Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 108

 

| PN | Small Tree | 108

At the royal banquet, eleven master-level puppet makers sat in soft chairs specially prepared for them by the royal family, with various rare fruits and vegetables laid out in front of them.

The oldest of these eleven master puppet makers was already gray-haired, and the youngest was at least thirty-five or thirty-six. 

Without exception, they were all highly revered by the public, and even the lofty emperor of the Blue Star Kingdom treated these eleven puppet masters with kindness.

Such an honor was something even the emperor's younger brother could not enjoy. Other princes of the royal family found it difficult to even earn a smile from the emperor.

"They're just a bunch of puppet makers. How could they deserve to sit with us?"

In the corner, a young viscount muttered disdainfully. His expression was filled with contempt and discomfort, as if he had been forced to dine with beggars. It made him feel utterly disgraced.

A baron, who had a good relationship with him, echoed his sentiment.

In their eyes, it was laughable that these people were being so highly praised for making a few toys.

Although the two men spoke in low voices, they were well aware that the emperor's command to invite these puppet masters to the royal banquet had been in effect for five years. 

No matter how they felt, they were not foolish enough to express it openly.

There were many others who shared their sentiments, but they all had one thing in common: they had no access to the true centers of power.

Anyone who had caught wind of the situation knew how important a master-level puppet maker could be. The empire’s bright future would undoubtedly rely on the contributions of these individuals. 

In such a context, those with foresight had already begun to build connections with them.

Qing Yu, seeing the emperor—who was usually so far above—smile at him, was so excited that his face flushed red.

“I hope you can create more S-class puppets,” the aged emperor said, his eyes full of approval and expectation.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly do my best,” Qing Yu replied, his face reddening even further. 

His mind was already filled with thoughts of gold, silver, and jewels. His desire for power and wealth drove him to curry favor with the emperor. “I still have an S-class puppet with me. If Your Majesty doesn’t mind, I would be honored to offer it to you for your enjoyment.”

“I recall you already offered one puppet before. You still have another S-class puppet?” The emperor sounded a bit surprised.

"Qing Yu is exceptionally talented. He can create a puppet in just one year, far faster than us old bones," said the association leader. 

Before Qing Yu created the Wen Gui, he had another puppet, but due to its strange deformities, it was unsuitable for public display and had never been revealed. 

Despite this, the puppet's abilities were outstanding.

As the guild leader spoke, he glanced at several of the other master-level puppet makers sitting nearby. These individuals were not part of the guild, though they were all working for the empire. 

Nonetheless, there was still competition between the guild and non-guild puppet makers.

The non-guild masters, sitting nearby, were whispering to each other in astonishment. Their eyes were full of shock as they looked at Qing Yu. Most of them were nearing forty years old, and even with their skill, it took two to three years to create an S-class puppet. 

In this context, hearing that Qing Yu could make an S-class puppet in just one year was understandably startling.

Emperor Luns was very pleased with this pace. In fact, he had always felt that the puppet masters were too slow, which had delayed the formation of his army. 

If everyone could work as quickly as Qing Yu, his army would have been ready five years ago.

"Is making an S-class puppet in a year really that impressive?" the viscount in the corner asked doubtfully.

The baron didn’t know either, but he had heard that the eldest son of the richest family had made an S-class puppet in less than six months. 

That young man had only been in the puppet-master field for a few years, and it was common knowledge that he was just doing it for fun. 

With this in mind, the baron replied, "It’s not impressive at all. Even an amateur can do better."

Upon hearing the baron's comment, the viscount suddenly understood and looked at Qing Yu with even more disdain.

...

Meanwhile, amateur puppet master Qi Chao was unaware of the events unfolding at the banquet. 

With Xiu Mei’s help, he once again headed to the guild’s library.

Thanks to the banquet, there were even fewer puppet masters in the guild than yesterday. Qi Chao smoothly entered the library and found the small tree drawing hidden in the compartment that he had noticed the day before.

The artist's drawing skills were impressive, with the tree rendered vividly in marker, down to the fine details of the bark's texture. Qi Chao examined the tree closely, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. 

Why had this simple drawing caused him to lose sleep?

