Chapter Twelve Hundreds of Turns and Thousands of Returns to Welcome Guests
Chapter 12: Welcome the guest a thousand times
Exhausted from the battle, Sun Wu almost fell asleep in a semi-conscious state after entering the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Barrier. He didn't even have time to care about how the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Barrier created the tornado.26nbsp;
The Nine Dragon Divine Fire Shield, which was originally only for two people, seemed a bit crowded after adding an extra little girl. However, Sun Wu fell asleep as soon as he entered, so he did not feel the hardship.
But through the imaging device of the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Shield, Sun Wu could still see things outside. He saw Nalan Yuandie's stunned expression of shock and anger, and also saw Miss Bao and Beigong Luohan fighting hard. It seemed that both sides were affected.
He was a little injured, but there was no clear winner, and dozens of cavalry were galloping in this direction. Miss Bao flew away, and Beigong Arhat was surrounded by the cavalry group in the center. He put away his sword as if regretfully.
Wearing triangular hoods and white battle armor, the more than twenty knights who came here were all iron-blooded knights. Looking at their respectful attitude towards Beigong Arhat and the look on his face, Sun Wu suddenly realized that it turned out that Beigong Arhat was also iron-blooded.
One of the knights.
The true face of the Iron-Blooded Knights is a blond and blue-eyed alien from the outside world, and Beigong Luohan is the top master of the alien race from the outside world. Both parties come from the same origin and share the same aspirations. It is not difficult to understand that Beigong Luohan joins the Iron-Blooded Knights. It’s just that
People in the world don't know about this.
But what Sun Wu cares more about than the Iron-Blooded Cavalry is the beautiful look in Miss Bao's eyes as she flew away.
Looking in the direction of the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Shield, it seems that the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Shield is hidden here. Miss Bao's eyes are shrewd and full of smiles. Although she is looking down from a high position, she still looks so confident and proud.
But there is a touch of tenderness that is different from the last time we met...
That look is a bit familiar, like Xiangling. And also like...
"sister!"
After shouting unconsciously, Sun Wu woke up. He thought everything was just a dream, but in front of him was a pair of gentle eyes as bright as stars, looking at him with care.
"Sister...Xiang Ling, it's you."
"Well, Master, you have slept for a while. Are you feeling okay?"
Just like getting up every morning recently. Xiangling smiled and brought a copper basin and a towel, wiped the boy's face, and then poured a cup of hot tea, and thoughtfully put it to the boy's mouth to warm him first.
Warm the heart and lungs.
"I'm really happy. The young master has never mentioned anything about his family. This is the first time I know that the young master has a sister in his family."
"Ah... I'm sorry, I didn't have a chance to say it before. I didn't mean to hide it from you. I don't have anyone in my family. Apart from Xiao Shang and my sister, I only have one dad, who should be regarded as my adopted father... Eh!"
After regaining his consciousness from the haze of waking up, Sun Wu remembered everything before falling asleep. He remembered that Xiang Ling stayed behind to stop the iron-blooded knights, and he had not seen her since. He did not know if she had been harmed.
"Xiang Ling, you..."
"ah!"
Urgent to ask. Sun Wu grabbed Xiang Ling's hand, but heard her humming softly, frowning, as if she was in pain. He was startled, and quickly turned up her sleeves, and saw the pink snow wrist.
There were several shocking red marks on it. It seemed as if it had been hit by something thorny like a wattle stick, and blood was oozing slightly.
"This is...in order to break out of the encirclement during the battle, I endured a few attacks from the enemy. It hurts a bit, but it's not a problem. It will be fine in a few days..."
Xiang Ling explained softly, but Sun Wu looked really apologetic in his eyes, because if he hadn't left her alone to break up the queen, she would not have suffered these injuries. For this reason, he promised Xiang Ling that he would never let her suffer in the future.
She was left alone.
But after hearing what Sun Wu said, Xiangling's expression became serious. She bowed to Sun Wu first, and then said her objection to her master.
