| PN | Go to Hell | 81
For the past few months, Qi Chao had been so preoccupied with creating Xiang Yue that he hardly left the house, let alone introduced San Yue to the other puppets at home.
“My three kids at home are all very well-behaved. No need to be nervous, San Yue,” Qi Chao said with a warm smile as he glanced at San Yue, who was sitting in the passenger seat. “Just think of them as your little brothers.”
San Yue, who rarely had one-on-one time with Qi Chao, stiffened at the sound of the man's deep, reassuring voice. He placed his hands on his knees and nervously squeezed them.
Despite the tension in his body, San Yue couldn’t suppress the deep sense of closeness he felt towards Qi Chao. It was similar to the feelings he had for his father, yet even more intimate.
San Yue’s father, "Shao Qi," was a puppet master with a drinking problem. He had never abused San Yue, but neither had he shown him much kindness.
After selling San Yue to a wealthy merchant, Shao Qi disappeared from his life altogether.
San Yue knew that his father would likely spend most of the money on alcohol, then use the rest to buy cheap materials to make more puppets, which he would sell to buy more alcohol—a vicious cycle that would eventually lead to his death from alcohol poisoning.
As San Yue looked at the man beside him, who was trying to ease his nerves, he hesitated for a moment before nodding.
San Yue had plenty of time to sort through his thoughts. Perhaps from the moment he awoke, he had suspected that his father had been replaced.
However, San Yue never brought up this matter with Qi Chao. He understood that Qi Chao might not want to reveal this truth.
The aircraft slowly descended, and Qi Chao led San Yue into the villa. It was eight in the morning, and usually, by this time, Li Bai and Lan Luo would have already started their studies.
Today was no different; when Qi Chao entered, Li Bai and Lan Luo were sitting on the carpet, reading.
The difference today was the presence of Xiang Yue standing behind the two puppets, his tail lightly swaying as he scanned the surroundings, as if searching for something.
When he saw his father walk in, Xiang Yue's red eyes lit up, and he immediately ran to Qi Chao, calling out, "Dad."
Qi Chao was not surprised to see Xiang Yue. He reached out and ruffled Xiang Yue’s hair, smiling as he explained, “I went out for a bit. You were all still sleeping, so I didn’t say anything.”
Xiang Yue, having only recently come into existence, was in the stage where he felt the least secure. In contrast, Lan Luo and Li Bai felt comfortable as long as they were home, and wouldn’t panic even if they woke up and didn’t see Qi Chao.
After being petted by his father, Xiang Yue’s tail wagged even more enthusiastically, clearly enjoying the affection. He was about to say something to Qi Chao when he suddenly noticed the unfamiliar puppet standing behind his father.
The softness in his red eyes was replaced with a hint of wariness.
“This is San Yue. Don’t be afraid,” Qi Chao reassured him.
Qi Chao patted Xiang Yue's head and turned to Li Bai and Lan Luo, who had followed closely behind. “Take the day off today. Have fun with San Yue.”
Li Bai and Lan Luo were very diligent when it came to studying. Sometimes, seeing their intense focus made Qi Chao shiver, as he himself had always been a poor student who disliked studying.
If not for the extreme behavior of the children back then, he wouldn’t have forced them to cram their studies.
Now, giving them a few days to relax felt like a much-needed break. With this thought, Qi Chao led the child into the living room, not noticing that San Yue’s expression had turned peculiar upon seeing Lan Luo.
Lan Luo, sensitive to others' gazes, tilted his head and flashed a bright smile, but internally, he felt a bit impatient. He couldn’t understand why San Yue was looking at him with such an expression.
If Qi Chao weren’t there, Lan Luo might have confronted San Yue directly to ask what he meant by that look.
Fighting is wrong, Lan Luo reminded himself. He couldn’t get into a fight in front of Qi Chao.
