Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 162

 

| PN | Hah | 162

After acquiring the memories of the Mother Tree, Qi Chao had changed in many ways. His senses were sharper than before, and since the transmigrators in front of him weren’t hiding their expressions, Qi Chao could easily tell they were frightened of something.

“Why did you come running over here? Didn’t you want to stay in the cave?”

Now that Qi Chao understood what the trial ground was all about, he could put himself in their shoes and had a good guess about what they were thinking.

Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li were trying to find a way to escape. Hearing that familiar voice, they widened their eyes in shock and exclaimed, “Qi Chao?!”

The man standing before them had green eyes, with black hair cascading down his back. When he wasn’t speaking, he exuded a faint sense of aloofness, quite different from his previously ruggedly handsome appearance. If anything, he now seemed even harder to approach.

Qi Chao nodded.

“You... why do you look like this?”

Could it be a power? Other than an ability, there didn’t seem to be any other reason that could explain why he’d suddenly changed his appearance.

“An ability.”

Qi Chao didn’t reveal the truth to the three but instead casually offered an excuse. These transmigrators weren’t bad people, though they were, ultimately, outsiders.

So that’s how it was.

Li Ge and the others believed him.

What an eyesore.

Since he’d opened his eyes, Qi Chao hadn’t spoken a word to him, yet he was happily chatting away with those three. Shen Yuxi’s gaze darkened, a sense of irritable frustration building up inside him.

He put on his usual gentle mask, a faint smile gracing his lips, and stepped over to Qi Chao’s side. Placing his fair fingers lightly on Qi Chao’s shoulder, he murmured, “The forest has quite a few mosquitoes. Shall we go back to talk?”

Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li: …

There isn’t even a bird here, let alone mosquitoes. The villain didn’t even bother to make up a believable lie.

Before they could react, the villain’s light gaze swept over them. Instantly, the three stood up straight, and any daring thoughts they had vanished in a flash.

Right, so the trial ground is full of mosquitoes. No problem.

Shen Yuxi observed the reactions of the three without comment, keeping his focus on Qi Chao. 

His fingertips, resting on Qi Chao’s shoulder, twitched slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He was worried that Qi Chao might brush his hand away.

Now that Qi Chao understood what the trial ground was all about, Shen Yuxi feared that Qi Chao, with his naturally kind heart, might not necessarily fear him but might start to resent his presence.

Shen Yuxi’s eyelashes trembled with anxiety before he forced himself to calm down. He couldn’t let Qi Chao leave him, even if Qi Chao came to dislike him. His expression remained gentle, but if one looked closely, they’d see a dark intensity brewing in his eyes.

“Then let’s go back,” Qi Chao said.

Shen Yuxi froze, the shadow in his gaze vanishing in an instant, replaced by a hint of bewilderment.

Qi Chao tilted his head slightly, his black hair falling over his shoulder as his green eyes held a faintly puzzled look. “Weren’t there a lot of mosquitoes?”

“Yes, a lot.” 

Shen Yuxi was momentarily unsure of Qi Chao’s intentions. After a brief hesitation, he withdrew his hand. He’d expected Qi Chao to ignore him or even treat him coldly, but he hadn’t anticipated this type of reaction.

The Mother Tree’s core, kept in his pocket, had shattered and dispersed into the air as soon as they entered the trial field, completing his mission. Staying at the trial ground now was no longer a concern.

With this in mind, Shen Yuxi deliberately avoided any further mention of the trial ground, hoping Qi Chao would ignore its significance. He smoothly picked up the earlier topic, turning to Moss with a gentle smile. “Moss, did you hear what your father said?”

“Yes, I heard,” Moss replied.

Moss clutched the doll in his arms, his bandaged left hand moving slightly, summoning a massive vortex. After finishing, he couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Qi Chao. 

Just as their father couldn’t fathom what their dad was thinking, they, too, found him hard to read.

But since Dad had agreed to go home with their father, it meant he had no plans of leaving them.

Hope began to blossom within the group of puppets, especially Lan Luo, who had always dreamed of living happily together like an ordinary human family. 

