Love at First Sight

Many people believe that the old man in "The Puppet Show" hates the puppets for ruining his life, but I disagree. At the end of the play, the old man cries out, "Warmth, loneliness," which reveals his truest feelings. From dreams to reality and then back to dreams, the old man regrets not spending his life with the puppets, but failing to persevere to the end. After one night, he is truly alone.

"What moved me most in the play was the doll. It silently accompanied the old man throughout his life, even when thrown into the fire, it remained uncomplaining and selfless, even offering itself as firewood to burn all night, just to bring warmth to its master. Putting myself in its shoes, how State of Mind the doll must have felt at that moment. A lifetime of companionship, only to be abandoned, yet she felt no hatred, only gratitude. After falling into the fire, she gracefully bowed to the old man as a farewell. In this doll, we see the shadow of those 'Beauty fatales' in history, who, simply because of their beauty, were falsely accused of bewitching kings and disrupting the court, the blame for the downfall of a nation placed on a weak woman—how innocent they were!"

"As expected, only the victors are remembered. The other teams' performances were also excellent, yet they didn't even get a mention. It's pathetic. And these comments... they feel like reading comprehension questions on a language arts exam? Are they alluding to the idea that Beauty bring ruin? Is this script really that profound?"

Anyway, Si Ming had never thought about the implications of this, and there were no similar interpretations on the internet in his previous life. Of course, the altered and expanded drama and a simple song are naturally very different and cannot be generalized. But one has to admit that a writer's pen can kill a person or bring a ghost to life.

And, indeed, art needs hype.

"My dear brother, why do you look so troubled? These newspaper articles must all be full of praise, right?" Si Jingyu asked as she walked over.

"Could you please stop using such operatic terms? Even if you're trying to emphasize the pretense between us, it still sounds awkward."

Anyway, Si Ming had never seen a sister call her brother "my little brother" or "dear little brother." It sounded a bit like the translated style of old movies, such as "Hey, long time no see, dear old buddy" or "Oh, this is really something, can you please not talk like that, my God?"

"This is to reinforce the impression and prevent you from inadvertently giving yourself away. For example, you just mentioned a 'pretended relationship,' which won't do. Not to mention that walls have ears, if you can't even fool your own subconscious, it's easy for someone with ulterior motives to notice the flaws."

"Do you think you're cultivating a conditioned reflex?" Si Ming recalled Pavlov's dog training experiments. "And to others, it would sound very Anomalies."

"That depends on who that person is. If it's a commoner, they won't find it Anomalies at all; on the contrary, they'll think it's perfectly normal, because in their minds, that's how Aristocratic Clan families talk."

Si Ming couldn't refute this point either. Even in the 21st century, with its exceptionally developed internet information, many young girls still fantasize about the lives of the wealthy and aristocratic, imagining it as a fairy tale made up of countless luxury goods. For example, they imagine being woken up by a beautiful maid or a handsome butler, always traveling in a luxury car with a driver, and having foie gras and caviar on the dinner table. In short, they want the most expensive things possible, without considering other people's tastes or habits.

Si Jingyu casually picked up a newspaper, glanced at the comments, and said, "Just as expected, no one dares to say anything bad. As long as they inquire a little about the lead actor's background, these guys who would swarm over a bone wouldn't dare to bark."

In countries controlled by capital, the news media are the mouthpiece of capital, and freedom of speech is nothing but a joke; anyone who believes it is a fool. The Nation of Beauty is undoubtedly a country controlled by the Aristocratic Clan, so these Aristocratic Clan are the big shots behind these news media. Many newspapers are even originally owned by the Aristocratic Clan. If they encounter disobedient ones, a slight tug on the leash and the tightening collar will naturally make this vicious dog understand who its master is.

"I wasn't bothered by this kind of thing in the first place?"

"Then what are you worried about?"

"I just regret that I shouldn't have written 'Gods and Ghosts of the Three Kingdoms'. I should have written 'Reborn in the Jianghu as a Drama Master' instead. Every plot point was just copied from a script, rambling on and on, describing how shocked and moved the audience, and then copying the reviews and reports from various media outlets after the performance. I could have easily written millions of words without having to rack my brains for plot ideas now."

"Are you talking about novel writing? I'm sorry, I don't know much about that, so I can't give you any advice."

Si Ming was just mentioning it casually. He is still a model young man with ideals, principles, and aspirations. He doesn't write novels just for money. Perhaps in some timeline, he will become a plagiarist because he repeatedly crosses the line, just like a good woman forced to sell herself. Once there is a first time, it is easy to do it again. But at least for now, he has kept his chastity.

"To be honest, I didn't realize it at the time, but now I'm only just realizing it. You attended that day's selection event not to see Si Huaruo's performance, but to lure out the Si Clan's enemies, weren't you?"

Si Jingyu paused for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment, "That was the plan. I was about 80% sure they would seize the opportunity to make their move. After all, Si Huaruo and I were both there. If they killed us, Water Mirror Manor would lose its geniuses who could suppress their peers, and it would easily descend into a chaotic battle for the position of family head. But they never showed up until the very end. I don't know where things went wrong."

She did not shy away from admitting her miscalculation and faced it calmly.

"No wonder you looked so disappointed after the performance. I thought you were doing it on purpose to annoy Si Huaruo."

"I wouldn't do something so childish. However, since this plan to lure the snake out of its hole has failed, there's only one option left. I'll have to trouble you, little brother, to help me out then."

