Brought It to Life?

"Bai Ling's harem really has... everything. A cold and aloof master, a gentle Eldest Senior Brother, a sharp-tongued Second Senior Brother, a lively Third Senior Brother. And beyond that, there's the Demonic Path Young Master, a heaven-blessed sword cultivator, the beautiful and effeminate Sect Master of the Joyous Union Sect—and now even a sinister, vicious murderer from the Corpse Refining Sect." Bai Lan shook her head.

She really played hard.

It was only because cultivators lived long lives. Otherwise, after dozens of romances splitting and rejoining, crisscrossing in every direction, Bai Ling would have been worked to death.

"Long Aotian is no better. Isn't he flirting with a pair of aristocratic sisters right now?" The system spread its hands.

It sighed.

No matter how much she tried to ignore it, Bai Lan ultimately had to face reality.

The Corpse Puppet in this Storage Bag, emanating such an intense aura, was far too sinister. Mainly because it stank.

More importantly, the cultivator's divine soul within the Corpse Puppet, already transformed into a vengeful spirit, was still alive.

If she left the Corpse Puppet alone, the soul inside would probably drift out.

If she dealt with it, though, she would have to feed it with her own blood to nourish and suppress it. Bai Lan had no interest in mutilating herself to raise such a gloomy thing.

"Hey, soul in there. If you can hear me, make a sound." Bai Lan knocked on the Corpse Puppet's skull.

The Corpse Puppet moved, letting out nothing but a low, hissing cry from within.

"Ghh..."

"Oh, there really is a soul in there."

Now this was troublesome.

After pondering for two seconds, Bai Lan rummaged through the Storage Bag and pulled out two or three talisman papers used for drawing talismans.

That Rogue Cultivator at the seventh layer of the Qi Refining stage had been quite capable. Not only had he taught himself corpse refining, he had also dabbled in talismans and pill refining. Thus, his Storage Bag contained quite a few tools for drawing talismans: a talisman brush, talisman paper, and demonic beast blood.

Seeing Bai Lan spread out the talisman paper and dip her brush into cinnabar, as though she were about to begin drawing a talisman—

"Host, what are you..." The system looked puzzled.

Bai Lan waved a hand. "Just going back to my old trade."

Her old trade?

While the system was still wondering, it saw its host's fingers twitch slightly as she infused threads of fire spiritual power into the talisman brush, then began to write.

Her expression was focused, her brows faintly drawn together.

As the brush and ink flowed, a line of intricate Cloud Seal Script leapt onto the paper. Her movements were somewhat unpracticed, yet she made no mistakes, completing it in one smooth stroke without pause.

"Five Thunders, divine lightning, scorching radiance—when gathered, bind ghosts and subdue evil. Swiftly, swiftly, as the law commands." Bai Lan closed her eyes and recited an incantation.

Then she made a series of strange hand seals.

The system remained utterly bewildered.

This was the host's old trade?

How could it not understand? It vaguely remembered that when it had first found its host, she had been setting up a little stall at the night market to tell fortunes. Since when could she draw talismans too?

Bai Lan merely smiled without speaking.

She moved the Corpse Puppet into the Void Stone, then slapped the talisman onto its forehead. Only after seeing a flash of golden light pass over the talisman paper did Bai Lan finally let out a long breath.

"Though this isn't the same world, they're both demonic and evil things. This should still work, right?" Bai Lan looked at the motionless Corpse Puppet, her tone suddenly uncertain.

After all, this was the cultivation world. Anything was possible.

A moment later.

Under the system's astonished gaze, the Corpse Puppet... rose stiffly to its feet.

The Corpse Puppet's originally rigid arms suddenly lifted, held shoulder-width apart, and then... it hopped.

Its movements were stiff and mechanical, exceedingly... dumb-looking.

"Hiss." Bai Lan's expression froze.

What was going on?!

Wasn't this talisman meant to suppress demonic and evil beings!? How... how had it brought the Corpse Puppet to life instead?

