Chapter 2 I have a perfectly good appearance, do you have one...?
"Ami, does it hurt to change your face?" It seems that once this question is asked, the true origin of the story can be ignored, since only real people care about whether it hurts or not.
Ami, that's what the other puppeteers usually call her. In their eyes, she's a senior, and compared to the puppeteers who never speak, she's obviously much gentler.
"Did it hurt when you gouged out your eyeball?" she asked, tilting her head.
Yanren looked bewildered and couldn't remember.
She smiled and said, "It's not real flesh and blood, so it won't hurt. When someone is willing to put their heart into your chest one day, then you will become a real flesh and blood body, just like a living person."
But these words are too difficult to understand; he can only keep asking, "Like you?"
She said yes, "just like me."
Therefore, becoming a real person like Ami is his lifelong goal. Although many puppeteers are abandoned before they can even gain enlightenment, he is an exception who has survived to this day, so at least he has hope.
“A name.” He looked at her with his only remaining eye. “Xiao Wu isn’t a name.”
Ami casually agreed, "It will be available soon." Seeing that he was about to ask more questions, she became a little impatient, pointed to the wooden box and told him to go back, "Take a nap, it'll be easier to get things done when you wake up."
Emerging from the dark room, I could vaguely hear the bustling noise of the streets, and ancient, desolate melodies echoing over the city. The sky remained overcast. The tower in the square grew taller and taller, effortlessly emerging from the walls of every house, draped in crimson banners, looking down upon the world as if ready to crush people at any moment.
Judging by the timeline, the city is currently in chaos. Xianyu's generals fought valiantly until the very last moment, and the Yan army remembers every single one of their faces. Now those fearsome faces have reappeared. How will those in power respond? Will they rush to capture and eliminate them, or will they discover potential value in these bodies?
It's quite interesting when you think about it.
She turned and went back to her own business. The Lu residence was quiet, and time seemed to pass very slowly. The Six Guards and the Ministry of Justice in the city, however, were worried that time was passing too quickly. The Grand Tutor had ordered a thorough investigation, but before they could find any clues, it was already dark.
The council hall of Jiuzhang Prefecture was deep and spacious. The bronze cauldrons in front of the pillars on both sides were burning brightly. At the end of a dozen sandalwood official hat chairs, there was a platform raised above the ground, with a gilded armchair placed in the very center.
There was no one in the armchair at this moment. The more the Grand Tutor remained hidden, the more anxious the Tiger Guard General and the Chief Justice of the Ministry of Justice became.
How to explain this is a difficult problem. Those imposters become inactive at the slightest touch, giving you no chance to question them. Where are you going to find out who the mastermind is?
The prefect squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, "The Grand Tutor will arrive in a while, and the general will give his report."
General Wei tightened his jaw. "I'll answer the question myself. What's the Prefect doing standing here?"
The prefect said, "I'm in charge of imprisoning people, and you six guards of the city are in charge of arresting them. The person was delivered to me already dead, and I'm just standing here... Yes, I don't even know what I'm doing standing here."
The Tiger Guard General was furious. "Those are all dummies. They look like they have flesh and skin, but they are actually dead things!"
The prefect's words were filled with a deep sense of powerlessness. "Dead things can run, and they even ran to the celebration in Xuan City to flaunt themselves. All the people in the city recognized them. I've heard that in ancient times there were puppeteers who made puppets so lifelike that it was hard to tell the difference between them and the real thing, but they couldn't just wander around the city like that. This time, they probably encountered a demon, one that specializes in killing the generals of the previous dynasty. If this matter is reported to the Grand Tutor, I don't know where to begin."
"He's just incompetent." General Wei cursed himself as well.
Just as they were about to discuss it further, they suddenly heard footsteps coming from the corridor. The steps were light and unhurried, and without even looking, they knew that the Grand Tutor had arrived.
The two men bowed deeply, and a black robe embroidered with cloud and thunder patterns stopped in front of them. "Puppet masters make puppets, and puppeteers make people. There are puppeteers causing trouble in the city. Order the guards to patrol strictly and not disturb the peace of the people."
