Chapter 258 Book 6 Li An's Return
The Blue Flame cuts through the murky waters of the Serpentine River like a steel arrow, the rhythmic pulse of its mechanical heart echoing across the still morning air. Black smoke curled from its chimney, dissolving into the highland mist that veiled the riverbanks. Steam hissed and gears clanked in synchronized rhythm, but in a quiet hum, a mechanical harmony that spoke of invention and progress.
Li An stood on the prow of the ship, arms crossed, her long dark cloak fluttering in the wind. Her eyes, sharp and thoughtful, scanned the familiar landscape that slowly unfolded before her—the patchwork farmlands, the distant bell towers of Xian Town, and the graceful stone bridges arching over the river.
