114 Puppet Jade Part 2
Yi Nan became tense and looked at him guardedly.
Zhuang Yao turned to Cheng Tianbi, "How do we deal with these two?"
Cheng Tianbi replied indifferently, "Let them go."
Cong Xia breathed a sigh of relief; they had obtained what they needed and didn't want to exterminate their enemies entirely. Without the Puppet Jade and with the laboratory destroyed and many casualties among Wei Zi's people, they probably wouldn't have the ability to bother the Lu Yun anymore.
Zhuang Yao shrugged and said, "As agreed, we will heal him, and then you can leave."
Yi Dong looked at them with some surprise, as if he didn't expect these people to actually spare them. Cooperating with Zhuang Yao, Cong Xia quickly repaired all of Yi Dong's injuries. Yi Dong looked at his unscathed skin, feeling a sense of unreality.
Despite being enemies, there were no parting words to be exchanged. Before the two brothers left, Yi Dong said, "The Puppet Jade is a curse. Take care of yourselves." When he said this, for some reason, Cong Xia felt that his tone was completely relaxed.
Perhaps for them, the Puppet Jade was a demon that bound them, and getting rid of it might actually be a good thing. With their abilities, they could easily live in peace anywhere. It was because of the Puppet Jade that they were constantly teetering on the edge of a cliff.
Unlike Yi Dong's sense of relief, Yi Nan's face remained dark and seemed very unwilling. Complex emotions brewed in his pitch-black pupils.
Yi Dong transformed into a dark cloud, and countless bats enveloped Yi Nan, disappearing from their sight in an instant. Just like when they first met, this powerful man always appeared and disappeared so gracefully.
After the two brothers left, only six people remained at the scene. Except for Deng Xiao, who was still in hibernation, the other five were in relatively good condition. Zhuang Yao couldn't wait to ask, "Did the Puppet Jade on your body react?"
Cheng Tianbi nodded and opened his outer clothing. Through the gray thermal underwear, they could vaguely see the Puppet Jade emitting black light, flashing as if it was sensing something.
Cong Xia frowned, "Would they keep doing this? Flashing like this all the time? Honestly, I feel very uncomfortable because the energy of the Puppet Jade is too strong. I feel like... I feel like I'm being squeezed between two impossibly high walls." As he spoke, he subconsciously stepped back, trying to distance himself from the two pieces of Puppet Jade.
As he passed by Tang Yanqiu, Zhuang Yao suddenly said, "Wait!"
Cong Xia stopped in his tracks, "What's wrong?"
"Take two steps back."
Cong Xia retreated two steps and ended up standing beside Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu. Following Zhuang Yao's gaze, he saw Cheng Tianbi's chest, where the originally flashing Puppetry Jade suddenly became calm.
"Huh?" Cong Xia didn't react immediately.
Zhuang Yao said, "Move two steps forward."
Cong Xia quickly understood; he stepped forward two steps and no longer blocked Tang Yanqiu. The gem on Cheng Tianbi's chest began to flicker again.
"Is that because of the ancient jade?" Cong Xia and Zhuang Yao said in unison.
Zhuang Yao murmured, "The ancient jade can shield the connection between the Puppet Jades? But it has to be positioned exactly on the horizontal line between the two Jades..."
"This is amazing! Does the ancient jade have the same function as the soft metal?"
"No, the soft metal is specifically created for the Puppet Jade. Once it's separated from the Puppet Jade, its density increases greatly, making it incredibly heavy and difficult to handle. I don't know what purpose it serves outside of the Puppet Jade. But the existence of the ancient jade, confirmed by multiple details, is indeed opposing the Puppet Jade."
Cong Xia nodded, "That's right, even the contents of the ancient jade are different. The Puppet Jade accelerates species evolution through a radiation-like method, while the ancient jade takes the opposite approach, providing a much slower but more stable cultivation method."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Since the ancient jade can shield the connection between the Puppet Jades, let it do its job. I can't move while these two Jades keep trying to get closer to each other. They are calling and attracting each other, and it's even affecting me."
Cong Xia agreed, "That influence is indeed severe." He patted his head, "I don't know how long it will take for me to get used to this suffocating pressure."
