Cultivating the Heart and Temperament

Not long after, a puppet shop quietly opened in a corner of the market.

This place is sparsely populated; only a few pedestrians passed by in half a day.

The shopkeeper didn't care. He wiped the signboard at the entrance and personally inscribed the words "Mortal Puppet Abode" in large characters.

The shop is small, with only two counters and a rocking chair.

A Big Yellow was lying by the door, listlessly taking a nap.

The news of the opening didn't attract much attention; only a few neighbors offered their blessings.

"Huh? When did this shop open? Let's go in and take a look."

"What good stuff could you possibly find in such a remote place? Don't waste your time."

"Since we're already here, let's take a look and see what happens."

The two Rogue Cultivator entered the Mortal Puppet Abode and immediately sensed something amiss inside.

Why is it so cool here?

It was the height of summer, and the blazing sun was almost scorching people. Although cultivators could use their Spiritual Power to resist the heat, it was still not as comfortable as usual.

They looked in the direction of the cold wind and saw a long, rectangular box hanging on the wall.

That cold wind was blowing from there.

"This is a good thing. If you put one in a secret room, it will help you calm your mind a lot during cultivation."

"Shopkeeper, what's this called? Are you selling it?"

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man nearing thirty.

He was lying in a rocking chair, holding a square palm-sized toy in his hands, playing intently, as if he hadn't heard anything.

If anyone knew him here, they would surely recognize him as Qin Fei.

Ever since I consulted the Fairy Caiyi, that sentence has been echoing in my ears.

"A restless mind will not achieve its goals; a unclear will will not lead to success."

Qin Fei didn't fully understand the meaning of these words, but he had a guess in his mind.

Perhaps the inability to break through is related to one's own State of Mind.

He simply opened a shop here to experience spiritual practice and cultivate his mind.

"Shopkeeper, do you sell this?"

The man greeted him again, his expression showing considerable impatience.

Just then, a humanoid puppet emerged from behind the counter and stood before the two of them.

"These are items for the shopkeeper's personal use and are not for sale. Why don't you two take a look at the other items in the display case?"

The puppet spoke in human language, then gave a human-like smile.

The two Rogue Cultivator exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

The puppet in front of me was of ordinary shape, with some unremoved bark still on its surface. It was clear at a glance that it was made of common ironwood.

However, their behavior is no different from that of humans.

Even their micro-expressions, such as blinking and smiling, are similar to those of humans.

The two immediately realized that the shopkeeper was no ordinary person.

They abandoned their dismissive attitude and began to look around at the counters on either side.

"What kind of puppets are these Puppet Ball? Can we give them a try?"

The counter displayed various Puppet Ball, each a different color, yet unlike any I'd seen before.

"Whichever one you fancy, feel free to try it. Just put it back when you're done."

The ironwood puppet made a gesture of invitation and opened its mouth to speak.

Seeing this, the two cultivators glanced at Qin Fei, who was lying in the rocking chair. Seeing that he didn't react, they felt somewhat relieved.

"This one will do."

They selected a golden Puppet Ball and threw it to the ground.

"Bang!"

A humanoid puppet, about the size of a palm, appeared.

The puppet wore a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, a golden chainmail, and lotus-silk cloud-walking shoes.

He held a short stick in his hand, wrapped in gold at both ends and black in the middle, looking quite imposing.

However, the two Rogue Cultivator wore strange expressions.

This is because, apart from its appearance, this puppet has nothing special about it, and its strength is even inferior to that of an unranked Puppet Soldier.

They felt more like it was a child's toy.

"This... this puppet is for sale?"

One of the Rogue Cultivator asked tentatively.

"Indeed, this puppet is named the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, priced at one hundred Spirit Stone each, and sold only to those with a destined connection."

Upon hearing the price, the two Rogue Cultivators were completely dumbfounded.

One hundred Spirit Stone is an astronomical figure for ordinary Rogue Cultivator. With these Spirit Stones, one could even find a Battle Puppet at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refinement.

They felt that the puppet before them was not worth a hundred Spirit Stone, let alone a hundred Spirit Essence.

"I see. We're short on funds, so let's forget about it."

They put the puppet back in its place and walked outside with complicated thoughts.

Not long after, a chubby little head peeked in.

This is a chubby little boy, not very tall, about ten years old.

Seeing that no one paid him any attention, he grew bolder and went inside.

The Big Yellow next to him glanced up, then went back to sleep.

The little boy, however, showed a look of surprise. He first tugged at the Big Yellow's tail, then leaned on the counter, looking at the Great Sage Equaling Heaven with shining eyes.

"Whose little kid are you?"

Before he knew it, Qin Fei had stood up from the rocking chair and come up behind him.

The little boy was startled and stammered:

"I... I work at the medicine shop next door."

Qin Fei seemed to be deep in thought. This morning, when the business had just opened, the couple next door had come to congratulate them.

Those two were not highly skilled, only at the third or fourth level of Qi Refinement.

Looking at the little boy's face now, he does indeed resemble the female cultivator somewhat.

Qin Fei smiled slightly and asked, bowing his head:

Do you like it?

The little boy was caught red-handed peeking at the puppet. His mind went blank, and he just nodded blankly.

Qin Fei then took the puppet from the counter and handed it to him.

"It's yours."

The little boy then realized what was happening and said in a panic:

"My mother said we shouldn't take things from other people without permission."

"It's alright, take it."

Is it really possible?

He was still somewhat unsure.

Qin Fei nodded affirmatively, and at the same time, he flipped his palm, revealing a peach shortbread.

"This is for you too."

Being a child at heart, the little boy's insistence didn't last long, and he soon started eating the peach shortbread.

However, after taking a few bites, he wrapped up the peach shortbread again and ran out the door in a flash.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to hold the Great Sage Equaling Heaven tightly in his hand.

"Thank you, Uncle. I'll take the rest of the peach shortbread to my mother to try."

After saying that, he disappeared around the corner.

Qin Fei shook his head and chuckled, then returned to his rocking chair and started playing games.

Not long after, the little boy returned, this time with his parents.

"Fellow Daoist, my Shitou has caused you trouble. The peach shortbread was delicious, but we really cannot accept this puppet."

"Shitou is still young and doesn't understand things, please don't be offended."

Then Shitou took the puppet out and placed it on the counter.

Although she was very reluctant, she still listened to her mother's words.

Seeing this, Qin Fei stuffed the puppet back into Shitou's arms.

"It's nothing valuable, just let the child play with it."

"That won't do. Fellow Daoist, your shop has just opened and hasn't made any money yet. How can we accept your things for nothing?"

Qin Fei sniffed and smiled:

"I can smell the delicious aroma of the food. If you two really feel bad about it, why don't you invite me over for a meal? I'm starving."

Upon hearing about the food, the Big Yellow standing nearby suddenly straightened its drooping head and wagged its tail rapidly.