Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1551 - 957: 99_3

A prolonged appraisal, from head to toe, was cast upon Baili An by the tavern woman, her cool gaze holding an unreadable quality.

After a brief pause, she softly declared, her voice possessing a pure, clear tone, "Sir, you have journeyed from afar. Allow me to offer you a cup of my humble wine. Would you care to partake?"

Setting down the now-extinguished lantern he held, Baili An calmly responded, "From what I understand, madam, you are not the proprietor of this establishment."

The woman lifted eyes as deep and lustrous as gemstones, giving a slight nod. "I am aware. This tavern serves as a new outpost for your Demon Alliance."

Baili An’s lips thinned. "Where is Qingxin?"

"Rest assured, she is unharmed. Though our allegiances may differ, I possess no motive to cause her harm. Therefore..."

The woman gracefully gestured, inviting Baili An to take a seat. "May I now offer you a place to sit?"

Baili An’s gaze flickered momentarily, but he accepted the invitation and sat at the table.

He lifted the cup, offering a subtle gesture of a toast to the woman, before draining its contents in a single gulp. "For sparing Qingxin, I thank you with this cup of wine."

The woman observed Baili An swiftly consume the cold wine, her expression remaining impassive, yet a delicate flush rapidly bloomed across her cheeks.

It was evident she had a low tolerance for alcohol, her complexion betraying her.

Witnessing this, the woman, usually composed, allowed a faint smile to grace her lips. "Your capacity for drink, sir, brings to mind an old acquaintance."

Baili An idly spun the wine cup between his fingers. "Do constructs such as yourselves even recall old acquaintances?"

The smile on the woman’s face vanished instantly, her gaze sharping with sudden intensity.

Baili An surveyed his surroundings. "The six guards who accompanied you, miss, they do not appear entirely human. Are they perhaps puppets originating from Shifang City?"

The woman, clearly a strategist of considerable depth, let the chill recede from her eyes, returning them to a calm demeanor. "They carry the codename 'Suixing'."

"Codename... Suixing?"

The woman elaborated, "Shifang City commenced trials of the Puppet Mecha Technique over a decade ago, endeavoring to forge puppets imbued with independent consciousness.

Such creations have always been Shifang City's most guarded secret. To facilitate easy identification upon their release into the world, each batch of manufactured puppets is assigned a unique codename."

Awestruck by the sheer ambition of Shifang City, Baili An slowly placed his cup down. "In that case, miss, you must be one who preceded them."

"In a manner of speaking," the woman replied, her gaze distant. "I am the first-generation puppet, codenamed 'Yinghuo'."

"Codename? You have no personal name, miss?"

"Puppets have no need for names. If a designation is required for clarity, you may address me as 'Jiushijiu'."

Jiushijiu...

It felt less like a name and more like a cold, numerical identifier.

Yet, despite the woman before him claiming the codename 'Yinghuo' and possessing a self-awareness distinct from other puppets...

Her awareness seemed confined strictly to 'self'.

Through those flawless, gem-like eyes, Baili An could not perceive any trace of her 'inner heart'.

Nor could he detect any shift in her emotions.

Even her earlier icy stare was merely a programmed form of expression.

Her outward appearance was indistinguishable from that of a human.

Compared to Baili An himself, she even presented as more lifelike, her respiration, heartbeat, and pulse all mimicking those of a living person.

In contrast to the six Suixing, who abstained from alcohol, she exhibited a more refined perfection, naturally possessing greater strength.

At this juncture, Baili An became utterly convinced that the puppet woman who identified herself as Jiushijiu stood before him was no longer aligned with Shifang City's objectives, despite her origins.