Lying on the soft grass, Zhou Ni drawled, "So boring. You're not planning to just lie here until dawn, are you?"

Holding Zhou Ni's hand, I continuously moved it up and down her body. She found it boring, but I was utterly fascinated. I truly wished we could just lie here until the end of time, never having to think about the storms of the future. Yet, ignoring them was impossible. Hua Qingqing, Cai Jingjing, Ouyang Qian, Xu Chen, and He Yuqing—the five women were still missing and their fates unknown. How could I let myself be lost in this comfort?

I sprang to my feet. "We can't lie here any longer. I'll find the spaceship first, and then we'll hurry back. I need to go to Shuangcheng; it's the metropolis of the Shuangcheng Kingdom. If those five women recover their memories, they will certainly head for a bustling place."

Zhou Ni looked up at the giant object swaying in mid-air. It was that very thing that had taken her first time, a fact that filled her with regret, especially since, having been in the river, that precious virgin blood hadn't been preserved. But as long as he knew, whether there was proof or not wasn't so important to the now blissfully happy Zhou Ni.

"You plan to march into Shuangcheng with that hanging there?" Zhou Ni laughed, wrapping her arms around my legs.

I coughed awkwardly. "Of course not. The clothes should be almost dry. Come, let me help you put them on."

Zhou Ni casually tore off some cloth strips and hastily tied her hair back. I helped her put on the washed bra, panties, and undergarments. The panties and underpants were ripped; I had to hastily tie them with some vines. For the two of us now, it was fine, especially after the intimacy we had just shared—even being naked wouldn't matter. But if the others in Gourd Village saw us, it would be problematic.

As for my own attire, I'd have to find some large leaves to cover up for now. I used to wonder why the leaves here were so big, but now I was quite thankful. Otherwise, how many leaves would I need to cover my magnificent brother?

"Let's go," I said.

Zhou Ni extended her arms, pouting delicately. "I want you to carry me."

I chuckled, lifting Zhou Ni and first placing her on the horse. Then, I mounted myself, sitting behind her and embracing her. "Giddy up!" We set off again on horseback, but this time we dared not wander around like headless flies.

Leaning into my embrace, Zhou Ni whispered softly near my ear, "Brother Zhao, just let me be spoiled for one more night. Tomorrow you’ll be leaving me and Sister Susu. I’ll miss you terribly. I truly regret not cherishing the time we had together. Why didn't you just bump my head against a tree earlier?"

It was unintentional. If bumping heads could cure amnesia, it would be simple. I replied, "In the future, I'll let you all be spoiled in my arms for a lifetime. Once we find the others, we’ll return to Earth, and we can all live happy lives together again."

"Mmm. Be careful when you go to Shuangcheng. You don't have your superpowers now; don't be reckless. Think about how Sister Susu and I are waiting here for your safe return. No matter what means you use, safety must come first. Otherwise, if even a small accident happens to you, I and the other sisters will follow you."

Moved, I hugged Zhou Ni tightly. "Don't think the worst. I will use any means necessary, even unscrupulous methods, to borrow others' power to find the other five. Haven't we just established a connection with the Emperor of the Shuangcheng Kingdom? Even though we offended Grand Tutor Pang, with the Emperor backing us, he wouldn't dare do anything. Besides, I drank with that Emperor before at Feiyu County Yamen, and he promised to help me find people. I'll go see him this time and ask how the matter is progressing."

The two of them exchanged sweet words on horseback, and the journey of finding the way no longer seemed tedious. Slowly, they finally found the main road. They reached the spaceship and meticulously inspected all the usable equipment.

Zhou Ni asked, "Brother Zhao, you mentioned processing diamonds earlier to keep me here. Is that still necessary? We have a chance to collect more and process them finely when we get back to Earth."

I considered it. "If there's time, you should still try to polish some of them. Finding the other five might take a while. Perhaps these polished diamonds will help us. The humans on this planet haven't realized the value of diamonds yet; I might help them promote it."

