“Fellow Daoist Han, stay your hand!”

The round-faced man’s eyes widened in horror. Seeing Han Yu ready to strike without a second thought—and sensing the terrifying density of Spiritual Qi gathering in those talismans, far exceeding normal Qi Refining standards—he hurriedly shouted to stop him.

“I am but a simple traveling merchant! I have no desire for bloodshed. Besides… this is merely a puppet body. What use is there in destroying it?”

“Would it not be better to discuss business instead?”

A puppet body?

Han Yu paused, his gaze sharpening as he scrutinized the man.

Without the warning, he might have missed it. But now, under close inspection, the subtle unnatural stiffness in the man’s joints and the glassy quality of his skin became apparent.

This merchant truly has deep pockets, Han Yu thought coldly. He lost one puppet in the Green Grain Market already, yet he’s willing to sacrifice another just to deliver a message?

Seeing the tension in Han Yu’s stance, Zhong Yue, Sun Kang, and Liu Lan jumped back, weapons drawn, eyeing the round-faced man and the two women with open hostility.

“Junior Brother Han,” Liu Lan whispered urgently. “Who is this? What does he want?”

“He is no friend,” Han Yu replied, not taking his eyes off the target. “He partnered with Pig Third to lure me into a death trap before. Now he claims to want to do business. Most likely, it is another scheme to claim my life.”

“We should report him to the Sect immediately—”

“Fellow Daoist Han, please, hear me out!”

The traveling merchant—wherever his true body was hiding—manipulated the puppet to display a fawning, apologetic smile.

“The previous incident was a misunderstanding! I truly did not know the history between you and Pig Third. He merely offered to travel and trade with me. Seeing a profit to be made, I agreed to help an acquaintance. That is all!”

“I never had any intention of harming you personally!”

Han Yu’s expression remained glacial. “You speak lightly of my life. Why should I believe a single word from a man who hides in the shadows?”

Seeing that Han Yu wasn’t going to be swayed by excuses, the puppet’s smile turned pragmatic. He spoke quickly.

“Since Fellow Daoist Han remains skeptical, I will skip the pleasantries. Friendship may be dead, but business is eternal. I simply wish to make a trade.”

The puppet leaned forward slightly. “Zhu San mentioned you possess a piece of Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart. I am highly interested in it.”

“If you are willing to part with it, name your price. Anything within my power is negotiable. The spirit fruit you sought last time? I have wares that look similar. Though if you seek rare herbs to enhance a Fire Spirit Root, I can procure the genuine article.”

“Do you still need it, Fellow Daoist? I can find a way to get it for you. All I ask is the Sunkwood Heart in exchange.”

Han Yu’s answer was flat and immediate. “Unnecessary. The Sect will be here to capture you momentarily. You likely won’t escape this time.”

“And even if you do, I will never do business with you.”

“Why cling so stubbornly to the past?” The round-faced puppet sighed, a sound of exaggerated regret. “Very well. Since your anger has yet to subside, allow me to offer a token of apology. If this puppet and these two servants are pleasing to your eye, please accept them as a gift.”

“We shall not trade today. But in two months, I will return to the Green Grain Market with new stock.”

“If Fellow Daoist Han has changed his mind by then, I welcome you to find me.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the light in the round-faced man’s eyes extinguished.

His body slumped slightly, all vitality vanishing in an instant. The merchant had severed the connection, abandoning the vessel to retreat into the shadows.

Last time, Wanchun Valley failed to catch him. It seemed likely he would slip through their fingers again.

Han Yu looked at the lifeless puppet, then at the two pale, trembling women. They had thought they found a kind master, only to realize they were pawns in a game between an Immortal Master and a wanted criminal.

The merchant had likely bought them solely because they knew Han Yu and had visited the Spirit Field Department, making them potential leverage.

“Junior Brother Han, what do we do?” Liu Lan asked in a hushed voice.

The merchant had offered the puppet and the women as a gift. The women were one thing, but a lifelike puppet was a rare and valuable Magical Artifact. If Han Yu was tempted to pocket it, Liu Lan wouldn’t blame him.

But Han Yu didn’t hesitate.

They were standing on the main street of the market. Eyes were everywhere. Trying to hide this from the Sect was not only impossible but foolish.

