Chapter 136
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Chapter 136: The Future and Calamity
Mu Lin didn’t want to disrespect the art of puppetry and anger countless Puppet Masters, especially since he still needed favors from Master Meng Rui and wished to avoid that reputation.
But when it came to Master Meng Rui’s students—those he had no use for and even clashed with—Mu Lin saw no harm in offending them.
Seeing how troublesome explanations would be, Mu Lin chose to act swiftly and cut ties outright.
“You…”
The approach worked.
His blunt mockery left Qiao Huihui red-faced with rage once she processed his words.
Mu Lin’s remarks didn’t just anger Qiao Huihui—they stirred the fury of all Master Meng Rui’s students. Even Luo Shan now glared at him coldly.
“Arrogant fool!”
“Who do you think you are?!”
Their hostility quickly made Mu Lin the target of collective scorn, leaving him isolated.
Yet this didn’t shake Mu Lin’s mindset. If anything, he welcomed the solitude.
*Good. No more distractions. Win, claim the reward, leave…*
Many glared at Mu Lin, but Qin Yuan—Master Meng Rui’s sole inner disciple—remained calm.
He stood in a corner, chatting quietly with others.
Had Mu Lin possessed clairvoyant sight, he’d have seen their casual talk was mere pretense, their true discussion veiled by clever illusions.
“Was Mu Lin’s provocation part of your predictions?”
At Qin Yuan’s question, a fox-like man named Zuo Li sighed.
“Qin Yuan, we saviors aren’t gods. Our leader foresaw the Great Spirit Dynasty’s fall and the coming calamities, but only key events. Trivial matters and minor players aren’t part of the prophecies.”
Qin Yuan fell silent. After a long pause, he muttered bitterly, “And I’m considered *key*?”
Zuo Li chuckled. “Don’t undersell yourself. Our leader saw you inheriting Master Meng Rui’s legacy, becoming a puppet master who’ll fiercely resist evil spirits. You’ll be vital against the Night Demon…”
The words “Night Demon” ignited Qin Yuan. His eyes flushed red instantly.
“I’ll slaughter every last one of those monsters!”
He fixed bloodshot eyes on Zuo Li. “If you can foresee things, tell me—where’s the Night Demon?!”
Zuo Li waved dismissively. “Patience. At your current Spirit Pool level, you’d die instantly. Do you want your Qin clan’s lineage to end?”
Qin Yuan’s rage cooled.
Zuo Li pressed on: “We can’t face the Night Demon yet, but we can strike its followers. In three months, Anping City in Wuzhou will suffer a calamity involving its minions. That’s when we’ll need you.”
“I’ll fight with everything I have… but am I even qualified at Spirit Pool stage?”
Zuo Li: “Yes, the calamity arriving in three to four months is called the strange realm. It’s a bubble formed when worlds collide—a sealed space. Like a crack, high-level Qi Practitioners can’t enter. Only those at Spirit Pool and Spirit Sea Realm can. When it comes, we’ll need your help, Brother Qin. Your Flowers and Butterflies must work hard.”
“Flowers and Butterflies aren’t mine. They belong to Master Meng Rui.”
“But Master Meng Rui thinks highly of you. This test was specially arranged for you.”
…
Mu Lin didn’t hear their talk. He stood quietly, waiting for the competition to start.
He didn’t wait long. Soon, Master Meng Rui stepped out of the room.
She smiled at the crowd. “Thank you for making time to watch my disciple’s test…”
Facing the noble families, she spoke sweetly, her charming smile making the elites feel honored.
Master Meng Rui then chatted smoothly with the nobles.
Mu Lin stayed silent.
Qin Yuan frowned. “You say she values me. Does that mean I’ll waste time socializing later?”
Zuo Li snorted.
“You’re wrong. Master Meng Rui values her own time more than yours. She won’t entertain these people.”
“What?!”
Qin Yuan pointed at Master Meng Rui, who was laughing with a group. “Then what’s this?”
“Puppets. Everything you see is her puppet. Our leader says even if the Great Spirit Dynasty falls and Wuzhou is destroyed, her real self has never shown up.”
“Really…”
…
Mu Lin ignored the socializing. He stood in a corner, eyes closed.
After a short while, Master Meng Rui finished greeting everyone. Mu Lin learned the competition rules.
Two stages. First: elimination round with six spots. Anyone could become a challenger. Last until the end to qualify.
Second stage: paired battles. Winners ranked by victories.
The format was ordinary. The prizes surprised him.
Fourth to sixth places got puppet-making materials. Third place received an external talisman formation like Vajra Strength. Second place won a puppet blueprint improved by Master Meng Rui.
First prize was ownership of Flowers and Butterflies.
“???”
Mu Lin froze. From his entrance test, he knew Master Meng Rui walked the emotional path. Such Puppet Masters saw their creations as friends, not tools.
Because of this, Mu Lin couldn’t understand why she had given away ownership of Flowers and Butterflies.
“Was she just speaking carelessly? Maybe she sees paper figures and puppets as tools, like I do?”
“No, that couldn’t be. More likely, she has her own plan…”
Thinking this, Mu Lin turned his attention to Qin Yuan.
If Master Meng Rui had a scheme, it would surely involve him—after all, she’d personally brought Qin Yuan in.
After considering Master Meng Rui’s possible motives and his own goals, Mu Lin finally stepped forward.
“Master Meng Rui.”
When Meng Rui noticed Mu Lin raising his hand, she arched an eyebrow and asked lightly, “Yes?”
“Do you recall our agreement? If I win, you’ll craft puppet paper figures for me.”
“Naturally.”
“But the top prize for this assessment doesn’t include puppet figures. I’d like to request swapping the first-place reward for that—just for me.”
Mu Lin made this suggestion to avoid complications.
His goal was clear: have Master Meng Rui create Starry Paper Figures linked to the Big Dipper to speed up his training.
Other troubles held no interest for him.
As he finished speaking, Mu Lin sensed Master Meng Rui had guessed his reasoning.
Yet whether due to confidence in her disciple, offense at the art of puppetry being slighted, or other reasons,
she merely lounged back lazily and laughed. “No need to complicate things. If you win using a paper figure you crafted yourself, making the Starry Paper Figure can be added as a bonus.”
Then she added mockingly, “Oh, right—Dongfang Ya praised you highly, didn’t she? Seems her shrinking height came with worse judgment.”
Mu Lin’s eyes turned frosty. He deeply respected Teacher Dongfang, who’d helped him often.
Mocking her grated on him.
“I believe Teacher Dongfang’s judgment remains excellent.”
His blunt retort dimmed Meng Rui’s smirk. Still, she kept her composure.
“Defiant?”
Without waiting for a reply, she continued,
“Since you’re stubborn, let’s wager this: If you win, I’ll give you Flowers and Butterflies, craft your Starry Paper Figure, and use my own Spirit Stones to upgrade its quality.”
“Don’t fret about tricks—I’d never let that runt accuse me of poor sportsmanship.”
“But bets need stakes. If you lose, you’ll face consequences.”
“As your elder, I won’t take your possessions. Let’s see… Ah!”
Her face lit with malicious glee.
“If you lose, run to Dongfang Ya and call her ‘little runt’ to her face.”
“Well? More than fair, yes?”
Mu Lin’s gaze hardened further.
Staring straight at her, he said quietly, “You shouldn’t insult Teacher Dongfang.”
