"There's still nothing we can do about the rest of the city; we can only let it be submerged. More than ten days ago, the floodwaters and the demons receded, and more and more divine beings are flocking to the city. So I made some puppets to help clean up the city, so that the exiled divine beings can have a place to settle down as soon as possible."
"When everyone heard that the army was coming, they all dropped what they were doing to welcome it. The puppet, oblivious to everything, was still busy working. I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Master Wang," Lu Ban explained with a smile.
"Sir... could sir be Master Lu...?"
Looking at everything before him and listening to what Lu Ban had said, Wang Yao suddenly remembered that when he came out of the village at the foot of the mountain and met Li Shishi and Feng Huan, they had introduced him to a true god in the Six Realms who had cultivated puppetry. Could this be the one?
"I dare not accept such a title. I am old and muddle-headed, obsessed with strange skills and ingenious crafts, and have gone astray, wasting my time. I am truly ashamed and dare not call myself a master." When Lu Ban heard Wang Yao call him a master, he hurriedly waved his hand and declined.
“Um… I’ve long heard of Mr. Lu’s great name. If I hadn’t seen these puppets, I really wouldn’t have dared to associate Mr. Lu with the legendary Master Lu. I heard that the Heavenly Court once intended to invite the Master to the Immortal Realm?” Wang Yao asked with a smile.
"It's kind of you, Immortal Wang, to remember my embarrassing past. My cultivation method is too difficult and doesn't meet the standards of the orthodox path. It's just for show. The Heavenly Court knew my background and mentioned it once, but then never heard from it again." Lu Ban shook his head with a gloomy expression.
Wang Yao knew that this Master Lu was a man of great talent but unappreciated, and even his children and grandchildren had given up on passing on his puppetry skills. When speaking to Wang Yao, this man adopted an extremely humble posture. Although there was indeed an element of self-deprecation in it, it was probably more of a self-defense mechanism under the cold stares he had always suffered.
Moreover, Wang Yao knew that since this person had persisted in puppetry to this day without changing his original intention, he must be extremely confident in his art. His so-called self-defense was probably just a coping mechanism he was forced to take because he had been unappreciated by the world for so long.
To be able to persevere through the disdain of countless people for so long, Mr. Lu must possess great wisdom and willpower, and his character must also be extremely tenacious and sensitive.
If Wang Yao hadn't flattered him without a basis, the old man might have misunderstood and thought Wang Yao was being sarcastic or mocking him. However, Wang Yao was indeed very interested in the old man's puppetry skills, so he rolled his eyes and then smiled at Lu Ban.
"Mr. Lu, have you seen the giant puppets used by the Demon Clan during their attack on the Sea-Reclaiming Divine Realm?" Wang Yao asked.
"I've seen a few. Such a large body, yet it can only be used as a boat or a means of transport. It's a real waste of its exquisite craftsmanship, which cost a fortune to make." Sure enough, when the old man mentioned the puppet, the light in his eyes unconsciously shone through.
"Oh? Mr. Lu has even seen the puppet's mind?" Wang Yao asked in surprise.
"This is my lifelong passion. How could I not be tempted by otherworldly puppets?" Mr. Lu shook his head and smiled shyly. "When the demons were rampaging, I didn't dare to take action. But once they've all left, I'll try to find a way to keep one or two behind to study them properly."
"Really? Where is it? How did you get your hands on it, sir?" Wang Yao asked, very curious.
“Such a huge thing can’t be kept in the city. I put it in the mountains to the west of the city. If you’re interested, I’ll take you to see it. It looks scary, but the mechanism inside is actually very simple…” Lu Ban immediately got excited when he talked about his interests.
"Mr. Lu, wait a minute. You said the demons have already withdrawn?" Wei Zheng suddenly interjected.
“Yes, including today, they haven’t shown up for five days. Moreover, the demons who passed through here before were all heading south. If they weren’t retreating to the Demon Realm, what would they be doing heading south?” Lu Ban was interrupted and was clearly displeased.
Wang Yao and his group had heard news of the demons' retreat many times along the way, but they dared not believe it easily, since the demons' reasons for doing so were hard to explain.
In particular, since Wang Yao knew that the Battle of Qianfan Port was Hu Mei's doing, those rebellious demons and foreign gods had even less reason to give up this territory that they had worked so hard to conquer. After all, with this territory, they finally had a real base in the God and Demon Realm.
Do you really want to go back to living at the mercy of those demon lords? That just doesn't make any sense.
"Perhaps a relatively large resistance force has emerged in the south?" Wang Yao guessed hesitantly.
The people around him nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this. They were already close to the Divine City of Reclaimed Land, and the southern region was vast, so it was quite possible that several settlements of the gods, like Shuangliu City, would appear.
The fact that Lu Ban, being prudent and wise, avoided the battle with the demons in Shuangliu City does not mean that other places will be the same. Most of the remaining divine soldiers and generals are still willing to fight the demons to the death, so Wang Yao's guess is not unreasonable.
"So, we can't let our guard down in Shuangliu City?" Lu Ban asked in surprise.
“Of course, we can’t be too careful until we figure out the true movements of the demons.” Wang Yao nodded.
“Now that the demon army is confirmed to be heading south, then the Sea-Reclaiming Divine City…” Wei Zheng suddenly looked at Wang Yao with shining eyes.
“That’s right. The Sea-Reclaiming Divine City must be vulnerable. If we launch an attack on it quickly, we could not only take it in one fell swoop, but it might even provide some support to the resistance forces of the Southern Divine Clan.” Wang Yao’s spirits immediately lifted.
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