Fallen
patreon
FE-6
🕑 Added 2025-09-20 22:08:12 +0000 UTCChapter 2 Part 1: Mechanism City's Secret and Invasion
Tianming and Yue'er successfully sneaked into the forbidden area. Growing up in the Mechanism City, Yue'er was familiar with every corner of the city.
A several-meter-wide river flowed in front of the forbidden area, spanned by only a single bridge, standing stones lined up before the bridge as if guarding the passage.
"Mohist Forbidden Area. Entry forbidden to disciples of the Mohist School."
This was the forbidden area. Tianming never imagined things could be so simple. Not a soul in sight; compared to the city's netlike security, this place felt abandoned.
"I grew up in Mechanism City. As a child, I often came here alone; there's never anyone here."
"But isn't the forbidden area the most important place in your city? Didn't you say the treasures researched here are kept inside?"
"Tianming, I don't really know either. Let's just go in."
"There are mechanisms on the bridge. You have to follow me and remember the mnemonic: Tread on odds, not evens; don't linger at tens; cross flowers and birds sideways; never look back at the end."
They passed smoothly over the bridge, greeted by an empty great hall.
Portraits of past Mohist Juzi hung all around. Facing the entrance was the founder himself Mozi.
Legend says Mozi inherited teachings from the Immortals and gained extraordinary skills, then shared his knowledge with others to create the mighty Mohist School from nothing.
Because Mohist disciples adhered to the concept of universal love and non-aggression, they were known as Mohist Knights wherever they went.
Nowadays, the Qin Dynasty enacts Legalist thought, worshiping achievement, respecting rulers, enforcing harsh laws, and valuing profit. After unifying the six kingdoms, the schools of Confucius and Mozi became thorns in the empire's side their philosophies inherently oppose Qin's rule, branded natural rebels.
Yue'er bowed and prayed before Mozi: "Ancestor of Mohism, Tenth Generation disciple Gao Yue respectfully petitions Qin is cruel, the strong oppress the weak, innocent lives are killed, six nations lie barren, corpses litter the land, rats and dogs eat the dead. Now Qin's armies gather at our mountain to destroy Mohism. May the ancestors bless us: let Mohism survive calamity, let my father return soon, allow Tianming to remain safe."
Tianming bowed beside her, simple-minded as always, merely wishing Mozi would grant him divine weapons, so he could become a great hero and protect Yue'er.
"Yue'er, are there mechanisms in this great hall? Isn't that Mohist specialty?"
Tianming couldn't stand still, wandering the hall, knocking on the walls east to west, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing happened.
Yue'er wiped sweat from Tianming's forehead with a handkerchief. "Naturally, the forbidden area is guarded by mechanisms. See that big gate? That's the Jue Tian Lock, sealing off the entire forbidden area."
"The Jue Tian Lock was made by the third Juzi, meant to seal heaven and earth. Once locked, no martial skill can open it."
"The fourth Juzi turned it into this gate, used to guard the forbidden area."
"Something so powerful is just a door guard now?"
At this, Yue'er became serious.
"Tianming, remember: mechanism arts are powerful, even ordinary people can use them to become terrifying. But their purpose is to benefit people, not dominate the world."
…Tianming was startled by Yue'er's seriousness.
"Right, Yue'er, Shaoyu said something about a Qinglong what's that?" Just as Tianming finished speaking, a roar sounded from underground, low at first, then faded away.
"That's Qinglong."
"It's under the ground!" Tianming exclaimed excitedly.
If Shaoyu were here, he'd immediately realize if its roar could travel from the depths, how dreadful must that thing be? Could Mohism really be preparing it for war?
In the forbidden area, Yue'er kept explaining Mohist history to Tianming.
Mohism has over 200 years of history. Every Juzi was a world-shaking figure, and their disciples possessed talent in abundance.
Tianming aspired to be a hero; hearing of past Mohist knights, he felt only deep admiration.
…
In one night, the poison of the Jinyu Qianye spread through Mechanism City via the waterways.
When sunrise struck, the beautiful city turned into hell.
Terrifying poison mist spread from the water, soon covering the whole city. Ordinary disciples fell without resistance, the city emptied in moments.
Master Xu, Little Gao, Daozhi, Fan, and Master Ban (now recovered through treatment) were the only ones left who knew the city best and could operate it.
"What sort of poison is this!" Their hearts filled with cold dread.
"Where is Miss Rong?" They worried if the enemy used poison from the start, as a medical immortal, could she…
"Report, Masters: preliminary investigation shows the toxin mainly causes coma, but most victims succumbed to asphyxiation."
"What about casualties, and have you found the source of the poison mist?"
"Patrolling disciples encountered the mist first and are all dead; as it spread, now 30% of disciples are dead, 60% poisoned, the rest retreating. We've yet to pinpoint the source."
"Any sign of the enemy?"
"No sightings."
"Go, have all disciples gather in Areas Ding and Xin within a quarter hour."
"Masters, the enemy is ruthless; Mohist casualties are severe. Without the disciples, the city's power is a shadow of itself."
"In this situation, let other disciples withdraw first. I'll seal Ding and Xin. We'll use the Mohist core to hold the enemy off. By calculation, the Juzi should return in two days, then we'll join forces."
Yet all unconsciously neglected Duanmu Rong and Xue Nu… ominous signs.
"Daozhi, one more task: if we seal the Mohist core, it'll be like a fortress, but we can't reach the Juzi. Before Quicksand surrounds us, you must find the Juzi."
"No problem," Daozhi said, and before his words faded, he was already out of sight, a shadow vanishing over the cliff.
"A true king of thieves roof-hopping skills unmatched." Fan muttered, though he too was worried, as Shaoyu was missing.
…
