Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Puppet & Favor

Inside the General Hall, there is an old man who seem to be in charge of this place, leaning back on a chair behind the counter. He seem to notice Li Feng but still choose to ignore Li Feng presence.

The shelves were cluttered with old scrolls, damaged weapons, half-broken formation plates, strange beast bones, and other odds and ends no one else wanted. Most disciples avoided this place, it was like a junkyard for cultivation tools.

A low creak echoed through the General Hall as Li Feng pushed the door open. Dust floated in the air. This wasn’t a place for hopeful disciples, but for those desperate enough to find worth in rusted swords and cracked talismans.

Li Feng walked in with a casual expression, but his mind was focused.

“Since I’ve got a Rank 1 Puppet Talent… might as well explore it”.

Not many people in Azure Moon Sect bother with puppets, it cost too much resource, too much effort, and little direct benefit for breakthroughs.

Alchemy, at least, could help a cultivator refine their body or improve their cultivation realm directly. Puppetry? Mostly support and defense, or offense barely worth the amount of resource spend on it.

As he walked past a dusty corner, his eyes caught on something resting on a tattered cloth.

It was a humanoid puppet, roughly the size of an adult male. The joints were cracked and its metal shell was dull with age, but the craftsmanship was clearly refined, delicate engravings along its limbs, a sturdy core cavity in its chest, and flexible plating along its back.

“This one…” he muttered, crouching beside it. “Looks like it was once a finished product.”

Li Feng narrowed his eyes. “It’s damaged, but the frame isn’t bad at all…”

“Oi kid ,you interested in that old thing?” The old man at the counter yawned. “Been lying there for years. Someone dumped it after it lost its core and half its leg broke. Doesn’t respond to spiritual energy anymore.”

“How much?”

“You can have it for 50 spirit stones .”

Li Feng tossed over the spirit stones without hesitation. “Deal.”

As he returned to his residence, the system chimed in.

[Host has acquired a finished ’damage’ puppet . Recommendation: Insert the ’Gold Source’ for autonomous functionality.]

“Oh?” Li Feng blinked. “You mean that gold sphere I got from the gacha?”

[Affirmative. The Gold Source is an extremely rare soul-type puppet nucleus. Once inserted, the puppet becomes semi-autonomous, capable of absorbing spiritual energy on its own. Maintenance will be minimal.]

“So it’s basically a soul in a shell…”

[Correct. Host can even replace the outer puppet body in the future, just transfer the core to a better vessel.]

Li Feng’s grin widened.

“So it’s like a soul that powers the body… not bad. I can switch it into another puppet later if I make a better one in the future.”

Li Feng set up the puppet in his room and began repairs. Reinforcing the joints, reconnecting the meridian threads, then carefully placing the golden core into the chest hole.

The process wasn’t simple. Refining the puppet’s spiritual circuits to match the core took precision. It felt like combining alchemy, formations, and blacksmithing all in one.

Good thing the talent he got from the system is extremely overpower.

He also began preparing the Clear Meridian Pill for Yue Lan. Both tasks demanded intense concentration, and the spiritual energy he poured out left his robes damp with sweat.

Time passed in a blur.

Before he realized it, many days had gone by.

Meanwhile some times during those days…

Outside, near a certain pavilion, Fen Ziyan stood near the flower path with her usual confident smirk. She wore a silver outer sect robe, the tight belt around her waist emphasizing her proud peach-like curves. Her arms were crossed under her large jade-like chest as she listened to her followers talk.

“I heard Senior Sister Fen is a top contender in the upcoming Outer Sect Tournament!”

“Of course! She’s already at the Peak of 8th Level of Qi Refinement! By the time the tournament start , she will be at least at the 9th Level of Qi Refinement!”

“She’ll definitely place high and maybe even get personal guidance from an Elder!”

Fen Ziyan chuckled, her dark hair with faint golden strands catching the light as it swayed behind her.

“Don’t flatter me too much, this much is expected for those of us who seek the dao” she said with a smirk, but her gaze drifted for a brief moment.

Her fingers unconsciously clenched her robe.

’Even after so long, I still can’t break through… Why?’

No one knew she had hit a bottleneck. No one knew she felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff.

She didn’t even know the root of the problem.

And the tournament was coming.

Hidden behind a stone pillar, Li Feng who just take a break from his work leaned back casually, having overheard the entire conversation.

“So she puts on a strong front”

He smirked slightly.

“No need to rush. Let her struggle more first. I’ll show up when she’s desperate.”

Back at Li Feng’s residence…

The puppet’s eyes flickered open, glowing faintly with golden light as the core within finally stabilized.

Thin golden veins began to spread across its body from deep within, pulsing faintly as if bringing the puppet back to life. Though its form was rigid, the light shimmering under its skin gave it a strangely majestic aura.

With a soft hum, it stood upright, its posture stiff, but steady.

Li Feng wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded in satisfaction. He could feel it now, a clear, stable connection between them.

“Not bad… I’ll call you Goldie.”

The puppet stared at him blankly.

“…Alright, maybe I’ll come up with a better name later.”

Curious, he focused and brought up its status panel:

Name: Goldie

Level: Peak Rank 1 Puppet (Equivalent to Peak 9th Layer of Qi Refinement)

Innate Abilities: [Spiritual Absorption], [Adaptation], [Growth], [Golden Essence]

Remarks: An old, discarded puppet reborn with an extremely rare soul-type core. Its entire existence has undergone a fundamental transformation.

Li Feng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“Damn… Goldie is stronger than me!”

