Suspicions Surrounding the Paper Figures

The young talents present were all curious about Qin Fei and couldn't help but stare at him.

Some of them have already reached the threshold of Second-Tier Puppet Master, while others have been honing their skills at the first tier for a long time.

However, compared to Qin Fei, he is still far inferior.

Everyone was around the same age, and some were even a few years older than Qin Fei.

However, Qin Fei had not only become Second-Tier Puppet Master, but was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, making the difference obvious.

This is also what they are most curious about.

"Senior Qin, could you tell us your story?"

One of the female cultivators asked expectantly, her face full of admiration.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, why don't you give them a talk? These are all talented young people from my Puppet Association, not outsiders. Let them learn from you."

Wei Zhao echoed this sentiment.

Qin Fei had anticipated this step and had prepared his words accordingly.

He naturally wouldn't mention the Heavenly Craft Creation Pavilion, but attributed everything to the puppet scrap yard and Wei Zhao's guidance.

He was exceptionally humble about his own efforts and talent, saying they were nothing to brag about.

His humble attitude won him the favor of many. Many young female cultivators regarded him as the object of their affections, while some young cultivators also regarded him as a role model.

The atmosphere at the gathering was harmonious, and everyone frequently raised their glasses.

Everyone clearly didn't treat him like an outsider, and after a few rounds of drinks, they started talking about the Puppet Association's situation.

The purpose of establishing the Puppet Association was to promote Puppet Technique and resist the barbarian army.

However, putting it into practice is easier said than done, and there are currently three main difficulties.

First, promotion is difficult.

Over the years, Wei Zhao and Ji Huan have been traveling to various Daoist academies in hopes of leading more cultivators into this profession, but unfortunately, their efforts have yielded little result.

The reason is simple: the art of puppetry is far too expensive, and ordinary Rogue Cultivator simply cannot afford it.

Without extensive practice, how can one even begin to improve their skills?

The cultivation resources of Rogue Cultivator are already insufficient, so few are willing to invest further into this bottomless pit.

Second, the barriers are difficult to overcome.

In the art of puppetry, there are generally barriers to inheritance.

Even when people are organized together, they will still have their own biases and prejudices.

They can get along well in everyday conversations, but when it comes to their own lineage, most people choose to remain silent.

The principle that "the law should not be lightly imparted, and the way should not be lightly transmitted" cannot be considered wrong.

However, this reform is undoubtedly an obstacle to the association's development.

Third, difficulty in obtaining funding.

The Puppet Association is a loosely organized group that, in order to expand its influence, has not set membership fees or other requirements.

However, various activities inevitably incur expenses, and over the years, the presidents and some like-minded members have been supporting the group by contributing their own money.

It might work in the short term, but in the long run, no one can sustain it.

Qin Fei seemed to be deep in thought.

None of the above issues can be easily resolved.

Building an association from scratch is easier said than done; it can only be done gradually.

"Fellow Daoists, there is no need to be anxious. The affairs of the association cannot be accomplished overnight. I believe that with your perseverance, you will realize your ambitions sooner or later."

"I've come here with a sales channel, and I'd like to ask if anyone is interested in joining."

"After all, one must cultivate; if one can improve their cultivation level, it will undoubtedly be of great benefit to the association's development."

Based on previous experience, Qin Fei is not planning to take it all for himself this time, but rather to bring more people on board.

If these people agree, the cooperation between the Puppet Association and the Heavenly Secret Pavilion will be confirmed.

Even if someone gets envious of this business afterward, the investigation will only go back to the Puppet Association.

This is a force with Core Formation Realm expert overseeing it; ordinary people really need to think twice.

Sales channels?

"That's right, it's a small group of friends. We provide the puppets, they sell them, and we only take a small commission."

"Although the price will be lower than selling it yourself, it will save you a lot of time. Fellow Daoists, you might want to consider it."

Before Wei Zhao could answer, a young cultivator excitedly asked, "Senior Qin, can we participate too?"

"Of course, my original intention was for as many people as possible to join, so we can all make money together."

