Chapter 31: Puppet Marionette (Part 1)
Tao Fengnian staggered to Jiang Yuebai's side, handed her a healing pill, and grasped the lock sickle as he half-knelt on the ground.
The roars of the monstrous beasts grew closer, and the vibrations in the ground became more pronounced. Jiang Yuebai nervously clung to Tao Fengnian's sleeve.
"Don't be afraid, Grandfather is here."
Noticing a nearby wooden box, Tao Fengnian decisively retrieved a gu worm from it and swallowed it.
The gu worm erupted in his abdomen like a blazing fire, a surge of heat enveloping his entire body. Tao Fengnian's spirits were invigorated, exhaustion fading away, and even the pain seemed nonexistent.
He stood back up, firmly gripping the lock sickle. "Little one, thirty li to the north is the boundary guarded by the Tianyan Sect. I'll help you break through the encirclement, and you should go seek help."
Jiang Yuebai's small hand trembled. Despite knowing that seeking help might be impossible, she still nodded, biting her lip.
Refusing would only divert her grandfather's attention and concentration.
Yet, even if it was impossible, she would struggle until the very end!
Scar-faced man pressed against his wound and leaped onto a tree, a pack of savage Green Rock Monkeys swinging on vines, charging towards them.
"Haha, haha, the beasts are approaching. Let's see how you'll survive!"
Splat!
Before he finished speaking, Jiang Yuebai's eyes widened as she saw a wooden hand emerge from the scar-faced man's chest.
The scar-faced man's eyes were filled with shock as he fell to the ground and died. Behind him stood a blue-clad, black-haired featureless wooden puppet.
Squeak!
As the monkey horde approached, the blue-clad wooden puppet's mechanical parts rotated. It leaped into the air, launching a barrage of a thousand needles, a flurry of blossoming rain.
Tao Fengnian shielded Jiang Yuebai immediately. Amidst the breaking wind, the monkeys fell from the sky, their screams echoing, not a single one able to approach.
In the blink of an eye, the ground was littered with monkey corpses, each impaled by wooden needles.
The puppet landed, its jaw mechanisms opened, and it exhaled blue smoke, dispelling the allure of the beast-attracting scent.
Impressive!
Jiang Yuebai's pupils trembled as she stared fixedly at the puppet.
A disturbance came from the side. She withdrew her gaze and saw a rugged female cultivator sitting on a wooden ox, approaching slowly, an air of wildness about her.
"Little one, we meet again. It seems we have some fate."
Jiang Yuebai furrowed her brows and looked warily at her.
Upon glancing at the headless female corpse, Mo Baichun said, "You killed her?"
Jiang Yuebai nodded, and Mo Baichun raised an eyebrow.
"Well done, little one. Killing a Qi Condensation stage cultivator while being only at the third stage is impressive. You're smart, decisive, and brave!."
Mo Baichun waved her hand, and the puppet leaped into the air and returned to her side.
"Injured? My medicine is pretty good. Use it for your wounds."
She tossed a bottle over, and Tao Fengnian reached for it, but Jiang Yuebai pulled his sleeve.
Tao Fengnian pressed her hand gently and took the bottle, swallowing a pill. After a moment, feeling no adverse effects, he took another pill and fed it to Jiang Yuebai.
Golden Core cultivators' medicines were known for their fast effects. Tao Fengnian thanked her.
"Tao is grateful to Fellow Daoist Wuchen for the timely rescue."
Mo Baichun waved her hand dismissively. "No need. I did it for her, not you. What about it, little one? Do you find my puppet interesting?"
Jiang Yuebai furrowed her eyebrows pensively and nodded quietly.
A smirk formed on Mo Baichun's lips. "The path of cultivation is vast and diverse, and you've only glimpsed a corner of it. Deciding hastily now might lead to regret later. If it weren't for me contemplating all night and not being able to let you go, I might not have been able to save you in time. So, have you thought it over?"
"Agree to become my disciple, and I'll give you this puppet marionette. With the jade talisman in hand, it will be hard for anyone under the Core Formation stage to harm your life. How about it?"
