Chapter 13: The Return Journey and Selling the New Puppet
Chapter 13: Chapter 13: The Return Journey and Selling the New Puppet
As the sky began to lighten, Lu Zhao’s figure became a gray shadow skimming the ground, silently disappearing into the vast mountain forest beyond the mouth of the stream.
At that moment, his Heart Spirit was split three ways:
One part of his focus maintained the Little Spirit Rain Technique, allowing threads of Spiritual Qi to seep into his meridians and slowly restore the Magical Power he had spent on the Wind Manipulation Technique while traveling.
Another part was wrapped around the Puppet Cores of the two dormant Ice Mouse Puppets in his sleeve. With a single thought, claws sharp enough to tear through an ordinary Protective Spiritual Light would erupt in an instant.
The largest portion of his Divine Sense, however, was like an invisible thread stretching to a point more than a hundred feet high in the sky.
—The Flowing Cloud Sparrow Puppet was gliding silently overhead.
Its pair of bone wings, intricately engraved with Spirit Patterns, shimmered with a faint, cold light in the dawn.
It projected clear images of the dense forest below, the winding paths, and even the cracks between the rocks into Lu Zhao’s Sea of Consciousness.
A dynamic map unfolded in his mind, giving Lu Zhao a comprehensive awareness of his surroundings.
About a mile ahead and to his left, an Iron-Clawed Mountain Cat was lazily licking its fur beneath a pile of dead leaves. Its aura was merely Tier One Lower Grade, so it posed no threat. He gave it a passing glance and thought no more of it.
...
By noon, Lu Zhao finally reached the boulder-strewn flats at the edge of Qixia Slope.
The Flowing Cloud Sparrow was soaring high above. An image appeared in his Sea of Consciousness: behind a natural barrier of several large boulders, a blurry black shadow flickered and vanished.
The figure had deliberately concealed their aura, but they could not fool the sharp "sparrow’s eyes" that watched from high above.
’Mid-stage Qi Cultivation, and a suppressed, blood-soaked Evil Qi... a Tribulation Cultivator, no doubt.’
Seeing this, Lu Zhao didn’t break his stride, but the cores of the Ice Mouse Puppets in his sleeves instantly activated.
Two cold, Fierce Auras—deliberately left unconcealed and characteristic of Tier One Lower Grade Demon Beasts—erupted from him like a pair of invisible daggers, sweeping across the field of boulders.
Behind the boulders, the faint sound of rustling fabric stopped abruptly.
The black shadow’s aura clearly faltered. Then, like a startled viper, it recoiled deeper into the shadows of the rocks, falling completely silent.
’A little intimidation is enough. These Tribulation Cultivators are more afraid of running into a heavy hitter than I am.’
His expression unchanging, Lu Zhao maintained a steady pace through the boulder field. Only when the Flowing Cloud Sparrow confirmed there was no one tailing him did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
As the sun began to set, the towering Bronze Beast Head Gate Tower of the Zhou Family Marketplace was bathed in a warm, golden light. Seeing this, the tension in Lu Zhao’s heart finally began to ease.
The Flowing Cloud Sparrow descended, transforming into an inconspicuous gray blur as it dropped into his Storage Bag.
After traveling for most of the day, relying on his eye in the sky to gain the upper hand and his Ice Mouse Puppets to deter criminals, he had made it back to the Marketplace safely, though not without a few scares.
The familiar din of the crowd at the Marketplace entrance washed over him, a complex mixture of the scents of Pills, Spiritual Materials, and the reek of Demon Beasts. To his surprise, it brought a long-absent feeling of comfort.
Upon entering the Marketplace, Lu Zhao didn’t immediately head for the West Market. Instead, he turned and walked directly toward the Zhou Family Guest Minister Pavilion in the central district.
The pavilion was a solemn place. The Steward on duty recognized the Token at Lu Zhao’s waist and, after a quick, practiced inspection, proceeded smoothly.
"Lu Zhao. One full month stationed at Cyan Rattan Stream. Salary: two Spirit Stones and one Ice Jade Pill."
The Steward spoke softly as he handed Lu Zhao an Ice Jade Pill and two Lower Grade Spirit Stones. "Thank you for your hard work."
Lu Zhao calmly accepted the items and gave a slight fist-clasp salute. "My thanks, Steward. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way." The Steward nodded with a smile, and Lu Zhao turned to leave.
After leaving the Guest Minister Pavilion, Lu Zhao went to the Nine Abyss Pavilion. The moment he stepped inside, he saw Shopkeeper Zhou.
