More Combination Skills? Killing an Enemy a Hundred Miles Away!

Inside the Jiang Residence's quiet chamber.

Jiang Tu looked at the two Straw Figures, one on his left and one on his right. Their postures differed, yet somehow complemented each other.

The [Myriad-Forms Straw Figure] lay quietly, utterly motionless.

The [Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure], on the other hand, was completely different. Jiang Tu had just carried it back by the scruff of its neck, yet it was still kicking its little stubby legs and waving its tiny fists, letting out silly babyish giggles. It could not stay still for even a moment.

Jiang Tu glanced at the latter and could not be bothered with it. He first carefully examined the foundations of his own Straw Figures.

After a long while, his furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

He had thought that the Straw Figure he and his wife had woven with every ounce of effort would at least be exceptionally clever—at least smarter than little Jiang Liu. Yet the result was precisely the opposite.

The Myriad-Forms Straw Figure's first effect was "absolute obedience"!

It possessed not the slightest intelligence, only extremely simple instinctive reactions. For instance, when Jiang Tu reached out, it would instinctively hug him in affection. When Jiang Tu released it, it would quietly remain where it was and never move about recklessly. Occasionally, when it sensed Jiang Tu's gaze upon it, it would wave and wiggle its little legs. Beyond that, it could do nothing.

It was like a perfect puppet on strings. Within a range of three hundred miles, he could manipulate and command it however he pleased, precisely controlling its every movement. He could even synchronize with its senses, equivalent to gaining another pair of eyes to scout the outside world.

After advancing to Seventh Grade, his consciousness could also spread a hundred miles by relying on the senses of the earth, taking in every detail above and below ground. But such broad-range perception placed enormous strain and impact upon him. The amount of information that needed processing at once was simply too dense and complicated, and it was easy to crash. Even at Seventh Grade, he could not sustain such extensive perception for long and could only make targeted observations.

The Myriad-Forms Straw Figure further strengthened his single-point perception while extending its straight-line sensory range to three hundred miles. This too was an extremely fine enhancement!

A good thing!

Being mindless had its benefits. At the very least, it was obedient.

It was better than little Jiang Liu, who spent every day thinking about becoming a cross-dressing big shot. It was also easier to control than the Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure's wild and restless temperament.

However, his notion of using this new Straw Figure to replace little Jiang Liu came to nothing...

Its second effect, Myriad Forms, allowed it to transform into any mundane living creature in the world, except humans.

Cats and dogs, poultry and livestock, birds and fish, insects, rats and snakes—it could transform into all of them in an instant... Perhaps because Jiang Tu had used the Five-Organ Filling Method, which fused Five-Element Qi, every form it assumed was lifelike to the extreme. As a cat, it licked its fur and curled up. As a dog, it wagged its tail and barked. As a fish, it flopped and bounced wildly on shore as though suffocating, its gills opening and closing.

Whoosh!

Jiang Tu tried having it transform into a sparrow. The moment the thought arose, green light flashed from the Straw Figure, and it became a little bird perched upon his fingertip. It cocked its head, pecked at its wings, then hopped twice, vividly alive.

Whoosh!

He then had it transform into a grass snake. The little sparrow rolled onto the ground and became a small snake over a foot long, coiling at the corner of the table and flicking its tongue. It was utterly lifelike.

Its repeated transformations happened without the slightest delay, and every posture was remarkably natural.

Forget outsiders—he himself, the original body, found it difficult to distinguish real from fake. This was the perfect disguise!

He guessed that this was most likely the benefit brought by the little cat his wife had made with her final stitch. She had infused the Straw Figure with the delicacy and spirit of a young woman's embroidery, making its Myriad Forms transformations so vivid and alive. Had he finished the final stitch himself, it might not have been so seamless and perfect.

"But then again, I went through all that trouble installing limbs and joints for you, filling you with flesh, blood, skin, and bones, even matching all five organs and six bowels with the Five Elements one by one to perfectly restore the human body's structure... and you're telling me you can't turn into a human?! Does that make any sense?!"

Jiang Tu's mouth twitched, and he let out a silent sigh.

Could it be... because he had not installed that thing, that great treasure, for it? But that should not matter much, should it?

Forget it. Beasts had their uses too!

The final, third effect was the most useful! It could evolve along with his grade. Every breakthrough in grade would allow it to evolve and gain an additional new effect, while its existing effects would also be moderately strengthened!