Was that old man's teaching even real? Don't screw her over at a crucial moment like this.

Bai Lan's face stiffened.

"Ahem. Soul in there, are... are you still there?" Bai Lan cleared her throat and greeted it uncertainly.

She had used a talisman meant to suppress and kill demonic evil—so why had the Corpse Puppet come alive instead?

Something was wrong. Far too wrong.

"Ghh..."

The Corpse Puppet paused, then turned toward Bai Lan. "I... I'm here."

It could actually speak?

Before Bai Lan could respond, the Corpse Puppet spoke again. "Fellow Daoist, was it... you who killed that... Evil Cultivator?"

Bai Lan's pupils contracted.

It could not only speak now, but think as well? Though it stuttered a little.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Th-thank you. I am a disciple of Lingyin Sect. My strength was lacking, and I was tragically killed by a demonic cultivator. In the end, I was reduced to this state. May I ask what method you used, Fellow Daoist, to actually undo the restrictions on this Corpse Puppet?" As though he had recovered his familiarity with using his voice, the young man's speech gradually returned to normal.

That deathly pale, bluish-gray face slowly turned toward her, and its eyeballs moved as well.

What method had she used?

A talisman meant to suppress and slay demons and evil spirits!

Yet now, the demon had not been destroyed—it had come back to life instead.

Bai Lan twitched the corner of her mouth.

"It is nothing. No need to thank me." Bai Lan sighed.

The Corpse Puppet hopped in place, only to find a yellow talisman blocking its view. It blew out a breath. "Fellow Daoist, what is this thing on my head? Could you take it off?"

After a moment of silence, Bai Lan made a save file. This time, she stepped forward two paces and removed the talisman.

The next instant, the Corpse Puppet, which had been lively enough just moments ago, fell straight backward in an instant, once again making hoarse, guttural sounds.

Bai Lan: "..."

What exactly had that old man taught her? This was definitely not a talisman for suppressing and slaying demons and evil spirits. From the way it looked, it was more like a talisman for controlling them.

She pasted the talisman back on and spoke heavily. "If I remove the talisman, you will be unable to move freely."

The Corpse Puppet sprang upright. "All right."

When the Corpse Puppet spoke, the stench of rot came rushing straight at her.

She could not take it anymore. Really, she could not take it anymore.

Bai Lan took a deep breath and used water spiritual power to gather a stream of water, washing down the foul-smelling Corpse Puppet before her.

Corpse Puppet: "...Ugh."

After a while, once it had been cleaned, the Corpse Puppet's original appearance beneath was revealed.

A bluish-white zombie face.

But at least it no longer stank.

That Rogue Cultivator had copied the Corpse Refining Sect's methods to refine a Corpse Puppet, fine—but he had even been too lazy to wash it. He had let a perfectly good corpse rot sour.

"What are your plans from now on? Return to Lingyin Sect?"

The Corpse Puppet hopped, his tone urgent. "No! After I fell into the hands of an Evil Cultivator, I was refined into a Corpse Puppet. In my current state, I can no longer be considered a normal Human cultivator. If I return to the sect, my fate will be to have my soul scattered and destroyed."

"I... I still do not want to die." His voice trembled slightly.

Bai Lan was helpless. "Then what are we supposed to do? Don't tell me you want to stay here with me? You want me to take you in?"

"Fellow Daoist, take pity on me and take me in."

His bluish-white face remained expressionless, but the words he spoke raised goosebumps all over Bai Lan. She rubbed her arms, her expression complicated.

This deal was not worth it.

She was currently a disciple of Azure Origin Sect, a great righteous sect. If anyone discovered the existence of this Corpse Puppet, then even if she had not refined it herself, she would still be branded an Evil Cultivator. Then even if she jumped into the Yellow River, she would never wash herself clean.

Seeing Bai Lan frown, the Corpse Puppet added, "Take me in. I can do anything you ask."

"Only the talismans you draw can let me move freely."