"Let's try using the ancient jade to shield them," Zhuang Yao suggested. He found a few strips of cloth, wrapped each Puppet Jade separately, and then wound them around the sides of the ancient jade. As expected, the ancient jade had an effect, and both Jades stopped flickering. Cong Xia felt even more amazed; the energy of the Puppet Jades seemed weaker, not as oppressive.
Cong Xia exclaimed, "That's great! Otherwise, traveling like this, I would have had a mental breakdown."
Zhuang Yao said, "When we get to Beijing, we must find a way to repair the soft metal. This isn't a long-term solution. For now, we'll have to speed up to Beijing. Let's leave the ancient jade on Cheng Tianbi for now."
"Alright." Cong Xia handed the ancient jade, along with the Puppet Jades bound to it, to Cheng Tianbi, who took it and put it into his pocket.
Zhuang Yao said, "Let's go back to the beauty salon."
"Do we still use the Road Bully?"
"No." Zhuang Yao shook his head, "It's the time of melting snow, and the roads will be very muddy. For the Road Bully, grooves and snowy terrain are not the most difficult to traverse; muddy roads are. The Road Bully would significantly slow down our speed now, and besides, with Abu's speed, we can reach Beijing in a few days. The Road Bully has already completed its mission by bringing us here. Let's go back now to get some food and weapons for the next day or two. Also, Yan Huiyang is waiting for us there."
"Alright, let's go back."
The group held on to Abu's tail and jumped onto his back. As usual, Abu threw Cheng Tianbi into the air before he landed on his back. However, this time, he didn't land smoothly on Abu's back. When he was rising to a height of four to five meters, he was suddenly pulled back to the ground by an irresistible force. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have fallen heavily. Even with his use of wind power to cushion his descent, he still experienced some impact.
"What's going on?"
Cheng Tianbi stood up and shook his head, "I don't know."
Everyone was equally puzzled.
Cheng Tianbi tried again to climb up, but this time, he didn't grab Abu's tail. Instead, he gathered wind energy under his feet and lifted his body upwards. However, even at a height of about four to five meters, he couldn't go any further. Some force was pulling him back, preventing him from moving an inch.
Cheng Tianbi's expression changed, "What's happening?"
Standing on the ground, Cong Xia also looked at him with confusion.
After pondering for a few seconds, Zhuang Yao furrowed his brows and said, "Cheng Tianbi, return to the ground."
Cheng Tianbi descended to the ground.
Zhuang Yao instructed, "Cong Xia, step back."
Cong Xia obediently stepped back for about four to five meters, and instantly, Cheng Tianbi felt a force pulling him towards Cong Xia. He said in a deep voice, "It's the Ancient Jade."
Zhuang Yao nodded, "Yes, it's the Ancient Jade."
Cong Xia was surprised, "The Ancient Jade can't be separated from me?"
"The Ancient Jade can't be separated from you, or maybe you can't be separated from the Ancient Jade. Whatever the case, the Ancient Jade can no longer be placed on Cheng Tianbi's body. You must carry it," explained Zhuang Yao.
Cong Xia was a bit incredulous and intentionally walked to the side. Cheng Tianbi was pulled along for a step. Cong Xia carefully recalled that he had never been far from the Ancient Jade. Usually, he kept it close to him, even in the same room when taking a bath, never exceeding the distance between him and Cheng Tianbi. It turned out that he and the Ancient Jade were bound together.
However, this situation had both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, he didn't need to worry about losing the Ancient Jade, which was a good thing. On the other hand, he couldn't get close to the Puppet Jade; it would heavily affect him.
Cheng Tianbi added, "Cong Xia can't directly touch the Puppet Jade; he will lose his free will."
Liu Fengyu teased, "It seems there's only one solution to this. You two need to stay together until we reach Beijing, and neither of you can be more than four meters apart from each other."
Cong Xia felt a mix of embarrassment and uncertainty, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.
Zhuang Yao said, "It seems we can only do this. Don't stay too far apart from each other, at least until we reach Beijing, maintain this distance."
Even Cheng Tianbi looked at Cong Xia with a hint of embarrassment, covering the Ancient Jade with a slightly awkward expression.
