Chapter 55

Chapter 54: The Puppet Master 2

[As the dungeon level increases, the story content becomes richer, requiring players to further enhance their sensitivity to character traits.]

[Meanwhile, the gap between the immortal cultivation world and the real world is significant, so players need some time to adapt to their respective character abilities.]

[Therefore, the system has specially arranged several days for everyone to adapt.]

[During this period, players’ free exploration will be somewhat limited, and many irreversible storylines will appear. Players are encouraged to deeply experience the characters and plot.]

[Special reminder: Some players’ characters may have high magical power. Do not use it recklessly without mastering the techniques, to avoid harming yourself or others and receiving penalties.]

[For example, some players’ characters may be “respected elders, compassionate to all living beings” cultivators. If they harm innocents casually, the system will judge it as violating the character traits and may punish the player accordingly. Severe violations may result in death penalties. Players must act with caution.]

In the side room, by the stove, following the story and character requirements, Shi Zong held the hand of Zhai Feng, who had “died and been resurrected,” while receiving a prompt from the system.

At the same time, his brain automatically absorbed all the stories known to the character he was playing, Shen Cangli.

The Central Plains cultivation world is now controlled by four major families: the Zhai family, the Zhao family, the Xuanyuan family, and the Zhongli family.

The reason the four major families have such prestige is because a hundred years ago they pacified the Demon Realm and swept through the demon clans.

Back then, the Spirit Mountain in the Demon Realm collapsed, and heavenly waters flooded, causing the demon population to suffer greatly from floods.

The Immortal Realm took this opportunity to attack the Demon Realm. However, faced with the massive natural disaster, the demon soldiers resisted stubbornly, fought for a long time without surrendering, and inflicted heavy losses on the Immortal Realm.

Later, the four major families jointly obtained the ancient treasure, the Water Light Pearl, and gave it to the Immortal Realm warriors who went to the Demon Realm to fight.

With the combined effect of the natural disaster and the Water Light Pearl, an unprecedented flood disaster struck the Demon Realm, reportedly submerging more than half of it.

Countless demons perished, and their army ultimately collapsed.

The Immortal Realm forces repelled the demon army, advanced to the demon palace, and eventually beheaded the Demon Lord Gaoyang.

The Water Light Pearl offered by the four major families brought victory to the righteous path. In this campaign, they earned great merit, not only increasing their reputation among mortals but also receiving immense wealth, magical treasures, longevity, and secret techniques to help them ascend to immortality early from the Immortal Lords of the Nine Heavens.

Thus, the four major families became a pinnacle in the eyes of many cultivators.

Everyone’s lifelong goal was, of course, to attain immortality, but if one could not ascend, being able to join any of the four major families was still desirable.

Fengling Ferry is a very special existence in the Central Plains cultivation world.

It was once the most powerful sect, with no one in the sect not being a peerless expert. It is said that the strongest among them could even hold their own against the war gods of the Immortal Realm.

But hundreds of years ago, for unknown reasons, the sect leader suddenly led the disciples into seclusion and withdrew from worldly affairs. When the demon clans later invaded the human world, Fengling Ferry remained neutral.

Over a hundred years ago, the Lingyin Sect was invaded by demons and sought help from Fengling Ferry. At that time, the sect leader refused to appear, resulting in the complete destruction of the Lingyin Sect.

Fengling Ferry’s reputation fell to rock bottom, and rumors even suggested collusion with the Demon Realm.

The situation only began to change decades ago.

When Shen Cangli was seven, his father Shen Mo was still the sect leader.

Shen Mo reestablished contact with the four major families and even sent Shen Cangli to the Zhai family among the four to study some techniques for a period of time.

This is how Shen Cangli met the Zhai family’s Third Young Master, Zhai Feng.

At that time, Zhai Feng was thirteen and treated Shen Cangli with brotherly care.

As for Shen Cangli, he not only had exceptional talent in techniques but also seemed to understand emotions earlier than others. At a very young age, he developed feelings for Zhai Feng.

Later, when Shen Cangli traveled with the Zhai family disciples for experience, Zhai Feng saved his life. Shen Cangli then firmly decided that he wanted to be with Zhai Feng for life.

