Chapter 34: About the Problem of Not Being able to Take Off Pants
"How can I let the cat carry me? Isn't that abusing the kitten..." Su Xiaoyuan didn't understand what was going on for a moment, and continued speaking according to the puppet's logic.
The puppet walked faster.
"Wait," she realized, "Fu Tingyun, are you angry?"
"No," Fu Tingyun's tone remained steady. "Puppets aren't living beings, they can't get angry."
But this sentence also sounds like an angry remark.
"Then can you walk slower, Fu Tingyun? I can't keep up with you when you walk so fast. My legs are so sore..."
Su Xiaoyuan was not that squeamish, she just wanted to test whether the puppet was really in a bad mood.
Fu Tingyun finally stopped and turned around. He saw the girl looking aggrieved, her eyelids red and swollen. Thinking she was crying for him, he decided not to argue with her. He walked over, leaning over with his back to her, and said coldly, "Come up."
Su Xiaoyuan returned to the puppet, feeling a little uneasy.
This puppet has been acting a bit too human lately. First, he hit Senior Brother Xiahou with a cat, and then he competed with the cat for his favor...
I'll ask the curse-breaking lady and her puppeteer boyfriend later, Su Xiaoyuan secretly kept this in mind.
In order to save time, they didn't wait for others to join the group, but directly rented a small wing boat. They arrived at Jiang Mingyi's residence in less than half an hour.
They lived in the largest guesthouse in the city, called "Yun Shou Yu Xi". They lived in a villa with a private entrance and courtyard and two yards. It was much more luxurious than Su Xiaoyuan's small apartment.
"What a big room!" Su Xiaoyuan exclaimed, and immediately had more confidence in the curse-breaker's skills.
Fu Tingyun knew at a glance that her third senior sister had brought her pretty boy out to have fun this time, using the power of the government for personal gain, and the money she spent might even be charged to his account.
He didn't mind a little money, but being watched and having to pay for it made him doubly unhappy.
They waited outside the courtyard gate for a while, and Jiang Mingyi came out to greet them personally. He took her hand warmly and familiarly: "Sister Xiaoyuan, you are finally here. I have been waiting for you all day."
Su Xiaoyuan was a little embarrassed: "I'm sorry, I had classes today, and then something else delayed me. I hope I didn't delay Jiang Xianzi's business?"
"No, no," Jiang Mingyi said, "I found a middleman with a friend during the day and looked at a few shops. I took photos of them all with a photo stone. Sister Xiaoyuan is familiar with the area, so I'd like to trouble you to help us take a look later."
Su Xiaoyuan felt a great sense of responsibility when she heard this, and said guiltily, "Actually, I don't know much about the market, the location, or anything like that... I'm not sure I can be of any help to Fairy Jiang."
This child is really kind-hearted. Jiang Mingyi sighed in his heart: "It's okay, it's okay. Sister Xiaoyuan can just pick the one she likes. We all look the same."
After a pause, he said, "Sister Xiaoyuan, please don't be so formal. We are so destined to be together, why don't we just call each other sisters?"
Su Xiaoyuan envied e-people very much, but she was not very good at dealing with them, and was easily led by them. She nodded blankly.
"Xiao Yuan is not very old, right? I wonder if you would be comfortable revealing her age?"
Many monks are averse to others knowing their age. Su Xiaoyuan also knows the rules, but since the other party was so enthusiastic, she answered honestly: "I am nineteen years old."
Jiang Mingyi pretended not to see his junior brother's expression. He just held his sister's hand and smiled at her: "I am a few years older than Xiaoyuan, so I am her elder sister."
Fu Tingyun: "..."
This Xu is more than four hundred years old and can be someone's great-great-grandmother.
But on second thought, according to seniority they should indeed call each other sisters.
Su Xiaoyuan blushed and called out obediently, "Sister Jiang."
Only then did Jiang Mingyi seriously examine the puppet behind her: "Is this the puppet you were talking about?"
Su Xiaoyuan nodded: "Yes, that's him I'm talking about. Today I'll have to trouble Sister Jiang and that Immortal Lord to help check him out."
She quickly added, "I'll pay for it. Just charge the normal fee, sister."
