Xing Hun stared at Goku, face taut, brows furrowed deep.
"Damn it… So the rumors were true. His cultivation is unfathomable. Yun Zhongjun fell in a single move. We're outnumbered and outmatched. For now… we withdraw."
With that thought, his figure flickered several times and vanished.
---
"Carriages are too slow, and Qin patrols will dog us the whole way," Goku said. "We should fly to the Mo Family's Mechanical City."
"Sir Goku is right," Master Ban agreed, nodding. He produced a small wooden box from his robe and tossed it onto open ground. The box sprang apart and reassembled at impossible speed—becoming a gigantic mechanical bird before everyone's eyes.
Right—only in a world like this could something so spectacularly unscientific be normal.
"Whoa! Old Man Ban, that tiny box turned into a bird this big? How did you do that?" Tianming yelped.
"Brat, that's a Mo Family secret! You think I'd teach a snot-nosed kid like you?"
"Less bickering—get on," Goku said, giving the squabbling pair a sidelong look. He stepped onto the bird's back. Yue'er and the others followed, settling in a loose circle around him.
Gai Nie and the rest came aboard. Under Master Ban's hands, the mechanical bird beat its wings and soared, cutting into the clouds.
The mountain road fell silent. Only Yun Zhongjun remained—pinned to the rock face by the broken sword, blood seeping steadily from the hole in his chest, soaking his robes. A miserable sight.
No one knew how long had passed when Xing Hun returned. He said nothing. Extending one hand, he gathered inner qi that crackled faintly with lightning and tugged. Yun Zhongjun's body lifted off the cliff as if pulled by an invisible thread and dropped gently into Xing Hun's grasp.
He pressed several points on Yun Zhongjun's chest to staunch the bleeding. Then his figure blurred—and both men were gone.
High above the clouds, Goku glanced once at the billows trailing behind them and withdrew his gaze.
With no further ambushes, the flight was smooth. Before long, they reached their destination.
"Hold tight—we're almost there!" Master Ban shouted, guiding the bird straight toward a mountain cliff.
Tianming screamed. "Old man, are you insane? We're gonna crash! We're gonna—aaah!"
Just before impact, the stone wall split open, revealing a deep, lightless tunnel. The bird shot inside; the slab slid shut behind them.
Not long after, a great white bird cruised into the skies above the same mountain. Looking down, Mo Ya chuckled. "So the Mo Family hid their Mechanical City here. No wonder nobody's found it in years."
"Mission accomplished. Let's go," Beifeng said coolly.
"Are we really telling Wei Zhuang?"
"Since Lord Goku tacitly allowed us to follow, there's nothing to fear. And with him there… what do you think they can accomplish?"
"True enough. Still makes us accomplices. If we anger Lord Goku, we'll be the unlucky ones…"
Their bird swept away on powerful wings.
Inside the tunnel, Tianming squinted into the dark. "Hey, old man, why can't I see anything?"
"My eyes work better this way. Keeps you from waving your hands in my face," Master Ban snapped.
"What if we hit something? I can't see a thing," Tianming muttered.
"I could fly this route with my eyes closed," Master Ban said, self-satisfied.
Just then the passage bloomed with a soft radiance.
Tianming stared at the glowing stone in Goku's hand. "Big Brother Goku, what kind of rock is that? It's so bright, but not harsh at all."
"Moonstone," Goku said. "Pretty—and useful as a lamp. That's all."
"I've never heard of such a stone," Master Ban said, craning for a better look, curiosity plain on his face.
"The world is vast," Gai Nie observed mildly. "There's far more we haven't seen than what we have."
As they spoke, a hatch opened overhead, spilling bright light into the tunnel. A sharp voice rang down from above:
"Password! 'Unify the world, cherish all lives.'"
Master Ban answered promptly, " 'Walk through fire, tread the blade.' "
"Identify yourselves below!"
"Old Feng, it's me and Miss Rong—plus several guests of the Juzi."
"Understood. Crossbow gate—open!"
"Wow, look! Stars!" Tianming pointed upward at the glittering points.
"Stars? Those are crossbow bolts, genius," Yue'er said, rolling her eyes.
"Crossbows? You mean those tiny lights are all arrows?" Tianming squeaked.
"No wonder they call it the Mechanical City," Xue Nu murmured, impressed. "Layer upon layer of defenses. Even a top master would be seeking death trying to force their way in."
A vast gate opened before them, flooding the tunnel with blinding light. Under Master Ban's control, the bird glided through.
---
Xianyang — Qin Imperial Palace
Ying Zheng studied Li Si with a chill, effortless majesty that pressed on anyone who stood before him. "The Mo Family's Mechanical City?"
"It is their most secret stronghold, and the safest refuge for rebels everywhere," Li Si said respectfully.
"On my soil, there's a place beyond Qin law? Why?"
"Fresh reports locate it in a mountain region," Li Si said. "The terrain is extreme—sheer cliffs and deep ravines stretch for hundreds of kilometres. Even unarmored, it's nearly impossible to cross; armored troops less so. A raging river coils below, strewn with hidden reefs that tear ships apart. Stranger still, the area is shrouded in shifting cloud-seas—the weather swings from clear to stormy, and travelers lose their way in the fog."
"As for the team we sent," Li Si continued, "they found the outpost—but they're badly outmatched. The front requests additional forces from Your Majesty."
"What?" Ying Zheng's face hardened. "I sent them tens of thousands of Qin elites—and even Yun Zhongjun and Xing Hun! They still can't break a mere Mo Family?"
Li Si bowed lower, sweat beading. "Your Majesty, word from the front says the man the common folk call the 'Number One Sword God' is with the Mo Family. Lord Xing Hun was defeated, and Yun Zhongjun is gravely wounded. Whether he survives… is uncertain."
"What did you say?" Ying Zheng's brows pinched. "Xing Hun lost—and Yun Zhongjun may die?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"This 'Number One'—how does he compare to Gai Nie?"
Li Si answered with care. "Gai Nie is our Qin's foremost Sword Saint. But that man—the people call him the Number One Sword God. And from all reports, the title is no exaggeration."
Ying Zheng frowned, voice cold. "Is this the same man who routed Meng Tian's tens of thousands of iron riders a few years ago?"
"It is. Rumor holds he possesses the might to overturn an empire."
"One man… overturn Qin?" Ying Zheng's tone turned glacial. "Laughable. Let the ignorant prattle—but you, Li Si? Do you believe it as well?"
The Emperor's invisible pressure thickened until Li Si's back dampened with cold sweat. He bowed again, choosing each word with exquisite caution.
_____
T/N:
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