Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 160

 

| PN | Transformation | 160

For Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li, this was nothing short of a nightmare.

They ran with all their might, dodging attacks in utter panic, occasionally managing to strike back at the deformed puppets. 

Yet the horrific creatures that filled them with terror not only failed to decrease in number, but multiplied instead, increasing to the point of utter despair.

“Why are there so many deformed puppets?!”

Old Liu shouted in despair, “It shouldn’t be like this!”

Li Ge also wanted an answer to this question.

He cast his gaze toward Qi Chao and the puppets Qi Chao had created. Setting aside the S-class puppets, why was Qi Chao so calm? 

Could it be, as Li Ge had previously suspected, that Qi Chao had somehow anticipated that they would encounter so many demonic puppets in the northeast corner?

That couldn’t be right. Qi Chao hadn’t even known about the existence of the trial grounds at first, so it was impossible for him to have known about the swarm of deformed puppets in the northeast.

At this point, the only explanation seemed to be that Qi Chao wasn’t a normal person.

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing Li Ge's gaze, Qi Chao turned to glance at him.

Li Ge, afraid his thoughts might be uncovered, visibly flustered. “N-nothing.”

It was obvious he was hiding something.

Qi Chao didn’t press him, merely shifting his gaze back to the deformed puppets in front of them.

The deformed puppets were formidable. They moved swiftly, fought savagely, and a moment’s lapse in attention could lead to a chunk of flesh being ripped from any human caught off guard. 

Even worse, these puppets were numerous and had a built-in healing ability. 

It was easy to imagine how hopeless the trial grounds must feel to the humans trapped in this unrelenting environment.

Qi Chao, lacking any supernatural abilities, logically shouldn’t have been able to survive for long against the onslaught of deformed puppets. 

Yet, perhaps it was just his imagination, but these puppets seemed to be deliberately holding back when it came to him.

Although the deformed puppets continued attacking him, Qi Chao was able to evade their assaults with ease. From beginning to end, the only injury he sustained was a barely noticeable scratch on his face.

In stark contrast, Li Ge and the others, despite their abilities, were in a wretched state, their bodies covered in visible bruises and scrapes.

Of course, Qi Chao was not without support—his children had helped him immensely. Recalling their worried and angry expressions when he got hurt brought Qi Chao a strange sense of comfort amid the unsettling atmosphere of the trial grounds.

“Dad, would you like me to carry you while we run?”

Xiang Yue noticed his father’s breath had grown somewhat labored. After kicking away a deformed puppet in front of him, he sprang nimbly to Qi Chao’s side, his tail swaying more excitedly, clearly thrilled by the idea.

Qi Chao, though in good physical shape, was starting to get tired after such prolonged running, especially without any special abilities to rely on.

“Li Bai wants to carry Dad too!”

Hearing Xiang Yue’s suggestion, Li Bai chimed in enthusiastically, only to quickly realize that his dad was much larger than he was. His golden eyes dimmed slightly in disappointment.

Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian had somehow ended up beside Qi Chao, their eyes full of anticipation—they, too, seemed eager to take on Xiang Yue’s suggestion of carrying him.

“No need, let’s just pick up the pace,” Qi Chao replied, not yet tired enough to rely on his children for support.

As Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li dodged the puppets' attacks, they caught sight of this scene out of the corner of their eyes, each feeling an indescribable sensation. The situation was dire, and yet Qi Chao and his family acted as though they were out on a leisurely outing. 

Seeing them so at ease made the trio wonder if their own constant complaints about the horrors of the trial grounds might be a bit foolish.

Qi Chao noticed their strange expressions but didn’t connect it to himself, merely assuming that the strain of the relentless puppet attacks was starting to wear on them.

“Let’s pick up the pace—we’re almost there,” he said.

Almost there?

Li Ge immediately questioned, “Almost where?”

It was clear Qi Chao had a specific destination in mind.

Without answering, Qi Chao led his children toward the northeast corner, his gaze piercing through the dense forest. His deep brown eyes held a mix of emotions. 

He didn’t know what awaited them there—only that he needed to go.

Several puppets stayed close around him, acting almost as protectors. Even the youngest, Qiu Qiu, flitted about with transparent wings, holding a tree branch twice her size to drive off the deformed puppets. She navigated skillfully among the swarming monsters, clearing a path for her father.

The deformed puppets seemed to harbor animosity only toward humans; as long as puppets like Li Bai didn’t actively attack them, they remained unbothered. 

