Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 266

As the king of thieves, Dao Zhi was also the first to return to the Mechanical City after inviting guests.

However, just as the early bird catches the worm, the early worm will also be eaten by the bird.

When the remnants of the old Zhao state that he brought back were still fifty miles away from the city of Jiguan, they encountered Sheng Qi Wu Kuang.

The Black Swordsman disliked talking to the dead; he remained silent and relentlessly wielded his Great Sword to attack Dao Zhi and his group.

Dao Zhi possessed unparalleled lightness skills. Being so close to the mechanical city, he could easily escape using his knowledge of the terrain. But while he could escape, the heroes of Zhao had no chance to escape!

For Dao Zhi to abandon his lightness skill and fight Sheng Qi to the death would be tantamount to courting death...

Chapter 312 Mo Family Uniforms

Gai Nie kept a low profile throughout his escape, and after entering the Mechanized City, he became even more discreet and unassuming.

This was partly because his injuries, after being treated by Xiaoyaozi, still required a lot of time to heal quietly. On the other hand, Gai Nie guessed that he and the others had been forced into the Mechanized City according to his junior brother Xiao Zhuang's plan, and that the next step of Liu Sha's plan was likely to further incite chaos within the Mechanized City.

Given her sensitive identity and the current lack of experts guarding the city, if she were to wander around too much, Xiao Zhuang would definitely take advantage of this.

Knowing his junior brother, Gai Nie understood that the Mo Family's Mechanical City needed a stable internal environment, whether it chose to remain inactive or lure the enemy in.

However, Gai Nie was not the leader of the Mohist school and could not convince everyone of his abilities. Moreover, his negative reputation among the remnants of the six kingdoms could become a cause of chaos.

Thus, before he could gain their trust, Gai Nie believed that remaining silent would allow the Mohists to expend less energy.

The room on the right side of his residence was occupied by Xiaoyaozi. This arrangement was clearly a precaution, but Xiaoyaozi did not show any fear of Gai Nie.

The leader of the Human Sect would visit Gai Nie's health every day empty-handed. Their ordinary daily interactions were quite gentlemanly. Gai Nie was grateful to Xiaoyaozi, who was his savior, but also had a natural sense of wariness towards him.

This has nothing to do with Xiaoyaozi himself, but only with the teaching curriculum of the Guigu School.

The art of diplomacy is essentially a means of enticing with benefits. Gai Nie is an idealist, and although he may not be as decisive as Wei Zhuang in this regard, his ability to graduate means that he has at least reached a passing level.

"The Yin-Yang technique within Tianming's body is called the Sleep-Sealing Curse Seal. This curse is one of the Eight Curses of the Yang Meridian of the Yin-Yang School. Brother Xiaoyao, you also have no solution to it?"

Gai Nie remained in a meditative posture and asked Xiaoyaozi a question.

“I have heard of the Sealing Curse, but this is the first time I have seen it with my own eyes.” Xiaoyaozi shook his head: “The Yin-Yang School and the Taoism School have a connection, but based on my previous examinations of Tianming, if we cannot find the person who cast the curse or a master within the Yin-Yang School, the only Taoist with the cultivation to forcibly break the curse is probably my sect’s senior master Beimingzi.”

“I have received instruction from Master Beiming.” Gai Nie was not disappointed, but nodded calmly: “However, Mount Taiyi is far away in Guanzhong, Qin State, and Master Beiming has been cultivating in the mountains for decades without ever coming down. It is really not easy to ask him to treat Tianming.”

It's not just difficult, it's practically impossible.

Xiaoyaozi understood this as well. He frowned, stood up, and paced around the room twice. As he stroked his beard, he seemed to have thought of something and stopped to say again, "The Yin-Yang School and the Mohist School also have a long history. When the leader of the Mohist School returns, we can ask him to diagnose Tianming's condition. Perhaps there is a way to solve it."