Jiang Mingyi rubbed his hands: "Remuneration is a small matter, after reading it..."
She suddenly caught a glimpse of the puppet's expression and said, "It's fate that I met Sister Xiaoyuan. I'm lucky that she trusts me. How can I take your money? When the shop opens, you can promote us in the sect."
She wanted to have some fun and make some money at the same time, since the little sister had a mine. But she knew that if she dared to take the sister's money, her ruthless junior brother would harm his fellow disciples.
Su Xiaoyuan said ashamedly, "I'm just an outer disciple. I don't know many people in the sect. My promotion might not be effective... Sister Jiang, please charge the normal fee."
Honest, so honest.
Jiang Mingyi: "No hurry, no hurry, let's check first. Please come in, sister."
Su Xiaoyuan secretly made up her mind that she must insist on paying after the examination.
Jiang Mingyi took them to a small living room.
The young man from last night had been waiting inside. When he saw them, he stood up, clasped his hands against his legs, and his whole body was tense, as if he was being punished.
Jiang Mingyi cleared his throat and introduced, "My friend is a disciple of the Yanshi Sect, and his Taoist name is Mu Qing."
He's also a poor guy with social anxiety, Su Xiaoyuan thought to herself, and smiled at him in a friendly manner: "I'm sorry to bother Immortal Mu Qing today."
The young man politely returned the greeting, and several people sat down opposite each other, leaving only a puppet that was not a human standing.
Su Xiaoyuan noticed that the young man looked at the puppet from time to time, his expression tense and even a little fearful.
Su Xiaoyuan was made nervous by his fearful look: "My Lord, is there something wrong with my puppet?"
The young man came to his senses and said, "No... no, we'll have to examine the magic circle inside to find out. I just recognized this puppet as the work of our sect, so I took a closer look. Fairy Su, don't worry."
Su Xiaoyuan felt relieved, but then became worried again: "I don't know how to check it?"
She couldn't help but wonder if she had to take it apart to check the components or something, and if it would break if she put it back together.
This boy looks so young and doesn't seem very confident, and I don't know how good his skills are.
As if guessing what she was thinking, Jiang Mingyi said, "Don't be afraid, Xiaoyuan. I'm just casting a spell to check the formation inside the puppet. My friend, although young, is very talented. He is the closed disciple of the current leader of the Yanshi Sect. You can rest assured."
He said to the young man, "Take Xiao Yuan's puppet to the inner room for inspection first."
Su Xiaoyuan's heart, which had just been at ease, began to lift again: "Will he feel any pain during this examination?"
Jiang Mingyi and Mu Qing both looked surprised.
The young man said: "The puppet man won't..."
Jiang Mingyi interrupted him: "Don't worry, sister, this kind of examination won't feel anything. At most, it's like being pricked by a fine needle."
Su Xiaoyuan was still a little worried: "Can I watch from the side?"
Jiang Mingyi: "Even if Junior Sister Xiaoyuan was right next to me, she wouldn't be able to see anything. While they were examining me, I just happened to have a few questions for Sister Xiaoyuan. Treating a puppet is similar to treating a living person; it also requires observation, listening, questioning, and palpation."
Insisting further would seem a bit too petty, so Su Xiaoyuan stood up, walked to the puppet, squeezed his hand, and said softly: "Fu Tingyun, this Mu Qingxianjun will help you check the formation. It may be a little painful, like a needle prick... I'm outside. If you need any help, just call me..."
The puppet nodded and followed the boy into the inner room.
Su Xiaoyuan watched his back disappear behind the door curtain anxiously, then sat back down and asked Jiang Mingyi, "What does Sister Jiang want to know?"
Jiang Mingyi held his chin, his eyes sparkling with interest. "Sister, why don't you tell me first? Where did you buy this puppet? How many spirit stones did you spend on it?"
Su Xiaoyuan was a little confused and asked cautiously, "Do these also matter?"
Jiang Mingyi pressed his lips together, trying to look serious and respectful. "Of course, the source is also important. If it wasn't purchased from a regular store, it would be a bit suspicious."
"It's legitimate, it's legitimate," Su Xiaoyuan said hurriedly, "The door of that shop
It has a Yanshi Sect certification sign, although it's closed now."
