Chapter 11: The Dagger Revealed

"You have a point, but I haven't been idle in these years after I was afflicted by the Yuan-Eating Curse..." Zhao Yuehua explained: "I searched through all the scriptures and records in the sect, and even the various wild histories and biographies in the nearby cultivation markets. I did find some clues. There was a senior who also suffered from the Yuan-Eating Curse. In his biography, he found a junior from his clan who had a very compatible constitution and talent with him, and used a soul-snatching technique to take over his body, barely surviving... However, that senior had already consumed most of his lifespan, and had to start cultivating again after the soul-snatching. He failed to break through and extend his life before his deadline, and eventually died and dissipated... With this clue, I also had an idea. Soul-snatching was obviously impossible. Even if I changed my body and got rid of the Yuan-Eating Curse, the remaining lifespan would not be enough for me to cultivate again and reach the Golden Core stage. Coincidentally, I found a technique called Soul-Transferring, and the method of refining the 'Mirror Flower' puppet. So I decided to try a different approach." She paused for a moment, and said solemnly: "First, I cultivated with the 'Mirror Flower' puppet to make it my avatar, then I used the Soul-Transferring technique to abandon my original body, and completely merged my soul with the 'Mirror Flower' puppet."

"Abandon your body, and merge your soul with the puppet?" Li Xuanji was stunned, trying to digest this shocking news... He was silent for a long time, and asked hesitantly: "Are you still human then?"

"Yes, and no..." Zhao Yuehua smiled and explained: "Didn't you say before that the puppetry technique is actually a kind of magic weapon? The 'Mirror Flower' puppet is the same. After cultivating with it, the 'Mirror Flower' puppet became my avatar. When I used the Soul-Transferring technique to abandon my original body and merge with it, the 'Mirror Flower' puppet became my true self."

"Similar to a spirit of a magic weapon?"

"You can say that..."

"A spirit of a magic weapon, a spirit of a magic weapon..." Li Xuanji muttered, then seemed to think of something, and asked: "Then you can't cultivate, aren't you doomed to be a puppet's spirit for the rest of your life?"

"It's already very lucky to be alive." Zhao Yuehua looked a bit lost, then smiled and said: "Besides, being a puppet is not that bad. The puppet body is free from diseases and disasters, and doesn't feel pain."

"..." Seeing her look lonely and listless, she pursed her lips and comforted: "Actually, you don't have to be a puppet forever. As far as I know, there are some heavenly treasures that have the ability to rebuild a human body. There is also the Blood and Flesh Creation technique that you puppeteers can achieve after reaching the peak, which also has this effect."

"Blood and Flesh Creation is just a legend..." Li Xuanji only glanced at her lightly, and asked: "I asked you before what this puppet was for, why didn't you tell me until now?"

"..."

"If I didn't ask you today, would you never tell me the truth?"

"..."

Zhao Yuehua didn't know how to answer, seeing his expression a bit angry, she pursed her lips, and avoided his gaze... "I see, heh..." Li Xuanji didn't know what he thought of, and said with a sneer or a self-deprecation: "I'm just a minor cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining, how can I meddle in the affairs of a Foundation Establishment stage expert, heh, I see..." He said, and snorted, then left with a flick of his sleeve.

"..."

Zhao Yuehua was stunned by his departure, and wanted to say something, but didn't know how to open her mouth. She sat there blankly, recalling the past year of being together, recalling the bits and pieces of the past year. She was simple-minded, gentle, and had imagined the beauty of the cultivation world when she was accepted by the Green Wave Pool. But when she grew up, she realized that the cultivation world was full of schemes, intrigues, and struggles... Since then, she learned to disguise herself, and wore the mask of 'coldness' and 'cruelty' to hide herself. For many years, she almost forgot what she looked like under those masks... From the despair of being afflicted by the Yuan-Eating Curse, to the hope of finding a way to prolong her life, to the bitterness of not finding a puppeteer, to the turning point of finding a puppeteer, she had experienced too much. Being with a cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining who could be crushed by her casually, she naturally didn't need to wear a mask anymore. But it was this cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining, it was this short, plain, but peaceful year, that stirred up her state of mind...

"How can there be such a cute little cultivator." Zhao Yuehua whispered softly, then seemed to think of something, and suddenly smiled out loud... She got up and went out... Seeing no one in the courtyard, and the bedroom door still wide open, she walked into the bedroom with light steps. As soon as she entered, she saw the bookshelf on the ground, the ink and brush in the corner, and the scattered papers that were crumpled or torn apart, looking like someone had done it in anger. And Li Xuanji was leaning against the table with his back to the door, drinking alone... Zhao Yuehua bent down and picked up a paper that was crumpled into a ball, and unfolded it, only to see that it was a drawing of herself. She picked up other papers, and found that most of them were drawings of herself in different expressions, lifelike and adorable... Then she put together the torn papers, and found that there was not only her portrait on them, but also a line of poetry on the side. She couldn't help but read softly: "I intended to reflect my heart on the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the ditch. The fallen flowers willingly follow the flowing water, but the water has no heart for the fallen flowers..."

"..."

Li Xuanji turned around when he heard the sound. Seeing her holding the torn papers, and smiling at him, he didn't know if it was because he drank too much, or something else, but his face was red as blood, and he shouted: "Who let you in?"

"What? I can't come here?" Zhao Yuehua teased him with a mocking tone: "Besides, if I didn't come, wouldn't I miss this poem you wrote for me?"

"You..." Li Xuanji felt his face burning, and had a feeling of being caught writing a love letter by the teacher, and having to read it aloud in front of the whole class. "Give it back to me!" He said and tried to snatch it, but Zhao Yuehua dodged to the corner with a smile, as if she wanted to see more of his embarrassment. And Li Xuanji, seeing that he didn't get it, tried to snatch it again, but maybe because he drank too much, he stumbled, and 'lost his balance' and fell to the ground.

"Be careful..." Zhao Yuehua hurriedly went to help him, but before she could speak, she was surprised to find that his force was not just falling, but he pounced on her. "..." The two leaned against the corner and looked at each other, so close that they could feel each other's breath. It seemed that even time stopped for a moment... Li Xuanji looked at the lips that were close at hand, and swallowed, asking with some expectation: "Zhao sister, do you have a dao partner?"

"..."

Zhao Yuehua's breath hitched, and looked at his sincere eyes, feeling the hot breath on her cheek, and said softly: "No."

"Then isn't it a pity to give up your body like this?"

"You...mmm..." Zhao Yuehua's words were cut off by his lips, and when she wanted to push him away subconsciously, she found that her wrists were held by him, and pressed against the wall... She was at a loss, and felt a wave of ecstasy...