Bai Ye had always felt that a group of horse bandits plus a rampaging automaton didn't quite match the tone of a hidden quest, especially with a group of Chosen Ones helping out. Moreover, after the automaton went berserk, Bai Ye didn't even need to step in; Kai and Mulan arrived and took it down.
However, if it were a chain quest, Bai Ye could understand. After all, the first stage of a chain quest would undoubtedly be the easiest.
The question was, what about the subsequent difficulty, and how many stages did this quest have?
"Hey, Bai Ye!" Mulan called out, turning around. "What are you spacing out for? Let's go!"
Bai Ye snapped back to attention, agreed, and quickly followed Mulan and Kai.
Back by the ancient road, the horse bandits had all been subdued. The Chosen Ones had no obligation to escort them, and they dispersed after the mission was completed.
Mulan called over a squad leader from a Chang'an soldier to ask a few questions. Then, she went to the massive flatbed cart and examined the damaged automaton.
A moment later, Mulan found Kai and Bai Ye and said, "I need to write back to Chang'an. Something is not right about this."
Bai Ye asked, "What's not right?"
Mulan explained, "According to the Chang'an soldiers, that automaton had nothing to do with them; it was brought by the horse bandits. When the bandits appeared, they used over a dozen horses to drag that cart."
Bai Ye responded, "It wasn't from the supply train anyway, so it belonged to the bandits. What's so strange about that?"
Mulan continued, "But, I found the emblem of 'Myriad Phenomena Creation' both in the center of the cart's wheel and on the automaton's back. This means that the automaton, and even the cart used to transport it, originated from Chang'an."
Bai Ye and Kai exchanged bewildered glances.
Neither Bai Ye nor Kai could grasp the implications of this situation. Kai was an outsider whom Mulan had brought back to Chang'an, and Bai Ye was a newly arrived Chosen One. Although he had visited the Heroic Region in his previous life, he had never been to the Great Wall. Therefore, neither of them even knew what 'Myriad Phenomena Creation' was.
So, Kai patted his chest and declared, "I don't understand any of this, and I don't want to. All I know is that wherever your sword points, that's where I'll charge with my blade."
Bai Ye's eyes widened, and he secretly gave Kai a thumbs-up.
"Bro, you're awesome!"
Such a display of loyalty, wouldn't that sweep Sister Mulan off her feet?
From this day forward, please allow me to call you Dad Kai and accept me as your adopted son, teaching me the ways of wooing women.
Then, Bai Ye glanced at Mulan. She showed no reaction, her head bowed in thought, seemingly pondering the mystery of the automaton.
Bai Ye slapped his forehead. He had forgotten that she wasn't just any girl. It seemed that Dad Kai's path to romance would be a long and arduous one.
They escorted the horse bandits back to the military camp. Shouyue, brimming with the energy of a devoted wife, held up a tray and said with a smile, "You three have worked hard. Come, have a meal."
Shouyue's cooking was, as always, delicious.
After eating, Mulan immediately put down her chopsticks and went to find Li Xin. As the current commander of the Great Wall, she needed Li Xin's approval to send a letter to Chang'an.
Bai Ye, meanwhile, continued to ponder the hidden quest.
The second stage of the quest was to help Mulan find that ghost. However, quests shouldn't be judged by their surface appearance. Currently, the automaton seemed to be the clue, and since the automaton was connected to the ghost, investigating the automaton and discovering its origins might lead them to the ghost.
Thinking this, Bai Ye felt he might need to wait for a while. After all, Mulan had already begun investigating the automaton, and the reply from Chang'an would likely contain new clues.
Meanwhile…
A bird's cry suddenly interrupted Bai Ye's thoughts. Looking up, Bai Ye saw a large white bird flying overhead. It looked like a seagull, with a very distinctive beak, as large as a huge pouch.
Then…
Bai Ye saw a blurry black shadow falling from the sky, getting larger and larger, and then…
*CRASH!*
Bai Ye's head was suddenly struck with a powerful impact, sending him and his chair crashing to the ground with a loud bang.
Kai and Shouyue were startled and quickly helped Bai Ye up.
"Bai Ye, are you alright?" Shouyue checked Bai Ye's head. "Your head is red, but it's not bleeding. You should be fine."
"Damn it!" Bai Ye cursed, holding his forehead. "Falling object from above, may you die a terrible death!"
Kai picked up a cardboard box and handed it to Bai Ye. "What is this? There's a note on it."
Bai Ye took it and was instantly speechless.
The first line written on it read: "Big-Mouthed Gull Express, at your service."
"What the heck, it's an express delivery?"
Then he looked at the bottom, where the sender was signed: "Jin Sha."
"It's really my delivery?" Bai Ye twitched his eye. He said to Kai and Shouyue, "It's my stuff, it's just that the delivery method was a bit rough."
Kai shrugged. Shouyue asked, "Do you want to put some medicine on it?"
"I can manage myself," Bai Ye said, picking up the cardboard box. "You guys keep eating, I'll be heading back."
After saying that, Bai Ye walked back towards the campsite with the cardboard box, muttering curses.
Upon returning to his tent, Bai Ye drew his famed sword, "Bloodthirst," and sliced open the cardboard box. He stared at the contents, stunned.
"This thing?" Bai Ye exclaimed in surprise. "A snail?"
The box contained a snail, but compared to ordinary snails, this one was a veritable overlord among snails. It was about the size of two palms, with spots on its shell. There was a dial on its side, like a rotary phone, and the top part of the shell could even be detached, revealing a handset.
"Den Den Mushi (Item) (White): A magical creature used for communication, resembling a snail. It remains dormant when not in communication and awakens when communicating."
Bai Ye glanced at the screen, speechless. "So, this is a telephone that looks like a snail?"
This thing was quite magical. Bai Ye had seen a lot, but in his previous life, he had never encountered such a communication tool.
However, the world battlefield was full of bizarre things, and even having lived for a lifetime, Bai Ye couldn't have seen everything. So, it was normal to encounter something unfamiliar.
Just then…
"Poru poru, poru poru poru, poru poru…"
The Den Den Mushi's eyes suddenly opened, and its slightly parted mouth began to emit a continuous "poru" sound, alternating between short and long bursts with a distinct rhythm.
Bai Ye tilted his head. Was it ringing?
As he pondered, Bai Ye picked up the handset from the snail's shell and said, "Hello?"
"Hi, Bai Ye, long time no see," Jin Sha's voice came through, full of laughter. "Did you receive my delivery?"
…