"Burning Art, huh...? The future does look promising."

At the very least, this Straw Figure would not be rendered obsolete as his cultivation grew stronger. Its potential for growth was excellent!

He then turned toward the [Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure]. After carefully examining its traits, his expression gradually became strange and subtle.

First: innate intelligence.

It possessed the intelligence its original owner, Qin Tuo Yun, had at four or five years old. It was lively and restless, but sharp and cautious at critical moments and would not drag others down. However, its intelligence would not grow. It would remain forever at this stage, and it could not speak human language, only giggle foolishly.

"...Mm, permanently stuck in the Demon Pill stage? Your master sure is blessed!"

Second: it possessed seventy percent of its original owner's cultivation.

This was also an ability with growth potential. No matter how high Qin Tuo Yun's cultivation rose or what grade she reached, it would always grow alongside her, retaining seventy percent of her strength and mastering weakened versions of all her spells... No wonder it had been so hard to catch just now! Little Tuyun's cultivation was already above his, and seventy percent of her strength was quite formidable.

Third: punchable, but tough.

If it went three days without a beating, it would climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles!

It was excessively mischievous and troublesome. Every time, it needed a proper lesson with a stick before behaving for a few days. A few days later, it would return to its old ways, over and over again.

Its hide was thick and its flesh tough. Its defensive power far surpassed that of other Straw Figures, and even if it died completely after battle, it revived much faster than other Straw Figures.

Yes, once Straw Figures had been awakened, they could be revived endlessly using cultivation and the spiritual light of heaven and earth. There was no need to spend materials weaving them anew. Normally, a Straw Figure required at least a year to revive after death, while a Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure needed only three months.

However, after their owner died, Straw Figures would also perish alongside them unless sustained by special conditions.

Jiang Tu: "...This trait?"

"Little Tuyun, just how much trouble did you cause as a child to awaken a Straw Figure like this?"

A simple inventory of the three Straw Figures currently in his possession showed that each had different traits, yet they happened to complement one another perfectly. Not one could be spared—

The Earthwalking Straw Figure, little Jiang Liu, could assume human form, travel ten times faster over land, replace someone's identity, and transmit messages.

The Myriad-Forms Straw Figure could assume myriad forms, obey absolutely, excel at disguise, gather intelligence, and perform precise manipulation.

The Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure possessed intelligence and cultivation. It could fight, had strong defenses, revived quickly, and could handle serious matters—but it needed to be kept in check.

Light flickered in Jiang Tu's eyes as countless thoughts in his mind gradually took shape and became clear.

What if the three Straw Figures worked together?

Combination skills?

Little Jiang Liu could walk outside in human form, carrying the other two Straw Figures. The Myriad-Forms Straw Figure would focus on gathering information, while the Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure could provide support at any time and handle serious business.

From three hundred miles away, he could use the Myriad-Forms Straw Figure's senses to control the overall situation from afar and issue commands.

Was that not a complete system? He would not need to show himself at all! Taking someone's head from a hundred miles away would be as easy as reaching into a bag for an object! Assassinating Rong Yidao, switching identities, and spreading the teachings—this was exactly what he needed!

Whoosh!

With a flick of his hand, he sent the Myriad-Forms Straw Figure into the air.

Screech—!

A piercing cry of a falcon exploded forth, carrying in all directions!

The Myriad-Forms Straw Figure expanded against the wind. Its wings unfurled, its body rapidly swelled, and it transformed into a snow-white gyrfalcon. Beating its wings, it soared straight into the heavens. In an instant, it vanished into the endless sea of clouds and flew toward Welcoming Wind City, where it would gather information and investigate the movements around Rong Yidao, awaiting the next step—

"Mm, the eyes and ears have been deployed. Once I devise a way to kill Rong Yidao, I'll send the Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure back to little Tuyun."

But what he had not expected was that only a few short days later, he would regret it...

Four days later.

The Jiang Residence was in utter chaos, with chickens flying and dogs jumping, smoke and dust everywhere, and a complete mess all around.

First, the accounting room had inexplicably caught fire. Fortunately, it was discovered in time and no great disaster occurred! The servants searched for ages without finding the cause of the blaze and could only blame the dry weather. Then the grain storehouse was flooded! Somehow, a concealed canal had become blocked, and overflowing water had filled half the granary!

