Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

"Sect Leader Meng! You're like my father! Are you trying to make things even more chaotic in our sect?"

"At this critical juncture, you're still trying to poach members from the Tang Clan, and you've even poached their hall master!"

"If...if you manage to dig this up, won't the Tang Sect fight us to the death?"

The Tang Clan disciples following Cui Ming were fine, but Tang Miaoxing glanced at Cui Ming and saw that he looked normal, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.

Cui Ming chuckled inwardly. This Elder Meng Ye was indeed straightforward, even when he was poaching people from others, he did so with such righteous indignation.

He showed no sign of it on his face, maintaining his gentle smile as he cupped his hands in greeting.

"I am deeply grateful for Senior Meng's kindness. However, you are really too kind to me."

Cui Ming changed the subject, his tone becoming calm yet firm.

“We are all extraordinary people in this world. Besides, all paths and methods lead to the same goal.”

"The pursuit of perfection and creation by weapon refiners is the righteous path; it is our duty as disciples of the Tang Clan to protect our territory and stop killing with killing."

"Whether it's puppetry, weapon crafting, or even the assassination techniques of my Tang Clan, they are ultimately just tools and methods."

"The key lies in how it is used, whether it can benefit all living beings, and whether it can protect the land beneath our feet. If it can do that, then it is a good technique and a good inheritance."

He looked at Meng Ye with a sincere gaze.

"The reason I have come here on behalf of the Tang Clan is to discuss one of the important matters with your Tiangong Hall and with all the seniors present."

These words not only politely declined Meng Ye's offer of recruitment, but also clarified that the Tang Clan's initial intention for transformation was not to compete fiercely, and further introduced one of the purposes of the upcoming talks.

Upon hearing this, Meng Ye's large, bell-like eyes flashed with surprise, then he burst into laughter and patted Cui Ming on the shoulder.

"Good lad! Ambitious! And insightful! A promising talent! What a pity, what a pity!"

He said it was a pity twice, but didn't insist on poaching anyone. Instead, he thought more highly of Cui Ming.

Just as the topic was about to go astray, Zhang Jingqing stepped in at the right moment, pulled Cui Ming aside, and smiled as she smoothed things over.

"Alright, alright, Meng Tiechui, I know you're delighted to see the talent, but don't frighten the junior."

He turned to his right and began to introduce Cui Ming to the others.

"This is Zhuge Zhen, son of Zhuge Dan, the current leader of the Wuhou Sect, and his beloved daughter, Miss Zhuge Mingyue."

The scholar in the blue robe, Zhuge Zhen, smiled and nodded to Cui Ming, displaying an elegant demeanor.

But the girl in green behind him, Zhuge Mingyue, was still glaring angrily at Cui Ming, letting out a barely audible snort.

Cui Ming was not annoyed, but bowed to the two of them as a greeting.

"This is Mr. Ren Pingsheng, the leader of the Mo Sect, and his outstanding disciple Zhang Xuan."

The man in black, Ren Pingsheng, merely raised his eyelids as a greeting, remaining silent and taciturn.

The girl named Zhang Xuan behind him still looked bored, and even started poking at the ants on the ground with her small wooden fork.

Cui Ming simply bowed to each of them, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

He could sense that the hostility of the Zhuge Mingyue girl from the Wuhou Sect seemed to have ulterior motives, while the Mo Sect remained as cold and distant as ever.

It seems that this meeting will be anything but easy.

Chapter 73 When Truth and Falsehood Meet

After introducing everyone, Zhang Jingqing looked at the sky and said loudly.

"You have all come from afar and must be tired from your journey."

"Although the Tang Clan members arrived last, their arrival times were almost the same as others. The earliest group, Tiangong Hall, arrived only one day earlier."

"Please rest well at my Celestial Master's Mansion today and recharge your energy. We will have a formal meeting tomorrow to discuss important matters."

With the Celestial Master vouching for them, everyone naturally had no objections and readily agreed.

After a few polite but superficial greetings, the various groups, guided by the Taoist priests of Longhu Mountain, went to their respective guest rooms to rest.

Before leaving, Meng Ye of Tiangongtang patted Cui Ming's shoulder heavily again, leaving behind a strange remark.

"Kid, let's have a good talk tomorrow!"

Only then was he half-persuaded and half-pulled away by Tie Rujin, who looked helpless.

Zhuge Zhen, a disciple of the Marquis of Wu, nodded with a smile, while his daughter, Zhuge Mingyue, still turned her back on Cui Ming.

Ren Pingsheng of the Mo Sect had already quietly left with his disciple Zhang Xuan.

Cui Ming was about to leave with the Taoist priest who was leading the way when Zhang Jingqing called out to him with a smile.

“Nephew Cui Mingxian! Wait a moment. Come with me, and I will introduce you to a few young people. They are all of the same generation, so you can get to know them better in the future.”