Only now did he start to understand the true value of the that Core. He had known it was precious, but this? This was beyond what he had imagined. It wasn’t just a powerful core—it was the kind that could completely redefine a puppet’s potential… and possibly even reshape Li Feng’s entire future. Li Feng couldn’t help but imagine—if he had a few more cores like this, wouldn’t he command an army of powerful puppets? But reality quickly hit him. That core came from a gacha pull… and just one draw cost more than he could afford any time soon. It was like chasing a dream too far out of reach. He sighed and looked at Goldie again.

Now that he thought about it, the puppet’s golden glow and flashy appearance stood out a bit too much. Not ideal if he wanted to stay low-profile.

“Tone it down a bit,” he commanded casually.

To his surprise, Goldie responded instantly. The golden lines across its body slowly faded, retracting beneath its surface. The glow in its eyes dimmed.

In just a moment, the majestic aura vanished completely, replaced by the dull, lifeless look of a common puppet.

“Much better,” Li Feng muttered with a smirk.

Just as Li Feng was admiring the now-low profile appearance of his puppet, a soft knock interrupted his thoughts.

Knock. Knock.

He frowned slightly, wiping his hands on a cloth. It was late. No one ever came to visit him uninvited, except one person.

When he opened the door, a familiar scent drifted in—cool like night dew with a hint of spring blossom.

Yue Lan stood there, dressed in her usual pale robes that hugged her perfect figure like moonlight wrapping around a snowy peak. Her expression was calm, as always, yet her eyes lingered on his face for a second longer than necessary.

“…You’ve been quiet,” she said, her voice cool but not sharp. Her gaze slid past him and landed briefly on the puppet in the corner. “It’s been many days.”

Li Feng offered a smile. “I’ve been… busy refining your pill.” and invite her inside.

Yue Lan stepped inside , Her every movement was fluid and silent -like a spirit drifting through the mist. Her long hair, loosely tied, cascaded down her back, swaying as she walked. Even with no makeup, her face looked like it had been painted by the heavens themselves, elegant brows, long lashes, and lips as soft as morning petals.

She glanced around casually but said nothing.

In truth, Yue Lan hadn’t meant to come. For the past these days, her thoughts kept circling back to him against her will. Whenever she tried to meditate, she found herself replaying fragments of their last night—his hands, his voice, that subtle smile as he called her “Senior Sister” while touching her without fear.

It keep bugging her. She believe herself that she no longer care about these kind of mortal indulgence. Mortal pleasures were meaningless distractions to someone who sought the Dao.

But something about Li Feng kept pulling at her mind like a thread left untied.

She finally gave up and came—if only to get the Clear Meridian Pill. At least, that’s what she told herself.

“You said you’d prepare the pill. Is it ready?”

“Yes,” Li Feng said as he walked toward the alchemy furnace. “I planned to deliver it to you tomorrow, but since you’re already here… I might as well hand it over now.”

’So she came on her own again.’ Li Feng little brother seem to be expecting something and slowly throbbing again.

With a casual flick of his sleeve, Li Feng placed three flawless Clear Meridian Pills on the table.

Yue Lan’s eyes narrowed slightly. A faint glimmer of surprise broke through her otherwise calm expression. “You managed to refine three flawless pills?”

She picked one up and examined it closely, the rich medicinal fragrance lingering in the air.

“Hehe, I just got lucky,” Li Feng replied with a modest smile. Then, without waiting for a reply, he pulled a chair closer and sat beside her, closer than necessary.

“Ahem…”

While Yue Lan examined the pills, Li Feng’s hand had already found its way to her waist — soft, slender, yet firm sensation spread through his hand. His fingers slowly moved up and down, almost as if measuring her form under the guise of gratitude.

“Senior Sister Yue,” Li Feng said, voice low and somewhat hoarse, “it’s been quite hard and lonely these past few days… I was hoping to receive your assistance again.”

As he spoke, his body leaned closer — the gap between them disappearing. The heat radiating from his skin met the cold serenity that always surrounded her.

Yue Lan noticed everything: his hand, his breath, his eyes tracing her lips. But she didn’t move away.

Instead, she parted her small, delicate mouth and replied in a calm, serious tone. “Don’t worry. I know how difficult it is to refine flawless-grade pills. If there’s anything I can help you with… there’s no need to be polite.”

Li Feng’s heart thumped loudly. She actually said that…

She meant every word.

After seeing the three flawless pills he handed over, Yue Lan knew her chances of breaking through to 9th Level of Qi Refinement were all but guaranteed. With that step, her path toward Foundation Establishment — and ultimately Core Formation — would be much clearer.

This wasn’t just a minor favor. It was a significant step on her cultivation path.

And this junior… he asked for nothing in return except for her mortal shell.

For the first time in years, Yue Lan felt moved.

Li Feng, sensing the change in her mood, reached out and gently held her hand. His touch was warm, steady , his voice soft and laced with just the right trace of vulnerability.

“Senior Sister… it’s truly my honor to help you. During these past years, I wandered through the sect like a ghost, ignored by everyone… forgotten.”

He looked into her eyes with a helpless smile. “But it was your warmth , the way you reached out to me that night , that gave me hope again. You probably don’t remember… but even if it meant nothing to you, to me, it meant everything.”

He said it with such sincerity that even Yue Lan’s icy heart trembled for a moment. But only he know how much of it is true.

She looked at him more seriously now.

Despite his ordinary looks ,a little sly, a little shady , there was something unshakably sincere about him. A quiet kind of loyalty, a gentle soul hidden beneath rough edges.

Perhaps… not all men are driven by base desire.

She, who always believed the body was just a vessel for the Dao, couldn’t help but silently praise him.

Never judge a book by its cover.

And just as that thought surfaced in her mind, Li Feng’s voice came again ,this time, softer… tinged with a hint of pleading.

“But…”

He looked down at her small, red lips , moist and tempting like a ripe cherry under moonlight.

“I do hope Senior Sister can… fulfill one small wish of mine.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep