If You See Snow

Secret Sect, Immortal Cave.

Jiang Xue Ya opened her eyes.

In front of her was a square stone chamber. Her hands were tied behind her back with a rope, and her feet also bound. The furnishings in the stone chamber were very simple, with a single-person stone bed leaning against the wall, covered with old bedding. Jiang Xue Ya recognized it at a glance. This was the place where Su Ru Hui was detained before, and now Dan Tai Jing had temporarily moved her here. There were no talismans or star formations in this stone chamber, and the overwhelming sense of oppression on her body finally dissipated, instantly making her feel refreshed.

Xia Jing was in charge of moving her, and on the way he handed Jiang Xue Ya a blade, which she hid under her tongue. Jiang Xue Ya slowly passed her bound hands over her hips and to the front, from behind her feet. She spat out the blade and held it between her teeth, cutting the rope. The guards at the prison were too strict, making it difficult to escape. Although there were still many guards at Immortal Cave, at least the ban on star formations had been loosened somewhat, giving her an excellent chance to escape.

Jiang Xue Ya stood up, stretched her muscles, and walked stealthily to the door, listening closely to the voices outside. It was quiet, with no sound at all. It was strange. As far as Jiang Xue Ya knew, there were always medical officers stationed in Immortal Cave, making medicine Su Ru Hui’s empty shell. It was too quiet. Something was wrong.

Jiang Xue Ya found a spirit fire gun and a dagger inside the stone bed, both of which were prepared by Xia Jing in advance. The route had already been arranged, and all she had to do was follow the predetermined path. At the fourth watch, Xia Jing sent someone to open a Gate of Nothingness on the left wing of the palace, and she could leave the Secret Sect. Jiang Xue Ya pushed open the door and sneaked out like a cat. The scene before her was brightly lit, the guards were gone, and there were broken fragments all over the ground, as if they had experienced a fierce battle. The boiler was overturned on the ground, and black medicinal juice was splashed all over the place. The air was filled with a bitter medicinal smell.

She walked past several unconscious doctors and guards and picked up a sword. She went around the narrow stone passage and came to the entrance of the Immortal Cave. The people on the ground were lying in all directions, all unconscious. Jiang Xue Ya stepped over them, turned the corner, and saw Su Ru Hui lying in the center of the cave. There was a man standing still next to him.

It was Sang Chi Yu.

She hadn’t seen this guy for a long time and didn’t expect to meet him here. Moonlight spilled over the black-clad man’s shoulders, like flowing water pouring down along his fair hand, and flowing all the way to the sword he was holding. He lowered his gaze and silently gazed at Su Ru Hui who was sleeping on the bed. Jiang Xue Ya inexplicably felt a depressing atmosphere, like a gloomy weather.

“Uh, are you here to kill Su Ru Hui?” Jiang Xue Ya asked.

She squatted and crawled to the window, cautiously peering out. In the pitch-black night, she saw a warning sky lantern rising in the air. The lantern was a dazzling red, which meant that the Secret Sect had activated Class A alert, and the guards would arrive here soon.

“Do you have an escape route?” Jiang Xue Ya asked him.

“No.” Sang Chi Yu was still staring at the person on the bed.

“You… you’re still so crazy after more than a decade.” Jiang Xue Ya urged him, “If you want to kill, kill quickly. Cut his throat and bleed him to death, just like killing a chicken. After killing him, come with me. I’ll help you out of here, considering our past friendship.”

Sang Chi Yu lifted his hand and pulled out the intravenous vein from Su Ru Hui’s body, leaving red marks and blood stains on Su Ru Hui’s almost transparent body. Sang Chi Yu took off his black coat and put it on Su Ru Hui.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Xue Ya asked.

“He’s afraid of the cold,” Sang Chi Yu replied.

“He’s going to die. What’s there to be afraid of?” Jiang Xue Ya was about to go crazy. “Are you okay? Hurry up and come with me.”

Sang Chi Yu carefully buttoned up Su Ru Hui’s coat, all the way to under his chin. He whispered, “You go. I still have someone to kill.”

“Who?”

“Dan Tai Jing.”

Sang Chi Yu even called out his master’s name directly, which surprised Jiang Xue Ya. She asked, “When did you have a grudge with your master?”

“Just now.”

Jiang Xue Ya couldn’t understand this guy. During the time she was imprisoned, she seemed to have missed many important events. When she got out, she needed to catch up on everything. Sang Chi Yu picked Su Ru Hui up on his back, bent down to pick up the knife, and turned around to leave.

“Aren’t you going to kill Su Ru Hui? Why didn’t you kill him?” Jiang Xue Ya followed him, still holding her knife. “Why are you taking him to find Dan Tai Jing? You are obviously seeking death by challenging the grandmaster.”

Sang Chi Yu’s hand that was pushing the door stopped. Suddenly, a profound sadness surged in his icy eyes. Jiang Xue Ya choked up, and couldn’t speak at this moment.

“He likes to talk,” Sang Chi Yu said softly. “Someone needs to listen on the road to the underworld.”

As he opened the door, he heard the breathing of three soldiers in the dark forest. As the door opened, he pulled the trigger of his gun. The muzzle sparkled like fireworks, and three consecutive shots blasted into the night. The three men were shot in the forehead and fell backward.

Amidst the sound of gunshots, he seemed to hear Su Ru Hui gently calling his name from his back.

“Sang Chi Yu.”

He must resent him, Sang Chi Yu thought.

Five years ago, Su Ru Hui’s heart was cut open, and Dan Tai Jing transferred him out of Immortal Cave to secretly maintain Su Ru Hui’s life through intravenous veins while sending Lang Ya Guang to probe Su Ru Hui’s memories. They didn’t hesitate to let Su Ru Hui suffer, just to get his puppetry techniques and spirit fire gun. Although they had already acquired his puppets and spirit fire gun, and both of those things were now monopolized by the Secret Sect, they were still not satisfied. They wanted the Puppet Key.

