Flesh Puppets, Booming Business

"Business is booming, Shopkeeper Liu. Have you refined all ten Demoness Puppets we agreed on last time? Consider the extra two as interest on the materials I bought on credit?"

Led to the second floor by Shopkeeper Liu, Su Qing did not take a seat immediately. He cupped his hands to Shopkeeper Liu in greeting, exceedingly polite.

Though Shopkeeper Liu greeted him with a smile, Su Qing knew his place.

He was no longer a Cloud Mountain Sect Inner Sect Disciple. Without that official standing, he was no different from the rogue cultivators outside. He merely possessed some skill in the Dao of Puppetry and could help Shopkeeper Liu boost his sales.

In a sense, Shopkeeper Liu was also the one who put food on his table, so naturally he had to treat him well.

"Half a month apart, and Fellow Daoist Su has improved again in the Dao of Puppetry. From a hundred sets of materials, you refined twelve Puppets. The success rate is even higher than this Old Daoist expected. I will not let you suffer losses either. How about I settle the price of the two extra Puppets at four hundred Spirit Crystals each?"

Shopkeeper Liu did not wish to take advantage of Su Qing over such a small matter, and he spoke generously.

Su Qing nodded in agreement. He knew very well that these Demoness Puppets were high-end goods, not the stripped-down versions he sold from his stall.

According to Hundred Treasures Pavilion's requirements, not only did the Biomimetic Runes need to be more lifelike, they also had to imitate a few traces of the original demoness's aura according to the customer's needs.

After Hundred Treasures Pavilion resold them, especially to the demonic cultivators in the Desiring Demon Immortal Kingdom who desperately coveted Liu Yun'er and had been suppressing their Evil Fire, their price might rise dozens of times over.

As the puppet master who had developed the Demoness Puppets, Su Qing did not envy this. In fact, every Puppet bore Hundred Treasures Pavilion's name.

Earn money according to one's ability, carry burdens according to one's strength. Hundred Treasures Pavilion clearly had greater capabilities than he did. They could earn the big money and shoulder the big burdens; he could simply stay nestled within White Cloud Market Town and sip a little soup.

"If Fellow Daoist has time lately, please refine more Demoness Puppets. After the last batch was released, the response was enthusiastic, and demand far exceeded supply. I imagine that as the war between the two sects grows fiercer by the day and the demonesses continue to run rampant, more and more fellow Daoists will bear resentment toward them.

"Furthermore, using these Puppets to simulate the demonesses' seductive abilities can strengthen one's resistance when facing the real demonesses. For the sake of our fellow cultivators, I must ask this of you!" Shopkeeper Liu said earnestly.

"Resisting the Demon Sect is a duty we cannot refuse. Same terms as always: from a hundred sets of materials, I produce ten Puppets. However many materials Shopkeeper Liu has, that is how many Puppets I will refine!"

Su Qing spoke with towering spirit. Who cared what those cultivators used the Demoness Puppets for? He only needed to make money.

Seeing Su Qing agree so readily, the smile on Shopkeeper Liu's face became all the more sincere.

In terms of quality, these Demoness Puppets were merely Tier-1 Mid-Grade.

Yet because they demanded extremely high standards for Biomimetic Runes, even ordinary Tier 2 Puppet Masters found them difficult to refine. Those who could refine them were honored guests of Major Powers, disdaining and unwilling to make such Puppets.

Only Fellow Daoist Su—whose exceptionally high comprehension of Biomimetic Runes had earned him entry into Cloud Mountain Sect's inner sect, only to later be thrown out because of his poor spiritual roots and his inability to break through to the Mid Qi Refining Stage for so long—would do this business with him.

Shopkeeper Liu clapped his hands, and a clerk approached carrying a Storage Bag.

"By rights, given Fellow Daoist Su's status, you should have had a Storage Bag long ago. This bag contains materials for more than three hundred and sixty Puppets. If Fellow Daoist Su delivers thirty Demoness Puppets to our pavilion one month from now, that will fulfill the requirement. Consider this Storage Bag a small token from our pavilion!"

A Lower-grade Storage Bag could not be bought without three thousand Spirit Crystals.

For it to be given away as an extra in the deal, it seemed the profits from these Demoness Puppets were even greater than I had imagined!

Though he muttered inwardly, Su Qing still accepted the Storage Bag with an outward expression of flattered surprise.

Once the Demoness Puppet business was settled, Su Qing bought some other materials from Shopkeeper Liu as well, spending over half the Spirit Crystals he had earned from setting up his stall. Only then did he stop.

Then, just as Shopkeeper Liu was preparing to see him out—

Su Qing suddenly took a Puppet Blueprint from his robes and said to Shopkeeper Liu:

"Take a look, Shopkeeper. Would Hundred Treasures Pavilion be interested in this Puppet?"

Shopkeeper Liu spread open the blueprint and saw a Puppet shaped like a Green-skinned Lizard drawn upon it. He could not help asking in surprise, "That can do that too?"

"What are you thinking, Shopkeeper Liu? This is a Combat Puppet! I intend to focus on this Puppet next. If Shopkeeper Liu is interested, I can bring you a prototype next time I deliver goods?" Su Qing said irritably.

"Oh, oh, a Combat Puppet. Then bring it for us to see next time. If its biomimetic effect is good, our pavilion may be willing to take it."

