Chapter 58: Scholar, Puppet

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Scholar, Puppet

After turning just two corners, Wei Huisheng came to a halt as a mysterious, short figure appeared, wearing a bamboo hat and enveloped in a large black robe.

"Did you bring what I asked for?" Wei Huisheng asked, deliberately lowering his voice.

"Naturally," the mysterious person replied. The voice was eerie, sounding like two pieces of wood rubbing together. With a flick of a sleeve, a small wooden box materialized. It was opened to reveal a strange, cone-shaped object about two inches long, as red as blood.

"Dragon’s Tooth Rice. It guarantees you will have a son."

Wei Huisheng stared at it, his eyes instantly burning with fervor. "Are you absolutely certain it will work?"

"Do you still need to ask that question?" The mysterious person closed the lid of the wooden box.

"Ah, wait!" Wei Huisheng quickly pulled out two silver notes and handed them over. "Give it to me! We have a deal!"

"This must be used in conjunction with a Secret Technique," the mysterious person said, handing over the wooden box. Money and goods were exchanged simultaneously. "You can seek me out again afterward. Our cooperation will not end here."

"What do you mean?" Wei Huisheng’s expression instantly changed.

"Don’t you want a child with greater potential and a stronger future?" The mysterious person chuckled and turned to leave.

"Greater potential... a stronger future..." Wei Huisheng muttered to himself. He thought, "Nonsense, who wouldn’t want that? But..." Looking around, he quickly turned and went back the way he came.

SWISH.

Lu Yuan appeared. He glanced back and forth before following the mysterious figure. The stranger was highly cautious and extremely fast. After turning two corners, he entered a dead-end alley and suddenly vanished.

Lu Yuan held his breath and concentrated, quietly listening for any movement on either side to see which household the person had entered.

"The house on the left is empty. He went underground," Lu Ming’s voice transmitted into Lu Yuan’s ears.

Lu Yuan thought, "Underground?" He quickly leaped onto the wall and spotted a well in the courtyard on the left. He wondered if a secret passage ran down the well.

"To the north," Lu Ming’s voice came again.

WHOOSH.

Lu Yuan quickly bypassed the courtyard and headed north. It was not long before he saw Lu Ming standing by a wall in the moonlit shadows, three fireflies dancing at his fingertips. Lu Ming pointed at a courtyard and transmitted his voice, "Right here!"

"Is the transaction complete?"

"Yes, My Lord." The cloak and black robe were removed, revealing a young man who looked like a scholar.

"Excellent. The Wei family has operated by the waterfront for many years. Taking them down will benefit our communications and development." Under the firelight, a shadow fell upon the doorframe, faintly visible.

"Heh heh. The Wei family wants a son, so let him birth a Holy Infant..."

"A Holy Infant? That will require quite a few sacrifices," the scholar said cautiously.

"There are plenty of sacrifices. What value do ordinary lives have if not used as offerings?

"It is their glory..." the shadow sneered.

"Yes, what My Lord says is true. Becoming a part of the Holy Infant is the glory of their lifetimes," the scholar echoed.

"Alright, I must be going." The shadow rose and vanished in an instant.

Outside the courtyard.

Lu Yuan and Lu Ming were both somewhat shocked. This was especially true for Lu Ming, who could not sense even a trace of that "Lord’s" aura. How terrifying must he be? Could it be a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist?

Lu Ming’s eyes suddenly narrowed. "He has discovered you."

Lu Yuan was startled, the hairs all over his body standing on end. He wondered if it was that powerful shadow. He needed to flee!

"You go in," Lu Ming transmitted.

Lu Yuan could not help but look at Lu Ming. He had guessed wrong! But what kind of father would let his son take the risk? Since Lu Ming was stronger, shouldn’t he be the one to go in? However, he chose to trust Lu Ming. If they encountered a formidable enemy, the effectiveness of Lu Ming’s hidden strike would absolutely be vastly superior to his own.