A month ago, Sang Chi Yu accidentally returned to Immortal Cave and witnessed Su Ru Hui being toyed with like a dead body. That day was the second time in his life he violated his master’s order. He pulled out the intravenous veins on Su Ru Hui’s body, and allowed Su Ru Hui’s breathing to become weaker and weaker. He was expelled and stripped of his title. Perhaps he was still unwilling to believe that Su Ru Hui had truly died. When he met Jiang Que Xie, he naively believed that Su Ru Hui had used unknown means to return from the dead. In the end, it turned out to be a puppet – a puppet made by Su Ru Hui himself.

He once again left Su Ru Hui alone in this cold cave. Su Ru Hui was afraid of the cold and loneliness.

Years ago, he was ordered to guard Immortal Cave. He rarely entered the cave, guarding outside the door. Su Ru Hui often hugged his fox fur blanket and leaned against the door, beckoning to him. “Come in and sit down. It’s so cold outside.”

He didn’t respond, but Su Ru Hui didn’t give up.

“I say, Sang Chi Yu, it’s boring to stay with me all day. Why don’t you let me go, so you don’t have to listen to me blabbering every day, and we both win?”

“Sang Chi Yu, I’m asking you. Come in and keep me company. I’m bored to death. Do you want me to teach you how to play cards? I’ll let you win three games.”

“Wife, wife, wife. If you don’t agree, I’ll call you my wife from now on and let everyone in the world know that you are my wife.”

Sang Chi Yu ignored him, as steady as a rock.

Su Ru Hui pleaded pitifully, “How about if I let you sleep with me once. Will you let me go?”

Sang Chi Yu finally reacted, gripping his sword hilt and saying in a low voice, “Su Ru Hui, have some self-respect.”

“What self-respect.” Su Ru Hui sneered. “It’s not like we haven’t slept together before, and the thing in your crotch is much warmer than your face.”

Sang Chi Yu could no longer tolerate his vulgar language and turned to leave. Suddenly, there was a cry from behind him. Su Ru Hui seemed to have fallen. He quickly turned around, only to see the man standing upright in front of the cave, with a dry grass stem in his mouth.

Su Ru Hui smiled. “You came after all.”

“You came after all.”

In the dim night, the voice with the same smile sounded in Sang Chi Yu’s ear. He put down his smoking spirit fire gun and turned his head, meeting a pair of familiar eyes.

Su Ru Hui woke up, as if by a miracle. His once empty eyes now sparkled with a glimmer of light.

Su Ru Hui smiled helplessly. “Where are you taking me, Sang Chi Yu?”

—-

Bian Du, Qing He District, Official Post Station.

Yan Jin Yu sat cross-legged in the tent, half-naked. His waist, abdomen, and arms were wrapped in gauze. His face also had bruises, and a maid was applying ointment to him with soft cotton. He stood up, and the maid respectfully bowed and slowly backed away with the gauze. Another maid who had been waiting came forward to put on his purple robe, carefully folding the collar under his chin, and tying his waistband and jade pendant meticulously.

It was already midnight, and all the attendants left the warm pavilion. Yan Jin Yu held up an oil-paper umbrella and walked down the stone steps, standing in the snow and looking up at the northern sky.

The snow blurred his vision, and a rustling sound filled the world, as if a lover was whispering in his ear. Just then, he heard a tune played on a xiao flute. The melody floated through the snow, smooth and clear, like a child’s singing voice. He turned around and saw a person standing at the end of the snowfield. This person was dressed in white linen, wearing a snow-covered hat, holding a xiao flute in his mouth and an ivory fan in his waist.

The Official Post Station was heavily guarded, with more than ten checkpoints from the gate to Yan Jin Yu’s warm pavilion. However, this person seemed to have no effect on the guards, appearing out of nowhere and strolling through the snow.

Yan Jin Yu remained calm, putting down his oil-paper umbrella and kneeling on the ground to pay tribute to the deity.

“The Yans of You Zhou, Yan Jin Yu, respectfully welcomes the arrival of Elder Shen Tu to the mortal realm.”

The sound of the flute stopped, and a low, hoarse voice came from under the hat, as if not yet accustomed to the pronunciation of mortals. His tone was twisted and strange. “You are a child of mortals. Why do you want to pledge allegiance to us, who are mortal enemies of humans? Didn’t Su Gou tell you when he was alive that humans are quite tasty food to us?”

Yan Jin Yu bowed his head, far from the arrogant and domineering attitude he had in front of Bei Chen Palace. He said, “Demons eat people, and people also eat people. The nobles treat the common people as cattle and horses, letting them use their blood and sweat to cultivate the nobles’ fields. If humans are equivalent to livestock for demons, then the common people are even worse than cattle and horses for the nobles. If we only consider whether to eat humans or not, I don’t see any difference between humans and demons.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being eaten by us?” Shen Tu asked.

Yan Jin Yu spoke word by word with a strong and powerful voice, “Cattle and sheep need sheepdogs, and hunting requires falcons. Yan Jin Yu is willing to become your hound. When Shen Tu descends to the mortal realm, the mortal realm will be in chaos, with the Black Street rampant, the aristocratic families divided, and the Snow Territory invading from the south. The mortal realm will surely be defeated step by step. Those who know the times are wise. I do not have high hopes for the Secret Sect. Moreover, I have a great grudge against them. If the world is not chaotic, my heart will not be at peace.”

“Oh? Tell me about your grievances,” Shen Tu asked with interest.