Li Bai, unaware of Lan Luo's thoughts, tugged on Lan Luo’s sleeve excitedly. “Come on, today’s a holiday! We can watch cartoons! I’ll let you watch ‘Rainbow Bear’ for ten minutes, and then you have to let me watch my favorite cartoon for ten minutes.”
Hearing this, Lan Luo temporarily suppressed his irritation and smiled at Li Bai.
San Yue watched as the blond-haired puppet from his dream was pulled away by Li Bai, his eyes growing more complicated.
Why had he dreamed of a puppet that actually existed? What was the true nature of his dream?
As San Yue thought about the puppet with the beautiful blue eyes who no longer had eyes in his dream, he felt confused about the meaning of his dream.
When he heard Qi Chao calling his name from the living room, he snapped out of his thoughts, temporarily setting them aside as he tried to appear natural while walking over.
Xiang Yue stood behind Qi Chao, his gaze briefly passing over Lan Luo and San Yue before settling on his father, who was lazily dozing on the sofa.
His fluffy black tail swayed slightly—since it didn’t seem to concern his father, he decided there was no need to mention it.
Qi Chao sat on the sofa, resting his head on his hand, watching the children in the house with a laid-back demeanor.
Lan Luo and Li Bai were sitting on the sofa, chatting animatedly while watching cartoons, San Yue sat alone in a corner, and Xiang Yue stood quietly behind Qi Chao, not interacting with the others.
Despite having four children in total, they seemed to be split into three small groups.
Qi Chao had brought San Yue over hoping that the children could make friends, not for them to have such an awkward dynamic. Scratching his head, he got up, hands in his pockets, and said, “Let’s go. We’ll take a walk in the park.”
If they couldn’t bond at home, maybe a change of scenery would help.
Li Bai and Lan Luo, who loved going out, immediately agreed with excitement. Xiang Yue, who would follow his father anywhere, had no objections, and San Yue, though preoccupied with his thoughts, didn’t oppose the idea either.
Thus, it was decided—they would visit the park.
The park was some distance from the villa. Qi Chao walked ahead, hands in his pockets, with Li Bai and Lan Luo following closely behind. Qi Chao glanced back at them, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Ever since the incident with "Agu," Li Bai and Lan Luo had developed a habit of sticking close to Qi Chao whenever they went out. Qi Chao knew it was because the children were worried he might be knocked out again by someone like Agu, but he still found it a bit concerning.
He didn’t want his children to always be on guard, like how Li Bai was acting towards San Yue.
In the past, Li Bai’s first reaction upon seeing someone new like San Yue would have been a mix of curiosity and friendliness, quickly leading to an attempt to make friends.
But after the incidents with the Wolf King and Agu, Li Bai seemed to be closing himself off a bit.
While being cautious could be a sign of maturity, overthinking everything could also be exhausting.
Qi Chao paused in his steps, then ruffled both Li Bai and Lan Luo’s hair with a smile. “I want to sit on the swing. Can you two run ahead and see if there’s a spot for me?”
Li Bai and Lan Luo’s eyes lit up at this, and they immediately responded with a cheerful, “Okay!” before dashing off with quick, eager steps.
At that moment, all they were focused on was fulfilling Qi Chao’s request to sit on a swing.
By the time Qi Chao, San Yue, and Xiang Yue arrived at the park, Li Bai was already waving excitedly. “Dad! We saved a spot for you!”
The high-end residential area was sparsely populated, and since it was a weekday, the park was practically empty.
Qi Chao saw the bright smiles on Li Bai and Lan Luo’s faces and walked over to give them each a fond pat on the head. “Good job, you two. You’re amazing.”
Hearing this praise, Li Bai and Lan Luo’s smiles grew even wider, and they bashfully moved to the side to play on the swings themselves, as if a bit shy.
Qi Chao chuckled softly, not saying much as he sat down on the swing. Even though he wasn’t particularly interested in swinging, he couldn’t let down the kids who had gone out of their way to make it happen for him.
