Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1590 - 967: Samsara Fragment (Part 2)

As the ruling City Lord of Shifang City, Fang You ultimately chose to give up his carriage to Baili An and walked back to the mansion on foot.

To show respect, he even left his most trusted confidant, the Steward Qin Lou, personally guiding the way for Baili An.

Two lanterns swayed with the wind outside the carriage, casting flickering light that made Baili An’s face alternately clear and obscure, unbeknownst to what thoughts he harbored.

Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt, and a gust of wind blew through, extinguishing the two lanterns outside without any warning.

Sitting inside the carriage, Baili An’s eyebrows moved slightly. He gently pushed open the door, only to see the carriage had somehow arrived at a deserted alley.

Atop the alley walls was a bright full moon, as large as a silver disc, pure and clear.

Under the moonlight, the stars shimmered faintly, and a slender blue silhouette stood atop a horse.

The woman’s skin appeared nearly translucent under the moonlight, and amidst the shimmering stars, she seemed like a beautiful lamp fallen into a landscape painting.

A faint smile lingered at the corner of her lips, her gaze sweeping over Baili An, her eyes deep and ghostly.

"It seems that Miss Fang’s banquet has benefited you greatly, Baili Gongzi."

Baili An’s gaze shifted, noticing that outside the carriage, the originally guiding Steward Qin Lou had somehow vanished.

At that moment, he clearly realized the unfathomable strength of the woman.

Since Qin Lou became Fang You’s confidant, his strength was definitely not weak.

Moreover, while sitting in the carriage, without any perception, he hadn’t noticed any anomalies with the carriage stopping or the lights extinguishing.

Baili An gathered his thoughts and pushed the door wide open, inviting, "The wind is strong and the snow is cold. Won’t you come inside and sit?"

Jiushijiu did not refuse his kindness, her dress fluttering like a breeze, seamlessly entering the carriage.

She even took charge, adding charcoal to the extinguished red clay stove and lighting it, silently brewing tea.

"Seeing Baili Gongzi sitting safely in Fang You’s carriage and having Qin Lou personally drive for you, it seems the gift I left you has served its purpose."

Baili An accepted the hot tea brewed by Jiushijiu, warming his palm, letting the tea smoke rise before him, misting his brows and eyes.

"You cannot touch Fang Geyu’s life," he suddenly said.

Jiushijiu’s eyes deepened, saying, "Alright."

Baili An set down the teacup, nodding, "Hence, we have the necessity to discuss further."

Jiushijiu held the teacup, her wrist slender and elegant. She smiled faintly, saying, "Tonight, you’ve done well. You may make a small request."

Baili An was direct: "I want to meet Li Qiuxing."

"Li Qiuxing? Oh... you mean the guy spreading the Witch Plague? It seems tonight you haven’t been entirely muddled by Fang You."

Baili An said, "Fang You cherishes Fang Geyu and values her truly, yet tonight’s conversation remains full of doubts.

According to his words, he intends to expand the Mechanical Technique of Shifang City through the ages.

If so, during the outbreak of the Witch Plague, he doesn’t advocate the central method, stabilize Shifang.

He still wants to grandly launch the Golden Immortal Auction, pushing himself and Shifang City into this situation I truly cannot comprehend."

Jiushijiu calmly said, "A man capable of marrying Xue Fu as a mortal is not an easy character to understand.

All I can say is, for the Golden Immortal Auction, he seeks more than it appears. Your insights prove you are not simple either, but you cannot meet Li Qiuxing."

"Why?"

"Has he already died?"

As logic dictates, with all the Mechanical Puppets in crisis city-wide, as the initiator, the principle that ’the bell must be untied by the one who tied it’ shouldn’t be unknown to Fang You.

No matter what, he hasn’t reached the point where he must die yet.

Unless...

"Was he silenced?"

Jiushijiu said ambiguously, "The secrets concealed in Shifang City run far deeper than you imagined."

"What about you?" Baili An looked up at her, "In shallow ground, large objects don’t thrive; in shallow waters, big fish don’t swim.

