Chapter Summaries

Su Qing sold lifelike Demoness Puppets at White Cloud Market Town and impressed an old talisman seller with his unusual craftsmanship. He then arrived at Hundred Treasures Pavilion, where Shopkeeper Liu publicly identified him as a guest elder and his shipment of Puppets showed why the shop valued him.

• Su Qing refused a customer's return request, persuaded him to buy a Liu Yun'er Demoness Puppet and accessories, and earned hundreds of Spirit Crystals.
• Su Qing traded a Demoness Puppet to the Old Daoist for talismans, and the Old Daoist noticed its advanced Biomimetic Runes.
• Shopkeeper Liu eagerly welcomed Su Qing to Hundred Treasures Pavilion and warned customers not to underestimate him because he was a First-Level Guest Elder.
• Su Qing directed attendants to unload his Puppets, giving the shop's customers a glimpse of his skill as a Puppet Master.

Su Qing expanded his Demoness Puppet business with Hundred Treasures Pavilion and accepted an order for custom puppets from his neighbor Tang Wanqing. He left with new materials and a Storage Bag, then promised to deliver Tang Wanqing’s five puppets within a month.

• Su Qing delivered twelve Demoness Puppets to Shopkeeper Liu, who paid for the two extra puppets and gave him materials for more orders along with a Storage Bag.
• Su Qing showed Shopkeeper Liu a blueprint for a Green-skinned Lizard Combat Puppet and offered to bring a prototype on his next visit.
• Su Qing bought supplies and cultivation pills, then returned to the Living Area under the watch of unseen observers.
• Tang Wanqing approached Su Qing and asked him to make cheaper custom Demoness Puppets for her flesh trade.
• Su Qing negotiated an order for five basic puppets at 185 Spirit Crystals each, including one modeled after Tang Wanqing, and promised to finish them within a month.

Su Qing profited from selling Flesh Puppets while relying on his Wood Spirit Servants and Spider Doctors, then took pills to advance to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. After refining several more Demoness Puppets, he was suddenly caught in a strange distortion.

• Su Qing counted more than 500 Spirit Crystals and reflected on how his puppet-making system had helped him survive as a Rogue Cultivator.
• He considered the risks of selling Wood Spirit Servants and Spider Doctors, and planned to sell Demoness Puppets while disposing of the remaining materials.
• Su Qing took three Yellow Bud Pills overnight and broke through to the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining.
• With help from the Wood Spirit Servants, Su Qing refined six Demoness Puppets and raised his Passion Puppet success rate to 76.5%.
• As Su Qing ate lunch, the scene before him suddenly warped and shifted, changing his expression drastically.

Su Qing witnessed a demonic cultivator kill a Cloud Mountain Sect disciple outside White Cloud Market Town’s formation and stir fear among its residents. As the Market Town faced turmoil, Su Qing and Tang Wanqing agreed to travel together and arranged to exchange goods and lubricating oil.

• Su Qing watched a demonic cultivator kill a wounded Daoist in Green Robes, taunt the Enforcement Team, and escape beyond the Cloud Soaring Array.
• The Rogue Cultivators feared that White Cloud Market Town would use the attack to raise rents and fees, and Su Qing joined their complaints.
• Tang Wanqing warned Su Qing that his former ties to the Cloud Mountain Sect could put him at risk, and Su Qing arranged for her to collect her Puppet the day after tomorrow.
• Tang Wanqing offered to protect Su Qing on a trip to the Market Town, and he accepted when he learned she would travel with him for free.
• Su Qing offered Tang Wanqing lubricating oil instead of sesame oil, and they joked about their shared trade.

Su Qing refined a batch of Passion Puppets and learned that the war was beginning to weaken business in White Cloud Market Town. After Ge Changyuan arrived seeking help, Su Qing learned that Ge Ling had lost both legs to a demonic beast and needed artificial replacements.

• Su Qing learned from Tang Wanqing that her young ladies' business was declining, then decided not to worry about the distant war and continued crafting Demoness Puppets.
• Su Qing completed twenty-four distinctive Passion Puppets, ate Mighty Ox meat to nourish his depleted body, and meditated to restore his mana before planning to refine through the night.
• Ge Changyuan arrived at Su Qing's courtyard late at night, and Tang Wanqing watched until Su Qing reassured her that he knew the visitor.
• Ge Changyuan told Su Qing that a demonic beast had attacked Ge Ling in broad daylight and that, although someone saved her, both her legs had been lost.
• Ge Changyuan asked Su Qing to craft artificial legs for Ge Ling because he could not find a Foundation Establishment cultivator to use Limb Regeneration.