Lost in thought, Qi Chao absentmindedly brushed his thumb over the paper. In the next second, he noticed something. His thumb froze, and his deep brown eyes fixated on the black tree. 

He traced the lines once again, following the texture he had just felt.

Why did the pattern running from the base of the tree to the crown resemble the lines on Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian's faces so closely?

The markings on the branches looked like eerie, twisting vines, entwining around the small tree. 

The more Qi Chao rubbed the paper with his thumb, the stranger it seemed. He crouched down and began searching the surrounding compartments.

However, no matter how thoroughly he searched, he couldn’t find another piece of paper. 

The sheet in his hand felt like a mysterious clue, silently telling him that if he could unravel the mystery of the black tree, he would discover the secret behind the patterns on Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian's faces.

Qi Chao clenched the piece of paper in his hand. Since someone had drawn it, it meant that someone knew the significance of those patterns. 

Using his smart device, Qi Chao took a photo of the paper, planning to investigate it later.

He placed the paper back in its original spot, stood up, and after some thought, decided not to leave the library immediately. 

Instead, he quietly called for the system in his mind. It was strange that he was so fixated on the small tree, which was not normal. 

While the system often remained silent, occasionally it would provide him with useful information.

However, to Qi Chao’s surprise, the system did not respond this time. Normally, as soon as he called, it would appear immediately.

Was something delaying it?

Qi Chao pushed down his unease for the moment and stopped trying to summon the system. 

He turned and left the library. The banquet was about to end, and soon a large number of puppet makers would return. Staying any longer might cause trouble for Xiu Mei.

But just as he stepped out of the library, he saw Xiu Mei stomping her foot, her face full of anxiety. Not far away, there was a commotion, and the red alarm lights on the walls were flashing, accompanied by a loud, blaring siren.

"What’s going on?" Qi Chao frowned slightly.

"Someone’s trying to rob the association again," Xiu Mei spat in frustration. "Let’s get out of here quickly. I don't know why anyone would want to rob this lousy place."

"Wouldn’t robbing a bank be more profitable than stealing puppets from here?" Xiu Mei grumbled. 

Though she loved money, she wasn’t bold enough to do anything illegal. But if those robbers were already set on committing crimes, they might as well go big.

What’s the point of robbing this guild?

The surroundings were in chaos, with uniformed puppet masters all rushing in the same direction, indicating that the incident must have occurred there. 

Qi Chao glanced at the alarm on the wall and nodded in agreement. He had no interest in getting involved in the commotion and instead said, "Let’s leave now. Once the crowd grows, I’m worried it’ll cause trouble for you."

Xiu Mei had been about to suggest the same thing, and hearing Qi Chao say it first, she was momentarily taken aback. Then, her heart warmed. 

He’s wealthy ‘and’ considerate.

If Xiu Mei had any interest in marriage, she wouldn’t have let someone like him slip by. But being friends wasn’t a bad option either, she thought. 

This was the first time since leaving the slums that she had genuinely wanted to form a real friendship.

Qi Chao followed closely behind Xiu Mei, preparing to leave the guild. In his haste, he didn’t notice that the security camera next to the alarm was slowly turning, tracking their movements.

“Dad is finally leaving,” Agu said as he watched the surveillance screen. He tilted his head and smiled playfully at the calm Moss standing nearby.

Moss didn’t respond, prompting Agu to pout. He preferred Xiang Yue, since even when Xiang Yue didn’t reply, his wagging tail and twitching dog ears always gave away his true feelings.

In contrast, his big brother genuinely didn’t want to acknowledge him.

Agu decided to stop bothering Moss and instead turned toward his father, who was standing in front of the screen. 

After thinking for a moment, he leaned closer to Shen Yuxi and asked, "Father, are you going to wait for Dad to leave before making your move?"

Agu waved the smart device in his hand and said, "Aunt Bugu has successfully pinpointed the location. The robbers will likely be taken care of in about half an hour."

Shen Yuxi shifted his gaze away from Qi Chao, then turned slightly to look at Agou. His thin lips parted, and his voice was calm yet cold: "Half an hour is enough."

The implication was clear—they would wait until Qi Chao left before making their move.

Agu had no objections; after all, he didn’t want Qi Chao to witness his more ruthless side. That wouldn’t be any fun.

"Good thing Father came to the surveillance room first, or this would’ve gone badly," Agu remarked as he walked to the doorway, patting the heads of two tied-up puppet ,asters.

The two puppet masters had their mouths gagged with cloth and tears in their eyes, trembling as they curled up in fear. They were terrified that these crazed puppets would kill them on the spot.

Seeing their pitiful state, Agu felt a playful urge and was just about to say something with a grin when Moss gave him a light kick.

"Stop playing. Let's go."

Agu’s smile froze for a moment, but seeing his father and Moss walking away, he quickly got up and waved after them affectionately, saying to the frightened puppet masters, "Don't be scared! Soon, someone will help you take a nice, long nap, and when you wake up, you won’t remember any of this!"

With that, Agu cheerfully skipped away, leaving the two terrified individuals alone in the dark surveillance room, awaiting whatever fate was about to befall them.

Shen Yuxi, hearing the faint sounds behind him, glanced back to see Agu’s satisfied expression from indulging in his twisted sense of humor, then turned his gaze forward again. 

As long as Agu didn’t interfere with the plan, Shen Yuxi didn’t care what he did.

“How is the machine data recording coming along?” Shen Yuxi asked, heading straight toward the guild’s basement.

“Aunt Bugu said it’s about halfway done,” Moss replied.

Shen Yuxi nodded, then looked over at Agu. “You and Moss go create a distraction. In twenty minutes, we’re leaving.”

The basement door opened and closed behind Shen Yuxi, leaving Agu and Moss knowing that it was now up to their father to deal with the machine. Their job was to cause as much chaos as possible in the association.

“Such a hassle,” Agu muttered. “The machine’s core is so hard to crack. We might as well just blow it up. Father wasn’t planning on taking the machine this time anyway.”

Moss shot Agu a warning glance. “The machine’s core is critical. Don’t do anything rash.”

Agu knew that well enough. The energy converter’s core was one of the mother tree’s central components. If it were destroyed, the mother tree would likely perish too.

That evening, when Qi Chao returned home to have dinner with the children, he saw the news being projected on the screen.

The long-haired female news anchor urgently reported, "The association has suffered an unknown attack, with half of the headquarters building burned down." 

The only fortunate thing was that there were no casualties, and the suspects were currently being pursued.

Qi Chao glanced at the news and, seeing that no one was hurt, lost interest. He casually gave the children a few instructions: "If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, you need to run away immediately, understand? Don’t get involved."

He thought back to earlier; if he hadn’t left with Xiu Mei and had instead stayed to investigate, he might not have made it out of the fire unharmed.

"Got it, Dad," Li Bai nodded seriously, and the other four puppets at the table also firmly agreed.

Qi Chao knew his children well—once they promised something, they wouldn’t break their word. He smiled and moved on from the topic.

Later that night, during a video call with Brother Shen, Qi Chao lay on his bed, smiling as he shared how the children had reacted to his advice. 

Whenever he talked with Brother Shen, Qi Chao tended to have a lot to say, ranging from jokes he’d seen on his smart device to stories about the kids at home.

"As long as they know to stay away from danger," 

No matter what Qi Chao said, Shen Yuxi always listened patiently and responded to him gently. Qi Chao really enjoyed the time chatting with Brother Shen. 

He watched Brother Shen’s image projected in the air and traced the outline with his hand. “You too, be careful. Brother Shen, you’re still going out every day for fieldwork, right?”

“Mm.”

Shen Yuxi observed Qi Chao’s actions, his eyes softening considerably. Qi Chao often revealed his concern for him inadvertently. 

Shen Yuxi liked these natural gestures from Qi Chao; they allowed him to easily sense the deep affection Qi Chao had for him.

Shen Yuxi’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he recalled their simultaneous appearance at the association before. 

If he hadn't overthought things and gone to the monitoring room first, and had seen Qi Chao in the library, there might have been many slip-ups.

However, why would Qi Chao be in the library? 

According to Shen Yuxi’s memory, Qi Chao should have gone to the library yesterday. He looked up at Qi Chao and said affectionately, “What did you do? I heard from Lan Luo that you weren’t home today.”

