"Tap, tap, tap."
Chu Sheng drummed his fingers against the tabletop in a steady rhythm.
On the table sat two wooden mechanical beasts, each only the size of a palm.
One was a Mechanism Tiger Beast, and the other was a Mechanism Leopard Beast.
The two palm-sized beasts fought each other, scattering tiny wood chips all over the table.
"Is this that mechanism sequence's ability?" Captain Hui looked at the two mechanical beasts on the table, then at Chu Sheng.
"I remember she could change her appearance, couldn't she?"
"She could, but I don't have the mechanism sequence. I only used Rule to make it my subordinate sequence, so I can't use that ability yet."
Chu Sheng made up the excuse on the spot. In truth, with the heavenly craftsman sequence's control over the mechanism sequence, he could use it however he pleased.
But Captain Hui nodded in agreement. "True. If something isn't yours, it won't work exactly as you want, no matter how well you control it."
Then he changed the subject, looking at Chu Sheng and Old Man Li beside him. He seemed about to say something, but held back and instead addressed Cheng Xue, who was squatting off to one side, eating from a bowl.
"Xue, go notify Zhu Qing and the others. Get all the ability users here. Tell them I have something to discuss and we're holding a meeting."
At his words, Cheng Xue stopped shoveling food into her mouth. She looked up at him, blanked for a moment, then seemed to register what he had said and hurriedly nodded.
"Okay, I'll go right now."
As she spoke, she wiped the corner of her mouth with her hand, brushed off the rice grains stuck there, and popped them back into her mouth.
Captain Hui's words