Yushique Kingdom's Witchcraft

A moment ago.

Inside the tent with pine wood flooring.

Humming a cheerful song from the Northern Plains, Lin Suqing paced with light steps, helping to lay out bedding and prepare hot water, even setting aside two sets of immortal dresses she wore when she was twelve or thirteen.

Her care was meticulous.

As a simple warming talisman dissolved in the water, the icy water in the wooden tub gradually heated up.

The dark-skinned girl stood in the corner, woodenly watching Lin Suqing, her expression somewhat indifferent.

Behind the girl's vacant eyes, another pair of eyes lay hidden...

Far from the Royal Court of the Xiong Bao Clan, amidst a patch of bushes, over ten cloaked figures were hidden in various positions, cautiously observing every rustle of grass and movement.

Inside the bushes, on a cleared patch of ground.

A young woman, dressed lightly and with a full figure, sat diagonally on a wooden plank. Her long, orange-red hair had a slight wave, and her brown skin had a silky sheen.

Two small snakes, one green and one crimson, coiled around each of her ears, adding a touch of sinister charm to her vibrant makeup.

Lu Renjia, a true native of the Yushique Kingdom, practiced Secret Witchcraft.

At this moment, Lu Renjia cupped a small turtle shell in her hands, a faint white film covering her eyes. Through another pair of eyes, she remotely observed Lin Suqing's retreating back.

'Hmph, such a slender waist, a cultivator from the Human Domain?

This Young Master of the Xiong Bao Clan isn't old, but she's put a lot of thought into this.

These rulers of the decadent Northern Plains clans.'

The tip of her scarlet tongue lightly traced Lu Renjia's full lips, revealing a few sharp, interlocking teeth.

'Is the plan proceeding too smoothly?'

Although Lu Renjia was quite surprised that the Young Master of the Xiong Bao Clan had specifically kept her Little Cutie Puppet among so many slaves.

But with such a heaven-sent opportunity, how could Lu Renjia let it pass?

All she needed to do now was wait patiently, find an opportunity to poison the Young Master of the Xiong Bao Clan's water or food, and the treasure would be hers with ease.

Lu Renjia had only just arrived in the Northern Plains and encountered several generals from the Xiong Bao Clan selecting slaves at the market. After sending someone to inquire, she learned that the Xiong Bao Clan rarely purchased non-human slaves.

Without time for further preparations, she had temporarily adjusted her strategy, and somewhat recklessly deployed this precious puppet.

That line, "Are you the master I am to serve?", might have already given the Young Master some strange feelings.

'Tsk, young people, no matter how much you pretend to be mature, aren't you still thinking about those kinds of things?'

First, let's gauge the strength of this Human Domain woman... she's not weak, but her vigilance is poor, far inferior to the guards around that Young Master.

She's just for show.

This way, the possibility of her Little Cutie Puppet being exposed is almost zero, and she can safely look for an opportunity to poison her.

Just then, Lin Suqing turned around and called out, "The water's ready, come and take a bath~"

This Human Domain woman thinks she's so gentle?

And uses that tone of caring for a child.

I'll poison you too when I poison her.

The turtle shell in Lu Renjia's hand pulsed with a faint red light, and she spoke in unison with the puppet-like girl in the tent:

"Yes, my lady."

"Don't be so formal, there are only the two of us here, I'm not any kind of lady."

Lin Suqing 'floated' over with light steps, casually drew a few talismans, and with a gentle push, the talismans spread out into a thin light barrier, enveloping the tent from the inside.

A formation from the Human Domain?

Lu Renjia felt a slight suspicion in her heart and re-examined the Human Domain female cultivator before her.

As a witch who always dwelled in the dark corners, she naturally possessed a degree of vigilance.

"This is a soundproof array."

Lin Suqing squinted and smiled, a hint of smugness in her eyes.

Having accompanied the Young Master in cultivation and discussions for so long, and being forced to pore over numerous ancient texts, gaining a new understanding of cultivation, Lin Suqing's realm had improved by several small levels, and her skills in formations, talismans, alchemy, and dual cultivation methods had also made considerable progress.

She was already a qualified... theoretical cultivator of the Core Formation Realm.

The puppet girl looked around and blinked slightly, giving a response that best fit her current persona.

"Mm."

"Are you unhappy?"

Lin Suqing clasped her hands behind her back, tilted her head slightly, and smiled, "Indeed, being a slave must not feel good. The Great Wilderness is this cruel."

'Does she even need to say that?'

Lu Renjia almost rolled her eyes.

"Are you really from the Yushique Kingdom?"

