Chapter 74: A Series of Mechanisms!

Chapter 74 A Series of Mechanisms!

Bai Cen knew that the old man probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight...

He had also heard of the Kunlun thumb ring.

Many sect leaders need to possess a sect leader's token to ensure that the sect will not decline due to internal strife and infighting.

Such sects are often renowned and prestigious families in the martial arts world, like the Kunlun Sect.

But the truth is that the Kunlun School has indeed declined in recent years.

Moreover, he rarely gets involved in matters of the martial arts world and is unaware of what has happened.

It seems to have started from the time the old man left the Kunlun Sect.

The old man had kept his mouth shut, and not a word of it had escaped his notice in the martial arts world. Tonight, however, he heard the news about the Kunlun Ring and suddenly remembered something from before…

It's not easy being an old man either.

Whatever the reason, the old man has already left Kunlun.

The Kunlun Ring is an internal matter of the Kunlun Sect. If the old man were to interfere, it would seem to violate his previous vow to sever all ties with Kunlun from now on.

However, from the old man's few words, it can be inferred that there were other hidden details about what happened back then. In any case, the ring was lost from the old man's possession, and it seems that the death of the former sect leader was also related to this, so the old man has always blamed himself.

This Kunlun thumb ring is the only key to the truth of what happened back then.

If the old man wants to know the truth, he needs that ring.

But over the years, the old man has kept to himself and the Kunlun Sect. If he were to become involved with the Kunlun Sect again, no one knows whether it would be a blessing or a curse...

Navigating the world is never simply a matter of black and white, but it also takes courage to uncover what has been buried by time.

In particular, they also had to deal with the Kunlun Sect.

Bai Cen lay on the tree with his hands covering his head, not knowing what the old man would choose.

But no matter what choice you make, it's not an easy one.

He was on night duty today. Bai Cen looked down; the firewood on the ground was still burning.

The old man sat there in front of the fire, silent, like a statue.

He stayed in the tree with the old man all night, without needing to make a sound, just to keep him company...

*

Around dawn, Zhao Tong woke up.

These days, the people at Bazhenlou have become quite familiar with each other.

Zhao Tong wakes up early. No matter how late he went to bed the night before, he will always wake up around dawn. Then he will take "Weiwu" out of its cage and then take "Weiwu" for a long walk around the neighborhood.

Zhao Tong was dressed in a black outfit, and "Weiwu" was covered in black fur. The two of them, one human and one dog, had an eerie yet harmonious sense of order and balance.

"Weiwu" would wag its tail and lie down in its cage waiting for Zhao Tong when the time came.

But "Weiwu" is very obedient. When the owner feeds it treats, he tells it not to bark or make noise, and to be an obedient watchdog.

"Weiwu" would tilt its head to listen, and after listening for a while, it seemed to understand a little bit and know what constitutes a good dog.

In the morning, Zhao Tong would take a ride, but Zhao Tong had principles. No matter whether the carriage had stopped in a town, village, or remote suburb the night before, he would always keep the carriage on a leash when he took a ride.

The rope was made by the old man.

I rubbed it for several days. When I was waiting for them in the carriage, I would rub it while muttering to "Weiwu" next to me - walking such a small dog with a leash is pointless!

The problem is, Wang Sumo also agrees.

So the old man kept complaining as he rubbed the rope, and in the end, he not only rubbed it well, but he also rubbed more than one rope.

Moreover, there's too much boredom. Before, he could only fish, but now that he has "Weiwu," the old man will play around with "Weiwu." After playing with it for a long time, he's developed feelings for "Weiwu."

Besides secretly saving up snacks for "Weiwu", all I did was make dog leashes for "Weiwu".

One leash wasn't enough, so they started twisting it in different ways, even adding colorful threads. Anyway, "Weiwu" is quite well-off now, with a dozen or twenty leashes!

When Zhao Tong returned from sneaking off with "Weiwu" and fed it some more, Grandpa Weng woke up around that time.

The first thing he does is stretch, yawn, and drink his first cup of warm water in the morning to cleanse his system.

"Old Qu, at our age, it's time to start taking care of our health!"

Every time Old Man Weng said that, Old Master Qu would give him an impatient look and then yell back, "Get out!"