Yan Jin Yu straightened up, untied his belt, and revealed his bare chest. He placed his hand on his chest and tore open his own flesh and skin little by little. The expected blood did not appear. That layer of flesh and skin was actually made of cowhide and painted – fake skin. The inside of his chest was exposed through a bowl-sized hole in his chest. His ribs and lungs could be clearly seen. Meteorite iron bones were connected to his skeleton. The wind and snow poured into his chest, and the hot air turned them into white mist.

“I was fourteen years old when the Secret Sect’s Sang Chi Yu killed my parents, crippled my spiritual power, and turned me into this inhuman state. If it weren’t for my good fortune, encountering the real Yan Jin Yu when I was wandering, snatching his token and joining the Yan family, I wouldn’t be here today. Dan Tai Jing’s mouth is always advocating righteousness, but he shelters and protects his disciples.” Yan Jin Yu gritted his teeth and said, “I swore I would destroy the Secret Sect and kill Sang Chi Yu to comfort the spirits of my parents in heaven.”

Yan Jin Yu once again prostrated himself on the ground. “Elder Shen Tu, as long as the world is in chaos, the aristocratic families consume each other, the Secret Sect collapses, the Snow Territory can sit back and reap the benefits. I have a plan to offer to you.”

Shen Tu looked interested. “Go on.”

“I believe you have received a message from Lord Su Gou. Su Ru Hui secretly escaped from the Secret Sect and changed his name to Jiang Que Xie. Earlier, I met him and observed his words and actions. His behavior of considering himself the smartest one in the room and playing with others was indeed no different from Su Ru Hui. Su Ru Hui is the leader of the Black Street. If we can kill him and hang his head on the walls of Bian Du City, the Black Street will surely be furious and rise up in arms.” Yan Jin Yu said, “I have found out where this person lives. I will send someone to cut off his head.”

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed that the snow around him had stopped.

The sound of snow disappeared, and everything fell silent.

Yan Jin Yu was stunned.

In the silence, he heard the strange and eerie voice again. This time, it was not at the end of the snowy field, but right beside him.

“That name, say it again,” the voice said.

Yan Jin Yu finally realized that he was facing a demon from the depths of the snowy world, the natural enemy of mortals. Perhaps it didn’t care about his plans or grievances at all, and acted as it pleased.

He forcibly suppressed his fear, and dared not turn his head to look at Shen Tu’s face. He trembled and said, “Su Ru Hui.”

“How much do you know about this person’s background?” the voice asked.

Yan Jin Yu took a deep breath. “Jin Yu knows a little about him. His mother was Princess Su Wu of the Secret Sect, the sister of Dan Tai Jing’s mother, Dan Tai Xun. His father was a commoner from a merchant family, named Su Guan Yu.”

“I heard that Su Guan Yu was handsome and eloquent, especially good at music, and Princess Su Wu was pleased with his appearance. The princess was violent and often killed palace servants at will. Only Su Guan Yu was tolerated to be around her all day long. Later, he fell out of favor with the princess and was expelled from the palace by Dan Tai Jing.

“Su Guan Yu fell into poverty and wandered around, teaching, selling grass shoes, or carrying big bags, doing all kinds of lowly jobs. It is said that he had a whimsical idea of using asceticism to awaken spiritual power, but it was just a childish fantasy. Sometimes he would return to Su Luo Mountain to visit Su Ru Hui, and I have met him a few times.” Yan Jin Yu remembered something and sneered. “Someone spat on his face in front of him, but he was probably used to serving others with his body and his bones were soft, so he never dared to argue.”

Shen Tu asked, “Do you have the grass shoes he made?”

Yan Jin Yu was taken aback. “No.”

“It’s a pity.” Shen Tu’s tone was regretful. “I really want to wear the grass shoes made by Su Guan Yu.”

Yan Jin Yu tentatively asked, “Does my lord know Su Guan Yu?”

Shen Tu nodded. “I used to be his guide wolf. At that time, I hadn’t become a demon god yet. He said I was the most beautiful little wolf in the snow world, and he knew I was perfect for roasting meat.” He tilted his head. “What’s roasting meat?”

Yan Jin Yu was stunned, thinking he had heard it wrong.

Shen Tu said again, “Don’t provoke Su Ru Hui. We’ve been keeping an eye on this child for a long time, and Su Guan Yu must have left something for him.”

“Left something?” Yan Jin Yu didn’t understand Shen Tu’s words.

“That’s right. Do you think Dan Tai Jing spent many years investigating Su Ru Hui’s memories through his dreams just to get the puppet key? That’s because Dan Tai Jing believed that the puppet key was something left by Su Guan Yu for Su Ru Hui. Don’t provoke Su Ru Hui. He’s a person even our demon clan fears. As a young human with delicate skin and tender flesh, how could you possibly defeat him?” Shen Tu laughed.

Yan Jin Yu clenched his fist. “I know Su Ru Hui is a genius, but how can we know the result if we don’t try? Please, let me try, Elder.”

“We’ll see. I also want to kill him, but I can’t make a decision about Su Ru Hui.”

Yan Jin Yu hesitated and gritted his teeth.

“By the way, you also need to help me find…a cat.”

Yan Jin Yu slowly turned his head and finally saw Shen Tu’s appearance. He was a little stunned because underneath the hat was a comical monkey general mask – the kind that was commonly sold on street stalls and carried by children.

“A cat?” Yan Jin Yu asked.

“Yes. That San Chiyu who killed your parents? He’s our clan’s Holy Child, the adopted son of the old king, and also a cat who forgot he was a demon.” Shen Tu kindly patted his head. “Little human, you can’t kill him. Otherwise, I’ll cut off your head right now. Tofu pudding from your world is delicious. I wonder if human brains are equally tasty?”

