Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 95

 

| PN | Dream | 95

In the living room, an animated show was playing on the projection screen, with a few puppets sitting obediently on the sofa, watching the screen. 

Compared to Lan Luo and Li Bai, who really enjoyed watching the animation, the other three puppets seemed rather uninterested. Xiang Yue's tail was swaying idly, his expression sleepy, as if he could fall asleep at any moment. 

Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, on the other hand, sat stiffly, seemingly still not accustomed to being with this group of puppets. 

Qi Chao came out of the kitchen and, seeing the scene before him, thought for a moment before saying, "Shuang Jian, Xuan Jian, come upstairs with me to check out the rooms."

Hearing Qi Chao's voice, the puppets instinctively turned their attention to their father. Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian stood up, their expressions calm, but the way they immediately walked over to Qi Chao's side showed that they weren't as composed as they appeared. 

Seeing this, Xiang Yue also got up from the sofa, his black tail swaying slightly, and said, "Dad, I want to go and check too."

Xiang Yue didn’t usually like joining in on activities, but he did enjoy being with his father.

Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian remained silent. Since arriving at the villa, they hadn't spoken to Xiang Yue, but compared to Lan Luo and Li Bai, these two puppets were actually more familiar with Xiang Yue. 

They remembered that, in their original form as mother stones, they had once received their father’s mental energy together with this puppet.

"Of course, you can," Qi Chao said, glancing at the two children nearby before smiling at Xiang Yue and ruffling his hair. "What did you do yesterday to look so tired?"

Xiang Yue's canine ears twitched on top of his head as he earnestly replied with his red eyes, "I was studying on the light brain."

Qi Chao remembered that the kids at home had gotten virtual brains to study so they could help him. 

While the thought warmed him, he still lightly smacked the back of Xiang Yue's head and warned, "You can study during the day too. If you stay up late again, I’ll confiscate your light brain."

Xiang Yue understood that his father was showing concern for him. His tail continued to sway at the same pace, indicating that he was a bit happy. He nodded earnestly and said, "Mm, Dad, I won't stay up late anymore."

Qi Chao smiled at Xiang Yue and then turned to look at Li Bai and Lan Luo, who were sitting on the sofa and watching him. "Do you two want to come upstairs?"

Li Bai and Lan Luo exchanged a glance before ultimately deciding to stay in the living room and continue watching the animation.

Actually, they had been staying up late just like Xiang Yue, but since they were watching their favorite animation, the two puppets didn't feel tired at all—instead, they were full of energy.

Since they started studying, Li Bai and Lan Luo had much less time to watch animations. If it weren't for the celebration of Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian's birth, they wouldn't have had the chance to come downstairs and watch the animation.

Seeing their decision, Qi Chao didn't ask further and led the three dolls to the second floor. He then asked Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, "Do you want to stay in the same room, or would you prefer separate rooms?"

The villa was spacious, it can easily accommodating all five children. 

Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, who had been together since birth and had never been apart, simultaneously chose to share a room. Qi Chao selected a larger room for them.

The three puppets were all the quiet type, and when gathered together, they spoke no more than three sentences. 

After entering the room, Qi Chao glanced at them and, after a moment of thought, said, "I'll tidy up the bed. You all can go do something else."

Xiang Yue rolled up his sleeves and nodded. 

Qi Chao was a clean and orderly person, and no matter how busy he was, he always took the time to tidy up the house. 

Generally speaking, whenever Qi Chao did something, Xiang Yue would naturally follow him. 

As a result, Xiang Yue became quite adept at tasks like cleaning and organizing.

With an expressionless face, Xiang Yue found a cloth to wipe the tables, organized the bookshelf, and methodically went about his tasks, his tail swaying back and forth behind him.

Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, having never experienced such ordinary daily activities, were at a loss for what to do. Hearing Qi Chao's instructions, they instinctively followed Xiang Yue, like little tails, going wherever Xiang Yue went.

Although Xiang Yue wasn’t talkative, he was very kind to the puppets his father had created. 

He remembered that these two puppets had, in their original form as mother stones, transferred much of their father's mental energy to him, Xiang Yue's lips moved slightly before he calmly spoke, "You can take the books down from the bookshelf. We'll need to move them to the study later."

Upon hearing this, Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian instinctively nodded, as if they had found a sense of direction. They quickly started moving, like busy bees, running in and out of the room.

Once the two puppets finished that task, Xiang Yue continued directing them to organize the other items.

Qi Chao watched as Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian gradually relaxed, their initial awkwardness giving way to more natural expressions. A smile began to form in his deep brown eyes.

