Fu Tingyun transferred a sum of assets to Su Xiaoyuan using the Divine Soul Seal, and the faint unease in his heart gradually settled.
He estimated that the brokerage would take about half a day to process, so she would receive word before sunset, and by then everything could return to normal.
The only trouble this would bring was a small one—his second senior brother, who managed his finances, would see the movement of assets. His fellow disciples would then discover his whereabouts ahead of time and would certainly send someone to find him immediately.
As a result, he would return to Taiyan early.
Having resolved the major problem, Fu Tingyun regained his state of calm, still water. He walked into the courtyard and sat in meditation as usual.
A moment later, he sensed something was wrong.
The wisp of red thread that normally came to pester him whenever he meditated did not appear today.
He delved into the Formation to look for it and found it shrunk into a corner. Sensing his approach, it retreated even farther and even hid its thread ends.
This was a clear posture of rejection and resistance.
Fu Tingyun frowned slightly. "Come here."
The red thread not only disobeyed him but wound itself tightly around a Formation pillar.
Fu Tingyun waited a while. The red thread was determined not to pay him any heed.
He closed his eyes and paid it no more attention either.
Until the eastern sky began to brighten, the wisp of red thread still had not come near him again.
It was just as well to go back early.
It had been an accident to begin with. He would repay what he owed her, and parting ways would be best for both of them.
Coming out of meditation, he opened his eyes, and the sound of the young woman rising came from the room.
Unconsciously, he took two steps forward, then paused mid-step and turned to walk beneath the tree.
He could clearly hear the movements inside the room and could easily picture what she was doing.
Hearing her take a wooden basin from the shelf, he knew that in the next moment she would go out to draw water.
Sure enough, the door opened.
The young woman's eyelids were still somewhat swollen, and the tip of her nose was slightly red—he did not know whether she had cried again upon waking.
But when she saw him, there was no resentment in her clear eyes—only a bit of surprise and guilt. "Fu Tingyun, did you stand in the courtyard all night?"
Ripples rose again in Fu Tingyun's still-water heart, a thousand complex and indistinguishable flavors churning within.
"No. Sitting," he said.
Su Xiaoyuan: "I'm sorry. I accidentally fell asleep last night and forgot to call you inside."
Fu Tingyun's brow twitched. "I'm sorry."
The young woman clearly misunderstood his meaning: "I'm sorry means you've done something wrong and are expressing apology."
Fu Tingyun: "I'm sorry."
Su Xiaoyuan smiled. Today she was in no mood to teach the Puppet Human etiquette. "Go inside. I'll be leaving for class soon."
As she spoke, she carried the basin to the well, lifted the well cover, rolled up her sleeves, and began drawing water.
Her arms were as slender and weak as flower stems; even lifting a bucket of water was a struggle.
She could have called him to help, but she did not. She finished drawing the water herself and returned inside to wash up.
The door was left half-open, as if to make it convenient for him to return at any time.
But Fu Tingyun did not follow her in.
He could see the change in the young woman overnight.
Even though her appearance had not changed much and she seemed calm, she was like a flower pulled from the soil—though not yet wilted, she had lost her vitality.
Before long, her friend who clung to her all day arrived.
Passing by him, the friend gave him a curious once-over.
"Xiaoyuanzi…"
She pushed the door open as casually as ever, then let out a startled cry: "Good heavens! What happened here? Were you robbed?"
"Hahaha, what thief would be so blind as to rob my house? I just had the Puppet Human tidy up yesterday. Clean, isn't it?"
Fu Tingyun had thought she would pour out her troubles to her friend, or even cry in her friend's arms. Instead, she feigned ease, doing her utmost to conceal her sense of loss.
"It is cleaner, but I still prefer the way it was before. It feels a bit lonely like this."
The sound of a drawer being pulled open.
"Where's my candy?! My great big jar of orange candy?!"
Fu Tingyun furrowed his brow slightly. That wasn't her candy.
And naturally even less his.