Lin Suqing muttered softly:

"Are there really a lot of witches there? Is it close to the legendary Tanggu? Did you really get tanned because it was too hot there? Is there really a story about Kuafu Chasing the Sun?

If this happened, your Yushique Kingdom must have records…

Oh, right, is there an evil secret art over there that can refine people into living puppets without consciousness?"

Puppet!

Lu Renjia subconsciously held her breath, secretly observing this female cultivator from the Human Domain who was marveling with a tut-tut sound.

Could this woman be a true master in disguise?

Lin Suqing chuckled, "I happened to see a damaged scroll some time ago that mentioned this! Oops, I accidentally said too much, come and take a bath quickly."

Is this a test?

Or has she already seen through my puppet and is deliberately saying this to me?

The puppet girl's movements were a bit stiff, but she didn't dare to act rashly at this moment, and slowly walked towards the wooden tub.

"Huh? The mark behind your neck is so strange, is it the turtle and snake gods you worship? Or does it have some special meaning?"

The girl subconsciously stopped.

Lin Suqing, with her hands behind her back and tiptoeing, glanced at the girl's neck a few times. Then, realizing she was being too rude, she apologized with a smile:

"Sorry, sorry, I was just curious. I've read too many miscellaneous books about the Great Wilderness, so I tend to be like this.

Do you dislike being watched while bathing?

Then I'll turn around first, you can get in the tub, and call me if you need anything. I can even help you scrub your back~ You'll have your own place tomorrow."

Through the puppet girl's eyes, looking at the wooden tub in front of her, Lu Renjia almost forgot to breathe, her eyes full of hesitation.

Has the other party seen through my identity or not?

If I rashly enter the narrow wooden tub, and the other party suddenly attacks, this puppet will completely lose the chance to retaliate.

Suddenly, she heard the female cultivator from the Human Domain whisper behind her:

"Strange, why would the Young Master suddenly want a maid, and he would absolutely not use a maid to serve him."

Hmm? Absolutely would not use a maid to serve?

"Does the Young Master want another person to gang up on me with because I'm too monotonous?"

This! This young person actually thinks one person isn't enough usually?

Corrupt, the Northern Plains Clans are truly too corrupt!

"The mark on her neck, I seem to have seen it somewhere before, on an ancient sheepskin scroll… which one was it?"

Lin Suqing rummaged through her storage treasure, completely unaware that for the first time, an expression appeared on the girl's face behind her…

Anxious, Lu Renjia was anxious!

The mark on her neck was the Serpent God Seal, proof of being a puppet!

This female cultivator from the Human Domain isn't very strong, how does she know so many secrets of their Yushique Kingdom? As expected, no one who can follow the Young Master of a great clan like the Xiong Bao Clan is ordinary!

And…

"Stop muttering your thoughts out loud, hey!"

Lu Renjia almost cursed out loud. Her pupils trembled a few times, her eyes full of struggle, but she quickly made a decision.

Everything today was filled with strangeness, as if it were a trap set specifically for her.

She suddenly realized that the Young Master's gaze towards this puppet had never wavered from the beginning, it was so calm, so composed.

Right, my puppet was knocked unconscious for a while…

The other party has definitely seen through the puppet's identity and is likely already searching for our location!

Are the Northern Plains not as 'strong and simple-minded' as the rumors say?

"Retreat!"

In the bush far from the Royal Court.

Lu Renjia whispered anxiously, revealing a hint of ferocity with her bared teeth, and the turtle shell she was covering glowed brightly.

The more than ten dark figures around immediately swarmed over, lifted her and the wooden board, and quickly fled along the pre-arranged route.

At the same time, inside Lin Suqing's tent.

The puppet girl turned and stared at Lin Suqing's neck. Her small body leaned forward slightly, and in the next instant, she suddenly burst into extreme speed, so fast that she left faint afterimages in her wake!

Lu Renjia was quite decisive. At this moment, she was just trying to retrieve the puppet as much as possible and create a disturbance in the Royal Court to cover her retreat.

This female cultivator is ninety-nine percent a hidden master. Although the puppet can unleash strong combat power, it cannot be maintained for too long, so I must act quickly…

"Hey! What are you doing!"

Lin Suqing subconsciously took out a short sword from her storage treasure. Before she could even grip it tightly, she felt her palm go empty.

The sword's edge was pointed at her slender neck!

Thump.

Lin Suqing's legs went weak. A flicker of righteous glory appeared in her eyes, and in that instant, a stern, righteous shout escaped her lips:

"Fellow Daoist, spare my life!"

"The... the process, it... it was more or less like this."

In front of the large tent, under the flickering firelight.

