Fu Tingyun naturally wasn't keen on installing random formations into the Puppet Body.
But he wanted even less to have an ugly thing hanging around nearby.
Su Xiaoyuan's chicken-coop of a room was already messy enough; if another puppet came along, they'd probably have to stuff it under the bed.
No, the space under the bed was already packed full of stuff. If that ugly thing came, it would have to be hung on the wall.
Fu Tingyun had no choice but to choose the lesser of two evils.
Besides, even if formations were installed, whether they actually worked was still up to him.
Inside the Puppet Core, which was already covered in complex formations, a small formation was added, forced to huddle in a corner by those murderous, profound arrays.
The strand of red thread coiled around the main formation poked its head out, as if sizing up the newcomer from afar.
"The formations are installed. Now let me teach you how to use them."
Elder Qin looked at Fu Tingyun's puppet, intending to use him for a demonstration, but felt an inexplicable flutter of unease.
Her intuition had always been reliable, so she wisely turned to Ruan Mianmian instead: "Let me borrow your puppet for a moment."
Ruan Mianmian generously pushed Song Jinshu forward: "Use him however you like, Elder."
Elder Qin demonstrated the incantation for activating the formations: "Both puppets are currently in the activated state. Normally, there's no need to turn them off."
Once the formation was activated, a translucent light screen the size of a scroll appeared in front of Song Jinshu, with text floating across it.
It was a function menu, divided into four major sections: "Entry Trial," "Inner Sect Advanced," "Simulation," and "Mental Fortitude."
The first two categories were clear to both Su Xiaoyuan and Ruan Mianmian.
"What are 'Simulation' and 'Mental Fortitude'?" Ruan Mianmian asked.
Elder Qin gathered Spiritual Power at her fingertip and tapped [Simulation]: "Let me show you. You can use this one now too."
After tapping it, a submenu opened, further divided into many parameters like "Gender," "Cultivation Method," "Temperament," and so on.
Elder Qin tapped through them while explaining: "When you have a specific target in mind, but the difficulty is too high and you're not confident, you can set the puppet according to the target and practice first."
Su Xiaoyuan's heart stirred. Could she set the Puppet Human according to Fu Tingyun?
She quickly dismissed the thought. Her understanding of Fu Tingyun was too limited—she only knew he cultivated the Way of Heartlessness and would cut people down at the slightest disagreement.
Ruan Mianmian rolled up her sleeves, eager to try: "Let me, let me!"
Elder Qin stepped back two paces and let her operate it herself.
Ruan Mianmian tapped through the options while muttering to herself: "Gender, male; Cultivation Method, spell cultivator; Temperament, gentle, accepts everyone, fickle, flighty; Preferences… I don't know his preferences…"
She scratched her head in frustration: "He never told me any of this. I should've asked him beforehand."
Su Xiaoyuan glanced over, then immediately lowered her head as if burned, her face reddening all the way to her neck.
The so-called "preferences" were kinks—besides the ones even she knew about, some were utterly bizarre and beyond imagination.
Elder Qin noticed her reaction and let out a sigh of disappointment at her lack of ambition.
Ruan Mianmian continued scratching her head: "Mystic Gate, Intercourse Meridians… I don't know which of his meridians are easier to attack either…"
Su Xiaoyuan's head sank lower and lower. Mystic Gate, Intercourse Meridians—these were what modern people called erogenous zones. Did you have to investigate even this kind of thing in advance?
Elder Qin watched Ruan Mianmian nearly scratch herself bald and couldn't help saying, "If you don't know, just leave it blank for now."
"Gathering intelligence is also an important skill—you'll receive dedicated training once you enter the inner sect."
But can they really gather information on Immortal Venerable Lingyue's preferences? Su Xiaoyuan was highly doubtful. Wait—someone born without desires shouldn't have preferences at all, right?
Ruan Mianmian finished setting up what she knew and asked, "Elder Qin, what's 'mental fortitude' for?"
Elder Qin replied, "You won't need it for now, and putting this function on a Puppet Human… well, it's usually a bit… complicated to explain…"
Both of them looked at her curiously.
Elder Qin sighed helplessly. "Fine, let's just try it."
She tilted her chin toward Ruan Mianmian. "You do it again."