This time, Old Weng looked at Lao Qu, then looked up at Bai Cen. Bai Cen nodded to him, meaning that he hadn't slept all night.

Old Weng didn't disturb him. He drank a cup of warm water and then quietly began practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade on his own.

Bai Cen recalled the morning exercises his master performed every day.

Compared to the old man's orthodox Eight Pieces of Brocade, the old man's Awakening Exercise seems rather mystical!

Bai Cen glanced at the sky; by the time Old Master Weng finished practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade, the master should be awake.

The city gate is only half a day's journey from here. For safety's sake, Bazhenlou will stay here for the time being and will not enter the city together.

He didn't know what the old man had thought about all night. If the old man wasn't going, he should stay with him; but if the old man was going, then he should stay with Uncle Weng.

As I was lost in thought, someone on the other side of the hammock stretched and sat up.

The boss actually has a bad temper when he wakes up.

But because no one in the Eight Treasures Restaurant would provoke her, the owner's morning grumpiness wasn't so obvious.

After watching the landlord sit in the hammock for a while, half-asleep, until he was finally able to open his eyes, I got off the hammock to wash up.

Bai Cen couldn't help but laugh every time he saw it.

The boss is actually a very interesting person.

But all the contrasts are amplified at this moment.

After washing up and returning, he transformed back into the familiar employer he knew every day.

They looked up at him in tacit understanding. He glanced at the old man, shook his head, and the owner immediately understood. The old man hadn't slept all night.

The landlord started practicing his own wake-up exercises.

It's fortunate that Uncle Weng finished practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade. Otherwise, if he practiced the steady Eight Pieces of Brocade together with the bouncy and strangely quirky exercises, he would have really laughed out loud.

On the other side, Zhao Tong had already finished walking the dog and then made breakfast for a large group of people.

Before Zhao Tong arrived, he and the old man were eagerly waiting for their employer. In fact, neither he nor the old man had any talent for this, and the old man was more used to having some cakes or similar items on hand.

When the boss isn't around, you can at least eat some biscuits or something.

But ever since Zhao Tong came, the sky has turned blue!

For example, the beef congee this morning!

As the weather gets cooler, beef can be kept overnight. After walking the dog in the morning, I can cut the beef, wash the vegetables, and cook porridge without anyone asking me anything.

A sous chef is a sous chef!

They all took on these tasks voluntarily.

While the owner was still doing her morning exercises, a large group of people had already gathered around the pot to drink porridge and wait for her.

Bai Cen also jumped down from the tree.

"So, are you going to Guancheng, old man?" Weng He asked casually.

Bai Cen and Zhao Tong both stopped, glanced quickly at Lao Qu, then lowered their heads to drink their porridge, their ears perked up, afraid of missing a single word or tone.

Zhao Tong was having a headache; he wasn't like this before.

Having only been at Bazhenlou for a few days, he's already just like Bai Cen.

The employer is the same!

Although they were doing the "awakening exercises" over there, their ears were actually more perked up than the others'; they might as well have come here to listen directly.

"Weiwu" was full and lost interest in the porridge being cooked over the fire, so he jumped around with Wang Sumo, imitating Wang Sumo's morning exercise routine.

"I'm not going," the old man said in a deep voice.

Weng He, Zhao Tong, and Bai Cen were all stunned for a moment, a hint of surprise and astonishment flashing quickly in their eyes, along with a slight regret, before they all lowered their heads to drink their porridge.

Wang Sumo heard it too, and although she did, she was still a little worried...

I wonder what exactly was written in Zhu Weng's letter. If I had known, I would have secretly taken a look.

But she knew that Bai Cen had spent a long time with the old man last night, so she could ask Bai Cen.

But they would be setting off for the pass soon, and would have to wait until they returned from the pass.

After Wang Sumo finished her scrambled egg and beef congee, Zhao Tong went to wash the pots and pans. Wang Sumo spoke with the old man, who reminded her to be careful when dealing with the Golden Gate.

But perhaps because Zhao Tong and Weng He were both there, the old man knew that one of them was clever and the other was strong enough in combat, so he wasn't too worried.

"Take good care of the old man," Wang Sumo instructed before leaving.

"Don't worry, boss." After saying that, Bai Cen thought for a moment and then whispered, "I think the old man will regret it."