"Master, my maid is very grateful for your consideration for me, but our actions this time are not wrong at all, really. Master, you are a very responsible person, and I am proud to follow you like this, but
No matter how strong a person is, it is impossible to shoulder all the responsibilities. The battlefield is ruthless. Young Master, you cannot take care of everyone's life and death. If you try to cover everything, you will end up with nothing. So next time if you encounter such a situation, I still ask you to
Make the right decision. ”
Xiang Ling said: "My servant only suffered flesh and blood injuries, it's not a big deal. On the contrary, if the young master hadn't been protected by the magical power of the golden bell, he would not only have injured his flesh and bones, but he might have been dismembered into seventeen or eighty pieces."
Needless to say, Xiang Ling knew this, Sun Wu himself knew it, because even after sleeping, his limbs were still in pain everywhere, as if he was being slashed by hundreds of knives. The golden bell shield protected him.
Bones and flesh are as strong as fine iron and cannot be damaged by swords. However, for a first-rate master like Beigong Luohan, his sword energy can invade the internal organs and cause slow damage over a long period of time.
If the internal injuries and pain were exposed to the outside, the scars on his body would only be ten times worse than those on Xiang Ling's wrist. However, if you want to be a dignified man, of course you shouldn't care about such things.
"...Moreover, comparing the two, the Beigong Sword Demon is much more dangerous than the twenty or so iron-blooded knights. If I had known this, I would have asked the young master to stay and stop the Sword Demon by myself. "
Sun Wu fought with Beigong Luohan for a long time. He knew how powerful this giant man was, but he was not very clear about his reputation. After listening to Xiang Ling's explanation, he learned that he was known as the best swordsman outside the territory and had killed countless masters at home and abroad.
, once they massacred twelve branch temples in the northwest of Cihang Jingdian Temple in one month, causing Cihang Jingdian's power to be unable to enter the northwest for ten years, and it became famous all over the world.
"Young master, this time you took the Beigong Sword Demon's sword forcefully and fought him with a few moves. You can also cause him great embarrassment. If word spreads, you will definitely become famous in the martial arts world of the Middle Earth. Heroes from all walks of life will know that you fight against foreign masters. You will soon
Become a big shot."
"Don't mention this matter for now. If Miss Bao hadn't suddenly appeared, I would have been chopped into eighteen pieces."
Sun Wu was also very surprised when he thought about it. According to Xiang Ling, Miss Bao's pomp was always very grand, and she was always accompanied by a group of maids. How could she suddenly appear here this time without even a half of the maids following her? What if?
Her armed maidservants also followed, which was enough to fight a tough battle with the Iron-Blooded Cavalry. Of course, it would be even harder for her to escape.
"Well, the maid is also very lucky to have good luck. If it weren't for the young master's blessing, if the maid stayed to entangle the Iron-Blooded Cavalry, the maid would have met the young lady, and her life could be said to be over.
La. "
Still feeling frightened after speaking, Xiang Ling patted her chest gently and stuck out her tongue. This rare playful gesture was indescribably cute in Sun Wu's eyes.
"Xiang Ling, Miss Bao is really a top-notch expert. I think she is on a par with Beigong Arhat. I wonder what would happen if..."
"No, it's not that they're evenly matched. If the fighting lasted just half an hour longer, Miss Bao would definitely win."
Xiang Ling explained to Sun Wu that animal transformation is a natural ability derived from blood origin of aliens from outside the territory. Not every alien can do it, but after transformation, the power will suddenly increase, the strength will be infinite, and the emotions will be in a violent state. It is a
Wait for a powerful warrior.
But every benefit has a relative price. Beast transformation is a very destructive ability. It is difficult for ordinary aliens to maintain it for a long time. At most, they can only use the beast transformation state to attack two or three times. Then they are unable to continue.
Although Beigong Luohan is powerful, after fighting with Sun Wu and Nalan Yuandie for a long time, he is already at the end of his strength. The beastly state will be released in half a quarter of an hour at most, and he is no match for the girl in full condition.
"That's why Beigong Sword Demon is eager to determine the winner. Otherwise, if the fight continues, he may even lose his life here... It is estimated that this battle has severely damaged his vitality, and he will not be able to survive for three to five days.
When you recuperate, you can’t come out to fight with others again.”
"Oh... it sounds like the same situation as when I was demoted after the golden bell was broken. This kind of power is really harmful to the body. "
"It's not as harmful as the blood-burning power. When we met, I heard from Miss Xiao Shang that someone used the blood-burning power in battle. This is really a life-threatening feat."