"That… I accidentally finished it. When the oranges ripen, I'll make you some more."
"I'll go pick oranges and give you a hand. Don't tire yourself out."
"Mm… we're going to be late for class. Let's hurry."
Fu Tingyun heard the dullness in her voice and knew she was holding back tears.
The tip of his tongue seemed to taste that candy's flavor again, except all that remained was the bitterness of shredded orange peel.
The two of them walked out one after the other.
"Xiaoyuanzi, aren't you going to lock the door?"
"No need. The Puppet Human is home."
"Huh? You're not bringing him to class today? Didn't you say yesterday you'd find time to practice after class?"
"Better not bring him after all… I'll practice when I get back tonight."
Fu Tingyun watched their silhouettes disappear at the end of the path, their conversation drifting to his ears on the wind.
"Xiaoyuanzi, are you okay? Did someone bully you?"
"No, no, why would anyone bully me?" Su Xiaoyuan's voice was light and brisk.
"Then why are your eyelids swollen?"
"Probably from drinking yesterday. I didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry."
"Well, if something's wrong, you have to tell me. If anyone bullies you, I'll help you beat them up."
"Mm."
Fu Tingyun didn't need to look to picture her forcing a smile and nodding vigorously.
He didn't like seeing her become like this.
Fortunately, it wouldn't be long before she received that sum of money.
Soon everything would return to normal.
Would it?
Of course, Fu Tingyun unhesitatingly snuffed out the trace of doubt that had inexplicably risen in his heart.
…
At the summit of Longji Peak.
The five peak masters of the Taiyan Sect surrounded the two motionless husks lying on the dark ice, at a complete loss.
After three days of guarding them, they finally discovered something amiss. Upon examining the two husks, they realized the young junior brother's Divine Soul was gone.
Third Senior Sister: "Could something have gone wrong with the Soul Transfer Technique?"
First Senior Sister: "He cast it himself. You all watched him grow up—have you ever seen him make a single mistake?"
The young junior brother had entered the sect at three and a half years old. From childhood to adulthood, he had never misremembered a single verse of scripture, never miscopied a single talisman, never made a single wrong hand seal for a Spell Formula, and his sword moves were even more extraordinary.
Immortal Venerable Lingyue was as flawless as his face.
The four of them looked at that face and shook their heads in unison: "Impossible. How could it be?"
First Senior Sister stroked her chin: "Since our junior brother wouldn't make a mistake, then something must have gone wrong elsewhere…"
Everyone looked at the exquisitely crafted, strikingly lifelike Puppet Human.
Fourth Senior Brother: "Could there be something wrong with this Puppet Human?"
"But wasn't this Puppet Human made personally by the sect master of the Yanshi Sect?" said Fifth Senior Brother. "Who would dare be negligent with something this little ancestor instructed?"
First Senior Sister: "There's no use in guessing wildly here. Send word to the Yanshi Sect and ask them to send someone to take a look."
"No need to send a message!" Third Senior Sister blurted out.
Everyone looked at her in confusion.
Third Senior Sister rubbed her nose. "Ahem, we happen to have someone from the Yanshi Sect right here in our sect…"
Everyone: "!"
Third Senior Sister formed a hand seal and quickly sent a voice transmission. In less than fifteen minutes, a spirit crane arrived carrying a handsome young man.
It was none other than the young Yanshi Sect disciple who had come to deliver goods that day.
Everyone: "!!"
The young disciple looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, with a fair face so tender you could squeeze water from it, blinking a pair of watery, innocent eyes.
He looked at the surrounding "venerable" peak lords, and a pink flush slowly spread across his cheeks. He bowed respectfully and introduced himself.
"No need for formalities, no need for formalities…" First Senior Sister cleared her throat.
Second Senior Brother lowered his voice. "Are you here… under duress?"
The young disciple's face instantly turned red. He declared righteously, "Peak Lord, please do not misunderstand. This junior and Lord Mingxin are mutually in love!"
