart remained in his throat. Fortunately, due to his warnings, Liu Xin kept the kite to a low altitude of five or six zhang. Since the people were busy with the autumn harvest, no one noticed the strange bird in the sky, sparing Youzhou from a potential frenzy of rumors.

"Deheng," Liu Yao asked with a furrowed brow, "how many of these can be produced in a year?" After all, this was far too important; the more, the better.