Those in high positions do not need to speak harshly or be sternly; they can still be powerful through tranquility and detachment. Grand Tutor Lu Min was such a person.
Before the meeting, they were filled with anxiety, but now they felt a sense of relief, as if the dust had settled. The Grand Tutor rarely lost his temper, but it seemed this time would be no exception. General Wei and the Prefect breathed a sigh of relief, replied "Yes," and straightened their posture again.
According to the experience of past dynasties, imperial tutors were mostly white-haired elders, but the current Grand Tutor completely overturned this perception. Lu Min came from a prominent family in Laoyin. He entered the court at the age of twelve to assist the King of Yan. In fifteen years, he conquered Helan in the east, swept across the Han Sea in the west, reached the Rong and Qiang tribes in the south, and pacified Yinshan in the north, bringing the weakest of the six kingdoms, Yan, to the pinnacle of unification of the world.
He wielded great power, yet he was impartial and made no arbitrary decisions. No one questioned what he said, and all the knowledge in the world was in his mind.
The term "Yanshi" was something General Wei and the Prefect had never heard of before. The Prefect's thinking was always unconventional, and after hearing it, he was actually somewhat relieved, "It seems he's not some kind of demon or monster, just a craftsman."
The Grand Tutor chuckled, “Craftsmen should not be underestimated. I see that the enemy is coming on strong. If they can bring the former Yu general back to life today, there will be two or three more of us in the market tomorrow. The city's six guards have 47,000 men. Finding them for me before sunrise tomorrow shouldn't be too difficult, right?”
His tone was as gentle as a spring breeze, yet it could leave a deep crater when spoken. General Wei's mouth was dry, and he looked up tremblingly. Under the lamplight, the Grand Tutor's appearance was like lightning, his brows and eyes possessing both a refined and noble elegance and a fierce and stunningly murderous aura.
General Wei quickly bowed, "Please rest assured, Grand Tutor, I will immediately dispatch men to search every household for suspicious individuals. However, before I arrived at Jiuzhang Prefecture, my subordinate, Zhonghou, reported a strange incident: while parasols were being used to circle the city, a young man was blinded in one eye by a mischievous child, yet showed no signs of pain. Wuhou investigated the matter in the neighborhoods, but the trail ended at a household with the same surname as the Grand Tutor. The head of the household claimed to be the Grand Tutor's uncle, who had come from Laoyin Pass. Wuhou dared not search the residence casually, so he sent men to guard outside the house, waiting to receive the Grand Tutor's instructions before proceeding accordingly."
This arrangement seems prudent, but the Grand Tutor's expression turned profound. "My own uncle?"
The Lu family has many uncles from the same clan, but their closest relative passed away two years ago. Now, a person suddenly appears claiming to be their uncle, which can only mean two things: either someone is falsely claiming kinship, or the puppeteer is deliberately provoking them.
General Wei understood immediately, "This subordinate will immediately order the search and confiscation of Lirenfang and bring the people from that residence to see the Grand Tutor."
The Grand Tutor did not answer, but pondered for a moment and then asked, "Who else is in the house?"
General Wei said, "There are also dozens of servants and a young woman. The young woman said her name was Xia Fang and that she called the Grand Tutor her cousin."
A playful smile appeared on the Grand Tutor's lips. "Xiafang? It seems there is no girl in our clan with the given name Xiafang."
The source seemed to be from afar. The undisguised guidance suggested meticulous preparation, a trap to lure him in. Unfortunately, he lacked curiosity; he didn't want to know if his uncle had returned from the dead, nor did he want to verify if a secret cousin existed. The Tiger Guard General's silence on the matter was tantamount to approval. While the turmoil in Chong'an City was unexpected, everything was still under control; for him, there was no need to make a fuss over such a trivial matter.
