Chapter 19 The 26th is an auspicious day for marriage; you will come on that day…
Shimi said, "Lie down, close your eyes, and do nothing."
He lay down as instructed, his chest wide open, revealing his muscular body.
Looking back, Xiao Wu didn't seem to have done it as well. After all, when he first met Lu Min, Lu Min had been suffering from the poison for two years. Although he wasn't completely exhausted, he was indeed very thin. Xiao Wu had simply copied Lu Min's physique, enlarging his features. He thought it was about right, but unexpectedly, after the original owner moved in, he still changed a lot.
Perfect, absolutely perfect. Wide where it should be wide, slim where it should be slim. Shi Mi was so captivated by this magical transformation that even after he lay down, her gaze lingered on him, filled with intense admiration, her eyes sparkling.
Lu Min waited in vain for her to make a move, and finally couldn't help but open his eyes. What he saw made him panic. The woman was staring at his chest as if she were bewitched.
He knew she was marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship of the puppeteer, a marvel unrelated to him, and he felt no discomfort whatsoever. But she had been watching for far too long, long enough to embarrass him. After much restraint, he finally urged her, "Please, young lady."
Shi Mi then came to his senses and said frankly, "You have recovered so well that you are almost indistinguishable from your original form. I have seen many half-human puppets, and it takes at least half a year for them to truly change their form. But you have only done it in half a month. If you told the puppet master, he would definitely be amazed. Lu Min, you are truly a natural-born pseudo-human material, the most successful case ever created by the puppet master."
That's a very high compliment, but I really don't know whether the phrase "a natural-born fake" is a compliment or an insult.
"Have you practiced martial arts? Your heartbeat is different from that of an ordinary scholar; it's clearly much stronger." She placed her hand on his chest, slowly caressing it, and murmured, "With each beat, blood rushes to the extremities, making them more flexible and stronger. This is the best body I've ever seen; it's rare indeed! Truly rare!"
She just kept talking, completely disregarding the feelings of the person beneath her. Her slender fingers roamed over his torso, following the curves of his body, creating a series of tingling sensations.
He lost control of his breathing, and overwhelmed with embarrassment and intense shame and displeasure, he shouted, "The lady has treated me like an object from beginning to end, not a person!"
Shi Mi hesitated for a moment. Was he angry? She almost forgot that he was not the submissive Xiao Wu, but the proud and arrogant Grand Tutor.
"Just get down to business," she thought, her eyelids drooping, as she took out the black iron box she always carried. As she was about to open the lid, she saw him still staring at her, so she frowned, wiped her eyes with her hand, and muttered to herself, "You've been honed up in the officialdom, all prickly and ready to stab anyone you see. I'm the same as you. If I treat you like an object, what do I consider myself?"
She was talking to herself, and her voice seemed to be getting further and further away from him.
The puppeteer and the puppeteer are born with a mutual connection, not because the puppeteer's blood is particularly magical, but simply because it works on the puppeteer. He could feel a new power continuously seeping into his body, surging through his limbs and bones. The scar covering his heart was like a gap in a desert, and he could even hear its roar, thirstily swallowing the dripping liquid.
A fierce battle raged within him, and he couldn't control the trembling in his body. The fusion of the two took time, during which he experienced a brief period of unconsciousness, as the influence of the puppeteer reached its peak. He suddenly felt extremely empty and insecure, and then, through his blurred vision, he discerned a figure. This figure transformed into a divine tower, and like a pilgrim, he rushed towards it without hesitation, prostrating himself completely in its place.
He could hear her helpless sigh and knew he had lost control again, but he couldn't care less at the moment. His mind was trying to stop him, but his heart was urging him to do it.
Confined by tyranny, Shi Mi could only stare at the roof of the car with his eyes rolled back.
Almost every puppeteer develops a sense of attachment, but this one, so uncontrollable, is unique. This blood is like an aphrodisiac to him; she's somewhat confused. Has something gone wrong? In truth, he harbors a deep aversion to everything from puppeteers, yet he can neither hate nor let go of it. She's noticed his subtle movements; though he tries to maintain a facade of peace, even a casual flick of his sleeve or a furrowed brow reveals his inner thoughts. However, his mind is currently not in control, only instinct remains. Perhaps one day, when he is strong enough to achieve perfect harmony between mind and body, this excessive attachment will cease.