Liu Fengyu laughed and said, "Oops, my bad. Didn't mean to offend. You two aren't usually sticking together, but it's a pity that we're not far from Beijing; you might not have enough time to get tired of each other."
Cong Xia desperately signaled Liu Fengyu with his eyes, telling him to stop talking.
Tang Yanqiu seemed like he didn't understand what Liu Fengyu was saying and looked at Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia with confusion.
The two of them climbed onto Abu's back again, and this time, no strange phenomenon occurred.
They returned to the beauty salon, and the land outside was like a corridor of hell, with blackened ground filled with snake corpses. What shocked them even more was that many people of Luoyang were desperately fighting for snake meat. As the weather was cold, the speed of food decay was relatively slow. It had been only six to seven hours since last night, and the snake meat was still edible. It seemed that hunting was extremely difficult during winter, and even the barely edible wild grass was either dead or hidden. Along the way, they saw many dead bodies, presumably starved to death. It was no wonder they encountered such a scene.
They silently returned to the beauty salon through the back courtyard and found Road Bully guarded by Yan Huiyang's people. Otherwise, with so much food inside, they might not have been spared.
Inside the house, Yan Huiyang was waiting for them. Upon their arrival, he asked, "You let Yi Dong and Yi Nan go?"
Cong Xia nodded, "Yes."
Yan Huiyang's expression stiffened slightly, but it was within his expectations. "Although I would have preferred them to disappear completely, given their current situation, they won't stay in Luoyang any longer. Without the Puppet Jade, Wei Zi will no longer have as many followers, and he will have too many enemies in Luoyang. There's no place for him here."
Zhuang Yao's face remained expressionless as he said, "So, are you satisfied with this outcome? At least for a long time, Lu Yun will no longer have any rivals."
Yan Huiyang nodded and replied, "From the past until now, I have only wanted to protect myself. I disagreed with their unrestricted expansion ideology, which led to my isolation. My thoughts remain the same; I want to protect my family and friends. I'm grateful to all of you for saving my daughter and bringing peace back to Luoyang."
Considering the chaotic night they had, despite obtaining the Puppet Jade, there wasn't much excitement among them. Instead, they felt exhausted.
Yan Huiyang continued, "I really want to keep you here for a few more days, but I must advise you to leave as soon as possible."
"What happened?"
"Fenglan Society has advanced communication methods, much more sophisticated than our reliance on avian hybrid communication and buying information. The news of their attack must have already reached Beijing, and there's a chance news of their deaths has also been sent back," Yan Huiyang presented a file. "This is the information on the six members of Fenglan Society, albeit late. The castor bean hybrid is the captain of Fenglan Society's third team. The organization consists of a president, a vice president, four Iron Guards, and five squads. The total number of Fenglan Society members exceeds three hundred. The castor hybrid, as the captain of the third team, commands at least fifty to sixty people. Such strength would be considered a powerful gang in other places, but his ability level ranks only at the fourth tier. There are several such gangs in Beijing, and you are wanted by these people. It's possible that news of your actions in Luoyang has already reached Beijing. If they send people down to investigate, I won't hide your situation. I don't have the ability to confront them."
Yan Huiyang looked at them seriously. "For your safety and ours, you should leave quickly and avoid being found by them."
Yan Huiyang spoke earnestly, and what he said was indeed true. The existence of such an enormous organization, unfamiliar to them, would be unwise to confront head-on.
They had to leave immediately.
Zhuang Yao took the information and said, "We'll prepare some things and leave right away."
"If it's food and water, I've already prepared two days' worth for you. You can take it with you whenever you're ready to leave."
Zhuang Yao put the information into his pocket and said, "Then let's depart now."
Cong Xia clenched his fists; this information placed a significant burden on them. The joy they had just felt from obtaining the Puppet Jade was now dampened. Even though they achieved victory, they needed to flee quickly. When they arrived in Beijing, they would undoubtedly face countless troubles. The path they had walked thus far was marked with bloody footprints, and there was no step that was easy.
Thinking of that crude wanted poster, a strong sense of unease arose in Cong Xia's heart.
Cheng Tianbi said in a solemn tone, "Let's go."