Then there were servants, farmhands, and households inside and outside the residence losing belongings; children walking down the road and inexplicably falling into latrines... There were too many such troubles to count, everywhere one looked. Yet no cause could be found, so they could only regard it as misfortune raining down upon their heads!

At night, Jiang Tu cleaned up the mess and disciplined the Straw Figure. During the day, he still had to act as though nothing had happened and laugh things off with the farmhands.

"Keep your eyes open, be careful, and don't let anything else happen..."

The farmhands nodded in agreement, but inwardly they were all muttering... Could they have run into something evil? Had something unclean come to their Xiaopei County?

If this continued, something ominous was bound to happen!!

Last night, not long after Jiang Tu had fallen asleep, the bed suddenly sank hard!

Crack!

The bedframe split right down the middle, and he and Zhou Ning'e fell through in their sleep.

Ning E cried out in fright, completely stunned.

"Hubby, our bed... why did it collapse? Could it be that we've been a little too rough on it...?"

Jiang Tu flew into a rage. "...It's fallen into disrepair! We'll replace it tomorrow!!"

He sounded calm, but inwardly he was grinding his teeth—little Demon Pill! Just you wait!

On the morning of the fourth day.

Jiang Tu finally caught the Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure in the flower garden behind the residence. The little thing was squatting amid the flowers, kneading mud into a row of crooked little mud dolls. It chuckled to itself, perhaps having thought of more ways to torment people. The moment it saw Jiang Tu approaching, it turned and ran.

Whoosh!

Jiang Tu swept out with his Seventh Grade Earth-Shifting Art. The soil surged up and wrapped the little thing tightly. Then it was hung up and given a fierce spanking before being kicked out of the Jiang Residence.

"Get the hell back to Green Mountain Lake!"

He had decided that he would personally handle the matter of killing Rong Yidao! Even if that meant taking some risks, it was still better than bringing this menace along!

If he let the Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure stay another few days, all the secrets he had hidden for years would probably be exposed!

This thing really was demolishing the house!

A menace!

Green Mountain Lake, Qin Household.

The lake's surface glittered in ripples, its waters and mountains merging into a single vista.

Qin Tuo Yun sat on a large stone by the lake, supporting her fragrant cheek with one hand. She could not summon even a shred of spirit. She had been listless and absent-minded for days, with no interest in anything.

Her Straw Figure was gone! Even its aura had been severed!

For the past few days, she had been unable to muster any enthusiasm no matter what she did. Though she still worked diligently and cultivated bitterly... she was always somewhat distracted.

Wronged and pitiful.

"Child, you've been wilted for days now. Isn't it just a Straw Figure? If it's gone, awaken another one," Qin Xian comforted her.

"I can't awaken another one! There's only one Third Realm slot. It can't come back, and even if I truly could awaken one, it wouldn't be it." Qin Tuo Yun could not explain why. They had clearly met only once, but now that it was gone, she felt an empty hollow in her heart.

Toward evening.

The Qin Household's sisters and mother bathed in the lake.

Qin Tuo Yun, her fourth sister Qin An, and Qin Xian soaked together in the warm lake water, splashing and laughing as they played around.

Splash!

After being gloomy for days, Qin Tuo Yun finally had a bit more of a smile on her face. She raised her hand and splashed Qin An full in the face, then dove behind her mother to hide. The three of them played in a jumble until they had enough and climbed ashore. All three were completely naked. Lowering their heads, they saw—

Hm?

Where were their clothes?

The clean stone was completely bare and empty.

Qin Tuo Yun: "..."

A very bad premonition suddenly rose in her heart.

Qin An: "...?"

Qin Xian: "???"

Then they suddenly heard a crisp, silly giggle. Three pairs of eyes turned toward the sound in unison.

On a large tree by the shore, the Spirit-Wisdom Straw Figure crouched between the branches, holding three sets of clothes high overhead in its tiny hands. It smugly shook its head at them, then patted its little backside and stuck out its tongue in provocation. Giggling, it ran off triumphantly and disappeared in the blink of an eye!

Qin Tuo Yun went blank.

Qin An covered her chest with both hands, and her face turned green.

Qin Xian took a deep breath. "Child, this is the Straw Figure you awakened? What a sin!"

"It wasn't me, I didn't do it, you can have it...!"

Qin Tuo Yun's mouth twitched as she raised a hand to cover her face.

She did not want to retrieve that Straw Figure at all anymore, ahhhhhhh!