That person was naturally Nalan Yuandie. Sun Wu heard Beigong Luohan call out the name "Blood Burning Power" and knew that it was a magic weapon effect. But he didn't know the details.
However, under normal circumstances, no matter how good the magic weapon is, it can only increase the user's strength by a few percent, especially the more powerful the master, the more limited the improvement effect that the magic weapon can assist, such as the giant tooth blade in Beigong Arhat's hand.
, can increase his strength by 50%, which is already a first-class magic weapon.
The sword wielded by Nalan Yuandie increased his power by at least four times. This astonishing jump in power was beyond the scope of normal magic weapon use, and there must have been another price paid. "Blood-burning power, as the name suggests, is
A kind of efficiency that burns the blood energy in the body in exchange for strength. It is specially used in the final attack to kill the enemy. Because it is too cruel, the production of this magic weapon is prohibited. However, it is normal for the secret service to ignore the law, so there is no need to make a fuss.
. ”
Xiang Ling said: "The officer's sword was thrust out, and it is estimated that 10% of the blood in her body was burned. If she insisted on fighting, she would be dead after three sword strikes at most.
"
"ah!"
This answer was far beyond Sun Wu's expectation. If you think about it carefully, Nalan Yuandie really risked his life in order to capture him this time, and he even dared to use such a dangerous trick. However, if you think about it, it may not be possible.
This is so, because based on the situation at that time, Beigong Luohan might not kill herself, but he would never let Nalan Yuandie go. She risked her life to protect herself. This should be the truth.
From the Iron-Blooded Knight to the Beigong Arhat, it seems that everyone is full of sorrow, resentment, and hatred for everyone around them. This impressed Sun Wu deeply. If a person is immersed in this kind of deep resentment for many years, his life will be very different.
It must be like hell. The Iron-Blooded Cavalry is composed of these Avengers from hell. No wonder the power is so terrifying.
But, what is the source of this resentment? Is it resentment towards the world? Or is it just hatred towards the Chinese people? What kind of friction allows this hatred to persist across generations? The 'chaos' of the Taiping Army
?
These questions were swirling in Sun Wu's mind. Although they had nothing to do with the situation of this battle, he did feel very puzzled. When thinking back to this fierce battle, the mystery that puzzled him the most was the voice that secretly assisted him.
.
Without the reminder from that voice, I would never have understood so many key points. Even though I was not stabbed in two by Beigong Arhat, the golden bell was broken by the sword energy when I jumped away, and I died in pieces. There is this.
His eyes were sharp and he could make hints without leaving any trace. Sun Wu was really curious about that person's identity.
It was a completely unfamiliar girl's accent. It sounded like a well-educated, good-natured woman. She was helping him for some reason, but she didn't show up until the end. Maybe there would be another chance in the future.
Meet it.
Sun Wu was thinking about these things and was distracted for a moment, forgetting that Xiang Ling was still with him, and did not notice that although the pretty maid was smiling at him, her eyes were wandering and she couldn't help but look at her injured wrist.
(The sword energy of the Beigong Sword Demon is very powerful, and the Nirvana Immortal Body can't suppress it. It seems that it will take more time. If we encounter it next time...)
Sun Wu didn't know how Xiaoshang took him out of the military camp, but Xiangling said that when she found Xiaoshang, he was already hiding in the private house where everyone currently lives. As for the people who originally lived in this house,
Xiangling didn't know where she had gone.
Xiang Ling didn't say anything, but it was obvious that she doubted this. Sun Wu asked Xiao Shang privately, and Xiao Shang only gave a nonchalant answer.
"Three days. "
Xiao Shang said: "As long as you leave within three days, the residents here will not be affected, no one will die, and no inconvenience will be caused to others. "
Sun Wu believed in Xiao Shang's words and believed that as long as he was walking with him. Xiao Shang would always consider his own thoughts and would not act too arbitrarily. But on the other hand, he had to leave room for Xiao Shang, otherwise he would ask too much.
, if Xiaoshang rebounds, the consequences will be very serious.
As soon as Sun Wu regained consciousness, the first thing he thought of was Wenwen's condition. But a very magical thing was that the little girl's face had returned to rosy. Although she still looked very weak, she also
He is still sleeping, but the poison has basically been removed and there is no problem anymore.