Ruan Mianmian, confused, tapped on "mental fortitude." Song Jinshu's Puppet Human expression shifted instantly. He raised a hand to smooth back his hair, then, as if struck by a fit of madness, shoved Ruan Mianmian against the wall. "Woman…"
"Hey!" Ruan Mianmian swung a fist at the Puppet Human.
Her punch sent him flying backward, and he slammed into the opposite wall with a loud "thud."
Elder Qin pinched the bridge of her nose. "See what I mean?"
Ruan Mianmian: "Holy crap! That was terrifying—I've got goosebumps all over."
Elder Qin: "I told you it was complicated.
"Originally, this function was meant for the Puppet Human to seduce and entice its master, training their mental fortitude. But since Puppet Humans lack true sentience, this is what you get…
"Still, mental fortitude is a crucial part of cultivation. When we go out to Dual Cultivation Harvesting, we need to make others lose themselves, but we must always remain clear-headed ourselves."
Su Xiaoyuan nodded. This was something they'd already learned in their safety classes.
After all, if you're doing math problems while harvesting, and you lose your own mental clarity, you could easily end up being harvested in reverse.
"Alright, let's take a look at the entrance exam." Elder Qin pulled Song Jinshu out of the wall and cast a Purification Art.
As a Puppet Human worth twenty coins, Song Jinshu's quality was surprisingly good.
"Not bad—sturdier than he looks," Elder Qin remarked.
She returned to the main menu and tapped on "Entrance Exam."
It only had two categories: "Individual Practice" and "Examination."
Elder Qin explained, "You just repeatedly work through the Individual Practice items until you've mastered them. The Examination randomly picks three questions from the Individual Practice pool."
Ruan Mianmian: "Only three?"
Elder Qin shot her a sideways glance. "With your current level, you couldn't pass even one!"
She tapped open Individual Practice as she spoke. "The items progress in difficulty, so just work through them in order."
The first item was "Seductive Glances." After Elder Qin selected it, she cast a look at the Song Jinshu Puppet.
The Puppet Human immediately emitted a mechanical voice: "First-class, top grade. Congratulations, you have passed 'Seductive Glances.' Your skill is formidable—keep up the good work, and in time, you will surely achieve greatness."
Fu Tingyun: "…" He would never allow his Puppet Body to make such a disgusting sound.
Su Xiaoyuan and Ruan Mianmian both applauded. "Wow! Elder Qin is amazing!"
Elder Qin waved it off airily. "Merely a trivial skill."
She thought for a moment. "The entrance exam covers nine items in total. I'll give you a time limit—seven days per item, so you can finish in about two months, then spend the remaining twenty days consolidating what you've learned."
"Do we really need seven days?" Ruan Mianmian said confidently. "Elder Qin, I think I can finish seven items in one day."
Elder Qin curled the corner of her mouth. "Don't brag. Try the first item first."
Ruan Mianmian stepped up onto the desk, grabbing the Puppet Human by both shoulders. "Look at me."
Su Xiaoyuan seemed to see fear on the Puppet Human's face.
Ruan Mianmian flashed a strange smile, blinked her big eyes, and tossed a self-satisfied flirtatious glance.
A mechanical voice came from within the Puppet Human: "Grade D, Level Three. Apologies, you have failed the 'Silent Seduction' assessment. Your eyelids move like a startled rabbit, yet your gaze is as dull as a wooden chicken. Do not be discouraged; keep trying."
"This thing must be broken!" Ruan Mianmian kicked the Puppet Human in anger.
Elder Qin chuckled. "If you could pass it that easily, why would you need remedial lessons?
"You haven't even entered the sect yet, so you need to rely on atmosphere. I suggest you keep the Puppet Humans activated. If you happen to pass by accident, review it afterward and think about what you did right."
She turned to Su Xiaoyuan. "By the way, the Wushan Festival is only a few days away. Have you found a partner yet?"
Su Xiaoyuan had been so preoccupied with the entrance exam and Immortal Venerable Lingyue that she had completely forgotten about everything else.
The Wushan Festival was called a "festival," but it was actually a unique holiday of the Yunyu Sect. After thousands of years of development, it had become highly secularized.
The festival took place around the third day of the third lunar month, lasting seven days, and had incorporated the customs of the Shangsi Festival. During this time, the sect and the surrounding cities would host many celebratory events.
According to Yunyu Sect tradition, disciples were required to pair up in twos and travel together.
