The Unexpectedly Popular Demoness Puppet

The Forward Camp was not as dangerous as he had imagined.

At the very least, no one dared provoke the obviously formidable Hundred Treasures Pavilion team for the time being.

But earning Spirit Crystals at the Forward Camp was not as easy as he had imagined either.

Su Qing had already been here for three days.

After filling the area with eyes on the first night, he came down from the Hiding Cave.

Accompanied by the Lizard Warriors and leading Fire Egg by the leash, he took a stroll around the Forward Camp, gaining a deeper understanding of the place.

This Forward Camp stood in open terrain. Several Low Mountains rose ahead, with cultivators standing guard atop them. The only entrance was a several-hundred-meter-long pass between two mountains, where all manner of mechanisms and traps had been set. There was no need to fear demonic beasts suddenly breaking in.

As more and more Rogue Cultivators gathered, this Forward Camp had already begun to take on the shape of a Market. Su Qing had even seen several small shops setting up Spirit Houses here to do business.

Because he did not want others watching him while Refining Puppets, he reluctantly rented a Spirit House from Qing He. The daily rent alone cost eight Spirit Crystals.

After settling Fire Egg and the two Armored War Bears, he hurriedly led a squad of Lizard Warriors out to sell Puppets.

Over the past two days, he had watched Liang Hai Shun, He Lian Xian, and the others make deal after deal, earning a fortune. Even Guo Qiao Lian, who had made her home on an elephant's back, carried her medicine box everywhere, so busy her feet seemed ready to smoke.

Only he and that flute player had sluggish business, with no one showing any interest.

Left with no choice, he could only take the initiative.

A Body Cultivator over ten feet tall, so powerfully built he barely looked human, caught Su Qing's attention.

He was cultivating his body as well now, and he knew that for someone to train himself to such a size, this Body Cultivator must have invested not a little into combat techniques. One look told him the man was highly capable.

"Fellow Daoist, want a Lizard Puppet? High intelligence, powerful combat strength, capable of self-detonating at any time—an essential Puppet for home, travel, demon slaying, and devil extermination!"

The Body Cultivator glanced at the Lizard Warrior, then lowered his head to look at Su Qing. "Lizard Warriors? I know these Puppets. So they were refined by Fellow Daoist. They are indeed good, but at over a thousand Spirit Crystals each, who would be willing to let one self-detonate?"

"They do not necessarily have to self-detonate. Aside from their powerful self-destruction, Lizard Warriors are extremely capable at seizing Battle Opportunities, and their support on complex battlefields is also exceptionally strong..."

Su Qing knew as well that having Lizard Warriors self-detonate just for a bang was not their usual use. Such extravagance was beyond the means of most cultivators.

"Then tell me, Fellow Daoist—do I need Lizard Warriors in an ordinary fight?"

The Body Cultivator tensed, and a layer of black patterns immediately emerged across his body.

Su Qing recognized him as a Tier-1 High-Grade Body Cultivator. His Qi and Blood Furnace had formed, and his overflowing essence had condensed into armor.

A cultivator of such strength truly had little need for Lizard Warriors.

After offering an apology, Su Qing prepared to take the Lizard Warriors away and seek another customer.

The Forward Camp was so large. He refused to believe every Rogue Cultivator here was a Tier-1 High-Grade Body Cultivator!

"Fellow Daoist, do not be in such a hurry to leave. I said I did not want Lizard Warriors, not that I did not want any other Puppets. Show me whatever good wares you have!"

There were practitioners of every profession in the Forward Camp, but puppet masters capable of refining Tier-1 Mid-Grade Puppets were rare.

Wei Debao had not returned to the Market in a long time. His Storage Bag was piled full of Spirit Crystals, and not spending some of them made him feel utterly stifled.

Though Su Qing had been stopped by him, he was not particularly pleased.

Lizard Warriors were currently the only export Puppets he could bring out.

His success rate in refining Armored War Bears was not high enough. Once sold, they could not be replenished, so they were not for sale. The Wood Spirit Servants and Spider Doctor were also not suitable to be revealed to others.

Since this man wanted to see other good wares, he could only take out the remaining Demoness Puppets he had failed to sell before.

Seeing Wei De Bao look at the Demoness Puppet, then at himself, his eyes wide as brass bells and his face full of disbelief, Su Qing actually felt somewhat ashamed, as though he had insulted this iron-blooded tough man who fought demonic beasts in the Hunting Grounds.

"My skills are lacking. For now, these are the only two kinds of Puppets I have that are worth seeing. Please forgive the poor showing, Fellow Daoist."

With that, he was about to put the Demoness Puppet back into his Storage Bag.

But Wei De Bao's eyes suddenly lit up, and he grabbed Su Qing's hand. "No, Fellow Daoist, I want this one! If you had such a vigorous Puppet, why did you not say so earlier? Why bring out a squad of Green-skinned Lizards to embarrass people?"

"Ah, Fellow Daoist hunts during the day and still has the mood for this at night?" Su Qing was greatly startled, inwardly sighing that Body Cultivators truly possessed boundless vigor.

"This Forward Camp is good in every way except that it lacks women. The girls from Red Sleeve Pavilion are unwilling to come here. It is perfectly normal for me to have needs, right? Fellow Daoist, you understand, right?" Wei De Bao said, somewhat embarrassed by Su Qing's gaze.

"I understand, I understand. But given Fellow Daoist's build, would you like me to custom-make one better suited to you?"

Su Qing did not understand at all, and he was deeply shaken. As far as he knew, a Body Cultivator's essence was most precious and was not casually leaked. He himself would never waste his essence on a Puppet.

But just because he thought so did not mean other cultivators thought the same.

Fighting demonic beasts every day, dancing on a tightrope with taut nerves—it was only natural that they needed an outlet.

Perhaps in this Forward Camp, the Demoness Puppets could enjoy a second spring?

After Wei De Bao paid a deposit of three hundred Spirit Crystals and repeatedly urged him to quickly refine the custom-made Demoness Puppet for him,

Su Qing made sure to mention Demoness Puppets whenever he promoted his Puppets afterward.

He reaped quite a harvest in one morning. He sold three Lizard Puppets and six Demoness Puppets.

However, there were no Demoness Puppets left in stock. He had only collected deposits and needed to hurry back to refine them.

"Spirit Crystals are pretty easy to earn at the Forward Camp!"

Su Qing secretly praised himself for coming to the right place. Just as he was about to return to refine Puppets,

he saw Guo Qiao Lian rushing toward him.

She was not tall, but she was already twenty years old. Perhaps all her nourishment had gone elsewhere, for certain eye-catching parts of her had developed exceptionally well. As she jogged over, the waves rolled magnificently, leaving many Rogue Cultivators staring straight-eyed.

"Fellow Daoist Su, something happened, I need you!"

Guo Qiao Lian's round face was flushed red. She ran to Su Qing's side, grabbed his arm, and spoke between gasps.

Only after she had caught her breath did Su Qing ask and learn what had happened.

Guo Qiao Lian had encountered a cultivator with a severed leg.

In the past, she would have swiftly set needles and stitched him up without a second thought.

But ever since learning that Su Qing could refine Spirit Lotus Legs, she had wanted to witness that craft for herself.

Now there happened to be a freshly severed leg, and the unfortunate Rogue Cultivator had some savings and was willing to spend money for a good new leg. That was why she had hurried to find Su Qing.

When Su Qing heard that the Rogue Cultivator was offering six thousand Spirit Crystals, he agreed at once.

Such a generous cultivator must surely be someone devoted to the Dao. How could he bear to let his cultivation be cut short here!

Two bonus chapters—please keep reading!