Han Fei and Cheng Mengyao respectfully bowed. "May I ask who you are, Senior...?"
The elderly man in the middle waved a hand. "I'm already dead. What does it matter whether you know who I am? More importantly, is the young lady beside you important to you?"
Han Fei frowned, not understanding why the old man had suddenly asked that. He could only answer honestly, "She is my friend. May I ask what you mean by that, Senior?"
The old man smiled. "Only one of you can live. The one left alive will be given everything he or she desires, including the inheritance of puppet arts. Which of you will stay?"
Han Fei and Cheng Mengyao both revealed shocked expressions.
"No, I won't choose him/her."
The two spoke almost at the same time.
The woman beside them said with a smile, "Since you won't choose, we'll choose for you. Let's vote."
The elderly man in the middle nodded. "I choose the man."
The others began casting their votes for Han Fei as well, though two puppets voted for Cheng Mengyao.
But that did not affect the final result. Of the nine votes, Han Fei won six to three. That meant Han Fei would receive the inheritance, while Cheng Mengyao would face death. And judging by the old man's words, Cheng Mengyao would be turned into a puppet, her soul sealed away, her memories forever frozen at their current state. Anything that happened afterward would be forgotten in a short time.
All the puppets here were like that. They remembered only what had happened before they died.
The elderly man in the middle raised a hand, and a beam of light shot into Cheng Mengyao's mind. She immediately fainted.
Han Fei reacted quickly, catching Cheng Mengyao and gently laying her on