A blue, narrow blade forged from crystal flew from afar, striking the wooden puppet's head.
The blade was not large; in fact, it appeared quite small against the puppet's immense stature.
However, upon impact, the wooden puppet was forced back a step, its body tilting backward, nearly toppling to the ground.
And at that very moment...
A blue figure appeared on the ancient road, running swiftly, weaving through the crowd, catching the rebounding narrow blade, and then delivering a forceful kick to the wooden puppet's chest.
Bang!
The wooden puppet's massive body was sent flying back two to three meters by the kick, its feet dragging two deep imprints in the mud.
Bai Ye watched the figure land and exclaimed with a smile, "Brother Kai is so cool!"
The suddenly appearing figure was none other than Kai!
Kai pouted, "What's the use of being cool? We still have to listen to girls!"
As Kai finished speaking, Mulan quickly cut through the crowd, wielding her greatsword, and leaped directly above the wooden puppet's head, raising her sword to bring it down with force.
The spot where Mulan aimed her sword was the stone within the recessed groove atop the wooden puppet's head.
Crack!
With a single strike, the stone shattered.
The radiance entwined around the stone dimmed and faded.
The light in the wooden puppet's eyes vanished once more, and it finally collapsed to the ground, this time utterly silent.
With the arrival of Mulan and Kai, a large contingent of the Great Wall Guard appeared, swiftly subduing the horse bandits.
Mulan leaped down from atop the wooden puppet and asked Bai Ye, "Why is there a mechanism person here?"
Bai Ye spread his hands, "You're asking me?"
Mulan countered, "Then who should I ask?"
Bai Ye pointed to the horse bandits, "That wooden puppet, uh, the mechanism person you mentioned, was originally placed on that cart. Then those horse bandits activated it. As for where the mechanism person came from, I'm not sure."
Mulan stated, "I'll go ask."
As Mulan spoke, she sheathed her sword. At that moment...
Mulan's peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a masked man in the crowd.
The moment their gazes met, the man smiled, then quickly turned and departed.
"It's you!"
Mulan shouted loudly and then ran madly forward, shoving aside those who stood in her path.
Kai paused for a moment, then also chased after Mulan.
What's going on?
Bai Ye glanced at the screen of light; the mission had not ended. He quickly followed the two.
They rapidly moved through the crowd, the three of them rushing out of the ancient road one after another, pursuing into the wilderness beyond. However, after only a few dozen meters, a hurricane suddenly swept across the wild, kicking up sand and dust, swiftly obscuring the trio's vision.
Within the dust, the masked man's figure appeared and disappeared intermittently.
Mulan shouted angrily, "Stop! I know it's you!"
The masked man offered no response, continuing forward. Soon, he vanished completely into the dust, no longer visible.
Mulan roared, "I will catch you, I swear!"
Kai stepped forward and asked, "Is it the person you spoke of before?"
Mulan gritted her teeth, "It must be him. I won't mistake him."
Bai Ye stepped forward, curious, "What's happening?"
Kai was silent for a moment, then said softly, "A long time ago, Mulan requested to come from Chang'an to the Great Wall to defend this land. She was very capable, everyone knew that. At the time, the commander of the Great Wall, overcoming much opposition, entrusted her with great responsibility. However, shortly thereafter, the Great Wall defenses were breached one after another. Everyone suspected her, because they all knew that beyond the Great Wall was a land of hardship and cold. Defending this territory was not easy, especially for those living a life of luxury in Chang'an, who were unwilling to come here, unless..."
Bai Ye interjected, "They had ulterior motives!"
Kai nodded and continued, "The commander at the time still believed in Mulan. But the commander's body was found the next day, and Mulan fled. However, she never went far, always lingering outside Chang'an. Whenever the horns sounded and the wolf smoke rose, she would appear, helping the Great Wall Guards repel the enemy. Afterward, she returned to the Great Wall and formed an elite squad of the Great Wall Guards. But even after returning to the Great Wall, she never forgot the phantom who had framed her, and always sought to find him."
Bai Ye asked, "So, the person from just now was the phantom?"
Kai glanced at Mulan, "It should be!"
At this moment, Mulan turned around, taking a deep breath. "As long as he still harbors ill intentions toward the Great Wall, there will definitely be a chance to meet again. Next time, I won't let him escape."
"You assisted the Great Wall Guards in repelling the horse bandits and recovering the provisions. Mission Reward: Mechanism Person Part x1"
Mechanism Person Part (Item) (Gold): A component for a mechanism person crafted according to the records of Myriad Manifestations Divine Craftsmanship. It can be used in the creation of mechanism people. Currently collected parts: 1/12
At this time, a screen of light appeared before Bai Ye, indicating that his mission had been completed.
Then came the reward...
It was gold quality, surprisingly. However, despite being gold quality, it was practically useless, just a single part for a mechanism person.
But even if it was useless, it was still gold quality...
"So..." Bai Ye couldn't help but say, "If I collect all of these, it becomes an Eastern-style mecha?"
Bai Ye was speechless. What a grand promise. Twelve parts. Don't be fooled by how easily the first one was obtained; there were still eleven more. Moreover, these eleven were a set, requiring matching pieces, not just any eleven gold-quality mechanism person part items could be assembled.
In fact, in his previous life, Bai Ye had not stopped pursuing mechas. After all, they were a man's romance.
But...
The collection process was truly a story of tears and blood. At that time, Bai Ye had six and a half incomplete mechas.
Yes, six, but not a single one had all its parts!
Of course, there were people who had indeed managed to build mechas. Bai Ye had seen more than one. However, this matter was heavily dependent on luck. It wasn't something you could achieve simply by trying hard. If you obtained one part and eagerly sought to collect the rest at any cost, the most likely outcome was being fleeced down to your last sock.
"Let's just consider this thing a display piece," Bai Ye sighed. However, there was some good news.
There was another mission!
"You have obtained a hidden mission."
"Assist Mulan in investigating the phantom's appearance. Mission Reward: Shadow War Axe x1"
Just like in the Land of Monsters, this hidden mission turned out to be a chain quest!
...