Lan Luo was visibly more affected, his reaction filled with an optimism that couldn’t be hidden.

“Lan Luo, don’t be afraid. Dad’s already back,” Li Bai said.

Just before stepping into the vortex, Li Bai keenly sensed that his good friend’s emotions were a bit off. 

Since he still didn’t fully understand what the trial ground really was, he simply assumed that Lan Luo was worried about their father’s earlier accident.

“Even though Dad’s appearance has changed, he’s still our dad. Lan Luo, don’t worry!” he said brightly.

From beneath his mask, his golden eyes sparkled, and his small, sharp teeth flashed with joy, reflecting his thoroughly good mood.

"I know."

Lan Luo forced a smile. When Dad had been engulfed in shadow, he’d desperately wanted to tear those shadows apart. But once Dad emerged, all his focus shifted to Dad's attitude.

Li Bai, that oblivious little fool, couldn’t understand the weight of their emotions right now.

Letting Li Bai hold his hand as they stepped into the vortex, Lan Luo glanced at the figures of Dad and Father walking side by side. His tension began to ease.

There shouldn’t be a problem.

Since Dad cared enough to respond to a casual remark from Father, it meant he still cared about them. Father was strong and capable—he would surely turn things around.

Meanwhile, the three transmigrators had no idea that the “villain” family was going through a crisis of their own. 

After a brief hesitation, they decided to follow along and head back to the villa.

Compared to the trial field overrun with twisted puppets, being around Qi Chao was definitely safer.

Qi Chao—the man who could make the novel’s greatest villain fall in love with him, the man whom demon puppets called "Dad." 

Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li were certain he wouldn’t just stand by and let them meet an untimely end.

Noticing the three following behind them, Shen Yuxi said nothing, focusing instead on the man beside him.

Once they returned to the living room, he glanced over at Agu and Chi Yao and said softly, “Take good care of these three uncles. Don’t neglect them. Your dad and I are going upstairs to change.”

Though it sounded simple, the meaning ran deeper.

Shen Yuxi harbored a strong dislike for the three men. 

If not for their presence, Qi Chao might still see him as pure and gentle, instead of being constantly on edge as he was now. 

But to avoid tarnishing his image in Qi Chao’s eyes, he knew he couldn’t act against them—at least, not yet.

Agu glanced back and forth between Dad and Father, then nodded with a bright smile. “Don’t worry, Father, I’ll take good care of these uncles.”

The three transmigrators didn’t realize these were just offhand remarks from the villain to maintain his image in front of Qi Chao. 

To them, it sounded more like the villain was “arranging” their fate right in front of Qi Chao.

“N-no need, we can just go back to our rooms ourselves,” Li Ge stammered, swallowing nervously. He pulled his two friends behind him and cast a pleading look at Qi Chao.

“It’s fine. You’ve been outside for a long time; let the kids bring you some water and take a good rest,” Qi Chao reassured them. 

He understood that these three had been accidentally dragged into the trial grounds and that Brother Shen wouldn’t harm them.

Li Ge, Old Liu, and Zhang Li: …

Will we still have lives left to “rest” with?

As they watched the villain lead their “lifeline” up the stairs, the three men exchanged helpless looks. 

Worse, as they turned around, they were met with the sight of ten demon puppets, each more than capable of crushing them in an instant. 

The three fell into a brief, horrified silence, then huddled together, quietly praying for Qi Chao to come back downstairs as soon as possible.

On the other side, Qi Chao wasn’t aware of the transmigrators’ thoughts. Walking into the room side by side with Brother Shen, he was already considering how to explain everything.

When he heard the soft click of the door locking, he turned to find Shen Yuxi looking at him with a gentle, apologetic expression.

“I'm worried the kids might come up,” Shen Yuxi explained.

Of course, the truth was that Shen Yuxi feared Qi Chao might leave the villa impulsively when they had their talk. The excuse was flimsy, but Qi Chao didn’t dwell on it; he just gave a small nod and let it go.

“Why have you changed so much?” 