Zhou Ni looked confused. "If you make them recognize the value of diamonds, how will we take advantage of the situation?"

I said, "Nini, we can't think too far ahead right now. If we really can return to Earth, what are diamonds? I only worry about the unknown dangers ahead. But the technology to polish them is unique on this planet. Maybe this is another advantage we have. I don't have my superpowers; I can only rely on cunning and trickery. How else can I find them?"

"I understand, don't worry, Brother Zhao. I'll take care of this."

Early the next morning, they rode back to Gourd Village together on one horse. Linglong was practicing archery at the village entrance. Seeing a 'wild' man galloping from a distance, holding a disheveled beauty in his arms, she drew her bow, ready to shoot him down.

"Stop! Stop!" I shouted. "It's me, Zhao Qian."

"Ah, you... what happened to you two?" Linglong recognized my voice and hastily lowered her bow and arrow.

Zhou Ni jumped down from the horse shyly. She explained, "We got lost halfway and unfortunately fell into the swamp. Luckily, we tore off some clothes to make ropes and escaped with our lives."

Linglong worried, "I should have stopped you both. It's all Sister Susu's fault for providing you with... never mind. Hurry inside and change. Look at the state you two are in."

Cheng Susu and Yun Yao rushed out when they heard the commotion. They turned pale when they heard we almost lost our lives in the mire. Zhou Ni knew she had made a mistake this time; if it weren't for her suggestion, this wouldn't have happened. Feeling guilty and timid, she called out "Sister" softly and ran back to her room to change.

Yun Yao looked at Zhou Ni’s retreating back, puzzled. "What's wrong with her? She seems strange."

Cheng Susu also watched Zhou Ni enter the room. She asked me, "Yes, her posture seems off. Did she hurt her legs falling into the swamp? Shall we go in and check?" I pulled the two women, one on each arm. "No, I already checked her. She isn't injured."

Yun Yao, knowing I liked to have an arm around each, didn't resist my antics. Cheng Susu, however, blushed slightly. "Don't be like this. It’s not good if Zhou Ni comes out and sees."

I deliberately spoke loudly, "I now formally announce to both of you: Zhou Ni is my twenty-second wife, Zhao Qian!"

"Ah!" Yun Yao and Cheng Susu were stunned. Yun Yao was the first to react, asking with surprise, "Do you mean Zhou Ni's memory has returned? Or did you force her to sleep with you?"

I chuckled. "Do you think I'm that shameless? Zhou Ni bumped her head on a small tree, and her memory instantly returned. Then, we... well, we did it."

Yun Yao laughed. "So it wasn't her legs that were injured, but there that this bad guy hurt her! I'm going in to check on Sister Zhou Ni. This is worth celebrating! Great, another good sister..."

Yun Yao happily went inside to find Zhou Ni. Cheng Susu in my arms was visibly uncomfortable. I comforted her, "Susu, don't worry. Even if your memory doesn't return, it won't affect our feelings. I love the old you and the new you. Stay here and wait for my return. This time, no running away! I want you to completely regain your previous wantonness."

Cheng Susu blushed deeply and lightly slapped my backside. "You're never serious! When was I wanton? Be careful someone overhears and laughs."

I said, "Whether you were wanton or not, I won't debate it now. But when I return, you are not allowed to push me to the other side of the bed, forcing me to sleep only by your feet. I want to hold you, to treat you exactly as I did before."

Cheng Susu ran off. "We'll talk about that when you get back."

After breakfast, Linglong and Dalivan were ready to depart. With Yun Yao’s clothes and personal items, they were entrusted to her care. Linglong was primarily carrying weapons: a laser gun tucked into her left hip, a military knife on the right, and a new crossbow strapped to her back. This crossbow was modified by Uncle Changfeng based on the ones captured from the bandits.