Third Senior Sister looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, terrified. "Don't talk nonsense! Who's mutually in love with you? We agreed it was just a fleeting affair…"
First Senior Sister pinched the bridge of her nose. "These matters can be discussed later. Let's deal with the real issue first!"
After hearing her description, the young disciple furrowed his brow. "That shouldn't be… May I examine the Formation in Immortal Venerable Lingyue's Substitute Body?"
"Please do." First Senior Sister pointed toward the Mystic Ice Bed.
The young disciple walked straight toward one of the bodies.
"Wrong, wrong," Fourth Senior Brother called out to stop him. "That's our junior brother's true body. The one next to it is the Puppet."
The young disciple was startled. "Heavenly Worthy of Primordial Beginning, bless us!"
First Senior Sister was about to pinch a semi-permanent crease into the space between her brows. "Our junior brother is just a bit cold in appearance. Please hurry and examine it!"
The young disciple: "…" You call that cold? He looks more like a puppet than an actual Puppet Human.
He didn't dare delay. He quickly walked over to the Puppet Body, held his breath, formed hand seals, and cast the spell.
Moments later, a point of golden light floated out from between the Puppet's brows, gradually expanding into a complex Formation.
The young disciple examined it carefully for a long while, then muttered to himself, "Strange. This Soul Binding Array is perfectly intact. Nothing went wrong…"
First Senior Sister: "Truly? You're not mistaken?"
The young disciple clenched his fists, his eyes resolute. "This junior swears on his union with Lord Mingxin—this Formation is absolutely without error!"
Third Senior Sister: "…" There's really no need for that.
"Then that's strange. Has your sect ever encountered such a situation? The Formation is fine, the Soul Transfer Technique is fine, yet the soul is missing…" First Senior Sister asked again.
"If the technique didn't go wrong… unless another Soul Binding Array was previously bound, and that Soul Binding Array was never released," the young disciple pondered. "Has Immortal Venerable Lingyue ever used another Substitute Body?"
Fourth Senior Brother: "Oh right, didn't our junior brother have an old Puppet Human before?"
"Oh! I remember now!" Third Senior Sister said. "He wanted to destroy it after he was done with it. I even thought it was a shame… Who was guarding the Melting Abyss at that time? Do any of you remember?"
Before she could finish speaking, Fifth Senior Brother's expression changed drastically. "Ah!"
"What's wrong?" Everyone looked at him.
Fifth Senior Brother's face alternated between pale and flushed. "D-did… did that Puppet Human still have a Formation bound to it?"
The young Yanshi Sect disciple said, "Peak Lords, please rest assured. Once a Substitute Body is destroyed, the Formation naturally dissipates as well."
"Actually… it wasn't destroyed…" Fifth Senior Brother said in a small voice.
"What?!" Third Senior Sister exclaimed. "Fifth Junior Brother, with those thick eyebrows and big eyes of yours, I took you for an honest man—who'd have thought you'd be guilty of stealing what was in your own care!"
"I didn't!" Fifth Senior Brother wailed, his face crumpled. "I'm innocent! Senior Sister, please see clearly! That day I was carrying that Puppet Human, intending to destroy it, but on the way I ran into the Grandmaster…"
The other four peak masters fell silent at this.
"The Grandmaster, as you all know…" Fifth Senior Brother continued. "When he learned I was going to destroy that Puppet, he jumped up at once, shouting 'What a waste of heaven's gifts!' and snatched it away without a second word…"
Senior Sister rubbed her brow furiously. "The Grandmaster did live through several hundred hard years in his youth, so he is a bit overly frugal… Why didn't you stop him?"
Fifth Senior Brother looked utterly wronged. "As if I could stop him! I can't beat him in a fight! He goes around picking up junk all day—I don't see you stopping him either, Senior Sister!"
"Enough, enough!" Senior Sister said hastily, noting that there was an outsider present.
She turned to the young disciple and put on a fake smile. "Thank you for your help, young friend. This matter is now essentially cleared up."