 

Su Ru Hui looked for him for a long time but couldn’t find Sang Chi Yu. As curfew was approaching, he had no choice but to return home alone. The empty courtyard still had Su Ru Hui’s socks and clothes hanging on the clothesline. The night wind crept into his sleeves and collar, causing his sleeves to rustle and flap against each other. Su Ru Hui stood in the courtyard and opened his communication compass, which was engraved with Sang Chi Yu’s symbol. He pursed his lips and tried to contact Sang Chi Yu. The symbol on the compass was dim, indicating that there was no response from the other party.

“Bastard,” Su Ru Hui cursed under his breath.

He put away the compass and was about to step into the dark main hall when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. His instinct told him that there was someone in the house. He stopped in his tracks, and a faint oil lamp lit up deep in the main hall. Golden light covered the entire hall, illuminating the person sitting on the purple sandalwood armchair.

Xia Jing smiled slightly, and his thin beard twitched on his lips. He said, “Nephew, you stayed out too late playing around.”

This person was inscrutable. Could he be up to no good? Su Ru Hui quietly put his hand on the spirit fire gun at his waist.

“Enough. Don’t even think about trying to do anything to me.” Xia Jing put his hands in his pockets. “I’m just someone who finished my shift and can’t go home to cuddle with my wife by the fire. I had to come here to freeze my ass off and ensure that a certain person’s message is accurately conveyed to you.”

“Uncle, you jest.” Su Ru Hui served him tea. “May I ask whose message it is and what it is?”

“This message is from your senior sister, Jiang Xue Ya.” Xia Jing sighed. “Don’t think too much of it. I’m just repaying a debt. I received a lot of help from your senior sister when I was in the Frontline Guards. Did you encounter any trouble while you were out?”

“It seems that this matter is related to senior sister.” Su Ru Hui smiled and bowed. “Please enlighten me, Uncle.”

“To be precise, it’s related to you,” Xia Jing said. “She didn’t tell me the details, but the gist of it is that in the past, you racked your brains trying to create a Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet. Your other puppets may be exquisite, but they are still just puppets. They have no self-awareness or knowledge. For over a decade, you hoped your puppets could think freely like humans and even develop emotions. To be honest, you’re really bored, aren’t you? Why not just make a person and marry them?”

Su Ru Hui sighed. “I thought the same thing, but unfortunately… um, unfortunately, my ‘wife’ is a man.”

“I see,” Xia Jing said, looking knowledgeable. “The good news is that you have indeed made progress, and that progress is the flesh puppet body you are using now. The bad news is that you still failed to develop a true Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet.”

“What do you mean? Aren’t I Su Ru Hui’s puppet?” Su Ru Hui frowned.

“She said you can find out the specifics by looking around this courtyard. This courtyard was prepared for you by her. When you left Yun Zhou, she had already prepared to rent it to you. While you were stuck in the Immortal Cave, all the blueprints for your Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet were taken from the Secret Sect and stored here by her. It was also from that time that she began her plan to rescue you from the Secret Sect,” Xia Jing explained, holding up a finger. “The first step of the plan was to prepare a new identity for you. Jiang Huai Cang is fond of beautiful women, and there are many illegitimate children in his household. I bought a woman named Bai Cai Ping and sent her to Yun Zhou, where I fabricated a son for her to pass off as Jiang Huai Cang’s illegitimate child. This nonexistent son is Jiang Que Xie, the new identity she prepared for you.”

“The second step was to create a flesh puppet. Your senior sister spent five years creating a perfect puppet body for you according to your blueprints. The Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet is incredibly exquisite. Even someone who just held the blueprints could have successfully made one. We should have started preparing for you to replace Jiang Que Xie with this puppet body. But something unexpected happened – people from the Black Street snuck into the Jiang household, as well as some strange individuals with unclear identities. Your senior sister spent some time dealing with them. She took care of the Black Street people, but she never figured out who the other group was. And now, they’ve started to go after her.”

“Individuals with unclear identities?” Su Ru Hui said, sensing something. “Were they the demon clan?”

“Yes, that’s right. It seems that way now. Since I’ve been stationed at the border, I’ve only been able to communicate with your senior sister by letter, so I’m not sure about their conflict. In short, it seems she lost. I heard that she lost quite a few capable people, but managed to retreat safely. The only thing to be thankful for is that the plan to replace Jiang Que Xie went smoothly. I was in charge of that. I was outside the Jiang household and am not related to them in any way, so I wasn’t noticed. You woke up at the Sang family’s old mansion on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, and our plan was finally successful.”

Su Ru Hui clicked his tongue. “So it was you who killed A Qi.”

“Does this child from the black street go by the name ‘A Qi’? At only 17 years old, he’s doing such dangerous things. The world is getting more chaotic, and the more people die, the more children have to become adults after the adults die.” Xia Jing sighed.

After taking a sip of tea, Xia Jing continued, “After your senior sister retreated, the situation became extremely dangerous. Not only were the demons hidden in the Jiang family searching for her, but when it was discovered that she had smuggled the blueprint for you, Dan Tai Jing also targeted her. Nephew, you should know that Star Official Lang Ya Guang of the Secret Sect possesses a special power which can explore memories through people’s dreams. Your memories about the flesh puppets have already been extracted by one of us who can extract memories, but as the executor of all the plans, your senior sister cannot lose her memory. If she is caught back to the Secret Sect, the Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet will be exposed, and you will be imprisoned again shortly after being resurrected, all in vain.”

Indeed, this situation was very tricky. Su Ru Hui shook his head in amazement.

“This girl is clever. She came up with a way to kill two birds with one stone. She can not only escape the pursuit of the demons in Jiang family but also make it impossible for Dan Tai Jing to explore her memory.”

