Chapter 157: Chapter 156 Puppet

“Thank you for saving our lives, benefactor!”

Hou Chaosong and Xiang Shan kneeled down to express their gratitude.

Tie Dan took the skinning knife and scrutinized it closely, making some calculations.

Indeed, it was a Magic Artifact of the Divine Sect, designed quite ingeniously. The knife had raised Engraving Secret Talismans. When skinning, the blood would stamp the talisman onto the skin, completing the setup of the Sealing Soul Array.

Tie Dan pondered for a while and then said to the two of them,

“Report your birth date and time.”

The two exchanged glances, but having been grateful for their savior’s timely help, they dared not conceal and reported their dates.

Tie Dan calculated for them and found that the two had fate but no destiny together. Moreover, Xiang Shan had a short life and little luck. If he hadn’t intervened, she would have died here, likely to be skinned and crafted into a lantern, made into a ghost slave.

But as for Hou Chaosong, he had flourishing fortunes, a robust destiny, and should have more opportunities. He shouldn’t easily meet his end here. Clearly, this matter is not simple…

If he hadn’t intervened, Xiang Shan would have fallen off the cliff to her death. And later, if Hou Chaosong were to come to mourn or pay respects…

“Wait here.”

Tie Dan thought for a moment, then flew down the cliff, feeling along the mountain stones, searching through the Qi veins.

He found it.

A Stone Box, sealed with a talisman, which even Tie Dan couldn’t open.

So Tie Dan brought the Stone Box back, and said to Xiang Shan,

“Miss, please lend me some of your blood.”

Though Xiang Shan didn’t understand why, she appreciated the savior’s grace and cut her fingertip with a sword, letting the blood drop onto the Stone Box.

“Snap.”

The Stone Box opened in response, with a Jade Scroll, a Jade Pendant, and a Jade Sword neatly arranged inside.

As expected, this Stone Box was placed just where Xiang Shan would fall and smash into it, brains splattered…

Tie Dan didn’t hide from the two of them and said frankly,

“Mr. Hou, this is your opportunity.

Someone arranged a trial for you, intending to use Miss Xiang Shan’s life to help you overcome the emotional tribulation.

When you sever your mundane attachments and focus on cultivation, you will be passed on the Righteous Method.

Here are the things now, do you want them or not?”

The two of them were stunned, with Xiang Shan shivering nervously, and Hou Chaosong seemingly still not understanding.

“What does the benefactor mean by this…”

Tie Dan explained a bit more clearly,

“Though I helped you obtain these things, your tribulation is not over, only temporarily blocked by me.

You two have fate without destiny, and the Inner Elixir Dao before Core Formation and attaining the Dao cannot permit marriage. If you stay with her, you cannot impart the Righteous Method.

Only if she dies, you can focus on the Great Dao, so it’s your choice between mundane life or Immortal Path.”

Hou Chaosong looked at the cultivation set, then at the sad and anxious beauty beside him. He sighed, closed the box, and pushed it away.

“I have studied the words of sages since childhood, aiming to cultivate myself, manage my family, and support the world. How could I abandon my family and love to become a reclusive Mountain Man? This Immortal Fate, I can forgo it.”

“Young Master Hou!”

Hearing Hou Chaosong was willing to give up the chance to become immortal for her, Xiang Shan was deeply touched, crying with tears like rain.

Tie Dan looked at the set of cultivation materials in the box, then at Mr. Hou,

“You’d better think this through, Immortal Fate is hard to come by, and once you miss this village, there’s no such shop. You won’t have the chance to regret later.”

Hou Chaosong said sternly,

“Benefactor need not say more. Xiang Shan sincerely treats me well. How can I be an ungrateful, cold-hearted person? Many thanks to the benefactor’s life-saving grace this time. If you’re not offended, consider these things as a token of appreciation.”

Tie Dan did not persuade further.

Originally, Mr. Hou had been studying saintly books all his life, aiming to walk the path of the Immortal Palace, elegantly saying to bring aid to the world, but practically, it was about being conferred a rank of nobility and becoming a minister.

And in all meanings, people of the Immortal Palace path align more with most preferences. After all, most ordinary people live their lives seeking fame and fortune, eternal relationship bliss, and enjoy heavenly blessings, right?

Where in the world are so many socially averse, homicidal maniacs willing to follow the Mystic Sect and retreat into deep mountains and forests for cultivation, or follow the Divine Sect skinning and drinking blood?

So unless, like today, where it is cleverly designed for Hou Chaosong to witness his beloved tragically die, fostering a deep grudge and changing his mindset, cutting off the Immortal Palace’s path, otherwise, it wouldn’t be so easy to lure him into mountain cultivation.

Moreover, Tie Dan saved not only Mr. Hou but also Xiang Shan.

Having worked so hard to get through adversity, how can one persuade them to break up in person?

Besides, Xiang Shan is pitiable, whether previously too bullied leading to hidden injuries or something else, tie Dan calculated her fate was as fragile as floating duckweed, barely surviving today’s tribulation, and not having many years of lifespan in the future.

Unfortunately, Tie Dan is also running around for this life-extending Immortal Pill.

Nothing can be done but to offer sympathy.

So he said no more, took the Stone Box,

“Good, I’ve intervened, and cut off your path, snatched your Immortal Fate, and owe you karmic debt.

But I have urgent matters, no time for detailed reckoning with you, let’s resolve this swiftly without wasting time.