Mo Baichun seemed like a wicked person tempting a child with candy. Tao Fengnian could only clench his fists in silent frustration.
Jiang Yuebai lowered her gaze, contemplating for a moment before speaking, "I might regret it later, but not now. Like you said, the path of cultivation is vast, and I've only glimpsed a corner. Let me explore it all thoroughly before making a decision."
Mo Baichun raised an eyebrow. "Oh, how ambitious you are. You're not afraid of being dazzled by too many choices, huh? But I'm starting to like you more and more. Are you sure you won't come with me?"
Jiang Yuebai nodded. "I won't."
Mo Baichun sighed deeply. "Fine, maybe our fate hasn't fully ripened. Take this thing. If you change your mind, find me at the Spirit Crane Sect. There's a job waiting for you, though it might take a year or two."
A puppet about the size of an arm was tossed over. It looked identical to the faceless puppet but smaller. All its limbs were articulated, and it contained some sort of mechanism inside, its purpose unknown.
Mo Baichun watched as Jiang Yuebai resisted her curiosity, feigning indifference.
Mo Baichun withdrew her gaze and fixed it on Tao Fengnian, her smile turning cold. She conveyed a message with voice transmission.
"Dust can be dispelled, but inner demons are hard to banish. You shouldn't have burdened her."
Tao Fengnian's throat tightened, and he felt a chill throughout his body. Mo Baichun rode the wooden ox, taking off into the sky and soon disappearing.
Tao Fengnian's body went limp, sitting down on the ground. Jiang Yuebai discarded the puppet and hurried to his side.
"Grandfather, how are you? Did she bully you just now?"
Tao Fengnian smiled wryly, shaking his head. "Cough, it's not safe here. Let's pack up and leave quickly."
Jiang Yuebai nodded and watched as Tao Fengnian gathered their belongings. He stuffed all the surrounding monster beast corpses into a storage pouch and finally set fire to them.
Using the Wind Rushing Talisman, they hurried on their journey. By nightfall, the two entered the patrol range of the Tianyan Sect. Tao Fengnian finally breathed a sigh of relief, leading Jiang Yuebai to seek lodging in a small village at the base of the mountain.
The roars of the monstrous beasts grew closer, and the vibrations in the ground became more pronounced. Jiang Yuebai nervously clung to Tao Fengnian's sleeve.
"Don't be afraid, Grandfather is here."
Noticing a nearby wooden box, Tao Fengnian decisively retrieved a gu worm from it and swallowed it.
The gu worm erupted in his abdomen like a blazing fire, a surge of heat enveloping his entire body. Tao Fengnian's spirits were invigorated, exhaustion fading away, and even the pain seemed nonexistent.
He stood back up, firmly gripping the lock sickle. "Little one, thirty li to the north is the boundary guarded by the Tianyan Sect. I'll help you break through the encirclement, and you should go seek help."
Jiang Yuebai's small hand trembled. Despite knowing that seeking help might be impossible, she still nodded, biting her lip.
Refusing would only divert her grandfather's attention and concentration.
Yet, even if it was impossible, she would struggle until the very end!
Scar-faced man pressed against his wound and leaped onto a tree, a pack of savage Green Rock Monkeys swinging on vines, charging towards them.
"Haha, haha, the beasts are approaching. Let's see how you'll survive!"
Splat!
Before he finished speaking, Jiang Yuebai's eyes widened as she saw a wooden hand emerge from the scar-faced man's chest.
The scar-faced man's eyes were filled with shock as he fell to the ground and died. Behind him stood a blue-clad, black-haired featureless wooden puppet.
Squeak!
As the monkey horde approached, the blue-clad wooden puppet's mechanical parts rotated. It leaped into the air, launching a barrage of a thousand needles, a flurry of blossoming rain.
Tao Fengnian shielded Jiang Yuebai immediately. Amidst the breaking wind, the monkeys fell from the sky, their screams echoing, not a single one able to approach.
In the blink of an eye, the ground was littered with monkey corpses, each impaled by wooden needles.
The puppet landed, its jaw mechanisms opened, and it exhaled blue smoke, dispelling the allure of the beast-attracting scent.
