The commotion at the Wen estate naturally drew the attention of the townsfolk of Linxun, especially since many of those controlled were townspeople themselves. For a time, the entire town was in uproar.
Jingzhan had no choice but to go out with Wu Hongxi to explain things to the crowd. Naturally, it was all lies, minimizing the impact.
Meanwhile, the Wen family turned their anger on Mo Xuanli—for they wanted Hua En dead.
Staring at the bound Hua En, they were afraid, yes, but as parents, how could they not grieve their son’s fate? They hated so much they wished to kill the demon with their own hands.
“Why aren’t you acting yet? Kill him at once—this beast has no right to live!”
“You’ve caught him, why not kill him? Kill him to avenge my son! We’ll give you whatever money you want. Or do you mean to let this scourge live and harm more people?”
A family’s thirst for vengeance could hardly be reproached. Mo Xuanli could only furrow his brows and try to calm the Wen family’s agitation.
Gu Baiqing came forward at once: “We can’t kill him yet. Certain spells must be undone first, otherwise Wen Jiang’s reincarnation will be affected.”
Sure enough, that struck the mark. The Wen family quieted, the heated mood fading. Some, now calmer, even asked anxiously. Gu Baiqing said directly: “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything. But until then, do not trouble him. If you give him the slightest chance to escape, that would truly be disastrous.”
“The Daoist speaks rightly. We’ll listen to you, Daoist. Tomorrow we’ll first bury Jiang’er, and after that, we’ll trouble you.” Old Master Wen suppressed his grief and anger, nodding repeatedly as he spoke.
Old Madam Wen, however, trembling, asked, “Daoist, I just have one question—since the villain has been caught, does that mean my son doesn’t need to be cremated?”
Only then did Hua En, who had remained silent all this time, stir slightly, though he did not raise his head or say anything.
In the original text, to prevent corpses controlled by puppeteers from being found and reused—since a corpse already refined into a puppet was much more useful, and puppeteers never minded picking up ready-made ones—the demand was for cremation.
But now… if they directly said cremation, it would lead to Hua En’s death not long after, just like in the original. And then who would undo the soul-control lingering in the bodies of the townsfolk?
So Hua En must be kept steady.
Gu Baiqing would not pity Hua En, for Hua En had harmed many himself.
Mo Xuanli, clearly thinking the same, spoke directly: “Yes, burial. There’s no need to rush.”
Burial and cremation required different preparations, so naturally the Wen family needed time. And for Hua En, as long as it wasn’t cremation, there was still a chance.
Sure enough, after hearing the Wen family’s decision, Hua En’s eyes lit up faintly—but he was immediately escorted away by Mo Xuanli, locked in a back guest room. Mo Xuanli of course set up multiple barriers so he could not escape.
After finishing all this, Mo Xuanli suddenly asked in secret, “Master, do you still have spiritual power in you now?”
Gu Baiqing thought Mo Xuanli was worried someone might come to rescue Hua En later, so he nodded. “Yes.”
Mo Xuanli smiled faintly, saying no more.
When Jingzhan finished handling matters outside, everyone went together to see Hua En.
Hua En sat bound to a chair, staring coldly at them.
“Why haven’t you killed me?”
“You should know—you placed soul-control on the townsfolk. We need you to undo it,” Xie Qingrong spoke.
Hua En glanced at the little jade figure, frowning slightly, seemingly not understanding its existence from the start, only taking it as some little trick of cultivators.
“Heh. Since you’re all going to destroy me anyway, why should I help you?”
Jingzhan warned: “Hey, if you refuse, I can make your soul scatter right here and now.” Then he couldn’t help adding distractedly, “The dead can also become puppeteers? What kind of trick is that?”
He only thought it a possibility, but didn’t notice how his words caused everyone’s expressions to shift slightly.
Hua En hesitated a moment, then pretended to compromise, speaking the same deceitful method as described in the original.
Jingzhan’s eyes hardened, and he raised his spiritual sword to Hua En’s forehead. “Trying to trick us? You think we’re fools?”
Gu Baiqing felt a wave of awkwardness. In the original, he and his disciple had indeed been tricked… not exactly fools, just lacking the information they had now, and completely ignorant of puppet arts. They had assumed Hua En feared soul-scattering and that, if they agreed to transcend him, he would turn over a new leaf—thus they had believed him.
