Chapter 238: Chapter 238: Wild and Primal (4)

Still, she retained sharp insight and some real skill in the field.

So she began examining the puppet carefully.

By the time she finished, she frowned deeply.

Then she looked up at Yao Xin and spoke.

“Sister Yao… where did you find this puppet?”

Yao Xin who was pulling her upper robe back up and adjusting her large breasts, heard the question and simply shook her head.

“I just found it randomly while chasing my spirit beast… and we kind of got into a fight.”

Yin Yuexie thought carefully.

That so-called “fight” wasn’t probably so simple as she could still sense the powerful fluctuations of qi within the damaged puppet’s body.

And even though she wasn’t a puppet master, she could tell that the puppet’s materials and design were exceptional, at least from her limited experience.

She was also certain it was a man-made creation, and a recent one at that, not some ancient puppet left behind in this secret realm.

Then she smiled, looking at Yao Xin.

“I think I can patch it up… somewhat. But if you want it fully restored, you’ll need an expert.”

Hearing this, Yao Xin nodded.

“So… what do you want for it?” she asked directly, knowing that nothing was ever free with this woman.

“Ah~ it would be expensive, you know~” Yin Yuexie said, touching her cheek and pretending to ponder for a moment before smiling.

“I want ten Rank 2 Talismans of any kind.”

At her words—

The air grew noticeably still.

Several nearby disciples, who had been pretending not to listen, quietly turned their heads.

Ten Rank 2 talismans.

That wasn’t a small number.

Even for core disciples, that was a small fortune.

Yao Xin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“…Ten?”

Her voice dropped a degree colder.

Yin Yuexie only smiled lazily, unfazed.

She remained kneeling beside the broken puppet, slender fingers tracing along the cracked wooden torso, brushing over the exposed runes and fractured joints like she was caressing something delicate rather than damaged.

“This isn’t scrap wood, Sister Yao,” she said softly.

“Look at these inscriptions… layered arrays… and this core slot here…”

Her nail tapped lightly against the hollow chest cavity.

“Whoever made this… they weren’t ordinary. Even patching it temporarily will cost materials. Spirit glue, binding threads, maybe even a replacement joint.”

She glanced up, half-lidded eyes gleaming.

“And more importantly… my time.”

A faint, teasing smile curved her lips.

“My time isn’t cheap~”

The surrounding girls giggled.

Everyone knew what that meant.

In the Devil Yin Sect, “time” could mean many things.

Yao Xin clicked her tongue in annoyance.

She hated that smile and hated how effortlessly relaxed Yin Yuexie always seemed when facing her, as if… they all thought she was some naive, inexperienced child.

If Yin Yuexie weren’t one of the Grand Elder’s little playthings, she would have wanted to teach this woman a lesson in respect right here and now.

But she restrained herself, knowing that acting out now would only make her seem truly like an inexperienced child.

Not to mention… she needed this woman to fix her new favorite toy.

“…Fine,” Yao Xin said flatly. “Ten.”

The answer came faster than anyone expected.

Even Yin Yuexie blinked.

Yao Xin flicked her sleeve.

Shk—

Ten talismans flew out and scattered onto the ground like falling leaves, each one glowing faintly with dense qi.

The spiritual fluctuations alone made the other disciples suck in cold breaths.

“So rich…”

“As expected of Sister Yao…”

“Tch… lucky background…”

Jealous whispers spread quietly.

Yin Yuexie’s eyes sparkled for a brief second.

Not lust.

But greed.

Pure, undisguised greed.

She slowly gathered the talismans, smiling brighter with each one she picked up.

“Ahh… Sister Yao is really generous~”

Yin Yuexie felt not only greed but also envy toward Yao Xin.

To Yao Xin, a Rank 2 Talisman was nothing but to her, it was like a priceless treasure, something that could even save her life.

Even when she had been a plaything for the Grand Elder, she had barely received anything in return.

Because she was just one of his many toys, spreading her legs in exchange for his protection because without it, the world inside the demonic sect was truly ruthless.

“Stop talking nonsense,” Yao Xin snapped. “Just hurry up and fix it.”

“Alright, alright~ Don’t be so fierce.”

Yin Yuexie stretched lazily, then called out,

“Bring my tools.”

Immediately, two disciples ran into the tent and returned with a small wooden case.

When it opened—

Inside were delicate knives, spirit needles, threads made from beast tendons, tiny chisels, and bottles filled with strange liquids.

Not quite a refiner’s kit.

But close enough.

She turned serious again.

The teasing air around her faded.

For the first time, she actually looked like a craftsman.

“Lay it flat.”

Yao Xin tossed the puppet down.

Thud.

Then, Yin Yuexie began working.

Scraping.

Cleaning.

Injecting spirit resin into the cracks.

Binding joints with thin glowing thread.

The sound of tools clicking softly filled the clearing.

The disciples who had been watching with curiosity at first gradually lost interest and returned to their own affairs.

Only Yao Xin remained, arms crossed, watching closely to make sure this woman couldn’t pull any tricks.

Minutes passed, slowly stretching into hours.

Soon—

“…Strange,” Yin Yuexie muttered.

Her brows slowly knitted together.

Yao Xin noticed immediately.

“What?”

“This puppet…”

She pressed two fingers against its chest.

“There’s still energy circulating inside.”

“…What?”

“It’s extremely faint. Almost dead. But it’s there.”

Yin Yuexie’s voice dropped.

“This isn’t a normal puppet core.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“It feels more like… something sealed.”

The words made the air colder.

Even the wind seemed to quiet down.

Yao Xin frowned.

“Can you fix it or not?”

“…I can patch the body,” Yin Yuexie said slowly. “But if that core wakes up…”

She smiled faintly.

“…it might not listen to you.”

Before Yao Xin could reply—

A sudden chill swept across the camp.

The fire flickered violently.

Everyone seemed to feel something and began scanning the dark forest in the distance.

Even Yao Xin and Yin Yuexie’s eyes narrowed, alert and wary.

“…What was that?” Yin Yuexie murmured, her voice tense.

Just now, she had sensed something ….ominous.

Yao Xin didn’t reply, but a talisman had already appeared in her hand as she scanned the area seriously.

But after a while have past, seeing nothing amiss, everyone let their guard down and exhaled in relief.

Yin Yuexie also smiled, patting her bare chest softly.

“Must have been some evil spirit~. That scared me.”

Yao Xin lowered her hand and turned toward Yin Yuexie.

Just as she was about to speak, her body froze.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Yin Yuexie noticed Yao Xin’s sudden stiffness and followed her gaze.

Her eyes widened, and she froze as well.

Behind them…

Next to the puppet lying on the ground,

A tall figure cloaked in black had silently appeared out of nowhere.

It ignored them, its unseen face hidden beneath the hood, now lowered as if it were intently staring at the damaged puppet below.

“….”

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