Jiang Mingyi frowned: "Did you buy it in this city?"
Su Xiaoyuan nodded.
"But as far as I know, there doesn't seem to be any shop opened by the Yanshi Sect in the Yunyu Sect territory."
Su Xiaoyuan was surprised: "Huh?"
Jiang Mingyi concentrated some spiritual energy on his fingertips and drew a glittering golden pattern in the air. "Is this the symbol of the Yanshi Sect that you saw, Junior Sister?"
Su Xiaoyuan identified it for a while and shook her head: "It's a bit similar, but different. There are a few strokes missing here..."
She understood and her face turned pale. She had encountered a counterfeit product, probably the difference between Sprite and Leibi.
"But Immortal Lord Mu Qing just said that the puppet he recognized was from his sect..."
"Don't worry, Sister Xiaoyuan," Jiang Mingyi comforted her. "Although the shop was opened under the name of the Yanshi Sect, the items are not necessarily fake. How much did this puppet cost?"
"Twenty high-grade spirit stones..."
Jiang Mingyi tried hard to hold back his laughter.
Su Xiaoyuan: "It's not priced at twenty yuan, it's not that cheap... Twenty yuan is the price for one draw. The shop assistant accidentally mixed it into the old stock, so I happened to win it... Although it's second-hand, it's of very good quality. If I wasn't mistaken, it wouldn't be so cheap..."
Jiang Mingyi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Suddenly, a cold murderous aura leaked out from the gap in the door curtain.
Su Xiaoyuan’s cultivation level was low, so she didn’t know that it was murderous aura, but she shivered involuntarily.
Jiang Mingyi cleared his throat, sat up straight, and said with a serious expression: "Hmm... I see. I understand."
As soon as she heard it, she understood the whole story. It must be that the unscrupulous businessman was greedy and bought this puppet of unknown origin from the previous owner, wanting to sell it at a high price. As a result, the protective formation inside was too complex and could not be deciphered. Seeing that this little sister was easy to deceive, he took the opportunity to get rid of it.
"What did Xiao Yuan buy this puppet for?"
Su Xiaoyuan's cheeks immediately felt hot, so hot that she could fry an egg on them. She lowered her head and was unable to speak.
Jiang Mingyi understood her expression as soon as he saw her like this: "I heard that your sect's disciples use puppets to practice... ahem... the art of dual cultivation and nourishment. Could it be that Junior Sister is also doing this?
"Don't be embarrassed, sister. Studying hard is a serious matter."
Su Xiaoyuan had no choice but to admit, "Because the entrance exam is less than three months away, and I'm so bad at studying that I'm afraid I won't pass... The elders kindly installed a formation similar to the one used for the exam in my puppet so I can practice more."
"I understand, I understand. It's been hard on you, Junior Sister. Practicing the Way of Hehuan isn't easy..." Jiang Mingyi rested his chin on one hand, leaning forward with a stern gaze. "So, how's your practice going?"
"Is this... related?"
"This puppet shouldn't be designed for dual cultivation. I need to ask for clarification just in case."
She first briefly explained the function of the formation to Jiang Mingyi, and then talked about the test items: "I only passed the first two items."
"What is it?" Jiang Mingyi asked with great interest.
Su Xiaoyuan always felt that this curse-breaking sister was a bit gossipy, but she still replied, "It was just flirting and whispering..."
"What other levels are there?"
Su Xiaoyuan curled up her toes and gritted her teeth as she listed a few.
"Ahhh..." Jiang Mingyi couldn't help but sigh, "It really is worthy of being the Yunyu Sect!"
Su Xiaoyuan blinked and looked at her in confusion.
Jiang Mingyi asked seriously, "Did anything strange happen during the practice?"
Su Xiaoyuan thought about it and the strangest thing was that she passed the "ear-to-ear rubbing" project once and got a high score.
But it's not surprising that a blind cat catches a dead mouse.
She shook her head and said, "Everything was normal during practice..."
"What about other times?"
Su Xiaoyuan was a little embarrassed.
"Sister, there's no need to be shy about seeking medical advice. Just tell us the truth. We can make our own judgments. What makes you think there's something wrong with this puppet?"