He knew that since meeting the three puppets at home, Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian had been in a state of tension.

 Although Li Bai was enthusiastic, his overly warm approach might have overwhelmed these two reserved puppets. It seemed that they got along better with Xiang Yue.

After the room was tidied up, Qi Chao ruffled each of their heads, not holding back on his praise.

The three puppets gradually blushed under Qi Chao’s shower of compliments. No puppet dislikes praise, and this was especially true for Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, who had never received any in their previous life. 

Even as they lay in bed, they could still recall Qi Chao’s deep voice and warm smile as he praised them.

They wanted more praise from Qi Chao.

Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian exchanged a glance, both seeing the same desire reflected in each other's eyes.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao was discussing the newly completed Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian with Shen Yuxi, who had just returned home.

Upon hearing that Qi Chao had already finished creating the two puppets, Shen Yuxi's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he smiled. "So fast?"

Shen Yuxi had expected Qi Chao to take up to six months to produce an S-class puppet, which would have been fast enough, but he hadn’t anticipated that Qi Chao could work even faster. 

This thought deepened the smile in Shen Yuxi's eyes.

Qi Chao didn’t think his progress was particularly fast, but since Shen Yuxi mentioned it, he didn’t argue.

“There was something strange, though,” Qi Chao added, gesturing as he spoke. “When the puppets were awakened, strange red patterns appeared on their faces. From the temples to the brow bones, the patterns resembled vines or tree branches.”

Patterns? 

Shen Yuxi had never encountered such a situation before, nor had he read about any similar cases in the literature. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, his interest piqued. "Did the patterns suddenly appear while you were inputting your mental energy?"

"Yes," Qi Chao nodded. After a brief pause, he added, "The length of the patterns hasn't changed, and from what I can tell, they don't seem to affect them in any way."

Noticing the subtle concern beneath Qi Chao's calm demeanor, Shen Yuxi maintained his expression but spoke softly to reassure him. 

"Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian are unique, having been shaped by two different puppet masters. Perhaps the patterns appeared because of that."

"I'll look into this over the next few days," Shen Yuxi continued, his tone understanding. "There's no need to worry too much."

When Qi Chao met Shen Yuxi's gaze, he noticed a hint of concern in Shen's eyes. His movements paused briefly, then he smiled and said, "Maybe it's just as you said, Brother Shen."

Qi Chao didn't bring up the issue again. Since Shen Yuxi wasn't sure either, Qi Chao knew he'd need to find another way to get answers. Shifting the topic, he asked, "When will you be coming to Linjing District again, Brother Shen?"

"I'm not sure," Shen Yuxi replied, his eyelashes fluttering slightly. Out of Qi Chao's sight, he clenched his fingers tightly.

The inability to meet in person meant Shen Yuxi couldn't fully control Qi Chao's actions. Even though they video chatted every day, Shen Yuxi's inner restlessness remained unresolved. 

The increasing number of puppets and "penitents" in the trial ground required his constant attention. If he left the trial ground carelessly, those malformed puppets could easily spiral out of control. 

The feeling of being forced to stay away from what he considered his possession made Shen Yuxi deeply uncomfortable.

He knew he needed to accelerate his plans.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Shen Yuxi remained silent.

“Not sure?” Qi Chao’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment at Shen-ge’s response. “It’s been a month since we last saw each other.”

As he spoke, an idea came to him. After creating Shuang Jian and Xuan Jian, Qi Chao had originally planned to take a break. Since Brother Shen didn’t have time to visit, why couldn’t he go find Brother Shen instead?

The fleeting thought began to take shape in his mind, but Qi Chao kept it to himself, not voicing it immediately.

Shen Yuxi's irritation eased significantly after hearing the disappointment in Qi Chao's voice. A pleasant smile tugged at his lips, and he looked at Qi Chao with a softened gaze. "Maybe we'll be able to see each other very soon."

If the plan went smoothly.

“Mm,” Qi Chao smiled back. He also hoped to see Shen Yuxi soon. 

As he gazed at the projection of the refined and gentle-looking man, Qi Chao suddenly became serious. "Brother Shen, I know you've been busy lately, but it's better not to go out at night."

"The Empire isn't as safe as it seems on the surface. Recently, quite a few people have gone missing in Linjing District, and your area might be even less secure."

Qi Chao was well aware that Ganfen District was the poorest area in the Empire, with much worse security compared to Linjing District. Especially given how attractive his partner was, Qi Chao couldn't help but worry about his safety at night.

