Chapter 198
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Chapter 198: Pulling the Strings
After grasping the true essence of Yin Eight Sect combat, Mu Lin stopped using paper figures for direct battles. He now deployed all his paper figures solely to lure evil spirits.
Soon, Mu Lin successfully drew more supernatural threats toward Yuance, Chu Hongxuan, Yan Zhanpeng, and their companions.
Red-umbrella spirits, ritual-mask specters, pig-headed butchers… These horrors overwhelmed Chu Hongxuan’s group, leaving them battered and miserable.
Students of Yuhu Academy kept falling under the siege.
They weren’t weak—flames, ice storms, wind blades, and flying swords erupted from their hands in dazzling displays. Most possessed Spring Fountain cultivation, making them elite talents even in remote Taoist Palaces.
Yet despite their strength, the city’s supernatural entities proved fiercer and more unpredictable. Worse, these beings feared neither life nor death. Under their suicidal onslaught, over half the Yuhu students soon perished.
Mu Lin remained unsatisfied.
The Tower of Illusions’ projected city contained not just mindless evil spirits but hordes of monsters. Now Mu Lin began herding these creatures toward human fighters through trickery and coercion.
"Kill. Struggle. Then die together."
Like a puppet master looming over the city, he treated humans and monsters as marionettes to slaughter each other.
This proved trickier. Though wicked, the monsters retained intelligence. When confronting powerful humans, they’d rather flee than fight—simply driving them toward targets didn’t work.
Ironically, when Mu Lin’s manipulations forced humans and monsters into shared peril, both sides considered cooperation against their common foe.
"Join forces! Eliminate the spirits first, or we all die!"
"…Agreed."
The bizarre sight of Yuhu students fighting alongside Tower monsters left spectators dumbfounded.
"This…is allowed?"
"I’ve watched a dozen Yuhu trials, but humans collaborating with monsters? First time in my life."
"Same here…"
Beyond sheer astonishment, observers grew increasingly wary of Mu Lin. They recognized this unnatural alliance stemmed from his overwhelming pressure on both factions. More crucially, they realized if he could weaponize spirits against humans, he could do the same to monsters.
"One Mu Lin equals half an army," someone muttered gravely.
Envious eyes turned toward the Yan family’s Fourth Elder. Yan Yunyu’s close ties to Mu Lin represented a staggering windfall for their clan. Others cast jealous glances at Chu Lingluo’s mother—though few knew she’d once sabotaged her daughter’s romance.
Seeing the Chu family’s legitimate daughter constantly at Mu Lin’s side, well-wishers flooded Chu Lingluo’s mother with congratulations. With each forced smile, her expression darkened further.
Regret gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.
Beside her, Wei Jing’s mocking tone fanned the flames of conflict, turning her face as dark as storm clouds.
"So impressive, Si Ye! Your daughter truly found herself a fine husband."
"I heard they met during humble beginnings. Their bond must be strong – surely your daughter will become the primary wife?"
"Single-handedly dominating Yuhu Academy, even with borrowed power… Such rare talent. How enviable that the Chu family claimed him so effortlessly…"
These barbed words made the palace-dressed woman’s chest heave with barely contained fury.
…
Mu Lin remained unaware of the external conflict, his focus elsewhere. The alliance between humans and monsters did pressure him initially.
But soon, it mattered little.
The natural divide between species prevented true cooperation. Their hasty partnership left no time for familiarity.
With Grandmaster-level painting and master-level origami skills, Mu Lin’s animated paper figures mimicked others perfectly – ideal tools for sowing discord.
During a critical battle where Yuance fought alongside subordinates and monsters, a clawed hand suddenly twitched. One monster attacked Yuance’s ally.
The victim wasn’t weak, but caught unprepared while weakened from prior injuries.
"No! Save—"
His truncated scream ended as monsters dragged the corpse into black fog.
"?!!"
Yuance’s rage erupted. "You bastards!"
A monster hastily cried: "False accusation! The mastermind manipulated us!"
Another added: "We’re not fools to sabotage our own alliance!"
"Monsters keep promises! Even when resisting the urge to devour humans for power—"
"Wait! We monsters excel at betrayal! Honor means nothing! You’re not one of us!"
"Idiot! I’m tricking the humans! Oh no—I said too much!"
…
Yuance fell silent, recalling monsters’ infamous unreliability. Was that attacker Mu Lin’s puppet? Or genuine monster treachery?
His dilemma worsened when a blood-eyed monster began slaughtering everyone – humans and fellow monsters alike.
Chaos erupted.
"Damn it!"
Monsters ambushed humans. Humans retaliated.
"I’m done! These beasts don’t deserve alliance!"
"Stop!" A human strategist shouted. "It’s Mu Lin’s trickery!"
Some monsters paused. Most kept killing.
When a monster approached the shouting strategist for guidance—
*Thud*
The "peacemaker" suddenly stabbed his visitor.
Yuance’s heart sank deeper.
"Fools!" The traitor sneered. "You actually trusted me?"
Another human jumped in: "Don’t listen! I’m the real one!"
No monster believed him. The bloodthirsty ones kept fighting.
Yuance understood Mu Lin’s scheme perfectly. Yet knowledge proved useless.
Monsters distrusted humans. Humans feared monsters. Even he couldn’t trust either side now.