114 Puppet Jade Part 2
Yi Nan became tense and looked at him guardedly.
Zhuang Yao turned to Cheng Tianbi, "How do we deal with these two?"
Cheng Tianbi replied indifferently, "Let them go."
Cong Xia breathed a sigh of relief; they had obtained what they needed and didn't want to exterminate their enemies entirely. Without the Puppet Jade and with the laboratory destroyed and many casualties among Wei Zi's people, they probably wouldn't have the ability to bother the Lu Yun anymore.
Zhuang Yao shrugged and said, "As agreed, we will heal him, and then you can leave."
Yi Dong looked at them with some surprise, as if he didn't expect these people to actually spare them. Cooperating with Zhuang Yao, Cong Xia quickly repaired all of Yi Dong's injuries. Yi Dong looked at his unscathed skin, feeling a sense of unreality.
Despite being enemies, there were no parting words to be exchanged. Before the two brothers left, Yi Dong said, "The Puppet Jade is a curse. Take care of yourselves." When he said this, for some reason, Cong Xia felt that his tone was completely relaxed.
Perhaps for them, the Puppet Jade was a demon that bound them, and getting rid of it might actually be a good thing. With their abilities, they could easily live in peace anywhere. It was because of the Puppet Jade that they were constantly teetering on the edge of a cliff.
Unlike Yi Dong's sense of relief, Yi Nan's face remained dark and seemed very unwilling. Complex emotions brewed in his pitch-black pupils.
Yi Dong transformed into a dark cloud, and countless bats enveloped Yi Nan, disappearing from their sight in an instant. Just like when they first met, this powerful man always appeared and disappeared so gracefully.
After the two brothers left, only six people remained at the scene. Except for Deng Xiao, who was still in hibernation, the other five were in relatively good condition. Zhuang Yao couldn't wait to ask, "Did the Puppet Jade on your body react?"
Cheng Tianbi nodded and opened his outer clothing. Through the gray thermal underwear, they could vaguely see the Puppet Jade emitting black light, flashing as if it was sensing something.
Cong Xia frowned, "Would they keep doing this? Flashing like this all the time? Honestly, I feel very uncomfortable because the energy of the Puppet Jade is too strong. I feel like... I feel like I'm being squeezed between two impossibly high walls." As he spoke, he subconsciously stepped back, trying to distance himself from the two pieces of Puppet Jade.
As he passed by Tang Yanqiu, Zhuang Yao suddenly said, "Wait!"
Cong Xia stopped in his tracks, "What's wrong?"
"Take two steps back."
Cong Xia retreated two steps and ended up standing beside Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu. Following Zhuang Yao's gaze, he saw Cheng Tianbi's chest, where the originally flashing Puppetry Jade suddenly became calm.
"Huh?" Cong Xia didn't react immediately.
Zhuang Yao said, "Move two steps forward."
Cong Xia quickly understood; he stepped forward two steps and no longer blocked Tang Yanqiu. The gem on Cheng Tianbi's chest began to flicker again.
"Is that because of the ancient jade?" Cong Xia and Zhuang Yao said in unison.
Zhuang Yao murmured, "The ancient jade can shield the connection between the Puppet Jades? But it has to be positioned exactly on the horizontal line between the two Jades..."
"This is amazing! Does the ancient jade have the same function as the soft metal?"
"No, the soft metal is specifically created for the Puppet Jade. Once it's separated from the Puppet Jade, its density increases greatly, making it incredibly heavy and difficult to handle. I don't know what purpose it serves outside of the Puppet Jade. But the existence of the ancient jade, confirmed by multiple details, is indeed opposing the Puppet Jade."
Cong Xia nodded, "That's right, even the contents of the ancient jade are different. The Puppet Jade accelerates species evolution through a radiation-like method, while the ancient jade takes the opposite approach, providing a much slower but more stable cultivation method."
Cheng Tianbi said, "Since the ancient jade can shield the connection between the Puppet Jades, let it do its job. I can't move while these two Jades keep trying to get closer to each other. They are calling and attracting each other, and it's even affecting me."
Cong Xia agreed, "That influence is indeed severe." He patted his head, "I don't know how long it will take for me to get used to this suffocating pressure."