Standing by the window, Qi Chao’s gaze remained outside, prompting Shen Yuxi to hesitate for a few seconds. He decided to sidestep any mention of the trial grounds and instead asked the question that weighed most on his mind.

The shadow had dissipated as soon as Qi Chao appeared, leaving Shen Yuxi unaware of what Qi Chao had experienced, which made him uneasy. 

Shen Yuxi, with his strong need for control, found it difficult not knowing the details. If it hadn’t been for Qi Chao’s initial, somewhat distant attitude, which threw him off balance, Shen Yuxi would have insisted Qi Chao recount every moment within the shadow.

“It was the Mother Tree’s influence,” Qi Chao replied.

In truth, this appearance was that of the Mother Tree’s external form, also resembling Qi Chao’s own original form. 

But since Qi Chao himself didn’t fully understand what was happening, he’d interpreted it this way for now, which wasn’t entirely incorrect.

The Mother Tree?

At this, Shen Yuxi’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. The plot details the transmigrators had shared didn’t include any mention of a “Mother Tree.” So how had Qi Chao come to know of its existence?

It seemed clear that Qi Chao must have gained some memories within the shadow, though Shen Yuxi’s mind churned with uncertainty over what Qi Chao now knew.

Qi Chao watched as Shen Yuxi seemed to retreat into his own world after asking the question. 

After a brief silence, Qi Chao spoke up. “I know everything now.”

“Everything. Including why your teacher created the trial grounds, and what happens there every day.”

Hearing this, Shen Yuxi lifted his gaze to look at Qi Chao. His soft, blue-colored eyes now appeared slightly flustered. 

He had been mentally prepared for Qi Chao to learn about the things he’d done, but hearing it confirmed made him realize he wasn’t quite as ready as he thought.

"So... are you planning to leave me now?" Shen Yuxi’s lips curled into a forced smile. Despite trying to keep his composure, a slight tremor betrayed his voice.

In that fleeting second, he’d already mentally mapped out where he could lock Qi Chao away to prevent him from disappearing from his life.

"Leave? Why would I want to leave you?" Qi Chao didn’t understand what had led Shen Yuxi to think such a thing.

Shen Yuxi froze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. "You’ve never thought about leaving me? Even after what I and the puppets did to hurt humans in the trial grounds?"

"No."

Qi Chao paused for a moment, realizing that his earlier avoidance of Shen Yuxi’s gaze, when he had emerged from the shadow space, might have led Shen Yuxi to think he was planning to leave.

"I won’t leave you or the kids on my own," Qi Chao emphasized again.

Looking at Shen Yuxi's eyes, which shimmered with the wetness of unshed tears, Qi Chao finally understood the depth of Shen Yuxi’s anxiety. 

With a sigh, he pulled Shen Yuxi into an embrace.

As he felt the warmth of Qi Chao’s body, Shen Yuxi finally felt a sense of reality return. He grasped Qi Chao’s shirt, about to relax, when he heard Qi Chao speak again.

"When I first heard the three of them talk about the trial grounds, I didn’t believe it. But after I went there, I realized they were telling the truth."

Shen Yuxi’s heart sank immediately.

What did that mean?

"I couldn’t understand why you created the trial grounds at first, but in the shadow space, I found out that it was for the puppets."

Shen Yuxi looked up at Qi Chao, still unclear as to why the so-called shadow space had given him these memories.

Qi Chao didn’t seem ready to explain, as he was currently sorting out Shen Yuxi's role in all of this.

It was clear that Teacher Qiao Bing was the real mastermind behind everything.

Shen Yuxi, however, had no need to be involved in any of it. If it weren’t for the puppets and the Mother Tree, he wouldn’t have had to hide out in the chaotic Ganfen District at all.

"But I still hurt humans, didn’t I?" Shen Yuxi trembled slightly, his eyelashes quivering as he asked tentatively. 

In the brief silence, he wondered if, given Qi Chao's personality, even if his actions had been for the puppets, creating a trial field like this shouldn’t have been the answer.

Not to mention, at the beginning, the reason he was willing to build the trial grounds with his teacher wasn’t for the puppets.

