524 The Stratagem Technique (2/2)

”Two years ago, when we were excavating, we found an evil spirit there. The evil spirit killed everyone present and took our Divine Sun Stones. Since then, it has haunted our village and even killed some of the Earls. After the Divine Masters and Principals came to help, it disappeared.

”In those days, we could hear screaming on the mountain every night.”

Meng Qi wanted to rub his nose because judging by the account of the evil spirit, it was mostly like to be Ze Luoju. ”He did create quite a disturbance.”

But it was really interesting here because the stratagem technique was far superior to the one in his own world. Moreover, there were Taoist descendants, practitioners, Divine Masters, and exotic minerals and produce...

”I see.” Meng Qi casually answered, ”We never climbed Mount Firemist, we only passed by it.”

”Well, the Divine Sun Stones on Mount Firemist have been completely extracted. I can't stop people from going to the mountain, but if you meet the evil spirit, you'd have to depend on luck.” The man in the Taoist robe seemed resentful.

Since the Divine Sects and Darkness Palace had abandoned Mount Firemist, people still tried to enter the mountain for adventures. They could not be stopped anyway as they would simply not give up until they met the evil spirit.

Meng Qi jokingly said, ”I'm not afraid of the evil spirit. The evil spirit is afraid of us. I once had a nickname, 'the evil spirit buster'.”

”The evil spirit buster, alas...” The man in the Taoist robe forced a smile and cupped his hand in the other before his chest to say goodbye.

After walking for a few steps, Meng Qi heard him whisper, ”The evil spirit buster? He really said that! Only our Divine Sect practitioners and Darkness Palace automaton architects can be called that. How can some Martial Artist say that?”

Apparently, anyone carrying a metal long sword was a Martial Artist!

”Why would I lie to you? I've already killed the evil spirit...” Meng Qi ”innocently” looked at the clothing of that man.

At that moment, four well-structured iron and wooden mechanized horses arrived towing a carriage. The carriage stopped beside the Taoist-robed man and the driver respectfully asked, ”Taoist Ouyang, aren't you going to the state city?”

Taoist Ouyang nodded and boarded the carriage.

The carriage moved along the main road and the driver shouted to Xie Xuan with a smile, ”Little scholar, come on. Don't miss the Sage examination.”

”The Sage examination?” Meng Qi smiled, slightly surprised.

The driver explained, ”You might not know this, but he was admitted as a scholar through the examinations held by the Darkness Palace when he was only 16. He really is the top genius of stratagem techniques in our state. And in less than one year, he'll be taking the Sage examination in the state city. Well...”

Xie Xuan blushed, bowed his head, and left.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei looked at each other and discovered that they were both interested in that place. Thus, they both cupped one hand in the other before their chests and said, ”We want to visit the state city as well. May we have a lift?”

Their good looks and graceful manners were really convincing. The driver patted the rear of the mechanized horses and shouted, ”Alright!”

As Xie Xuan held his dog, he petted him and murmured, ”You can't go far, just wait for me at home. Be a good girl... when I become a Sage and learn better stratagem techniques, I'll make you a mechanized wooden leg so you can travel far.”

The puppy sobbed and was reluctant to leave. It did not return home until the carriage was out of its sight. At the same time, some other automaton architects came to fix the broken cattle automatons.

The carriage was very spacious. Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei were sitting on one side while Taoist Ouyang and Xie Xuan were sitting on the other.

Meng Qi spoke first. He only told them anecdotes that would not expose his identity. Soon afterward, the atmosphere in the carriage was so harmonious that even the proud Taoist Ouyang joined in the conversation.

The carriage slowly stopped while they were talking merrily. Meng Qi was unable to get more information from them. At times, he felt that it was easier to just use the mental suggestion, but he did not dare to do so in front of the Darkness Palace scholar and the Divine Sect disciple because they were new here.

Upon stepping out of the carriage, Meng Qi was stunned when he saw a long, black Mechanical Carriage standing not far away from him. It was shaped like an anaconda or a dragon and it looked really spacious.

Noticing Xie Xuan and Ouyang Zheng pay the fee in copper, Jiang Zhiwei took out a piece of silver, which the driver received warmly.

They followed Xie Xuan and Ouyang Zheng to the front of the vehicle and fetched two pieces of paper from a man in a dark green robe.

”Green carriage,

”Firemist County, Yongzhou City,

”Estimated time: four and a half hours.”

Looking at such a piece of paper, Meng Qi could not find the words to describe his countenance.

Inside the Mechanical Carriage, the windows were bright and the tables were clean. There were two pairs of seats and a table in the middle.

Meng Qi and the others sat down and waited for a while. The Mechanical Carriage grew centipede-like legs and ran along the main road, crawling in and out of the mountains from time to time.

It was odd that even though the ride should have been bumpy, the passengers inside the carriage did not fee any turbulence at all. There were only a few ripples in the tea on the table.

”It's nice to see stratagem techniques make daily life easier,” Meng Qi said to Jiang Zhiwei using the Secret-voice Sending.

Jiang Zhiwei said thoughtfully, ”Before the Demonic Buddha chaotic world, we must have had things like this as well. The 'Qi Saint' in medieval times mastered stratagem techniques. It's said that there were spaceships and other strange things then. But after the calamity, they were all lost.”

At that moment, a rather cold-looking man dressed in a plain robe walked to the front, carrying a long box.

Ouyang Zheng's countenance slightly changed as he whispered, ”A sword box.”

”A flying sword...” Xie Xuan was excited but afraid at the same time.

Upon seeing this person, Meng Qi frowned because using his ”fortuneteller” eyes, he could see that this man's karma contained bad luck and something bad might happen to him.