"Let's try using the ancient jade to shield them," Zhuang Yao suggested. He found a few strips of cloth, wrapped each Puppet Jade separately, and then wound them around the sides of the ancient jade. As expected, the ancient jade had an effect, and both Jades stopped flickering. Cong Xia felt even more amazed; the energy of the Puppet Jades seemed weaker, not as oppressive.
Cong Xia exclaimed, "That's great! Otherwise, traveling like this, I would have had a mental breakdown."
Zhuang Yao said, "When we get to Beijing, we must find a way to repair the soft metal. This isn't a long-term solution. For now, we'll have to speed up to Beijing. Let's leave the ancient jade on Cheng Tianbi for now."
"Alright." Cong Xia handed the ancient jade, along with the Puppet Jades bound to it, to Cheng Tianbi, who took it and put it into his pocket.
Zhuang Yao said, "Let's go back to the beauty salon."
"Do we still use the Road Bully?"
"No." Zhuang Yao shook his head, "It's the time of melting snow, and the roads will be very muddy. For the Road Bully, grooves and snowy terrain are not the most difficult to traverse; muddy roads are. The Road Bully would significantly slow down our speed now, and besides, with Abu's speed, we can reach Beijing in a few days. The Road Bully has already completed its mission by bringing us here. Let's go back now to get some food and weapons for the next day or two. Also, Yan Huiyang is waiting for us there."
"Alright, let's go back."
The group held on to Abu's tail and jumped onto his back. As usual, Abu threw Cheng Tianbi into the air before he landed on his back. However, this time, he didn't land smoothly on Abu's back. When he was rising to a height of four to five meters, he was suddenly pulled back to the ground by an irresistible force. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have fallen heavily. Even with his use of wind power to cushion his descent, he still experienced some impact.
"What's going on?"
Cheng Tianbi stood up and shook his head, "I don't know."
Everyone was equally puzzled.
Cheng Tianbi tried again to climb up, but this time, he didn't grab Abu's tail. Instead, he gathered wind energy under his feet and lifted his body upwards. However, even at a height of about four to five meters, he couldn't go any further. Some force was pulling him back, preventing him from moving an inch.
Cheng Tianbi's expression changed, "What's happening?"
Standing on the ground, Cong Xia also looked at him with confusion.
After pondering for a few seconds, Zhuang Yao furrowed his brows and said, "Cheng Tianbi, return to the ground."
Cheng Tianbi descended to the ground.
Zhuang Yao instructed, "Cong Xia, step back."
Cong Xia obediently stepped back for about four to five meters, and instantly, Cheng Tianbi felt a force pulling him towards Cong Xia. He said in a deep voice, "It's the Ancient Jade."
Zhuang Yao nodded, "Yes, it's the Ancient Jade."
Cong Xia was surprised, "The Ancient Jade can't be separated from me?"
"The Ancient Jade can't be separated from you, or maybe you can't be separated from the Ancient Jade. Whatever the case, the Ancient Jade can no longer be placed on Cheng Tianbi's body. You must carry it," explained Zhuang Yao.
Cong Xia was a bit incredulous and intentionally walked to the side. Cheng Tianbi was pulled along for a step. Cong Xia carefully recalled that he had never been far from the Ancient Jade. Usually, he kept it close to him, even in the same room when taking a bath, never exceeding the distance between him and Cheng Tianbi. It turned out that he and the Ancient Jade were bound together.
However, this situation had both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, he didn't need to worry about losing the Ancient Jade, which was a good thing. On the other hand, he couldn't get close to the Puppet Jade; it would heavily affect him.
Cheng Tianbi added, "Cong Xia can't directly touch the Puppet Jade; he will lose his free will."
Liu Fengyu teased, "It seems there's only one solution to this. You two need to stay together until we reach Beijing, and neither of you can be more than four meters apart from each other."
Cong Xia felt a mix of embarrassment and uncertainty, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.
Zhuang Yao said, "It seems we can only do this. Don't stay too far apart from each other, at least until we reach Beijing, maintain this distance."
Even Cheng Tianbi looked at Cong Xia with a hint of embarrassment, covering the Ancient Jade with a slightly awkward expression.