At fifteen, Shen Cangli returned to Fengling Ferry to practice the secret techniques of the sect. Three years later, he became a secluded master at a young age. In a sparring competition hosted by the four major families, he took first place, becoming the strongest among the younger generation in the Central Plains cultivation world.

At nineteen, Shen Cangli inherited the position of sect leader at the youngest age.

That same year, his father retired and disappeared, leaving all the sect’s affairs to Shen Cangli.

At twenty, Shen Cangli had earned enough reputation in the eyes of everyone at Fengling Ferry. After exterminating several rebellious great demons and receiving unanimous praise from the sect, he suddenly acted like a demon himself.

Being a man, he publicly confessed his love to Zhai Feng, the Zhai family’s Third Young Master, who was also a man, declaring that he would marry him no matter what.

After that, he pursued Zhai Feng for three years and was rejected for three years.

Not long ago, at the Zhai family head’s birthday banquet, he actually carried Zhai Feng back to Fengling Ferry in public, astonishing everyone. No one expected him to be capable of such a thing.

After Shen Mo stepped down as sect leader, he disappeared, but left an elder in charge of teaching Shen Cangli.

The night Shen Cangli brought Zhai Feng back, the elder spat a mouthful of blood in anger.

“You… what you’ve done… truly disregards your father’s efforts! You, you, you—this act violates moral norms, not only plunging Fengling Ferry’s hard-earned reputation back to rock bottom but also offending all four major families. You… you really…”

Shen Cangli interrupted, “What effort did my father make? Besides, all the ultimate cultivation manuals in the Central Plains are in our Fengling Ferry. Why did he insist that I study techniques at the Zhai family?”

“If he hadn’t sent me to the Zhai family back then, I wouldn’t have met Third Brother. So, if anyone is to blame, blame my father.”

“Besides, I merely fell in love with a man. What’s wrong with that?”

He didn’t hear the elder’s reply.

The elder fainted immediately and afterward fell gravely ill, never able to help Shen Cangli handle the sect’s affairs again.

So Shen Cangli sent his trusted Lin Zhian to find a master skilled in medicine who could save the elder.

Lin Zhian succeeded in bringing someone.

That person was named Wu Yunxi.

His medical skill was truly superb. Under his treatment, the elder regained consciousness. Although he still couldn’t use techniques, he could at least get out of bed and walk.

This time, Zhai Feng’s “resurrection” was also thanks to Wu Yunxi.

For Zhai Feng, the whole world had witnessed his defeat at Shen Cangli’s hands, unable to beat him. But if it had ended there, it would only have been embarrassing.

Shen Cangli openly declared he would marry him and make him his legitimate partner. This, without doubt, branded Zhai Feng with humiliation.

Under these circumstances, the Zhai family was also in a dilemma. If they sent people to Fengling Ferry to take him back, on what grounds could they do so?

Tell Shen Cangli not to force Zhai Feng? Tell him not to take Zhai Feng by force?

If such words got out, the Zhai family would be mocked by the world.

For the same reason, the other three families also couldn’t intervene recklessly.

Not wanting to be manipulated by Shen Cangli, not wanting the Zhai family to be embarrassed, wishing to preserve some dignity for the four major families… probably for these reasons, Zhai Feng ultimately chose to commit suicide.

Shen Cangli thought, luckily there was a divine figure like Wu Yunxi. He not only resurrected Zhai Feng but also made him completely under his control.

At that moment, Shen Cangli held Zhai Feng’s hand tightly and looked at him carefully.

His face was pale, looking extremely weak, and there was a deep wound on his neck. Wu Yunxi had stitched it, and the suture marks made the wound look even more gruesome.

But in Shen Cangli’s eyes, the Zhai family’s Third Young Master would always be the most handsome, the most elegant.

Looking closely at Zhai Feng, Shen Cangli softly asked, “Third Brother, do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Zhai Feng shook his head, as if he fully understood him.

Shen Cangli smiled. “Then don’t frown, okay? You always frown when you look at me… Can you smile at me?”

No sooner had he spoken than Zhai Feng’s bitter, vengeful expression disappeared, replaced by a gentle, jade-like smile, just like when he first met Shen Cangli—like bright moonlight, like a soft breeze.