Upon hearing that it was a Combat Puppet, Shopkeeper Liu was initially rather disappointed. Any proper puppet master could refine Combat Puppets. Su Qing's specialty, Biomimetic Runes, could not be put to much use on Combat Puppets, so naturally he had little interest.

But then he thought again: there were countless cultivators in the world. Perhaps someone might enjoy passionately battling a Lizard Puppet?

After discussing business, the two chatted a little longer. Only when Shopkeeper Liu began to grow impatient did Su Qing rise and take his leave.

With the few Spirit Crystals he had left, he bought Spirit Rice, Spirit Flour, and other daily necessities in the Market. He also reluctantly bought three Yellow Bud Pills that could aid cultivation. Only then did he mount an Iron-Footed Horse and travel down the bluestone-paved road toward the Living Area not far from the Market's Central District.

Along the way, Su Qing sensed one indistinct gaze after another fixing upon him, but the prickling sensation at his back soon vanished again.

"This Iron-Footed Horse is still too conspicuous. Next time I come out, I will have a Storage Bag to carry supplies, so I will not have this trouble."

Though he knew Hundred Treasures Pavilion must have arranged for War Cultivators to escort him in secret, lest the materials they had just given him be snatched away by thieves, Su Qing was still uneasy. He clutched the Thick Armor Talisman tightly and returned to the Living Area in constant apprehension.

The Living Area outside the Market had been built around a lake, with beautiful scenery. It was protected year-round by White Cloud Market's defensive formations, while the White Cloud Sect Enforcement Team maintained order. As long as one stayed inside one's room, there was no need to fear Robber Cultivators coming to the door.

It could be said that, aside from the somewhat steep monthly rent of five hundred Spirit Crystals, it had no other shortcomings.

"Oh? Fellow Daoist Su is back. I heard you sold three Demoness Puppets in the Market today. Tsk, tsk. This little woman never imagined that one day a man would steal my business!"

Outside his home, a charming and alluring Female Cultivator dressed in splendid robes saw him return and spoke sharply.

Tang Wanqing, his next-door neighbor, was a Late Qi Refining Stage cultivator. She had several Female Cultivators under her, running a flesh trade in White Cloud Market Town. Since she looked fairly good and conducted herself well, Su Qing's relationship with her was rather decent.

"There are hundreds of thousands of rogue cultivators in the Market. How could three Puppets possibly steal Fellow Daoist Tang's business? If Fellow Daoist Tang herself were willing to receive customers, I would even be willing to offer some of my hard-earned money to Fellow Daoist Tang!"

Su Qing's gaze swept over Tang Wanqing without restraint, calculating that if he refined Puppets using her as the model, their sales probably would not be bad either.

"Pah! All desire and no courage. My door will be open tonight—do you dare come in?"

Tang Wanqing spat teasingly, half serious and half false. The two soft mounds before her chest trembled, stirring Su Qing's heart, but he immediately realized that with his cultivation, he could not tame such a fiery mare.

"Enough joking. It looks as though Fellow Daoist has been waiting for me for quite some time. You did not come just to flirt with me, did you?" Su Qing asked, his expression turning serious.

Seeing this, Tang Wanqing finally explained her purpose.

As it turned out, she too had taken an interest in the Demoness Puppets.

Ever since Su Qing had refined the first batch of Demoness Puppets, she had been tempted.

She ran a flesh trade with several little sisters. Her little sisters were made of flesh and blood, unable to withstand too much whipping and battering, and could only receive a few customers each day.

How could that compare to bringing along a batch of Puppets to receive customers? At most, she would charge a slightly lower Prostitution Puppet Fee. As long as the volume was large and the frequency high, she would certainly earn more.

Of course, Demoness Puppets modeled after Liu Yun'er were still too expensive for her. She merely produced portraits of several beautiful Female Cultivators and asked Su Qing to custom-make some cheaper versions.

"The basic model costs two hundred Spirit Crystals each. It has eighty Biomimetic Runes and two Water-Fire Runes inscribed on it. No repairs, no returns.

"The upgraded model costs three hundred Spirit Crystals each. It has one hundred and twenty runes inscribed on it. The Water-Fire, lightning, and spiral runes can be swapped as desired. No repairs, no returns.

"The luxury model costs five hundred Spirit Crystals each. It has three hundred and seventy-two Biomimetic Runes inscribed on it. Repairs guaranteed, returns not accepted!

"I recommend that Fellow Daoist choose the luxury model. These are top-grade goods Hundred Treasures Pavilion exports to the Desiring Demon Sect. Only because Fellow Daoist and I are so close would I sell them externally at all. I truly would not sell them to just anyone!"

Su Qing had not expected business to come knocking at his own door, and his face filled with smiles.

"Heavens above, five hundred Spirit Crystals each? Why do you not just rob me!" Hearing Su Qing's quote, Tang Wanqing let out a coquettish cry and repeatedly complained that it was too expensive.

A bargain was not difficult to strike.

After Tang Wanqing offered him a few benefits, Su Qing went along with the flow and agreed to custom-make five basic Puppets for her at one hundred and eighty-five Spirit Crystals apiece for her to try.

What surprised Su Qing was that one of the models Tang Wanqing chose was actually herself.

She must have known that quite a few cultivators nearby lusted after her. Since her true self would not earn this money, she could let a Puppet earn it instead.

Looking at Tang Wanqing's body measurements on the blueprint, Su Qing clicked his tongue at just how well-endowed she was, and guaranteed that he would complete her order within one month.