Exposed, Hua En laughed aloud. “Yes, I was fooling you. If you’ve got the guts, destroy me! But once I’m gone, those in Linxun Town under soul-control will all die without exception. If I perish, I’ll drag them to the grave with me.”
Gu Baiqing’s eyes flickered. In the original, Hua En’s death indeed meant dragging down all those affected by the technique, a situation Mo Xuanli had been powerless to reverse. So in Linxun Town some people truly did die in that incident. Yet because Mo Xuanli had stopped things in time, more lives were saved from danger—though he received no thanks from the people.
“You’re a madman! What do the people of Linxun Town have to do with you? Why would you harm them!” Jingzhan roared.
“Harm them? Did I?” Hua En’s expression twisted, fierce and deranged. “They begged for it themselves, and they controlled themselves. What does it have to do with me? If you want to blame someone, blame them. Some think being close to someone gives them the right to point fingers, to dictate others’ lives just to satisfy their own face and selfish desires. Some covet what isn’t theirs, yet think they’re entitled to it. Everything is so vile—it’s all what they deserve. They had it coming!”
“You—!” Jingzhan was so enraged by Hua En’s words that he was left breathless.
At that moment Mo Xuanli suddenly stepped forward. “Leave the others aside. What about Miss Zhou? A well-bred, educated young lady, who never stepped beyond her family gates, yet she was targeted by a shameless villain. And you harmed her like that? Do you think you were right?”
Hua En’s expression shifted. “I couldn’t care about that much. Do you think this world lacks innocent people who die unjust deaths?”
“So if we hadn’t come, were you planning to soul-control the entire town of Linxun?” Mo Xuanli asked.
Hua En’s expression didn’t change. “Exactly.”
“Why?”
A glint flashed in Hua En’s eyes. “Why ask why? To harm others needs no reason. I am a demon.”
“Then who taught you puppet arts?” Mo Xuanli pressed.
Hua En froze, then sneered. “Self-taught.”
Clearly, he had no intention of exposing the one behind him.
But Mo Xuanli’s question caught Jingzhan’s attention. He glanced at Mo Xuanli, then couldn’t help wanting to exchange a look with Xie Qingrong. But when he lowered his eyes, he found Xie Qingrong had kept his head bowed all this time. Jingzhan’s eyes shifted slightly.
Mo Xuanli thought for a moment, then said, “Since you refuse to cooperate, we can only bring you back to the cultivation world, find another way to save people, and after we’ve saved them, then kill you.”
With that, Mo Xuanli put on a look of seriously discussing with the others about returning to their sect.
That immediately made Hua En anxious. If they took him away, would he ever get the chance to return? Even if he could escape, how long would it take? Wen Jiang’s body couldn’t wait that long.
“It’s useless. Puppet techniques can only be undone by the puppeteer himself. Apart from me, no one can save them. You’ll only waste time.”
“I’ll scatter your soul this instant!” Jingzhan snapped furiously.
“But, we can make a deal.” Hua En suddenly said, “I’ll undo all the soul-control, and you let me take Wen Jiang with me. Wen Jiang is already dead anyway—so to you, it’s no loss, right?”
“You’re not afraid we’ll hunt you down again?” Jingzhan asked suspiciously.
“Of course, during the three days after I leave, you must not leave Linxun Town. For this, we must all swear a blood oath—any who violate it will give birth to inner demons.” Hua En’s voice sank. “Well? This is my greatest sincerity. If you agree, I can act immediately. And if in the end I still die at your hands, I’ll accept my fate.”
Mo Xuanli was just about to nod, but Jingzhan cut in: “Let’s discuss this first.” He pushed everyone outside.
“Why do I feel like we’re on the losing side here, completely played by that brat?” Jingzhan muttered in frustration. “Tell me, Xuanli, were you about to just nod along? Don’t you think it’s dangerous? If we really swear a blood oath, then for three days we can’t leave Linxun Town. What if something happens then?”
“Saving people comes first. I fear the people of Linxun Town can’t hold out much longer,” Xie Qingrong said.
