As soon as the table was cleared after the meal, the old man urged everyone to go to his workroom with him.

"Follow me. This is the simplest puppet. The human form has the highest compatibility with our souls. On the contrary, puppets that are not human form are more difficult to control."

“Sculpt the arms, legs and head. They don’t have to be exactly the same, just similar in shape. After carving the shape, soak it in water for 20 minutes before you can start assembling it. Use your own hair and clay to glue the joints together. Apply a layer of gold powder and then put it in the furnace for 20 minutes. Remember to touch every part of the puppet with your fingers so that it can absorb the essence of the puppet.”

For someone handling a carving knife for the first time, getting injured is inevitable. The wood isn't soft, so you have to use force to carve it. You can easily peel off a piece of bark and make a cut while you're at it. Just listen, and soon you'll hear gasps and exclamations all around you.

Yuan Xinle was sulking with her grandfather, so she went to the yard to practice her dagger skills. She preferred close combat to manipulating puppets in the dark.

"Yuan Yuan." Yuan Xinle looked in the direction of the barely audible voice and, sure enough, it was her idiot boyfriend, Bian Liang.

"What are you doing here?" Yuan Xinle asked in a low voice, leaning closer, afraid that the people in the room would hear her, but her murderous aura remained undiminished.

“Even if we break up, Grandpa is still my grandpa. Our relationship is much deeper than yours.”

"If you want to die, then keep talking." The light from Yuan Xinle's dagger flashed across Bian Liang's face, startling him into silence.

"Grandma, we can talk about our business later. I need to go see Grandpa first, otherwise he'll definitely be upset," Bian Liang said in a humble voice.

"Come in, and don't say anything out of line."

"Grandpa, I've come to celebrate your birthday. This is Maojian tea that I didn't want to drink, but I brought it all for you. I'll have Yuanyuan make you some milk tea."

"Bian Liang, didn't you break up with Lele?"

“We’ll get back together even if we break up. Grandpa, don’t you know her? She breaks up with me whenever she’s angry, but she’ll be fine once she calms down. Besides, the fact that we’re together doesn’t stop me from liking you, Grandpa.”

"You two aren't young anymore, stop acting like children." The old man was clearly dissatisfied with Bian Liang's words, his tone full of reproach and extremely protective of his own, which stabbed Bian Liang in the heart.

I was just being presumptuous; these two are exactly alike in their ruthlessness.

"Grandpa, it's time. What's next?"

“Pull out two hairs, stuff one into the hole in your heart, and use your fingers to slowly push it in completely, and wrap the other around your little finger.”

Yan Shi glanced at Zhuang Zhao, relieved that he hadn't cut Zhuang Zhao's hair too short last time, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to tie it up.

"Now beckon with your finger and see if the puppet moves."

"It moved! It really moved!"

"Still motionless, just as expected."

Does the ability to move indicate talent?

"Not really. Being able to control the puppet shows that it can be learned, but talent will have to wait and see."

"What about this kind?" Tong Ying asked, pointing to the little puppet climbing and wading on the table. If it weren't for the lack of facial features, one would think it was a cute little creature that had escaped from Lilliput. Its arms and legs moved clumsily, and it would fall after taking two steps, get up and continue. When it encountered an obstacle, it would flip over it. It was so cute!

"Whose is this?" the old man asked excitedly, leaning over the table to examine the puppet.

“It’s his,” Yan Shi said proudly, even more proudly than if it were his own.

"Would you like to become my disciple?"

"I want to learn from my grandfather, but I don't know anything about becoming an apprentice. Are there any special requirements?"

"Once you join the sect, you're family. If you break the rules or do something bad, you'll lose one hand, and we promise you'll never use puppetry again."

Is killing someone in self-defense during a crisis considered a bad thing?

"The art of puppetry, controlling wooden figures is only the beginning. Advanced secret techniques that seize minds and steal spirits are not benevolent arts. If one cannot even protect oneself, what is the use of learning them?"

"In chaotic times, there are many dangers. One should not act as an accomplice to evil, oppress the good, disregard life, or indulge evil thoughts. Justice resides in the hearts of the people. If I feel something is amiss, I will first offer my advice and then put away my words. I will not make rash statements without asking the reasons."

"Having doubts is not a bad thing. If you are interested, you can ask me again later. Talent is important, but so is character. I need to understand your character before making a decision."

"Whether you become my apprentice or not, I can teach you if you want to learn, though I certainly won't teach you everything I know. But it will be enough for you to survive in this chaotic world with ease."

"I'm sorry, but my grandfather likes to talk like this when it comes to these big principles and rules. Please bear with it, and I'll translate if you don't understand."

When Yuan Xinle came back tired from practice, she bumped into her grandfather talking loudly. Her friend looked blank, as if she couldn't understand in class, so she quickly explained while her grandfather paused to punctuate.

"I'll come back to talk to Grandpa about this in a couple of days. Let's celebrate Grandpa's birthday first."

"With your talent, it would be a waste if you didn't learn puppetry." The old man poked at the puppet lying face up on the table and said that people like them who were worried about finding an heir were the ones who cherished talent the most.

Bian Liang: Who is this man? Who is he? He's only been gone a few days and Grandpa's mind has changed? He was just encouraging him to learn puppetry before.

"That's all for today. Thank you for coming to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. Grandpa should go for his walk now. Everyone, go home." Yuan Xinle said cheerfully.

"Can we take this?" Zhuang Zhao asked, pointing to his puppet figure. The others also looked at the old man with hopeful expressions.

It was carved by myself, one stroke at a time. Even if it can't be used as a puppet, it's good to have it as a decoration.

"Yes, go back and spend more time together. Maybe if the feelings deepen, you can control it. The longer the puppet and the manipulator spend together, the easier it is to control."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!