Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

Li Muxuan said.

"Most of them were taciturn, but their eyes were much clearer than when they were at the Medicine Immortal Gathering."

“There are a few with good potential. Miss Wei said that if they are properly nurtured, they may become successful in ten years.”

"Ten years..."

Cui Ming looked towards the distant mountains.

"But time waits for no one."

Li Muxuan remained silent.

A moment later, Cui Ming turned around.

"Let's go, next place."

"Yes."

The two people and one puppet walked north along the path.

……

On the seventh day of the tenth lunar month, at Puji Temple.

The stone steps in front of the mountain gate were wet from the autumn rain and turned bluish-black.

The monk in charge of receiving guests led Cui Ming inside, through two corridors, to the meditation room in the back courtyard.

The room smelled strongly of medicine.

A middle-aged monk lay on the bed, his left leg severed below the knee. The wound had healed, but his face was ashen.

He was Huiming, the head monk of the Dharma Hall of the Puji Temple. In the battle of the Black Pine Forest, he took three blows from Nikaido Eita in order to retrieve Huixin's body.

He finally forced his opponents back at the cost of a leg, and only survived with the help of several comrades.

"Donor Cui."

Huiming tried to sit up.

"Master, there's no need for such formalities."

Cui Ming stepped forward to help him up.

"How are your injuries?"

"The skin and flesh wounds are healed, but..."

Huiming looked at the empty trouser leg and gave a bitter smile.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to practice martial arts anymore."

The martial monks of the three Puji Temples have leg techniques as their foundation.

Huiming has been studying the "Diamond Leg" technique for over thirty years, but now that his leg is broken, most of his skills have been lost.

"This is the very reason I have come."

Cui Ming gestured for Li Muxuan to open his personal wooden box.

"I wonder if there are any quiet rooms in the temple?"

Huiming looked at the abbot beside him.

The abbot's eyes lit up when he heard Cui Ming talk about the treatment.

He immediately put his hands together and said anxiously.

“If Benefactor Cui can truly help Nephew Huiming resume his martial arts, he will be a benefactor of the Three Temples of Puji. Please come with this old monk.”

The quiet room was located on the ground floor of the library, with no windows on the four walls and only an oil lamp lit.

The procedure was similar to that at the Lü family's place, only the location was different.

Cui Ming implanted a nerve connection device at Hui Ming's severed leg, connecting it to Hui Ming's damaged nerves and meridians, and then installed an alloy leg bone and an outer bionic layer.

Two hours later, Huiming tried to stand up.

The metal foot slammed into the ground with a soft thud.

He took a slow step, initially staggering a bit, but he still had some martial arts background and steadied himself after just three steps.

After walking a few more steps, his pace gradually became steady.

"It feels...very strange."

Huiming stared blankly down at the new leg.

"It is not like flesh and blood, yet it is controlled by the mind."

"Try circulating your Qi and see if it can flow naturally."

Having learned from Li Muxuan and Lü Ren's two modifications, Cui Ming had become quite adept at modifying mechanical prosthetics.

Upon hearing what Cui Ming said, Hui Ming immediately closed his eyes and focused his mind.

A moment later, he raised his right leg and stepped into the air.

The air vibrated, and visible ripples spread out, striking the wall with a dull echo.

Although the power of the Vajra Leg was far less than its original strength, it was still undeniably unleashed.

Huiming opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them.

“Benefactor Cui, this kindness…”

"Master, there's no need for thanks."

Cui Ming interrupted with a cupped hand.

"At present, the world of extraordinary people in the Eastern Kingdom is in dire need of manpower. It would be good if we could contribute as much as possible."

When I left Puji Temple, the abbot personally escorted me to the mountain gate and presented me with a string of consecrated Bodhi prayer beads.

"Although this item is not a legal weapon, carrying it with you can calm your mind and spirit."

The abbot already knew that Cui Ming had visited the Lü family, so he naturally understood Cui Ming's next plan.

“Benefactor Cui will likely be busy with travel in the future, please take care.”

Cui Ming accepted the gift with gratitude and returned the gesture with his palms together.

……

October 15th, Shangqing faction.

The Shangqing School of Maoshan is famous for its talisman formations.

During the battle at Black Pine Forest, three Taoist priests from the sect joined forces to set up the "Three Talents Demon-Trapping Formation".

This trapped Homer and Butterfly among the Ten Demons for nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, giving the other sects a chance to retreat.

However, the backlash caused when the formation is broken is severe.

The Taoist priest who was in charge of the formation suffered damage to his meridians and all ten fingers of his hands were shattered. Although he was treated and his hands were saved, he could no longer draw talismans.

When Cui Ming arrived, the leader of the Shangqing Sect personally came out to greet him.

"Master Cui has come from afar; I am sorry for not welcoming you properly."

"You're too kind, Sect Leader."

After exchanging pleasantries, we got straight to the point.

The Taoist priest's hands were complicatedly injured, with shattered finger bones and severed nerves in multiple places.

After examination, Cui Ming decided not to replace the entire hand, but to implant a micro-skeleton inside each finger while preserving the original skin and flesh on the outside.

The surgery, which may have involved only a pair of hands, lasted a whole day.

Fortunately, Cui Ming only needs to control the numerous mechanical arms with his mind to perform the delicate surgical procedures.

Otherwise, even Cui Ming would be under immense pressure during such a long surgery.

Finally, the surgery, which lasted all day, was completed.

The Taoist priest then eagerly began to try holding the pen.

Although his fingers were still a little stiff, he was able to hold the talisman brush steadily.

He drew the simplest "purification talisman" on yellow paper. Although the drawing was shaky and took a very long time, it was still complete.

"It's done...it's done!!!"

The elder's voice trembled.

"Although it's not as good as before, I never thought I'd have the chance to draw talismans again."

For a talisman master, being able to draw talismans means that the path of cultivation has not ended.

The sect leader bowed deeply in gratitude.

"Master Cui, the Shangqing Sect owes you a great favor."

……

From late October to November, Cui Ming and his group visited the Wang family and Gao family, two of the four major families in the Eastern Kingdom, as well as seven or eight small and medium-sized sects.

The extraordinary person from the Wang family who participated in the battle broke three ribs and had his lung punctured in the Black Pine Forest. Although he survived, he still had difficulty breathing and could not circulate his Qi for a long time.

Cui Ming had a brace implanted in his chest cavity to strengthen his skeletal structure and adjust the course of some meridians.

An elder of the Gao family was blinded by the blast wave.

Cui Ming installed a bionic eye on him. Although its visual resolution is not as good as a real eye, it is sufficient for daily activities.

Wherever he went, Cui Ming not only treated the injured and disabled, but also exchanged insights on mechanical arts with various factions.

He revealed some of the design concepts of the Xuanji Armor, explaining how to enhance combat power through exoskeletons and how to achieve maximum protection with limited resources.

These ideas gradually spread.

Many people with unusual abilities initially had doubts about the art of puppetry, believing it to be a heretical path inferior to orthodox cultivation.

But seeing severed limbs reattached and comrades who were once deemed useless return to their communities, traditional views began to change.

The shock was even more direct when those superhumans with mechanical limbs struggled to re-enact their sect's unique skills.