Wife Puppet

Witnessing Lu Fan’s outburst, everyone erupted into boisterous laughter.

“Why the anger, my friend? Surely you realize I’m only looking out for the Heavenly Puppet Gate’s best interests, don’t you? This time, your sect still won’t manage to sell even a single puppet,” Yao Xiangzi chuckled, stroking his beard contentedly.

At his words, several familiar old acquaintances immediately sauntered over.

“Old Lu, just accept your fate. For the Heavenly Puppet Gate to endure, perhaps you should consider lowering your prices.”

The barrage of taunts, one after another, sent Lu Fan into a furious tirade of curses.

“Scram! All of you, get out of this old man’s sight! I’d rather these puppets gather dust in my hands than lower their price. You impoverished wretches, if you can’t afford them, just admit it!”

The bickering among these peers was akin to a squabble between schoolchildren.

Just then, the communication token at Lu Fan’s waist began to tremble violently.

Puzzled, he picked up the token and glanced at it, a single look sending a shock of astonishment through Lu Fan.

With a soft whoosh, he vanished from his spot.

“Huh? Sect Master, where are you off to?” a female cultivator from the Heavenly Puppet Gate called out.

“Hahahaha, business! A big one!” Lu Fan’s voice echoed from outside the grand hall.

That declaration left the various sect leaders utterly dumbfounded.

“What’s going on? Has that old ghost finally lost his mind?”

Yan Yun, guided by Lu Xi, inserted several spirit stones into the puppets’ cores, and almost instantly, they stirred to life as if imbued with a soul.

“Is that all it takes? So, when the time comes, they’ll attack whoever I command them to?” Yan Yun inquired, her curiosity piqued.

“Naturally. However, you’ll first need to master the Puppet Art. This technique is a complimentary gift, and you can review the instructions on how to specifically control them; it’s quite straightforward.” Lu Xi offered Yan Yun a small booklet.

Yan Yun accepted the booklet and quickly scanned its contents, finding the puppet control technique remarkably simple and intuitive.
“Hmm, quite good,” Yan Yun murmured, nodding her head repeatedly.

After absorbing the information, she turned her gaze towards Jiang Yao and Su Muyu.
“My dear wife and mother, why don’t each of you choose a Golden Armored Puppet?”

Yan Yun addressed Jiang Yao and Su Muyu, who stood just behind her.

“Oh, well, there’s no helping it now. Since they’re already purchased, there’s nothing we can do,” Jiang Yao said. The two women approached the five puppets and each selected one that seemed most agreeable.

While these items were undeniably expensive, they could prove to be a crucial trump card if the need arose.

“The customer! There! Lu Xi, the customer is right there!” Just then, a frantic voice rang out beside Yan Yun and her companions.
They swiftly turned their heads, only to see a thin, white-haired, unkempt old man suddenly materialize beside Lu Xi.

The old man, his eyes darting about, was clearly searching for the esteemed customer eager to purchase puppets.

‘A Divine Venerable Realm cultivator,’ Yan Lingyun’s voice echoed within Yan Yun’s mind the moment the old man arrived, serving as a swift warning.

Seeing Lu Fan’s arrival, Lu Xi hurried forward to offer his respects.

“Master, who are you searching for? This fairy is our esteemed guest.”

Yan Yun was instantly taken aback. She had never imagined that Lu Xi, standing before her, was actually the disciple of a Divine Venerable expert, making him far from an ordinary individual.

Lu Fan’s gaze immediately fixed upon Yan Yun, his wide eyes scrutinizing her from head to toe.

“Little girl, are you the one looking to purchase puppets?” Lu Fan questioned, his expression etched with profound skepticism.
He simply couldn’t fathom how this young girl, with her seemingly meager cultivation, could possibly afford their sect’s puppets.

“Oh? Senior, is there some issue?” Yan Yun retorted, visibly displeased by the old man’s scrutinizing gaze.

