Tang Nian got up and looked around. The entire Yingzhou City was like a dead city, with only lanterns lit up, making it seem as if someone lived there.

A cold wind blew by, and it was still a bit chilly.

Lou Mu suggested, "Standing on the street isn't going to work, let's go back to the inn."

"Ming Huan," Tang Nian called softly.

Ming Huan understood immediately and gently pointed at Lin Zhenming.

Lin Zhenming's body quickly burst into flames.

Tang Nian opened her palm and conjured the Ghost Spirit Pearl.

The Ghost Orb slowly rose into the air and stopped above the flames.

It slowly emitted a dark black light, and as the light faded, the flames gradually diminished.

Only a clump of ash remained on the ground.

Lin Zhenming was Chu Wende's man, and he shielded Chu Wende's puppet from a fatal blow.

His soul is no longer accepted by the underworld.

Regardless of the circumstances, Lin Zhenming was a great general guarding the frontier. If it weren't for him, Da Gan would have already devoured the Great Chu long ago.

Tang Nian still left his soul behind.

If their soul is scattered, that would be truly pitiful.

Although Minghuan's fire is not as powerful as the Red Lotus Karmic Fire deep in the underworld, it can still cleanse the sins deep within the soul.

Let the cleansed souls remain in the Ghost Orb to be nourished, and then we'll find a way to take them back to the underworld once everything is over.

After doing all this, the group walked into the inn in a grand procession.

As expected, Tang Nian found the trembling shopkeeper under the counter again.

"Shopkeeper, such a big thing just happened in the city, why didn't you escape with everyone else?"

Tang Nian leaned on the counter with one hand, blinked, and asked with a smile.

Upon seeing that it was a familiar customer, the shopkeeper cautiously slipped out from behind the counter and glanced at the closed door.

He leaned closer and whispered.

"My lord, you don't know this, but there's no place outside the city as safe as my little shop. Those few times when monsters attacked the city, those who escaped never came back. It was people like us who barely escaped with our lives."

Yes, and there are monsters too.

If all Chu Wende wanted was a puppet army, why would he help Da Gan control demons and attack Da Chu?

Or is there some other conspiracy behind these monsters?

Filled with doubts, Tang Nian led the group upstairs.

"Ji Jingyu, when you told Chu Wende and Ming Huan about this, did you say anything else about me?"

Ji Jingyu shook his head.

"Then why did you arrest him?"

Ji Jingyu's gaze lingered on Tang Nian.

Tang Nian pointed at herself: "Because of me?"

"Don't forget, someone wants you dead," Ji Jingyu said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Chu Roujia quickly stood between Ji Jingyu and Tang Nian, stretching out her arms as if protecting her child.

Tang Nian was somewhat surprised that Chu Roujia would be so bold as to stand in front of her. She smiled and gently patted Chu Roujia's arm, inviting Chu Roujia to sit down.

"Don't be so nervous. Your master is still very capable."

Ji Jingyu coughed lightly twice and then continued.

"You already have Lou Mu by your side, adding him would make it really difficult to make a move."

"It would be pointless to cause trouble for Lou Mu, so I can only focus my attention on Ming Huan."

"But I can't let Chu Wende get suspicious. After thinking it over, this is the only way I can make Chu Wende's heart flutter."

Tang Nian frowned.

In other words, it was Ji Jingyu who made the suggestion because he knew that Chu Wende wanted a monster.

Why does he want to control demons?

“I’m not really sure about that.” Ji Jingyu stroked his chin. “He always acts on a whim, not as capable as he claims to be.”

In fact, Tang Nian felt the same way.

Perhaps Chu Wende was indeed very intelligent back then, and unlike most geniuses, he did not become just another ordinary person after growing up.

But now he's an old man with one foot in the grave, and he'll be easily deceived by so-called immortals. He'll never have the strength he had before.

If that's the case, then all of this was secretly orchestrated by that so-called immortal.

But Chu Wende is not one to willingly be used as a pawn.

Therefore, that immortal must not have told him explicitly, but rather guided him step by step to do what he wanted Chu Wende to do.

"What do we do now? Chu Wende has put on such a big show, he certainly won't let it go so easily. The people in the city will probably be..."

Tang Nian looked at Lou Mu.

Lou Mu, however, showed no sign of nervousness; he was looking at a map of the area surrounding Yingzhou City.

“I think he should be here.” Lou Mu pointed to a small village on the map and analyzed calmly, “Since he’s hiding in the shadows, let’s go and find him.”

Tang Nian leaned closer and saw that Lou Mu was pointing to the village where she had met Chu Wende that day.

This coincided with what she had thought.

"But the most important thing now is not finding him, but those silver threads."

Tang Nian turned to look at Ji Jingyu again: "Ji Jingyu, did you notice your father's silver hair just now?"

"Never."

"That's strange..."

Tang Nian tapped the table lightly with her finger: "A puppet can only be controlled if it has a magical artifact of your clan, right?"

Ji Jingyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes and no."

Tang Nian raised an eyebrow slightly: "Tell me about it."

"Did you know that the bodies of those puppets are filled with peach wood?"

Ji Jingyu didn't answer but asked a question instead.

Tang Nian nodded: "What does this have to do with peach wood?"

"I have read records of this evil magic. If the puppets made from pear wood are just ordinary puppets, they will not have their own consciousness and will depend entirely on the master's demands."

"As for peach wood, if it is aided by external forces, the puppets made from it will slowly develop their own consciousness, just like a real person, and will be loyal to their master."

No wonder, each of these puppets contains a soul.

Rather than calling it a puppet, it's more accurate to describe it as a cage imprisoning the soul.

It slowly assimilates the souls, turning them back into "living people".

That's why Yama repeatedly warned her not to send these souls back to the underworld.

But then, where do these souls go?

"So, the silver threads of your crane clan are merely an external force, right?"

"Before the peach wood has fully merged with the soul, the peach wood puppet will be like the pear wood puppet, without consciousness."

"Although a puppet without consciousness can help its master, it is still just a puppet in the end, so how can its actions satisfy people?"

"Therefore, we need our magical artifacts as an aid, which can not only accelerate the fusion but also better control the puppet's movements."

Tang Nian had a stern face and looked very serious.

"In other words, those puppets that Chu Wende released today..."

"It's almost finished."

Ji Jingyu continued Tang Nian's words.

Tang Nian and Lou Mu exchanged a glance.

This makes things even more difficult.

"Why is your father's magical artifact here? Do you have any guesses?"