When Qi Chao mentioned the disappearances in Linjing District, Shen Yuxi's expression remained unchanged, but he felt a pang of unease. 

He knew Qi Chao shouldn't have been aware of this, yet he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous—or perhaps more accurately, guilty.

After Qi Chao finished speaking, Shen Yuxi smiled and reassured him softly, "It's nothing to worry about. Tonight was just an exception. I'll make sure to come home earlier from now on."

Qi Chao observed Shen Yuxi's smiling eyes and nodded, though he still felt a bit uneasy. In his mind, someone as gentle as Brother Shen was particularly vulnerable to danger. He resolved to visit Brother Shen in a few days, quietly adding it to his schedule.

—

Meanwhile, in the upper echelons of the research institute, Qing Yu followed the chairman to the institution's basement.

"Chairman, why are we going to the basement?" Qing Yu asked, puzzled. They had just inspected the ability converter, which seemed to be the most crucial piece of technology, so he didn’t understand what could be more important down there.

"To sign an agreement," the chairman replied, his kind expression unchanged. "You know the drill—until the Empire officially announces this, no one can breathe a word about it."

Qing Yu nodded in understanding, though internally, he felt a bit impatient. In his view, contracts were worthless, as they could be broken as easily as they were made. He considered them the most useless formality.

The chairman glanced at Qing Yu but said nothing.

The institute's basement resembled a military training base, with its hidden location and expansive area. Once inside, Qing Yu noticed numerous military devices in each room, with only one or two burly men present in each. 

He casually observed one man effortlessly jumping three meters high.

"These are military personnel who have undergone ability conversion," the chairman commented casually, then led Qing Yu into an office.

"So many?" Qing Yu counted, noting that there were about twenty. He was surprised to learn that the Empire had so many S-class ability users.

"There used to be more," the chairman said, his expression darkening slightly. "The current batch is the fifth. The previous batches mostly disappeared under unknown circumstances."

This was also why the Empire kept the fifth batch of ability users confined here. Until they became as adept at using their powers as Marshal Lu, the Empire wouldn’t allow them to leave.

Qing Yu was startled by this significant piece of news. 

Disappeared? 

How could they vanish even after gaining abilities? 

Or who had the power to make them disappear?

Qing Yu's first instinct was to suspect the neighboring Federation. However, seeing the chairman's expression, he swallowed his doubts. Even he knew that sometimes, knowing too much could be detrimental.

The chairman handed Qing Yu a contract. After Qing Yu signed it, the chairman smiled with satisfaction and had someone escort Qing Yu out.

As soon as Qing Yu left, the contract spontaneously ignited. The chairman’s expression remained unchanged. 

For a contract to be effective, it had to be enforced by supernatural means. At this time, only the presence of supernatural abilities could reassure the royals.

The contract given to Qing Yu stipulated that he must produce two S-class puppets for the Empire within a year, with supernatural restrictions ensuring compliance. Qing Yu wouldn’t have the opportunity or inclination to breach the contract.

The chairman understood that the contract had a coercive nature, but for the Empire, it was a necessary measure. Otherwise, even if he lived to see the formation of the supernatural army the royals envisioned, it might never succeed.

As night deepened, the black-haired puppet lying on the bed fell into a dream once again. 

However, unlike the previous nightmares, this dream felt more like watching a bewildering war movie.

In a forest, surrounded by flickering flames and rising smoke, a red-haired female puppet hefted a giant sword that was several times larger than herself. The intensity in her crimson eyes was even more fierce than the flames behind her.

She continuously slaughtered the humans in front of her, their every attack being absorbed and transformed into deadly silver needles that struck back at them. 

She was powerful.

This was the first time San Yue had witnessed such strength in a puppet. He watched the scene quietly, but within a few minutes, he noticed something was off with the red-haired puppet.

What began as a straightforward killing spree turned into something unsettling. The red-haired puppet, seemingly under some form of control, started to self-harm. 

With her massive sword, she began to sever her own toes, calves, and thighs, methodically cutting away at herself. 

Her smile grew increasingly wide and deranged, while tears continually streamed down her eyes.

The red-haired puppet, her tears streaking down her face, continuously mouthed something, as if trying to say something important. San Yue watched intently, trying to decipher her words.

However, before he could understand what she was saying, the soldiers in military uniforms discarded the remains of the red-haired puppet into the flames.

"Finally dead," one of the soldiers remarked.

When San Yue woke up from the dream, he sat on his bed for a long while, replaying the scene in his mind. It was only then that he realized what the red-haired puppet had been trying to say.

She had been saying: Father, Chi Yao isn’t hurt.

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