Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

Looking at the faces below the stage that were outwardly compliant but inwardly perfunctory, Cui Ming sighed inwardly.

He had not been unaware of this scene.

History has evolved in a way that cannot be changed by one or two people or by one or two meetings.

Unless one personally experiences an extremely painful lesson, it is impossible to wake up those who are pretending to be asleep.

Cui Ming understood that only when the bloodshed reached its peak would there be any hope of changing the perceptions of most people.

Despite his reluctance, Cui Ming understood that some paths cannot be forced.

He stopped trying to persuade them and instead left the matter of the alliance to the old sect leader Tang Bingwen, Old Master Meng, and Daoist Yunlong for further discussions.

The meeting gradually drew to a close in this atmosphere of superficial consensus but with each party harboring their own agenda.

Representatives from various factions rose one after another, exchanging pleasantries, but the focus of their discussions was more on the mechanical creations and energy systems of the Divine Machine Alliance.

Even regarding the intelligence gathering capabilities just demonstrated, there was very little discussion about how to coordinate the annihilation of the Japanese invaders.

Cui Ming stopped paying attention to these things, turned around and left the venue, having already made up his mind.

Chapter 130 Lü Ren's Choice

As the commotion subsided after the conference, the Shenji Baiqiao Building returned to its usual order.

Cui Ming stood by the window, looking down at the town that was gradually returning to calm, somewhat lost in thought.

Although he had anticipated the setback in his proposal to form a special forces team, he still felt a sense of powerlessness after experiencing it firsthand.

Placing one's hopes on others is ultimately futile, which only strengthened his resolve.

We must rely on ourselves to build a team that is completely obedient to us.

Whether it's further developing half-human puppets and human puppets to fill the team, or selecting suitable people from the True Ones for specialized training, both are good options.

Just as he was deep in thought, an announcement came from outside the door.

It turned out that Lü Ren had come to visit with Lü Ci, Wang Ai, and others.

Cui Ming was slightly surprised, and immediately ordered someone to invite them in.

Lu Ren remained smiling and composed, and he got straight to the point.

"Master Cui, at this grand gathering, with so many people and so many opinions, it's not appropriate to discuss certain things in detail."

"I am here today to discuss with you, Master, the matter of forming a special forces team."

Cui Ming invited them to sit down, responding calmly.

"Young Master Lü, please feel free to ask any questions you may have."

Lu Ren suppressed his smile and said seriously.

"To be honest, Master Cui, I wholeheartedly agree with your suggestion to form a special team of superhumans to deal with the Japanese."

"Looking at the current world of supernatural beings in the East, the only one who has ever had a head-on confrontation with a well-organized Japanese supernatural force and achieved a complete victory is probably you, Master Cui."

Lu Ren suddenly paused, as if he had thought of something, and a helpless look appeared on his face.

"As for Senior Brother Zhang Zhiwei of the Celestial Master's Mansion... his strength is undoubtedly extraordinary, truly deserving of the title of Celestial Daoist."

"But the answers you get from asking him for advice on how to deal with this are probably not worth learning from."

After speaking, Lü Ren imitated Zhang Zhiwei's lazy tone.

"Huh? What squad? Can't we just take care of them all with one slap?"

After saying that, Lü Ren sighed.

"In Senior Brother Zhang's eyes, these people are probably nothing more than clay chickens and earthen dogs."

"The gap between the two sides is too large, so it loses its reference value."

Lü Ren shook his head.

"Therefore, I believe that only someone like Master Cui, who can see the big picture and pay attention to tactical details, can more clearly assess the true threat level of those Japanese supernatural beings and propose effective countermeasures."

Cui Ming looked at Lü Ren with some surprise.

He originally thought his suggestion would be ignored, so he decided not to force the issue and focus on the path of mechanical puppets.

Unexpectedly, the eldest son of the Lü family had such insight, and he even came to verify it after the meeting.

Since the other party was sincere, Cui Ming no longer held back.

Cui Ming combined his experience fighting the Japanese special forces team with the intelligence he had gleaned from the prisoners' minds and gave Lü Ren a detailed analysis of their team composition.

"Their squad configuration is very sophisticated, usually a combination of long-range and short-range units."

"They include ninjas skilled in surprise attacks and assassinations, Onmyoji or archers responsible for long-range support, and ronin holding the line at the front, etc... But the most crucial ones are some guys whose roles are unclear but whose presence is very strong."

"These guys are basically from the Curse Binding Society. Each of them has strange abilities that are impossible to defend against. In fact, their entire team is built up by them."

"If we cannot deal with them with swift and decisive measures to inflict casualties, the battle will reach a stalemate."

"What they excel at most is this kind of attrition warfare between small teams. Once the opponent shows signs of fatigue and weakness, they will relentlessly press forward like a pack of wolves until the target collapses."

"What's even more troublesome is that their squads are often equipped with medics, which greatly enhances the team's ability to fight continuously and survive."

