Chapter 1117: Don't Get Angry
"This... this is it..."
Bohemia managed to utter just three words but had already bitten her tongue twice. In the wilderness of the mountains and forests tonight, besides the rustling sound of the wind, there were only the low voices of a few people. The surroundings were so quiet that it felt like everything could vanish into thin air in a moment.
Perhaps for this reason, the oppressive feeling brought by Puppeteer became even heavier, making people afraid to breathe loudly.
"Like this... wrapped around the neck..."
Bohemia gestured with empty hands, circling her own neck, and then made a symbolic knot in the air. One of the puppets immediately picked up the ribbon she had handed over and gently wrapped it around Puppeteer's neck. After it was tied, Bohemia, with a mournful expression, crawled over on her knees, carefully picking up the other end of the ribbon.
"You better be careful," Puppeteer glanced at her from under the shadow of his black hair, his tone so calm that it made her tremble.
Lin Sanjiu held Dr. Hu in her arms, looking at the scene before her, still finding it hard to believe that she wasn't dreaming. Was it really happening? Was Magus going to be saved? And Puppeteer was actually willing to let Bohemia bring him into the Astral Plane?
Most importantly, Gong Daoyi...
When those three words surfaced in her mind, her heart sank into an abyss.
It should be fine, she thought to herself. Gong Daoyi was not an easy person to deal with; he could be described as a nightmare. Similarly, Puppeteer would never willingly use someone else for revenge. But at least she could do her best to help Magus find a way to summon Gong Daoyi into this world.
Due to the urgency, Magus didn't go into the details of the plan, only giving a rough outline. Even so, the negotiation with Puppeteer took too long, and she could even feel Magus's consciousness slowly melting away in trembling. So as soon as it was over, Lin Sanjiu hurriedly asked Bohemia to send both her and Magus back to the Astral Plane.
In doing so, not only could she help Magus break free from the erosion as soon as possible, but she could also warn the grand prize that Puppeteer was about to come in—just in case they could bid farewell properly. She knew the grand prize wouldn't be harmed now, but she didn't want him to be frightened.
Although Ji Shanqing and Puppeteer couldn't stand each other, it had to be said that Ji Shanqing truly understood Puppeteer's personality. Faced with Bohemia, who was trembling in fear and wished she could disappear on the spot, Puppeteer indeed had a bit more trust in her. Just as the grand prize had said, he knew that Bohemia was too scared to lie.
"It's a bit complicated," Dr. Hu raised his small head from her arms, "So, from now on, that woman will live inside Puppeteer's mind? Will it change his appearance to look like hers too?"
That would be too terrifying. "Fortunately, no."
"What about the exchange condition?"
"To check if he has the potential to develop consciousness and to bring someone he has been looking for."
"It's really rare. He actually feels at ease." Dr. Hu nodded, thought for a while, and then said, "To make Puppeteer yearn for someone he has been searching for... it must not be a good thing. Oh no, please don't tell me."
She couldn't say that. Lin Sanjiu hurriedly changed the topic, feeling flustered, "Um... I noticed that you look a lot like a friend of mine."
"What breed? I don't like Persian cats with noses that look like they've been punched into their faces." Cats were indeed a species that could be easily distracted.
"Persian? Ah, no, not a cat—how many cats in the world would look like you?" Lin Sanjiu smiled wryly, "It's a person... Although they belong to different species, when I think about it carefully, you do resemble each other a bit. It might be because of the same eye color."
After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "Next time, I'll take you to the Twelve Worlds Centrum to meet him. He's popular among girls, you know."
"I'm quite popular with people," Dr. Hu boasted with an air of 'I won.'
The two puppets stood motionless in the darkness, and the two bodies lay motionless on the ground. Whoever saw this scene would probably find it eerie. Fortunately, they could still chat casually with Meowie Hu. Lin Sanjiu felt the warmth in her arms and her mood unknowingly became lighter. Just then, she suddenly heard Bohemia, not far away, take a low breath.
"You're awake!" Her eyes brightened, and she walked a few steps, holding the cat in her arms. "You're awake... How did it go? Is everything going smoothly?"
Bohemia blinked dazedly as if she couldn't believe she had returned intact. "It... it went... surprisingly well. I thought this plan was too chaotic, but it went smoothly." She rubbed her temples and slowly got up. "Magus should already be—"
"Right here."