“Well, this will require Brother Xiaoyao’s help…” Before Gai Nie could finish speaking, the sound of hurried footsteps outside made both of them turn their gazes toward the door: a neatly dressed Mo family disciple stood there.

“Master Xiaoyao, the bandit leader Daozhi has been attacked and escaped back injured. Master Ban requests your presence.”

"I'll be right there." Xiaoyaozi indicated that he knew, and turned to nod to Gai Nie before leaving. At this moment, Gai Nie suddenly spoke up again: "Tianming went out with Shaoyu this morning and has not returned yet. I am worried that he may have gone far away, so I trouble Brother Xiaoyao to ask the Mo family to search for him."

Gai Nie had heard of the name Dao Zhi, the king of thieves. The fact that he could be injured around the Mechanical City shows how strong the enemy was. Xiao Zhuang's operation had already begun.

If there's activity outside, there must be some inside. Gai Nie only glanced at the structure of the mechanical city upon entering, which was enough to determine that the sky above was a difficult place to defend, and this was precisely where the quicksand had an advantage.

Therefore, he was somewhat worried about Tianming: the young master of the Xiang clan and the princess of Yan Kingdom both possessed considerable martial arts skills, but Tianming was different; he had only been learning martial arts for a short time.

"Brother Gai, rest assured, I will keep this matter in mind." Xiaoyaozi readily agreed, then left with the reporting disciple.

'Your experience in the Mechanical City will likely be a decisive test for your future, Tianming. You must face everything with the strength of a warrior!'

Watching the two departing figures, Gai Nie placed Yuan Hong on his lap while meditating, calmly closed his eyes, and continued to recover from his injuries.

Xiaoyaozi arrived at the Mo family's Mo Hall, where Dao Zhi, looking somewhat disheveled, was surrounded by the crowd, while Master Ban and Yan Yun stood anxiously to one side.

The King of Thieves was not seriously injured, but the news he brought back was bad: Zhao Xie, the representative of the royal family of the old Zhao Kingdom, had been captured by the black swordsman Sheng Qi, along with a group of nobles and chivalrous heroes, whose fates were now unknown.

"That guy wielded a huge, black greatsword. I was no match for him, so I had to run back to report," Dao Zhi explained helplessly, spreading his hands.

"Black Swordsman Sheng Qi has been a force to be reckoned with in Chu these past few years, but now he's willingly become a lackey of the empire?" Master Ban was deeply worried. Zhao Xie's capture outside the Mechanized City was the responsibility of the Mohist school.

“I know this person well; he is incredibly powerful. The empire sent him to intercept him, no wonder Brother Dao Zhi.” Although Dao Zhi appeared unharmed, Xiaoyaozi still stepped forward to examine him.

"Wei Zhuang and a large number of wandering knights who had lost their morals were invited by the Prime Minister Li Si of the Empire."

A cold voice suddenly came from the doorway. Everyone turned around and saw that the other two commanders who had gone out, Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiu, had walked in.

Their mission was to guide the heroes and nobles of Qi who were rebelling against Qin, and it seems that the mission was completed smoothly.

"On the ship on our way back, we made eye contact with the White Phoenix of Quicksand from a distance in the reef section. Although it did not launch an attack, it was enough to prove that almost all of Quicksand's main force had come."

Gao Jianli's eyebrows were long and slender, with sharp and forceful strokes. The fierce look in his eyes beneath them, combined with his tone, indicated that he was in a bad mood: "Master Ban, we need to send out mechanical beasts to patrol outside the mechanical city and raise the defense level to the highest level."

"I understand, I'll do it right away." Master Ban agreed with Xiao Gao's suggestion and hurriedly went to the Ink Core Chamber: Zhao Xie's capture was already a big problem, and no other heroes could be taken hostage by the Empire just because they were going to the Mechanized City for a gathering!

"As for Xiao Zhi, take me to the site of the attack. We must rescue the righteous men of Zhao!"

