Chapter 17: The Thoughts of a Female Cultivator

In the blink of an eye, the thief was decapitated! Not only was Meng Lingyun stunned, but so were the talisman master and the Zhu family's uncle and nephew who had heard the cry for help…

Just a moment ago, they had captured two people, so why were they gone the next?

The talisman master witnessed his brother being beheaded, filled with rage, but when he saw the two mechanical puppets charging at him, his anger was quickly replaced by a chill.

Two Qi-Training Level Five mechanical puppets! This was a real predicament!

Grinding his teeth, he threw out two talismans and took the opportunity to flee into the forest while the Zhu family's uncle and nephew were on the defensive.

Seeing the thief escaping, Li Xuanji, after pocketing the storage bag from the headless corpse, shouted, "Zhu Daoist, stop that thief! Don't let him get away!"

Silence…

Zhu Yuanchong, covered in wounds, heard this and, grinding his teeth, was about to pursue the thief.

But just as he was about to get up, he found himself being held back by the arriving Li Daoist, and could only watch helplessly as the talisman master fled into the distance.

The two 'strongman' puppets followed closely into the jungle, creating the noise of a fierce chase but not actually going far.

Zhu Yuanchong furrowed his brows, not understanding why Li Daoist first asked him to intercept and then stopped him from pursuing, and asked, "Li Daoist, what do you mean by this?"

"Do not chase a desperate enemy…"

Li Xuanji inwardly sighed at the crudeness of physical cultivators who couldn't recognize good intentions and reminded, "He is a Qi-Training Level Five talisman master, and he has fled into the forest."

"What about the forest?"

Silence…

Zhu Shaohong, hearing this, awkwardly smiled and then tugged at his uncle's sleeve, explaining, "If we pursue too aggressively, and he realizes he can't escape, he will become desperate and fight to the death.

Li Daoist's point is, since we've already driven him away, it's better to let well enough alone than to pursue and engage in a deadly battle."

"I see."

Zhu Yuanchong, stroking his beard thoughtfully as if realizing something, then said, "But if we don't remove the roots, isn't it like releasing a tiger back into the mountains?"

"Your words are not without reason…"

Li Xuanji agreed, then added, "But a Qi-Training Level Five talisman master who has resorted to targeting us is no more than an insect, not a tiger."

"Indeed…"

Zhu Shaohong gave his uncle a look, signaling him not to dwell on the matter, then bowed to Li Xuanji, saying, "Thank you, Li Daoist, for your help. Without your mechanical puppets, my uncle and I would have likely perished here today."

"No need for thanks…"

Li Xuanji returned the gesture with a slightly odd expression.

He had thought the Zhu family's uncle and nephew duo was led by the uncle, but during the confrontation, the young Zhu Shaohong, not only skilled but also seemingly the decision-maker, surprised him.

Li Xuanji, with an implied meaning, asked, "Have you ever seen a puppeteer?"

"No…"

Zhu Shaohong shook his head, explaining, "Puppetry is extremely rare in the cultivation world. I've only read about it in ancient texts. Today was my first encounter, and it was quite an eye-opener."

"Just a minor skill."

Li Xuanji shook his head, smiling wryly, "My talent for cultivation is poor, and without the ability to protect myself, I can only make these little things for self-defense, nothing worthy of the stage."

His words were not modesty but a reflection of the awkward status of puppetry in the cultivation world.

While alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman making can satisfy personal needs and be sold for cultivation resources like spirit stones, items like pills, artifacts, and talismans are always in demand, making high-grade alchemists, artifact crafters, and talisman masters highly sought after and wealthy.

Puppeteers, on the other hand, face the opposite situation.

Creating mechanical puppets requires a lot of materials, and although the finished puppets can be sold, the high production costs make it difficult to get a fair price.

For example, his Qi-Training Level Five 'strongman' puppets, including the cost of trial and error, are worth dozens of medium-grade spirit stones.

Those spirit stones could buy three mid-tier artifacts, perhaps with some left over for talismans.

For self-defense, three mid-tier artifacts paired with talismans are no worse than a mechanical puppet, and most cultivators prefer to rely on themselves.

Thus, the combat puppets of puppetry have always been in a predicament of being too expensive to sell and selling at a loss.

High entry barriers, complex learning, high development costs, difficulty in self-sustenance, and the challenge of exchanging creations for other cultivation resources are the main reasons puppetry has faded from public view…

"Li Daoist jests."

Zhu Shaohong smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to continue the conversation. Seeing Meng Lingyun approaching unsteadily, he quickly went to support her.

"How are your injuries, Meng Daoist?"

"I've taken healing pills, it's nothing serious."

Meng Lingyun waved her hand to indicate she was fine, then turned to Li Xuanji, saying, "Li Daoist, I thought you were the type to seek safety at all costs, and in my anger, I insulted you. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's no trouble at all."

Li Xuanji, not one to be easily offended, became even more pleased after finding six medium-grade spirit stones and various other items in the thief's storage bag.

With a raised eyebrow, he teased, "If Meng Daoist feels guilty, you could consider betrothing yourself to me. I'm currently troubled about finding a cultivation partner."

"You…"

Meng Lingyun glared at him, both embarrassed and annoyed, and any remaining guilt vanished as she retorted, "You're always talking about finding a cultivation partner. Are you the reincarnation of a lustful ghost?"

Laughter erupted from the Zhu family's uncle and nephew.

Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Zhu Shaohong bowed and suggested with a smile, "Fellow Daoists, this place is not safe for long. Shall we head to the market and continue our conversation over tea?"

"That sounds good."

Li Xuanji nodded in agreement, and after retrieving his two 'strongman' puppets, he faced a dilemma with his half-sliced qilin horse.

Looking around, Zhu Yuanchong's qilin horse had also died in the battle, and he was now sharing a ride with Zhu Shaohong, while Meng Lingyun rode alone.

Li Xuanji bowed with a smile, "Meng Daoist, my qilin horse was slain by the thief. May I ride with you?"

Silence…

Meng Lingyun looked around, aware of her awkward situation.

This man was always talking about finding a cultivation partner, clearly not a serious person. If she agreed, she might be taken advantage of during the journey; but if she refused, she would seem petty.

After pondering, she replied sarcastically, "I'm afraid Li Daoist might take me and my horse as his cultivation partner along the way. Let's not."

Then, turning to Zhu Shaohong, she suggested, "Zhu Daoist, why don't we ride together, and Li Daoist can ride with your uncle?"

"Uh…"

Zhu Shaohong, slightly embarrassed, glanced at Li Xuanji and, seeing his nonchalant shrug, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, replying, "That works."

The four of them set off on two qilin horses.

"Meng Daoist, Li Daoist, my family's elders run a small business in the market. If you have no other plans, would you like to join us for tea once we arrive?"

Meng Lingyun's eyes flickered as she nodded, "I have nothing else planned, so I'll take up Zhu Daoist's offer."

"We'll see…"

Li Xuanji glanced around and didn't pay much attention.

He could see the potential in young Zhu Shaohong, and so could Meng Lingyun. Her easy acceptance of the invitation suggested she had her own plans.

Tsk, such clever thoughts…