This crossbow was better suited for a girl like Linglong; it required less strength, and even aiming for a long time wouldn't exhaust her. Otherwise, every time they left or returned to Gourd Village, Linglong was constantly tense with her bow and arrows, making the journey very tiring.

Regarding accuracy, this crossbow was also superior to the original bandit bolts. After my suggestion and a day and night of experiments with Uncle Changfeng, they finally figured out the sight position. He then passed this knowledge to his daughter. For their daughter to follow a strange man out into the world, neither parent objected; on the contrary, they were very supportive.

As for my promise to Uncle Changfeng to take him flying, it couldn't be fulfilled immediately. Unbeknownst to me, the little girl Linglong had already borrowed Yun Yao's anti-gravity shoes and taken her father for a few laps around Gourd Peak. Otherwise, the old man wouldn't have been so relieved to let his daughter venture out. Now that he saw people could fly, all his worries vanished.

I, Yun Yao, Linglong, Dalivan, and Ma Xiaoda—five people—chose five strong stallions and rode down the mountain. Machong still needed time to recover from his injuries. Though anxious, he knew returning to Wanma Kingdom in this state wouldn't help save his mother, so he patiently stayed behind. This also conveniently allowed Elder Lai and Changfeng to tend to the horses.

Having left the mountain several times, I was familiar with the routes and knew where to be cautious. Thus, the group moved faster. Finally, after lunch, they reached Feiyu County.

The matter of our encounter with the bandits had already been reported to the county office by Elder Lai when he came to deliver the horses. For the past two days, Bai Shi and Jing Lue had been running to the city gate every day. Without a telephone, they had no idea when His Highness the Crown Prince would return. Hearing that over a hundred bandits were relentlessly pursuing them nearly scared the souls out of them. Yet, they couldn't venture into the mountains to search, so they could only live in constant anxiety, praying day and night for the Crown Prince's safe return.

At this moment, the Crown Prince's silhouette finally appeared at the city gate. Seeing he was safe, Bai Shi shed tears of joy. County Magistrate An, who had kept the magistrate’s company at the gate these past few days, also breathed a sigh of relief. If the Crown Prince had met with disaster on his watch, his tenure as magistrate would be over. Thinking of his son-in-law's audacity, County Magistrate An cursed inwardly. He knew the person was the Crown Prince, yet he dared to take him into the mountains—wasn't that pushing himself into a fiery pit?

On the morning the incident occurred, County Magistrate An had received news from a scout that bandits were heading towards the county seat, seemingly planning a major operation. However, the scouts were on foot, and the message arrived too late. By the time the County Magistrate organized the city defense, another message arrived saying the bandits had turned around and retreated into the forest.

"Your Highness, you are finally back safe!" Bai Shi wept, collapsing at Ma Xiaoda's horse's hooves.

Ma Xiaoda dismounted. "Old Bai, I know you were worried about me. Didn't I come back safe? Let's go. Let's help Zhao Qian repair the escape pod."

Of course, I didn't want to waste a single moment. I hastily greeted County Magistrate An and the guards at the gate, then spurred my horse straight toward the county office. There was still a day before the planned departure, and if I didn't hurry, I’d be frantic even if the Emperor wasn't worried. Repairing the escape pod quickly—if it could be used normally, the history of searching for my wives would be rewritten. If the repairs failed, the journey to Shuangcheng would be arduous.

Ma Xiaoda volunteered again, climbing down into the mechanical compartment of the escape pod to hold the flashlight for me. As I explained the history of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, I welded the circuits. Listening to the rich and colorful history, Ma Xiaoda's eyes were fixated. Although he was a child, his lifelong dream since becoming sensible was to one day be like the emperors in my stories—expanding territory and pacifying the nation.

"Zhao Qian, you know so much! It’s a hundred times more interesting than those so-called learned scholars who teach me. They only preach day in and day out; I’m sick of them. If you could be my teacher, I wish every day could be a lesson."