Mo Xuanli glanced at the little jade figure but said nothing.
Gu Baiqing, however, frowned slightly. The others didn’t know, but he did—that there was another hidden danger here. Hua En wanting them to stay was simply a ploy to harm them.
Unable to speak plainly, Gu Baiqing only said, “Hua En’s words can’t be trusted.”
“Then how do we undo the soul-control?” Jingzhan circled back to the real problem.
Just then, Three Bean strolled over from the front courtyard, leapt onto Gu Baiqing’s shoulder, and began licking his paw.
Mo Xuanli smiled faintly. “Well, here’s our solution.”
After all, he had steered Hua En into saying those things—how could he not have already considered what tricks Hua En might try and how he would counter them?
“Three Bean?” Even Gu Baiqing was momentarily caught off guard.
Three Bean only stared blankly at Mo Xuanli, face full of question marks.
Soon the group went back and made a deal with Hua En. Hua En and the three of them swore a blood oath. Only then did Hua En relax. “Quick, bring the person over. Once it’s done, let me go.”
As the others left the room, Hua En suddenly felt his head grow heavy, a wave of dizziness—but it passed quickly.
Meanwhile, the group stood at the doorway, watching as Three Bean strutted out from the main gate with feline elegance.
“All done?” Mo Xuanli stepped forward and scooped him up.
Three Bean, looking a bit tired, replied, “Of course. He’s not a real cultivator anyway—easy prey for my illusions.”
“Didn’t expect even without your master around, the contract beast could be this formidable. Impressive, impressive.” Jingzhan gave Three Bean a thumbs up.
“Enough. Let’s bring the person here,” Mo Xuanli said. “Three Bean, you keep watch.”
“Again me?” Three Bean protested.
“Relax, the barriers are set. Hua En can’t escape, and no one else can easily break in to rescue him. You watching is just for form’s sake,” Mo Xuanli reassured.
Only then did Three Bean lazily hop down and sprawl in a sunny spot to bask.
Jingzhan was about to pull Xie Qingrong along, but Xie Qingrong said, “I won’t go.”
“What, still mad about earlier? I was joking.” Jingzhan grinned, the bruise around one of his eyes not yet faded.
“They still don’t know how they feel about the immortal statue. If they see me and their anger flares, what if they smash me? Best I don’t go.” Xie Qingrong said calmly.
Jingzhan’s grin faltered slightly, then he forced a smile. “True enough, better avoid trouble. Then just stay here obediently, don’t wander. Being unable to see, if you bump into things, it won’t be good.”
The little jade figurine of Xie Qingrong ignored his banter, moving to sit beside Three Bean as if to sunbathe together.
Jingzhan called Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli along with a laugh.
As they walked, he said, “Let’s hurry and come up with some lines. We’ll need to explain things properly so the townsfolk obey and don’t cause trouble.”
Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing both looked at him in silence.
Jingzhan blinked. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? Suddenly dazzled by my peerless looks?”
Gu Baiqing turned to Mo Xuanli. Mo Xuanli just shook his head with a smile. “Jingzhan, you and Xie Qingrong really are good brothers.”
Jingzhan’s light steps faltered, but then he laughed in sudden clarity. “Yes. Because we’re good brothers—whatever a brother has to do, how could I not support him unconditionally? Don’t make things hard for me.”
Some things, it seemed, were already understood without words.
“We won’t make it hard for you. Just don’t regret it when the time comes,” Gu Baiqing said flatly. He too had noticed Xie Qingrong wanted to stay behind alone, and when Hua En spoke of the blood oath earlier, Xie Qingrong’s reason for agreeing was indeed partly for the townsfolk, but also because he wanted the three of them bound within Linxun Town. After all, he himself didn’t need to take the oath and could move in and out freely.
Jingzhan’s expression grew serious. “I won’t give myself a chance to regret.” Then his grin returned. “But shouldn’t you two fill me in? There’s someone behind Hua En? Hua En is a dead man’s puppet? But then, where are the control strings? Why didn’t I see them?”
“Maybe the strings of a truly skilled puppeteer are simply too hard to see. Or perhaps corpse-control doesn’t require puppet strings at all. After all, we don’t know much about the most advanced puppet arts,” Mo Xuanli said calmly.