Xiang Yue's crimson eyes were fixed on the swing. Before they left the house, he had hidden his dog ears and tail, but if they were visible now, his tail would probably be straight with anticipation.
He had memorized the swing's appearance and resolved that next time, he would be the one to secure it for his father.
San Yue sat on another swing, his gaze subtly drifting over Lan Luo's face. The golden-haired puppet in his dream had also been smiling, but compared to the real puppet's smile, the one in his dream felt eerily fake, as if it were a preset program.
He looked up, feeling confused.
Qi Chao glanced at San Yue and then patted Xiang Yue, who was standing by his side. "Go play on the swing with San Yue."
He couldn't have Xiang Yue sticking by his side all the time; his children needed to make more friends.
If Xiang Yue still had his tail, it would probably droop right now. He glanced down at his father, then obediently nodded and walked over to San Yue. "I'll play with you," he said calmly.
San Yue looked at Qi Chao, then pressed his lips together and nodded.
Despite his gentle-sounding name, San Yue was actually a fully grown male puppet, significantly heavier than Xiang Yue, who had the build of a younger puppet.
Yet, Xiang Yue easily pushed him on the swing, showing surprising strength.
Compared to the playful chaos of Li Bai and Lan Luo on the swings nearby, Xiang Yue and San Yue clearly had little interest in the activity.
Xiang Yue pushed San Yue's swing with a distant expression, almost as if he were simply going through the motions.
Qi Chao found the scene amusing but didn’t comment. However, when he noticed Xiang Yue’s gaze repeatedly returning to the same spot, he followed it and realized it was directed at a nearby sandbox filled with children's toys.
Could it be that Xiang Yue liked playing with sand? Qi Chao wondered.
Pausing for a moment, Qi Chao asked, "Xiang Yue, do you want to play over there in the sandbox?"
Xiang Yue shook his head, indicating disinterest in the sand. But a few moments later, his eyes lingered on the sandbox again, specifically on a baseball left among the toys.
Does Xiang Yue like balls? Qi Chao mused silently.
It was interesting how the initial settings, like Xiang Yue's being modeled after a celestial dog, seemed to affect the puppet's preferences.
Without pressing the issue further, Qi Chao decided to order a ball online to test his theory. As he placed the order, he chuckled quietly to himself, finding the situation unexpectedly amusing.
Just as he was about to close his device and return his attention to the children, a notification appeared on the screen.
It read, #New Grandmaster Puppet Master Added! A New Seat at the Royal Winter Banquet!#
Qi Chao froze and clicked on the notification, revealing a familiar face—Qing Yu, the owner of Double Mirror. His expression remained calm, but his hand tightened around the device, his veins subtly showing.
Qing Yu had previously been a special-grade puppet master, but now he had risen to the rank of grandmaster.
The revelation left Qi Chao with a whirlwind of emotions, each tightly held in check as he processed the news.
Master-level puppet masters need to create five S-level puppets, so has Qing Yu already made five S-level puppets?
Qi Chao closed his light brain, and a sense of urgency suddenly arose in his heart as he thought about the deformed puppets made by Qing Yu.
He understood that a master-level puppet master has a significant impact on the industry, and Qing Yu becoming a master-level puppet master would mean that a large number of deformed puppets are about to be produced.
He needed to speed up his own progress, Qi Chao thought to himself. At the very least, he couldn't let Qing Yu become a master-level elder while he was still barely reaching the level of a special-grade puppet master.
…
On the other side, Shen Yuxi received a message from Bugu and lowered his eyelashes.
The appearance of ten ability users meant that ten S-level puppets had died.
The association had recently increased the speed at which they were making S-level puppets.
Shen Yuxi gently tapped the table, his expression seemingly unfazed. He curved the corner of his mouth and turned his head to look at Moss: "Have Chi Yao bring back all the puppets marked by Agu recently to the trial grounds."
Moss nodded, asking no further questions, and left the room directly.
Soon after Moss left, Ayu appeared.
"What's the matter?"