Shen Yuxi knew that neither he nor his teacher were good people. He wasn’t kind, and his selfishness far outweighed anyone else’s. There was no way he would go through all this trouble for puppets.

Qi Chao attributing his actions to puppets wasn’t entirely accurate. However, from another perspective, if this could make Qi Chao feel soft toward him, he didn’t mind admitting this as the truth.

After all, the outcome would be the same.

"Mm, Brother Shen, you did something wrong," Qi Chao said.

Shen Yuxi had braced himself for Qi Chao to criticize him, but hearing those words made him tighten his grip on Qi Chao’s clothes.

Qi Chao didn’t notice the subtle movement. His mind had wandered. 

The whole trial field thing had been a huge mistake. No matter how much he wanted to save the Mother Tree, building a trial grounds like this was definitely the wrong approach. 

However, as someone who had benefited from it, Qi Chao didn’t feel he had the right to criticize Shen Yuxi.

He embraced Shen Yuxi, his hand gently stroking through the man’s long hair. “So, Brother Shen, you just need to correct your mistakes, okay?”

Shen Yuxi didn’t quite understand what Qi Chao meant by "correcting" things, but for now, his priority was to comfort Qi Chao. He softly hummed in acknowledgment.

"I know. The core of the Mother Tree has returned to its rightful place, so the trial grounds no longer serves a purpose."

Qi Chao could feel Shen Yuxi gently resting his head on his shoulder. His voice sounded muffled, almost obedient. 

Qi Chao reached out to ruffle his hair, not saying anything further.

At the same time, far away in a high-level meeting at the association, things were much more tense.

"The core of the transfer device has been stolen, and until now, we haven’t found any clues. Do you even deserve to be part of the Royal Abilities Protection Team?" 

The president of the association had a grim expression. Though his tone remained calm, his face betrayed the frustration and anger he was feeling.

The two ability users, the team captain and vice-captain, stood in front of the president, their heads bowed in shame. The transfer device had been stolen right under their noses, and they both knew they couldn’t justify such a failure.

"We will find the core as soon as possible, please rest assured, President," they said, determination in their voices. 

As soon as they returned, they would push their team members to search for clues, even if it meant exhausting their mental energy to resolve the situation.

"That won't be necessary," the president responded, his voice cool and dismissive.

The two looked at each other in surprise. "Why?"

"The Emperor has sent a secret order. He already knows the location of the thief. You’ll go with your team to find them. It’s also said that the Marshal is trapped there, so be careful." 

The president leaned back in his chair, pushing his hands together dismissively. "If there's nothing else, you may leave."

The two ability users exchanged a glance, both filled with a mix of confusion and uncertainty. 

They had no choice but to comply, so they left and headed back to the training room, their minds swirling with questions.

The two advanced taskers stared at the signal they had just received, their eyes widening in disbelief. 

They were seasoned and had long been tracking the movements of Craftsmen 467.  However, this new piece of information sent shockwaves through them.

"What does this mean? Is the consciousness of this realm really planning to defy the fate line and destroy itself with its own strength?" One of them exclaimed.

Such a move was unthinkable. In all the dimensions they had studied, only one other realm had chosen to forcibly self-destruct, and that had resulted in its inability to be reborn—leaving behind a lifeless void. 

"Are you crazy?! What do we do now? We haven't found Craftsman 467 yet, but if we stay here any longer, we could face danger at any moment."

Who knows what kind of unexpected situation could arise from a dimension that is determined to destroy itself?

"I don't know."

The senior tasker, who had countless impressive credentials, suddenly felt at a loss. He grabbed the communicator and sent a message to the director of the Craftsman Bureau, attempting to evacuate from the high-risk dimension.

The next second, a message appeared on the screen.

[Detection of Craftsman 467's energy fluctuation. Please wait patiently.]

"Craftsman 467 is coming!" 

The senior tasker, as the experienced predecessor, immediately became much more serious. "Prepare for combat. We need to extract Craftsman 467 from the dimension before it self-destructs!"

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