Xiang Ling has some knowledge of medical skills, although he is not very proficient in it, but he is very good at first aid and detoxification techniques. This is a special skill trained to adapt to the turmoil in the world. When Sun Wu was out of power and fell into a coma. Xiang Ling and Xiao Shang
They met and gave Wenwen first aid. But to her surprise, Wenwen's poisonous condition not only did not worsen, but was greatly reduced, otherwise she would not have been able to survive until now.
The main reason why the poisonous disease was alleviated is believed to be the first aid provided within the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Barrier. Although he did not see it with his own eyes, Sun Wu was convinced that the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Barrier had the function of detoxification. This was Xiao Shang's most elaborate masterpiece.
, is indeed an almost miraculous universal magic weapon.
"It was available in the third edition, and each version has been adjusted and strengthened. The basic principle is to use high-pressure traction to separate toxins from the human body. It is not very effective yet. The next version is expected to add blood transfusion and purification functions.
. ”
Xiao Shang spoke lightly, and Sun Wu could only clap his hands after hearing this. Xiang Ling also brought back the latest situation report from outside. The battle last night had spread far and wide, shaking the entire world.
"The always mysterious Iron-Blooded Cavalry attacked the military camp last night and showed its intention to confront the imperial court. Its true identity was gradually revealed after Beigong Luohan appeared. This morning, the intelligence channels of various sects were
Passing the same message, saying that the true identity of the Iron-Blooded Cavalry may be an alien coalition from outside the territory, specifically entering the land of Middle-earth to plunder and destroy. "
Xiang Ling said: "Everyone is puzzled as to why the Iron-Blooded Cavalry would break their mysterious stance and start acting with their true colors. It is very dangerous for aliens to move in the land of Middle-earth. Not only are there restrictions imposed by the court's laws,
The warriors in the Middle Kingdom are even more hostile to foreigners. Once the identity of the Iron-Blooded Cavalry is exposed, they will lose their original protective color. From now on, everyone will probably shout and beat them up. However, if they can really deal with it,
Only a few of them pose a threat. "
Sun Wu could probably guess the reason why the Iron-Blooded Cavalry revealed its true colors. Ninety-nine percent of it was because of himself. That day, his own pervasive control caused the White Wolf Armor to shatter. The Iron-Blooded Knights revealed their true form. What was originally hidden
Once it is exposed, there is no need to continue to keep it secret. It is better to make the activities public. There is no need to shrink the head and tail, and you can still use the true strength of Beigong Sword Demon.
There is only one thing that Sun Wu can't figure out, and that is before things evolve into this. The Iron-Blooded Cavalry should try one thing first, which is to silence themselves. After all, the loss of exposing their true colors is huge, as long as they can silence themselves and Xiaoshang.
, they can prevent the secrets from leaking out, continue to appear elusive, and make everyone worry about their disguised identity as "imperial agents". Why don't they do this? Or is there any reason why they can't do this? For example, they can't find themselves.
Or...
While he was thinking to himself, Xiao Shang put his fingers behind Sun Wu's back and wrote quickly and silently, telling him the answer to the question.
"Ju Yang Martial God!"
Four simple words, but the most likely answer to the whole matter. The Iron-Blooded Cavalry is from a foreign race and is inextricably related to Ju Yang Martial God. Judging from the hasty escape that day, they have surpassed Ju Yang Martial God.
Fear, fear, to the point of awe, if they believed that Ju Yang Martial God was with Sun Wu, and if they wanted to silence this young man, they would directly encounter Ju Yang Martial God, then they would give up their plan to silence him. This is not unimaginable.
thing.
(Wow, dad’s existence is really useful. It’s useful for demon sects, and it’s also useful for foreign races from outside the territory...)
The more he came into contact with his father's past, the more Sun Wu felt that his father was great. When he was in Liangshanbo, his father was just an energetic and sunny old man. To some people, he was even a crazy old man. It was hard to imagine that he had done anything in the past.
There are so many great events. If I had known this, I should have pestered my father more often to tell his heroic stories.
"Would you like to hear the story of getting married by kicking someone in the belly a few more times, Xiao Wu?"
"Don't mention that! Then...it must be that dad was drunk, so he acted out of control. Everyone's life will have some stains. Dad did this wrong thing, but he also did a lot of good things.