Shen Yuxi knew that Ayu rarely returned home without being summoned unless there was something special going on.
"San Yue's special ability is very useful."
Ayu took off her naval hat and placed it in front of herself, then put her notebook on his father's desk. "San Yue seems to have dreamed about Lan Luo. Based on the information collected, Ayu speculates that San Yue's special ability leans towards prophecy."
Ayu's special ability is information collection, and his speculations based on this have an 80% accuracy rate.
Prophecy?
Shen Yuxi’s fingers paused. He looked at Ayu and asked, "Did San Yue see Lan Luo today?"
When Ayu collects information, it is mostly based on factual speculation. To gather this piece of information, Ayu would have needed to analyze San Yue's micro-expressions upon seeing Lan Luo.
"Yes." Ayu nodded and then added, "Qi Chao's sensory abilities are very keen."
"He noticed you?" Shen Yuxi was somewhat surprised.
Ayu shook her head, recalling how he had glanced at her surveillance point. He confirmed, "He didn't notice; he must have just a sense that something was wrong."
Shen Yuxi responded with a hum and then smiled slightly, as if recalling something. He looked at Ayu and said, "No need to monitor San Yue anymore."
Shen Yuxi's peach blossom eyes seemed to be filled with amusement. "I need to go see him."
Prophecy abilities are not necessarily accurate. Although Shen Yuxi knew that Ayu's speculations had a high accuracy rate, the possibility of error could not be ruled out.
However, this ability warranted a visit to Linjing District.
Thinking about Qi Chao, Shen Yuxi slowly lowered his eyelashes. A few seconds later, he said softly, "Go find Agu, make sure he behaves, and in a couple of days, take him to meet Chi Yao."
Ayu nodded, put her naval hat back on her head, and deftly flipped out of the window with her notebook in hand.
Her father would likely go find Qi Chao.
As Ayu thought about this, she headed towards the trial grounds. According to her analysis, if she returned home within three hours, she might still be able to see her father.
Ayu frequently went on missions, and rarely spent time with her father. She adjusted her naval hat to cover her eyes, revealing only her fair, delicate chin and slightly pursed red lips.
In the trial grounds, Agu leaned against a huge tree, boredly counting ants. Even the ability users among humans were so weak; he could deal with them casually, and they were nearly finished.
Death was not allowed in the trial grounds.
Agu sighed. In the past, he could enjoy watching people collapse after losing their limbs, but now, whenever he dismantled their limbs, his mind was filled with human laws.
It was so distressing; Agu’s joy was gone.
Agu was driven crazy by the books. He sighed sadly, and he seemed to still hear the sound of bamboo sticks tapping on a table. Lying on the grass and stroking the tree trunk, he muttered, “Mother Tree, Agu is so pitiful.”
Just after saying this, Agu heard a faint noise not far away. Then, a slender, cold-faced white-haired puppet appeared before him.
"Father said to behave yourself recently and not cause trouble. In two days, follow orders to assist Chi Yao. Got it?"
Agu was originally listening obediently, but upon hearing the last part, he hugged the much larger tree and cried pitifully, “Hasn’t Agu behaved well recently? How much more does Father want me to behave? Boohoo.”
Ayu took a step back, seeming a bit disgusted.
Seeing this, Agu became even more aggrieved and feigned innocence, saying, "Sister, don't you believe Agu? If you don't believe me, ask them; they can vouch for Agu!"
As he spoke, he stretched out his arm and vigorously pointed at the top of the tree.
On the lush giant tree, the branches intertwined, and beneath the dense green leaves were countless shadowy spots. Some resembled human figures, while others looked like deformed monsters.
All these shadows were intangible souls, exuding an eerie and ominous aura. In response to Agu's voice, they appeared numb and lifeless, like inanimate objects.
If Qi Chao were here, he would notice among these shadows a figure that resembled the Wolf King.
Ayu looked up briefly, then withdrew her gaze. With a flat tone, she said to Agu, "Go to hell, scum."
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