At this moment, in the Mo Familyâs Mechanism City.
Xi Jiang followed Mo Chuxing through the eastern gate. Seeing him continue further in, Xi Jiangâs expression changed drastically. âLittle young master, donât go! Itâs dangerous! We can make another kite!â
Since Mo Chuxing developed aphasia, he had shut himself off from the outside world. Like many autistic child prodigies, he was only interested in a few things, ignoring everything else.
Mo Chuyi had exploited this, throwing Mo Chuxingâs favorite kite into the Mo familyâs Mechanism City.
Mo Chuxing had no idea how dangerous the Mechanism City was. To him, he was simply retrieving his kite.
âBang!â
Suddenly, a heavy gate fell. Xi Jiang quickly grabbed Mo Chuxing and rolled on the ground, narrowly avoiding being crushed.
But this was just the beginning.
âWhoosh, whoosh!â
Arrows fired, and the ground began to shift.
The city was called the Mechanism City because every inch of land and every wall within it was a mechanism.
Xi Jiang had been by Yu Xihengâs side for many years, and his martial arts training wasnât limited to the Mo family techniques. He had great talent and had progressed quickly under Si Fuqingâs guidance.
However, in the vast and ancient Mo familyâs Mechanism City, a person was powerless.
âBuzz, buzzââ
Countless hidden weapons flew towards them as mechanisms activated.
Xi Jiang dodged the arrows coming from the front but missed a cold blade flying from the side.
The blade aimed straight for his head!
It was over.
Despair filled Xi Jiangâs heart. Despite this, he still protected Mo Chuxing in his arms.
âClang!â
A crisp sound rang in his ears, as if something had been jolted away.
The trajectory of the blade was forcibly altered.
Xi Jiang didnât have time to be stunned. He quickly took Mo Chuxing to a relatively safe corner.
The mechanisms didnât activate constantly; there were brief intervals of inactivity.
This allowed him to catch his breath.
But what just happened?
Xi Jiang was horrified and shocked.
He stared blankly at the shattered talisman paper on the ground, his mind blank for a moment.
Si Fuqing had given him three such talisman papers, saying they could save his life in critical moments.
Xi Jiang hadnât taken it too seriously but had still obediently tucked them into his pocket, carrying them with him every day.
Now he was certain that without this talisman paper, he would have been pierced by the blades.
Without hesitation, Xi Jiang placed the remaining two talisman papers on Mo Chuxing, whispering, âLittle young master, these can save your life. Stay here and donât move. Iâll check the rest of the mechanisms. Someone will come to rescue us.â
Mo Chuxing opened his eyes slightly and started gesturing.
âSigh, little young master, stop gesturing. I canât understand.â Xi Jiang sighed helplessly. âTell you what, if we make it out alive today, Iâll learn sign language to communicate with you, how about that?â
Mo Chuxing shook his head and made a few more gestures.
This time, Xi Jiang understood.
Mo Chuxing had been gesturing the same thing for days.
He wanted to see Si Fuqing if they got out.
Xi Jiang thought, Seriously? At a time like this? Well, kids will be kids.
He conceded, âAlright, little young master, if we get out, youâll definitely see her.â
Twenty minutes later, Xi Jiang had figured out some patterns and finally encountered a second interval of inactivity.
He leaned against the wall to rest, his body covered in wounds.
He checked his phone; there was no signal, and he couldnât make any calls.
âXi Jiang, are you inside? You didnât go deeper, did you?â A faint voice came from outside. âIt seems you havenât triggered more mechanisms. Just give me the blueprint of the Unseen Needles of Grace, and Iâll get you out.â
Xi Jiangâs eyes turned cold, recognizing the voice. âMo Chuyi! Itâs you!â
He had thought the kite was carried into the Mechanism City by the wind, not realizing Mo Chuyi had a hand in it.
Mo Chuxing was Mo Chuyiâs own cousin!
âYou should know, no one can save you now,â Mo Chuyi said calmly. âIn the entire Mo family, only Mo Yanwen and I know the way through.â
She had always resented Mo Yanwen becoming the head of the family.
But she had to admit that Mo Yanwen was a genius, able to create the second and third-ranked hidden weapons even with incomplete blueprints.
For years, she had been plotting to take his place, pretending to respect him while secretly seeking ways to overthrow him.
Now that an opportunity had presented itself, she couldnât grasp it.
