The Ning Family.
In the council hall.
The spirit lamps cast a bright light.
The Ning Family Clan Leader, Young Clan Leader, and a group of family elders had all gathered here.
Several jade slips were being passed among them, recording the entire process of the family’s grand assessment.
The Clan Leader gently rubbed the jade slip in his hand, eyes closed, while scenes from the jade slip replayed within his sea of consciousness.
This year, unlike previous ones, he paid special attention to the examination on mechanical constructs.
The Ning Family had changed this year’s exam for the Mechanical Arts.
Instead of the usual topics, the challenge involved controlling puppets through threads.
Young cultivators channeled their spiritual power through the suspended threads, transmitting it into the puppet constructs.
Through the combined use of divine sense and spiritual power, they were able to bring the puppets to life and perform various actions.
However, even the best-performing young cultivator in this year’s examination could only make the puppet walk, somersault in mid-air, and roll on the ground.
The overall performance was unsightly.
The Clan Leader slowly opened his eyes, withdrew his divine sense from the jade slip, and placed it back on the desk.
"This time, our family’s assessment revealed no promising mechanical arts talents among the younger generation," he sighed.
The family elder from the academy quickly spoke up, feeling the pressure, “Clan Leader, esteemed elders, our Ning Family excels in talismans.
Mechanical Arts is already a peripheral skill within the cultivation arts.
Our family has little foundation in it, and the instructors teaching it at the academy are mostly inexperienced. How could we possibly cultivate promising talents in this area?”
The Clan Leader reassured, “Calm yourself. I am not blaming you. However, since the Lava Immortal Palace, an Immortal City of mechanisms, was hidden in the depths of Fire Persimmon Mountain by the Sages of the Three Sects to suppress its eruptions, the best way to acquire its treasures and mechanical arts inheritance is through a mechanical arts practitioner.”
“Our family only discovered the Lava Immortal Palace this year.
The other two major families and the City Lord have known about it far longer.
They had time to secretly cultivate mechanical talents, but we did not.”
“We are at a disadvantage, too late to the game.
The only path to competing now is to hire outsiders as our family’s guest cultivators.”
The Clan Leader pulled out a jade slip. “This contains a list of renowned mechanical arts practitioners in Fire Persimmon Immortal City and its surroundings. Pass it around for everyone to see.”
After the elders had reviewed the jade slip, the Clan Leader said, “We must reach out to all mechanical arts practitioners and do our utmost to win them over. Especially the Mysterious Puppet Master! He is based in Fire Persimmon City, possesses formidable skills, and should be our priority target.”
The Young Clan Leader responded, “The Mysterious Puppet Master’s identity is elusive and has never been publicly revealed. His mechanical constructs sell well, but he only sells them once a month through the Black Market.”
“The Black Market is under the control of Sun Lingtong, an outer disciple of the Void Sect. Reaching the Mysterious Puppet Master through him will not be easy.”
The Clan Leader frowned. “Xiaoren, I do not want to hear about obstacles; I want a solution to this problem.”
The Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, quickly assured, “Yes, Father. I have already arranged to make contact with him in person and expect results soon!”
The Clan Leader nodded approvingly, stroking his beard. “Good. I shall await the outcome.”
...
After the meeting, the Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren immediately summoned his subordinate, Ning Ze.
“Ning Ze, as the Ning Family’s purchasing agent, I appointed you to your position.
I ordered you to contact the Mysterious Puppet Master, yet you have made no progress.
What have you been doing?” Xiaoren demanded with a furrowed brow.
Ning Ze, a middle-aged man with a face full of regret, looked pained and reluctant to handle this assignment.
“Young Clan Leader, I am ashamed to have failed you. I have tried to approach the Mysterious Puppet Master multiple times during Black Market transactions, especially when purchasing the Wish-Fulfilling Rope, but he remains unmoved. Any conversation beyond business is met with silence.”
“The Mysterious Puppet Master is extremely secretive. I tried various methods to inquire further, but I ended up offending Sun Lingtong, the Black Market owner. Not only did I lose men, but I was also framed and had to pay a hefty sum of spirit stones out of my own pocket…”
“Enough!” The Young Clan Leader interrupted irritably.
“You already embarrassed yourself by being outplayed. Do you expect the clan to cover your mistakes as well?”
“This time, we need to purchase eighty Wish-Fulfilling Ropes. Take care of it.”
Ning Ze was shocked. “Eighty ropes? That many?”
Xiaoren continued, “Use this large order as leverage. You’ve had many dealings with the Mysterious Puppet Master, but you have yet to gain his favor.”
“Your performance so far has truly made me question your abilities, Ning Ze.”
Feeling the pressure, Ning Ze repeatedly assured that he would do his utmost.
...
Ning Ze arrived in the southeastern area of Fire Persimmon City, a chaotic district rife with crime and poor security.
This was where the Black Market was located.
At one of the entrances, Ning Ze displayed a token.
A cultivator with a grim expression glanced at it, carefully inspected the token, then tossed it back to Ning Ze with a cold, “Follow me.”
Leading him into a small room, the cultivator lifted a floorboard to reveal a hole and guided Ning Ze down into an underground tunnel.
After several twists and turns, they finally arrived in a dimly lit underground marketplace.
Sweeping his gaze, Ning Ze quickly spotted his target.
“We meet again, Lord Puppet Master,” Ning Ze greeted warmly.
The Mysterious Puppet Master was an aged man, hunched over like a shrimp, leaning heavily on a cane.
His face was weathered, with dark circles under his eyes and deep wrinkles that could catch flies.
His long, black hair hung from his head to his feet like a voluminous black cloak.
Standing behind his mechanical cart, the Mysterious Puppet Master cast a disinterested glance at Ning Ze but said nothing.
Ning Ze forced a smile, suppressing his growing resentment. After all, he was a Ning Family cultivator, yet the Mysterious Puppet Master showed him no respect whatsoever!
But the Ning Family’s Young Clan Leader was adamant about recruiting the Mysterious Puppet Master, leaving Ning Ze frustrated and humiliated. Still, he grinned and said, “Lord Puppet Master, this time I bring a large order.”
“Eighty Wish-Fulfilling Ropes in total!”
“Given such a sizable transaction, wouldn’t you consider offering a slight discount?”
“I am a loyal customer, after all, and more deals of this scale are bound to come your way. Charging two hundred spirit stones per rope every time seems a bit unkind, don’t you think?”
The Mysterious Puppet Master nodded slightly, his voice hoarse and weathered. “You’re right.”
“Then let’s make it two hundred fifty spirit stones per rope.”
Ning Ze froze for a moment, then chuckled, “Lord Puppet Master, surely you jest. A discount doesn’t work that way.”
The Mysterious Puppet Master snorted coldly. “For every extra word of nonsense, the price increases by fifty spirit stones.”
Ning Ze was stunned, standing in place.
His anger boiled within him, and he nearly struck the old man before him. But he managed to suppress his fury and reluctantly agreed to the price.
“However, our family would like to add some additional functions to complement our clan techniques. The specific modifications…”
The Mysterious Puppet Master interrupted firmly, “No modifications. Take it or leave it.”
Ning Ze choked, then sighed and agreed to the transaction.
Without a word, the Mysterious Puppet Master watched as small puppet figurines descended from the mechanical cart.
Animated by thin threads, they laughed and tumbled, playing and pushing each other, eventually opening a circular hatch on the cart.
The puppets crawled inside, pulling out the Wish-Fulfilling Ropes like snakes.
Each time Ning Ze witnessed this, he marveled.
Such mastery of thread control—so lifelike, as if the puppets were alive.
If even one percent of the Ning Family’s young cultivators had this level of skill, the mechanical arts results in the grand assessment would have been stellar!
“Mechanical Arts is the least-valued skill among cultivation arts. It has many weaknesses, the most obvious being the method of control!”
“Just look at these puppets. Simply cut the threads, and they instantly collapse.”
After completing the transaction, Ning Ze left the Black Market, clutching the Wish-Fulfilling Ropes, his face darkening with resentment.
“Lord Puppet Master! I’ve been so respectful to you each time. You really don’t appreciate it.”
“This time, I’ve prepared a special gift for you—the Huang Family’s Three Ghosts!”
“You didn’t accept the wine of courtesy, so you’ll have to drink the wine of punishment.”
Driven to desperation, Ning Ze had decided to take a risk.
His plan was simple: he’d have the Three Ghosts deal with the Mysterious Puppet Master, then intervene to save him, using it as an opportunity to ingratiate himself.