Impressive!
Jiang Yuebai's pupils trembled as she stared fixedly at the puppet.
A disturbance came from the side. She withdrew her gaze and saw a rugged female cultivator sitting on a wooden ox, approaching slowly, an air of wildness about her.
"Little one, we meet again. It seems we have some fate."
Jiang Yuebai furrowed her brows and looked warily at her.
Upon glancing at the headless female corpse, Mo Baichun said, "You killed her?"
Jiang Yuebai nodded, and Mo Baichun raised an eyebrow.
"Well done, little one. Killing a Qi Condensation stage cultivator while being only at the third stage is impressive. You're smart, decisive, and brave!."
Mo Baichun waved her hand, and the puppet leaped into the air and returned to her side.
"Injured? My medicine is pretty good. Use it for your wounds."
She tossed a bottle over, and Tao Fengnian reached for it, but Jiang Yuebai pulled his sleeve.
Tao Fengnian pressed her hand gently and took the bottle, swallowing a pill. After a moment, feeling no adverse effects, he took another pill and fed it to Jiang Yuebai.
Golden Core cultivators' medicines were known for their fast effects. Tao Fengnian thanked her.
"Tao is grateful to Fellow Daoist Wuchen for the timely rescue."
Mo Baichun waved her hand dismissively. "No need. I did it for her, not you. What about it, little one? Do you find my puppet interesting?"
Jiang Yuebai furrowed her eyebrows pensively and nodded quietly.
A smirk formed on Mo Baichun's lips. "The path of cultivation is vast and diverse, and you've only glimpsed a corner of it. Deciding hastily now might lead to regret later. If it weren't for me contemplating all night and not being able to let you go, I might not have been able to save you in time. So, have you thought it over?"
"Agree to become my disciple, and I'll give you this puppet marionette. With the jade talisman in hand, it will be hard for anyone under the Core Formation stage to harm your life. How about it?"
Mo Baichun seemed like a wicked person tempting a child with candy. Tao Fengnian could only clench his fists in silent frustration.
Jiang Yuebai lowered her gaze, contemplating for a moment before speaking, "I might regret it later, but not now. Like you said, the path of cultivation is vast, and I've only glimpsed a corner. Let me explore it all thoroughly before making a decision."
Mo Baichun raised an eyebrow. "Oh, how ambitious you are. You're not afraid of being dazzled by too many choices, huh? But I'm starting to like you more and more. Are you sure you won't come with me?"
Jiang Yuebai nodded. "I won't."
Mo Baichun sighed deeply. "Fine, maybe our fate hasn't fully ripened. Take this thing. If you change your mind, find me at the Spirit Crane Sect. There's a job waiting for you, though it might take a year or two."
A puppet about the size of an arm was tossed over. It looked identical to the faceless puppet but smaller. All its limbs were articulated, and it contained some sort of mechanism inside, its purpose unknown.
Mo Baichun watched as Jiang Yuebai resisted her curiosity, feigning indifference.
Mo Baichun withdrew her gaze and fixed it on Tao Fengnian, her smile turning cold. She conveyed a message with voice transmission.
"Dust can be dispelled, but inner demons are hard to banish. You shouldn't have burdened her."
Tao Fengnian's throat tightened, and he felt a chill throughout his body. Mo Baichun rode the wooden ox, taking off into the sky and soon disappearing.
Tao Fengnian's body went limp, sitting down on the ground. Jiang Yuebai discarded the puppet and hurried to his side.
"Grandfather, how are you? Did she bully you just now?"
Tao Fengnian smiled wryly, shaking his head. "Cough, it's not safe here. Let's pack up and leave quickly."
Jiang Yuebai nodded and watched as Tao Fengnian gathered their belongings. He stuffed all the surrounding monster beast corpses into a storage pouch and finally set fire to them.
Using the Wind Rushing Talisman, they hurried on their journey. By nightfall, the two entered the patrol range of the Tianyan Sect. Tao Fengnian finally breathed a sigh of relief, leading Jiang Yuebai to seek lodging in a small village at the base of the mountain.
I like the characters so far quite complex, neither black and white
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