“What way is that?”

“I don’t know either.” Xia Jing shook his head. “All I know is that after the plan was made, she was secretly imprisoned by Dan Tai Jing in the Secret Sect, first in the Ice Prison, and now in Immortal Cave. You don’t have to worry about her; I have a way to help her leave the Secret Sect. It’s about time, she should be in action. She has always been a wise and decisive person, which is one of the reasons why I chose to help her, but she has repeatedly encountered danger for you.” Xia Jing deeply sighed. “It’s tough being a beauty and having to face the danger of being with heroes.”

“Uncle, you’re overthinking. If you have anything else to say, please say it quickly. If you come home late, Auntie will think you have someone outside,” Su Ru Hui said with embarrassment.

Xia Jing took out a crystal-clear glass lamp from his sleeve, which contained a star storage array. He handed it to Su Ru Hui and said, “This is your memory. When the spiritual power user extracted your memory, he didn’t control it and took a bit more. Losing memory is not a pleasant feeling, but even so, I still don’t recommend that you reabsorb your memory. The Secret Sect is watching you, and if you want to protect the Puppet Key, forgetting it is the best way.”

After Xia Jing finished speaking, he left. Outside, snowflakes began to fall, covering the earth. Su Ru Hui also felt that it was not a good time to absorb memories, so he put the glass lamp in the cabinet. He searched for the puppet blueprint mentioned by Xia Jing. The guy did not distinguish him from the real Su Ru Hui, making him feel very uncomfortable.

After half an incense stick’s worth of time, Su Ru Hui found an empty space on the wall. He smashed the wall with the handle of his knife, creating a gap. He reached in and took out a sealed box made of meteorite iron, which was indestructible even by explosives. On top of the box was Su Ru Hui’s special lock, with over three thousand variations that only he could unlock.

Su Ru Hui opened the lock, and a series of gears turning sounded from inside. The lid of the box popped up, and the lock loosened. Inside the meteorite box were many yellowed papers, with clear handwriting. He sat down and looked at them one by one. The papers contained everything from the initial design to the blueprints of the Super First-Grade Flesh Puppets, as well as the bottleneck that could never be overcome, which was how to generate spirits for the puppets. He remembered the years Su Ru Hui had spent toiling away on this project. The warehouse of the Flesh Puppet Department in Paradise Pavillion was filled with defective Super First-Grade Flesh Puppets, and in the Secret Sect’s Immortal Cave, Su Ru Hui had persisted in writing while he was bedridden.

He remembered the first pile of blueprints, but he could not recall the last pile. Judging from the size of the paper, it was eight-foot-long raw silk paper that the Secret Sect exclusively used. It should have been completed by Su Ru Hui in Immortal Cave.

The core of the puppet was the inspiration star array. The star array was like a human brain, with countless possibilities for inspiration changes, corresponding to the endless thoughts of humans. Su Ru Hui’s previous exploration was to simulate the human brain with the star array, but the mystery of the mind was infinite, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not touch the secrets of consciousness. After flipping through a few of the Immortal Cave’s blueprints, he realized that he seemed to have changed the direction of his efforts.

Suddenly, the function of the star array changed from thinking to teleportation.

Teleportation? What was being teleported?

Snow fell outside the window, and bare branches leaned against the windowsill. His shadow was reflected on the high-quality paper, like a puppet show framed by the window. He did not stop for a moment and finished looking through the last piece of paper. He was extremely shocked. He knew that he had not succeeded; he had never created a real Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet. But he had found a way to teleport a spirit for the puppet. He had created a path between himself and this puppet, allowing him to change his human body with this puppet’s body.

This was an unparalleled technique in the world, an unparalleled Teleportation Star Array. If someone with evil intentions knew about it, it would cause chaos in the world. With this Teleportation Array, people would obtain immortality. If their previous body deteriorated, they could create another puppet body to accommodate the spirit, and they would live on forever.

No wonder he refused to hand over the Puppet Key. In order to escape captivity, he even had Jiang Xue Ya erase his memories and remove the part about the Spirit Teleportation Array.

He understood now. He understood everything. His way of escaping from captivity was to abandon his physical body and transfer his spirit. He had found a new life for himself with the Super First-Grade Flesh Puppets.

He was a puppet, and he was also Su Ru Hui.

The so-called “Su Ru Hui” in the Secret Sect was probably just an empty shell.

According to the belief that human consciousness and physical body were two separate systems, he created a First-Grade Flesh Puppet. With the spiritual power provided by the inner spiritual stone of the puppet, the puppet could breathe and blink like a human being through these spiritual flows. In addition, if given orders through the central spiritual inspiration star array, the puppet could perform more complex activities, such as attacking, simple conversation, and even laughing and crying.

The Secret Sect must have set up a life-sustaining star array for him, which would continue to supply spiritual power day and night to extend his life. These spiritual flows activated his extraordinary meridians, stimulated his muscles, and allowed him to remain alive and perform activities that did not require consciousness, such as breathing, coughing, opening and closing his eyes. However, he couldn’t do actions that required conscious participation, such as speaking or walking.

In any case, he was a dying person, and any sign of his imminent death was not surprising. As long as the body occasionally opened its eyes and coughed, it could create the illusion that he was still alive and deceive the idiots in the Secret Sect.

When the truth was revealed, he breathed a sigh of relief. Great, he didn’t have to worry about calling Sang Chi Yu his mother anymore.

Su Ru Hui took out the crystal mirror he carried with him, placed it on his nose, and inserted the needle into his acupoints. The subtle spiritual power reached his central inspiration star array. Through the transparent lens, his eyes shone slightly, reflecting the scene inside the star array. He saw the complex star lines crisscrossing, like the changes of ancient stars, all in this small array. In the center of this vast array, he saw a twisted line as thin as a spider web. This was the path leading to his original body.