After Ge Ling lost her leg to a demonic beast, Ge Changyuan asked Su Qing to make her a prosthetic limb. Su Qing hired Tang Wanqing to guard their dangerous night journey, and the three reached Ge Family Village safely before sunrise.

• Ge Changyuan told Su Qing that a demonic beast had torn off Ge Ling's leg and begged him to craft a prosthetic limb.
• Su Qing accepted Ge Changyuan's payment and prepared his puppet-making tools for the trip to Ge Family Village.
• Su Qing hired Tang Wanqing as a guard, agreeing to pay her with a premium Passion Puppet.
• Ge Changyuan, Su Qing, and Tang Wanqing traveled through the night without encountering Evil Entities or Robber Cultivators.
• The three arrived in Ge Family Village as dawn approached.

Su Qing created a White Jade Lotus Root prosthetic for Ge Ling that restored her ability to circulate mana and cultivate. His invention was recognized as a new type of Puppet, unlocking three blueprints as Tang Wanqing watched in astonishment.

• Su Qing returned to Ge Family Village with Tang Wanqing and examined Ge Ling's severed leg.
• Su Qing promised Ge Ling that a Prosthetic Limb could let her cultivate again, then fashioned one from White Jade Lotus Root with runes and Spider Doctors.
• Ge Ling tested the Spirit Lotus Legs and confirmed that she could establish a Mana Circulation.
• Ge Changyuan thanked Su Qing, while Tang Wanqing recognized the prosthetic as an unprecedented Puppet creation.
• Su Qing named the invention Spirit Lotus Legs, and his System Panel unlocked blueprints for Azure Steel Leg, Iron Wolf Head, and Dual Dexterous Hands.

Su Qing’s first Spirit Lotus Legs restored Ge Ling’s ability to cultivate, prompting Tang Wanqing to consider building a business around them. After Tang Wanqing tried to draw Su Qing’s attention, he entered her Spirit House to inspect it, leaving her puzzled by his reaction.

• Su Qing explained that Ge Ling’s Spirit Lotus Legs were his first work and asked her to report any rejection symptoms over the next two days.
• Tang Wanqing unfolded her Mobile Wooden House and considered partnering with Su Qing to sell Spirit Lotus Legs to cultivators with severed legs.
• Tang Wanqing tried to entice Su Qing by opening the Spirit House door in a revealing robe as he approached.
• Su Qing praised the Spirit House’s features and walked past Tang Wanqing to inspect its interior.
• Tang Wanqing asked whether something was wrong with Su Qing and wondered if he was still unable to replenish his qi and blood.

Su Qing discovered that his Biomimetic Rune proficiency had reached Tier 2 and examined three newly unlocked puppet designs. He decided to develop the Azure Steel Leg for clients with old injuries, while leaving the other designs aside for now.

• Su Qing checked his System Panel and saw that his Biomimetic Runes had advanced to Tier 2.
• Tang Wanqing left with the villagers to hunt the demonic beast that had harmed Ge Ling, while Su Qing chose not to join them.
• Su Qing reviewed the Azure Steel Leg, Iron Wolf Head, and Dual Dexterous Hands puppet designs unlocked by the system.
• Su Qing chose the Azure Steel Leg as his next project because it could serve clients with old leg injuries who wanted greater combat strength.
• Su Qing dismissed the Iron Wolf Head as unlikely to attract customers and postponed the Dual Dexterous Hands until he became a Tier 2 Puppet Master.

Ge Ling’s Spirit Lotus Legs worked well, and she showed a surprising talent for Gale Art while Su Qing watched over her rehabilitation. When an Ironback Bear appeared, Su Qing reassured her that Tang Wanqing had already killed it, leaving him stunned by Tang Wanqing’s strength.

• Ge Changyuan decided to sell the family’s Mighty Ox to help cover the costs of Ge Ling’s treatment and Spirit Lotus Legs, despite Yuan Ailan’s reluctance.
• Su Qing checked Ge Ling’s new legs as she ran and jumped, while continuing to refine Puppets and wait for Tang Wanqing to return.
• Ge Ling demonstrated that she could skillfully use Gale Art and even began shaping wind into a blade, impressing Su Qing with her talent.
• Ge Ling spotted the Ironback Bear that had eaten her legs and urged Su Qing to flee, but he used the Wood Spirit Servant’s vision to see that the beast was dead.
• Tang Wanqing arrived dragging the Ironback Bear, and Su Qing realized she had single-handedly killed a Tier-1 High-Grade demonic beast.

Tang Wanqing returned to Ge Family Village after killing an Ironback Bear, while Su Qing turned the villagers’ interest in his Demoness Puppets into new sales. After Tang Wanqing explained how little she profited from the dangerous hunt, she and Su Qing compared their livelihoods.