Li Bai and the others took advantage of this, refraining from attacking unless one of the creatures hurt their father, that was a different matter.

For now, they moved forward together in a rare and quiet truce.

In this eerie calm, Qi Chao quickly led his family of puppets and the three humans—Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li—northeast of the trial grounds.

This was uncharted territory for the trio. They had grown accustomed to the northeast corner being swarmed with deformed puppets, far more densely populated than other areas. 

But strangely, as they crossed a certain invisible threshold, the once-thick crowd of puppets began to withdraw, receding into the shadows.

The densely packed forest was deathly silent now, with none of the usual rustling or skittering sounds from the deformed puppets. 

In any other place, Li Ge and the others might have felt relieved, but here, this sudden quiet cast an unsettling veil over everything, deepening their sense of dread.

“Qi Chao, are we really going to keep going?” Li Ge called out, trying to steady his voice. 

Nearby, a dark cave mouth loomed. Instead of venturing further into the unknown, he thought it might be safer to take shelter in the cave, maybe even regroup and figure out how to find Qiao Sheng and the others.

Qi Chao glanced at the cave entrance but shook his head. “If you don’t want to keep going, stay here. I want to see what lies ahead.”

The closer Qi Chao got to the northeast, the stronger the pull of that strange calling sensation became. Having come this far, he had no intention of stopping.

“Are you really leaving us here?” Old Liu asked, eyes wide with disbelief. He had assumed Qi Chao was using them and wouldn’t let them go so easily. This casual indifference didn’t align with what he had expected.

“Why not?” Qi Chao replied. “You’ve already brought me to the trial grounds—that’s enough. Whether you stay or leave is up to you.”

Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li exchanged uneasy glances, their feelings muddled. 

Yet, when they remembered how Qi Chao had forced them back into the trial grounds, whatever sympathy they might have felt quickly evaporated.

Qi Chao, uninterested in their thoughts, looked down at his children. “Do you want to play in the cave for a while,” he asked, “or do you want to come along with Dad?”

The puppets chose to follow their father without a moment’s hesitation.

“Alright,” Qi Chao nodded, not objecting. The trial grounds were dangerous, and having his children close by was far more reassuring than leaving them behind.

As Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li watched Qi Chao and his puppets disappear into the forest, they exchanged uncertain glances.

“What do we do, Li Ge? Should we leave?” Old Liu asked, hesitating. He wanted to leave the trial grounds, but the thought of facing those deformed puppets again made him nervous. 

Although, for some unknown reason, the puppets had let them pass without harm earlier, there was no guarantee they’d be so lucky if they encountered them again.

Li Ge’s gaze drifted back to the dark forest thinking of Qi Chao and the puppets he made, he was silent for a moment, then said: "Let's stay here first. If they don't come at night, we will leave."

At night, some of the deformed puppets would fall into a deep sleep, making it the best time for them to escape.

Meanwhile, a small group of deformed puppets was also engaged in a discussion.

“They went to the Mother Tree—shouldn’t we stop them?”

“No need,” replied one of the puppets, missing an arm.

The deformed puppets loathed humans approaching the Mother Tree.

They would deploy all their strength to prevent humans from getting near it, but once the humans actually reached the Mother Tree, they would withdraw their forces.

This was because the black shadows on the branches of the Mother Tree were its most loyal guardians. They would silently snap the neck of any human who dared approach the Mother Tree.

"I don't know why, but I really like one of those humans. He would have died a long time ago, but now I don't want him to go," one of the deformed puppets muttered.

"Me too, it's so strange," another one responded.

The deformed puppets whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with confusion. 

They hated humans.

The only human they could tolerate was Shen Yuxi.

It was the first time they had ever felt such a liking for a human at first sight. This had never happened before.

"What should we do now?"

That group of humans would likely be killed. Staying here was pointless. The deformed puppets turned their gaze toward Migu.

All the S-level puppets had left the trial field, and now, every action they took was at the command of Migu, the highest-ranking deformed puppet.

"Leave this place, and teach the new targets a lesson."

Migu spoke, "This is our duty, and it's something we've done many times before."

The deformed puppets nodded and left the northeastern corner of the trial field in groups.

Qi Chao had no idea that, in the eyes of the deformed puppets, he had already been sentenced to death. The closer they got to that place, the faster his heart was beating.

"This place feels so comfortable," Qi Qi couldn't help but say to her brother, Li Bai.