I said, "Who didn't find their teachers annoying while studying? I hated listening to their sermons too. But looking back when you grow up, you realize they all had good intentions. It’s just that they were sometimes too eager for success, and we children were too playful. When conflicts arose, we treated them like enemies."

Ma Xiaoda grumbled, "You always try to be the good guy, offending no one on either side."

I smiled and ignored Ma Xiaoda, instead accelerating my work. Soon, I replaced all the burnt cables. Based on the information in my mind, I confirmed the newly laid cables should ensure everything was fine. I then climbed out of the mechanical compartment into the cockpit to attempt a startup.

Ma Xiaoda curiously followed behind me to watch the excitement. I turned on the master activation switch. Beeping sounds echoed, and soon, alarm lights lit up in sequence: Main propulsion system startup failed, main computer startup failed, shuttle system startup failed, automatic maintenance system startup failed... Finally, only one green light remained—Anti-gravity system startup successful.

Ma Xiaoda looked at the rows of flashing red lights, not understanding. "What does that mean? It looks like torches, but they don't seem hot."

I sank weakly into the main pilot seat. "All that work was for nothing. This escape pod is still not repaired."

Ma Xiaoda was unconcerned. "What are you afraid of? We have plenty of horses now. County Magistrate An said the Feiying Prefecture promised to send heavy troops to escort seventy warhorses to Shuangcheng. We just need to attach some wheels to this giant thing, and those seventy-odd horses can pull it to the capital in a few days."

"Do you think this is a child's toy car? Just attach some wheels? Even if you attached an iron wheel, how many horses could it support?"

Ma Xiaoda realized that this thing was large and heavy, and seventy horses might not be enough to pull it. Embarrassed by his bad suggestion, he turned his gaze to the cockpit's instrument panel. "Why are most of them red, but only this one is green?" Ma Xiaoda asked, confused.

Seeing that solitary spot of green amidst the myriad colors, my eyes suddenly lit up. It was the anti-gravity system. As long as it worked, the escape pod would be weightless! How silly of me not to think of that earlier. In that case, we wouldn't need seventy horses to pull it; a single horse could pull the escape pod along at a brisk pace.

This anti-gravity system was ingeniously designed. It completely negated the planet's gravity externally, and it also eliminated the escape pod's inertia. However, within the small confines of the escape pod, it simulated terrestrial gravity with no discernible difference from the real external environment; people inside would not feel weightless.

Once the anti-gravity system was engaged, all we needed was a rope tied to the escape pod. Even a toddler who had just learned to walk could lead the rope and pull the escape pod to Shuangcheng.

Thinking deeper, with the escape pod's anti-gravity system, many people could ride inside. Then, Yun Yao could wear her anti-gravity shoes and tow the escape pod through the air—it would be a mobile airborne fortress.

Since the escape pod’s propulsion system was damaged, it relied on external force for movement. The force applied externally only needed to be minimal because this mobile fortress had entirely eliminated planetary gravity. Without air resistance, a gentle push would send it flying indefinitely.

Thinking of this, my initial dejection turned into excitement. Ma Xiaoda watched my expression, very confused. "Say something and explain it to me! Why the sudden joy and then unhappiness?"

I said, "Quickly go call Yun Yao over."

Ma Xiaoda asked, "Why call her? Just tell me what you need me to do."

I asked, "Can you fly?"

Ma Xiaoda stepped out of the escape pod, saying, "Of course I can't. Let's just go find her directly." Yun Yao arrived quickly. She asked me, "How is it? Is it fixed?"

I replied, "No, only one piece of equipment on the entire escape pod is intact, but with this system, we can make excellent use of the escape pod."

Yun Yao asked, "Which device?"

I said, "The anti-gravity system."

Yun Yao exclaimed, "So this escape pod can eliminate its own weight? Then if I poke it with one finger, I can push it away?"

I said, "That’s exactly what I want to test. I called you over for safety's sake—what if the escape pod floats into the sky and we can't bring it down?"