On the way, Mo Xuanli answered Jingzhan’s many questions. By the time they found the town’s steward, Jingzhan had fallen completely silent.
Now came the task of convincing the townsfolk: saying they were wandering Daoists who had received instructions from an immortal. For those undergoing trials, if they regretted it and no longer wished to risk themselves, the immortal was willing to give them another choice. Once they chose to abandon the trial, they would be restored.
This was the story they had come up with from the start, when planning to capture Hua En. By now, the people under soul-control looked utterly drained, their life force sucked away, haggard to the bone. Anyone with eyes could see they were on the verge of collapse.
But what no one expected was that the hardest step was waiting right here.
Sometimes, truly, the human heart is the hardest to fathom.
Some people cautiously expressed disbelief, insisting it was a blessing, not a trial. Others were stubborn, claiming they were willing to endure the trial, even going so far as to say they represented the will of the puppeteer—as if they had actually asked for his consent.
In the end, fewer than half were willing to come forward to be freed. Among them, the Zhou family’s young miss and that shameless scholar were both forcibly dragged over by the Zhou family. Though they had never believed in the immortals, they were still the first willing to try.
Jingzhan took them in first, and soon enough, a restored Miss Zhou walked back out. As for the shameless scholar, the Zhou family immediately dragged him away for punishment.
When people saw Miss Zhou recover, belief slowly spread.
Yet there were still those who clung to their views. Some even jumped out to accuse them, saying they only wanted to monopolize the immortals’ blessing, so they were deliberately deceiving the others into removing it.
Gu Baiqing and the others were helpless, only thankful that they hadn’t outright denied the immortal statues from the very beginning by saying for sure people would die. Otherwise, given these people’s way of thinking, they probably wouldn’t have believed a single word.
But at this point, another group of people emerged—those who had already agreed to be freed. They also joined in persuading the rest. Whatever their motives, it was hard to say.
In the end, whether willing or unwilling, everyone was freed from soul control.
The last to leave was the woman whose husband was always absent from home. She glared at them viciously, eyes full of resentment, only to be slapped hard by her own husband. “Wretch, how dare you endanger me!”
Jingzhan immediately drew his sword and threatened the man. “The immortals are watching. Mind yourself in the future.”
“We don’t need your false kindness.” The woman snapped back with venom.
The man dared not lash out, only muttered curses as he dragged her home.
Gu Baiqing felt uneasy under the woman’s resentful stare, until Mo Xuanli said, “Brother, don’t take it to heart. At least we saved their lives. This world is like this—doing good doesn’t guarantee gratitude. And besides, we didn’t act for their thanks in the first place.”
Gu Baiqing couldn’t help but laugh. These words sounded just like the ones written in the original text, when the master consoled his disciple who was once enraged by the people’s ingratitude, declaring that human nature was rotten and not worth saving. But now…
“So, you’re the one lecturing me now?” Gu Baiqing said with a smile.
Mo Xuanli blinked in surprise. Why was Master suddenly in such a good mood?
Of course, Gu Baiqing was happy—those fated to die were now alive. How could he not be?
“Where’s Xie Qingrong?” Jingzhan’s voice suddenly called from ahead.
Wu Hongxi replied, “He went to see Uncle Zhu.”
Jingzhan, who had been watching the little jade figure sunbathing earlier, grew anxious when he realized it had disappeared. He turned and ran toward the guest room where Zhu Jian was staying.
“Why are you here?” Gu Baiqing asked Wu Hongxi, who was stroking Three Bean’s fur.
Wu Hongxi hurriedly explained: “Earlier, when I was escorting Sister Lan back to rest, she suddenly went into a frenzy, insisting she had to see Hua En. I had no choice but to bring her over. I asked Young Master Xie, and he said it was fine to let Sister Lan inside, so I…”
Gu Baiqing nodded. It was indeed fine. With the barrier in place, so long as Lu Sulan wasn’t foolish enough to damage the spell inscriptions, she was safe. Besides, ordinary mortals couldn’t usually break such wards.
“Brother, let’s go take a look,” Mo Xuanli suggested. The two of them walked toward the door, and Wu Hongxi, curious as well, followed along.
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