Puppet Technique

Sitting in the airport terminal and watching the noisy crowds, Zhou Qing recalled his past. From elementary school to middle school to university, he had drifted through life in dull peace. He had truly grown used to an ordinary life. Now that he was suddenly about to live something exciting, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. Zhou Qing rubbed his temples. Liao Xiaojin was staring at the passing crowds, his eyes darting everywhere, though no one knew what he was looking at. Seeing Zhou Qing's gesture, Liao Xiaojin could not help laughing. "Master, your cultivation is profound and your attainments rival creation itself. You can still feel tired? That's truly unbelievable!" "Get lost. What does a child like you know?" Zhou Qing waved a hand and said in a deliberately mature tone. "Tsk, tsk! Master, you're not much older than me! You're still in the prime of youth, when you should be eating, drinking, having fun, and making a great name for yourself. Why act like an old man?" After following Zhou Qing for several months, Liao Xiaojin had long since figured out his personality. He knew that Zhou Qing could sometimes be ruthless and meticulous, leaving no drop of water unaccounted for, but he was also easy to talk to. Thus, his speech had become slicker as well.

Hearing this, Zhou Qing felt that it made some sense. Just as he was about to scold Liao Xiaojin a few times to maintain his master's dignity, he heard Liao Xiaojin cry out, "Master, look! That woman is gorgeous! Absolutely stunning! What a pity she's already taken!" Liao Xiaojin tugged Zhou Qing's sleeve. Following his gaze, Zhou Qing's eyes lit up as well. She truly was a beauty. She wore a pink gown, her long hair flowing down as she leaned against the chest of a young man in a suit and leather shoes. Four burly men carrying luggage followed behind them, all vigorous and alert. Anyone with eyes could tell that they were a wealthy young master and young lady traveling with bodyguards in tow. The group of six was heading their way. Seeing Liao Xiaojin still staring fixedly at the woman without letting up, Zhou Qing viciously tugged his clothes and reprimanded him, "What are you looking at? Keep your essence, energy, and spirit in check. Don't forget what we're going there for. Do you still want to win back your Jenny? Don't go stirring up trouble!" At the mention of Jenny, Liao Xiaojin obediently closed his eyes and tightly clenched his fists.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing secretly nodded and closed his eyes in thought. This brat's eyes go straight whenever he sees a beautiful woman, but he's sincere about that Jenny. Suddenly, for no reason at all, an incomparably sinister aura flashed past. In an instant, Zhou Qing seemed to have fallen into the Eighteen Levels of Hell, into a slaughterhouse of asuras, with countless wronged souls wailing and howling beside his ears! Zhou Qing was greatly alarmed and hurriedly opened his eyes. The sinister aura had suddenly vanished without a trace. It lasted so briefly that it seemed like nothing more than an illusion, but Zhou Qing understood perfectly well. The Azure Lock Sword within his body had trembled lightly. The Azure Lock Sword had originally been forged from Prime Gold of Taiyi and was already a spiritual object. Furthermore, an Elder of Shu Mountain had refined it with Spirit Transformation cultivation, adding heaven knew how many layers of demon-warding formations to it. It was exceptionally sensitive to wronged souls and ghostly entities.

Zhou Qing thoughtfully glanced at the group of six passing by him, then saw the girl leaning in the young man's embrace. What an exquisitely beautiful face she had! Pure and lovely, as though she had been formed from the gathered spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Yet Zhou Qing noticed only the vacant emptiness in her eyes. Yes, they were utterly lifeless eyes, like eyes when the soul was no longer inside the body.

"Master, you just told me not to look, but now you're looking too. Isn't that..." Liao Xiaojin smiled lewdly. Zhou Qing did not waste words on him. Only after the group had entered the VIP lounge did he shoot Liao Xiaojin a fierce glare and whisper gravely, "What do you know? That girl's gaze was empty. Either she's dead, or she's been afflicted by some evil art. Especially that young man—his entire body was filled with sinister energy. At a glance, he's someone who cultivates evil techniques. Heh heh! Very thought-provoking indeed!"

"Yeah, I also felt a chill sweep past me just now. It made my whole body feel cold and clammy." Liao Xiaojin nodded. This time, Zhou Qing was astonished. "You felt it too?" Yet inwardly, he thought, As expected of Chi You's descendant. His sensitivity toward such things is extremely strong. Though his Daoist arts are a complete mess.

"Looks like they're on the same flight as us, and they're going to the United States as well. When the time comes, we'll play it by ear and see what their background is," Zhou Qing said.

At that moment, a clear voice came over the broadcast. "The flight to Las Vegas will depart in fifteen minutes. All passengers, please prepare to board!"

"Master, look, they're sitting not far in front of us." Not long after the plane took off, Liao Xiaojin spoke to Zhou Qing. Zhou Qing nodded and said quietly, "Mm. I thought it over carefully just now. It seems that girl has been struck by Puppet Technique." "What is Puppet Technique, Master?" Liao Xiaojin asked. "As for Puppet Technique..." Zhou Qing flicked a finger and set up a soundproofing formation. Clearing his throat, he organized the records concerning Puppet Technique in the Refining Equipment Grand Summary. "Disciple, since the flight to Las Vegas will take at least a full day and night, I'll give you a lesson, lest people later say that disciples of my Heavenly Dao Sect are ignorant and poorly informed. Puppet Technique was passed down from Ancient Witchcraft. Ancient Witchcraft studied the secrets of the human body and sought to develop human potential. It was fundamentally different from our Daoist lineage, which drew close to heaven and earth and used the free-floating energy within the universe. Puppet Technique used special methods to seal a person's consciousness, then sent one's own consciousness into the other person's body, turning them into a walking corpse that obeyed only commands. Originally, the ancient witches used this against savage beasts. But during the Tang dynasty, some Eastern Ying trash named Iga Taro learned it. After dozens of generations of improvement, they actually used this witchcraft on people, and it became today's Puppet Technique. Hmph! I had long heard that those Japanese Pirates harbored evil designs. Now they even dare come to China to harm our people. Though I, Zhou Qing, have always been wise enough to protect myself and never provoke trouble without cause, today I'll have to make an exception. Now that I know about it, do those bastards still think they can live?" As he spoke, a dense killing intent leaked from his eyes.

Liao Xiaojin was similarly filled with righteous indignation. "Although I'm a Vampire Clan member, I'm still a Descendant of Yan and Huang, aren't I? The blood of Yan and Huang flows through me too. Those Japanese Pirates are even more detestable than Kurak. If I don't kill them, I'll suffer insomnia every day for the rest of my life!" Zhou Qing secretly laughed upon hearing this. The blood flowing through you isn't Yan and Huang's blood. It's the blood of their mortal enemy, Chi You! How could Zhou Qing possibly say that aloud? He immediately nodded. "Look at those four burly men. The calluses on their palms are thick—they must be karate experts. But to you, they're nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs. That little Japanese devil is the strange one. The yin energy around his body gathers without dispersing; even I can't see through him. Be careful after we get off the plane. Take out those four bodyguards and lure that little Japanese devil into my Grand Taiji Fire Formation. Take the chance to rescue that girl. If you can't rescue her, then forget it. In any case, no matter the cost, we must kill that little Japanese devil." Seeing Liao Xiaojin hesitate, Zhou Qing shouted sternly, "Feeling tender toward a flower and protective of jade, are you? Hmph! If we don't kill a Japanese devil who knows such evil arts, who knows how many more of our compatriots he'll harm?" Seeing Zhou Qing grow angry, Liao Xiaojin hurriedly nodded and agreed.