Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

She was breathing heavily, and her gaze towards Cui Ming was even more complicated.

Besides anger, there seemed to be a hint of resentment and... grievance?

Cui Ming did not pursue, but instead manipulated the hidden threads to retract all the Qi into the mechanism box.

Looking at the panting, resentful girl opposite him, his doubts deepened.

Zhuge Mingyue's skills are indeed extraordinary. Her Bajiquan is powerful and fierce, her Qimen Dunjia techniques are exquisite, and she is quick to respond.

But this inexplicable hostility and this almost desperate fighting style are really illogical.

"Miss Zhuge, can we have a proper talk now?"

Cui Ming took a step forward, his tone still calm, but the restrained sharpness around him subtly revealed an invisible pressure.

"Or perhaps you need me to consult your father, Mr. Zhuge Zhen, and ask him why his daughter attacked the Tang Clan leader without provocation on Mount Longhu?"

Mentioning her father, Zhuge Mingyue's expression changed slightly, and she bit her lower lip, seemingly struggling with the thought.

He looked into Cui Ming's calm yet unfathomable eyes.

Finally, with a hint of indignation and a sob in his voice, he spoke.

"Attacked without cause? You! How dare you say that! Where did you take my brother?!"

elder brother?

Upon hearing this, Cui Ming's questions only grew.

He lost the people from the Wuhou faction? How can that be?

Zhuge Mingyue's tearful question not only failed to resolve Cui Ming's doubts, but also made the mystery even more complicated.

"Your brother?"

Cui Ming frowned, but his tone remained calm.

“Miss Zhuge, there is probably a misunderstanding in this matter.”

"Please calm down, young lady, and tell me the whole story."

"What is your brother's name? What does he look like? When and where did he disappear? When was the last time you saw him?"

Cui Ming asked a series of questions, clearly and calmly.

At the same time, the power of the Dan Shi hidden in her words was also subtly influencing Zhuge Mingyue's emotions.

Like a clear spring, it gently extinguished the anger and anxiety in her heart, making her unconsciously take the initiative to communicate with it.

Zhuge Mingyue initially wanted to refute, but under the subtle influence of the power of Dan Shi, her tense defenses gradually loosened.

The resentment slowly faded, replaced by deep worry and grievance.

She sniffed and began to recount the events in detail.

"My older brother, Zhuge Ming, is three years older than me. He's quite handsome and looks more like our father..."

"He left Wuhou Village two weeks ago, saying he was going to Lin'an Prefecture to visit a friend..."

She spoke haltingly, and more and more details came out.

According to her, Zhuge Ming originally planned to stay in Lin'an for a few days before returning, but for some reason he did not return on time.

The Marquis of Wu sent someone to search for him, and his friend said that Zhuge Ming had indeed visited, but only stayed one night before taking his leave.

He then vanished without a trace, never to be heard from again.

"The sorcerers in the family paid a heavy price, even nearly dying, but they still couldn't get any useful information."

Zhuge Mingyue's voice was filled with helplessness.

Until recently...

"We finally found the fragments of my brother's clothes in a mountain forest, and..."

Her gaze sharpened again as she stared at Cui Ming.

"We have discovered the remains of a damaged mechanical spider! Although most of the structure is damaged, the core drive runes and part of the outer shell are still intact."

"After confirmation by my father and several elders, it is exactly the style of your Tang Clan recently! Only Hall Master Cui could make such a sophisticated puppet!"

Based on the information he obtained from Zhuge Mingyue, Cui Ming quickly analyzed it in his mind.

The good news is that, chronologically speaking, when Zhuge Ming disappeared, he was in seclusion within the Tang Sect, although he was actually hunting down members of the Quanxing Sect outside.

However, the people of the Tang Clan are enough to prove that he would never have gone all the way to Zhejiang to kidnap the young master of the Wuhou Sect.

The bad news is...

The place where the target disappeared left behind evidence pointing directly to the Tang Clan, and Cui Ming was the prime suspect.

But if he remembers correctly...

In the initial version of the Shadow Spider Puppet, in order to enhance the combat capabilities of the Tang Clan, access to its use was indeed granted to elite disciples within the sect.

