River Witch gave a heavy sigh.
She gently laid a hand on the coffin as if sensing something, then closed her eyes and fell silent. After a while, she said, "I'd planned to take a wisp of each of your souls to help deal with the evil spirit."
"Since you've made it a condition, so be it. I'll return them to you."
As she spoke, she opened her eyes and took a miniature shadow puppet from her robes.
The puppet's face and figure were both indistinct, its gender and features impossible to make out. Its clothes, by contrast, were painted in elaborate detail and vivid colors.
It had long black hair hanging loose and wore a five-colored robe, like an ancient priest. Layers of gold and silver anklets wrapped around its bare feet, with several tiny bells dangling from them.
At first glance, it seemed uncannily lifelike, as though a living soul truly dwelled inside its tiny body!
Yu Xing's gaze was drawn to the puppet. River Witch gently stroked its cheek and said slowly, "This is the vessel holding your souls."
Yu Xing stared at it. Suddenly, the bells painted on the little puppet's feet reminded him of the "divine artifact" held by Zhao Ruru, the Dog God Clan's goddess in the world of the opera stage.
And the little puppet's appearance fit seamlessly with the Dog God Clan, too.
A flash of inspiration struck him.
The method for entering this instance was closely tied to a shadow-puppet troupe in the real world. Yet after entering the instance, the Dog God Clan had inexplicably appeared in the world of the opera stage, despite having nothing to do with the "flood" or Fengtou Town.
Even back in the real world, Zhao Yijiu and Zhao Ruru had been saddled with the