Liu Fengyu laughed and said, "Oops, my bad. Didn't mean to offend. You two aren't usually sticking together, but it's a pity that we're not far from Beijing; you might not have enough time to get tired of each other."
Cong Xia desperately signaled Liu Fengyu with his eyes, telling him to stop talking.
Tang Yanqiu seemed like he didn't understand what Liu Fengyu was saying and looked at Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia with confusion.
The two of them climbed onto Abu's back again, and this time, no strange phenomenon occurred.
They returned to the beauty salon, and the land outside was like a corridor of hell, with blackened ground filled with snake corpses. What shocked them even more was that many people of Luoyang were desperately fighting for snake meat. As the weather was cold, the speed of food decay was relatively slow. It had been only six to seven hours since last night, and the snake meat was still edible. It seemed that hunting was extremely difficult during winter, and even the barely edible wild grass was either dead or hidden. Along the way, they saw many dead bodies, presumably starved to death. It was no wonder they encountered such a scene.
They silently returned to the beauty salon through the back courtyard and found Road Bully guarded by Yan Huiyang's people. Otherwise, with so much food inside, they might not have been spared.
Inside the house, Yan Huiyang was waiting for them. Upon their arrival, he asked, "You let Yi Dong and Yi Nan go?"
Cong Xia nodded, "Yes."
Yan Huiyang's expression stiffened slightly, but it was within his expectations. "Although I would have preferred them to disappear completely, given their current situation, they won't stay in Luoyang any longer. Without the Puppet Jade, Wei Zi will no longer have as many followers, and he will have too many enemies in Luoyang. There's no place for him here."
Zhuang Yao's face remained expressionless as he said, "So, are you satisfied with this outcome? At least for a long time, Lu Yun will no longer have any rivals."
Yan Huiyang nodded and replied, "From the past until now, I have only wanted to protect myself. I disagreed with their unrestricted expansion ideology, which led to my isolation. My thoughts remain the same; I want to protect my family and friends. I'm grateful to all of you for saving my daughter and bringing peace back to Luoyang."
Considering the chaotic night they had, despite obtaining the Puppet Jade, there wasn't much excitement among them. Instead, they felt exhausted.
Yan Huiyang continued, "I really want to keep you here for a few more days, but I must advise you to leave as soon as possible."
"What happened?"
"Fenglan Society has advanced communication methods, much more sophisticated than our reliance on avian hybrid communication and buying information. The news of their attack must have already reached Beijing, and there's a chance news of their deaths has also been sent back," Yan Huiyang presented a file. "This is the information on the six members of Fenglan Society, albeit late. The castor bean hybrid is the captain of Fenglan Society's third team. The organization consists of a president, a vice president, four Iron Guards, and five squads. The total number of Fenglan Society members exceeds three hundred. The castor hybrid, as the captain of the third team, commands at least fifty to sixty people. Such strength would be considered a powerful gang in other places, but his ability level ranks only at the fourth tier. There are several such gangs in Beijing, and you are wanted by these people. It's possible that news of your actions in Luoyang has already reached Beijing. If they send people down to investigate, I won't hide your situation. I don't have the ability to confront them."
Yan Huiyang looked at them seriously. "For your safety and ours, you should leave quickly and avoid being found by them."
Yan Huiyang spoke earnestly, and what he said was indeed true. The existence of such an enormous organization, unfamiliar to them, would be unwise to confront head-on.
They had to leave immediately.
Zhuang Yao took the information and said, "We'll prepare some things and leave right away."
"If it's food and water, I've already prepared two days' worth for you. You can take it with you whenever you're ready to leave."
Zhuang Yao put the information into his pocket and said, "Then let's depart now."
Cong Xia clenched his fists; this information placed a significant burden on them. The joy they had just felt from obtaining the Puppet Jade was now dampened. Even though they achieved victory, they needed to flee quickly. When they arrived in Beijing, they would undoubtedly face countless troubles. The path they had walked thus far was marked with bloody footprints, and there was no step that was easy.
Thinking of that crude wanted poster, a strong sense of unease arose in Cong Xia's heart.
Cheng Tianbi said in a solemn tone, "Let's go."