Su Xiaoyuan lowered her eyes and fiddled with her fingers: "The first time was the first day I brought him home... I took him to take a bath..."
She bit her lip and whispered, "When I was taking off my pants...it felt like I was struck by lightning and bounced out..."
"Tsk!" Jiang Mingyi shook his head in anger.
"What else? Go on."
Su Xiaoyuan added, "There's another thing... maybe it's not abnormal. A few days ago, before I left, I asked him to clean up the house and take out the trash, but he burned some of my belongings..."
Jiang Mingyi could tell she was trying to whitewash the situation: "How much is some?"
"About half..."
Jiang Mingyi could see that the girl was still covering up for him. Judging from the cruelty of her junior brother, it was at least 70% to 80%.
"I guess he can't tell what's trash and what's not... That's normal for a puppet, right?"
Jiang Mingyi held his forehead with his hands. "How can this be normal, sister? There is no such a puppet in the world who doesn't care about human affairs! She should have been dragged away and burned long ago!"
"Did anything unusual happen on the day he burned the things?"
Su Xiaoyuan recalled and shook her head: "Nothing, I just went back a little late and it was already dark."
Jiang Mingyi: Tsk tsk.
She nodded: "Sister, go on."
Su Xiaoyuan brushed her hair and said slowly, "He sometimes does stupid things like this, but sometimes he seems quite smart. He will take the initiative to help me and care about me. Today, because I cried, he hit one of my senior brothers in the face with a cat. Sometimes he seems to compete with the cat for his favor... Sometimes I have the illusion that he is not a puppet, but a real person..."
"Oh? What's that about hitting a cat in the face and competing for a cat's favor?" Jiang Mingyi's eyes sparkled. "Tell me more about it."
Before he finished speaking, the door curtain opened with a swish, and Mu Qingxianjun walked out with a gloomy face, looking as if he was about to cry.
Su Xiaoyuan's heart skipped a beat, and her voice trembled: "My Lord, is my puppet okay?"
The young man seemed to still be in a state of shock, his voice weak, "Don't worry, Fairy. I've checked, and there's nothing unusual about the formation our sect has set up."
Su Xiaoyuan let out a long sigh: "Really? That's good! Thank you, Immortal Lord!"
The young man looked at Jiang Mingyi, his expression almost tearful: "Sister, I'm fine here, please go in and check the other formations..."
Jiang Mingyi quickly stood up and said to Su Xiaoyuan, "Sister, wait a moment. I'll be right back."
He said he would be back soon, but Su Xiaoyuan waited anxiously for a full quarter of an hour.
Jiang Mingyi finally came out with her puppet.
Su Xiaoyuan saw that her puppet had a dark face and looked even uglier than usual. She nervously clutched her sleeves and asked, "Sister Jiang, how is it?"
Jiang Mingyi was all smiles: "Don't worry, Sister Xiaoyuan, I've checked everything, there's no evil curse."
Su Xiaoyuan felt relieved, her eyes were sore and she almost cried again.
"I roughly understand the reasons for the strange things you mentioned."
She glanced at the puppet: "You said sometimes he felt like a living person, but it's not an illusion..."
Su Xiaoyuan opened her eyes wide, her heart pounding. What did this mean?
"This type of higher-grade puppet, after spending a long time with its master, will pick up some of the master's habits, and thus display some temperaments similar to its master.
"Simply put, it means that the object resembles its owner."
Su Xiaoyuan suddenly realized, so the occasional awkwardness, moodiness, jealousy and competing for the cat's favor was all because she looked like the previous owner?
The previous owner had a really bad temper.
Her Fu Tingyun is such a poor little thing!
"Sister Xiaoyuan, you can take the puppet back and use it without worry," Jiang Mingyi clenched his fist and coughed. "By the way, about that problem of not being able to take off your pants..."
Su Xiaoyuan's face turned red again.
"That's not some evil spell, it's a protective spell to prevent anyone from plotting something bad. Xiao Yuan has been recognized as the puppet's master, so of course she's not one of them. I'll help you break it..."
After a pause, he said, "But it's not convenient for me to try with your puppet. You might as well take him to the inner room and try to see if he can take it off."
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