Tianming frowned. "That magical? We just heard a tune and… nothing. No power-up, no madness."
Yue Shen answered coolly, "What you heard merely unlocked this chamber's mechanism. The box hasn't shown its true power yet."
Rong drew a sharp breath, eyes on the whirling saw-rings closing in. "Debate later. If we want these traps to stop, that box is the key. For now, we should get out—this place is too dangerous."
"Agreed! Brother Goku, get us up there—these blades are creepy!" Tianming added hastily.
"It's just a shoddy mechanism," Goku said, unruffled. He flicked his hand; an invisible ripple spread. With a crisp ka-cha, the core of the trap shattered. The circling serrations slowed, then slid neatly back into their housings.
"Whoa! Th-that's amazing! Brother Goku, how did you do that?" Tianming yelped. Even Yue Shen and Rong stared, taken aback; one wave of his hand, and an entire array fell silent—mysterious and impossible to read.
'He truly isn't ordinary…' Yue Shen thought, warier than before. The closer she stayed to him, the thicker the veil of mystery seemed—dangerous, compelling, irresistible.
Goku ignored their surprise. He glanced at the now-still Phantom Music Box, space rippled around his palm and, in the blink of an eye, the box was in his hand.
(As for the Zodiac Star Map—after Goku's earlier stomp blew a hole through the ceiling, there was nothing left for it to project from.)
He tossed the music box to Yue'er. "Play with it."
"Heehee—so pretty! Zi Yan will be so jealous when she sees this!" Yue'er took it happily and pecked Goku on the cheek.
"Let's go." Smiling, Goku laced his fingers with hers and led the group deeper into the forbidden grounds.
---
Two passageways soon unfolded ahead, divided by a pair of colossal statues—grand, imposing. The left statue pointed toward the left-hand path; the right statue, sword in hand, indicated the right-hand path. Two choices. Two destinies: Wángdào (the King's Way) and Xiádào (the Knight's Way).
"Brother Goku, there are two routes," Shaoyu asked. "Which one do we take?"
"That depends on your own choice," Goku replied.
"Ours?" Tianming and Shaoyu blinked.
Goku nodded toward the figures. "The left is a noble—he represents Wángdào, the Way of a ruler. The right is a swordsman—he represents Xiádào, the Way of a knight-errant. Two paths: one of kingship, one of chivalry. Which will you walk? That's for you to decide."
"Wángdào… Xiádào…" Shaoyu's gaze grew solemn. "Brother Goku, are these paths dangerous?"
"Opportunity walks with danger. By now you should have realized the traps here are tests for Mohist disciples. We passed the tests—now it's time for the rewards." Goku's smile was faint. "But these baubles don't interest me. Leave them to you two. Choose your road."
"I see." Shaoyu straightened. "My mission is to overthrow the Qin tyrant. I choose Wángdào."
Tianming's eyes shone. "And I want to be an invincible hero of the world—so I pick Xiádào!"
"Then we split here?" Shaoyu hesitated.
Goku's tone was mild but firm. "Since you chose the King's Way, show a king's courage. We won't follow you this time. If you can't clear this trial, how will you topple Qin?"
"I understand, Brother Goku! I won't let you down. Everyone—take care!" Shaoyu declared, then strode into Wángdào without looking back.
"Alright, we'll see what Xiádào holds," Goku said, guiding Tianming, Yue'er, and Rong toward the right-hand passage.
--
In a hidden grove near the Mechanism City, Wei Zhuang stood beneath an ancient tree, sword planted at his side. A white feather drifted down as Baifeng alighted lightly on a branch nearby, leaves unmoved beneath his feet.
"You delivered the medicine to Lin'er?" Wei Zhuang asked without turning.
"Yes," Baifeng said, arms folded.
Another shadow settled on the branches: Mo Ya. "I checked as you asked. Lord Goku seems to have entered the Mohist forbidden grounds. He's unlikely to reappear before dawn. His wives are resting in the guest quarters within the city."
Wei Zhuang's brows knit faintly.
Reading his concern, Mo Ya spoke evenly, "A word of caution. If your plan harms those at Lord Goku's side, we won't sit idle. I'd hate to face former companions in battle after more than a decade together… 'The Poison of One Thousand Nights'—will you reconsider?"
Wei Zhuang's eyes flashed cold. "Of course you'd say that—both you and Baifeng serve him now."
"Think what you like," Mo Ya said. "Do as you will with the Mohists—but don't make Lord Goku your enemy. You can't comprehend his terror until you've faced it yourself. You're strong—now. But against him, you're far from enough."
"Don't compare me to you," Wei Zhuang replied, aloof, white hair lifting in the night breeze. Confidence—bordering on arrogance—blazed in his gaze. In his heart, only two names merited true attention: Gai Nie and Goku. To defeat them was his ultimate goal.
Mo Ya sighed when he saw persuasion was futile. He and Baifeng vanished into the dark.
On a cliff overlooking the city, Baifeng said quietly, "So he's set on fighting Lord Goku."
Mo Ya's eyes stayed on the patrolling mechanism beasts far below. "I'd stop him if I could. But even together, we might not beat him now. Strength breeds overflowing confidence. Wei Zhuang believes he can win—and anyone in his way becomes an enemy. As for Goku… let it be. It isn't our affair. Perhaps after this, we'll be truly free."
---
Back in the Mohist Forbidden Grounds — Xiádào
By moonstone light, rows upon rows of bronze figures stretched ahead—orderly, countless.
"So many bronze men… looks complicated. What trap is this?" Tianming whispered.
"Let's go," Goku said, continuing forward.
With each step, the floor gave the faintest creak.
Rong's keen ears caught it at once; so did Yue Shen, whose brows tightened slightly.
"Ignore it. Keep moving," Goku said.
Trusting his unfathomable methods, they followed—though they stayed quietly alert.
"Brother Goku, there's a giant bronze statue blocking the path. How do we get past it?" Tianming pointed.
"Big brother Goku, it moved!" Yue'er chimed, eyes bright as the statue's head slowly turned.
Ka-ka—
Mechanisms roared to life. The towering guardian's eyes lit with red gleam; behind them, the neat ranks of bronze soldiers began to stride, axes and blades chopping down with metallic clang—clang—clang as they closed in.
"Ah! The big one is moving too!" Tianming cried. Hemmed in—giant forward, cleavers behind—the situation turned dire in an instant.
"Yue'er—bring me the thing mounted on that statue," Goku said, pointing to the plaque inscribed 非攻 (Fēi Gōng, Non-Aggression).
"Got it!" Yue'er laughed, letting go of Goku's hand as she shot forward. "Big guy, your opponent is me!"
"Brother Goku, will Yue'er be alright?"
Tianming asked, worry creeping into his voice.
..
🔥 Hey guys! Let's set a goal for this week: if we reach 100 Power Stones within the next 7 days, I'll reward everyone with 2 extra bonus chapters. Thank you all for the amazing support!