Self-Detonating Puppet, Evil Entity!

Three days later.

Su Family Courtyard.

"Fellow Daoist, please, you must sell me a Self-Detonating Puppet!"

The fellow Daoist before him was in a great hurry, but hurrying was useless.

Su Qing poured him a cup of tea before speaking unhurriedly, "Let me correct you. It's a Lizard Warrior, not a Self-Detonating Puppet. Of course, that is not important. First, tell me what requirements you have for the coating?

There are Lightweight Mobile Models, Medium Combat Models, and Heavy Armored Warrior Models here, each corresponding to different coatings.

I see that you are a Dharma cultivator. I would recommend the Lightweight Mobile Model. Dharma cultivators do not fight others at close range. When danger comes, you can have the puppet carry you as you flee, and you will run faster than everyone else, won't you?"

The well-to-do Dharma cultivator, clad in a Dharma Robe, took a sip of tea. Its bitterness jolted him, and he frowned. "Who cares what it is called? I want the most powerful explosion, the cleanest one!"

"Then the Heavy Armored Warrior Model? But when this kind of puppet self-detonates, its power is no trifling matter. If it truly explodes, it will inevitably injure you as well, Fellow Daoist," Su Qing advised sincerely.

"Then I'll take the Lightweight Mobile Model. How many Spirit Crystals?" The Dharma cultivator hesitated for a moment before accepting the professional advice.

"That will be 1,200 Spirit Crystals. Once payment is complete, come collect it in ten days," Su Qing said.

The Dharma cultivator stamped his foot. "Ten days is far too long. Can't you hurry it along?"

"There is nothing to be done. Business follows first come, first served. I have already promised two Fellow Daoists ahead of you that I would refine theirs first..."

"I'll pay more!"

"Come back in three days, and your goods will be ready!"

In the end, after the Dharma cultivator paid an additional three hundred Spirit Crystals as an expedited fee, the deal was struck.

After seeing the Dharma cultivator off,

Su Qing lifted his cup and took a sip of tea. It really was strangely bitter. No wonder none of the Fellow Daoists who had visited lately ever asked for a second cup.

Life had clearly been getting better and better lately, but he could not keep pinching pennies like this. Tomorrow, he would ask someone to bring back some Spirit Tea from the Market.

The affairs of the world were unpredictable.

No one could have imagined that the Lizard Warriors would open up their market in this manner.

Three days ago, the Lizard Warriors had become known to all with a single explosion before a crowd of Rogue Cultivators.

"I'm telling you, everyone was stunned at the time. It wouldn't have mattered if I died, but if the Array Device had been damaged, not a single Fellow Daoist present would have escaped.

No sooner said than done—at that very moment when a thousand pounds hung by a single thread, no one expected it. Not even I expected it. My puppet leaped out to save me, then instantly self-detonated and forced back the Wolf King. That was how we later managed to wear down the wolf pack and return in glorious victory."

With Zhang Hai sparing no effort in singing its praises, more than half the Market now knew that there was a puppet master in town skilled at refining extraordinarily intelligent Self-Detonating Puppets.

Over the past three days, including that Dharma cultivator just now, four cultivators had already come to commission Self-Detonating Puppets from him.

This had smoothly brought Su Qing 4,900 Spirit Crystals. Yesterday, he had even paid Zhang Hai a visit, intending to take the opportunity to express his thanks.

But unexpectedly, Zhang Qing had gained quite a lot last time and gathered the materials needed to break through to Formation Master. He was currently in closed-door cultivation at home, leaving Su Qing no chance to convey his gratitude.

"Whether they are called Lizard Warriors or Self-Detonating Puppets, being popular is always a good thing. Once these cultivators receive their goods and see the Lizard Warriors' other merits, sales may rise by another wave!"

Su Qing thought smugly.

There were roughly tens of thousands of runes in the world, and they too were divided into superior and inferior grades.

Intelligence, Biomimetic, Five Elements, Immortal Dao, Combat, Spatial, and other runes were all among the foremost.