Cui Ming meticulously explained the advantages and disadvantages of the Japanese special forces' combat tactics to Lü Ren, as if reciting a familiar story.

Lu Ren listened intently, his expression growing increasingly grave.

He had some doubts about Cui Ming's intelligence, but after hearing such a detailed and logical analysis, his last doubts vanished.

Lu Ren couldn't help but recall that, apart from a few top sects such as the Shangqing Sect, the Celestial Master's Mansion, and the Puji Temple, everyone else in the meeting room looked solemn.

The perfunctory, even indifferent, attitude of the other sects immediately made sense to him.

He looked at Cui Ming and couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy and understanding.

It is perfectly normal for Cui Ming to feel disappointed and even disheartened when faced with a group of compatriots who are indulging in past glories and turning a blind eye to the impending danger.

After a moment of silence, a resolute glint flashed in Lü Ren's eyes.

He raised his head and looked at Cui Ming with a firm gaze.

"Master Cui, I believe you!"

"We not only trust your intelligence, but also your judgment."

"My Lü family is willing to participate in the special forces team formation plan you mentioned."

Upon hearing this, not only did Cui Ming raise an eyebrow slightly, but even Lü Ci, who was sitting next to Lü Ren, turned his head sharply, his face filled with astonishment.

Ignoring his brother's surprised look, Lü Ren continued speaking.

"Not only that, I will also do my best to persuade the Wang family to send people to participate as well."

"Even if we cannot achieve in-depth cooperation for the time being, it is still good to send a few disciples to the Divine Machine Alliance to learn and exchange ideas and establish a good relationship."

Lu Ren's gaze swept across the modern buildings and facilities of the Divine Machine Alliance outside the window, his tone tinged with a touch of emotion.

"The novelties displayed by the Divine Machine Alliance, as well as your foresight and wisdom, Master Cui, make me feel that befriending you would be beneficial to the future of the Lü family."

Lu Ren then pointed to Lu Ci and Wang Ai, who were staring wide-eyed beside him, and said to Cui Ming.

"As for the first person sent by my Lü family, it is my younger brother Lü Ci."

“He is young and impetuous, and lacks experience. This is a good opportunity to let him follow Master Cui and the experts of the Divine Machine Alliance to hone his skills and broaden his horizons.”

Lu Ci opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to refute.

But under his brother's calm yet solemn gaze, he ultimately swallowed his words, though his expression was quite interesting.

"I...I'm willing to stay too! I believe in Brother Ren! Besides, it would be lonely for Brother Ci to stay here alone. I've been through thick and thin with Brother Ci!"

Upon hearing Lü Ren's words, Wang Ai responded hesitantly, but her voice became more confident and fluent as she spoke.

Cui Ming looked at Lü Ci and Wang Ai, who had been "packaged" together by Lü Ren, and then at Lü Ren's sincere face, his mind racing.

The support from the Lü and Wang families, especially Lü Ren's insight and judgment, was indeed an unexpected boost.

In the current situation, perhaps this can break the deadlock of all factions remaining in a wait-and-see mode...

Cui Ming nodded.

“Young Master Lü and Young Master Wang are both very righteous, and I admire them. Since the Lü and Wang families have shown such sincerity, the Divine Machine Alliance is naturally pleased to welcome them.”

"but..."

Cui Ming changed the subject, speaking with a hint of apology.

"The alliance affairs are likely to be complicated recently, especially regarding the possible subsequent actions of the Japanese aliens. We need to step up our defenses and reconnaissance. I'm afraid I won't be able to personally guide your younger brother for the time being."

Choi Ming looked at Yong En, who was waiting to be ordered to do something, and Gao Gen, who had come to report after completing Choi Ming's arrangements.

"Brother Lü Ci, since you're new here, why don't you follow Yong En and Gao Gen to get acquainted with the surroundings first?"

“Perfect timing. We have some activities planned for later, and we can let Brothers Lü Ci and Wang Ai participate for a while.”

Cui Ming smiled as he spoke to Lü Ren and the other two, and also introduced his two generals.

Lu Ren had no objection to this arrangement, knowing that Cui Ming's workload would inevitably increase significantly after this conference.

The goal was achieved by integrating Lü Ci into Cui Ming's core circle and exposing him to the operations of the Divine Machine Alliance.

Lü Ren then bowed.

“That’s very good. Then I’ll have to trouble Master Cui, Miss Yong’en, ​​and Brother Gao to take good care of my younger brother.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lü Ren prepared to take his leave with the others.

But just as Lü Ren stood up, Cui Ming suddenly spoke up again.

"Brother Lü!"

"Hmm? Does Hall Master Cui have any instructions?"

Lu Ren looked at Cui Ming with a puzzled expression.

"Why not stay a few more days in my Divine Machine Alliance? Soon, my Divine Machine Alliance will be holding a preliminary assessment meeting."

Lu Ren remained silent, but Lu Ci spoke instead.

"My brother still needs to help you... mmm..."