WHOOSH.

Lu Yuan vaulted over the wall and jumped inside.

CREAK.

The door opened. The scholar looked at Lu Yuan with a calm expression. "Who are you? You have been following me for quite some time."

"I am just a passerby. I was curious and wanted to take a look. I’d like to join you to find another way to make money," Lu Yuan said with a smile.

"Oh?" The scholar gave a half-smile and stepped aside. "Then please, come in."

"Thank you." Lu Yuan walked in, gripping the hilt of his saber tightly.

The room was large but exceptionally empty, lacking any furniture or folding screens. The flickering candlelight illuminated the space brightly.

"I haven’t yet asked your esteemed name," the scholar said.

"Han Li," Lu Yuan replied.

"Han Li?" The scholar sat down. "A good name."

"Heh." Lu Yuan took a seat. "And how should I address you, sir?"

"You can just call me Mr. Ninth," the scholar answered.

"Mr. Ninth?" Lu Yuan was surprised. Did that mean there was a Mr. Eighth, Mr. Seventh, Mr. Sixth, Mr. Fifth, and so on ahead of him?

"Have some tea." The scholar poured Lu Yuan a cup, looking at him with a smile.

"Let’s talk business." Lu Yuan certainly did not dare to drink it.

"Alright, let’s talk business." The scholar smiled, then suddenly thrust a finger toward Lu Yuan’s head.

Lu Yuan threw a punch.

BANG.

Both of them flew backward and landed on their feet.

"Your strength is not bad. To have such skills at a young age," the scholar praised.

"The feeling is mutual." Lu Yuan slowly drew his long saber.

SWISH.

Suddenly, an intricate wooden figure appeared in front of the scholar. It had six arms and six hands, with each hand gripping a short saber.

Lu Yuan’s gaze narrowed. "A puppet!"

"This puppet of mine is made from three-hundred-year-old ironwood. It is harder than metal and possesses boundless strength," the scholar introduced smugly. "Running into me today means your luck has run out."

"I just wanted to join your esteemed cult. Is this really necessary?" Lu Yuan shook his head. The man was truly irritable and lacked any tolerance for others.

"Cult? You really do know my identity!" The scholar’s expression shifted. "It seems I truly cannot let you leave today!"

Lu Yuan really wanted to slap himself in the face. "I didn’t actually know! I was just curious and made a guess!"

"I’ll capture you first before we say anything else!" The scholar spread his arms and flicked his ten fingers. The force traveled along transparent silk threads.

WHOOSH.

The wooden puppet lunged at Lu Yuan instantly, three of its arms brandishing blades in an attack.

Lu Yuan noticed the silk threads. He shifted his body and dodged out of the way.

SWISH.

However, the puppet’s speed was incredible—even faster than his own. It was as if it had no weight and could drift through the air.

SLASH SLASH SLASH.

This time, all six arms swung together, chopping six blades down toward Lu Yuan.

CLANG CLANG.

Lu Yuan blocked with his saber. The puppet’s Saber Technique could not achieve perfection, but attacking with six blades simultaneously made up for that flaw. Furthermore, its power was immense, virtually ignoring defenses. Its attacks consisted of fierce, unyielding force without the slightest bit of flexibility, making it an incredibly uncomfortable opponent to fight. After fiercely battling it for a short while, Lu Yuan’s hands began to go numb.

The scholar’s expression changed. He had not expected Lu Yuan to possess such a formidable Saber Technique at such a young age. In the dead of night, it was unwise to cause too much of a commotion. He had to end the battle quickly.

CLICK.

The puppet’s chest suddenly opened, revealing a cylindrical tube. Its opening was dark and deep, concealing a terrifying, poisonous glint.

"Damn it!" Lu Yuan hurriedly flipped backward, flashes of golden light and silver gleams flickering in his hands.

SWISH SWISH SWISH.

THWACK THWACK THWACK.