C17 New Maid Nanba

Shen Wuyou spoke with commanding authority.

Unfortunately, the townspeople of Redrock gave him little reaction.

They swept their puzzled gazes between Shen Wuyou's face and the colored glaze bottle he held aloft.

"Hey, come on, give me something to work with here, or it's just awkward," Shen Wuyou grumbled, then tucked the colored glaze bottle away and announced, "Don't understand what I'm getting at, do you? Fine, just wait here for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."

At the Overlord's command, the citizens stood idly on the streets beneath the night sky.

Shen Wuyou, with a few guards in tow, dashed back to the Overlord's Keep and into his room to fetch the dozen or so colored glaze bottles he had crafted throughout the night.

Each bottle's mouth was fitted with two copper wires. Shen Wuyou connected these wires in pairs, forming an arc-shaped ring for the townspeople to stand within.

Finally, he himself grasped two of the wires.

Watching Shen Wuyou tinker alone, the onlookers grew even more bewildered.

"Okay, pay attention now!" Shen Wuyou clutched the copper wires and declared, "Starting now, open your eyes wide and watch closely!"

No sooner had he spoken than Shen Wuyou closed his eyes, and a halo of electric light appeared around him, crackling softly.

Because of the nuclear power station within his dantian, Shen Wuyou had been unable to cultivate. But thanks to this internal power station, he was like a natural, high-capacity battery!

Electricity flowed from his dantian.

Through his body.

Through the copper wire.

Through the carbon wire.

Electricity, resistance, combustion, heating, illumination...

Shen Wuyou's eyes snapped open!

"See, it's lit up!"

In the pitch-black night, with the fire from the explosion extinguished and dawn's light yet to break, the colored glaze bottles, linked in a circle encompassing hundreds of people, shone with a brilliant light.

The beacon of science had been ignited.

"What is this?!"

"Divine magic, is this the Overlord's divine magic?"

"What is this, divine magic? Didn't the Overlord explain that this is science? Gunpowder is science, and so is this!"

"It's incredibly bright, far brighter than an oil lamp! Such amazing science!"

The townspeople's voices were filled with shock and awe, but Shen Wuyou couldn't see their astonished faces; his vision was blurred by tears.

At last, he had completed the first step. At last, he had recreated a familiar scene from his own world.

He had crafted a light bulb, using a colored glaze bottle in place of a glass bulb and carbon filament instead of the traditional silk. The nitrogen filling the colored glaze bottle had been extracted by Chiying using the Azure Frost Mantra.

With the light bulb, the issue of time had finally been addressed.

...

By the time Shen Wuyou returned to the Overlord's Keep, dawn had fully broken.

He had delegated the task of making gunpowder to a few trustworthy guards, instructing them to oversee the collection of sulfur and nitrate during the day. The tasks of burning charcoal, grinding it into powder, and preparing and filling the gunpowder were to be done at night.

After two sleepless days and nights, Shen Wuyou could no longer stay awake. He collapsed into bed as soon as he reached his room.

For the foreseeable future, Shen Wuyou's days and nights would be reversed. He would need to serve as the power source at night, supplying electricity to the light bulb to brighten the darkness.

For now, this was the only solution. The idea of powering the light bulb in other ways would have to wait until he could build a generator.

He slept until midnight, which amounted to just five hours of rest.

Shen Wuyou awoke feeling ravenous.

"Chiying!"

He called out, but instead of Chiying, two maids entered the room. They were servants from the House of Dawnward, responsible for Shen Wuyou's daily care since his childhood. They had accompanied Shen Wuyou from the Imperial Capital to Redrock. One was named Xiaoliu, and the other, Lili.

"General Chiying is supervising the workers at Lely Hills," Xiaoliu, clad in green, informed the Crown Prince.

"Oh? I'm feeling peckish... Is there anything to eat?"

"Lili will prepare something right away."

Lili, garbed in white, swiftly made her way to the kitchen, while Xiaoliu assisted Shen Wuyou in changing into clean attire.

"Speaking of which, how is that woman doing?" Shen Wuyou inquired suddenly.

"She woke up yesterday and has stayed in her room since, without much fuss. But she's eaten all the food that was delivered," Xiaoliu replied.

"We'll check on her in a bit."

Shortly, Lili entered with an assortment of small dishes and said, "Crown Prince, supplies are scarce in Redrock Town. These are the only dishes available. If they're not to your liking, we could send a guard to Echurgh City for more."

"No need, I'm quite accustomed to these," Shen Wuyou reassured her with a wave of his hand, and began to eat.

Once sated, Shen Wuyou, accompanied by two maids, proceeded to the black-haired woman's room. She was noticeably more composed than before. Upon noticing Shen Wuyou's entrance, she quickly rose and greeted him with a slight bow, "Greetings, Crown Prince."

She had changed into fresh clothing, likely Lili's, given the similar size and color. Her soft black hair was neatly pinned up, giving her a more collected appearance.

"Oh, so you're aware that I'm the Crown Prince?" Shen Wuyou expressed his surprise.

"I overheard others mention it," the woman replied.

Shen Wuyou took a seat on a nearby chair and asked, "Still no recollection of who you are?"

"I can't remember," she replied, shaking her head.

"And regarding the devil..." Shen Wuyou glanced at her, noting her calm demeanor, before continuing, "What do you know about the devil tide? How are you able to sense its arrival?"

Her expression briefly clouded with sadness, then she shook her head and said, "I don't know. I just hear a peculiar sound. Can't you hear it too?"

A special sound?

Was there a unique sound on the day the Divine Bell echoed throughout the land? Or is it possible that only this black-haired woman could perceive it? Does she possess some extraordinary trait?

The notion isn't far-fetched. After all, this isn't Earth; it's a mystical world inhabited by various exotic races like the Demon Race, Oceanfolk, Feathermen, and Clan Riverfall. Though they may resemble humans, their physiological makeup is distinct, influencing their sensory experiences.

Nevertheless, with the devil tide looming, the priority is to safeguard Redrock Town and repel the impending threat. Shen Wuyou can ill afford to delve into the true identity of this black-haired woman at such a critical juncture.

Rising from his seat, he declared, "Regardless of your past, since I've rescued you from a dire fate, henceforth, you, along with Lili and Xiaoliu, will serve me. To earn your keep, you must contribute through labor."

"From this moment forward, your name shall be..."

"Nanba!"