He spread out the puppet construction blueprint and used a vermilion pen to sketch the back neck of the puppet, which indicated where the spiritual stone was inserted. He touched his own neck and felt that the temperature here was obviously higher than other areas of his body, which was because the spiritual stone was inserted here.

“How long can the spiritual stone in my body last?” Su Ru Hui asked the system.

[Scanning… Scan complete. The spiritual stone in your body can last for at least one year. To be safe, you need to find a reliable person to replace the spiritual stone for you before the spiritual power of the stone is exhausted.]

“It’s still one year away. Let’s talk about it later.” Su Ru Hui felt relieved, but the spiritual stone was a bit difficult to handle. Spiritual stone distribution was controlled by the Secret Sect and couldn’t be bought like iron tools or firearms.

The system kindly reminded him: [After completing ‘How do I save you, my disabled husband?’, I will activate the daily item access function. This function is equivalent to an ‘unlimited gold coin’ or ‘unlimited props’ plug-in, and it is very easy to use.]

“What are you exactly?” Su Ru Hui was surprised that the system could even activate a plug-in.

The system fell silent for a moment and said: [Your permissions are not high enough, and there is not much information I can provide. However, you can understand my nature in this way:

The living environment in this world is extremely harsh, with narrow territories, dense populations, and a strict hierarchy. In order to increase the survival rate of the race, the creators opened a backdoor for some of the people, which is what you call spiritual power. Ordinary people who practice spiritual power formed an alliance called the “Kun Lun Secret Sect” and maximized the use of magical resources, reaching the strongest peak in human history. However, the survival rate of individuals is not directly proportional to the survival rate of the race, and the survival rate of non-spiritual power users is much lower than that of magic users. It can even be said that spiritual power users increase their own survival rate by plundering the survival resources of ordinary people.

When you were ten years old, you lost your spiritual power and went from being a plunderer to being plundered, greatly reducing your survival rate. Most people can only resign themselves to fate, but you are different. If this world is a game, then I am your modifier. While others follow the rules, you modify them. I will do my best to help you survive and increase your survival rate. But please note that I am your deepest secret, and do not reveal me to anyone.]

“Why?”

[Because cheaters will be hunted down by everyone in the server.]

The communication compass suddenly vibrated, and Su Ru Hui opened it to reveal Xia Jing’s symbol shining.

“Just received news that Sang Chi Yu has invaded Immortal Cave, and the Secret Sect has issued a Class A alert. Sang Chi Yu now belongs to the Black Street, and his purpose in invading Immortal Cave is unknown. Nephew, stay at home and don’t go out if there’s nothing to do. Hey, nephew, can you hear me? Reply!”

The puppet carriage carried Su Ru Hui and Su Yu back to their residence. Su Ru Hui stopped at the market to buy meat for cooking at home. He remembered that Su Yu had said he wanted to eat meat buns, so he specially bought a piece of beef. After choosing the meat and preparing to pay, he looked up and saw that the meat seller, who had a prominent belly, had become Han Ye.

Han Ye reached out to him. “What are you staring at? Pay up.”

Su Ru Hui handed him the coins and took the beef. Han Ye weighed the coins and asked, “Why did Dan Tai Jing summon you to Bei Chen Palace? What did you say?”

Su Ru Hui was secretly surprised. This guy was too well-informed. He must have his own spies in the Secret Sect, and his official rank was not low. It was easy to get caught lying, so Su Ru Hui decided to tell the truth and said with a smile, “Today, the Eagle Guards led us to visit the Ice Cellar, but it turned out to be Su Ru Hui’s Mechanical Arsenal. I have some knowledge of machinery and couldn’t resist playing with the beast puppets. Dan Tai Jing suspected that I was Su Ru Hui and summoned me to Bei Chen Palace for questioning.”

Han Ye smirked. His gaze swept over Su Ru Hui’s face, and he suddenly attacked. Su Ru Hui instinctively wanted to dodge, but then he remembered that A Qi was a small gangster on the black street and his skills were definitely not good. If he made a move now, he would reveal himself. So he gritted his teeth and let Han Ye drag him into the store. Han Ye pinched his neck, pressed him against the wall, and sneered. “You’re getting bold, daring to lie to me.”

“I didn’t lie!” Su Ru Hui protested.

He had told the truth, but he had omitted Su Gou and Shen Tu. Why did Han Ye think he was lying?

“I forgot to tell you earlier. Su Ru Hui is still alive and is in Immortal Cave. How could Dan Tai Jing mistake you for Su Ru Hui?” Han Ye patted his face. “You have three breaths to come up with a convincing lie.”

This was like a bolt of lightning for Su Ru Hui. Su Ru Hui was still alive? How was that possible? He had clearly died five years ago! If “Su Ru Hui” was still in Immortal Cave, then who was he?

“Your information is wrong,” Su Ru Hui said through gritted teeth, clutching Han Ye’s hand.

Han Ye coldly sneered and took out a Lie Detector Talisman, sticking it to Su Ru Hui’s forehead.

“Why did Dan Tai Jing summon you to Bei Chen Palace? What did you say?” he asked again.

Su Ru Hui gritted his teeth and answered, “I would give you the same answer even if you asked me ten thousand times. Dan Tai Jing suspected that I was Su Ru Hui!”

Under the effect of the Lie Detector, he couldn’t lie, or else he would vomit blood. The only symptom he had was that he was having a little difficulty breathing because of Han Ye’s grip on his neck. Han Ye also frowned and retracted his hand. “You didn’t lie?”

Su Ru Hui coughed incessantly, and did not want to bother with him.

