119 - Dungeon Growth Log

Translated Content Every day, Xia Ge would return from begging with her arms full, while Ye Ze's hands remained empty. Half a month slipped by just like that. "Today is a good day," Xia Ge muttered around the blade of grass in her mouth. "Look at the festive decorations over there... why the long face, Xiao Ze?" Ye Ze couldn't be bothered to reply, focusing intently on gnawing his steamed bun. Ye Ze had always begged alone until Xia Ge showed up and inexplicably turned it into a duo act. He wasn't used to it, and so he never really showed Xia Ge much friendliness. Over in the distance, indeed, the place was brightly decorated and lively. Xia Ge, drawn to the excitement, tugged him, "Let's go and find out what's happening." Ye Ze shot her a glare, "You and your fussiness. Go yourself, I'm not going." Xia Ge sighed with regret. Such liveliness usually meant someone's daughter was probably getting married, which might mean wedding sweets up for grabs. Nearby, some passersby were in conversation. "Is someone's daughter getting married?" Xia Ge perked up her ears suddenly, leaving Ye Ze behind as she followed the conversations, feigning nonchalance. "Nah, it's not a wedding. It's the Chu family... You know the Chu family from Chang'an?" Upon hearing that, the eavesdropper gasped, "Chu family? Could it be a branch of the Chang'an Chu family?" Raising her head, Xia Ge saw it clearly. The place was adorned with red lanterns and fireworks, and a plaque above the entrance flamboyantly inscribed with "Chu Mansion." It was truly grand. Chang'an... the Chu family? "Yes, that one," someone nodded by, "The house's concubine daughter has been elevated to the legitimate first daughter. Such an event deserves celebration." "Huh? What does that mean?" A concubine daughter raised to legitimate? So there wasn't a wedding? No wedding sweets for grabs after all. Xia Ge lost all interest abruptly, listening half-heartedly as she scouted the surroundings for any opportunities to beg for food. "They say it's because the head wife's passed away, and hence they promoted a concubine to the head wife..." "Passed away? How?" "The official cause was illness. But who knows?" "What? But it's only been a few days since someone died... Setting up all this celebration seems a bit... inappropriate, doesn't it?" "This is to celebrate the new legitimate first daughter's coming of age. They've held the head wife's funeral for several days already," someone explained, getting into the mood for gossip, "It's rumored that the head wife went a bit mad. They say she died of illness, but I don't buy it. A friend working in Chang'an told me her death was gruesome... her eyes were gouged out, and she was covered in blood..." The listeners gasped sharply at this, "That's horrific!" "Just rumors, you know," said the speaker wistfully, "Nonetheless, it's true... Bring a daughter not favored by her father, and meet such a tragic end; truly a pitiful soul." Another listener shook their head and glanced at the celebratory scene, sighing, "The stage plays on. In these grand houses, nothing is ever what it seems." People only see the glittering surface worthy of envy, yet who knows how many unsung, withered bones lie beneath. "In the end, even a lean camel is bigger than a horse; the Chu family was once an imperial ruling power," chuckled one speaker, "Events like this aren't surprising." Hearing this, Xia Ge sighed too. Such is the fate of those who rely on their offspring for power. Truly, she had learned something new today. But it seemed none of it involved filling her stomach... No daughter's wedding, no wedding sweets; just plain celebration. How utterly dull. Oh, was that a pretty young woman over there... Maybe she could use some charm to score a treat. Leaving Ye Ze behind, Xia Ge dashed over. Well, as long as Ye Ze and his tall build could still manage to beg some buns, it was all fine. The System interjected: "Host, your mission..." "Hmm?" Xia Ge perked up. She then remembered she still had that task—to become a trusted companion to Ye Ze. Half a month had passed with little progress, she had almost forgotten it. "Tsk... The big guy is so stubborn." Xia Ge munched on the pastry she got from the young lady, clicking her tongue in frustration. "To gain his wholehearted trust? That's too hard, too hard, can't do it." The System: "..." Trying to tempt her, the System added: "The reward is really powerful lightness kungfu! You could go anywhere and jump as high as you want!" Inside, Xia Ge was a little persuaded, although she wasn't fond of the System's coaxing tone, yet indeed, there was no harm in learning more skills. But thinking of Ye Ze's temperament, Xia Ge pragmatically shook her head, "Can't do it." Relying on a kid whose family was exterminated to trust a stranger wholeheartedly? Ye Ze might be naive, but he wasn't stupid. "Can't you lower the requirements a bit?" Xia Ge pondered, "How about this? As long as he says he trusts me, you'll give me the reward?" System: "No..." How shameless can you be? Xia Ge concluded decisively, "Or I won't do it." A lightness skill or whatever—so what if she didn't learn it? The System sensed Xia Ge's indifference—it was genuine indifference. Whether she clings to her lifeline or learns the lightness skill, it was of no consequence; as long as her stomach is full and she's happy, she could make do with whatever. When she says she won't do it, she truly—won't. The reckless have nothing to lose. After careful consideration, the System reluctantly agreed to her terms, unwilling for her to have it too easy, it added: "But when he says it, he must truly mean it!" "Whatever." Xia Ge shrugged. She wasn't planning on doing it anyway. Xia Ge finished her pastry and dusted her hands, brightening as she spotted, "Hey, young lady over there, your hairpin is truly beautiful—" System: "..." Go back and find your meal ticket already!! Meanwhile, Ye Ze, having finished his bun, looked up to find Xia Ge gone. Ye Ze: "..." That unreliable rascal! Frustrated, he dusted his hands and stood, glancing from afar at the festive Chu Mansion, huffing under his breath, "Provincial bumpkin." Despite his words, he couldn't help but look a few more times. Once upon a time, the Ye family also... But as he gathered his thoughts to leave, a piercing scream suddenly shattered the air! "Ah—puppet! It's a puppet!!" Ye Ze froze. The next instant, someone—or rather, something—bolted from the alley on his right— No, not a person. Just something that looked very human. In green clothing hinting it might be a woman, its face twisted with the painful spread of dark magic, which soon gathered and enveloped it, painting its clothing pitch black with that magical aura. The metallic face surfaced under the growing shadows, forging into a grotesque bronze mask. It dashed rapidly from one alley to another. In the fleeting moment it passed Ye Ze— The tears beneath its bronze mask caught Ye Ze's eye. The tears slid down the face obscured by magical shadows, dropping onto Ye Ze's own face just before the bronze mask solidified. Cold. "Watch out—that thing took a child!!" "Oh heavens!!" The world whirled and spun, and Ye Ze belatedly registered that he had been seized! But now, he had no time to spare. The demonized puppet quickly outdistanced all its pursuers. Ye Ze opened his eyes, staring at the monstrous bronze mask and the cloak of swirling malevolence overhead. The events of that night played out again, like a nightmarish replay. …Those were also… demonized puppets. They destroyed his home. Took everything from him. —Why must this world have puppets like these? Why do puppet masters create them… and then let them so recklessly destroy others’ lives?!! Why?!! Why must people suffer so much!!! Ye Ze's eyes widened, his instincts pushing him to reach for the demonic puppet’s throat— He wanted to kill these puppets! To avenge the unjust deaths of his family of over two hundred!!! Why should they be able to take everything from him— But the next second, his hand was slapped away, and the puppet’s grip tightened around his neck, cutting off his air. The puppet's eyes were originally clear, slowly tinging red with malice. Becoming fully demonized, some puppets had eyes that turned blood red. Losing any last shred of sanity. —Was this the end? To die… like this. Having accomplished nothing… he would die. So unwilling— So, so unwilling! While Ye Ze was on the brink of being strangled, Xia Ge was full and content, squatting in a corner counting the coppers she had begged over the past half month, wondering if it was enough to get her a new pair of shoes, unaware a gust of wind swept by, rustling the cowlick she hadn't smoothed down, as a shadow flashed past her. Xia Ge was almost dazzled by it: "That fellow's got some speed…" However, the alley it dashed into seemed like a dead end, and hang on, didn't the person it carried look awfully familiar… huh?! In the next instant, the System's sharp alert sounded!! [Attention!! Emergency mission!!! Save the Child of Destiny!!! Rescue him before he dies!!] The sharp tone of the System's voice made Xia Ge's head spin. Flashes of the desperately suffocating Ye Ze, held in the grip of the black-cloaked figure, surged through her mind. She sprang into action, charging toward the dead-end alley: "Is there a reward?!" "No!" the System replied. Xia Ge fell into silence. The System added, "This is an unforeseen event and beyond my control; however, I can bend the previous task reward a bit... Should you succeed in making him trust you with one sincere belief, there's a reward!" ... What a mess. [Skill Reward: Surestrike!] Although Xia Ge's question was merely rhetorical, she had already reached the alley entrance, skidding to a halt! "Stop right there!" Her voice was loud, carrying a commanding force! The demonic puppet's grip around Ye Ze's neck trembled slightly at the sound, its red gaze flickering and turning to glance, somewhat bewildered, at Xia Ge. The System ran a quick check and confirmed, "It's a freshly demonized puppet!" Catching sight of the ghastly bronze mask of the puppet gave Xia Ge instant cold feet. Confronted with that towering, eerie puppet—more formidable than she could have imagined—she regretted her thoughtless rush to play the hero. What did they mean by 'freshly demonized'? This thing was terrifying!! Despite acting like she had a plan, why had she dashed out without thinking?! The System chirped, "Good shout! You momentarily startled it!” However, from the puppet’s deadly grip, Ye Ze’s vision blurred, his throat constricted as dizziness from oxygen deprivation almost rendered him blind. Who was shouting just now? Was there someone here to save him? He didn’t want to die... He couldn’t die... He still had vengeance to exact! How could he die here like this?! Somehow... Xia Ge took a cautious step back. "I think... um, calling for help might be a rational move, haha..." She was all skinny arms and legs, a little stronger than average, sure, but this monstrosity looked like it was leagues beyond her strength! It was like a level 0 taking on a level 101! The System howled, "By the time help gets here, the cold vegetables will have long gone bad!! They’ll be stone-cold!!” "Don’t chicken out, go for it! You can do it!" Xia Ge retorted, "All you do is yell, if you can do it, then go!" The System replied, "I can't do it, that's why you have to!" Xia Ge pondered that statement... But there wasn’t time to run now. The moment the puppet laid its eyes on Xia Ge anew, its red gaze reignited! The System cheered, "Great, it’s focused on you now!!" Excitedly, it declared, "This means it won't remember to crush the one in its grasp! Ye Ze can be saved!" Xia Ge was nearly choked on the spot by that statement from the System. Damn it! Wasn't she a person too?! She’d gotten its attention! She was headed for doom, you know!! Doom!! Just as the System had said, being fixated on Xia Ge, the puppeteer's puppet disregarded Ye Ze’s life. Yet it held on, inching steadily towards Xia Ge. Xia Ge’s skin prickled with chills, taking in the sight of the barely conscious Ye Ze and the puppet's approach, her entire being paralyzed. Coughing, Ye Ze struggled to open his bleary eyes to see a dark alley with faint light at the entrance. —Was there really someone to save him? A somewhat young figure stood at the alley's edge, outlined by the backlit sunbeam, gazing at him. It was that idiot named Xia Wu Yin...? Looking up, amidst the haze, Ye Ze realized that the demonic puppet was focused on Xia Wu Yin now, its eyes blood-shot and menacing. Since it was staring at him... It released his throat. For a moment, his thoughts were a chaotic jumble, and a dark notion dashed across his mind. He must grab hold of his last lifeline... Ye Ze. Carrying so many burdens, he must survive by any means necessary. This puppet had already fixed on that idiot named Xia Wu Yin. As soon as it got her, he could take the opportunity to escape... —Other people's lives meant nothing to him! He just needed to survive! —He was unlike that smiling idiot, oblivious to everything! He bore the weight of the Ye family’s two hundred wrongful deaths! He had to survive, only by living could he seek revenge! —Xia Wu Yin was just a little beggar, if she dies, she dies! What does it mean to him?! Isn't that right? "... Leave." Ye Ze heard his own voice. Attempting desperately to convince herself to turn and flee but paralyzed by fear, Xia Ge became even more rigid at the words, for she hadn't yet turned to run, so she met Ye Ze's eyes directly. In the darkened alley. Those eyes brimmed with tears. Despite being filled with unwillingness, rage, despair—indeed, like a prisoner at the end of his road. Weeping tears of despair, yet a slight glow remained in the depths of his gaze. Unyielding, yet noble. Enveloped in shadows, he seemed for a moment to wear a proud indomitable spirit! Real men don't cry easily. “Get out! I told you to get out!! Xia Wu Yin!!" "Can't you hear me?!" The initially weak voice crescendoed into a desperate roar! The demonic puppet that had been locked on Xia Ge was startled by the loud voice and shifted its attention back to him. An instant later, Ye Ze's throat was seized again! The yelling ceased abruptly. ... Breathing became impossible again. Everything before his eyes gradually blurred, images of that Xia Wu Yin figure stumbling away floated dimly in his vision. Gone. He went away. —Why, even though he desired desperately to live... —Why... still... In the haze of memory. “A Ze.” A stern middle-aged man, rarely with a tender smile at his mouth, "... you must become the pride of the Ye family." —You must become the pride of the Ye family. So it was. Those words. Those words etched deep into his heart. He had no home anymore. He owned nothing anymore. He couldn't lose the Ye family’s pride again! He couldn't live stepping on others’ lives like a despicable scoundrel... He mustn't shame the Ye family’s last remnant of honor and courage! Nearby, a simply dressed woman happened to enter the study, upon hearing the man's words, softly stroked her belly with a gentle smile, “A Ze has to be a good example for your unborn sibling—maybe a brother, or perhaps a sister…” The middle-aged man hurriedly corrected, "Madam, why have you come here... It's too early, take it slow, take it slow..." "..." The memories unfolded like dreams, the past as transient as dust. … Was this it, really…the end. I’m sorry…father, A Ze was useless. I’m sorry…mother… At that moment, the grip on Ye Ze's throat suddenly loosened with a "bang!" The rush of fresh air sent Ye Ze into a wild fit of coughing, almost choking him! —Why had it let go? Raising his head, he saw that the puppet's mask and left side of its head were dented from a rock about the size of a fist, the rock on the ground wobbling to prove its presence. A short distance away, the backlit youth was gasping for breath, holding another rock of similar size, glaring at him intensely, "Say... you trust me." Wasn't he supposed to run?! Why was he still here?! What good was trust?! Run, damn it! Ye Ze's eyes widened, "... Run! I told you to run, can’t you hear me—" The demonic puppet, infuriated, dragged Ye Ze and charged at Xia Ge! Xia Ge was terrified, so terrified her legs were shaking. In over twenty years of her last life and three in this one, she’d never felt such fear. The fear of meeting death head-on. However... no regrets. She saw for the first time, a person like him. Even amidst such pain, unwillingness, despair. He possessed such unflinching integrity and glowed with pride. Perhaps she’d lost her senses. But she believed she could save him. Not because of the System, not because of the mission, just because this person was worth saving. "Say you trust me!!!" Xia Ge clutched the rock, fixing her gaze on Ye Ze's eyes, screaming, "Ye Ze! Trust me!!!" "Hurry! Say you trust me... trust me!" Trust me that I can save you! The demonic puppet closed in, its fist swinging straight for Xia Ge's head! Xia Ge was scared, so scared that tears threatened to spill. But she’d promised not to cry. The punch zoomed close— Ye Ze’s voice rose to a near roar— “I believe you!!! Now get lost!” At least... let him die a hero just once! [ Ding! Task completed! Congratulations to Host for becoming Ye Ze's trusted companion! ] [ —— Skill reward granted, Phantom Silhouette! ] In the next moment, the space in front of the demonic puppet was suddenly empty, the boy with the rock gone, leaving the puppet’s powerful fist to strike only air, smashing into the wall with a "boom," leaving a massive hole in the stone wall! The devastation if that had hit a human skull could be easily imagined! Ye Ze's mind blanked out. Where'd he go...? Weightless. He felt like he might just float away. Sensing something was amiss, the demonic puppet whipped around, only to be met with a rock colliding with its head, throwing it off balance and momentarily disoriented. In that brief lapse, someone pulled Ye Ze free from its grasp! With a newfound lightness skill, Xia Ge deftly pulled Ye Ze from the puppet's grasp and dashed away, albeit a bit unsteadily, having just acquired the technique. The puppet, though temporarily disoriented by the blow to its lopsided mask, was no easy mark, and in a swift motion, its hand snagged the fabric of Xia Ge’s shoulder. Ye Ze remained dazed, suspended in the disbelief of his miraculous rescue. Caught and unable to move, Xia Ge, instead of succumbing to panic, clenched her teeth and dealt Ye Ze a sharp slap, jarring him back to his senses. She gripped his shoulder with determination, anchoring herself from being pulled away. Livid with determination, she demanded, "Say you trust me to save you!" —Believe in me! Completely, wholeheartedly, believe in me!! The young boy's fiery eyes met with Ye Ze’s, the latter's world swimming back into focus with the slap. Xia Ge stood there, seemingly aglow, her focus unwavering as her grip steadied him. Those eyes, fierce and blazing, seemed capable of achieving anything. Caught in a trance, Ye Ze muttered softly— "I believe you." Wholeheartedly. I believe you can do it! With his eyes wide, Ye Ze reaffirmed, each word filled with certainty— "I believe you!" —Does this count as having saved him?! Does this qualify as “wholehearted belief”?! [Ding! Task complete! Congratulations, Host, you have acquired the skill—Surestrike!] [Skill Explanation: As long as your heart has a target, with an initial force, it will hit your intended mark like Cupid's unerring arrow! Go for it!] Cupid's arrow, indeed! Right now, staying alive was all that mattered! The next moment, Xia Ge pivoted on her heel, sending a rock lying on the ground hurtling through the air— Rain God above! [Surestrike!] As magic would have it, the puppet’s grip tore a shred from Xia Ge’s shoulder, but before its force could reach Ye Ze's face, the rock executed a sudden 180-degree turn in mid-air, striking the puppet squarely on its lopsided mask, forcing it to break its hold. Not waiting any more time on escaping undamaged, Xia Ge hauled the still-stunned Ye Ze, urging, "Stop gaping like an idiot and run!" The two tore through the alley, a tempestuous escape. Xia Ge, using the newly acquired Phantom Silhouette, moved with inhuman speed. Ye Ze, still reeling from strangulation and the events, stumbled after her. As they fled, a fleeting vision caught Ye Ze’s eye—a pink butterfly perched on Xia Ge’s exposed shoulder, revealed by the puppet’s earlier grip. Rendered silent, Ye Ze allowed Xia Ge to guide him away. In their frantic run, they made it out of town. Both felt as if they'd barely escaped death. Drawing breath at last, Xia Ge caught her wind and then turned on Ye Ze, ripping from him with her clawed words, "Listen here, you little punk... From now on, you stay put and don't you dare mess around..." Ye Ze mumbled three words: "..." Xia Ge wasn't sure she'd heard him right, "What did you say?" Ye Ze muttered: "... Sissy." The sissy with a butterfly on their shoulder. Xia Ge: "..." Damn it. = = Xia Ge thought the old beggar to be a wise person. For example, he always managed to swat away mosquitoes accurately. Steady, accurate, and ruthless. Unlike Xia Ge, because mosquitoes never seemed to bother her. Alright, that was a cold joke. She had completed her first System task—though in a literal life-and-death manner—but it was worth it, right? This meant she was Ye Ze's companion now. Oh dear, how cringeworthy to be considered the gold standard male lead's buddy. And she gained skills, both Phantom Silhouette and Surestrike. Useful agility skills... yeah. Even though sometimes it led her to trip, at least nothing calamitous occurred during learning. The night grew deeper. After calling her a sissy, Ye Ze wasn't done, apparently withdrawing into himself once they returned, as if avoiding her presence was a lifeline. Outside, Xia Ge habitually closed her eyes, but soon opened them again. Sleep eluded her, bringing back memories of the masked, black-cloaked puppet from the day. The System had informed her that it was a demonized puppet. Not a creature to be trifled with. In the book, Xia Ge vaguely remembered demonized puppets being mere cannon fodder. Yet still part of the antagonist's cohort. And herself, a "three-no" individual with no connections to the villainous realm—oh wait, a model teenager! The System explained the formation of the demonized puppet. "Oh... so they were initially decent puppets, even human-like... But after ten years, they would demonize and cause harm?" Xia Ge clicked her tongue, "And today, that puppet just so happened to demonize upon encountering Ye Ze?” The System: "That’s correct." Xia Ge: "It’s no surprise, given a protagonist's knack for accidents..." Stifling. The night breeze carried a chill. The System: "It's not nice to harp on this, but remember, you're destined to become a puppet master in the near... no, very near future." Xia Ge: "Oh..." System: "..." The System continued, "All those evil things are the puppet master's handiwork." Xia Ge: "Oh." System: "But rest assured, I’m a puppet system, and I will make you the most powerful puppet master, fearless of anyone!" With sudden seriousness, Xia Ge asked, "By becoming the most powerful puppet master, could I go home?" System: "..." “Could I?” System: "Possibly... I don't really know." Xia Ge: "How can you not know?" System: "An accident occurred..." System: "However, if you become the greatest puppet master, perhaps you could shatter the void and go anywhere you want." If. Perhaps. Damn the uncertainty. Xia Ge lifted her gaze, staring at the sprawling stars. Naturally, she was a lazy individual. If she didn't want to do something, she'd never start. Yet if she started, she'd go all the way. There’d be no stopping. She disliked half-measures. So puppet master… that was something to mull over another day. As she thought, Xia Ge caught sight of a figure beneath the trees. Someone fanning themselves with a woven fan stood there, familiar in form. Shortly, the old beggar waved her over. Why was he awake so late? Didn't older folks all believe in getting their sleep? Considering it for a moment, Xia Ge went over. The old beggar, seated beneath the willow tree, slitted eyes peering up at her, fanned himself beneath the moonlight, seemingly bored, "Hey kid, what's your name?" Xia Ge tilted her head, "Xia Wu—" The old beggar waved his fan, wrinkling into a smile, "Your real name." Xia Ge lied easily, "It's Xia Wu Yin." The old beggar sighed, "What do you have to hide from an old man with one foot in the grave? Whether someone lies or not, I can see it at a glance." Xia Ge: "..." Why was she chatting with an old man instead of getting sleep? "Everyone has their own burdens to bear. You not telling me doesn't matter." The old beggar fanned himself, pausing slightly, "The old man just worries if you hold it in too long, you might forget your true name." ... Not your business. Xia Ge pondered. Fanning himself, his eyes clouded and reflecting dim moonlight, the old man spoke, "I've seen many kids like you." "Thinking themselves clever, only to be outsmarted, caught in their own trap, crying for help.” Xia Ge: "... No chance." His analogy was stiflingly vivid. "Whether or not it happens, is not up to you." It was as if the old beggar's commentary was less about Xia Ge and more about reflecting on the past, eyes glazing through the drooping willow branches, "It all depends on fate." After a pause. The chorus of cicadas echoed with frogs, filling the night air. And Xia Ge heard her own quiet voice. "My name is Xia Ge." She looked up at the old man, as if it proved something, "Xia of summer, Ge of song." Whether she'd end up crying could wait. Her name, she would never forget. = = The following day. Though Ye Ze seemed to have had a fit of pique yesterday, Xia Ge was surprised to find him standing by her when she awoke. "..." Having spent the night roughly by the willow, she stretched, started, and noticed Ye Ze's shadow over her, startling briefly. "Let's go." Ye Ze seemed somewhat awkward, "I heard they caught the puppet’s owner yesterday." The puppet’s owner... the puppet master perhaps? Xia Ge blinked, "Oh, really?" She grinned, "Let's go check it out." The duo set out. Uncharacteristic hustle filled the small town that day. They were greeted by a rare spectacle. A woman in gray and white prisoner’s garb was enclosed within a wooden cage, bound heavily with shackles. Xia Ge, lacking height, couldn't see over the crowd, so Ye Ze pulled her to the front. Surrounding onlookers were filled with righteous indignation. "How could they create something so dreadful!!" "My goodness... it's unnatural." "Puppet mastery’s been banned for decades..." "Puppeteer, yet such a wretched soul..." As they walked alongside the prison carriage, Xia Ge heard many rumors among the crowd. For instance, how the demonized puppet from yesterday was the dead wife of a puppet master named A Lan. Her name was Cui Zhu. Cui Zhu had been a delicate lady from a noble family. During the Qixi Festival, she'd met A Lan, a puppet master who had drifted into town. She fell in love at first sight. She declared she would marry no one but him. It was a romantic yet sorrowful tale. For Cui Zhu's sake, A Lan gave up being a puppet master. He took up a job and lived off the savings from once extending the lives of others with his puppetry. Their days were fairly content. Yet marrying out of love brought Cui Zhu spite and gossip. She faced opposition from her family, which her frail health couldn't withstand. Weighed down by these burdens, she succumbed to illness, holding A Lan's hand as she breathed her last. As a puppet master, A Lan had prolonged the lifespans of many—a rogue, a deserter, those wealthy who exploited others, and the viciously greedy. They were the worst. Yet he could grant them ten more years under the sun. Why couldn't his beloved Cui Zhu have the same? A Lan loved Cui Zhu. So he revived his puppetry for her, granting her an additional ten years. Yesterday marked the end of that decade. Xia Ge lifted her gaze to the woman in the cage, her face devoid of expression. She was haggard, her hair dusted with grey, but upon closer inspection, one could see traces of her former beauty. "Whap!" An egg, rotten and foul, splattered against the woman's face. "How could you create such an abomination?!" A parent shouted angrily, clutching a child in their arms, tears streaming down their face, "My son died—do you even know?! My son! Strangled by that monstrous thing!!" Turning her head, Xia Ge noticed the child in the parent's arms for the first time. The child was indeed lifeless. A three or four-year-old, neck bruised, eyes closed in eternal sleep. Chills coursed through Xia Ge. The previous day, she'd grabbed Ye Ze and fled. Leaving behind the rampaging demonized puppet. So... it had killed again? "She deserves death." Beside her, Ye Ze suddenly spoke. "...What?" Xia Ge blinked, surprised. Clasping tightly to Xia Ge's wrist, to avoid getting separated in the throng, the nine-year-old boy radiated conviction, pointing to the woman in the cage, reaffirming, "She deserves death." "Why?" Xia Ge smiled faintly, questioning. Ye Ze's gaze bore into the shackled woman, "Because she is a puppet master." "And thus, she deserves death." Each word, steadfast and unwavering. For reasons Xia Ge couldn't fathom, a chill seeped into her heart, matching the cold that had enveloped her. The words of the System from yesterday echoed in her mind. —You will become the greatest puppet master. "Ah... is that so." Xia Ge chuckled awkwardly, "Perhaps… yes, I mean, I was thinking the same." Pausing briefly, she added, "But this woman, she's pitiable herself." Ye Ze gestured toward the child not far off, questioning Xia Ge with intensity, "Is that child not pitiable?" Xia Ge felt as though her throat was filled with cotton, making it hard to speak. This scene mirrored what had happened half a month ago when she reprimanded A Long, reclaimed her steamed bun, and questioned Ye Ze about the one who'd had their bun stolen—whether they weren't also pitiful. Only this time, the roles were reversed. Xia Ge realized this belatedly. Who is a saint, after all? Roles may change. But everyone's quite the same, aren't they? Human nature tends to favor circumstances beneficial to oneself. Because Xia Ge might become a puppet master, she sympathized with the other party, perceiving them as pitiful. Yet the child who perished due to the puppet master's actions was just as pitiful. And Ye Ze at the time was the same, seeing A Long's pitiable state up close, knowing A Long truly suffered. While Xia Ge was a stranger to Ye Ze at the time. So Ye Ze instinctively sided with A Long. Even if A Long was in the wrong. The human heart is skewed, always biased toward itself. Who is any nobler than another? What right did she have to self-righteously scold others? The woman was dragged toward the pyre. The person opening the cage pulled her