Cui Ming's mind stirred slightly, and he already guessed who he was going to see. He then respectfully agreed.

"It is my honor to be invited by the Celestial Master; I will certainly go."

Cui Ming first gestured to Tang Miaoxing, Yong En, and the others to follow the Taoist priest to the guest rooms to settle in.

He followed Zhang Jingqing through several courtyards to a quiet side hall.

Before even entering, a slightly languid voice could be heard coming from inside.

"...So, Brother Huaiyi, you're just too cunning."

Another clear voice retorted.

"Senior brother, you're here again. Junior brother Huaiyi is so reliable..."

"Tsk, Jinzhong, you're just too protective of him..."

Zhang Jingqing listened to the conversation inside and a helpless smile appeared on her face.

But in the blink of an eye, he changed to a calm expression, cleared his throat, and pushed the door open to enter.

"Are they all here?"

Cui Ming was also able to see the three people inside the hall.

The man in the center is tall and upright, with a leisurely demeanor as if he doesn't care much about anything.

Indeed, it was Zhang Zhiwei, the future Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, whom I had fought before.

The one on the left, shorter in stature, with big ears and a big nose, is Zhang Huaiyi.

The man on the right, with a resolute expression and a straight back, is Tian Jinzhong.

Cui Ming's gaze swept over these three people, all of whom were figures of considerable importance in the future.

A slight ripple stirred within him, but his face remained calm and composed, displaying impeccable manners.

Zhang Jingqing said with a serious expression.

“Traitor! Huaiyi, Jinzhong. This is Cui Ming, the head of the Tang Clan's Craftsmanship Hall.”

“Nephew Cui, you know this traitor Zhang Zhiwei. These two are his junior brothers, Zhang Huaiyi and Tian Jinzhong.”

Cui Ming cupped his hands in greeting.

"Cui Ming met Senior Brother Zhiwei, Senior Brother Huaiyi, and Senior Brother Jinzhong."

He adopted a humble attitude, addressing the student directly as "senior brother".

Zhang Zhiwei's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, swept over Cui Ming.

He paused for a moment, especially on the huge wooden box behind him that served as a mechanism.

The lazy smile on his lips suddenly widened, and he spoke with a hint of mockery.

"Junior Brother Cui, this time... it's still not a real person, right?"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent.

Zhang Huaiyi and Tian Jinzhong both looked at Zhang Zhiwei with some surprise, and then looked at Cui Ming with doubt, not quite understanding what their senior brother meant by that.

Even Zhang Jingqing's eyes widened, a hint of surprise and inquiry in them, as she sharply turned her gaze towards Cui Ming.

Or rather, he was looking at the enormous wooden box with mechanical mechanisms that he had always carried on his back.

Under everyone's gaze, Cui Ming's gentle and peaceful smile froze slightly.

He then gave a helpless, bitter smile, without giving a direct answer.

Instead, the wooden box behind it emitted a series of rapid, whirring sounds of its mechanisms operating.

Click-clack!

To the astonishment of Zhang Huaiyi and Tian Jinzhong, the wooden box, which was even taller than "Cui Ming," began to glow faintly.

The entire box slowly opened from top to bottom, like a lotus flower.

The inner self was gradually revealed, revealing a Cui Ming whose appearance was exactly the same as the external "Cui Ming," but whose eyes were slightly dull and whose aura was more reserved.

This was the real Cui Ming, who stepped out from the opened outer shell of the mechanism box.

The real Cui Ming was slightly thinner than the external stand-in puppet, and his face was younger, making him look like a teenager.

His skin was pale from years of lack of sunlight, but his eyes were surprisingly bright and deep, brimming with a composure and wisdom beyond his years.

Cui Ming stretched his slightly stiff body, bowed deeply to Zhang Jingqing, and spoke with sincere apology.

"I hope the Celestial Master will forgive me. I did not mean to deceive you. It was only because of my identity and the uncertainty of the journey that I had no choice but to travel in this puppet form. My true body is hidden in the box to prevent any unforeseen events."

Please forgive my rudeness.

He then turned to Zhang Huaiyi and Tian Jinzhong, and bowed.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you two senior brothers."

Zhang Huaiyi's mouth was slightly open as he looked at the puppet whose eyes had completely dimmed and which remained motionless as if it had been frozen in place.

Looking at the vibrant, lively Cui Ming before him, he murmured after a long while.

"This...this...it's simply incredible...I never saw it coming..."

Although Tian Jinzhong also looked surprised, he quickly regained his composure.

However, his gaze toward Cui Ming held a newfound seriousness and scrutiny. He nodded in return without saying anything more.

Zhang Jingqing was stunned by the dramatic scene before her, then shook her head and chuckled, sighing.