"The construction work delayed by the Ansan Festival must be made up as quickly as possible after the festival. I will go to the capital next month to meet the Emperor, and I will be able to answer if His Majesty asks about it." He walked back to the head of the table and sat down, his sleeves hanging down. His temples were throbbing, and his head felt like it weighed a ton. He had to prop himself up with one hand and steady his breathing as he gave instructions, "The conscripted laborers are all civilians, unlike the soldiers in the army who are more resilient. I heard that more than a dozen people fell ill while digging the tunnels. Order the Household Medical Office to send more doctors to be stationed at the camp. Whether it is the laborers or their families, they will receive preferential treatment for medical treatment and medicine. Do not let there be any casualties on the sacred path."
General Wei accepted the order and waited a while. Seeing that the Grand Tutor had no further instructions, he and the Prefect left the council hall together.
By then it was completely dark, with only a few scattered wild stars hanging in the sky. The bonfires in the city were burning brightly, their smoke filling the area where heaven and earth met.
General Wei walked and pondered. He needed to hand over the man before dawn. He should dig three feet into the ground. Should he start from the east or the west of the city?
In the blink of an eye, he saw Luo Jie, the strategist under the Grand Tutor, hurrying over. He was a shrewd-looking young man from the Western Regions. It was hard to say whether he was plotting or not. After all, the Grand Tutor needed a strategist, and this matter itself was questionable. However, he was good at handling things and therefore was highly trusted by the Grand Tutor.
"Who is this?" The prefect's attention was drawn to the man in black behind Luo Jie. The man was wearing a black cloak, his entire face hidden under the hood, the brim of which was so dark that his nose and eyebrows were not visible.
To everyone's surprise, Luo Jie seemed not to hear him at all, and strode past him without even a greeting. He led the man into the council hall in one breath, and with a pale face, bowed to him, saying, "My lord, someone is paying respects at the gate of the mansion... Please take a look."
A seemingly random sentence, unlike his usual style. The person seated was taking a nap with his eyes closed. Upon hearing this, he raised his long, elegant eyes and looked down through the sliver of light. He watched as the man in black removed his hood and slowly tilted his face up towards him.
At that glance, he was shaken. Although he knew that the person behind the scenes was very capable, he was still amazed by the magic of the puppeteer's creation of humans when another face exactly like his own appeared in front of him.
However, despite the sighs, anger and unease also crept into their hearts. This imposter was so convincing that soon everyone would feel insecure, constantly worried about being replaced, and wondering whether the closest relatives and friends they had confided in just moments before were genuine or imposters.
Luo Jie keenly sensed his lord's change and quickly ordered the council hall doors to be closed. Just as he was about to take the demon away, the imposter revealed a sinister smile and said bluntly, "Killing them all is futile." He then opened his robe, revealing an empty chest. "The only difficulty in creating humans is the mind. Grand Tutor, your ambition is strong but your body weak. I have a ready-made good shell; do you have the heart?"
So this imposter was just a messenger, an invitation from the Puppeteer. Lu Min couldn't see through the intricate schemes beneath the surface, but he was certain that the changes in the city were minor incidents, and that the Puppeteer's real target was him.
He slowly rose and walked step by step toward the puppet master. "Where is the puppet master now? Why don't you speak to him face to face?"
Unable to handle the complex conversation, Yanren kept repeating, "I have a handsome appearance ready to be had; Grand Tutor, are you interested?"
It turns out that the human heart, a living soul, is the key to this body. Lu Min lowered his eyes to look at the hollow heart of the puppet. The fist-sized cavity was tailor-made for the heart, but who would go crazy and dig out their own heart?
He paused, slightly raised his hand, and two guards emerged from the shadows in the corner. Just as he was about to subdue them, the automaton suddenly stiffened and fell to the ground. Luo Jie hurriedly reached out to catch it, caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to hold it or throw it away.
Its figure and appearance were strikingly similar to the Grand Tutor; even if it was a fake, it was still awkward. Luo Jie, holding this hot potato, asked sheepishly, "My lord, what should we do?"
The elaborate scheme was all designed to lure him out. We initially planned to ignore it, but now the situation has changed drastically, and ignoring it is no longer an option.
Lu Min withdrew his gaze and pretended to turn away. "Find a room to house him, and don't let anyone in. Also, tell the Tiger Guards not to disturb the people in the Lu residence for the time being. I will personally pay a visit first thing tomorrow morning."
A note from the author:
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