Han Ye muttered to himself: “How is this possible? My information cannot be wrong. Su Ru Hui must be in Immortal Cave. You previously said that Jiang family suspected that there was a treasure in Immortal Cave, protected by a formation that only those who have spiritual power can pass through. That so-called treasure must be Su Ru Hui.”

Previously, Su Ru Hui was trapped in Immortal Cave, and Dan Tai Jing indeed surrounded the cave with a formation. However, the formation did not prevent him from escaping, but rather prevented those outside from coming in to rescue him and leave the Kunlun Secret Sect. Su Ru Hui’s imprisonment was not due to the formation, but due to Sang Chi Yu, who guarded the cave day and night for twelve hours without rest.

Han Ye was pondering, and Su Ru Hui was also very puzzled. Why did Han Ye receive news that he was still alive? Today, Dan Tai Jing’s attitude towards him was very strange. His uncle was a ruthless and uncompromising person. Years ago, Su Ru Hui killed two Secret Sect officials, and Dan Tai Jing was impartial and sentenced him to be executed publicly. He fled the Secret Sect, and Dan Tai Jing didn’t stop pursuing him for years.

Now, Dan Tai Jing was determined to obtain the Puppet Key, and firmly believed that Su Ru Hui held the Puppet Key. According to reason, he would never let Su Ru Hui go.

But he did let Su Ru Hui go.

Also, why did he insist that Su Ru Hui made the Super First-Grade Puppet?

Su Ru Hui’s heart was pounding like a drum. Suddenly, a terrifying guess surged in his mind. Seeing is believing. Did Dan Tai Jing see the Puppet?

He coughed and saw a copper mirror placed on the counter with his peripheral vision. It was an old object, with a dirty surface that reflected a mottled and eerie image. Su Ru Hui calmly reached into his waist pouch and took out a “Divine Eye” talisman.

On the other side, Sang Chi Yu stood behind the shop window. Su Ru Hui had been buying meat for too long, so he came to check it out. When he entered the street, he saw Han Ye bringing someone into the shop. He didn’t rush to save him but observed his surroundings. Many people’s gazes were focused on the butcher shop. They were members of the Black Street, disguised as pedestrians or vendors, or perhaps they were originally lurking in the vicinity as vendors.

Special power – Mind Reading.

The level was too low. He could only read one person at a time. No wonder Su Guo did not read his mind. He passed by these Black Street gangsters and heard them muttering in their minds, “What is the boss doing with that kid? Are they having sex in there?” He frowned and went around to the back window of the shop. The window frame opened a gap, and he saw Su Ru Hui’s silhouette, and Han Ye whispering something beside him.

He lowered his head, pulled out his crossbow, loaded a short arrow, and aimed at Han Ye.

He didn’t really care if Han Ye lived or dies. He just felt like this guy was getting in the way. Han Ye was always bothering Su Ru Hui, so maybe it was better to just kill him. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he suddenly realized a problem. If Han Ye died, would Su Ru Hui be sad?

After hesitating, he used his Mind Reading on Su Ru Hui. Strange thoughts flooded his mind, like a whisper:

“Why did Uncle let me go?”

“Did Uncle see the Super First-Grade Puppet? Why is he so sure that the Puppet Key exists in this world?”

“If Su Ru Hui is still alive, then who am I? Could it be… I am that Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet?”

In an instant, both of them were shocked by the sudden thought.

Su Ru Hui looked at the bronze mirror and cast a spell. The scene in front of him changed instantly, with the skin and flesh disappearing, revealing a skeleton. Han Ye became a standing skeleton frame, with a hot red heart beating regularly in his chest. The earth and brick walls became transparent, and he saw people coming and going on the street, all of them skeletons, with blue meridians interweaving like a net and blood flowing.

Looking back at the bronze mirror, he saw himself. He was also a lonely skeleton, with spider-like meridians, but in the center of his head, there was an extra golden star array core. He clearly saw his snowflake emblem, at the center of the star array, deep in his skull.

This was the biggest difference between puppets and humans. Whether it’s a Fourth Grade Wood Puppet, a Third Grade Iron Puppet, a Second Grade Leather Puppet, or a First Grade Flesh Puppet, they all need a core star array. Even a Super First-Grade Flesh Puppet couldn’t escape this rule.

A world-changing event only takes a moment. It was as if all the sounds had gone away, and the world was silent, so silent that Su Ru Hui could hear the sound of his own heart breaking.

He was not Su Ru Hui. He was a puppet made by Su Ru Hui’s own hands.

“What’s wrong with you?” Han Ye gently shook him. “Why are you in a daze?”

Su Ru Hui woke up from his daze as if he had just woken up from a dream. “What happened?”

“You didn’t answer when I called you.” Han Ye frowned and looked at him. “You were daydreaming.”

Wasn’t it a dream? Su Ru Hui thought sadly. Has something gone wrong with the spell? He suddenly remembered the secret revealed to him by the system. So, “not human” means this. His name did not belong to him, his memory did not belong to him, and maybe even his emotions did not belong to him.

Su Ru Hui grabbed his head and began to despair. He was Su Ru Hui’s creation. Su Ru Hui was his father and Sang Chi Yu was his wife. Should he call Sang Chi Yu mother?

“Boss,” Su Ru Hui asked with a dejected look, “do I look a lot like Su Ru Hui?”

“You look very much alike.” Han Ye looked him up and down, crossing his arms. “The first time I saw you, I thought he had come back.”

Su Ru Hui hung his head and asked again, “Do you think I’m better or worse than Su Ru Hui? Are there any differences between us?”

…Han Ye’s eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter. “Why are you suddenly asking this?”