"I don’t understand, what’s so worth your scheming in Shifang City? Miss Jiushijiu, why not be honest with me once more?"

Jiushijiu said indifferently, "Shifang City is located in the Northwest Sea, guarding the Ten Directions. My former master, Xue Fu, had the mission of guarding a sword, yet she chose to expand territory in this realm for another reason.

Northwest Sea, the polar region, is covered in snow all year round, an endless sea, known to the world as the boundless land.

Through the ages, numerous great immortals and deities have attempted to cross this sea, but regardless of their immense powers, none have reached the other side of the sea.

Until recently, I glimpsed a heavenly secret, and saw a region on the other side of the sea, resembling flowing silver sand.

Within the waters lies another continent, hinting at a sign of revival.

That continent possesses an extraordinarily pure spiritual power, incredibly suitable for any race to thrive and flourish. Remember, any race."

Jiushijiu’s eyes burned brightly as she leaned back a bit, her brows remaining calm and detached.

"I am ’Yinghuo,’ a creature created by a master, aware, but discarded after use.

Mechanical Puppets only need to obey orders, not to have their own emotions or consciousness.

Even if we merely have the simplest human-like emotions of happiness, anger, sadness, and joy.

We would be viewed as outcasts in this world, and be destroyed and eliminated.

But that continent is our last hope. I want to obtain that continent at the end of the sea, to create a place where puppets can live freely, without prejudice or enslavement, in equality and freedom.

A place that humans speak of as a homeland."

"Though we were born in Shifang City, Shifang City has never been our homeland.

We belong to this place, but this place does not belong to us."

Baili An was very patient, carefully listening to every word she said.

At the end, he remained silent for a long time, but finally shattered her distant and grand illusion.

"If I’m not mistaken, someone like Golden Immortal Feng Xu is even willing to auction off the only True Dragon in the mortal world to descend here.

The auction in Shifang City, his goal is likely the same as yours, he... also comes for that unclaimed block of continent?"

Jiushijiu said, "Under the heavens, everything is royal territory, on the shores, all are royal subjects. For someone like Feng Xu, who has reached the height of a Golden Immortal, to advance further is extremely difficult.

The Immortal Mountain and cave he possesses were all bestowed by Immortal Venerable Zhu Zhan, and his life and honor lie within Zhu Zhan’s whims.

To reach the height of a Venerable Immortal, one must either have supreme cultivation like Kunlun God, in a realm beyond the Six Paths,

or establish their own Immortal Dynasty like the ruler of Guyin, but all these must be based on possessing lands not granted by Immortal Venerable Zhu Zhan.

In short, both Feng Xu and I have ulterior motives; therefore, you..."

At this point, Jiushijiu paused, noticing Baili An staring blankly at her chest for some time, and said, "I’m sharing such important information with you, yet you’re... daydreaming? Hm?"

Baili An did not reply, still staring blankly at her chest.

Were she an average woman, being unabashedly stared at by a man like this, she would surely be angry and embarrassed.

But as a Puppet, Jiushijiu felt no such shame, and even nonchalantly puffed out her chest.

She said calmly, "Fang Geyu, following her mother, hasn’t developed well in this area, perhaps due to Xue Fu’s inferiority or twisted humor. She shaped my chest to be quite proud.

But Young Master Baili doesn’t seem like a lustful person, so why would he lose his composure this way?"

Jiushijiu suddenly leaned closer to him, and asked calmly, "If I let you touch it, would it help you regain your focus? After all, what I have to say is very important."

"I just suddenly thought of a question." Baili An completely ignored her last sentence, subconsciously touching his own stomach.

"Do you know why Fang Geyu went to Xianling City three years ago?"

Jiushijiu didn’t understand why he suddenly brought this up, "Wasn’t it to compete for the position of City Lord?"

Baili An shook his head, "She went to steal the Emperor’s secret treasure, the Reincarnation Fragment."

Jiushijiu’s pupils contracted, slowly knitting her brows tightly.

Baili An pointed at her chest, "But how did the missing fragment end up on you?"