A blue, narrow blade forged from crystal suddenly flew from afar, striking the wooden puppet's head.
The blade was not large; in fact, it appeared quite small before the wooden puppet's massive frame.
Yet, the moment it struck, the wooden puppet was forced back a step, its body tilting backward, almost toppling to the ground.
And at this very moment...
A blue silhouette appeared on the ancient road, running swiftly. After cutting through the crowd, the figure caught the recoiling narrow blade and then delivered a powerful kick to the wooden puppet's chest.
*Bang!*
The wooden puppet's enormous body was sent flying about two to three meters by the single kick, its feet dragging two deep mud imprints on the ground.
Bai Ye watched as the figure landed and said with a smile, "Brother Kai is so cool!"
The person who had suddenly appeared was none other than Kai!
Kai pouted, "What's the use of being cool? We still have to listen to girls!"
The instant Kai spoke, Mulan rapidly moved through the crowd, her greatsword in hand. She leaped directly above the wooden puppet's head and swung her sword down with force.
The spot Mulan's sword struck was the stone within the groove on the wooden puppet's head.
*Crack!*
With a single blow, the stone shattered.
The glow wrapped around the stone dimmed and then vanished.
The light in the wooden puppet's eyes disappeared once more, and it finally crashed to the ground, this time completely silent.
With the arrival of Mulan and Kai, a large contingent of Great Wall Guards appeared, swiftly subduing the horse bandits.
Mulan jumped down from atop the wooden puppet and looked at Bai Ye, "Why is there a mechanical puppet here?"
Bai Ye shrugged, "You're asking me?"
Mulan replied, "Then who should I ask?"
Bai Ye pointed at the horse bandits, "That wooden puppet, the mechanical one you mentioned, was originally on that cart. Then those horse bandits activated it. As for where the puppet came from, I'm not sure."
Mulan said, "I'll go ask."
As Mulan spoke, she sheathed her sword. At that moment...
Mulan's peripheral vision caught sight of a masked man in the crowd.
The moment their eyes met, the man smiled and then quickly turned, leaving.
"It's you!"
Mulan shouted loudly and then ran forward frantically, pushing aside those blocking her path.
Kai was momentarily stunned but then also chased in Mulan's direction.
What's going on?
Bai Ye glanced at the light screen; the mission hadn't ended. He quickly followed the two forward.
They soon broke through the crowd, the three of them rushing out of the ancient road one after another and chasing into the wilderness beyond. However, after only dozens of meters, a hurricane suddenly swept up from the wilderness, kicking up sand and dust that quickly obscured their vision.
Within the sandstorm, the masked man's figure could be seen intermittently.
Mulan yelled angrily, "Stop! I know it's you."
The masked man did not respond but continued forward, soon disappearing completely into the sandstorm, no longer visible.
Mulan roared, "I will catch you, I swear!"
Kai stepped forward and asked, "Is that the person you spoke of from long ago?"
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 slowly, "A long time ago, Mulan requested to come from Chang'an to the Great Wall to protect this land. She was very skilled; everyone knew it. The commander of the Great Wall at the time, disregarding all opposition, entrusted her with a crucial responsibility. However, not long after, the defense lines of the Great Wall were breached one after another. Everyone suspected her because they knew that beyond the Great Wall was a harsh and cold land, and guarding it was no easy task, especially for those who lived a life of luxury in Chang'an and 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 his body was found the next day, and Mulan fled. However, she never truly left, always lingering outside Chang'an. Whenever the horns sounded and the signal fires were lit, she would appear, helping the Great Wall Guards repel the enemy. Afterward, she returned to the Great Wall and formed an elite team of Great Wall Guards. Yet, even after returning, she never forgot the phantom who had framed her and always wanted to find him."
Bai Ye asked, "So, that guy just now was the phantom?"
Kai glanced at Mulan, "He should be!"
At this point, Mulan turned around, took a deep breath, and said, "As long as he still intends to plot against the Great Wall, there will be an opportunity 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: Mechanical Puppet Part x1"
Mechanical Puppet Part (Item) (Gold): A mechanical puppet part manufactured according to the records of Myriad Phenomena Grand Design, usable for mechanical puppet crafting. Currently collected parts: 1/12
At this moment, a light screen appeared before Bai Ye, indicating that his mission had been completed.
Then came the rewards...
It was Gold quality, but although it was Gold quality, it was practically useless, just a single mechanical puppet part.
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, will it become an Eastern version of a mecha?"
Bai Ye was speechless. What a grand promise. Twelve parts. Don't be fooled by how easily the first one was obtained; there are still eleven more, and these eleven are a set, requiring matching pieces, not just any eleven Gold quality mechanical puppet part items that can be assembled.
In fact, in his previous life, Bai Ye hadn't not pursued mechas, after all, that was a man's romance.
But...
The process of collecting them was truly a tearful and bloody ordeal. At that time, Bai Ye had a total of six and a half incomplete mechas.
Yes, six, but not a single one had all its parts!
Of course, there were indeed people who managed to build mechas; Bai Ye had seen more than one. However, this matter was heavily reliant on luck and couldn't be achieved simply by trying hard. If one obtained a part and excitedly wanted to collect the rest at all costs, the most likely outcome was being utterly ruined.
"Let's just treat this thing as a decoration," Bai Ye lamented. However, it wasn't all bad 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 mission!
...