Chapter 1572: Research in the Deep Waters

Was this an unknown demon, or a modified demon puppet? In any case, it seemed the bat's mission was to prevent any creature from approaching the mountain cellar.

Tian Yun grew increasingly interested. However, he no longer sent the beetles to their deaths; instead, he had them lurk among the branches and leaves.

"Why are you sweating, Mr. Tian?" He Lingchuan asked, surprised. "Is this stewed fish too spicy?"The maid nearby quickly offered a warm, damp towel. Tian Yun took it to wipe his sweat, remarking casually, "Yes, I can't handle much spice."

It was truly difficult for him to simultaneously divert his attention to controlling the beetles to monitor the green door while also engaging in casual conversation with He Lingchuan and Fan Shuang. The beetles strongly resisted approaching the green door; he had to forcefully drive them. Dividing his attention like this, he felt somewhat fatigued after just half an hour. He scoffed inwardly, wondering if anyone else in the world could control so many insect puppets at once.

Fortunately, his wait paid off. As soon as the meal ended, the green door of the mountain cellar suddenly opened from within, and a person stepped out. The person had an unremarkable face and disheveled hair; if they were on the street, they would surely be lost in the crowd—a standard "one-glance-and-forget" type. However, the ghost-faced monkey was perched on their shoulder, appearing quiet and well-behaved. Furthermore, this person's skin was somewhat pale, as if they hadn't seen daylight for years. Tian Yun wondered if this was his second target, Wei Yishan.

The person slowly walked out a few dozen feet, and a grey shadow flashed through the forest, darting into their arms. Tian Yun knew it was the bat. It seemed this was the master of the ghost-faced monkey and the bat. The person stretched and walked away into the distance.

Tian Yun desperately wanted to send the beetles to continue tracking, but to his frustration, the person had already walked out of the beetles' operational range! The operational radius of these insect puppets was within a few miles centered around Tian Yun. Once they exceeded that, they would no longer be under his control. But he was currently with He Lingchuan and couldn't rush over to expand the beetles' search radius. Damn it! He couldn't show his frustration, though; he even had to praise the rare deliciousness of the manor's food.

It seemed he would need to leave a hook for his next visit and search. So Tian Yun asked, "In a few days, I might acquire another batch of dark crystals. Will Island Master He still accept them?""Yes," He Lingchuan replied with a smile. "The price will be at market rate; we can discuss it then.""Alright."

Only then did Tian Yun, carrying a substantial sum, bid farewell and leave. He Lingchuan insisted on seeing him off, so before boarding his carriage, Tian Yun feigned a stumble, placing his hand on the ground. This allowed him to retrieve the pinecones buried in the soil. By this time, most of the beetles had returned to the pinecones, including the one his apprentice had recently lost at Springing Fountain Manor. Watching his carriage depart, He Lingchuan gave Wan Qiliang a look. The latter understood and quietly followed.

After Tian Yun left Springing Fountain Manor, He Lingchuan asked Fan Shuang about him, then mused, "You only met him yesterday?"Fan Shuang looked a little embarrassed. "I also felt his request was a bit presumptuous, but he had so many good dark crystals, and I heard you've been acquiring them recently, so..."He Lingchuan, understanding Fan Shuang's good intentions, patted his shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm very satisfied with this batch of dark crystals for 700,000 *liang*!" Fan Shuang's original task was to introduce various people to him. Tian Yun had merely exploited this.He Lingchuan casually asked, "By the way, how many plots of land are left in your family's estate?""Two of the best plots in the Upper Lake District remain," Fan Shuang replied, shaking his head. "I wanted to sell them, but my family strongly objected, so I had to give up."He Lingchuan understood his thoughts clearly but still said, "No matter. Moderation is key."

After Fan Shuang also left Springing Fountain Manor, Dong Rui coincidentally emerged from the mountain cellar. "I heard you dug up some good wine today? Get me a jar!"He Lingchuan immediately had someone bring him a jar of apricot wine. "How many days have you been without sleep again?"Dong Rui was unshaven, his face haggard, with dark circles under his eyes. An unknowing person might have thought he had spent three days and nights at the Cui Xiang Brothel to end up looking so utterly exhausted."Three or four days? No, four or five days." Dong Rui scratched his head, sending flakes of dandruff flying. He Lingchuan recoiled a step in disgust. "Oh, six or seven days, six or seven days!" He lost track of time in the cellar.

"Take it easy; a storm is brewing in Tianshui City." He Lingchuan didn't want Dong Rui to look so utterly drained before the changes arrived."I won't forget, but isn't it not time yet?" Dong Rui said, pointing at the wine jar. "Just give me a bowl now to relieve my fatigue." He urgently needed a drink to relax.

He Lingchuan casually poured him a bowl of wine. Its color was like amber, with a faint fruity aroma and a mellow, non-spicy taste. The wine was incredibly smooth. Dong Rui gulped down three bowls consecutively before setting down the bowl and letting out a long "Ah, refreshing!" The previous owner of Springing Fountain Manor hadn't been very successful in business, but they certainly had a knack for brewing wine.