Come and make amends, Xiaoshang, don’t just mention that bad thing.”
Ever since he heard the story of his father sealing the devil, the young man's simple heart has completely turned towards his father. After all, since he was a child, his father has always been a shining presence in the young man's heart. Although the age difference is a bit big, but in the
Invisibly, he is still like the father that a young man longs for. Not to mention that every time he comes back from a long trip, he kisses and hugs Sun Wu, calling him son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son, son.
It's partial to Dad.
These are private conversations and not suitable to be discussed in front of Xiang Ling. Sun Wu ended his whisper with Xiao Shang and listened to Xiang Ling talk about the situation outside.
"Beigong Sword Demon is a top-notch master outside the territory. With his power combined with the Iron-Blooded Cavalry, he is enough to pose a powerful threat to any Middle-earth sect. In addition, the news of the appearance of the Buddha's blood relic has spread, and now all sects are trying to do it.
Shocked, Cihang Jingdian has sent experts here to help escort the relics, and Miss... she is probably here for the relics. "
The young lady in Xiangling's mouth was naturally Miss Bao from Wanzilou. She was a troublesome figure for Sun Wu. Now that he was in the same town with her, it was really dangerous and he couldn't leave yet.
Now that Miss Bao is here, Wanzilou's intelligence network must have been greatly strengthened. Random actions can be easily discovered, and staying in an inn is even more dangerous. This is why the three of them do not find accommodation in inns, but must stay in private houses.
for the sake of.
"Because Miss Bao has arrived, if the eavesdropping goes too far, it will be discovered. The last eavesdropping investigation conducted by the maidservant accidentally got an important clue, that is, the Buddha's blood relic did not fall into the hands of the court. As for the current situation,
No one knows where it is. Even the court is currently looking for it, and according to the vague news released by the court, the key clue to the Buddha's blood relic seems to be on Wenwen..."
"How despicable!"
When Sun Wu heard this, he punched the table hard, while Xiang Ling beside him nodded in agreement. "Indeed, young master, you must have discovered that Wenwen was rescued from the military camp by us. If she is really alive,
It is an important clue, so it is impossible to let her out easily before the clues are tortured. Since she is used as bait, it means that she has no other use value. Now that Wenwen has been rescued, the government has released the news
Saying that she is an important clue is indeed a very insidious move. However, at the moment, all the people and officials nearby are probably searching for Wenwen and us. This pressure is really not small. I hope you will pay attention, young master. "
"Hey, you two, the one who fainted inside is awake!"
Xiao Shang's cry made Sun Wu jump up and rush to the house. Just as Xiao Shang said, Wenwen, who was lying inside to rest, had already woken up, and Xiao Xiao's face was already rosy and blood-colored.
', but his expression looked very haggard. Seeing Sun Wu and Xiao Shang, Wenwen eagerly raised her hands to catch them.
"Xiao, brother Xiaowu, sister Xiaoshang, Wenwen's body... hurts so much..."
Sun Wu rushed forward and held the little girl's hand. He felt that Wenwen seemed much thinner than when they were separated that day. Even his little hand was thin when he held it. It took a few days to get like this.
The suffering can be imagined.
If you think about it carefully, in fact, not only have you and Wenwen known each other for a short time, but they have only spent a few hours talking to each other. To say that this chance encounter really established a deep friendship is to deceive oneself and others. The reason why it is for Wenwen.
When Wen Er broke into the military camp, it was not out of justice in the face of injustice, but for clues about the Buddha's blood relics. Put it this way. In fact, he was one of the murderers who made Wen Wen into such a trap. Compared with other ambitions
I'm not much better off. Fortunately, I can still put on a righteous face and denounce Beigong Arhat last night.
"Lousing, lagging, you stupid guy, how long are you going to be troubled by this problem? Unless you want to give up the relic, if you think too much about this kind of thing, you will only make yourself more and more unable to do anything."
Xiaoshang's words are unpleasant to listen to, but they are true. Unless Sun Wu can give up the Buddha's blood relic and let Liang Shanbo fall from the sky, no matter how sad he is now, he will still have to participate in the battle in the end, so his current sadness will become even more hypocritical.