Wu Wang, arms crossed, smiled as he looked at Lin Suqing, who was soaking wet in front of him.

She was wrapped in a fur cloak, shivering, her teeth chattering as she incoherently recounted the events that had just transpired.

Not far away, a prismatic iceberg, missing a significant chunk, emanated wisps of cold air. The young girl, clutching a short sword, was frozen within the ice, her eyes still vacant.

Judging by the outline of the missing part of the iceberg, it vaguely matched Lin Suqing's figure. Clearly, she had just been "chipped" out of the iceberg.

"You've worked hard," Wu Wang said warmly, offering comfort. He sighed, "I never expected assassins to infiltrate. I truly didn't expect it."

Lin Suqing suddenly snapped back to attention, glaring at Wu Wang. "Young Master, did you... did you discover this beforehand?"

"Guess."

"Me!" Lin Suqing immediately looked dejected. "How am I supposed to guess?"

Wu Wang sighed. "Arranging for you to take away this puppet was indeed my miscalculation. Primarily, I didn't anticipate you being able to see through her identity. I had intended to use your innocence to mislead the opponent and stall the person controlling the puppet... Now, the one manipulating the puppet has likely fled far away. However, I never intended to put you in danger. Mother has been watching over both of us. Under the stars, you don't need to worry about any accidents."

Lin Suqing complained, "If something like this happens again, you should at least tell me in advance. It's... it's so embarrassing. I even took out clothes I'd outgrown."

Wu Wang's eyes crinkled into a smile. Looking at the long-haired, wet woman before him, he raised his hand to pat her head in comfort. But then he remembered his peculiar illness and could only conjure wisps of warm wind in his palm.

"Don't move, let me dry your hair."

"Oh," Lin Suqing agreed, pulling the fur cloak tighter around herself.

"After much thought, I still can't let these people who are plotting against me get away easily." Wu Wang retracted his left hand, pondered for a moment, and then reached into the simple storage treasure, a small leather pouch at his waist, pulling out a crystal ball the size of a head.

He gently pushed it forward with his palm. The crystal ball floated before him, revealing shining stars within. Wu Wang quickly formed hand seals, muttering incantations. The stars inside the crystal ball were connected by some power, forming a beam of light as thick as a well's opening, shooting straight into the starry sky.

"May the Eyes of the Star God pierce the fog and grant the supplicant true guidance."

Hundreds of miles away in the night sky, a beam of light descended from the heavens, illuminating a hundred-zhang area as if it were broad daylight. This beam of light was constantly moving, tracking the more than ten fleeing figures below.

"It's the Northern Plains Star Invocation Technique! It must be the Great Priest of the Bear Hug Tribe who made a move!" Lu Renjia looked up at the sky, seeing countless stars shining nearly a hundred times brighter than before. A deep sense of dread filled her heart.

"Split up!" she commanded, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she heard the continuous wolf howls and horns from all directions. Lu Renjia's face turned deathly pale. The figures around her scattered, but the pillar of light above them also split...

About two hours later.

In front of Wu Wang's large tent, more than ten assassins, bound like mummies and sealed by the tribe's priests using Star Invocation Technique, were all lying face down. Several guards carried the puppet girl, encased in solid ice, to the side.

Lu Renjia knelt inside the tent entrance, now bound by several chains. The sealing talismans of Star Invocation Technique glowed on her body, and the two small snakes on her earlobes had been crushed into snake skin. She looked up at Wu Wang, despair in her eyes. She could clearly feel that the source of the Star Power that had pinpointed them out of nowhere was this Young Master! A successor of a Star Invocation Technique clan? When did the Northern Plains become different from what they knew?

"A witch from the Yushique Kingdom?" Wu Wang's voice was somewhat ethereal, but it immediately brought Lu Renjia to her senses. She still had a sliver of hope, a last chance...

"I am willing to become your slave!" Lu Renjia looked up at Wu Wang, retracting her sharp teeth and trying her best to put on a charming smile, exuding her feminine allure. "I can do anything for you, as long as you spare my life."

Wu Wang said calmly, "Are the things you're willing to do proper?"

"N-no, they're not proper."

"Then I'm sorry, I'm a proper Young Master."

Wu Wang raised his hand and gestured, "Drag her out and deal with her."

"My lord! Master! Master, spare my life! I'm willing to be your servant!"

Lu Renjia cried out in panic as several guards rushed over, chains in hand, and lifted her up, throwing her out of the tent.

Wu Wang curled his lips.

Even if he didn't have this strange illness, he wasn't just any man.

She wasn't as good-looking as that dazed old aunt next to him.