As the client, He Lingchuan's primary concern at this moment was naturally not Dong Rui's health, but his research. "After so many days in seclusion, what have you accomplished?""Previously, Xiao An would revert to her *tongchi* form when her emotions flared. Do you know when the *tongchi* would transform back into Xiao An?"He Lingchuan shook his head. He had enough problems to worry about; he wasn't going to ponder such specialized topics."When its body was on the verge of collapse."He Lingchuan keenly grasped the key point: "You mean the *tongchi* couldn't maintain its own body and needed to borrow Xiao An's strength?""Exactly! I found that the *tongchi*'s body had been modified by divine blood; it's also a demon puppet," Dong Rui stated, his expression serious. "All demon puppets face issues of unstable bodies and short lifespans."

"Ever since Xiao An found her birth village, her body has become relatively stable. Only by using my methods to fortify it can her lifespan be extended." He slowly sipped his fourth bowl of wine. "I've found that her primordial consciousness and the *tongchi*'s are merging, which indicates her divine soul is naturally powerful."He emphasized again, "A power I've never witnessed before.""So what?""I want to try and see if this modification process is reversible." Dong Rui's eyes lit up whenever he talked about experiments, yet his face remained ashen, making him look particularly strange. "I've wanted to do this kind of experiment for a long time, but all the demon puppets I've handled had too weak soul power!"

"Wait, what does 'reversible' mean?" He Lingchuan could only understand it literally. "Do you mean you want to remove the power of the divine blood?""Exactly!" Dong Rui rubbed his eyes. "The *tongchi* is a shapeshifter, but I've been with Xiao An for over half a month and have never seen its third form. If I can change it back, its hidden danger might disappear.""Change a demon puppet back into a demon?" He Lingchuan asked, surprised. "Can that really be done?"

"Even if it can't transform back into a demon, it can at least weaken the influence of the divine blood," Dong Rui immediately said. "I originally used this method on Subject 66, and so far, it's been very smooth." Subject 66 was the child-devouring *chili* beast He Lingchuan had given him. This creature came from He Jing, the Heavenly Palace's Cloud Emissary, who had released several child-devouring *gui* beasts in the Coiling Dragon Illusion. Only this one hadn't responded and was intercepted by He Lingchuan. After Dong Rui obtained it, he discovered that Subject 66 had been in a deep sleep due to extreme weakness. Instinctively, it had refused He Jing's command to fight. The solution he had proposed at the time was to extract the effects of the divine blood, allowing Subject 66 to return to its original state and stabilize its body. But that was because Subject 66 had reverted from a juvenile form to an infant state, transforming back into an egg. But for an individual like Xiao An, could the divine blood still be stripped away?

Dong Rui continued, "But the success with Subject 66 seemed to be a flash in the pan. I conducted dozens more experiments afterward, but I couldn't replicate it. It wasn't until we found the Ghost King's Catacomb in Howling Forest that I discovered True Lord Minghui was also conducting similar research. Although he destroyed the paper records, the remains of the experimental subjects he discarded in the landfill gave me great inspiration."True Lord Minghui was also doing this research? Why?"If you succeed, what will happen?"

"This *tongchi*'s soul has long been gone, and its primordial consciousness has deeply merged with Xiao An's. If I reverse this modification process, the *tongchi* might regain its original talents," Dong Rui emphasized. "There's a problem here: a human soul cannot adapt to a demon's body. This is an unbreakable law of heaven and earth. No one can violate it. But the *tongchi* is very special; when it transforms into a human, it's almost entirely human. Xiao An's 'father' exploited this very point.""Wait a minute!" He Lingchuan caught the problem. "If your modification succeeds and the *tongchi* transforms into the form of another animal or demon, can Xiao An still control it?""That's exactly what I want to find out!" Dong Rui's speech quickened. "Logically, no. Otherwise, why would Xiao An hide whenever the *tongchi* reverted to its true form? She avoided the laws of heaven and earth in another way."

He Lingchuan snapped, "What's the point of this research anyway?" Other demon puppeteers were researching how to create demon puppets, yet True Lord Minghui and Dong Rui were starting to research how to turn demon puppets back into demons. Were these guys just bored out of their minds?"Of course there is," Dong Rui said seriously. "This is actually about the 'golden ratio' for divine blood to take effect—ah, but you wouldn't understand even if I explained it more." Their conversations about demon puppets usually ended with that line.

Dong Rui yawned. "Subject 66 has been restless every night recently. Hey, is it nighttime?" The last few words were directed at the ghost ape. He himself lived a nocturnal life and had long lost track of time.The ghost ape bared its teeth and nodded. It, too, was bothered by the commotion and had dark circles under its eyes, but with all the fur on its face, others couldn't tell.

"I've been watching it every day; it's exhausting.""Even a brooding hen doesn't fuss as much as you do," He Lingchuan said, taking out a box of winter melon candy and savory meat shortbread. "It's about to emerge, isn't it?""Yes, the fruit is ripe, the egg is ready to hatch. It just needs a catalyst," Dong Rui said, immediately grabbing a piece of shortbread to eat. "How are things on your end? Have those plots of land in the Upper Lake District sold?""Two plots are still left," He Lingchuan said, having his own considerations. "Selling all of them would attract too much attention."