Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 129

 

| PN | It is | 129

Nou Yan could clearly feel his body gradually sinking, making his movements increasingly difficult. He leaned against an abandoned aircraft, listening to the distant sounds of a few humans laughing and joking.

His heavy body relaxed slightly, but his eyes still showed fear and despair.

This was the waste station in the Linjing District. 

As a wealthy area, the garbage here would be sent to the Ganfen District at regular intervals. Every time this happened, the puppets discarded in the waste station would hide themselves.

Even though he wasn't of a high grade, Nou Yan knew very well that puppets treated as garbage and sent to the Ganfen District faced a terrible fate.

He had been in this dump for almost a month. During this time, Nou Yan had met some other puppets who had suffered the same fate. Although life was tough, for the first time, Nou Yan experienced a sense of joy.

Originally, he should have escaped with his companions, but due to an accident, not only was Nou Yan separated from them, but he also got injured.

If the humans outside found him, he would definitely be taken away immediately. Thinking about this, Nou Yan's whole body started trembling.

A faint sound suddenly reached his ears, startling Nou Yan. Instinctively, he tried to run away, but his injured legs made it impossible. Before he could escape, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

He had indeed been discovered by a human.

Nou Yan's shoulders were held down, and he began to tremble in despair. In just one second, countless scenes flashed through his mind. 

He remembered the image of his former owner laughing as they poured acid on him, and another memory of the owner cruelly twisting off his arm and discarding him in the junkyard. 

Just when he had finally found companions to live with here, he was about to be taken away like trash once again.

Humans had created him.

But they had only brought him darkness.

For the first time, Nou Yan felt a surge of hatred toward humanity.

He turned around, wanting to get a good look at the face of the human before him. But in the next moment, he saw a man crouching in front of him, wearing a strange mask. The man put a finger to his lips, making a "shh" gesture.

Nou Yan: ???

The scene in front of him was so bizarre that the heaviness in Nou Yan's heart instantly lifted. His expression turned into one of confusion and bewilderment.

"Don't make a sound, or we'll be discovered," the man whispered.

The man in the eerie mask lowered his voice, "You probably don't want to be discovered by those people outside, right? How about I take you out of here?"

Before Nou Yan could respond, the man did nothing but quietly wait. 

Although Nou Yan's level was low, his intelligence wasn't. His expression and movements might have been stiff, but he could sense that this man held no ill will toward puppets. 

In fact, he seemed to treat them with a surprising amount of respect.

After a brief silence, Nou Yan refused.

He couldn't trust the human in front of him. Or more accurately, he was afraid that if he followed this human, he might encounter something even worse than being sent to Ganfen District.

Qi Chao wasn't surprised by Nou Yan's reaction. He had been mentally prepared for this possibility ever since he entered the junkyard. He smiled, "If you don't want to leave, then let's go ahead with the treatment."

Nou Yan, who had been on guard against the man making any sudden moves, was taken aback when he heard the word "treatment."

Treatment?

Was it really what he thought it meant?

"You're not my creator. You can't help me," Nou Yan stammered.

The damage on his face caused by the acid burns and the black cracks on his legs from a blade strike both required the mental energy of a doll-maker for repair.

"Yes, I can, I'm superman."

The man tapped the mask on his face with his index finger, his voice carrying a low, amused chuckle, as if he couldn't help but laugh at his own words.

Nou Yan didn't quite understand what was so funny, but he sensed that this man probably wasn't a bad person.

As he watched the man lower his head to examine his injuries, occasionally muttering to himself, Nou Yan could vaguely make out that the man seemed to be cursing someone under his breath.

"Did you get this injury before you came here?" the man asked, pointing at the area of Nou Yan's skin that had been damaged by acid.

Nou Yan looked at the spot the man was indicating and nodded.

Puppets were quite similar to humans in appearance, but when they were corroded, their skin would gradually decay. As the corrosion advanced, if the exposed threads of mental energy weren't repaired, the threads would eventually snap, causing the puppet to lose its ability to move.

Nou Yan's current inability to walk smoothly was due to an accidental slash from a blade, which had exacerbated the corrosion. He was now nearing the final stages of decay.

Qi Chao examined the rotting skin on Nou Yan's leg and cursed softly under his breath. 

Originally, he thought it was just a simple cut, but seeing the severity of the damage, it was clear that this wound had been deliberately caused using corrosive chemicals.

The man pulled a puppet-repair serum from his pocket, concentrated his mental energy in his hand, and began to apply it slowly to Nou Yan's wounds.

At first, Nou Yan thought the man's efforts were pointless, but as soon as the cool serum, infused with mental energy, seeped into his damaged skin, he froze in shock.

How was this man able to heal his injuries?

Nou Yan was certain that this masked man was not his creator.

He stared blankly at the man's actions, and it wasn't until the man retracted his hand and screwed the cap back onto the bottle that Nou Yan snapped out of his daze. Realizing that his leg no longer hurt as much as before, he asked in disbelief, "Is it healed already?"

"No," the man replied.

Qi Chao rubbed his wrist, and since he was wearing the mask, Nou Yan could only see the faint curl of his lips. "It will still take a few days."

