A narrow blue blade, forged from crystal, suddenly flew from a distance and struck the wooden puppet's head.
The blade was not large; on the contrary, it appeared rather small against the puppet's immense frame.
However, the moment it struck, the wooden puppet was pushed back a step, its body leaning backward as if about to fall.
And just then...
A blue figure appeared on the ancient road, running swiftly. After cutting through the crowd, the figure caught the rebounding narrow blade and then delivered a fierce kick to the wooden puppet's chest.
*Bang!*
The wooden puppet's colossal body was sent flying about two to three meters by the kick, its feet dragging two deep mud imprints on the ground.
Bai Ye watched the figure land and said with a smile, "Brother Kai, 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 the girls!"
The moment Kai spoke, Mulan swiftly cut through the crowd, wielding her greatsword, and leaped directly above the wooden puppet's head. Raising her sword, she brought it down forcefully.
The spot Mulan chose to strike was the stone within the puppet's cranial groove.
*Crack!*
With a single blow, the stone shattered.
The glow entwined around the stone dimmed and faded.
The light in the wooden puppet's eyes vanished once more. It finally collapsed to the ground, this time utterly silent.
With the arrival of Mulan and Kai, a large number of the Great Wall Guard appeared, quickly subduing the horse bandits.
Mulan leaped down from the wooden puppet and looked at Bai Ye, "Why are there mechanical puppets here?"
Bai Ye spread his hands, "You ask me?"
Mulan replied, "Then who should I ask?"
Bai Ye pointed at the horse bandits, "That wooden puppet, the one you call a mechanical puppet, was originally on that cart. Then, those horse bandits activated it. As for where the puppet 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 caught sight of a masked man in the crowd.
As their gazes met, the man smiled and then quickly turned and left.
"It's you!"
Mulan shouted loudly and then sprinted forward madly, pushing aside everyone in her path.
Kai was slightly stunned, then also chased after Mulan.
What's going on?
Bai Ye glanced at the light screen; the mission had not ended. He quickly followed the two forward.
They soon passed through the crowd, the three of them rushing out of the ancient road one after another, pursuing into the wilderness. However, after only dozens of meters, a hurricane suddenly swept up, stirring sand and dust that quickly obscured their vision.
Within the dust, the masked man's figure flickered in and out of sight.
Mulan angrily yelled, "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 it the person you mentioned before?"
Mulan gritted her teeth, "It must be him. I won't mistake him."
Bai Ye stepped forward, curious, "What's happening?"
Kai remained silent for a moment, then said softly, "A long time ago, Mulan requested to come from Chang'an to the Great Wall to guard this land. She was very capable, everyone knew that. The commander of the Great Wall at the time, despite strong opposition, entrusted her with a heavy responsibility. However, soon after, the Great Wall's defenses were breached one after another. Everyone suspected her, because it was known that outside the Great Wall lay a harsh and cold land, and guarding it was not an 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 the commander's body was found the next day, and Mulan fled. However, she never truly left, always lingering outside Chang'an. Whenever the horn sounded and the smoke signals rose, she would appear, helping the Great Wall Guards repel the enemy. Afterward, she returned to the Great Wall and formed the elite squad of the Great Wall Guard. But even after returning, she never forgot the phantom who had framed her and always wanted to find him."
Bai Ye asked, "So, the person just now was the phantom?"
Kai glanced at Mulan, "He should be!"
At this moment, Mulan turned around, took a deep breath, and said, "As long as he still harbors ill intentions toward 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 Component x1"
Mechanical Puppet Component (Item) (Gold): A mechanical puppet component manufactured according to the records of the Myriad Manifestations Grand Art. It can be used for mechanical puppet construction. Current parts collected: 1/12
At this point, a light screen appeared before Bai Ye, displaying that his mission had been completed.
Then came the rewards...
It was a gold-quality item. However, despite being gold-quality, it was actually useless, just a component for a mechanical puppet.
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'll be an Eastern version of a mecha?"
Bai Ye was speechless. What a grand promise. Twelve components. Even if the first one was obtained easily, there were still eleven more, and these eleven were a set; they had to be compatible, not just any eleven gold-quality mechanical puppet component items could be assembled.
In fact, in his previous life, Bai Ye had pursued mechas. After all, they were a man's romance.
But...
The process of collecting them was truly tearful and bloody. 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, and Bai Ye had seen more than one. However, it was a matter of great luck; it wasn't something that could be achieved simply by trying hard. If one obtained a component and eagerly wanted to collect the rest at all costs, the most likely outcome was being left with nothing.
"Let's just consider this thing as a decoration."
Bai Ye sighed mournfully, but there was also good news.
There was another mission!
"You have obtained a hidden mission."
"Help Mulan investigate the appearance of the phantom. Mission Reward: Shadow Battle Axe x1"
Just like in the Land of Monsters, this hidden mission turned out to be a chain mission!
...