• Tang Wanqing delivered the Ironback Bear to Su Qing and Ge Ling, then went into the Spirit House to recover.
• Hu San arrived to butcher the bear, learned Su Qing was a Puppeteer, and bought a deluxe Demoness Puppet for six hundred Spirit Crystals; two villagers also bought Puppets.
• Su Qing promoted his Passion Puppets to the villagers, recognizing a market among ordinary cultivators.
• Tang Wanqing emerged, accepted a reward from the village chief, and agreed on a price with Hu San for the bear.
• Tang Wanqing told Su Qing that hunting the Ironback Bear had earned her only a few thousand Spirit Crystals after expenses, and said she envied his steady Puppet business.

Su Qing arranged for Ge Changyuan to help sell and deliver his puppets in the Spirit Field District, then bought Ironback Bear blood, paws, and bones from Tang Wanqing. He planned to use the bones to try refining an Armored War Bear puppet.

• Su Qing accepted 2,600 Spirit Crystals from Ge Changyuan for Ge Ling's Spirit Lotus Legs and refused to demand the additional payment Ge Changyuan offered.
• Su Qing asked Ge Changyuan to collect puppet orders and deposits from villagers and deliver finished puppets, offering him ten Spirit Crystals per order.
• Su Qing bought more than twenty pounds of Ironback Bear blood and all four paws from Tang Wanqing, spending over 600 Spirit Crystals.
• Su Qing noticed Hu San had cleaned the Ironback Bear's bones and decided to buy them as materials for an Armored War Bear puppet.
• Tang Wanqing sold Su Qing the Beast Bone for 2,200 Spirit Crystals after he promised her favorable prices on future puppet work.

Su Qing returned to the Living Area with Tang Wanqing, delivered her four custom Puppets, and resolved to craft Combat Puppets for protection. After maxing out his Passion Puppet Proficiency, he unlocked the Meditating Doll Blueprint and saw a path toward improving his cultivation, despite its steep costs and difficult Rune requirements.

• Su Qing and Tang Wanqing traveled back to the Living Area, and Su Qing resolved to make Combat Puppets after spotting wary Robber Cultivators along the road.
• Su Qing showed Tang Wanqing the four Puppets he had made, including one modeled on her, and she took it while forbidding him from making more like it for others.
• Su Qing completed Hundred Treasures Pavilion's Demoness Puppet order and made more Puppets for future sales.
• Su Qing maxed out his Passion Puppet Proficiency and unlocked the Tier-1 High-Grade Meditating Doll Blueprint, which could cultivate using his aptitude.
• Su Qing weighed the Meditating Doll's expensive materials and demanding Rune requirements, then decided he would make one anyway.

Su Qing chose to refine Lizard Warriors as a stepping stone toward making Meditating Dolls, while continuing to earn money through his work with the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. After delivering an order and buying Lizard Warrior materials, he left to resell some of the Demoness Puppet materials without revealing too much about his success rate.

• Su Qing decided that refining Lizard Warriors would help improve his Intelligence and Immortal Path Runes before he attempted a Meditating Doll.
• Su Qing ate a nourishing meal, practiced the Five Animals Skill, and reflected on his improved health and the risks of having runes inscribed by a Rune Engraver.
• Su Qing went to the Central District to deliver Demoness Puppets to Shopkeeper Liu and purchase materials for refining Lizard Warriors.
• Su Qing noticed that cultivators in the Living Area were anxious after a Demonic Cultivator attack and complained about the new rent increases and security fee.
• Shopkeeper Liu gave Su Qing an order for twenty Demoness Puppets, and Su Qing bought Demon Lizard Claws and Mysterious Iron Crystals for his next project.
• Su Qing entered a rival shop to resell some Demoness Puppet materials while taking care not to expose his refining success rate.

Su Qing sold Demoness Puppet materials to Fate Comes Pavilion, refused Wang Rong’s offer to join, and bought a Dharma Robe. At the Market, he found Tang Wanqing renting out Demoness Puppets by the session and learned why his own wares had not sold.

• Su Qing met Wang Rong at Fate Comes Pavilion and brought her materials from refining Demoness Puppets.
• Wang Rong recognized the materials and tried to recruit Su Qing, but he refused because he was committed to Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
• Wang Rong treated Su Qing coldly during the sale, so he bought a lower-grade Tier 1 Dharma Robe to improve her sales record.
• Su Qing wore the Dharma Robe and set up two Demoness Puppets at a stall, but no one bought them.
• Tang Wanqing found Su Qing and asked for more Demoness Puppets, explaining that she rented them out for five Spirit Crystals per session.