Nou Yan opened his mouth, but words failed him. He looked down at the ointment on his leg, then muttered, "Thank you."

"This is just a temporary fix for today," Qi Chao said. "I'll be here at the same time tomorrow. We need to continue the treatment for at least a week for the wounds to heal completely."

Qi Chao looked down at the black-haired puppet with decaying skin. The puppet, a young boy with ordinary looks, couldn't compare in level or refinement to Xiang Yue. 

Yet, in Qi Chao's eyes, he was still a very endearing child. To harm a child like this showed just how cruel and heartless the person responsible must have been.

A week of continuous treatment? 

Nou Yan was momentarily stunned. Did this man really plan to come here every day for a whole week?

Before he could fully process this, a group of humans near the junkyard noticed the commotion and started heading toward them. Nou Yan, panicked, immediately tried to get up and escape.

Qi Chao glanced at the approaching people and then gently patted Nou Yan on the head. "You should go now. We'll meet again tomorrow."

With that, Qi Chao stepped forward and walked toward the group, casually greeting them.

After being abandoned in the junkyard, puppets were naturally terrified of humans. Qi Chao knew that helping the puppet escape was the best course of action, rather than forcing him to come along.

The junkyard workers were momentarily stunned to see a masked stranger. They hesitated awkwardly before asking, "Sir, is there something you need here at the junkyard?"

"Not really, I just thought I'd come and experience the simple life."

Qi Chao, putting on a comically strained voice, made up a story, "The school’s got some kind of art project going on, and I’m supposed to do some work here. Will that bother you guys?" 

As he spoke, he even picked up a couple of dirty little red flags from the ground, waving them in a way that almost looked convincing.

Meanwhile, Nou Yan took advantage of the distraction provided by the large aircraft and seized the chance to escape. He turned his head to look at the man who was busy chatting with the workers, shielding him from their attention. Nou Yan's breath became unsteady.

This man had no obligation to help him.

Likewise, even though he had the ability to heal puppets, he had no reason to use that power on someone like him. As these thoughts raced through Nou Yan's mind, a wave of bitterness washed over him. He looked down at the ointment on his leg.

Thanks to the medicine, the pain in his leg had lessened considerably.

Nou Yan’s gaze remained fixed on the man in the distance for a long while before he finally turned away, slipping quietly from the junkyard under the cover of the debris.

On the other side, Qi Chao noticed from the corner of his eye that Nou Yan had safely left. He stopped his small talk with the workers and said with a smile, "I'll come by and hang out some other day. For now, I’ll get going."

The junkyard staff, who had been stuck in conversation with this peculiar masked man, let out a collective sigh of relief as soon as he walked away.

After leaving the junkyard, Qi Chao cautiously glanced around the area. Once he was sure there were no issues, he finally took off his mask.

He knew that if the junkyard workers discovered the presence of a puppet, they would likely treat it as mere trash and send it off to Ganfen District. 

When he arranged to meet again with Nou Yan at the same location the next day, he had hesitated. The junkyard wasn’t exactly a safe place, but it was clear that Nou Yan felt some sense of security there. Moving the meeting to another location might scare him off, and they might never see each other again.

"Dad, you're finally back!" 

Agu, who had been crouching behind the warehouse, immediately ran up to Qi Chao with a big smile, looking delighted to see him.

In truth, Agu had secretly followed Qi Chao all the way to the junkyard to keep an eye on him. 

As soon as Qi Chao started heading back, Agu made sure to hurry back to the warehouse first, pretending to have been obediently waiting there the whole time.

What could he do? His dad was just too much to worry about! Agu thought to himself, grinning happily.

Qi Chao, oblivious to Agu's sneaky behavior, reached out and ruffled Agu's hair. "You waited a long time, didn't you? I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Agu forgives you," 

Agu was quick to respond with a smile, his cheerful attitude putting Qi Chao at ease. Qi Chao smiled in return, guiding Agu back into the warehouse.

Even though they had been gone for two hours, the scene inside the warehouse remained the same. The three puppet masters were each seated at their desks, their focus completely absorbed in refining their creations under the bright lights.

It was clear that they genuinely liked creating puppets. Compared to other puppet masters who typically worked one day and then rested for two, these three took their tasks seriously. 

As Qi Chao moved around the room, observing them, he was trying to figure out the common mistakes they might be making that led to similar cracking issues in their puppets.

"This step doesn't require adding water," Qi Chao said, standing behind You Zhao. He gently moved the measuring cup in You Zhao's hand to the side. "Unless the clay is too dry, adding water does more harm than good."

Some puppet masters on Blue Star had a habit of adding a little water to save time during the process, something Qi Chao had read about on forums. He hadn't been too concerned about it before, but seeing the amount of water You Zhao was using, it was clear this wasn't just a minor issue.

Since the amount of water to be added was usually based on the puppet master's intuition, it was difficult to quantify precisely. Qi Chao decided to explain it in the simplest terms he could: "If the clay's too dry, just dampen your hands with water. You're adding way too much."

