Chapter 147 – The Savior Organization Intervenes

Meanwhile, Mu Lin left Master Meng Rui’s courtyard with a substantial haul.

In a sealed basement in Anping City, Zuo Li of the Savior Organization, also known as the Salvation Society, contacted his leader through an oil lamp and reported everything that had happened here.

“Has the prophecy changed?”

Upon hearing the report, the leader—whose figure could not be seen and whose voice was indistinguishable—showed no panic. He/she seemed to have anticipated this and instead reassured Zuo Li’s anxious state.

“No need to panic or worry. The future holds countless possibilities, and not all of my prophecies are necessarily correct.”

“Moreover, it has been nine months since I observed the future and founded the Salvation Society. During this time, we have done much and prevented countless tragedies. However, because of this, the fate of the future has also been altered by us. It is only natural that the present deviates from my observations.”

Hearing this, Zuo Li indeed breathed a sigh of relief, but soon, he thought of something and asked, “Sir, what about Qin Yuan? Without Flower and Butterfly, should we still cooperate with him?”

“Continue… His talent is exceptional. He will undoubtedly become a Puppet Master in the future. With him and his puppets aiding us, our tasks will be much easier. Moreover, he harbors a deep-seated hatred for the Night Demon. Without needing persuasion, he will fight the Evil Spirits to the death. He is a hero.”

At this point, the unknown voice paused briefly before continuing, “Flower and Butterfly are crucial to Qin Yuan and must not be lost. Later, go and persuade Master Meng Rui to retrieve Flower and Butterfly from that Mu Lin and hand them over to Qin Yuan.”

“Uh…”

These words caused a flicker of hesitation in Zuo Li’s expression, not because he was unwilling to carry out the task, but because: “Sir, Master Meng Rui may not necessarily listen to us.”

“Heh…”

Laughing softly, the unknown voice replied with full confidence, “She will listen. Once you inform her of Qin Yuan’s future achievements, that shrewd woman will make the most appropriate choice.”

This response made Zuo Li realize something.

“Informing her of the future… The leader is wise. This is indeed a good method.”

Upon learning that she would have a Master Grade disciple in the future, and that this disciple would help her complete her final masterpiece, Zuo Li couldn’t think of any reason why Master Meng Rui would refuse to hand over the Puppet Twins Flower and Butterfly to Qin Yuan after hearing such news.

…

Zuo Li acted with swift decisiveness.

After receiving the leader’s command, he returned to visit Master Meng Rui in a very short time.

At this moment, Mu Lin had just left not long ago, and Master Meng Rui’s emotions were still stirred.

“Our Puppetry Art lineage has always been labeled by the orthodox sects as a Heterodox Path. Although we haven’t faced overt suppression and remain quite popular among the lower ranks, neither true powerhouses nor the legitimate heirs of noble families hold the art of puppetry in high regard.”

Meng Rui knew the reason behind this situation in the puppet lineage.

Focusing on cultivating puppets rather than the soul and body meant that the puppet lineage had many practitioners in the middle and lower ranks. Relying on puppets for combat, their fighting prowess was not weak.

However, this situation came to an abrupt halt upon reaching the Mortal Shedding Realm.

First, neglecting physical cultivation made it several times more difficult for Puppet Masters to advance to the Mortal Shedding Realm compared to others.

Moreover, the higher the realm, the fewer Puppet Masters there were.

Second, materials were hard to come by.

A powerful puppet inevitably requires exceptional materials to forge.

Yet, such materials are undoubtedly exorbitantly expensive.

Just look at her, a Master, still scraping together Spirit Stones every day—it shows how terrifying the cost of crafting high-level puppets truly is.

Well, this is also related to her desire to forge a super puppet to aid her own advancement.

In any case, from the perspective of orthodox major sects, the Puppet Master’s path has limited prospects, merely a minor, unorthodox art.

Master Meng Rui had actually accepted this assessment.

  But Mu Lin’s existence allowed her to see a new dawn.

“With just a few strokes of the brush, he can elevate talismans to Master level; a single moment of enlightenment can refine a Cultivation Method.”

“Mu Lin’s Spirit Root Talent may not be the very best, but his comprehension is absolutely top-tier. After Condensing Gang and Refining Sha, comprehension will become more important than Spirit Root. With him, our Puppet Master lineage could also produce a Celestial Master, even a True Lord. And then, the ceiling of our Puppet Master lineage would be raised…”

One person elevating the ceiling of an entire school—such a thing may seem impossible, but in this world where great power resides within the individual, it has happened several times.

Those so-called renowned orthodox sects, the three thousand righteous paths, were all pioneered by individuals of outstanding talent, with later generations broadening the way.

Meng Rui did not have the ability to open a new path, but she certainly had the ability to follow those who did.

The beautiful future made Meng Rui dream, but soon, her mood turned somber.

“Although Mu Lin’s talent is excellent, he is unwilling to walk the Puppet Master path…”

“I must find a way to make him switch paths, and without angering him…”

Frowning, Master Meng Rui pondered deeply.

Before she could think of a solution, Zuo Li arrived.

“I remember you, Qin Yuan’s friend. What brings you here?”

Unable to find a solution and feeling troubled, Master Meng Rui’s voice carried a hint of coolness.

This attitude made Zuo Li narrow his eyes slightly.

“She has worries, is in a bad mood. This might not be the best time… No, not necessarily.”

Thinking of his leader’s prophetic ability and Qin Yuan’s future, his confidence soon grew.

“Indeed, and it’s good news… Master, you must have sensed the changes in the world as well.”

These words made Master Meng Rui’s heart skip a beat, and her previously languid, half-reclining posture on the bed straightened.

“Who are you?”

“The Saviors Organization.”

“Saviors, hmph, quite the boast. If the world truly faces a crisis, it will be Mount Longhu, Yuqing, Shangqing, and the Great Brightness Temple standing at the forefront. What does that have to do with you…”

Zuo Li: “When the world faces a crisis, all of us born into it are in danger, so naturally it concerns us as well.”

Without waiting for Master Meng Rui to respond, Zuo Li preemptively continued: “Master, let’s not waste time testing each other. To be frank, our leader possesses the ability to foresee the future. He has witnessed the terrifying scene of the Great Spirit Imperial Dynasty’s collapse and Anomaly Evil running rampant everywhere. Concerned for the world and unwilling to see it fall into ruin, our leader founded the Saviors Organization to save the world.”

As Zuo Li spoke, he noticed that Master Meng Rui showed no sign of belief whatsoever.

Zuo Li was not surprised by this; having ventured out on missions, he had encountered this situation several times and knew how to handle it.

“Master, you too were within our leader’s prediction. He/she witnessed with their own eyes that you were crafting a puppet named ‘Final Creation’ for your own advancement.”

At this point, Zuo Li smiled mysteriously and said, “You succeeded, with the help of one person. As for who that person is, I think you know very well…”

Before he could finish, a name burst from Master Meng Rui’s lips: “Mu Lin!”

“Uh…”

PS: Some matters came up today, so the update might be a bit shorter.

(End of Chapter)