The old Shopkeeper was polishing a Bronze Incense Burner with a soft cloth. He looked up, saw Lu Zhao, and his wrinkled eyes immediately creased with a smile. "Well now, Mr. Lu! I trust the humidity at Cyan Rattan Stream hasn’t made you grow moldy?"
Lu Zhao cut right to the chase, walking up to the counter and lining up two Cyan-striped Mouse Puppets and one Ice Mouse Puppet.
The Cyan-striped Mouse Puppets had sharp fangs and flexible joints. The moment the Ice Mouse Puppet appeared, however, a thin layer of frost visibly condensed on the stone countertop, and a cold, vicious Evil Qi faintly radiated from it.
The old Shopkeeper’s hand, which had been polishing the Incense Burner, froze.
He set down the soft cloth. With a hint of caution, his withered fingers lightly brushed across the Ice Mouse Puppet’s cold back. He could feel the Spiritual Power fluctuations within—stronger than the Cyan-striped Mouse Puppets—and a bone-chilling cold.
His fingertips lingered for a moment on the fine Runes specially engraved on the tips of the puppet’s claws, which signified its Ice Burst Power.
"Excellent! Exquisite craftsmanship!" the Shopkeeper praised, his eyes flaring with a bright light. "This Puppet is far beyond any ordinary Lower Grade model!
"Mr. Lu, your progress in the art of puppet-making is truly advancing by leaps and bounds!"
He looked up, his gaze intense as he stared at Lu Zhao. "This Puppet... I’ll price it at fifteen Spirit Stones. What do you say? I’ll take these two Cyan-striped Mouse Puppets as well, at the usual price—eight stones each."
"A total of thirty-one Spirit Stones."
Lu Zhao’s expression remained neutral, as if he had already anticipated this price. He didn’t try to bargain.
He simply uttered a single word: "Deal."
He paused, and under the Shopkeeper’s watchful eye, slowly retrieved the Flowing Cloud Sparrow Puppet from his Storage Bag.
The Puppet’s body was a dusty gray, but Spirit Light flowed across its unfurled Wind Patterned Stone Bone Wings. Though slightly crude, it possessed a lifelike quality, as if poised for flight.
The Shopkeeper’s breathing grew heavy, and he leaned forward involuntarily. "You crafted this Puppet?"
His voice was laced with disbelief, his withered fingers irresistibly drawn to touch the bone wings.
"Mr. Lu, this... would you be willing to part with it? Twenty-five Spirit Stones, how about it!"
With a flick of his wrist, however, Lu Zhao retracted the Flowing Cloud Sparrow, ignoring the Shopkeeper’s disappointed expression. The motion was swift and decisive.
"This Puppet is merely a prototype, full of flaws and not yet ready for practical use," he said, his tone calm but firm. "It won’t be too late to sell one to your esteemed Pavilion after my skills have improved and I’ve crafted a more perfect version."
The disappointment on the Shopkeeper’s face vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He gave Lu Zhao a long, searching look, realizing this young man was no small fry. He was meticulous and clearly understood the principle of holding onto a rare commodity to drive up its value.
He quickly schooled his features, letting out a laugh to cover his awkwardness. "Mr. Lu, your dedication to perfection is admirable! In that case, I will eagerly await good news."
He readily counted out thirty-one Spirit Stones and pushed them across the counter.
After stowing the Spirit Stones, Lu Zhao spoke again. "I’ll have to trouble you, Shopkeeper, to continue keeping an eye out for Wind Pattern Stone and Ice Condensing Stone for me. The higher the quality the better, and there’s no limit on the quantity. This is especially true for Wind Pattern Stone—even scraps will do."
"Rest assured, you can count on me!" the Shopkeeper declared, thumping his chest. He then lowered his voice, a hint of mystery in his tone.
"By the way, Mr. Lu, you’ve returned at the perfect time. The day after tomorrow is the Nine Abyss Pavilion’s annual private auction. Most of the attendees are regulars and long-time patrons, and we’ll have some rare items you don’t often see on the open market..."
He looked at Lu Zhao. "You’re flush with cash now, and you have a discerning eye. Why not come try your luck? You might just find something you need."
Lu Zhao’s interest was piqued, but his expression remained neutral. After a moment’s consideration, he nodded. "Thank you for the invitation, Shopkeeper. I will certainly be there."
"Excellent! A man of action!" The Shopkeeper beamed, making a mental note. He personally escorted Lu Zhao to the door and watched his gray-robed figure blend into the bustling Marketplace crowds.
His cloudy old eyes narrowed as he muttered to himself, ’A Flying Puppet... Isn’t that exactly what the higher-ups have been looking for lately? Interesting.’