Chapter 376: Returning 6.

Yan Cijin blinked.

"I have no idea what that means."

Neither did Bai Li.

Then the dragon roared.

A mechanical roar.

The front gates began to lift.

Bai Li looked at Luo Ren.

"Third lock."

He nodded.

"The lock is behind the water wheel."

They moved.

A narrow walkway led behind the machinery.

It was barely wide enough for one person.

Bai Li went first.

The floor shook.

Below them, the water wheel slowed.

Then stopped.

Bai Li reached the final lock.

It was different from the other two.

Instead of a lever, it had three bells.

Small brass bells.

Luo Ren’s voice came from behind.

"That’s the manual shutdown."

Yan Cijin looked at him.

"Three bells?"

"Yes."

"What do we do?"

"Ring them in sequence."

"That’s all?"

"That’s what the original system used."

Bai Li stared at the bells.

"How fast?"

"Within ten seconds."

Yan Cijin smiled.

"That’s easier than fighting the tree."

Bai Li looked at her.

"Don’t say that."

"Why?"

"Because something will probably go wrong."

Yan Cijin laughed.

Bai Li reached toward the first bell.

The dragon’s roar filled the warehouse.

She stopped.

The head was moving.

The gates were opening.

The final cycle had started.

"Let’s do it," Bai Li said.

She struck the first bell.

Ding.

A red light came on.

Yan Cijin struck the second.

Ding.

A yellow light appeared.

Bai Li reached for the third.

At that exact moment, the floor shook violently.

Her hand missed.

The bell swung away.

Yan Cijin grabbed it.

"Got it."

She pulled it back.

The bell rang.

Ding.

All three lights flashed green.

For one second, nothing happened.

Then the entire warehouse went silent.

The dragon stopped.

The water wheel stopped.

Every hanging rope became still.

Luo Ren stared.

"We did it."

Yan Cijin lowered the crossbow.

"That was easier than I expected."

Bai Li frowned.

"Don’t say that."

Yan Cijin looked at her.

"Again?"

Before Bai Li could answer, a single bell rang from somewhere deep inside the dragon.

Ding.

Both women looked up.

Luo Ren’s face changed.

"That wasn’t part of the shutdown."

Another bell rang.

Ding.

The warehouse lights came on.

Not one.

All of them.

Hundreds of old lanterns flickered awake along the ceiling.

The red dragon slowly raised its head.

Bai Li tightened her grip on Whisperfang.

Yan Cijin raised her crossbow.

Luo Ren whispered.

"Oh no."

The dragon’s head rose higher.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Its red-painted scales caught the lantern light, making the machine look almost alive.

Yan Cijin took one step backward.

"This is not shutdown."

Luo Ren shook his head.

"No."

Bai Li looked at the mechanism.

"Then what did we trigger?"

Luo Ren swallowed.

"The final performance."

"Explain."

"Originally, after the three bells, the dragon was supposed to leave the warehouse."

Yan Cijin stared at him.

"You said this was a shutdown system."

"It is."

"Then why is it moving?"

"Because the manual locks stopped the normal cycle."

Luo Ren pointed toward the dragon.

"The final performance was separate."

Bai Li looked toward the giant doors.

They were open now.

Morning light spilled across the warehouse floor.

The dragon’s front wheels turned.

Its head tilted toward the open street.

Yan Cijin looked at Bai Li.

"That thing is going outside."

"Yes."

"Can you stop it?"

Bai Li studied the gears.

"Not from here."

Luo Ren looked terrified.

"The final performance lasts twelve minutes."

"Then stop it after twelve minutes."

"It doesn’t work like that."

"What does it do?"

"It follows the old parade route."

"Which is?"

Luo Ren pointed.

"Through the district."

Yan Cijin looked outside.

The road in front of the warehouse was lined with broken buildings.

"How far?"

"Three streets."

"Then it comes back?"

"If the return mechanism works."

"And if it doesn’t?"

Luo Ren looked at Bai Li.

"It keeps going."

Bai Li’s expression changed.

"How far?"

"Into the main boulevard."

Yan Cijin sighed.

"So we have a giant dragon machine heading into the city."

"Yes."

"With zombies everywhere."

"Yes."

"And if it hits something?"

"It could crush it."

Bai Li looked toward the motorcycle.

The Ninja 400 was still parked near the entrance.

She suddenly had an idea.

"What happens if we cut the drive chain?"

Luo Ren shook his head.

"The dragon will stop."

"Problem solved."

"No."

"Why?"

"The counterweight would fall."

"How bad?"

"Very."

Luo Ren pointed upward.

Several enormous weights hung above the path.

"If the chain breaks, those drop."

Yan Cijin looked up.

"They’re huge."

"Exactly."

Bai Li narrowed her eyes.

"So we need to stop the dragon without dropping the weights."

Luo Ren nodded.

"Yes."

The machine moved again.

The dragon’s front legs lifted.

Then slammed down.

The sound shook the warehouse.

A flock of pigeons burst through a broken skylight.

Yan Cijin raised her crossbow.

"This is the strangest thing we’ve done all day."

Bai Li smiled.

"You fought a golden tree."

"Yes."

"I’d take the tree."

"Same."

The dragon rolled forward.

Bai Li jumped onto its back.

Yan Cijin grabbed the edge and climbed after her.

Luo Ren shouted.

"What are you doing?"

"Finding the main control."

"The control is under the head!"

"Then I’m going there."

Bai Li moved along the dragon’s back.

Each section flexed beneath her feet.

The machine was massive, but surprisingly balanced.

Old ropes tightened and released around the joints.

Yan Cijin followed carefully.

"Don’t look down."

"I wasn’t planning to."

They reached the front section.

The head was directly ahead.

Bai Li saw a narrow maintenance hatch.

She pulled it open.

Inside was a control chamber.

Not modern.

No computer.

Only levers.

Gears.

Mechanical counters.

A row of small brass windows.

Yan Cijin leaned beside her.

"What are those?"

"Positions."

Luo Ren climbed onto the dragon behind them.

"Exactly."

He pointed.

"Each window shows where the parade is supposed to stop."

The first indicator was already green.

The second was moving.

The third remained dark.

"What happens at the third?"

"The dragon performs the finale."

"Can we cancel it?"

"Maybe."

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TO BE CONTINUED.