Chapter 79: Beast Mastery (Thanks to Jiushan Xuanqing Xiangyou Jueze Daoren and Yaozi Fanshen for their support—much appreciated!)

Kangle County was never a large place; the main street ran straight from east to west, and it took just over half an hour to walk its length. Yet as she made her way through the town, Wang Keyue found herself utterly exhausted, panting for breath and drenched in sweat, for the crowd around her grew ever denser as enthusiastic townsfolk gathered.

Despite the fatigue, she felt the journey had been worthwhile, for gratitude followed her every step. Xiaobao’s broadcast echoed incessantly in her mind until her head ached; finally, she silenced the voice, and peace returned to her thoughts.

What left her both amused and exasperated was the steady stream of young girls pressing embroidered handkerchiefs and scented sachets into her arms along the way. In the end, the Red Class members, along with Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu, led the Blue Class to act as a protective escort, forming a human barrier around the group.

Practically at a run, they made their way to the East Gate. Fortunately, the gate had not yet closed, though the gatekeepers, startled by the commotion, wondered if there had been some great upheaval within the city.

Wang Keyue had no desire for more words. She approached the gate, handed her exit token to the guards, and after a quick inspection—since leaving the city was less strictly regulated than entering—they were allowed to pass.

At last, the vast procession poured through the East Gate. Townsfolk followed in their wake, stopping only when the Wang clan had vanished from sight. As the heavy gates swung shut, a chorus of sighs rose from the crowd.

“Weren’t Doctor Wang’s kin supposed to settle here in Kangle County? Why are they leaving?”

“Where could they be heading?”

“Life is so hard these days; if only I could join the Wang clan as well.”

“Yes, yes, even working for them would be wonderful. If only we knew where they were going to settle…”

These were idle words, but some took them to heart. Wang Keyue could not yet imagine what would come of them.

When she reached the East Gate, she found the makeshift refugee shelters outside had vanished without a trace; not a single refugee remained. She silently praised the county magistrate’s skill and efficiency, and guessed that Xiao Hongyu must have played his part too—though her own efforts were certainly not insignificant. Wang Keyue allowed herself a brief moment of pride.

The sun was sinking behind the mountains, painting the sky with crimson clouds, as if a goddess had draped a red garment across the heavens. Wang Keyue strolled about with an air of deliberation, and under the awed gazes of the crowd, that colossal creature appeared before them once more.

“How magnificent the mechanical beast is!” exclaimed Zhou Mingkai, who stood at the front of the group.

“Oh? Are you interested in it?” Wang Keyue heard the note of curiosity, not fear, in his voice.

Zhou Mingkai paused, then hurriedly stepped back and bowed. “Master, I wouldn’t dare!”

Wang Keyue was momentarily confused—who was this “Qing Si”? Then she recalled: she had personally formed the seven-member Blue Class, but had forgotten the code names they had chosen for themselves.

This group was nothing if not proactive; they had even assigned themselves numbers.

“What’s there to fear? If you learn to pilot the mechanical beast, I’ll reward you handsomely!” Wang Keyue declared with a flourish. “Come, enter the cockpit with me and I’ll teach you myself!”

Zhou Mingkai was so overwhelmed by this that he could hardly breathe. His heart seemed to stop, then leapt wildly. “Yes, yes, yes, Master!”

Even his dark skin could not conceal the flush of excitement that spread across his cheeks.

Wang Keyue could not help but laugh at the sight, and those around her, catching her words, began to let their imaginations run wild.

Who would not wish to command such a majestic beast? If a boy of thirteen or fourteen could do it, surely the grown men could as well.

Nor were the women of the Red Class willing to be outdone. Who said women were inferior to men? They had disguised themselves as men for the journey, and each could outfight any man. If that young boy could master the mechanical beast, why not the “Red Maidens” as well?

And so, without Wang Keyue’s knowledge, a “Mechanical Beast Command Class” came into being. The class leader had yet to be decided, but it was said that whoever first succeeded in taming the beast and earned both its recognition and the master’s approval would become the leader—a story for another time.

At that moment, Zhou Mingkai, the most likely candidate for class leader, sat in the cockpit, trembling with excitement.

In truth, with the semi-automatic mode engaged, driving the intelligent bus was easy—one merely had to issue a command. But such a simple operation was hardly worth teaching; Wang Keyue intended to instruct him in manual mode.

In fact, “manual” mode was not so complicated. She had Zhou Mingkai take the driver’s seat and registered his fingerprint for the ignition.

Then, step by step, she explained the controls, guiding him through each action.

To her satisfaction, the fourteen-year-old boy lived up to her expectations: calm under pressure, he followed instructions steadily, undaunted even when something unexpected occurred.

He remained composed throughout, handling each challenge with remarkable poise.