Who Says Puppets Have No True Hearts

Lu Li snapped his head up, eyes flying open. Waves of malice surged from all around. Without him noticing, the ruined temple had vanished, leaving only the campfire. The Old Man was still asleep, pillowing his head on the small wooden box, yet Lu Li felt the Old Man had become incredibly ethereal, as if he were no longer among the living.

"Is this... red snow?" With no temple walls to block them, the snowflakes drifted down. Lu Li reached out to catch one, only to discover it was blood-red. As the crimson flakes landed in the fire, they hissed, and the flames flickered, appearing to dim.

Lu Li's field of vision was now limited to the area around the fire; beyond it lay absolute darkness. He could vaguely perceive things moving—or rather, writhing—in the shadows. He could even sense the malicious gazes of the entities hidden within the dark.

"Where is that puppet?" Lu Li scanned the area, noting that the puppet the Old Man always kept by his side was gone. He still remembered seeing that puppet wink at him just before he lost consciousness.

"Ah!!!" A painful scream erupted from the side. Lu Li immediately shifted his gaze to see something fighting in the darkness. One figure was knocked back, stumbling closer to the campfire—it was a Corpse Ghost.

A massive rock flew out of the darkness, slamming heavily into the Corpse Ghost and pinning it to the ground. Its chest was caved in; had this been a normal person, they would have breathed their last long ago. But the Corpse Ghost's chest bulged back out at a visible rate, and the bloodstains on its body crawled back like living things. In mere seconds, the Corpse Ghost had fully repaired its injuries.

Just as the Corpse Ghost roared and stood up, preparing to pounce again, another rock flew over, smashing its head into a dent. Before the creature could recover, the figure from the darkness rushed forward, kicked the Corpse Ghost in the chest, and forced it back toward the fire once more.

The Corpse Ghost was now illuminated by the firelight, its skin showing signs of melting. Its physical prowess seemed to have diminished significantly. Then, bound by something the figure had used, it was dragged to the edge of the fire. A piercing, agonizing scream tore from the Corpse Ghost's throat before it finally dissolved into liquid and evaporated.

The figure revealed its true form: it was the very puppet from the Old Man's side. Now, the seams at her joints were barely visible, and her face displayed vivid, lifelike expressions. Every gesture and smile carried a unique charm. She retracted the silk threads from her hands, walked gracefully toward Lu Li, and offered a slight bow. To his surprise, she spoke in a human voice: "This humble one greets the young master. May you be well."

As the puppet appeared, a notification box flickered at the corner of his vision:

[Monster detected, updating data]

[Thread-Pulling Puppet]

[Physical Assessment: 2.17; Life Energy Derivative: 0.0 (Crafted from precious wood and infused with the creator's entire heart and soul, granting her an exceptionally robust body.)]

[Soul Assessment: 2.37; Spiritual Energy Derivative: 1.38 (No one knows why she birthed a soul; perhaps it is a miracle?)]

[Category: Spirit Parasite]

[Origin: A spirit derived from a puppet. Perhaps it was the creator's all-consuming devotion that birthed this miracle!]

[Special Abilities: (1) Thread Control: The threads that once controlled her body are now controlled by her!

(2) Thread-Pulling Tear: The teardrop at the corner of her eye is hauntingly beautiful, impossible to refuse. Can consume spiritual energy to charm others!]

[Weakness: A puppet is a puppet after all; she cannot stray too far from her master!]

[Monster Rating: To possess her is the greatest fortune of your life!]

"Uh! Could you tell me what is happening? Where is this place?" Lu Li glanced at the still-slumbering Old Man. Under normal circumstances, the intensity of the fight between the puppet and the Corpse Ghost should have woken anyone, yet the Old Man remained sound asleep. It was highly abnormal.

"Please, young master, allow this humble one to explain." The puppet's voice was like jade beads falling onto a silver plate—crisp and melodious, compelling one to focus. She looked at the sleeping Old Man with deep worry and affection. "This is the Dream of Delusion, a place between the void and reality, between truth and falsehood. Countless demons and ghosts covet the lives of the living. Once a mortal falls into a deep sleep, their presence manifests here. However, they do not wake. The demons here are formidable; I can only offer slight resistance, and that is only because the campfire keeps them at bay."

"I, too, can only enter this place through my connection to my master." The puppet caught a snowflake, staring at its vivid, despairing red hue. She knelt before Lu Li, her expression sorrowful. "Young master, that you can remain awake here proves you are a person of extraordinary ability. This humble one begs you to save my master. I have nothing to repay you with, but in the next life, I shall serve as your beast of burden, offering my life to repay your great kindness."

"Young lady, there is no need for such a grand gesture. The old gentleman and I have enjoyed pleasant conversation, and he has shown me the kindness of food and shelter. I would never stand by and watch him die," Lu Li said quickly, reaching out to help the puppet up. He sighed, "However, my own abilities are limited—even less than yours. I am truly powerless to help!"

"Besides," Lu Li shook his head, "you know his condition better than I do. He has already given up on life. Even if we save him for a moment, can we save him for a lifetime?"

Through his observations, Lu Li had long since realized the Old Man was resigned to death. The ash piles near the fire were significant, indicating he had been in the temple for some time, yet he hadn't gathered any firewood beyond what was already there, despite the nearby hills. It was impossible that he didn't know the wood was insufficient. Combined with his words and actions, everything pointed to a man who wanted to die.

Perhaps the Old Man's original plan was to finish his last bit of food, fall asleep by the fire, and drift into death as the flames died out in the cold of night. Lu Li's arrival had simply disrupted that plan.

"Indeed... my master has long since harbored a desire for death. It is I who have delayed his life; he wasted his best years on me." The puppet's wooden fingers gently smoothed the Old Man's graying hair, her tone filled with self-reproach and guilt.

The puppet recalled the Old Man decades ago, when he was only in his thirties. He had spent all his savings, ignored his family's objections, and crafted her with his own hands. She remembered the joy in his eyes as he looked at her, and the way he had dipped his brush to paint that final teardrop at the corner of her eye. Perhaps it was then that she had gained a true heart, a true soul...

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