Seeing this, Shen Cangli nearly shed tears.

The mighty top expert, in front of Zhai Feng, looked as wronged as a child.

He wiped his tears and held Zhai Feng’s hand again. “Wonderful. You don’t even know, you haven’t smiled at me in so long.

“If I had known… I should have killed you with one stroke long ago, then personally resurrected you. That way, you could have become mine sooner.”

The plot played out to this point.

Shi Zong in Shen Cangli’s body: “……”

He Zhen in Zhai Feng’s body: “……”

Shen Cangli continued, “During the time you were unconscious, I talked with Lin Zhian and the elders.

“I realized one thing. You think me abducting you was an insult, that the whole world would mock you, the Zhai family’s Third Young Master, for submitting to a man.

“I know what to do now. Tonight, you and I will marry! It’s rushed, too late to invite too many people… but I’ll try to bring enough witnesses. At that time, I’ll announce to the world that you were not taken by force; it is I who am marrying you.

“Third Brother, tonight I marry you, alright?”

Shi Zong again: “…………”

—With cultivation this high, why do anything else? Why so love-crazed?

However, at this moment, He Zhen saw some similarities between Shen Cangli and Shi Zong.

Of course, what they pursued and wanted to do was completely different.

But one thing: both were recklessly willful to the extreme.

Even their expressions while speaking bore some resemblance.

Shen Cangli, with long hair, wearing a plain robe embroidered with flowing cloud patterns, looked remarkably like how Shi Zong appeared in hell.

Seeing Shen Cangli, housing Shi Zong’s soul, use the familiar expression from Mingyue’s face, smile, and say, “Third Brother, tonight I marry you”—

He Zhen’s hand trembled.

Seeing Zhai Feng a bit stunned, Shen Cangli cautiously asked, “Third Brother, alright? Do you wish to marry me?”

A moment later, He Zhen, using Zhai Feng’s body, replied in a slightly hoarse voice: “Alright.”

When He Zhen used tools to check character information, he really didn’t know too many specifics. The character he had was not even named, just crudely labeled by the system as “a corpse.”

Compared with other characters, this one had very little information.

Perhaps for this reason, the system added a note: [This character interacts frequently with Shen Cangli and is referred to by him as “Third Brother.”]

He Zhen hadn’t thought much at the time, instinctively unwilling to let Shi Zong call anyone else “Third Brother.”

Back then, he thought the role he received was a blood-related elder brother of Shi Zong; he never imagined their relationship would be like this.

Shen Cangli continued, “Third Brother, I don’t want to leave your side for a single step, but I still have to prepare for our wedding.

“Also, I’ve arranged for someone to dress and groom you. You must wear this outfit. Our wedding attire—I already had it designed long ago.”

At this point, seeing Zhai Feng before him with a dazed gaze, as if returned to a zombie-like state, Shen Cangli panicked and quickly raised his right hand, drawing a magical seal in midair. Almost instantly, nearly invisible threads with a faint glow appeared on his five fingers.

Not long ago, under Wu Yunxi’s spell control, one end of these threads had entered Shen Cangli’s flesh, merged into his meridians, and wrapped around the bones of his five fingers.

The other ends entered Zhai Feng’s corpse at the crown, neck, heart, and limbs.

Shen Cangli moved his index finger, and Zhai Feng turned to smile at him, speaking according to his intent: “Alright, Ali, I understand.”

Shen Cangli also smiled. “That’s good. Then we… we’ll see each other at our wedding!”

At this point, this segment of the forced plot finally ended.

Normally, Shi Zong should follow the requirements to continue the next part of the storyline.

But he noticed the red thread on the back of his hand had temporarily dimmed, so he quickly asked the person in front of him, “Are you a player or an NPC?”

At this moment, in He Zhen’s eyes, the person before him suddenly changed expression.

The person who just now had his heart and eyes full of him disappeared in an instant, replaced by Shi Zong’s cold expression and wary gaze.

Meeting Shi Zong’s eyes, He Zhen heard him repeat the question.

After a brief thought, He Zhen forced the stiff smile appropriate to the character and asked softly, “Ali, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”

Hearing this, Shi Zong gave him a suspicious glance but temporarily ignored him and got up to leave.