Though the Lizard Warrior was merely a Tier-1 Mid-Grade Puppet with two Tier-2 runes, it was equipped with four powerful runes. It was not something an ordinary Tier-1 Mid-Grade Puppet could compare to.

"Starting at over a thousand Spirit Crystals may be a little expensive, but prices follow the market. I only make ten times the profit. That is not greedy, right?"

Su Qing felt that he still had a little more of a bottom line than those profiteers. After all, he could have sold them for more than fifteen hundred Spirit Crystals. At this price, he would consider it taking care of his Rogue Cultivator friends!

After shutting the courtyard gate, he got back to work.

He had not been idle these past three days either. He ate beast meat and took Spirit Pills. His cultivation had not increased in the slightest, but his puppet progress had not fallen behind at all.

As he became increasingly familiar with the process of Refining Puppets, he could now refine Lizard Warriors five times a day.

His Puppet Proficiency had risen to 60/200, his success rate had increased to thirty percent, and he had successfully refined four puppets.

Two were Heavy Armored Models coated in three hundred jin of Profound Iron Essence, while one was a lightweight model and one a medium model.

He did not plan to sell these four puppets. Although the Market was somewhat more peaceful than before due to the demon beast frenzy,

once most cultivators realized they were not cut out for hunting demons, there was no guarantee that someone would not entertain other thoughts.

He was now somewhat well known in the Market. If he did not keep a few more Combat Puppets to guard his home, he truly would not feel at ease.

Not only did he need Combat Puppets, he even planned to visit the Hundred Treasures Pavilion after this busy stretch and acquire a Tier 1 formation. Only then could he truly set his mind at rest.

[Successfully drew Tier 2 Intelligence Rune. Proficiency +80. Current Proficiency: 2568/3000 (Tier 1)]

[Successfully drew Tier 2 Biomimetic Rune. Proficiency +50. Proficiency: 347/5000 (Tier-2)]

[Successfully drew Tier 1 Combat Rune. Proficiency +80. Proficiency: 1686/3000 (Tier 1)]

[Successfully drew Tier 1 Immortal Path Rune. Proficiency +80. Proficiency: 980/3000 (Tier 1)]

Perhaps because he was in such high spirits after receiving an order, Su Qing's refinement this time went exceptionally smoothly.

Even the Intelligence and Immortal Dao runes, which often went wrong, did not encounter any mishaps.

All four runes succeeded, and the puppet was more than halfway complete. The rest depended entirely on his luck.

It seemed his luck was good today.

After making the Lightweight Lizard Warrior, which looked like a skinny dog standing before the Heavy Lizard Warrior, go stand in the corner and wait for its owner to collect it,

Su Qing stuffed a Qi Recovery Pill into his mouth. This pill could help cultivators rapidly recover their mana. It had once cost around eighty Spirit Crystals each, but now its price had soared to over one hundred and thirty Spirit Crystals apiece.

Taking one would ensure that his mana recovery speed could keep up with the consumption from Refining Puppets for two or three days.

Only because Lizard Warriors were selling well now was he willing to take pills to improve efficiency.

After swallowing the pill and resting briefly, he buried his head in work once more.

When the moon hung low in the western sky, a shrill cry suddenly tore through the night.

Su Qing shuddered. He instantly set down the half-refined puppet, ran into his room, shut all the doors and windows, then switched to the Wood Spirit Servant's vision and began observing the movements around him.

The cry had come from nearby.

A Wood Spirit Servant buried in the southwest quickly found where the sound had originated.

It was the Gao Family Butcher Shop, which had only opened for business in the Living Area a few days ago!

Under the moonlight, the two Great Red Lanterns hanging before the Gao Family Butcher Shop swayed slightly, flinging out drop after drop of crimson liquid.

When the Wood Spirit Servant moved several dozen meters closer to take a look,

Su Qing, receiving its vision, panicked and instantly severed the Spiritual Sense Link.

How could those still be lanterns? What hung there were unmistakably two human heads!

"Evil Entity! It must be an Evil Entity causing trouble! The Gao Family shop has been haunted!"