She patted his back with difficulty, "Lu Min, it's time to wake up."
But he tightened his arms even more, as if trying to embed her into his body.
Shimi was gasping for breath as he was being strangled, thinking to himself, "Good heavens, how can he have such strength?" He knew he had to think of something else; next time he needed to prolong his life, he'd use some sleeping potion to knock him unconscious so he could escape.
This unrestrained obsession lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before gradually subsiding. Once fully sober, Lu Min finally saw clearly how he, disheveled, had been so persistently entangled with the woman.
He felt embarrassed and ashamed, but not guilty. He silently released her and quietly fastened his shirt.
Shi Mi rubbed her arms, trying to get as far away from him as possible, having thoroughly learned her lesson. "Next time, I can't choose such a small place. There was nowhere to escape, and my arms almost broke." Seeing that he didn't respond, she complained, "You've come to your senses, and you haven't even apologized. How did you become the Grand Tutor of the Yan Dynasty with such rudeness!"
As she was finding fault with everything she said, he suddenly blurted out, "What country were you from before, young lady? The Jing Dynasty? The Ying Dynasty? Or the Yu Dynasty?"
Shi Mi didn't hide anything. "I'm from the Yu Dynasty, so what? But I was given away when I was very young. I don't know where my parents are after the war, or if they're still alive, so it doesn't matter what country I'm from."
He leaned against the car side and asked again, "If you needed to prolong your life, would you do what I just did?"
She said yes, "but I lock myself in my little room, so no matter how crazy I get, no one can see me."
So he genuinely lost his composure, and he knew it himself. No matter how much he disliked the aftereffects, the fact remained that he had been rude to the young lady, and he sincerely apologized to her, "I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself. Next time, please tie me up before you do anything, so that I won't act rashly and disrespect you again."
Is he being tied up? And then you see him with his chest and belly exposed, his eyes filled with infatuation?
Shi Mi imagined it for a moment, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his face.
He seemed to realize something and said awkwardly, "Does the young lady find this inappropriate? Or did I say something wrong?"
"No, no." Shimi hurriedly waved her hand. "Grand Tutor's idea is very good. Since you insist, let's do it this way next time." As she spoke, she lifted the curtain and glanced outside. "It's getting late, time to sleep... When traveling, we should keep things simple. Sleeping together is unavoidable. I hope Grand Tutor won't mind."
He had been told what to say, but she beat him to it, so he could only purse his lips and nod.
She was truly a carefree woman; having already slept the whole way there, the difference between day and night made no difference to her. Besides, the lingering effects of the tea had completely worn off, so she patted her pillow and lay down comfortably.
Lu Min remained seated, casually inquiring, "Was that box the young lady carried prepared before setting off? It contains the blood of a puppeteer; how can you guarantee it won't spoil for many days?"
Shi Mi, with his eyes closed, casually replied, "There are rare treasures beyond the mortal realm, like this box. It is undamaged by fire or water, and the contents can be preserved for a thousand years without decaying. Not to mention blood, even if you put a flower inside, it will still smell of the Yan Dynasty when you open it after a thousand years."
After listening, he gradually fell silent, and after a long while, he sighed at the wonder of creation.
Shi Mi glanced at him and said, "You must be thinking, 'If only there were a bigger one, big enough to hold all of the puppeteer's blood. Then we could just kill the puppeteer like a chicken, drain him dry, and use him whenever we want. We'd never have to be controlled by anyone again!'"
Lu Min laughed, a ripple in his eyes, "You think too badly of me, young lady. Even if such a thing didn't exist, I wouldn't repay kindness with enmity."
Shi Mi twitched the corner of his mouth, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, thinking to himself that it was all talk and no action.
However, there's no need to worry about the future now. Things will work themselves out in the end; if they don't, we can just dismantle the bridge.
His mind raced with all sorts of thoughts, and then he drifted off to sleep without realizing it. He slept soundly that night; Lu Min didn't snore or talk in his sleep, and his calm demeanor was reassuring.
The next day, the carriage traveled for another half day, finally entering the city around noon. The familiar towering Buddha, the Taoist temple encircling the sky, and the majestic Jiuzhang Mansion under the midday sun—this was the cradle and origin of all mysteries.
