Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1502 - 937: Sinister Transformation
Previously on Journey to the End of the Night...
Nestled between mountains, Wusu County, at this very moment, witnesses its pomegranate blossoms erupting in vibrant hues, igniting the landscape all the way to the twilight clouds adorning the horizon.
As a frontier town, Wusu County isn't garrisoned by the Military Guards, resulting in a particularly sparse populace.
Despite its designation as a prosperous county, the population density in Wusu County defies logical explanation given its wealth.
Yet, as Baili An journeyed, he observed that the town seemed to have been ravaged by some unseen force, the very air thick with the palpable aura of conflict.
Under the bright, clear daylight, a scant few pedestrians meandered through the thoroughfares.
Only ragged, emaciated orphans could be seen darting through shadowy alleyways, clutching their meager possessions tightly to their chests.
It appeared they were exploiting the prevailing chaos to pilfer sustenance from abandoned stalls to quell their hunger.
Even the heavens had drawn a multitude of carrion-feeding vultures to their desolate spectacle.
While the town's population hadn't yet drastically diminished, a strong, lingering scent of fresh blood mingled with the acrid stench of burnt metal and tung oil permeated the atmosphere.
"Hold! Who goes there?!"
At that precise moment, a contingent of heavily armored soldiers materialized across the street. The unit, however, was not substantial, comprising only about a dozen individuals.
Nevertheless, Wushan County was part of the Shu Kingdom, a realm that had known no war in recent years and was situated inland.
By all common understanding, even a city patrol unit of the Guard Army would typically don lighter armor for routine rounds and vigilance.
The sight of heavy armor and long spears was the unmistakable uniform of times embroiled in immense warfare.
Furthermore, there was no signal smoke or beacon fires emanating from the county seat.
Historically, Wushan County had consistently maintained an atmosphere of tranquility, making its current hostile and antagonistic demeanor towards outsiders starkly anomalous.
Wen Hanwei presented her sect's jade token, stating, "We are disciples of the Taixuan Sect, seeking an individual here in Wushan County."
The Taixuan Sect's name, usually an unfailing passport, seemed to hold no sway with this heavily armored patrol today.
The commanding officer kept his long spear leveled at them with unwavering alertness, his solemn eyes, visible beneath the helmet's visor, scrutinizing Baili An and his companions one by one.
He then retrieved a peculiar stone from his person. As he advanced towards the group, the dark crimson stone within his grasp suddenly blazed with an ethereal light.
The expressions of the soldiers trailing him shifted dramatically. They immediately adopted a defensive posture, their long spears uniformly aimed forward, their gazes fierce: "They possess Mechanical Puppets; apprehend them!"
Wen Hanwei, her identity token still in hand, felt a chill creep into her eyes.
Despite her infrequent descents from the mountain, she knew that the tenets of the Taixuan Nine Classics allowed their followers to traverse the world without facing unwarranted hostility or blade-drawn confrontations.
Observing the unfolding situation, Baili An remained uncertain about the prevailing circumstances within the county capital.
However, by piecing together the intelligence regarding Shifang City provided by Qingzhi a few days prior, Baili An began to form a rudimentary hypothesis.
The palpable tension did not persist for an extended duration.
"Halt," a clear voice commanded from further down the street. Upon recognizing the familiar tone, the dozen or so soldiers promptly lowered their spears.
Turning towards the source of the sound, everyone beheld a figure clad in red, approaching on Sword Control from the street's far end.
Upon glimpsing the woman's arrival, Baili An's eyes instantly illuminated with an intense brilliance, though a smile had yet to grace his lips.
He detected the faint, wind-borne trace of blood emanating from her, causing his heart to constrict. He moved forward with haste.
"How were you injured?" he inquired softly.
Yin Baishuang gestured to the assembled soldiers, effectively dispelling their combat readiness.
She then meticulously examined Baili An from head to toe. Only after confirming his complete lack of injury did she release a prolonged exhalation, remarking:
"I encountered a minor predicament within Wushan County just now. I sustained some superficial wounds while resolving it; it's nothing significant."
Noticing Baili An’s intention to speak, Yin Baishuang interjected: "This is hardly the place for conversation; come with me."
"Young Palace Master Yin, but these individuals are in possession of Puppet Mechas. If any contamination were to occur, wouldn't it precipitate a calamity?"
It seemed that Yin Baishuang had genuinely aided the local populace, as the leading officer addressed her with considerable courtesy.
Yin Baishuang replied, "They are all my companions; I shall personally ensure their puppets are secured within the Qiankun Bag without any release, thus obviating any concerns about contamination."
Acknowledging her assurance, they ceased their obstruction. "Then we can rest assured. It is our duty, and we hope you will not harbor ill feelings for any prior discourtesy."
The contingent of heavily armored soldiers resumed their patrol duties, safeguarding the city.
Following Yin Baishuang's lead, Baili An and his party were escorted to an established encampment within the city's perimeters.
Temporary defensive walls and thorn fences were erected around the encampment. It remained a mystery what sort of unique essential oil had been applied to these barriers. Upon contact with the pale golden oil, the thorny fences would ignite, transforming into expansive square walls of fire, a truly breathtaking spectacle from afar. Within the camp, the majority of the county's inhabitants and its guards were assembled, with granaries, provisions, and supplies meticulously organized. Yin Baishuang proceeded while remarking, "My mother informed me you had already recovered, so I felt no urgency to reunite immediately. As it happened, upon discovering this Wushan County, the Puppet Mechas acquired by the city's populace began acting erratically for reasons unknown. Initially, they disregarded their owners' directives, ravaging farmland and slaughtering livestock. As time went on, their aggression escalated, leading to the harming of people. What started with a handful of malfunctioning Puppet Mechas eventually grew to over a dozen. When the situation spiraled beyond control, the city guard forces resorted to using Puppet Mechas to quell the unrest. While the situation initially seemed contained, after several days of suppression efforts, all the Puppet Army members involved succumbed to the same violent state, launching indiscriminate attacks on the county's residents. Wusu County had acquired a significant number of puppets from Shifang City in recent years, and within mere days, the puppet army in the county capital erupted in full force, with not a single one remaining under control.