You Zhao nodded quickly, taking the advice to heart. "Got it," 

The other two puppet masters  nearby immediately set down their measuring cups upon hearing Qi Chao's words, each applying just a tiny bit of water to their palms. This was invaluable guidance from a master-level puppet master.

The three of them felt an exhilarating rush of excitement. Information about puppet making on Blue Star was tightly controlled by the association, and most non-association puppet masters relied on fragmented resources they found online, struggling to improve their skills.

Perhaps because of this, many puppet masters kept their techniques closely guarded, afraid that others might learn their secrets. The method Qi Chao had just mentioned was something they had never encountered before.

You Zhao and the others recognized that as a non-association puppet master, Qi Chao's insights were the result of years of experience and hard work. It was rare for anyone to be so generous in sharing their knowledge, especially someone with Qi Chao’s expertise.

You Zhao and the other two were all unsuccessful puppet makers. Since entering the field, none of them had managed to create a single puppet, relying instead on selling energy stones to make a living.

Perhaps they couldn't even truly call themselves puppet masters.

Despite their struggles, Qi Chao was earnestly guiding them. Just thinking about this made the years of accumulated exhaustion and frustration melt away into motivation.

The overwhelming gratitude they felt left their throats tight with emotion.

Unaware of their thoughts, Qi Chao sat to the side, occasionally sharing tips on how to channel their mental energy while drawing. He observed how the initial ease in their movements gradually transformed into the struggle that came with mental fatigue.

"I'll come a bit earlier tomorrow," Qi Chao said, noticing that the trio was running low on mental energy yet still wanted to keep working. He quickly stepped in to stop them. "You don’t need to rush to make puppets; it's best to rest as soon as your mental energy is depleted."

Qi Chao understood that they wanted to take advantage of his presence to work a little longer. He didn't mind their eagerness—in fact, he admired their dedication to puppet making.

"I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to pinpoint your problems," Qi Chao paused before continuing, "so be prepared."

"Understood," Guo Li said, her voice slightly trembling with excitement. "Just having you here to guide us is already a huge honor. We don’t even know how to repay you."

You Zhao and Li Lang nodded in agreement upon hearing Guo Li's words.

Qi Chao smiled. "No need to repay me; just take better care of the puppets. See you tomorrow."

"Teacher…teacher told us to take better care of puppets?" 

As Qi Chao left the warehouse, Guo Li pondered his words, realizing she had unconsciously started referring to him as a teacher in her mind due to his guidance. However, she felt unworthy to call him that aloud while he was present.

Both You Zhao and Li Lang nodded at Guo Li's remark. The three of them began to piece together why Qi Chao had chosen to befriend them.

The puppet that had once cared for them had passed away five years ago. Guo Li tightened her grip on the blue crystal necklace around her neck, a fragment of the heart from their beloved puppet that had shattered.

They had been raised by the puppets, and even without Qi Chao's urging, they would never do anything to harm a puppet in their lifetime.

…

"Finally, we can go home!" 

Agu sat lopsidedly on the aircraft, sporting a pair of sunglasses he had somehow found, and with his floral shirt and sun-kissed skin, he looked particularly carefree.

No child at home would be as relaxed and free-spirited as Agu. Seeing this, Qi Chao chuckled, "So you really want to go home?"

"Of course I do!" Agu replied, his bright green eyes squinting into slits of excitement.

While he thought the villa at home would be boring, returning to Qi Chao's villa was certainly a different story, and he found it quite interesting.

"Can I still go out with you tomorrow, Dad?" Agu asked eagerly.

Qi Chao smiled at this, "But didn't you say you wanted to go home? How about staying here with Xiang Yue and the others tomorrow instead?"

"No way! It's much more fun with you, Dad!" Agu giggled, his voice full of mischief. 

The events that had unfolded from morning to evening over the past few hours were far more entertaining than anything he had experienced in his father's training ground.

Although Agu’s initial purpose was to protect his father, he quickly grew fond of going out with Qi Chao. 

Qi Chao glanced at Agu, his deep brown of his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Then we'll continue to go together tomorrow."

That said, Qi Chao couldn’t shake the uncertainty about whether the puppet would return to their agreed-upon meeting place the next day.

Meanwhile, Nou Yan dragged himself back to the shared home of several dolls, his leg still numb from the temporary pain relief. 

He lived in an abandoned sewer pipe, which served as a resting place. Inside the dark, cramped pipe, several puppets waited anxiously for Nou Yan's return. During this time, the garbage station was being cleaned up, and his prolonged absence had caused them to worry.

All of them had low levels, and despite their worries, their expressions remained stiff. Their dismembered, patchy appearances made them look even more terrifying in the darkness of the pipe.

"Nou Yan!" 

A black-haired puppet with only an upper body exclaimed with joy, "You’re back?!"

Nou Yan nodded and staggered toward them.

The other puppets in the pipe noticed his movements and grew anxious. "Nou Yan, how did you get hurt?" 

When one of them spotted the white ointment on Nou Yan’s leg, the one-eyed puppet in the corner paused for a moment, realizing it was a method typically used by human puppet masters. "Did you see your father?" 

"No," Nou Yan replied after a brief silence. He thought of the man in the superhero mask and added, "I met superman."

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