Before the young disciple could say anything, Third Senior Sister picked him up and set him on a spirit crane to be sent away.
Second Senior Brother reproached her. "He's still a child!"
Senior Sister glared at Third Senior Sister. "I'll deal with you later!"
Third Senior Sister quickly changed the subject. "That old Puppet is most likely in the Grandmaster's palace now."
Fourth Senior Brother said, "No time to waste—let's go ask him right away."
Senior Sister nodded and immediately formed an Image Transmission Spell.
A wisp of mist rose from her palm, quickly condensing into a blurry human silhouette, then gradually solidifying into a translucent, handsome face.
"What's the matter? Why are you looking for your master?" Their Grandmaster, Daoist Ancestor Wuxuan, was just over a thousand years old, with the appearance of a young man of twenty-five or twenty-six, strikingly handsome.
But there was an indescribable air of poverty about his brow, for in his youth he hadn't lived in good times—back then, Sword Cultivators were so poor they'd pawn their pants just to buy a sword.
Add to that the fact that a hundred years ago, when he crossed the Great Mahayana Tribulation, he'd likely had his brains fried by heavenly lightning, leaving him somewhat muddled ever since—often forgetful and fond of scavenging junk everywhere.
Senior Sister gave a salute and cut straight to the point. "Is an old Puppet once used by our youngest junior brother in your palace, Master?"
"Old Puppet?" Daoist Ancestor Wuxuan scratched his head. "I do have quite a few Puppets here. Which one do you mean?"
Third Senior Sister said, "The one whose features somewhat resemble the youngest junior brother's, but not as handsome as his."
Fifth Senior Brother chimed in, "The one that was supposed to be destroyed at the Melting Abyss but was snatched away by the Grandmaster halfway there."
"What do you mean 'snatched'? That sounds so awful," Daoist Ancestor Wuxuan quickly corrected. "How many times must I say it—can a Sword Cultivator's taking be called snatching? It's called safekeeping on your behalf!"
"Right, right, whatever you say is right, Elder," Senior Sister said, her brow twitching. "So where is that Puppet Human that you've been safekeeping on our behalf?"
"Oh, that one…" Daoist Ancestor Wuxuan said nonchalantly. "I sold it."
"That's not right," Fourth Senior Brother spotted the problem. "The Grandmaster hasn't left the sect in years. How did you sell it?"
"Oh, that Barter Brocade Pouch I've been safekeeping for you—you set a price, put the item inside, and if someone buys it, Spirit Stones pop right out. Very convenient…"
Fourth Senior Brother let out a wail. "That's not a Barter Brocade Pouch—that's a magic tool confiscated from an evil cultivator, meant for fencing stolen goods! I was wondering where that thing had gone!"
Daoist Ancestor Wuxuan said with complete justification: "Well, it's already sold, so what's to be done? At worst, we'll compensate you with another one. I'm old now, useless, and starting to be looked down upon by the younger generation…"
"How could that be, Grandmaster, don't overthink it." The Senior Sister quickly offered a few words of comfort and cut off the Image Transmission Spell.
"The most urgent matter is to figure out where that little ancestor is right now." The Senior Sister sighed. "If we have to tear down someone else's mountain peak, the money for compensation is a small matter, but where would our Taiyan face go?"
After a pause: "As things stand now, the only option is to ask the Qiankun Sect's Sect Master to help with a divination."
"Perhaps… there's no need for a divination." The Second Senior Brother suddenly spoke.
Everyone turned to look at him: "Why?"
"The Junior Brother just used the Divine Soul Seal to transfer some assets to someone." The Second Senior Brother said.
The Senior Sister: "Transferred to whom?"
"I've never seen the name before; it looks like a woman's name. However, the exchange house used for the transfer… is located in the territory of the Yunyu Sect."
Everyone fell into silence.
After a long while, the Senior Sister said: "Even you were notified—was it a very large sum of money?"
The Second Senior Brother's expression was strange: "Very large, very large, very large."