Wei Zhao and Ji Huan exchanged a glance, both showing thoughtful expressions.

The two have selflessly supported the association over the years, but their wealth has dwindled considerably, and they seem to be living off their savings.

If we could earn some Spirit Stone, that would be excellent.

However, the two of them didn't have high hopes, taking it as just a minor squabble between Qin Fei and a few friends.

Little did they know that this decision would not only bring them enormous benefits in the future, but also add a significant chapter to the development of the Puppet Association.

The group finalized some details and settled the matter.

With this group joining him, Qin Fei finally had no more worries.

As the party ended, Wei Zhao took the initiative to pull Qin Fei aside.

"The president is currently in seclusion, so I won't introduce you for now. We can discuss it another time."

"The main question I wanted to ask you is, have you had any recent dealings with the Nether River District?"

Qin Fei's heart skipped a beat, but a hint of doubt appeared on his face.

"I've heard that place is a gathering place for Evil Cultivator; I haven't been there yet."

"It's good that you haven't been there. Things haven't been very peaceful there lately, so try to stay away from it."

Qin Fei nodded, then looked interested and asked curiously, "But what happened?"

"Yes, I heard that a pair of paper figures of the Ghost Mother were stolen, and they are currently investigating."

"The Ghost Mother! Isn't that Core Formation Cultivator? Who could possibly snatch treasure from her?"

Wei Zhao sighed and explained, "It's a long story. That day, her subordinates led two paper figures to attack the Blood Gu Sect, resulting in the Blood Gu Sect's annihilation in a single day."

"However, the body of the Blood Gu Rogue Person has not been found to this day; it seems to have vanished into thin air."

"I suspect that the Blood Gu Rogue Person most likely escaped with the paper figure."

Qin Fei felt something was amiss, but his expression remained perfectly normal.

That day, he extracted the soul from the Blood Gu Rogue Person and burned his corpse, so the Ghost Mother could not find him.

Unexpectedly, this diverted everyone's attention, which was a pleasant surprise.

Looking back on that day, he suppressed his cultivation all the way and didn't attract anyone's attention. The Ghost Mother shouldn't have been able to trace it back to him.

"I've heard a bit about the Ghost Mother's Paper Crafting Technique, but it's just a few paper figures. Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss about finding them?"

Wei Zhao clearly knew something. He glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, transmitted his voice, saying, "The two paper figures themselves are nothing special, but the vengeful spirit sealed within them is quite formidable. However, I don't know the specifics."

"Anyway, I'm relieved that you didn't get involved. I have to go and give Old Ji a heads-up."

Qin Fei seemed to be deep in thought.

It seems the paper figure isn't important; what matters is the vengeful ghost inside.

Those two vengeful ghosts, one with iron teeth and bronze fangs and the ability to regenerate, and the other capable of unleashing Heart Fire that could scorch the soul, were indeed quite extraordinary.

But he didn't believe that Core Formation Cultivator would value it so much.

However, there is currently too little information, so we have to give up on this idea.

After bidding farewell to Wei Zhao, Qin Fei returned alone to his cave abode in the Heavenly Pivot Mountain Range.

At this moment, he held two jade boxes in his hands, which contained the two paper figures.

"Big Yellow, you heard what Fellow Daoist Wei said. Do you have any thoughts on it?"

The Big Yellow emerged from the Mustard Seed Space, shook its head, and said, "I've witnessed the Paper Crafting Technique with my master before; it's nothing special. As for the vengeful spirit sealed within, I can only make further guesses after clarifying its origin."

Clearly, the Big Yellow had no clue either.

"Alright, let's put this matter aside for now. Is your seal reliable? We don't want the Ghost Mother to sense it."

"Don't worry about that. The Five Lightning Ghost-Suppressing Technique is a legitimate Daoist method. Not even the Ghost Mother or the Ghost Grandmother could detect it."

Qin Fei nodded slightly. Since there were no future problems, he decided to let it go.

Now that everything is arranged, it's time to create the puppet.

He planned to make a fortune as his first pot of gold on his path to Foundation Establishment.