Gao Jianli, acting as the second-in-command of the Mohist school, continued to issue orders. Dao Zhi was about to nod when Xiaoyaozi stopped him, saying, "I'll go to Sheng Qi's place. Brother Gao has more important matters to attend to in the Mechanical City."

"What does Mr. Xiaoyao mean?" Gao Jianli asked, puzzled. The latter directly explained Gai Nie's request and stated his investigation results: "On the way here, I asked the disciples of the Mo family to inquire and confirmed that the three children, Tianming, Shaoyu, and Gaoyue, are missing."

“Gai Nie…” Gao Jianli frowned. He first uttered the name softly, and the Water Cold Sword in his hand immediately began to emanate a cold aura.

For Gao Jianli at this time, Gai Nie held immense significance... in a negative sense.

His elder brother, Jing Ke, was officially killed by the Imperial Sword Saint Gai Nie. It was precisely because of that failed assassination attempt on the Qin Emperor that the Yan state perished and the Mohist school fell into such a state.

"Tianming, Shaoyu, and Gaoyue must be found as soon as possible, Xiao Gao." Sensing Gao Jianli's unstable emotions, Kuang Xiu calmly placed his hand on Gao Jianli's shoulder, which brought Gao Jianli back to his senses.

Tianming was the son of Jing Ke.

Shao Yu was the grandson of Xiang Yan and the hope of the new Chu state.

Gao Yue is the daughter of the former King of Yan and the former leader of the Mohist school, and the current leader of the Mohist school, Yan Yun.

Any one of these three children, except for Tianming, would immediately and directly harm the Mo family.

Moreover, the fact that they encountered trouble in the Mechanized City means that enemies have already invaded the city, and this must be resolved!

"Then I'll have to trouble you with the Black Swordsman, Mr. Xiaoyao." Gao Jianli clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Xiaoyaozi.

"I know where the three children are! The mechanical bronze statue array in the back mountain has been activated!" Master Ban, who had just left, ran back at this moment.

The secret chamber of the Ink Core contains a surveillance system that monitors the entire mechanical city. When the Ink Core indicates that the Bronze Man Formation in the back mountain has been activated, Master Ban initially thinks it is an enemy invasion and wants to inform everyone. However, he overhears a discussion about the three children and immediately relays the news.

"The back mountain..." Gao Jianli decisively turned around and set off.

------

"The entire Mohist school has mobilized."

Ji Yan leisurely stood up from the bath tub, without wiping the water off his body, and casually took a Mo family disciple's robe from the wall and put it on.

Although it's just a top, it's long enough to cover half of your thigh.

With meticulous care, Xiao Yan tied her belt into a bow, then walked barefoot to the table, skillfully sat in Lu Wei's lap, crossed her long, slender white legs, and turned her head to examine the books on the table: they contained data on the development of the Mo family over the years.

The Mohists once obtained the concept of papermaking from the State of Qi. Later, with the help of Mohist mechanical arts, they were able to produce paper as white as snow as that made by the peasants.

It is evident that the Mohists, with their advanced mechanical and technological skills, simply lacked forward-thinking ideas; otherwise, they could have accomplished much more.

"Hmm, this means a commander with sufficient authority has returned, and Yan Dan himself will be here soon." He placed his hand solemnly on the girl's delicate, silky fabric, steadying her to prevent her from falling, while his fingertips traced the fabric upwards...

Sniffing the unique, faint fragrance emanating from her bosom, Lu Wei's gaze remained fixed on the table: "Dongjun's cover-up continues; she is the benchmark for our operation."

Suddenly, there was a knock on their door. Neither of them were nervous. Ji Yan didn't stand up. Instead, she moved closer to Lu Wei's chest and called out "Come in" in a clear voice.

Yan Yun walked in and saw the two sitting there huddled together, instinctively avoiding eye contact: "Hero, Yue'er encountered danger in the back mountain, I'm worried..."