Your enemy, the Ruan Family, where do they live?”

Xiang Shan’s eyes brightened, she quickly wiped her tears and gave directions,

“Not far to the south, the largest residence in Copper City is theirs.”

Tie Dan didn’t hesitate, giving them spare change and a few gold pieces to tide over, then flew swiftly toward where Xiang Shan pointed, soon spotting a large city on the plain.

Tie Dan dropped from the clouds, found the largest house, and pulled a few passersby to confirm it was the Ruan Family of Copper City, without another word, he brought the knife and went in for the kill.

The servants and maids ignored him, just let him through, and the armed gatekeepers dared not stop him, and whoever dared was directly chopped down. Those in brocade clothing, fat with abundant flesh, he didn’t ask; one swing of the knife, splitting them in two. Who specifically was the master didn’t matter, cut was the answer.

So he killed all the way from the entrance to the hall, from outside the house to inside, slaughtering straight into the basement. Tie Dan found what the butler referred to as the ’pickle jar.’

Well, no wonder the butler misunderstood; technically speaking, it really was a ’pickle jar’, or rather a ’medicine pot,’ of course, within the Old Xuan Sect Daoist Sutra, it had a more professional name, called the Dharma Protection Altar.

That barrel-like vessel was actually a carven talisman, made especially for cultivating a Dao Body Magic Artifact, with multiple Gathering Spirit Arrays set above and below ground, and inside and outside walls covered with vermillion yellow talismans, both inner and outer layers arranged with exorcism talismans, and the outermost protected with the Returning Dust Formation to safeguard the Dao Body. It wouldn’t allow wandering souls or evil spirits to invade.

The jar’s intense aroma obviously came from being filled with spiritual material medicinal wine. Even though arrays isolated divine sense, one could guess that the Ruan Family’s old master’s Dao body was likely preserved soaking in the jar.

No wonder all the way in, no one came out to fight, evidently, the opponent’s Nascent Soul had exited the body, traveling in the outer skies.

Indeed, Old Master Ruan was a True Monarch in the Nascent Soul Realm.

Moreover, the opponent held a dagger said to be bestowed by the Holy Daughter, indicating almost certainly that he was a core member of the Divine Sect, perhaps even at the level of an altar master or protector.

Zhen Country is indeed a land of talent, full of hidden elites, encountering two True Realm experts from the Three Great Sects…

Tie Dan circled the Returning Dust Formation, making some calculations.

Although he couldn’t break the formation temporarily, he knew stepping into the array would likely trigger its defenses, dragging Old Master Ruan’s Nascent Soul back from the heavens, waking him. If the opponent had even half the skill of the Old Xuan Sect cultivators, who knows how long the fight could last.

Also, traveling with Zhen Baiyu before, Tie Dan heard something about the Divine Sect’s techniques, especially those cultivating the Blood God’s Son great method, which could create endless clones, and there’s a Blood Puppet Dao that can forge countless puppets.

Thus, they can prepare multiple hideouts in advance, even if a Dao body is destroyed in a tribulation, as long as a Blood God’s Son escapes into one of the pre-prepared puppets, they can instantly rebirth.

Therefore, battling the Divine Sect, unless severely damaging the main body, destroying just a single clone has little use, and recklessly making moves might expose one’s trump cards, potentially leading to ambushes later on.

Now Tie Dan slaughtered his way through the Ruan Family, cutting heads left and right, scattering guts everywhere, encountering surprisingly few strong guards to challenge. He figured Old Master Ruan was likely just another Blood Puppet clone, and the Ruan Family was one of the hidden rabbit holes for the opponent to lay low in secret.

Now Old Master Ruan’s main body should be plotting elsewhere. Even if a single clone is already at the Nascent Soul Realm, who knows how powerful the main body’s cultivation might be…

As Tie Dan analyzed the formation along these clues, he discovered something even more interesting.

Not only was Old Master Ruan a puppet, but perhaps Hou Chaosong was also a puppet.

Yes, a backup puppet selected by the Divine Sect.

Because logically, where in the world do you find so many dropped pies from the sky? In this day and age, where would there be so many ownerless Immortal Fates just lying around for you to pick up? Cultivation has become incredibly competitive nowadays. With the luck and fortune earned from Tie Dan’s killing adventures, not even a flower is found over mountains and rivers, how many immortals come and go through Zhenzhou! Little more than a scholar, Mr. Hou, gains Qi Gong, a beauty, and planned Immortal Fate handed to him, isn’t it suspicious of a scam?

Not suspecting wouldn’t be Tie Dan.

So now he saw the formation setup of the Ruan Family and took another look at the Qi Refining Method depicted in the Jade Scroll, he understood.

Hou Chaosong was of the Returning Dust Dao Body, taught with the Returning Dust Secret Manual Qi Refining Method, and the local Protective Array was also the Returning Dust Formation, most likely Old Master Ruan and the Divine Sect experts were familiar with the Returning Dust Escape Skill.

And if you think a bit more nastily, Xiang Shan, with no martial capabilities, manages to form a bond with Mr. Hou, escape Ruan Family’s pursuits, lead him to seize Immortal Fates, even sacrificing her life to help him advance through tribulations into the Dao, behind the scenes, all of this must be calculating…

Oh, just a roadside triggered sideline story, with so many twists and turns, all schemes calculated to the last bit.

Now, this, is the Central Plains…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep