All around the small hall stood various kinds of defensive card machinery. The place could almost have passed for a grand card machinery exhibition. Chen Mu studied them closely; he had never seen so many pieces of card machinery before. They came in all sorts of shapes, but the most common type consisted of countless gun barrels. Neat rows of barrels formed an array pointing toward the sky. Since he could not see their internal structure, Chen Mu could not tell how they attacked. But those thick metal tubes alone were enough to make his heart quail. A cursory glance revealed at least several hundred pieces of card machinery piled around the hall.
Every piece was enormous, and to a novice like Chen Mu, they were highly intimidating. Arranged together, they made quite a spectacular sight.
Wei'a and Chen Mu entered the small hall. Its circular dome made the interior feel even more spacious, and its white stone pillars were carved with numerous patterns Chen Mu could not quite understand. Lights embedded in the dome shone like stars, bathing the hall in brilliant light.
The hall buzzed with voices. Villagers gathered in groups of three or five, chatting at ease, while cheerful music and the excited shrieks of children drifted everywhere.
Wei'a remained expressionless, and Chen Mu made a point of following close behind him. Wherever Wei'a went, the villagers automatically made way, and even the children at play kept clear of him. Strangest of all, not a single person dared greet him. Chen Mu smiled wryly to himself. It seemed this fellow was hardly popular either. Chen Mu, on the other hand, drew quite a few curious looks.
Wei'a looked perfectly composed, without the slightest trace of discomfort. He led Chen Mu through the crowd, and they soon reached