More importantly, the merchant was a cunning outsider. If Han Yu let greed blind him, who knew what curses or tracking spells might be embedded in that puppet?

He stowed his Foundation Establishment talismans.

“Senior Sister Zhong,” Han Yu said calmly. “You know the shopkeeper of the Hundred Herb Pavilion. You can reach the market Deacons quickly. Please go and report this.”

Zhong Yue nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She signaled her spirit dog, Little White, and hurried away.

Not long after, the Deacon on duty arrived with a squad of enforcement disciples.

Han Yu reported the events with clinical precision. Zhong Yue, Sun Kang, Liu Lan, and the two mortal women provided corroborating testimony.

The Deacon verified the details and instructed them to wait at the Steward’s office while he took the puppet and the women to the main peak for inspection.

An hour later, the Deacon returned.

He looked at Han Yu with a nod of approval. “Han Yu, the four of you may return to your duties. The Sect will handle the rest.”

The group bowed and turned to leave.

As they stepped out, Han Yu glanced at the two women. They were huddled together, tears streaming down their faces, shaking like livestock waiting for the butcher’s knife.

He paused.

“Dare I ask, Deacon… how will the Sect dispose of these two women?”

“To ensure they are not used against you again, the Sect will take them in as servants,” the Deacon replied indifferently. “They will not know the wealth of the mortal world, but they will be safe from bullying and live out their natural lives in peace.”

Han Yu exhaled, a weight lifting from his chest.

Hearing this, the two women collapsed to their knees, kowtowing violently. They wept openly, thanking the Immortal Masters of Wanchun Valley for their mercy. To be driven out again would have been a death sentence. To be killed to silence them would have been effortless. Servitude in the Sect was paradise by comparison.

Back at the Spirit Field Department, the group dispersed.

Han Yu didn’t rest. He went to the open practice grounds to test his new purchase.

He summoned his crow, Little Black, to coordinate attacks.

Zheng!

The new flying sword shrieked through the air, a blur of cold steel. Simultaneously, the giant crow flapped its wings, unleashing a volley of four Wind Blades. Han Yu completed a hand seal, firing his own spell into the mix.

Three attacks. Three angles. One moment.

Boom!

The stone target exploded. It didn’t just crack; it disintegrated into a cloud of fine dust.

Nearby, a dozen Outer and Laborer Disciples stopped their practice, jaws dropping as they watched the devastation.

The coordination was flawless. The power was overwhelming. Against that triple threat—Sword, Beast, and Spell—a standard mid-stage Qi Refining disciple wouldn’t stand a chance.

Is Senior Brother Han preparing for the competition, one disciple thought, swallowing hard, or is he planning to crush his opponent’s bones and scatter their ashes?

Han Yu recalled his sword, ignoring the awe of the crowd. He returned to his room and sat cross-legged to cultivate, his mind calm. Praise was cheap; strength was absolute.

Early the next morning, Han Yu opened his door to find Senior Sister Li waiting for him. Her expression was strange—a mix of amusement and respect.

“Junior Brother Han… did you make another contribution yesterday?”

Han Yu blinked. “Senior Sister Li, how did you know?”

“The Sect issued a quiet order,” she said, handing him a Storage Bag. “I am to deliver your reward personally. No outsiders are to know. You have been awarded five Minor Merits, one puppet, and a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills.”

She shook her head, baffled. “I don’t understand. What did you do? Five Minor Merits is a small contribution, yet the material rewards are incredibly generous.”

Han Yu invited her in and explained the encounter with the merchant.

Senior Sister Li laughed, realization dawning on her. “I see! The Sect is being righteous. They seized the puppet you turned in, checked it for traps, and gave it back to you. The pills are a hint—they want you to focus on raising your cultivation.”

“The Sect’s benevolence is noted,” Han Yu said, nodding. “I will not let them down.”

She handed over the items, offered a few words of encouragement, and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a booming voice rolled down from the sky, echoing across the entire valley like thunder.

“THE SPIRIT BEAST SECT SPECIAL ENVOY HAS ARRIVED TO VISIT WANCHUN VALLEY!”

“I SEEK AN AUDIENCE TO CLEAR UP MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND LET BYGONES BE BYGONES!”