Complete Enlightenment

From then on, Qin Fei began his life of freeloading meals.

For the past few months, the couple has been asking Shitou to bring them food every mealtime, along with a portion for their Big Yellow.

Shitou often came to play, and he recognized almost all the puppets in the display case.

He was intently watching the ground, where two puppets were "battling."

"Uncle Qin, who is more powerful Erlang, the Manifest Sage True Lord or the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas?"

Qin Fei was grooming the Big Yellow when he heard this and smiled slightly:

What do you think?

Shitou thought about it seriously for a while, then shook his head.

"I don't know, but my Great Sage Equaling Heaven is definitely the most powerful!"

He gently touched the Great Sage Equaling Heaven in his hand, his eyes filled with affection.

Qin Fei stared at his appearance, momentarily stunned.

Such pure eyes.

The two puppets seemed to constitute the entirety of the Shitou world.

Qin Fei seemed to be deep in thought.

Am I overthinking things, which is preventing me from making a breakthrough?

He began to focus on observing Shitou, trying to understand the world of children.

Just as he was pondering this, Shitou Mother hurriedly came looking for him.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, I..."

She suddenly caught sight of Shitou, suppressed her panic, and lowered her voice:

Let's talk in private.

Qin Fei's heart stirred, and he followed her outside.

"Fellow Daoist, please be patient and speak slowly."

Shitou Mother seemed flustered, and after organizing her thoughts for a long time, she finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly:

"My husband went to the front lines with the army last month, and today is his shift. I saw that Old Li next door has returned, but I haven't seen my husband at all."

"I went to the army to inquire, but I was chased out."

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you Divine Ability extraordinary abilities. Could you please help me find out the whereabouts of my child's father, whether he is alive or dead? At least I need some definite information."

Because Qin Fei concealed his cultivation level, she did not know his exact cultivation level.

However, after spending so much time together, she often noticed that powerful cultivators in the Late Qi Refining would come to "Mortal Puppet Abode" to drink.

The group would occasionally drink until late at night, and their behavior was completely like that of equals. From then on, she knew that Qin Fei was no ordinary Rogue Cultivator.

Having encountered this problem, after much thought, I had no choice but to ask Qin Fei for help.

Halfway through her speech, her eyes welled up with tears.

It was a small favor, and after a few words of reassurance, Qin Fei agreed.

He used a communication talisman to contact Tiezhu and inquire about Shitou's father.

Since breaking through to the Late Qi Refining, Tiezhu has been highly valued by the Lin Household.

His military rank was promoted from centurion to chiliarch, and he was in charge of a thousand Rogue Cultivator. He was considered a minor leader with some influence in the military camp.

If we ask him to investigate this matter, we should have results soon.

Qin Fei handed the information about Shitou's father to Tiezhu, instructing him to reply as soon as possible, and then returned to the house.

Shitou was still engrossed in playing, completely unaware of what had just happened.

The next day.

Tiezhu's message came back.

Shitou's father was killed in action, and his body has been buried on the spot.

Qin Fei sighed slightly and told Shitou Mother the truth.

Since then, a white silk ribbon has been hung next door, and Shitou hasn't come over for a long time.

Summer goes and winter comes.

The biting wind made the wooden door creak, and the streets were covered with a thick layer of snow, which made a "crunch, crunch" sound with every step.

Cultivators possess Spiritual Power that protects them, making them unafraid of the bitter cold.

Shitou was still young and had not yet begun his cultivation, yet his little hands were red from the cold.

"Uncle Qin, may I stay at your house for a while?"

Qin Fei was somewhat surprised and asked in confusion:

Where is your mother?

Upon hearing this, Shitou lowered his head.

"My mother... was forcibly taken away by the soldiers this morning."

Qin Fei frowned.

Didn't they see you're still young?

"I saw it. Those people said that every family must send one person to serve in the military. If Mother doesn't go, I can."

Qin Fei fell silent.

Shitou is just ten years old this year and has never practiced cultivation.

Sending him to serve in the military is tantamount to sending him to his death.

It seems the fighting on the front lines has become so fierce that no one can retreat.

He had anticipated this, and these days he had been cultivating his mind and character at "Mortal Puppet Abode," but the monthly patrol mission had never been missed.

On the border, the number of defeated troops from both the human and barbarian tribes is increasing, and the scene is becoming increasingly chaotic.

Clearly, the crucial moment for victory is approaching.

Qin Fei regained her composure and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Of course, you can stay here with me and wait patiently for your mother to return."

He sent a message to Tiezhu, explaining the matter of Shitou Mother and instructing him to take care of her if possible.

Although the two are not on the same team, given Tiezhu's current status, he may still have a say.

It can be considered that I have done my part, however small.

Shitou seemed to have become more sensible. Instead of lying on the counter staring at the puppet like before, he stood carefully beside Qin Fei, fiddling with his fingers.

"This child..."

Qin Fei shook his head, and with a flick of his hand, the puppets of Yang Jian and Nezha appeared.

He flicked his fingers, and two streams of Spiritual Power shot out. The puppets suddenly moved and then engaged in battle.

"Go have fun, don't think too much. Maybe your mother will be back in a while."

Shitou nodded heavily, squatted down in front of the two puppets, and began to observe them.

Qin Fei, however, fell into deep thought.

He noticed that every time he looked at the Shitou for a while, its eyes would unconsciously glaze over, staring intently at the ground, its thoughts drifting off somewhere else.

Once something is on your mind, you can never calm down again.

Even children, with their innocent and pure hearts, are no exception.

Aren't I the same?

In terms of puppetry skills, Qin Fei believed he had already met the threshold of Second-Tier Puppet Master.

But he just couldn't break through; every time he crafted a puppet, he always felt something was missing.

The words of the Fairy Caiyi echoed in my ears once more.

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

He tried his best to calm himself down and not think about anything, but he still couldn't do it.

Until a month later.

Shitou's mother returned safely.

Mother and son were reunited, Shitou immediately rushed into his mother's arms.

From that day on, the Shitou changed.

With more smiles on her face, she became more cheerful.

After delivering meals to Qin Fei each time, he would select a few puppets and play with them for hours.

It's just a simple liking.

The purity and focus he once possessed reappeared on his face.

A flash of inspiration struck Qin Fei, and he suddenly understood.

He seemed to understand why he couldn't break through.

He had a purpose from the very beginning of his practice of Puppet Technique.

The barbarians raided the border; he wanted to survive, so he relied on the power of puppets.

Feeling threatened by the persecution from the Lu Household, he frantically created puppets.

With the war underway, he was eager to prepare for Foundation Establishment, so he needed to break through to the second level of Puppet Technique.

A restless mind leads to a clouded will.

From beginning to end, he was never in control of his own destiny; when did he ever actively pursue the art of puppetry out of genuine passion?

Purity was never associated with him.

Spiritual practice should not be like this.

Cultivators act according to their own whims; why cultivate, and why learn Puppet Technique?

It's not about escaping a predicament, nor is it about avoiding trouble.

Simply because, he thought.

If they wanted to fix it, they did.

I liked learning, so I learned it.

That's all.

Qin Fei suddenly understood and unconsciously sat cross-legged on the ground.

The cold wind outside howled like a ghost, yet he had never been so resolute.

My mind is at peace, and my resolve is clear.