Wang Sumo looked at him: "..."

Bai Cen leaned closer and added, "Master, I think he'll chase you away."

Wang Sumo blinked: "..."

Bai Cen yawned, then said softly, "Let's go, boss. I'll take a nap first. Who knows, the old man might come over once he's had a change of heart. I still have to guard Bazhenlou."

Wang Sumo found it both amusing and exasperating.

However, Bai Cen inexplicably exudes a sense of security that inspires trust.

"Bai Cen," Wang Sumo called out.

"Hmm?" Bai Cen turned to look at him.

"Let's make a bet," Wang Sumo suggested on a whim. Bai Cen leaned closer and asked, "So, what are you betting, boss?"

Wang Sumo smiled and said, "If the old man comes halfway through, you decide what we'll eat tonight."

Bai Cen said confidently, "Let's have barbecue tonight, I'm craving it."

This is certain.

"Okay," Wang Sumo agreed.

He made an appointment with Zhu Weng to meet at the south gate of the city.

Wang Sumo didn't like riding horses, so Zhao Tong drove the carriage, and Grandpa Weng and Wang Sumo got into the carriage.

Bai Cen and Old Master Qu watched the carriage gradually disappear into the distance. Bai Cen urged, "It's not too late to catch up now, Old Master."

The old man glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Bai Cen sighed, "If we go now, we can catch up; if we go later, we'll have to untie a horse, which will be an extra step."

The old man was too lazy to pay him any attention.

Bai Cen put his hands behind his head and went to sleep.

Thinking back to my solitary journey, where I had to be constantly vigilant, and the way I curled up and gritted my teeth to endure the pain when the poison took effect; being at Bazhenlou now couldn't be better...

The old man was twisting a leash for "Weiwu" again.

"Weiwu" went to watch the old man make dog leashes. Bai Cen stayed up all night and fell asleep soon after.

Even breathing filled the air. The old man turned and glanced at him, then muttered casually, "Lazybones!"

After saying that sentence, I froze.

— Lazybones! You think you can learn martial arts in Kunlun like this? How about this, I'll be your master, I'm sure I can teach you better than those old men on Kunlun Mountain!

— Look at that, it's Kunlun Palm! Hey, not quite right, let's try again, Kunlun Palm~ See that?! Isn't it amazing? Hahahaha! Come on, let's learn how to make honey-baked prawns today!

— You learn so fast! You lazybones, you're even more talented than your master! Get away from me! Get away from me! I can't stand people like you who are lazy yet learn so fast!

"—Ah Guan, your master wants to entrust the Kunlun Sect to you. Even though these old men are all determined to fight to the death, you must conquer all thirty-six heavenly gates of Kunlun to obtain this Kunlun Sect Leader's ring. Kunlun has stood at the peak for too long; Kunlun needs new life. Your master is entrusting you with the most important thing. You must lead the Kunlun Sect back to its peak! This Kunlun ring is your master's token. From now on, seeing it will be the same as seeing your master."

...

The old man's eyes were slightly red.

"Hey, Grandpa~" Bai Cen had woken up at some point, probably when the old man was thinking about the past.

Bai Cen handed the horse reins to the old man: "Here, I've brought the horse out for you! It's a bit late now, but we can still make it. Forget about Kunlun for now. Since this ring was given to you by your master, we have to find it first! As for the rest, there's no need to be so particular! If you think about everything so clearly, you won't be out here venturing into the martial world! Old man, get on the horse."

Bai Cen winked at him.

Take the old man to see him.

Bai Cen laughed and said, "Don't worry, I've got Bazhenlou covered! Besides you, sir, who else can chase me all over the mountain? As long as I'm here, Bazhenlou will stay here. I won't cause any trouble for the owner. Go on!"

In that moment of hesitation, Bai Cen shoved the reins into his hand.

"Grandpa in the straw hat!" Bai Cen handed it to him.

Take the old man to see him.

Bai Cen laughed and said, "If you don't like them, just use the Cloud Piercing Mountain Breaking Hand to beat them up!"

The old man finally smiled helplessly.

"Hold on tight, old man, see you later~" Bai Cen had barely finished speaking when he slapped the horse's rump, sending its hooves flying and it galloping off with a "whoosh".