If this person were an NPC, everything would be simple enough.

If he were a player, yet now pretending to be an NPC, then the motive behind it was worth investigating.

According to Wu Yunxi, these threads acted as a medium. Using them, Shen Cangli controlled Zhai Feng’s body with his spiritual power.

But in truth, it was just a self-deceptive technique, a trick.

Shen Cangli, madly in love, hadn’t noticed this.

But Shi Zong, as a player, could clearly see—

Zhai Feng was already dead. Shen Cangli was using his spiritual power to control him so that his words and actions perfectly matched Shen Cangli’s intent.

But Zhai Feng’s soul should have been gone.

So what Shen Cangli was actually controlling was just a body with Zhai Feng’s appearance and figure, only slightly better than a wooden puppet.

This wasn’t resurrection in the true sense.

His beloved had long disappeared. How long could he love a soulless body, a shell with none of Zhai Feng’s essence?

But Shi Zong wasn’t concerned about that right now. He was thinking: if the “resurrected” Zhai Feng is an NPC, it doesn’t matter.

In that case, he’s just a soulless shell, with no capacity for thought, posing no threat to Shi Zong’s safety.

But if he’s a player, disguising as an NPC, that means Zhai Feng’s resurrection hides something else.

It’s highly possible someone had possessed Zhai Feng’s body, pretending to be controlled by the threads.

Why would someone steal Zhai Feng’s body and disguise as him? Could it be to infiltrate Fengling Ferry?

What’s their purpose—seeking a cultivation manual to advance their power? Discovering Fengling Ferry’s secrets?

Or… do they intend to kill me?

Due to character requirements, plot needs, or personal story completion requirements, this player certainly wouldn’t reveal any of this to Shi Zong.

So the perfect way for them to hide their story right now is simply to disguise themselves as an NPC in the dungeon.

For the moment, Shi Zong couldn’t tell anything, so he left.

In the courtyard, he met someone—none other than the medical master Wu Yunxi.

Wu Yunxi was handsome, wearing dark-colored robes, standing in the courtyard with stacked rocks and greenery, looking quite pleasant to the eye.

He was even playing with shadow puppets.

Seeing Shen Cangli played by Shi Zong step out, Wu Yunxi turned sideways and said, “Greetings, Sect Leader. How is Third Young Master Zhai?”

Shi Zong said, “Third Brother is doing well. Thank you, sir. If it weren’t for you, I truly wouldn’t have known what to do.”

“Sect Leader, you are too polite,” Wu Yunxi smiled.

Shi Zong asked, “Are you… playing shadow puppets?”

“I heard the Sect Leader is having a wedding. I plan to perform a shadow puppet show at the celebration. I wonder what the Sect Leader thinks?”

Wu Yunxi looked at the puppets in his hands with a complex expression, manipulated them to make a gesture, and said, “There are far too many disobedient people in this world. If one could completely control them, wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing?”

Shi Zong glanced at Wu Yunxi thoughtfully, his gaze showing the obsessive attachment Shen Cangli would display when thinking of Zhai Feng: “Yes. Of course, a beautiful thing…

“This is incredibly beautiful. But these threads can only control the dead. So, to control the living, one would first have to kill them.

“Luckily, Third Brother died by his own hand. Otherwise… if I had to kill him, I truly wouldn’t have had the heart.”

“The Sect Leader’s deep love for Third Young Master is enviable to all,” Wu Yunxi said. “It was he who previously didn’t understand the Sect Leader’s intentions.”

Shi Zong asked, “Why did you study this resurrection technique? Do you also have someone you wish to revive?”

“Yes. I also have a dear friend I wish to resurrect, but his soul has been gone from the body too long. The threads cannot bind him, and he will not obey them.”

Wu Yunxi sighed lightly. “In that case, even if I control his body, he is no longer the same as before.

“So, Sect Leader, you are fortunate. Third Young Master Zhai has just left; we can retrieve his soul and trap it in this body. In the future, you will have his soul and body forever. He will always obey you.

“As for me… to revive my dear friend, I must seek another method.”

Hmm? According to Wu Yunxi, it seems to rule out the possibility that Zhai Feng was possessed by someone else?