The carriage stopped, and the guards brought out a footstool to help the Grand Tutor alight. Shimi followed him down, but had no intention of entering the mansion with him. She put her hands on her back and said, "I'm going back to Lirenfang. My family is waiting for me. Today is the ninth day of the month. I checked the almanac, and the twenty-sixth is auspicious for marriage. Come and marry me on that day."
The guards standing nearby probably felt they had overheard the strangest conversation in the world. Never before in history had they seen such a hasty marriage. Even poor families insisted on a matchmaker, a betrothal ceremony, and matching horoscopes before choosing an auspicious date. This young woman, however, had chosen her own date, without parental consent or a matchmaker's intervention—wasn't that a bit too frivolous?
No one dared to look directly at the Grand Tutor, only glancing down and stealing glances out of the corner of their eyes. Surprisingly, the Grand Tutor had no objections and simply said "Good," and the matter was settled just like that?
The young woman shook the shawl on her arm, turned, and headed towards the other end of the straight road. The Grand Tutor didn't send a carriage to escort her; she went straight up the steps and into the gates of the Jiuzhang Mansion. The two seemed unfamiliar with each other and had no intention of cultivating feelings; each was preoccupied with their own plans. It was as if, at this age, marriage was a partnership, and as long as they could make do, that was enough. Who cared about wealth, status, or power? "I don't mind you, and you shouldn't be picky about me."
The Grand Tutor had already been received by the advisor in the mansion, and the council hall was waiting for him to take charge. The accompanying guards, having accomplished their mission, then straightened up after the Grand Tutor had gone some distance away.
The lieutenant silently looked towards Baiheliang, then glanced in the direction the young woman had left.
Bai Heliang said, "Stop looking, hurry up and drive after her to take her back to her residence."
Anyway, Shi Mi doesn't care whose idea it was; he'll take any available transportation as long as he can get home as quickly as possible.
Upon entering, she found the courtyard quiet and deserted. She turned and closed the gate, carefully securing the bolt, then walked to the end of the corridor and pushed open the door to the secret room.
Several wooden crates were neatly arranged in the dark room. Opening the lids, she found the puppets huddled quietly inside. She took out three pins and inserted them behind their ears one by one. Then she reached out and touched their foreheads; unlike humanoids, puppets could not be revived with a small amount of blood. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ran Dian and the others were lively and energetic, awakened.
"Ami," Yan Dian asked, "were you happy on the journey?"
Shimi asked what was so happy about, “I didn’t get to eat anything good on the way back, and the thought of all the work waiting for me gave me a headache.” He paused and asked, “Which of you has an injured right arm? Let me see.”
All three rolled up their sleeves. Ran Dian had a large, deep cut on his forearm, exposing the bone. Shi Mi pulled him over to examine it, rummaging through drawers and cabinets, muttering, "Where did the puppeteer put that last time I put it...?"
After searching for a while, I found a jar full of leftover materials. Repairing such a gap is simple: just fill it back in, wrap it with a damp cloth, and it's usually fixed overnight.
Next, the four of them went into the yard to sweep up the fallen leaves and water the flowers. After they finished, they sat side by side on the steps, and the sun was about to set.
"Both the Marquis of Nevernight and his son are dead, why is Ah Mi still so preoccupied?" Ah Li Dao asked, tilting his head. "Haven't you killed enough people?"
Shimi hummed in agreement, "Not quite enough."
Yan Dian said, "Who else do you want to kill? I'll go this time."
"It's a long story," Shimi sighed, resting his cheek on his hand. "This time we can't kill them. We have to bring them back. We'll set off before dark and get home before dawn. Can we do that?"
In fact, the Yanren who had their spiritual consciousness extracted did not know fatigue or pain, but she was still willing to treat them as human beings because the world was lonely and they were already considered family.
Yan Dian was unemployed last time, but this time she's going to show off her skills. She jumped up, head held high, and said, "Leave it to me."
"Don't disturb anyone, proceed quietly," Shimi added. After speaking, she spread her hands, examining them in the afterglow of the setting sun, and pondered, "Finish everything within seven days, and prepare for the wedding in the remaining three days. The time is just right, not too much, not too little."
A note from the author:
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