Just now in the Mo Hall, Yan Yun was only worried about the Mo family's enemies in front of Gao Jianli, Xiaoyaozi and others, putting aside the matter of her daughter's disappearance. But as soon as the meeting ended, she was so anxious that she immediately came to Lu Wei for help.

"Don't worry, your daughter Yue'er will be absolutely safe."

He withdrew his hand and embraced Ji Yan's soft waist. Little Yan immediately squirmed restlessly, but Lu Wei calmly continued:

"She is Yan Dan's daughter; she will not be harmed by the quicksand!"

"During this crisis at the Mechanized City, no high-ranking member or important disciple of the Mohist school will be harmed by the quicksand."

Yan Yun had known before that Yan Dan and Wei Zhuang had planned to fake their deaths, and after Lu Wei said this, she understood:

So, just like in Jicheng, this was all an act?

Chapter 313 The Death of the Hidden Bat

The hidden bat hung upside down on the wall, sticking out its tongue to lick the grappling hook on its hand.

The rusty smell of fresh blood had an invigorating effect on him.

Below him were a total of one hundred and one exquisitely designed mechanical bronze figures, each holding a military weapon, standing in perfect formation with a solemn air.

The bronze 'general' holding a long sword in the very center is several times larger than the other bronze figures, and appears to be extremely powerful in combat.

However, its feet were firmly nailed to a control panel and could not move: Tianming, Shaoyu and Yue'er were hiding behind this bronze general, using the mechanism to manipulate the bronze formation and had already repelled the hidden bats' charges three times.

The bronze figures embody the complex mechanical skills and battlefield tactics of the Mohist school. The 101 bronze figures together can be understood as forming a complete but uniquely shaped mechanical beast.

This 'mechanical beast' cannot move, meaning it cannot leave this back mountain. It was merely a test case of a military formation conceived by the new leader after the fall of the Yan state, and its theory was still imperfect.

However, considering that it can block attacks from hidden bats that have the ability to fly, it is at least sufficient as a trap to deal with martial arts masters.

At least that's how the three kids understand it.

"Tianming, Shaoyu, we can't let our guard down, that monster is still here!"

Gao Yue stared intently at Yin Fu, a bead of sweat sliding down her cheek from her forehead due to excessive tension: "The mechanical bronze figures are equipped with a limited number of crossbow bolts. Once they run out, they will lose their defense against those above. They can only fire when I give them permission."

"Don't worry, Yue'er/Miss Yue." Tianming and Shaoyu nodded in unison. Their trembling hands were not out of fear, but rather out of excitement at the current situation.

For Tianming, who aspires to be a chivalrous hero like Uncle, and Shaoyu, who is determined to inherit the 'strongest Xiang family', such scenes are merely appetizers.

"Tch." Watching the three brats move their mouths and complete a conversation, Yin Fu curled his lip in disdain: If it weren't for Boss Wei's special instructions before coming that no child in the Mechanized City should be killed, and that every child was a hostage worth a fortune, he would have dealt with them long ago when he first discovered them in the dense forest behind the mountain.

That way, I wouldn't have ended up in this Mo family trap because of my playful attitude, which led the three of them to escape and left me in a rather disheveled state.

In fact, if it were Wushuang Gui, he could easily withstand the attack and remove all the bronze figures blocking his way. But Yin Fu couldn't do that; his defense was too weak.

Of course, with his seasoned experience, it wouldn't be difficult for him to force his way in halfway and kill the three brats instantly with a long-range grappling hook, but Boss Wei's order was not to kill them.

The boss's orders are not to be disobeyed, as long as Hidden Bat is confident that he can dodge Shark Tooth's three moves afterward: this is the rule of Quicksand.

But judging from the fact that he still allows his three children to live, he clearly lacks the confidence to challenge this rule.

"Keep waiting, keep waiting!" Hidden Bat laughed, chuckling as he threatened the three children, trying to make them make mistakes in their next operation because they were anxious: "No food, no water, and you can't even leave that control panel seat. I'd like to see how long you can hide in there!"