out roughly and tied her to the pyre, arranging wood around her. Throughout, A Lan, the woman, showed no emotion. Xia Ge widened her eyes, "Is she to be burned?" Ye Ze: "Of course, she should be punished harshly for her wrongs, shouldn't she?" Xia Ge wanted to protest, but the commotion drew her eyes; elders and some younger people stood aside, men and women, some holding children. They were pelted with eggs and leaves, people shouting their curses and expressing their hatred. Xia Ge suddenly didn't want to speak with Ye Ze anymore. Pulling the sleeve of someone nearby, she put on her pitiful expression, "Who are those people ...?" “Where did this child come from...?” The person stopped, then seeing Xia Ge's ragged appearance, frowned with disdain, "A little beggar, huh." “Could you tell me?” Xia Ge smiled sweetly. Her wide, watery eyes seemed to speak. The person hesitated, their voice softening, "You know about that wicked woman, don't you?" Xia Ge nodded obediently, "Yes, I do. Heard a lot about her evil puppetry along the way." “Do you know about her wife?” The person scoffed, "That trash that couldn't even live honorably." Referring to the woman called Cui Zhu, no doubt. The person gestured toward the group, "That’s the family of that piece of trash." Xia Ge looked again at the silent group enduring the crowd's wrath, a smile faltering on her face. …Just having a connection to a puppet master brought so much disdain. "...But they aren't directly involved, right?" Xia Ge feigned innocence, "They didn't kill anyone, so why this?" How could it not be related? Of course, it was related; very much so. Yet Xia Ge felt compelled to ask. "Because they're related by marriage to the puppet master!" The person said matter-of-factly. "They must have known she was a puppet master?! Being family to a puppet master... how lucky, indeed. Maybe they'll beg for a few more years of life before dying—who knows how many more will die at their hands after ten years!" With a mocking tone, "Even if that doesn't happen, allowing your daughter to marry a puppet master, what nerve!" "Such trash, why aren't they dead yet?" Xia Ge's grip on the person's garment unknowingly loosened. Her gaze fell on the group. Some held children. A brat picked up a stone and hurled it, "Big meanies related to a puppet master!" The mother cradled her child instinctively, lowering her head to protect the little one, but the stone struck her head instead. Blood trickled down. "Stop!" Xia Ge blurted, "Someone’s hurt—" Laughter erupted, "Good throw!" "…" The subsequent cheers were deafening. Like a devil’s merriment. An elderly man finally broke down, "I have no connection to her!! Nor to that puppet master!! I don’t have that daughter!! My daughter has been dead for years!! She never married a puppet master, she never—" "…" Xia Ge stood there, cold as ice. —You will soon become a puppet master. Ye Ze said, “Hey… over there…” Xia Ge turned her gaze back to the pyre. There, the puppet, which Xia Ge had bludgeoned with stones yesterday, had been dismantled and hurled at the woman on the pyre. Legs, arms, a mask, a cloak. The usually expressionless woman’s face froze for a second at the sight of the puppet's remains, then became streaked with tears. Amidst the deafening jeers. Xia Ge heard her agonized whisper. “Cui Zhu…” “I’m sorry—I’m sorry—” Over and over, filled with pain and hopelessness. Someone lit the pyre. Flames leaped, roaring into the air! The atmosphere began to distort from the heat. Ye Ze stared at the blaze, reminded inexplicably of the icy tear the puppet had shed upon his cheek the day before. It left him unfocused. …Can puppets also cry? He heard a low murmur beside him, "Let's go..." Ye Ze looked down. The usually cheerful face beside him was now wet-eyed, reflecting the dancing flames. "Ye Ze." The boy’s voice was soft. "I'm a bit... scared." Ye Ze paused, caught off guard. “I don’t want…” I don’t want to become a puppet master. Because, truly. That would be so lonely. Ye Ze remained silent for a moment. Then he huffed softly, whispering. "Let's go back... What a sissy you are." It's just a pyre, why cry over it? Author's Note: Digging holes in progress. Thank you to all the little angels for the landmines and the shallow water bombs from Xuexi!! I will work hard to flesh out this part of Ye Ze's past... _(:3」∠)_ I actually miss Shijie too. Let's see if I can add a little childhood Easter egg about her.