The other puppets shared the same sentiment.

Even the usually emotionless Xiang Yue had his tail swishing faster behind him, clearly delighted.

The normally expressionless Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian also showed faint smiles on their faces.

In fact, ever since entering the trial field, they had felt very comfortable. The feeling was like the first time they received their father's mental energy inside the Mother Stone—familiar and warm.

Qi Chao glanced down at the children from home and smiled, then quickly retracted his smile. "Let's go."

The few puppets quickly followed behind. They didn't know where their father was going, but even without knowing, it didn't stop them from walking in his footsteps.

Qi Chao's pace gradually slowed down.

The puppets, Li Bai and the others, looked up at the sky, and only then did they notice the many green orbs floating in the air.

"Is this Dad's mental energy?" one of them asked.

"What?" Qi Chao paused after hearing Li Bai's question.

After reaching this open space, the strange, mysterious feeling disappeared. Qi Chao looked around, trying to find the presence that had been calling to him. He was momentarily stunned when he heard Li Bai's question.

"That tree... it’s like Dad’s mental energy."

Li Bai repeated what he said, his golden eyes locked onto the massive green tree in front of him, unable to look away. 

From his angle, he could clearly see a faint white light shimmering at the top of the tree.

Hearing this, Qi Chao turned his gaze to a giant tree ahead and to the right. The tree in front of him was tall, but there was nothing particularly strange about it. 

His focus fixed on the tree, suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head. His heart felt like it was being squeezed within his chest, and a sense of panic surged within him.

It was as if countless unfamiliar scenes flashed before his eyes.

"Dad?" 

Xiang Yue called out in concern, noticing the change in his father's expression. But the next moment, he saw several black shadows descending from the tree.

Xiang Yue’s red eyes darkened, and his wings suddenly unfurled. The black feathers, sharp as iron, shot toward the shadows.

Li Bai, Xuan Jian, Shuang Jian, and Qi Qi also noticed the shadows and quickly moved to protect their father. However, the black shadows had no physical form.

After Xiang Yue’s black wings pierced through them, the shadows remained unaffected. Instead, they quickly wrapped around Qi Chao. 

What had no physical form before seemed to take on a sticky, adhesive-like quality upon contact with him, completely enveloping Qi Chao from head to toe.

Qi Chao's vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

"Dad!" 

The puppets stared at the black cocoon-like structure in front of them, fear rising in their eyes. 

They tried desperately to tear it open, but as soon as they reached out, the black cocoon seemed to become intangible, and they couldn’t even touch their father’s presence.

The sudden turn of events caused a strange, blood-red pattern to appear on their faces. 

This pattern was identical to the one on Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian’s faces. As time passed, the pattern seemed to take on a life of its own, shifting and spreading to other parts of their bodies, slowly devouring what little sanity the puppets had left.

Their father had been swallowed by the black shadows.

They couldn’t even touch Qi Chao.

The puppets were in a daze, their eyes hollow and lost. The aura surrounding them grew so terrifying that it seemed nearly impossible to approach.

At that moment, a vortex in space suddenly opened, and Shen Yuxi stepped out. Seeing the scene in front of him, he briefly paused.

"Where is Qi Chao?"

The puppets didn’t answer.

Shen Yuxi’s gaze shifted to the black cocoon in front of him. His eyelashes fluttered slightly as his mind raced to the worst possible conclusion.

For the first time, a trace of panic appeared in his eyes.

It shouldn’t be possible.

Shen Yuxi took a heavy breath, trying to calm himself. The shadows only bite off human necks—they wouldn’t wrap someone up like this.

Besides, Xiang Yue, Li Bai, and the other three were all S-level puppets with formidable abilities. 

There was no way they would just watch Qi Chao be harmed.

As Shen Yuxi thought this, it felt as though a hole had opened in his heart. He walked calmly to the black cocoon, intending to ask what had happened. 

But the next moment, a crack suddenly appeared on the surface of the cocoon.

The crack expanded, making a snapping sound, and light poured through it into the cocoon.

Shen Yuxi seemed to recall something, and he lowered his gaze to the black cocoon. Then, his eyes met a pair of deep green ones. 

Those eyes were profound and gentle, as though they had seen thousands of years, carrying the weight of history. They seemed to pierce through any hidden thoughts, making his heart shiver involuntarily.

It wasn’t Qi Chao.

It wasn’t the lover he had so desperately wanted to keep trapped in the villa.

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