Si Jingyu originally did not intend to ask Si Ming for help. Although it was to repay the favor Yan Jinghong owed, the merits Si Ming had made had already offset that favor. Asking him for help again would only make the Si Clan owe him a favor.

However, as a candidate for clan leader who had been handling Lineage affairs for many years, Si Jingyu knew very well that voluntarily owing favors to others was also a form of social interaction. Only students who had not yet entered society would have the arrogance of not wanting to owe favors to others. However, she had a slight resistance to this matter in her heart.

Rather than relying on the other person, she wanted to demonstrate her reliability as the "older sister" so that the other person would depend on her. Unfortunately, based on the information she had gathered, the other person didn't seem to need her help in any way.

Si Ming didn't hesitate, patting his chest and saying, "Of course, this is what I should do. Don't be so polite. But you have to tell me who this adversary is, so I can be prepared."

"Her name is Shi Muyan, the White Night Divine Sword Master, and she is our family's ancestor's... love rival."

Chapter 296 Love at First Sight

Si Ming suddenly realized why Si Jingyu hadn't told him about the enemy's information from the beginning. It was indeed inappropriate to speak about the privacy of an elder. It's human nature to keep the taboo of one's elders' privacy, and it's not just Confucian School that believes in this.

At this moment, a series of love triangle diagrams flashed through Si Ming's mind, such as Child Elder of Tianshan and Li Qiushui, Mei Fanggu and Shi Qing, Li Mochou and Lu Zhanyuan, Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai...

"Things are different now. While Spirit Transformation cultivators could use their power to assassinate isolated clansmen and create panic, with the widespread use of radio, Aristocratic Clan can now cast a wide net throughout the city, forming a search zone. The old methods of concealing one's aura and blending into ordinary people to hide one's identity are no longer feasible. If they dare to do this, I will immediately contact those Nascent Spirit Transformation cultivators with good relations with the Si Clan and ask them to join forces to kill the enemy."

While the Si Clan may not be able to create a vast ocean of people, their investigative system, comprised of cameras and communication devices, prevents situations like those in ancient times where a criminal stands in front of a portrait of a fugitive but no one recognizes him.

"She only had two options: one was to target me or my mother, the so-called 'capture the kingpin,' and once the leader was down, the rest would be a disorganized mess; the other was to take advantage of the absence of her top fighters, strike at Yellow Dragon heart of the Si Clan, and massacre the core members, severely damaging their strength. Yesterday I created an opportunity for her, and whether she used the former or the latter method, there was great potential, at least on the surface. But in the end, she didn't make a move."

Si Ming comforted him, "This kind of wait-and-see plan is inherently full of variables. If something unexpected happens, the other side may abandon the operation. Besides, the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, so the initiative is in their hands."

"You're right. Waiting passively isn't a solution; perhaps we should look for a proactive approach."

Si Jingyu thought for a moment, then put on a serious expression and said, "Let's not talk about that. How's your practice of the 'Water Moon Precious Mirror' going? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

They even handle after-sales service! That's amazing! Si Ming thought to himself as he said, "I've only learned the internal energy cultivation method and the body refinement chapter. They're all things that progress gradually, so I won't encounter any major problems for now. You know the style of the martial arts in there—dancing and dancing at the same time. If a guy like me fights like that, people will laugh at me to death."

Si Jingyu smiled and said, "It might have a surprise effect. If the opponent is stunned, a moment's lapse in concentration could be an opportunity to turn the tide of battle."

Si Ming thought about it seriously and realized that it was indeed possible. Imagine if your opponent, who was fighting you hand-to-hand, suddenly started dancing the most dazzling ethnic style. Even if you weren't scared, you would probably start to wonder if there was a trap.

"In fact, the Si Clan has three great martial arts techniques. The Water Moon Precious Mirror is only one of them. The others are the Shaman Steps and the Mirror Reflection Technique. However, the Shaman Steps is a divine dance, with the Divine Dao path as its main focus. The movement techniques in martial arts are just an add-on. After the Eternal Barrier isolates the demons and gods from the outside world, it can still be used, but its power is reduced to less than one-tenth. The Mirror Reflection Technique is even worse. It was originally a secret technique for reflecting Technique Method, enough to reflect the ultimate moves of an opponent of equal Cultivation Body back. Unfortunately, under the Eternal Barrier, all Technique Method is blocked, and its value is completely lost."

Si Jingyu sighed deeply, feeling a mixture of longing and regret for the past wealth of her ancestors.

Si Ming recalled the night he dealt with the Anomalies; the footwork Si Huaruo used must have been the Shaman Steps.

"By the way, now try circulating your internal energy from the Body Refinement Chapter. I'll check it for you and see if there are any mistakes." Si Jingyu adopted a businesslike expression.

"Well... I don't think that's necessary. I don't feel any discomfort. If I had practiced the steps incorrectly, something should have happened."

Whether it was just his imagination or not, the more serious Si Jingyu's expression became, the more Si Ming felt that she had ulterior motives. Unfortunately, he couldn't Mind-Reading Technique and couldn't find out what she was thinking.

"Martial arts training is not something to be taken lightly! Although the 'Water Moon Precious Mirror' is a legitimate and orthodox text of the Water Moon Precious Mirror,' which would inevitably arouse suspicion. After much thought, I have no choice but to personally check your progress. This matter must be taken seriously and not taken lightly," Si Jingyu criticized in a stern tone.

In fact, possessing the talent for sudden enlightenment, Si Ming was not worried at all about practicing the wrong method, but this was his secret and not convenient to tell others.