Moreover, they did indeed use it during missions, so it's not impossible that the wreckage was left out in the open and collected by someone with ulterior motives to frame them.

The question is, why would the other party go to such lengths to frame him?

Was it merely to sow discord between the Tang Clan and the Wuhou Sect?

This method seems to have a clear target, but in reality, it cannot withstand any scrutiny.

What motive would Cui Ming, a Tang Clan leader, have to kidnap the son of the Wuhou Sect leader, who is thousands of miles away and has no connection with him?

Even if it's a false accusation, shouldn't we be handled more carefully?

In comparison, this behavior seems more like a smokescreen to desperately shift blame.

Cui Ming pondered for a moment.

"Miss Zhuge, isn't it too hasty to conclude that I was responsible based solely on a dubious puppet wreckage?"

“I, Cui Ming, have no grudge against your brother, and we have never even met. What benefit would I gain from kidnapping him?”

"This seems more like a deliberate frame-up, intended to incite conflict between the Tang Clan and the Wuhou Sect."

Zhuge Mingyue opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found that Cui Ming's words made sense, and she was speechless for a moment.

But just as Cui Ming was about to inquire further about the specific details of the puppet remains...

Mutation and regeneration!

Beneath Zhuge Mingyue's feet, the Qimen formation she had set up long ago to plot against Cui Ming lit up once again!

Eight-door transport!

With a flash of light and shadow, Zhuge Mingyue's figure vanished from Cui Ming's sight in an instant.

The next instant, she appeared at the entrance of the bamboo forest path not far away, standing in front of Zhuge Zhen, who looked helpless.

And Zhuge Zhen, the seemingly gentle and refined son of the leader of the Wuhou School.

At that moment, he raised his hand, bent his middle finger, and flicked it firmly on his daughter's smooth forehead!

Boom!

A crisp sound echoed through the tranquil bamboo forest.

"Ouch!"

Zhuge Mingyue cried out in pain, immediately clutching her head and crouching down, tears welling in her eyes as she gasped for breath in agony.

"Hiss—Dad! What are you doing!"

A pleasant-sounding name is a good start! This little rascal needs a good lesson!

Seeing Zhuge Mingyue's unseemly posture of crouching down with her head in her hands, Cui Ming's lips twitched.

Perhaps... he discovered the reason why this Miss Zhuge acts so impulsively and directly.

But what Cui Ming cared about even more was Zhuge Zhen's attitude.

The prime suspect in the disappearance of his own son is right in front of him—the son of the sect leader, who is also a father.

From the moment we met until now, he has never shown much anxiety or anger on his face...

Instead, it gives off a sense of... giving up the desire to help others and respecting their fate, or a feeling of resignation?

This is a bit too unusual.

It's as if... the missing person isn't his own son, but the neighbor's child.

Chapter 77 The Butterfly Begins to Flutter

After Zhuge Zhen finished disciplining his daughter, he looked up at Cui Ming, his face regaining its refined and gentle smile.

But deep within his eyes lay a hint of complexity and solemnity.

Zhuge Zhen cupped his hands in greeting.

"Master Cui, my daughter was rude and offended you. Please forgive her. Mingyue! Why don't you apologize to Master Cui at once?"

Zhuge Mingyue, who was squatting on the ground, covered her forehead, looked up at Cui Ming with a wronged expression, and glared at him.

She glanced at her father, pursed her lips, and whispered reluctantly.

"...I'm sorry."

But this harmonious and loving father-daughter relationship set off alarm bells in Cui Ming's heart.

Indeed, we must not underestimate the heroes of this world...

Zhuge Zhen's slap on the head seemed to be a punishment for Zhuge Mingyue.

In reality, it completely eliminated the effects of Cui Mingdan's Devouring Power.

This father and daughter are quite different; one is impulsive and easily angered with limited knowledge, while the other is calm and collected yet seems to know a great deal about the inside story.

The disappearance of Zhuge Ming and this clearly targeted frame-up likely have a deeper story than we imagine.

Cui Ming remained expressionless and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

"Mr. Zhuge, you are too kind. It was just a misunderstanding. It's all cleared up now."

"As for your son, I feel there's something fishy about it. If there's anything the Tang Clan can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."