Lu Fan was about to speak, but Lu Xi quickly cut him off, fearing his master’s condescending judgment might provoke Yan Yun’s ire.

“Master, this fairy is a truly significant client! Look, she just purchased all the Silver Armored Puppets and Golden Armored Puppets I had on hand.” Lu Xi quickly presented the ten million spirit stones in his possession for Lu Fan to examine.

Upon taking the spirit stones and casting a glance, Lu Fan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Even as a Divine Venerable, he had never before witnessed such an immense sum of spirit stones all at once.

It could only be said that the Heavenly Puppet Gate was truly destitute.

For a sect boasting a proud lineage of Puppet Masters to have fallen to such a state was truly disheartening.

The Heavenly Puppet Gate currently only boasted a single Divine Venerable, Lu Fan, who was merely a Minor Perfection Divine Venerable, while all the other elders remained in the Divine Soul Realm.

Their disciple numbers were equally sparse; despite being classified as a second-rate sect, their actual scale of disciples was comparable to a third-rate one, with each successive generation proving weaker than the last.

Every cultivation sect possessed its own industries, a vital source of income, for without it, they would surely starve.

“Hahahaha, young lady, this old man’s eyes were truly clouded! You wish to purchase even finer puppets, yes? Come, come, allow this old man to personally show you our wares!” Lu Fan’s excitement was palpable.

With a grand sweep of his hand, he enveloped Yan Yun in his power and whisked her away, flying directly towards the grand hall designated for transactions.

“Wait, Senior! Please bring my mother and wife too!” Yan Yun exclaimed in a rush.

Lu Fan’s expression instantly froze.

“Your mother? Your wife?”

Yan Yun promptly gestured towards Jiang Yao and Su Muyu, who stood nearby.

The two women were mortified beyond words.

Ever since her identity had been revealed, Yan Yun had seemingly cast off all restraint, completely unconcerned with concealing her relationship with Jiang Yao. She would simply introduce Jiang Yao as ‘my wife’ to anyone they encountered.

“What? These two young girls—one is your mother, and the other is your wife?” Lu Fan’s face was a mask of utter bewilderment.

Yan Yun nodded gravely.

“Indeed, Senior. Is there some issue?”

Lu Fan felt his mind briefly seize up. He meticulously scrutinized Jiang Yao and Su Muyu from head to toe.

Su Muyu and Jiang Yao, in turn, nodded politely at Lu Fan.

Once he received their confirmation, Lu Fan suddenly erupted into a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha! It seems this old man has been sequestered for too long. Have the customs of Jiang Country truly evolved to this? Ah, never mind, it’s of no consequence to me. As long as you’re pleased, then you two young ladies should join us too.” With another swift motion, Lu Fan seized Jiang Yao and Su Muyu, and the trio instantly vanished from their spot.

“Huh? Master, what about me? I’m coming too!” Lu Xi called out, hastily giving chase.

In but an instant, Yan Yun and her two companions materialized within the grand transaction hall, specifically in the Heavenly Puppet Gate’s merchandise trading zone.

“Hahahaha, customers! All of you, quickly present your masterpieces to these three young ladies!” Lu Fan immediately instructed the gathered crowd.

Upon seeing the three young women, whose cultivation levels appeared rather modest, the elders of the Heavenly Puppet Gate wore expressions of utter bewilderment.

Yet their stunned silence lasted only a moment before they burst into enthusiastic activity.

“Haha, young lady, you’re looking for advanced puppets, aren’t you? Come, quickly examine my creations! Each one has been meticulously crafted and refined by my own hands. Their appearance is remarkably lifelike, and their texture and feel are almost indistinguishable from a real person. They can serve as daily maids, possessing a multitude of functions. Please, allow me to explain them to you.” The female cultivator enthusiastically drew Yan Yun towards her intricately crafted puppet and began her fervent sales pitch.

“Hold on, Senior Sister! Why would a young lady want a beautiful puppet? What she truly needs is a tall, imposing bodyguard! Young lady, come see mine!” Another middle-aged man interjected, sweeping his hand to reveal a towering, formidable male puppet before Yan Yun.