Zhai Feng being fully controlled isn’t because he’s just a soulless body, but because his soul is bound by the threads?

So… perhaps Shi Zong’s previous judgment was wrong. This is, in a sense, a kind of resurrection?

After thinking, Shi Zong asked Wu Yunxi again, “What is the name of your departed friend? Maybe I can help.”

Wu Yunxi put away the puppet in his hand, clasped his hands behind his back, looked toward the sky, and said with a nostalgic expression, “Canghai. His name is Canghai.”

Shi Zong wanted to ask more, but Lin Zhian came to find him. “Sect Leader, I have completed the tasks you instructed. The wedding will be held at Yalan Pavilion. Would you like to take a look?”

“All right. I’ll have a quick look and then prepare to change into the wedding robes. Also—”

Shi Zong said, “After finishing, I want to go to the study. When I studied techniques at the Zhai family, Third Brother was my teacher. He was strict with me; if I didn’t study well, he would get angry. So, before the wedding, I still need to cram a little.

“A wedding is such a joyful occasion. If he wants to recite poetry and I can’t follow… Third Brother will mock me. Even if he is my puppet, I cannot lose face in front of him.”

Much of Fengling Ferry’s history, many details about the cultivation world, secrets, and even some gossip, could likely be found in the study.

The sooner Shi Zong browsed the books, the more information he could grasp, avoiding being too passive.

So, using his character role, he spoke to Lin Zhian, creating a red-thread plotline to sneak a visit to the study amidst the busy wedding preparations, allowing for some exploration.

At the first quarter of the You hour, the wedding began.

Yalan Pavilion was filled with guests. Yet their expressions were undoubtedly complex.

A man marrying another man, doing so so openly, both with high renown in the cultivation world…

All these factors made this wedding unprecedented.

But out of respect for Fengling Ferry’s face, and considering Shen Cangli’s personal power, they could not show their surprise or disdain, so their expressions became awkward and complicated.

Shen Cangli, however, didn’t care.

He and Zhai Feng both wore red robes, each holding an end of a red silk ribbon, walking onto the stage together. Only, Zhai Feng’s robe was embroidered with a dragon, while Shen Cangli’s was a phoenix.

But he didn’t care how the world saw him. He simply smiled at everyone and said, “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my and Third Brother’s wedding. Today, I marry him. From now on, Fengling Ferry and the Zhai family are one family.”

Shen Cangli kept his speech brief because he was eager to begin the wedding ceremony.

After speaking, he quickly gave his trusted Lin Zhian a look. Lin Zhian ran onto the stage and swiftly began officiating the wedding.

Shen Cangli’s parents were nowhere to be found, and Zhai Feng’s parents could not attend, so the step of paying respects to the elders was skipped.

Shen Cangli thought that the obstacles in his path of love were all because Heaven made him a man instead of a woman. He didn’t believe in Heaven; he only believed in himself, so the ritual of paying respects to Heaven and Earth was also skipped.

Lin Zhian said, “Couple, bow to each other!”

At this moment, someone else with equally complex emotions was He Zhen, hiding in Zhai Feng’s body.

He wore a red robe, standing face-to-face with Shi Zong, who was also in red and smiling boldly and freely.

When Lin Zhian spoke those four words, they both bowed to each other. Under the gaze of Heaven, Earth, and the assembled guests, they completed the ritual bow as a married couple.

The game was fake, his Zhai Feng was fake, the guests below probably held disdain, and this hasty wedding should not have counted…

Yet He Zhen’s heart raced, and at the moment of the bow, he felt a faint sense of disorientation.

It was as if, in the real world, he could never have a wedding like this with Shi Zong.

So he could only invest fully in this false game.

He was very glad he had chosen this character.

After the bow, He Zhen lifted his head first and stared unblinking at Shi Zong, who slowly raised his head, as if trying to capture every expression.

But just before Shi Zong’s face fully lifted, he heard Lin Zhian speak six words—

“Ceremony complete! Escort to the bridal chamber!”

In the twilight, under the lights, Shi Zong as Shen Cangli smiled brilliantly.

He Zhen kept his gaze fixed on the person before him, staring as that bright, radiant smile looked at him and said, “Let’s go, Third Brother, to the bridal chamber.”