Bai Cen looked at the figure and slowly sat back down on the ground.

Alright, everyone's gone!

Only him and "威武" are left!

“Weiwu, you need to be more vigilant. Now it’s just the two of us. If we encounter bad guys, we’ll take Bazhenlou and run away. I don’t have time to take care of you. You have to take care of yourself. Stay in your cage and don’t come out, understand?” Bai Cen teased “Weiwu” half-jokingly.

He worked the night shift last night and is a bit sleepy now.

So while playing with "Weiwu", he forced himself to stay alert.

In this desolate wilderness, the chances of encountering bad people are slim; the landlord is so laid-back, the grudges between the people of Bazhenlou are less than the fruit on the tree, he should be able to get by by teasing Weiwu and yawning here.

With Zhao Tong and the old man there, and the shrewd Uncle Weng, even if they're a little late, they'll be back before midnight. Should he take a nap?

Bai Cen discussed with "Weiwu": "Weiwu, it's time for you to grow up and take on the responsibility of being a watchdog. So I'm going to take a nap. You stay here and look after the Eight Treasures Pavilion. Don't be lazy! This is the Eight Treasures Pavilion..."

Before he finished speaking, Bai Cen frowned slightly, and his ears twitched slightly in the direction of the wind.

He kept holding "Weiwu" up without putting it down, and it seemed a little uncomfortable, so it made a "woo-woo-woo" sound.

"Don't make a sound, Weiwu." Bai Cen lowered his hand, hugged Weiwu in his arms, and then closed his eyes slightly. It wasn't just the sound of the wind; there were other sounds in the wind.

Bai Cen opened his eyes, put down "Weiwu," pressed his ear to the ground, and then frowned deeply: "Horse, dog..."

No, there's more...

Bai Cen stood up, lifting his ears off the ground, and the sound in the wind became even clearer.

An eagle soars through the sky; it is the sound of its wings.

Eagle Gate!

His jinxed mouth... it can't be that coincidental, can it? Is it Eagle Gate that's chasing after us?

Those dogs have incredibly accurate noses.

Good heavens!

They were still a bit far away and could still run. Bai Cen made the judgment almost immediately, "Wei Wu, according to the previous plan, you're in the cage!"

Bai Cen put it into the cage and then quickly harnessed it to the carriage.

The Eight Treasures Pavilion is a carriage pulled by eight horses. The carriage was separated from the old man, and he took one horse with him. Now there are only six horses left. The Eight Treasures Pavilion can't even move fast with eight horses, let alone a carriage pulled by six.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly, but it was only a matter of time before the other party caught up with him!

This is terrible!

If it were just an ordinary carriage, he could simply abandon it and run away. But this is the Eight Treasures Pavilion. If the Eagle Gate gang doesn't turn the Eight Treasures Pavilion upside down, they'll tear it to shreds.

That won't do!

He had made a promise to his employer and the old man.

"Giddy up!" Bai Cen drove the carriage towards the pass.

In any case, heading in the direction the old man and the others are heading is always the right thing to do!

A carriage pulled by six horses sped along the official road, kicking up countless clouds of dust. Bai Cen was also quickly adapting to the speed at which the six horses pulled the Eight Treasures Pavilion, which should have been kept within acceptable limits.

Bai Cen remembered that when the old man first taught him how to drive the Bazhenlou, he told him that there were mechanisms all over the Bazhenlou. Although the Bazhenlou was stored in a wooden box when it was pulled by the carriage, the mechanisms did not become completely unusable just because the Bazhenlou was in the wooden box.

The Xuanji Sect's hidden weapons and mechanisms were renowned throughout the world, so the scene of the Bazhenlou being chased by others was naturally something they had considered.

— Hey kid, see this? If you're being chased by a lot of people or horses, just pull it!

Bai Cen remembers it clearly.

He held the reins with one hand to drive the carriage, and with the other hand he pulled the first ring hidden under his feet.

With a whoosh, before he could even see what it was, a bunch of things slid out from under the wooden box.

— If you feel it's really dangerous, and pulling the first ring might not be enough, then pull the second one. Remember, this ring is different from the first one. After pulling this one, run, and run as far away as possible!

Bai Cen isn't stupid; he can tell the difference.