Hearing that the escape pod could be moved with a single poke, Ma Xiaoda quietly stepped forward and kicked it hard. "Ouch! That hurt! You two are lying! You said a single poke would move it, but I kicked it, and my foot nearly flew off! It didn't budge at all!"

I laughed. "Although the anti-gravity system is engaged, I haven't let it take full effect immediately. Otherwise, a gust of wind might blow the escape pod away since its propulsion system is broken and it can’t stabilize itself in the air."

Ma Xiaoda rubbed his foot. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

I stepped into the escape pod. "Kick it again later. Yun Yao, remember to quickly pull it back down so no one else sees it and gets scared."

Entering the cockpit, I closed the hatch and activated the anti-gravity system. Ma Xiaoda outside dared not kick forcefully this time. He gently tapped it, and a miracle occurred. The escape pod, which had felt as heavy as a large room, floated into the air like a ball of cotton.

"Ooh!" Ma Xiaoda’s mouth formed a perfect 'O'.

Yun Yao did not forget her responsibility. She flew into the air and pulled the escape pod back to the ground, while I simultaneously shut down the anti-gravity system. The escape pod landed steadily. The experiment seemed successful. The only regret was that the external monitoring system was broken; sitting inside, I was completely blind to the outside situation. This was very inconvenient. I decided the next repair target would be the external surveillance system.

Having solved the difficulty of transporting the escape pod to Shuangcheng, I was no longer in a hurry. There was plenty of time for repairs along the way. Besides, rushing was useless. After inspection, I found that some main control chips had burned out due to high temperatures. In this Shuangcheng Kingdom, where they couldn't even smelt iron, manufacturing highly integrated chips was sheer fantasy.

However, fortunately, on the night before our departure, I finally repaired the external monitoring system. That system consisted only of several very discreet pinhole cameras embedded in the hull, transmitting video signals back to the monitoring screens inside the cabin. Although the main control system couldn't be fixed yet, the propulsion system relied on energy crystals, which continuously provided power. If they failed, the escape pod would be completely scrapped.

Early this morning, the two hundred soldiers sent from the Feiying Prefecture were in position. They would escort the escape pod and the seventy warhorses to Shuangcheng. The capture of the seventy warhorses was a merit for Feiyu County, and as the governing unit, Feiying Prefecture also gained credit for managing things well. Furthermore, Wu Rong was delighted to learn that I had defeated the bandits to obtain these seventy horses. He sent the Emperor's decree via the escorting soldiers—a scroll of yellow cloth requesting me to treat the princess. In addition, there was a personal letter from him, which, besides expressing his apologies, mentioned that he had asked the current Right Chancellor, Zuo Nai, to assist me in countering the machinations of the Pang faction.

With this escape pod, I had no need to fear Grand Tutor Pang. Even if he were a tiger, I could pluck out his fangs. At worst, I could hide inside the escape pod, and Yun Yao could drag it away. No matter how powerful they were, they couldn't touch us. Furthermore, we still had laser guns. How could Grand Tutor Pang possibly be more formidable than such weapons?

I simply couldn't explain to Magistrate An why the escape pod could drift with the wind, as he was utterly ignorant of gravity, let alone anti-gravity. Fortunately, Magistrate An had his own explanation: he believed the gods were at work. I had supposedly summoned a deity, and thus the God of Great Strength had descended to invisibly cradle the escape pod aloft.

Well, let him think what he wished. A long rope was looped around the escape pod, and two magnificent steeds pulled it forward while the rest of us lounged comfortably inside, monitoring the outside world via the screen.

Ah San, Ah Si, Ah Mao, and Ah Gou were transferred to my escort detail. They would ride alongside the main contingent, protecting the escape pod en route to Shuangcheng. These four were originally mere locals; the farthest they had ever traveled was an occasional message run to Feiying Prefecture. The prospect of journeying to Shuangcheng made them so ecstatic that neither slept a wink. They set off with bright eyes, sporting matching panda circles beneath them.