“Right.”

Qi Chao did not mention the issue with the small tree. Being from another world, it was clearly abnormal for him to have insomnia because of the small tree’s drawings. 

Until he had investigated further, Qi Chao didn’t want to worry Brother Shen.

“I went to the library to look at the patterns on Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian's faces,” Qi Chao said normally, “I left some books yesterday and went back today to finish reading them.”

“Any clues?” 

“No.” 

This answer wasn’t surprising. After watching Qi Chao for a few seconds, Shen Yuxi gently comforted him. “I know. I am actually relieved that there were no records of the patterns on their faces in those disease books..”

Qi Chao took it well. After chatting with Brother Shen for a bit longer, he ended the video call.

The next day, after Qi Chao woke up, his light brain chimed shortly after. It was a message from his two younger brothers.

Now that Qi Feng and Qi Ye had both entered university, thanks to Tu Zhuang's guidance, their universities were quite good and ranked well in Lanxing.

The purpose of their video call was simple: to notify Qi Chao in advance that they would be coming over with Tu Zhuang and San Yue for dinner.

Since entering university, the two brothers had more free time and frequently visited Qi Chao’s villa. 

Qi Chao had gotten used to their visits and casually mentioned, “We’re out of meat at home. Buy some on your way.”

Qi Feng and Qi Ye both liked eating meat.

After the two brothers agreed, Qi Chao directly drew the small tree from last night on the optical brain onto a piece of paper in the living room. 

He held up the paper, looking at the black tree drawn with a marker on the ceiling. 

He felt a bit dazed, still unable to understand the inexplicable feeling in his heart.

When he heard a knock on the door, Qi Chao placed the paper on the coffee table and got up to open the door for his two younger brothers.

Qi Feng and Qi Ye acted as if they were at their own home. After entering, they immediately headed upstairs to knock on doors and wake up the puppets.

Tu Zhuang and San Yue, on the other hand, appeared somewhat nervous.

For Tu Zhuang, Qi Chao was a lifesaver. Every time they met, Tu Zhuang would excitedly share his recent achievements with Qi Chao, wanting to show that he had been working hard in his studies.

San Yue, following Tu Zhuang, discreetly observed Qi Chao. 

To him, Qi Chao was even more important than his own father.

However, since Qi Chao had hidden the fact that he had repaired himself, San Yue thoughtfully refrained from being overly familiar with Qi Chao. 

He was concerned that his awkward attempts at closeness might cause trouble for Qi Chao.

“You all sit down first,” Qi Chao said, looking up at the second floor. “I’ll go find those two kids.”

Lan Luo at his home was known for having a bad mood in the morning. 

If Qi Feng and Qi Ye knocked on the doors of Li Bai, Xiang Yue, or Shuang Jian Xuan Jian, it would be fine, but if they knocked on Lan Luo’s door, Lan Luo would definitely be unhappy.

Tu Zhuang and San Yue nodded. As they just settled into their seats, San Yue looked down and accidentally saw the small tree on the table. 

His back stiffened, and his face turned noticeably pale.

“What’s wrong?”

Tu Zhuang noticed San Yue’s reaction and immediately asked, his concern making him forget to control his volume. 

To Tu Zhuang, San Yue was his only family, and his worry was perfectly justified.

Qi Chao, who was about to head upstairs, heard the commotion and turned back to the coffee table, asking with concern, “What happened to San Yue?”

San Yue’s eyes were fixed on the small tree drawn with a marker. 

Although a simple drawing is different from a real tree, the texture of this small tree was too similar to the giant tree in his dreams. The patterns on the trunk seemed like an exact replica.

Qi Chao followed San Yue’s gaze and saw the small tree on the table. He paused for a moment, then picked up the piece of paper, his deep brown eyes showing some confusion. “Has San Yue seen this tree before?”

Otherwise, why would he have this reaction?

San Yue’s breathing became a bit rapid, as if he recalled something. His lips moved, “I… I’ve seen it.”

“In a dream,” San Yue added.

Looking into Qi Chao’s eyes, San Yue clenched his fists on his lap, exhaling nervously. He felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity inside. 

Why did the giant tree in his dream match this small tree so closely?

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