Tang Nian looked at the spreading fire and the puppets in the fire that seemed to resemble Wang Shu. She turned around and ran up the stairs.
Tang Nian had always remembered Wang Shu's unusual behavior, and now, she had a guess.
Wang Shu was also a puppet.
Since that's the case, he couldn't possibly hide in the fire. The better option was to stay upstairs and watch her anxiously watching downstairs.
More importantly, the fragrance emanating from Wang Shu did not come downstairs.
However, the smell of burning peach wood was too strong, and Tang Nian could not pinpoint Wang Shu's location, so she could only search room by room.
Sure enough, when Tang Nian opened the last door, she saw Wang Shu looking wary.
"Is it strange that I was able to find you?" Tang Nian straightened up and slowly approached Wang Shu. "With your level of skill, you think you can play a game of cat and mouse with me?"
"you……"
Wang Shu subconsciously took two steps back, his thigh hitting the corner of the table. He staggered, but there was no sign of pain on his face.
"As expected, you're a puppet too."
Tang Nian looked up at Wang Shu's head and could vaguely see several thin lines connecting his limbs and body.
She suddenly remembered the silk thread mentioned in the letter left by Ye's father.
Originally, it referred to something like shadow puppetry, where people are connected by silk threads and their every move is controlled by someone.
"But...you're different from the group downstairs. Perhaps...you can help me find the person controlling you?"
Tang Nian rubbed her hands together, touched the hilt of her sword, and prepared to sever the dense strands of hair on his head with a single stroke.
She actually saw a glimmer of hope in Wang Shu's eyes.
Just as Tang Nian's sword was about to touch the silk threads, Wang Shu's body suddenly rose into the air. His face was full of panic, and his eyes were fixed on Tang Nian.
This was the first time he had shown his true self in front of Tang Nian.
He tried to shout for help, but no sound came out when he opened his mouth.
He disappeared the moment he hit the crossbeam.
Tang Nian rushed forward, looked up at the beam, but found nothing.
She looked down and saw several pieces of torn Xuan paper on the ground, smeared with ink, but she couldn't tell if they were words or paintings.
Suddenly, there was a loud knocking on the door.
Tang Nian turned her head and saw that, without her noticing, all the broken puppets had crowded up and were banging on the lintel.
The paper on the door windows had been torn, revealing several thin wooden arms.
There was still charred wood ash on his arm.
Just as the door was about to be pushed open, Tang Nian took a deep breath.
It was too late; she had to find a way to save herself.
Just then, she felt dizzy and lost consciousness.
When she opened her eyes again, she suddenly looked up and found herself back in her room.
Before him lay Ye Liunian, still unconscious, and he relaxed completely.
"You're awake."
Tang Nian sat up straight, stretched, and glanced at the jade bead broken in two on the ground: "If you had been any later, I might have died there too."
"Really? Then I'm glad I rescued you in time." Lou Mu joked, but couldn't help asking with concern, "What happened?"
"It's nothing, just a dream," Tang Nian said casually. "In the dream, all of you turned into puppets, and Wang Shu appeared too."
Tang Nian stood up, opened the window, and vaguely saw a person standing outside the opera house, motionless.
"Lou Mu, I think we need to go to the opera house again."
"Now?" Lou Mu frowned.
After what just happened, he didn't want Tang Nian to be in danger.
"His Highness hasn't returned yet. Why don't we wait until he comes back before making any further plans?"
"No need, we'll be right back." She beckoned Lou Mu to the window so he could see the figure.
How could Lou Mu possibly win an argument with Tang Nian?
Besides, he was also very curious about who would still be standing there.
He raised his hand and released a barrier to protect Ye Liunian, and he and Tang Nian left the inn together.
Upon arriving at the opera house, the two slowed their pace.
Standing outside the opera stage was Wang Shu.
But the mention of Wang Shu made Tang Nian's heart tighten.
His mouth stretched to the back of his head in a wide grin, but his eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead, while he made a welcoming gesture with his hands.
The heavy rouge on his face made him look even more sinister and terrifying.
No matter how Tang Nian shouted, he remained motionless in that position.
Tang Nian and Lou Mu exchanged a glance. Lou Mu took out a folding fan from his waist, carefully extended it, and gently touched Wang Shu's shoulder.
Wang Shu instantly fell to the other side.
The moment it fell, the human skin lost its support and collapsed to the ground.
Tang Nian bent down, smelled the familiar scent, and whispered, "Burnt peach wood."
Previously, Wang Shu's rouge and face powder completely masked the smell, but now that the skin has been broken, the scent can be detected.
"It seems you've discovered me and I've become a pawn."
The doors of the opera house were tightly closed, and Tang Nian took a deep look at them.
She could sense the intense malice the theater held towards her.
But none of that mattered to her.
She bent down and began to feel around in the human skin and wood ash.
Sure enough, she touched a few threads that weren't completely destroyed.
"Lou Mu, look, this is exactly what Ye Baichuan mentioned in his letter."
Lou Mu took the silk thread, but frowned: "I think I've seen this on Ye Liunian as well."
The two were startled and quickly turned around and ran back to the inn.
Ye Liunian was still fast asleep in the inn.
Tang Nian carefully examined the bed and found several broken threads on the bed where Ye Liunian was pressing down.
"You mean this?" Tang Nian picked up a stick and held it up in front of Lou Mu.
Lou Mu took the silk thread, carefully compared it, and then shook his head: "They look very similar, but they are not the same kind."
Tang Nian was still worried. She looked up at Lou Mu and said, "How about... we test if she bleeds?"
Lou Mu nodded and handed her a dagger.
Tang Nian held it in her hand and weighed it; it was heavier than an ordinary dagger.
"This is a good thing," she teased, twirling the dagger in her hand before firmly gripping it again.
"If you like it, I'll give it to you."
Lou Mu did not hesitate at all because of the preciousness of the dagger.
Tang Nian fell silent, lost in thought.
She didn't say anything more, turned around, gently grasped Ye Liunian's wrist, and lightly cut her fingers.
The two breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the bright red blood flowing from Ye Liunian's fingertips.
Ye Liunian, however, remained unconscious.
Thinking about what Wang Shu said, it seems that Ye Liunian's soul has been captured by the real culprit.
"It's getting late, I can sleep a little longer." Lou Mu glanced at the still pitch-black sky.
Tang Nian snapped out of her daze and shook her head: "Go back next door and rest. I'll stay here and keep watch."
Having just been dragged into a nightmare and then escaped, Tang Nian was unusually clear-headed at this moment.
Lou Mu knew Tang Nian's temper and didn't say much, but he refused to go back no matter what, so he could only make do on the couch in the end.
As dawn broke, the young prince appeared in the room.
"division……"
The young prince had barely opened his mouth when Tang Nian covered it.
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