With the same sinister voice as before, Puppeteer suddenly startled both of them. Lin Sanjiu turned her head and saw Puppeteer sitting up from the ground—his pale fingers, devoid of any color, pierced through his black hair and pressed against his temple as he spoke softly, "I heard her. She said she hasn't been eroded."
If one listened carefully, they could sense a hint of faint surprise mixed in his cold and deep voice—perhaps this was indeed a very strange state for him.
Somehow, Lin Sanjiu felt like laughing. "Isn't it amusing? This feeling?"
However, the surprise only lasted for a few seconds. When Puppeteer stood up, it turned into slight impatience and irritation. He raised his hand and threw the ribbon back to Bohemia, saying calmly, "Amusing? It feels more like a split personality."
"I agreed, but that doesn't mean I like this situation." His voice was composed, and his gaze swept back and forth on Lin Sanjiu, like a rain wrapped in ice shards that drenched her with clarity. "Although I lack consciousness, I still have absolute control over my own brain. You better remember your promise and find this woman's body for me as soon as possible."
Lin Sanjiu didn't know what Magus said at this point, but Puppeteer fell silent for a while.
"What did she say?" Lin Sanjiu leaned over and hurriedly asked.
Puppeteer glanced at her with the corner of his eye, as if considering it a waste of his gaze to look at her directly, and suddenly smiled gently. "Do you expect me to be your mouthpiece?"
She didn't expect that.
Lin Sanjiu deflated, but Puppeteer remained silent for a while longer. She was surprised when she realized that Puppeteer had noticed when she was listening to Magus earlier. Unexpectedly, she could also quickly perceive when Magus was speaking, as she was already aware that Magus was there.
"Well, you can at least tell us about Magus's plan. We want to help too," she didn't dare to say that she wanted to help at this critical moment and included Dr. Hu and Bohemia—both of them closed their mouths, silently staring at her with their gazes intense. "I remember Magus mentioned that she needs something to summon Gong Daoyi, but I'm still not sure about the specifics of the summoning process."
Puppeteer didn't say a word but simply raised his hand and lightly waved it. The two puppets carrying the bed immediately approached and lowered themselves to him. He stepped onto the bed, sat down, and then calmly said, "Follow me."
"We have to keep going?" Lin Sanjiu could even see Bohemia's face collapse instantly from the corner of her eye. "Um, where are you planning to go?"
"There's something she needs that I think can be found at my destination." Puppeteer seemed to be pondering something. Rather than answering Lin Sanjiu's question, he seemed more like talking to himself.
Since he said so, they had no choice but to move forward. Lin Sanjiu picked up the cat and beckoned to Bohemia, asking, "What does Magus need to summon Gong Daoyi? How does she summon him?"
As if he hadn't heard her, Puppeteer remained silent, not uttering a word even as she craned her neck and waited for half a minute. Instead, Bohemia secretly approached and tugged at her sleeve. "Hey, I know."
"You?"
"Why do you seem to look down on people?" Bohemia became displeased, raising an eyebrow. "When we were in the Astral Plane, Magus asked me to tell you. She said that once she enters him... there probably won't be many chances for her to speak to you."
How farsighted she was.
"Oh, by the way, did the grand prize help you restore the corresponding conditions?" Lin Sanjiu suddenly remembered this matter, feeling that it was even more urgent than Magus's plan. "Hasn't he already finished analyzing it?"
"There wasn't enough time." Bohemia became even more displeased. "He left a trace of consciousness for me, so we can use it to call him when we enter the Astral Plane next time."
So, he also knew about this method of communication? She had used this method before, coincidentally when she was about to part from J7.
In any case, things were finally resolved quite satisfactorily. She saw the grand prize, rescued Magus, had hope of finding Gong Daoyi, and returned Bohemia's Potential Growth Value. She even managed to salvage some remaining Pig Eyes' consciousness. Most importantly, Puppeteer cooperated throughout the process without getting angry and walking away.
Perhaps she was indeed as Dr. Hu said, only able to feel her existence through her connection with others...
This mindset might not be completely healthy, but it made her feel genuinely happy.
As Lin Sanjiu's thoughts drifted further away, she heard Puppeteer's cold laughter from ahead. "You're too slow. Let me help you."
In the next moment, her world suddenly flipped upside down, her vision spinning. It felt as if she had been forcibly torn away from the gravity of the Earth by a powerful force—
It seemed that saying Puppeteer hadn't been angry the entire time was premature.