“Oh, come now! This young lady is clearly an unmarried maiden. Is it truly appropriate for her to have a man by her side? I believe a beast puppet would be far more suitable for her. Quickly, come take a look at my beast puppets!”

The elders of the Heavenly Puppet Gate were a fiery, passionate bunch, each vying to promote their own unique puppets.

Yan Yun and her two companions found themselves utterly dazzled by the display, for these puppets were remarkably lifelike.

“Esteemed Seniors, please, don’t rush me. Allow me a moment to properly consider my options,” Yan Yun pleaded, feeling quite overwhelmed by their fervent enthusiasm.

Only then did the group pause, each one turning an expectant gaze upon Yan Yun.

They were truly impoverished; even selling a single puppet would be a boon.

After observing the exquisite beauty puppets for a moment, Yan Yun subtly glanced over her shoulder at Jiang Yao.

Catching Yan Yun’s mischievous gaze, Jiang Yao seemed to instantly grasp the wicked thoughts brewing in her mind.

True to form, Yan Yun immediately sidled up to the female cultivator and whispered, “Excuse me, Senior, can the appearance of these beautiful puppets be altered? I mean, can they be custom-designed?”

The female cultivator’s expression momentarily faltered.

“Absolutely! I can modify it right here on the spot, guaranteeing it will perfectly match the appearance you desire.”

Yan Yun’s eyes lit up with a mischievous glint.

“Excellent! Then, please, help me fashion the appearance of this puppet to resemble her.”

Yan Yun subtly gestured towards Jiang Yao.

The female cultivator looked utterly bewildered.

“But… you two are together, aren’t you? Is this truly appropriate?”

“Oh, relax! Our relationship is quite intimate, so I assure you, there’ll be no issues,” Yan Yun replied with a strange, knowing smile.

Driven by the desire to sell her puppet, the female cultivator was clearly willing to go to great lengths.

“Grant me ten minutes, and I guarantee I’ll present you with a beauty puppet so lifelike it could fool anyone!”

With that, the female cultivator immediately produced a collection of tools and materials, then walked to one of her beauty puppets and began to modify its physique and appearance to perfectly match Jiang Yao’s.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yao strolled over to Yan Yun and quietly asked, “I can’t shake the feeling you’re up to no good, you rascal.”
Yan Yun merely chuckled.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

As Jiang Yao watched the beauty puppet’s form gradually transform under the female cultivator’s skilled hands, it didn’t take long for her to realize what mischief Yan Yun was concocting.

Especially when the puppet was fully formed, Jiang Yao’s face flushed crimson.

“You! Yan Yun!” Jiang Yao exclaimed, her body trembling with indignation as she stared at the beauty puppet, an almost perfect replica of herself.

“Hahahaha, it really worked!” Yan Yun couldn’t contain her excitement.

However, just as she laughed aloud, Jiang Yao pinched her soft flesh at the waist mercilessly.

“Ah!” The sudden attack elicited an involuntary cry from Yan Yun.

Su Muyu, observing the beauty puppet that was an exact duplicate of Jiang Yao, couldn’t help but rub her forehead.

“There you have it, young lady. It’s been modified exactly to your specifications. This is a Divine Mark Realm puppet, and it costs five million.” The Heavenly Puppet Gate female cultivator announced, not forgetting to state the price.

Yan Yun, enduring the sharp pain in her waist, playfully winked at Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao’s face was completely scarlet; she could easily discern Yan Yun’s wicked intentions.

“You’re still laughing? Senior, I’d like another beauty puppet, modified to resemble her!” Jiang Yao immediately told the female cultivator.

The female cultivator smiled, giving her fellow elders a knowing, triumphant look.

“Alright, then! Give me another fifteen minutes!”

With that, the female cultivator began her work anew, and in no time at all, a puppet identical to Yan Yun was brought into existence.