Judging from the sounds and actions of the other party, Bazhenlou may not be safe at the moment.

Bai Cen only hesitated for a moment before decisively pulling the second ring.

This time, it felt like a thick layer of powder and ash was being placed at the bottom of the wooden box! No wonder the Eight Treasures Pavilion was so heavy; it contained quite a lot of these bizarre things. The smell was rather unpleasant, somewhat like burnt wood ash, and also somewhat like the smell of gunpowder before an explosion…

Bai Cen's back suddenly straightened.

gunpowder!

Bai Cen swallowed hard. Could it be that Bazhenlou was carrying such dangerous things around every day, and they were also cooking and preparing food inside?

But he didn't have time to think about it.

— Now that the first two pull rings are down, listen carefully. If there are still many people, do it again! Both pull rings have two hidden mechanisms, so remember, don't get the order wrong!

Bai Cen dared not be careless and carefully left room for what was to come.

After all, the Eight Treasures Pavilion is heavy, and the Eagle Gate people will catch up with him very quickly.

Sure enough, when Bai Cen confirmed that the road ahead was flat and he could afford to be distracted, he turned around and saw the Eagle Gate men on horseback with vicious dogs chasing after him. He and his horse fell over.

You can hear the neighing of horses and the barking of dogs from a great distance!

He had a pretty good idea that it was something like iron nails, but there were iron hooves under the horses' hooves, and some of the Eagle Gate's vicious dogs didn't step on them, so he crossed the trap zone and continued forward.

A few beads of sweat appeared on Bai Cen's forehead!

But then I thought about it again, and realized that wasn't quite right!

Even if it's "Night Armor," there's no need for the other party to make such a big fuss and come looking for him so openly!

No, they should have been looking for Bazhenlou!

When Bai Cen realized this, flames suddenly shot into the sky from a great distance!

He instinctively turned around; it was where he had just lowered the second pull ring. The horses and vicious dogs that had charged out of the first trap lane had suddenly burst into flames—an unquenchable fire that seemed to be rising from beneath his feet!

Bai Cen realized what was happening!

It was the pile of what looked like wood ash that was lowered down by the second mechanism.

The individual ashes wouldn't cause any problems, but the mixture that had gotten on the feet and bodies of the horses and dogs that had been chasing them from the first trap suddenly caught fire when they stepped over the ashes!

Yes!

Therefore, these mechanisms are interconnected!

The most dangerous situation is when they relentlessly pursue someone after setting up an escape mechanism at the Eight Treasures Pavilion.

So after using both sets of mechanisms, they basically burned everyone to a crisp!

This set of mechanisms can be used completely once more. Bai Cen was both nervous and secretly delighted, wondering if he would be the first person to open these mechanisms in the Eight Treasures Pavilion!

I wonder if the old man himself has ever seen these mechanisms!

Moreover, it's unknown how many people are still chasing him after this set of mechanisms, so there's no need to do it all over again.

In short, after the two rounds just now, Bai Cen was no longer as flustered as before.

The sound of horses' hooves following behind him was getting less and less, but the cries of eagles circling overhead were still there. He had dealt with these wretched eagles before, and they were very troublesome!

But compared to the pursuers behind him just now, when these eagles swooped down, Bai Cen was able to hold his breath and calmly deal with them!

— The third pull ring, you've seen it these past two days. It's the Heavenly Net of the Mysterious Gate. The pull ring shoots out and lands directly above the wooden box. Once caught, the more you struggle, the closer it gets. There are five nets!

As the eagle circling overhead swooped down towards the carriage, Bai Cen mentally counted down: 10, 9, 8...

Now!

Bai Cen suddenly pulled down the third ring at his feet, and with a "whoosh," a slender yet enormous net spread out into the air, catching more than a dozen eagles swooping down from above.

Because of their struggle, the net quickly shrank, and the dozen or so eagles struggled to get tighter and tighter before crashing to the ground with a thud!

Bai Cen almost jumped up from the carriage in excitement, but after the events just now, it seemed that all the Eagle Gate's henchmen, both behind and in the sky, had been left far behind.

The direction ahead is towards the pass.

Whatever Eagle Gate's purpose may be, for now, we are safe!

We need to reunite with Wang Sumo and the others as soon as possible!

[Author's Note]

There will be a short update tonight.