Chapter 385 - 382: It’s Solved

Chapter 385: Chapter 382: It’s Solved

It argued confidently, "So, I think instead of worrying about it later, we should just openly put our eggs in different baskets from the very start. That way, if anyone needs help in the future, we can all support each other. Wouldn’t that be great?"

"Your idea isn’t bad, and it makes a lot of sense. It just goes to show that reading more is paying off. You’ve gotten smarter and learned how to plan for a rainy day."

Gu Nuan Nuan patted Cao Cao’s head, smiling as she sighed. "But it’s a shame you didn’t factor in human nature. There’s no such thing as absolute loyalty in this world. While I’m around, it doesn’t matter how many branches we establish. It wouldn’t even matter if those branches eventually became more powerful than the main trunk. That’s because we have plenty of methods to ensure those people wouldn’t dare betray us. In the face of absolute strength, problems can be solved simply and decisively. But no matter how long I live, my lifespan is still finite. What happens then?

"For one, neither of us can guarantee that every single generation of my descendants will produce someone with a Spirit Root. And even if they did, this world lacks sufficient Spiritual Energy for them to practice Cultivation. They’d have a Spirit Root but face the dilemma of being unable to cultivate. In that state, how could they possibly control branches that will only grow more and more powerful? What’s to stop someone from one of those branches from getting ambitious one day and trying to swallow the main family whole?"

Cao Cao frowned and muttered, "If only we had a High-Rank puppet. We could use the puppet to control those people, or even have the puppet act on our behalf."

"A puppet?" Gu Nuan Nuan asked in surprise. "It can move just like a person without anyone being the wiser? And don’t puppets need to consume Spirit Stones? Without Spirit Stones, it would be useless, right?"

"A High-Rank puppet is practically indistinguishable from a person. If used properly, they’re incredibly useful. They have the intelligence of an average adult, can act autonomously, and can handle matters that are inconvenient for us to deal with ourselves. They can even eat and drink like a person, as long as you clean them out afterward. Most importantly, they are absolutely loyal. Furthermore, a single top-quality Spirit Stone can power a High-Rank puppet for at least a thousand years. After that, even if you run out of top-quality Spirit Stones, regular low-level Spirit Stones or even high-quality Jade from the Mortal World can be used to replenish its energy. The duration would just be much shorter. A piece of Jade from the Mortal World, for instance, would only last about ten years before needing to be replaced."

Cao Cao shook its head regretfully. "Sigh, but it’s useless talking about this now. This isn’t the Cultivation World. There are no Artifact Refiners who can make puppets, and High-Rank puppets are the kind of thing you can only stumble upon by chance, not seek out." A wistful expression crossed its face. "I wonder if there might be a High-Level puppet like that inside the Heritage Mansion?"

"Don’t say any more, you’re actually getting me excited about the idea. But even if there is a High-Rank puppet in that Heritage Mansion, it’s not something we can even dream of getting our hands on right now." Gu Nuan Nuan was very tempted by Cao Cao’s words, but however tempted she felt, she knew she would likely never obtain such a thing in this lifetime. It was better not to have known. Now that she did, she couldn’t help but feel an itch of desire and began to feel regretful as well. She swatted Cao Cao irritably. "What did you bring that up for? Get back to work and stop thinking about things we can’t have."

’Haven’t I been working this whole time?’

Cao Cao gave Gu Nuan Nuan a slightly aggrieved look, but Gu Nuan Nuan just turned her head, pretending not to see. Cao Cao lowered its head, its lips puffing out into a prominent pout.

The two of them spent the entire day holed up in the room, not even ordering food, completely engrossed in the stone cutting. By that evening, the largest stone was finally cut open completely. Gu Nuan Nuan and Cao Cao circled it twice, staring in stunned silence.

"Master, it feels like this entire piece is flowing. It’s so beautiful! All these different colors mixed together don’t clash at all; they look perfectly harmonious, and each one is so vibrant." Cao Cao circled the massive piece of jade, carefully counting the colors. "Green, purple, yellow, white, and red... five colors in total."

"And the best part is, it’s huge." Gu Nuan Nuan’s eyes were sparkling. ’Getting this for three hundred thousand was an absolute steal. If I hang on to it for a dozen years or so, it’ll probably sell for three to five hundred million, and that might even be a low estimate. After all, the original rough stone was ten tons, and the jade accounts for at least three- or four-fifths of it.’

They admired it for a long while. Then, Gu Nuan Nuan contentedly put the jade away, cleaned up the room, and returned the furniture to its original position. She rubbed her stomach and said to Cao Cao, "Time to eat. After working for a full day and night, my stomach deserves a good reward. I feel like I could eat a horse right now."