Most of it was fine, but one activity involved going to the sect's spiritual stream for the Ritual Purification Bath, which was essentially bathing together. Though they didn't have to strip naked, it was still awkward.
Su Xiaoyuan glanced at Ruan Mianmian. "I'll go with Kaishan…"
Elder Qin clicked her tongue. "Do you two plan to go Dual Cultivation Harvesting women in the future?"
Su Xiaoyuan shook her head.
Elder Qin said, "Then what's the use of sticking together all day?
"You need to seize every opportunity now to get used to interacting with men. The Wushan Festival is a perfect chance."
Su Xiaoyuan understood that Elder Qin meant well.
Because it was a signature Yunyu Sect holiday, many of the Wushan Festival's activities were designed for couples. It could be described as a large-scale dating simulation event.
But where was she supposed to find someone?!
Her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of the Puppet Human, and she latched onto it like a lifeline. "I could…"
Before she could finish, Elder Qin cut her off decisively. "No. You need to interact with real people. A Puppet Human isn't a real man…"
At that moment, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, as if a needle were pricking her back. She turned to look—there was naturally no one behind her, only Su Xiaoyuan's Puppet Human, staring blankly straight ahead.
Elder Qin rubbed her temples. She must be too tired lately.
She continued the previous topic. "Xiaoyuan, why did you join the Yunyu Sect?"
"Uh…" Su Xiaoyuan couldn't answer.
"Is it because of someone you have feelings for?"
Su Xiaoyuan hesitated, then nodded. Immortal Venerable Lingyue was a boulder weighing on her heart, and by rough approximation, he could count as someone she had feelings for.
Elder Qin sighed. "Whatever your purpose, since you've joined our sect, you can't resist these things."
Su Xiaoyuan understood the logic, but her mother had guarded her strictly since childhood, restricting her interactions with the opposite sex. She hadn't had a single male friend in all those years, which was why she was completely incapable of it now.
"Pairing you up isn't about having you harvest each other—it's just a form of learning, understand?" Elder Qin said.
Su Xiaoyuan nodded. "Yes, Elder Qin. I'll try my best to find someone."
"Forget it, I won't count on you to find one yourself," Elder Qin said. "I'll arrange for an inner sect senior brother to guide you."
Su Xiaoyuan immediately sighed in relief. "Thank you, Elder Qin!"
Ruan Mianmian said without a care in the world, "What about me? What about me? I want one too!"
Elder Qin shot her a sideways glance. "I'll arrange one for you, but don't you go getting my disciple killed."
"What kind of person does Elder Qin take me for!" Ruan Mianmian said indignantly. "Elder Qin, you must arrange a handsome senior brother for me—I'll take good care of him, I promise!"
Just as they were speaking, a gentle and pleasant male voice sounded from outside the door. "Is Elder Qin busy?"
"It's Elder Bai who's arrived," Elder Qin greeted. "I'm just helping two disciples set up their Formations."
Elder Bai's fox-like eyes curved into a smile. "It's Xiaoyuan and Mianmian."
The two greeted Elder Bai.
Elder Qin said to them, "I still have matters to attend to. Go back and study the usage on your own—come ask me if there's anything unclear."
The two took their leave of the elders and departed.
Walking out of the courtyard, Fu Tingyun clearly heard the voices of the two elders speaking inside.
"They've only just joined the sect. It wouldn't hurt to let them gain more experience in the outer sect for a year—don't push them too hard." That was the voice of the male fox.
"It's precisely because you and the Sect Master are too lax that we've been backed into a corner by the Fengyue Sect."
"On this trip to Wushan, did they make things difficult for you again?"
"That old scoundrel from the Fengyue Sect hasn't given up his schemes."
"They've been trying to swallow us up for centuries now—haven't they failed every time?"
"Times are different now. Their Sect Master recently latched onto the Mystic Wing Sect's leader, and they're likely waiting for an opportunity to strike at us. We need to increase our manpower at this year's Wushan Festival to guard against them causing trouble."
"Understood."
…
Fu Tingyun withdrew his Divine Sense and didn't continue listening.
Wherever there were people, there would be infighting—even a small sect that didn't take its own affairs seriously was no exception.
But he hadn't expected that a low-tier sect like the Mystic Wing Sect could throw its weight around outside either.
Truly, shallow waters breed many turtles.