Tang Wanqing bought more Demoness Puppets from Su Qing, who then purchased talismans from the Old Daoist and heard that White Cloud Market Town might become dangerous. Su Qing returned safely to his courtyard and decided to urgently refine Lizard Warriors for protection.

• Tang Wanqing bought seven Demoness Puppets from Su Qing, including a deluxe model, and hurried back to stock her Spirit House.
• Su Qing bought several talismans from the Old Daoist, who warned that Rogue Cultivators should be ready to flee and suggested Wind Listening Talismans.
• The Old Daoist accepted a deluxe Demoness Puppet in place of part of Su Qing's payment.
• Su Qing traveled home cautiously with his Wood Spirit Servants and talismans, passing several incidents of Robber Cultivators extorting people without being attacked.
• Su Qing returned safely to his courtyard and resolved to refine Lizard Warriors as soon as possible.

Su Qing began refining a Lizard Warrior, using the attempt to improve his rune proficiency despite knowing his underdeveloped Intelligence, Combat, and Immortal Path Runes would likely doom the puppet. He completed most of the inscriptions, but the Immortal Path Rune proved especially difficult, leaving him with only a small gain in proficiency.

• Su Qing reviewed the Lizard Warrior’s requirements and decided to risk the materials to build proficiency for future puppet refining.
• The Wood Spirit Servants assembled two lizard-shaped wooden frames while Su Qing prepared the four types of Talisman Water.
• Su Qing failed to draw the Tier-2 Intelligence Runes on the first puppet, then completed the flawed inscriptions anyway to gain proficiency.
• Su Qing successfully drew the Tier-2 Biomimetic Runes and gained proficiency.
• Su Qing failed to draw the Tier-1 Combat Rune but gained 60 proficiency, then gained only 10 proficiency after making an error on the first stroke of the Immortal Path Rune.

Su Qing completed two Lizard Warriors after thirty-three attempts and prepared to sell them to Shopkeeper Liu. He learned that demonic beasts had descended from Hundred Beasts Mountain, creating a hunting boom—and possible customers for his puppets.

• Su Qing spent the next ten-odd days refining Lizard Warriors, succeeding twice and raising his Combat Rune and Immortal Path Rune to Tier 1.
• Su Qing set out for Hundred Treasures Pavilion with his two Lizard Warriors and met Gao Erqiang, who mistook them for hunting companions and offered to buy any beast materials Su Qing found.
• Su Qing learned from Zhang Hai that Tier 1 demonic beasts had flooded down from Hundred Beasts Mountain and that Market shops were buying beast materials in bulk.
• Su Qing declined to hunt, but Zhang Hai asked how much a Lizard Warrior cost because he wanted to buy one.

Su Qing sold Zhang Hai a trial Lizard Warrior and brought his remaining Demoness Puppets and another Lizard Warrior to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. He introduced the new Puppet to Tong Xin as market prices continued to soar.

• Zhang Hai bought a trial Lizard Warrior from Su Qing for six hundred Spirit Crystals after complaining that combat goods had become expensive.
• Su Qing left Zhang Hai and rode his Iron-Footed Horse to the Central District of the Market with his remaining Lizard Warrior.
• Tong Xin told Su Qing that the Hundred Treasures Pavilion might no longer need Demoness Puppets because their novelty had worn off.
• Su Qing handed Tong Xin the Lizard Warrior's instruction manual while he looked around the Pavilion and saw sharply raised prices for weapons, formations, Puppets, and other goods.

Su Qing bought costly materials and tried to sell his Lizard Warrior Puppet to Hundred Treasures Pavilion, but Tong Xin rejected the deal as unprofitable. Wang Rong of Fate Comes Pavilion agreed to fund his production under a demanding contract, leaving Su Qing with thirty sets of materials to turn into three finished Puppets within a month.

• Su Qing bought Spirit-Calling Wood and other materials at inflated prices, then purchased Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s entire stock of Demon Lizard Claws.
• Su Qing met Sun Yan and learned that Tang Wanqing and the other women had been hunting demon beasts, including the Green-Eyed Python they brought to sell.
• Tong Xin praised Su Qing’s Lizard Warrior but rejected his offer of one Puppet for every ten material sets because the cost was too high.
• A clerk brought Su Qing to Wang Rong, who offered to take the Lizard Warrior deal through Fate Comes Pavilion.
• Su Qing signed a contract requiring him to deliver three Puppets from thirty sets of materials in the first month, with penalties if he failed to meet the required success rate.
• Wang Rong privately hoped Su Qing would fall short so she could persuade him to become a guest elder of Fate Comes Pavilion.