If the Mysterious Puppet Master was gravely injured, Ning Ze would even consider forcing him into submission.
In short, the primary goal was to get results and fulfill his duty. As for other issues, those were someone else’s problem.
After the Black Market closed, the Mysterious Puppet Master walked through the dark alleys, laden with his spoils.
Suddenly, a Spirit-Suppressing Talisman activated, sealing the surrounding space.
The Mysterious Puppet Master stopped in his tracks, unmoving.
“Hehehe…”
A light chuckle echoed as three small specters emerged nearby, lunging toward him.
The Mysterious Puppet Master stood as still as stone, only moving when they neared him.
With a shake, he released several small mechanical birds that shot forward like arrows.
The birds, the Silent Thunderbirds, emitted bursts of lightning, but without a sound. In an instant, the three specters were killed.
“How is this possible?”
“We used a Spirit-Suppressing Talisman! He shouldn’t be able to control his mechanisms without his divine sense!”
“Something’s odd. There were no threads, yet he controlled the puppets.”
“Forget it, attack him together!”
The Huang Family’s Three Ghosts leaped out, launching a joint assault.
Ten or so ghastly spirits surged forth, baring fangs and claws from every direction.
The Mysterious Puppet Master remained unmoving.
His long black hair suddenly coiled and twisted into whip-like lengths, lashing out silently, filled with a murderous aura.
The mechanical weapon, the Dangling Death Whip!
The whips moved with deadly precision, causing the souls to scatter.
The Three Ghosts’ eyes flashed with deadly resolve as they prepared to strike.
But within the Mysterious Puppet Master’s sea of consciousness, a massive seal, the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, erupted with light.
Two of the ghosts froze in terror, revealing fatal openings.
They attempted to flee, but it was too late.
With two piercing screams, two of the ghosts died.
The last ghost, furious and despairing, forced every ounce of his Foundation Establishment power to make a final attack.
His dagger, as quick as lightning, struck the Mysterious Puppet Master’s forehead.
Clink.
A crisp metallic sound rang out.
The Huang Family’s eldest ghost froze, stunned.
In the next moment, ten Dangling Death Whips pierced through him from all directions, suspending him mid-air.
Blood sprayed out, spattering the walls, hidden by the darkness.
Nearby cultivators, hearing the faint sounds, arrived to investigate.
“What happened?” they wondered.
But they found no trace of bodies or blood in the alley.
Back at the Ning residence, Ning Ze grew cold with dread as he waited.
“Why hasn’t there been any news? It should have worked by now.”
“The Mysterious Puppet Master is at Foundation Establishment, and so are the Huang Family’s Three Ghosts."
"Even in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, where their strength is limited, three against one should be overwhelming.”
He tried to reassure himself.
“I gave them a Spirit-Suppressing Talisman and the green blade mantis to cut the threads. With such preparation, the mechanical artist would be severely restrained!”
“I’ll wait a bit longer.”
But this wait would be fruitless.
The Mysterious Puppet Master walked through an underground tunnel, three corpses suspended from the Dangling Death Whips trailing behind him.
As he walked, monstrous shadows stretched across the walls.
Ahead, a red glow appeared, and the air grew hot.
Turning a corner, he approached a large furnace.
The furnace door opened, and he skillfully tossed the three bodies inside.
After shutting the door, he moved to a storage room.
He deposited several pounds of fire essence gathered from the Black Market into the storage room, which had accumulated a small mountain of fire essence over the years.
“Just ten more pounds of fire essence,” he muttered.
The Mysterious Puppet Master then entered the teleportation room, activated the array, and returned to his underground workshop.
His form began to shift.
The long, black hair that hung to his feet quickly receded, his hunched back straightening.
Beneath the black robes, his elderly form transformed, revealing his true self—a silver-gray mechanical battle armor.
The armor’s surface shimmered faintly, inscribed with talisman symbols and formation marks.
The helmet bore a new scar, a reminder of the Huang Family’s elder ghost’s final attack.
The chest, abdomen, and thigh plates of the armor opened to the sides, revealing a young man.
With a fair face, clear eyes, and a calm, serene bearing, he stepped out.
The armor was known as the Azure Iron Armor.
The youth’s name: Ning Zhuo.