Xi Jiang sneered, âYouâre despicable! You killed a direct descendant of the Mo family. Just wait for the Elder Council to punish you!â
âWhat does this have to do with me?â Mo Chuyi laughed. âHe wanted to fetch the kite, he entered the Mechanism City himself, and you followed him, triggering other mechanisms.â
âI came to help out of kindness, but you refused my help. If you want to die, thereâs nothing I can do.â
Xi Jiang shouted angrily, âYouâre despicable!â
âBy the way, donât say I didnât warn you.â Mo Chuyi glanced at the sky. âAfter midnight, the difficulty of the Mechanism City will increase tenfold. I wonât be able to save you then. Iâll give you a few minutes to think it over.â
âNo need to think.â Xi Jiang spat. âThe Mo family doesnât need trash like you!â
Mo Chuyi laughed coldly, âSuch a hard bone to chew. Fine, stay in there. Letâs see how long you can last.â
Even if Xi Jiang and Mo Chuxing died, it would be their fault for entering the Mechanism City.
With no witnesses, no one could touch her.
**
At five in the afternoon., Mo City International Airport.
Si Fuqing jumped off the plane, pulling a suitcase with one hand and pushing a wheelchair with the other.
Shen Ying, who had been waiting outside, rushed forward anxiously, âBrother Nine, Xi Jiang is missing.â
Yu Xiheng remained calm, but his aura darkened. âWhat happened?â
âI couldnât reach him by phone, and he wasnât at home. I later found out he had entered the Mechanism City by mistake,â Chen Ying said quickly. âThe family head is in seclusion at a critical moment, and we canât get in!â
âI understand.â Yu Xiheng closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, a cold, murderous intent was visible. âIâm heading back.â
He stood up from the wheelchair and got into the car.
Si Fuqing tossed the suitcase to Chen Ying and took the driverâs seat.
She was an expert at racing.
Today, she would enjoy a thrilling ride.
**
The sun had set. At the eastern gate of the Mechanism City, many guards had gathered, alarming the second elder.
The second elder was pacing in worry.
He didnât know the way either. Entering blindly wouldnât save anyone and might trigger more mechanisms, causing irreversible consequences.
They sent someone to find Mo Chuyi, but she wasnât in the city and wouldnât return for another hour. What should they do?
Both Xi Jiang and Mo Chuxing were important figures.
As the second elder worried, he suddenly saw two figures dart past and head towards the eastern gate.
He cried out, âWait, you canât go in! If you go inââ
His words were cut off.
The two figures had already disappeared, and he couldnât even see their faces.
The second elder stamped his foot in frustration, âThis is bad!â
He turned to ask, âWhen will the family head come out of seclusion? When will Chuyi return?â
The head guard quickly responded, âMiss Chuyi is on her way back. Sheâll be here in an hour at the earliest.â
The second elder took a deep breath, âThis is a matter of life and death. Hurry her up!â
Something about today didnât feel right.
Si Fuqing and Yu Xiheng had already entered the Mechanism City.
The air was thick with the smell of blood.
Si Fuqingâs expression turned cold.
She exhaled slowly and followed the scent of blood to find the source.
At that moment, a new round of hidden weapons and mechanisms activated.
âSwish, swish!â
âBoom, boom, boom!â
They moved swiftly, dodging everything, and Si Fuqing finally saw a figure.
âBrother Nine, I see them.â She nimbly avoided the weapons, heading for the right path.
Yu Xiheng suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms. âThis way. That way is a dead end.â
To speed up, he picked her up, carrying her effortlessly to a western corner.
What lay before them was not a person, but a mass of blood.
Xi Jiang was covered in wounds, a bloody mess.
Si Fuqingâs hand paused before she slowly lowered it, then clenched it tightly, veins popping.
She calmly took out some pills and fed them to Xi Jiang, but her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
She looked down and saw the fragments of the talisman paper, sighing in relief.
Thank god.
Making those talisman papers was difficult, draining her significantly each time. But to save those close to her, she wouldnât hesitate.
âBrother Nine, heâ¦â Xi Jiang regained consciousness and barely opened his eyes. âSave the little young master first. I can hold on. Iâm fine, reallyâ¦â
His voice grew weaker until he drifted back into unconsciousness.
Yu Xihengâs eyes were terrifyingly deep. He picked up Mo Chuxing, stopping the bleeding on Xi Jiangâs body with a few precise touches, then carried him on his back.
His voice was cold and steady, âLetâs get out first.â
It had been a long time since he had taught anyone the meaning of the word âdeath.â