Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

Three days after the Cursed Bound Society left Jinan, Hayakawa Chihiro remained in a state of existential doubt.

He originally thought that the biggest threat to this mission was the experts in the Eastern Kingdom's supernatural world, the mysterious and unpredictable Divine Machine Alliance, and the guys who might be lurking in the shadows and spying on them.

He made thorough preparations for this, keeping his "soul eye" fully open, remaining vigilant day and night, and even sleeping with one eye open.

But he never expected that what would truly make it impossible for them to move an inch was a group of ordinary people who weren't even superhumans.

"Sir, we've encountered another obstacle blocking our path."

The subordinate's voice came from outside the carriage curtain, sounding somewhat weary.

Hayakawa Chihiro lifted the carriage curtain and saw a simple fence set up at the entrance to the mountain road ahead.

Seven or eight ragged men stood by the fence, holding hoes, wooden sticks, and machetes, glaring menacingly at passersby.

bandit.

This was the fifth wave of bandits they had encountered in the past three days.

"Take a detour."

Hayakawa Chihiro lowered the carriage curtain, his tone calm.

"Sir, this is the third time we've taken a detour today. If we keep going like this, we won't reach the next town before dark."

"Then let's camp in the wilderness."

Hayakawa Chihiro was also quite helpless.

"It's better than getting entangled with those bandits."

Left with no other option, the subordinates turned their horses around and took a more secluded detour.

Inside the carriage, Hayakawa Chihiro rubbed his temples.

Before setting off, the high priest said that the Eastern Kingdom was currently in turmoil and in a state of disorder, making it a good time to fish in troubled waters.

He wholeheartedly agreed, but now he understands what "the collapse of order" means.

This means that you might encounter a band of bandits every ten miles, be extorted for a toll every time you pass through a village, and be ripped off by the innkeeper for every time you stay at an inn.

Normally, with the strength of the Curse Binding Society, these ordinary people would not have posed any threat at all.

However, the high priest decreed that this trip must be discreet, identities must not be revealed, and conflicts with the locals should be avoided as much as possible to prevent attracting attention.

So they had no choice but to endure it.

They endured the bandits' interception, the unreasonable exploitation at the checkpoints, the vendors' shortchanging of them, and all the injustices and difficulties.

Hayakawa Chihiro took a deep breath to reassure himself.

It'll be soon, once we leave Shandong Province.

What he didn't know was that this was just the beginning.

After walking for another two days, the team finally reached the border of Shandong Province.

In the past two days, they encountered three more groups of bandits, two temporary checkpoints, and a shady shop.

The most thrilling experience was at the inn where we stayed last night.

In the dead of night, the shop owner, along with several men, sneaked into their room, intending to slaughter these "fat sheep" and seize their goods.

The result can be imagined.

As soon as those men entered, Iwata Heavy Industries threw them out one by one, leaving them dazed and confused.

Hayakawa Chihiro wanted to handle the situation discreetly, but Yoshida Shuichi had already made his move.

When the "Word of Power" was activated, the men suddenly went berserk, tearing at each other until they died of exhaustion at dawn.

"Yoshida, you're being too impulsive."

Hayakawa Chihiro frowned.

"This will attract attention."

Yoshida gave a sinister smile.

"What's there to be careful about? It's just a few bandits fighting each other. They'll take care of it before dawn. Even if someone investigates, they won't be able to trace it back to us."

Hayakawa Chihiro wanted to refute, but he had nothing to say.

Iwata threw the bodies of the dozen or so men into a ravine, where they were fed to wild dogs before dawn.

In this desolate wilderness, no one will likely investigate.

But his unease grew stronger.

It wasn't because of those bandits, but because of that subtle feeling of being watched.

Although there have been many twists and turns these past few days, that feeling has never disappeared; the unease, like a thorn in his back, makes him feel uncomfortable all over.

Every time he opened his Soul Eye, he gained nothing.

But his intuition told him that someone was watching them.

Who exactly is this person?

A small town on the border of Shandong Province.

The Curse-Binding Society's team rested here for half a day to replenish their supplies.

Hayakawa Chihiro sent his subordinates to make purchases while he sat in his carriage, closing his eyes in deep thought.

Suddenly, he sensed a fluctuation.

The Soul Eye activated instantly, capturing the source.

At the east end of the town, there was an old man who ran a tea stall.

The old man looked ordinary, but his soul fluctuations were much stronger than those of ordinary people.

Hayakawa Chihiro's heart tightened, and he was about to investigate further when the fluctuation suddenly disappeared.

He probed again, and the old man had regained the soul fluctuations of an ordinary person, as if what he had just experienced was merely an illusion.

He stared at the tea stall for a long time, but ultimately did not take any action.

I really don't want to cause any more trouble.

Unbeknownst to him, thirty feet underground in the town, two disciples of the Divine Machine Alliance were recording information in front of a magic mirror.

"Target Number Seven activated its Soul Eye again and almost discovered our mobile sentry post."

His perception range was wider than expected; it is recommended to maintain distance in the next phase.

Another disciple nodded and wrote it down in the notebook.

Hayakawa Chihiro's Soul Eye has an effective range of about 120 feet, allowing him to explore deep underground.

However, it cannot penetrate soil layers exceeding thirty feet in length.

Threat level: Medium.

In the afternoon, the team continued their journey.

Not long after they left the town, they encountered a peddler.

The peddler carried his load on a pole and hawked his wares along the road. When he saw a caravan of horse-drawn carriages, he would approach them and try to sell them needles and thread.

The subordinate wanted to get rid of him, but Hayakawa Chihiro stopped him and bought several packs of needles and thread.

After the peddler left, Yoshida Shuichi asked, puzzled.

"Hayakawa, what are you buying all that for?"

Hayakawa Chihiro didn't answer, but just watched the peddler's departing figure with a furrowed brow.

The peddler's soul fluctuations also indicated he was an extraordinary person.

Although he hid it well, the Soul Eye still caught a glimpse of something unusual.

The anomaly was fleeting; if Hayakawa Chihiro hadn't been on high alert, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

An old man at a tea stall is an eccentric, and a peddler is also an eccentric.

Where did all these strange people come from in this desolate town?

unless……

Hayakawa Chihiro felt a chill run down his spine and was about to speak when a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

"Sir, there's trouble ahead!"

The subordinate rode back to report.

"A band of mountain bandits blocked the road and demanded a toll."

Hayakawa Chihiro took a deep breath.

"Take a detour."

"There's no way around it. There are cliffs on both sides, and this is the only road."

Hayakawa Chihiro remained silent for a moment, then pushed open the car door and got out.

He wanted to see just how these "mountain bandits" came to be.

At the entrance to the mountain road ahead, more than twenty men, armed with knives and spears, were confronting Iwata at the head of the group.

The one-eyed giant at the head of the group shouted.

"This road is mine, these trees are mine! If you want to pass, leave your toll!"

Iwata crossed his arms and looked at him expressionlessly.

That look in his eyes was like he was looking at an ant.

Hayakawa Chihiro stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the "bandits".

The Soul Eye is activated.

They were all ordinary people. The strongest one, the one-eyed giant, had a soul fluctuation that was only slightly stronger than that of an ordinary person. He wasn't even considered an extraordinary person.

"Give them money."

Hayakawa Chihiro said.