Su Ru Hui sighed. “It’s nothing. I just feel like my life is particularly fake. I thought I was myself, but in the end, I am actually a fake, a substitute. You haven’t answered my question. How do I compare to Su Ru Hui?”

“You still want to compare yourself to him?” Han Ye sneered. “A hundred of you can’t compare to one Su Ru Hui.”

Su Ru Hui sighed again. “I understand.”

This guy looked like he had given up on himself, and for some reason, Han Ye suddenly felt uneasy in his heart. Ever since A Qi looked like he had taken the wrong medicine and was going to die. Han Ye thought back, and it seemed that everything stemmed from Su Ru Hui. A Qi had always been comparing himself to Su Ru Hui.

Han Ye had heard that substitutes were easy to get jealous because they knew they couldn’t compare to the person that their lover truly loved in their heart, so they always tried to prove that they were better and more deserving of love than that person.

Didn’t A Qi dislike him? Why did he care so much about Su Ru Hui?

Han Ye looked down at A Qi. This boy really did resemble Su Ru Hui. He was smart, knowing when to yield and be flexible, and having a slick tongue. But Han Ye also felt that they were different in some way. What was it? The person in front of him was dejected, like a withered trumpet flower. He seemed… even cuter than Su Ru Hui.

“Are you very upset?” Han Ye asked.

“Yes, I’m so upset that I feel like dying,” Su Ru Hui said, covering his face.

This kid really did fall in love with him, Han Ye thought. He had resisted him so much before because he didn’t want to be Su Ru Hui’s substitute. Han Ye couldn’t help but laugh. What a stubborn kid. He not only didn’t dislike him, but he even appreciated him a bit.

“Is there anything else?” Su Ru Hui stood up. “If there isn’t, I’ll leave first. I have to hurry back home for dinner. Life is fake, but we still have to eat.”

He stepped down the stone steps, facing a bustling crowd. Just as he was about to leave the butcher shop, Han Ye suddenly reached out and pulled him back. He didn’t stand firm and took two steps back, falling into Han Ye’s arms. A carriage rushed past in front of them.

“Pay attention to the road. Don’t be absent-minded,” Han Ye scolded.

“Oh…” Su Ru Hui waved his hand nonchalantly. “I’m leaving.”

“Wait!” Han Ye shouted.

Su Ru Hui turned around. He was a seventeen-year-old boy wearing a black robe with missing sleeves. Despite his youthful appearance, he was a striking young man with a tall and slender figure, standing out among the bustling crowd like a cedar tree. Amidst the blur of the crowd, he shone brightly.

Han Ye turned away because his radiance was too dazzling.

“You don’t have to compare yourself to Su Ru Hui. You’re not inferior to him,” Han Ye said.

Su Ru Hui smirked and turned to disappear into the crowd. His smile faded instantly as he vanished into the crowd.

The difference between him and Su Ru Hui was their memories.

Su Ru Hui knew the method of creating a Super First-Grade Puppet, but he didn’t. He didn’t receive all of Su Ru Hui’s memories, except for the Puppet Key. Perhaps Su Ru Hui was hiding something else.

If he was a puppet, he was neither A Qi nor Jiang Que Xie. Someone killed A Qi and used Su Ru Hui’s Super First-Grade Puppet to impersonate A Qi as Jiang Que Xie. Who was that person? What was special about Jiang Que Xie’s identity that he had to be placed in it?

Jiang Que Xie was Jiang Xue Ya’s younger brother, and A Qi had been lurking in the Jiang family for half a year when Jiang Xue Ya was not imprisoned. Jiang Xue Ya was one of Su Ru Hui’s few friends and the only one who could be contacted when Su Ru Hui was trapped in Immortal Cave.

The answer lay with Jiang Xue Ya, and he had to find Jiang Xue Ya.

He returned to the puppet carriage and bent down to enter the compartment. Sang Chi Yu sat upright on the side, his expression as calm and indifferent as ever. His jet-black eyes were like a quiet and deep antique mirror.

Su Ru Hui sat down in front of him, snapped his fingers, and the carriage creaked into motion.

Sang Chi Yu stared out the window, and the light and shadow changed on his face. The crowd outside the carriage receded rapidly like a surging tide of time.

Some people’s sadness was like a river pouring down, causing the world to collapse, while others were like a hidden current beneath a calm sea, suppressed and restrained. Sang Chi Yu was the latter. The sadder he was, the more silent he became. The world was shrouded in a layer of amber at dusk, and everyone seemed to be enveloped in it. He couldn’t help but remember when Su Ru Hui whispered in his ear in Immortal Cave, “Sang Chi Yu, if I die, will you cry for me?”

Would he? He actually didn’t know.

“I just received some news,” the man across from him suddenly spoke.

He turned his head silently and looked at the puppet Su Ru Hui.

“I have a friend whose father passed away, leaving behind a young, beautiful, and destitute lover,” Su Ru Hui said, hugging his arms and tilting his head. “Do you think my friend, who will take care of the lover for the rest of his life, will make his father’s spirit happy?”

Sang Chi Yu’s brow furrowed tightly.

Su Ru Hui smiled and said, “I think so.”

Sang Chi Yu clenched his fist tightly, his veins bulging. He said coldly, “Shameless scum.”

Su Ru Hui was stunned. “Why are you scolding me for something my friend is going to do?”

Sang Chi Yu ignored him and leaped out of the carriage. Like a black swallow diving into the wind, his figure disappeared in a flash. Su Ru Hui rushed to the curtain but didn’t even manage to grab his clothes.

“Su Yu!” Su Ru Hui panicked and shouted, “Sang Chi Yu!”

Author’s Note:

Yang Su: I thought it was a stand-in literature.

Su Ru Hui: I didn’t expect it to be a little mother literature.