It's artificial, Sun Wu also understands this, but he still has his own principles to stick to. At least, he doesn't want to ask questions while Wenwen is still in pain.
"Master, why don't you let me..."
Seeing Sun Wu's embarrassment, Xiangling took the initiative to ask for the job. However, Sun Wu rejected it with a disapproving look.
Fortunately, Wenwen's mental state was slightly confused due to the influence of the drug. Although Sun Wu did not ask questions, the little girl murmured vaguely after holding his hand, and it was revealed invisibly.
'Reveal' reveals a lot of information.
"Mom... where is dad... You said you wanted to take Wenwen to find dad... Wenwen, stop being a child without a father..."
Hearing this, Sun Wu and Xiang Ling looked at each other. Before they could say a word, Xiao Shang's voice came from beside them.
"Stealing man!"
Holding the little girl's other hand, Xiao Shang nodded and said: "Mrs. Danniang is indeed a wonderful woman who dares to do things. In order not to make her daughter sad, she even said that she would take her daughter to find her father when she went out to steal men.
This great sentiment is so touching. The bridegroom changes grooms every night, and Wenwen has a new father every day. Such a life experience of forming good relationships is something that ordinary people can’t even dream of. It’s really hard to find...
…Ouch.”
After crying out for pain, Xiao Shang was hit on the head by Sun Wu with his bare hands, followed by a roar.
"Don't talk nonsense. Madam Daniang brought her daughter to steal and sell treasures. She wanted to contact the buyer, so she lied to her daughter that she was looking for her father. She was not a thief. Don't slander her reputation."
"What reputation does a woman who betrayed her gang and stole treasures for profit have? Besides, I didn't mean to insult her. Didn't you hear me praising her for her courage?"
"What does your statement have to do with daring? Is stealing from a man called daring? That's just dissipation!"
The more he spoke, the more urgent he was. The last sentence was almost shouted. However, after blurting out this sentence loudly, Sun Wu was immediately alert to his gaffe. Wenwen, who was half asleep, was awakened by this shout and became much more conscious.
, but because of listening to his words, a pair of eyes became watery.
"Mother...mother, she is not a loose woman."
"Yes, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant, Wenwen. Brother Xiaowu said the wrong thing."
It seems difficult to avoid the fate of "a black dog steals food, and a white dog is a disaster". After making a gaffe, Sun Wu apologized and exited in embarrassment, leaving Xiao Shang beside the bed to take care of the patient.
Outside the house, Sun Wu complained twice, and Xiang Ling, who was thoughtful, suddenly brought up something. Although the court intended to use the Buddha's blood relic to weaken the military force of the world, it was this that really spread the news of the Buddha's blood relic.
What happened in two days, why did the Iron-Blooded Cavalry get the news so quickly? They arrived at the military camp last night and even kidnapped Wenwen first?
"Well, it's probably because their intelligence system is very good. "
"No, it shouldn't be that simple. "
Xiang Ling explained that according to what Sun Wu reported to Yuan Chenfeng, the explosion and ambush in the inn that day was to deal with a foreign master. Although there were many foreign masters from outside the territory, these masters were afraid of the Central Plains warriors rising up to attack, and would not easily go to the Middle Earth.
Come from the earth. Judging from the current situation, the target of the ambush is probably Beigong Arhat, and Beigong Arhat is one of the iron-blooded knights, so...
"So, Mrs. Danniang's trading partner is the Iron-Blooded Cavalry? Oh my god!"
Sun Wu was shocked. He just felt that the world was really too small. No matter what he did, he would always meet the same group of people. Why did he always bump into the Iron-Blooded Cavalry wherever he went?
"Not only that, after the Iron-Blooded Cavalry robbed Wenwen that day, if they had left her alone and fled at full speed, they should have been able to last longer. But judging from the death situation, they had internal power to detoxify Wenwen, so Wenwen
Wen was able to hold on until the end, but they died of the poison early. Isn't it strange?"
"Wenwen is valuable to them, so they should do this. "
"Well, maybe, but..."
Halfway through Xiangling's words, nearby passers-by suddenly started shouting, saying that someone had died somewhere, and the government was making an announcement for everyone to rush over and have a look.
"ah!"
Sun Wu seemed to have remembered something, so he pulled Xiang Ling and rushed at full speed.