Please, Young Master, Slay the Demon!
Chapter 122 - 20: Taken from... used for... [New book seeking monthly votes!] _1

Chapter 122: Chapter 20: Taken from... used for... [New book seeking monthly votes!] _1

Golden Core Puppet?

Chu Liang was a bit stunned as he carefully perused the information about this newly opened puppet.

Having been a cultivator at the Divine Consciousness Realm, he had limited knowledge of the Golden Core Realm, the Fourth Realm. He found it difficult to assess how powerful this reward might be. Nevertheless, the effect of the Golden Core puppet far exceeded his expectations.

The very idea of forming a core for a puppet was unheard of in the cultivation world.

Furthermore, according to the description, after successfully forming a core for the puppet, the main body may be able to form another core. This means that during cultivation and combat, they could be operated simultaneously... Doesn’t that mean one person could have two Golden Cores?

Two cores are definitely better than one, and given the choice between two and one, anyone would undoubtedly opt for two.

But it could also be a burden.

One develops themselves at the Human level and gathers resources at the Earth level.

The consumption of resources in the Earth realm starts from the step of core formation.

If cultivators want to form a Golden Core, they must gather all necessary materials according to the formulas corresponding to their individual cultivation techniques. They must then use their own essence and spirit to fuel the Three Furnace Cycles Fire and go through a difficult operation to form the core.

The entire process is full of challenges; the higher the quality of the Golden Core, the more difficult it is to form. Every successful cultivator must accumulate at least three to five failure experiences beforehand.

It is customary in the cultivation world to prepare enough materials for two core formation attempts. If the first one fails, people can make a second attempt while the insights from the previous attempt are still fresh in their minds.

However, gathering each batch of materials can be costly.

The reason the Golden Core Realm stops many cultivators is exactly that. It’s not insufficient talent that can make someone give up, but lack of funds that can lead to despair.

Interestingly enough, Chu Liang could hardly be considered affluent.

He was now at the late stage of the Divine Consciousness Realm, nearing its peak, and it was time for him to prepare for the core formation. But when even his own resources had not been settled, he was also expected to form a core for the puppet?

No matter how it was viewed, this could only be a good thing. But when it landed on Chu Liang, becoming good in a way that a poor family suddenly had a scholar or an elderly man took a young wife... it could only be said that though they could not afford it, they had to grit their teeth and shoulder the burden.

Whether the benefits of a double-core in one body, something unprecedented, could justify these expenses still needed to be evaluated.

Chu Liang placed this new, soulless Big Head Baby next to the smoking old Big Head Baby. Both puppets, with their oversized heads and short bodies, exuded a semblance of lineage.

Nevertheless, Chu Liang had a preference for the Old Baby.

Leaving everything else aside, the Old Baby only needed three Spirit Gathering Pills to operate for a day, while the new baby required three Spirit Gathering Pills!

A Sword Coin could buy a gourd of Spirit Gathering Pills that lasted for many days, but could only afford two Spirit Gathering Pills, which could not even cover the cost for a day. Let alone the new baby, who doubled its consumption during combat and required twice the wage when working overtime at night.

Wouldn’t that mean paying quadruple during a nighttime battle?

Are there no laws? Is there no justice?

Extra pay for long hours, extra pay for high intensity - I may as well work for you at this rate.

Unfortunately, there was only one of each type of puppet. If these kinds of puppets were everywhere, they could be made to compete for positions.

Would you be willing to run for one Spirit Gathering Pill a day? If not, you can leave, and naturally, another puppet will take your place.

"I know that the rule is three Spirit Gathering Pills per day and double during combat. But when everyone else is breaking the rules and lowering prices, what will happen if you’re the only one to keep the rules? Alas, I also find it difficult."

...

The next morning.

Xu Sui prepared a hearty breakfast for his master and apprentice. But it was unlikely for Empress Feng to awaken at such an hour, and nobody dared to wake her. So, Chu Liang had it all to himself.

Master Kunwu was casting swords in the cottage, quiet as a whisper. Because that cottage was no ordinary hut. It was a miniature world isolated by a prohibition spell.

Immortal Law, Haina Mountain Collection.

That seemingly small thatched cottage could potentially house a city larger than Taotie City. The images and sounds within would be unable to escape.

"Thank you, Brother Xu." Respectfully, Chu Liang showed gratitude to Xu Sui for his hospitality before asking, "Approximately how long before Master Kunwu finishes casting the sword?"

"My father might still need about two days. If you find it dull, Warrior Chu, there are plenty of places to explore in Taotie City," Xu Sui said, grinning.

"Really? Any recommendations, Brother Xu?" Chu Liang asked.

Taotie City was so bustling that it would indeed be a loss not to roam around. Although he almost died while sightseeing yesterday, that was an accident, after all.

"Taotie City, as its name suggests, is world-class in its culinary offerings. There’s a food court in the eastern part of the city encompassing major cuisines from the Nine States. At night, there are also numerous snack stalls with character enriching a vibrant atmosphere," Xu Sui introduced.

"Further north from Sword Cottage, there’s an area called ’Strange Goods Alley’. Many cultivators set up stalls there selling all kinds of odd and interesting things. The prices aren’t as high as in the shops, and people often manage to pick up bargains," he added.

"In the western part of the city, there’s an area called the ’Windy Lunar Street’ filled with brothels and entertainment houses. There might be hundreds of these establishments, operating both openly and covertly. On such good weather, there might even be courtesans and entertainers performing in the streets to attract customers later. However, as a righteous young hero from a noble family, I presume you wouldn’t be interested in such things."

"The southern part of the city is a bit mixed. It’s where most people enter the city, and it’s a mix of all sorts of folks. The Law Enforcement Team usually keeps a strict watch over the south, but incidents there still occur often. Those of us who live in Taotie City generally tend not to go too far south."

"I see, no wonder I ran into that chaos yesterday," Chu Liang nodded, then added, "Thank you."

"No need for formalities, Young Hero Chu. If you want to head out, just let me know. I can arrange someone to guide you around." Xu Sui had a good impression of Chu Liang, seeing him as a cultured, polite young man unlike his master, who clearly looked like a rogue.

"There is no need for that. I prefer to explore on my own terms," Chu Liang laughed and declined.

Some time later, he left Sword Cottage.

He waited along the roadside for a bit before catching a cart pulled by a beast towards the western part of the city.

To his surprise, he recognized a few familiar figures as soon as he got on the cart. This made Chu Liang’s eyes light up.

In a corner of the cart, there were three small figures huddled up.

There was a tall youth in the middle who seemed deep in thought and perhaps troubled. To his left was a thin, short youth with an undisguised look of fear. To his right was a short, chubby youth who looked extremely weak.

"What a coincidence," Chu Liang greeted them.

"Ah!" The three were startled at seeing Chu Liang.

Especially the chubby youth, who rolled off his seat and tried to dive under it, muttering strange phrases like, "It’s already a ’dry’ character, if you chop again it will be a ’king’ character, I can’t take it anymore."

Chu Liang watched his strange behavior and turned to the remaining two, asking, "What’s going on?"

"My brother...he’s been a bit traumatized recently," the tall youth stiffened his neck, "What do you want?"

The thin youth also chipped in quietly, "Yeah, you promised not to hit us anymore."

"I mean no harm," Chu Liang smiled, "It’s merely a coincidence that we’ve run into each other, there’s no need to be afraid. Why don’t we shake hands and make peace?"

With that, he extended a hand towards the tall youth.

"Ha..." the tall youth finally showed a forced smile and shook hands with Chu Liang.

Just then, the beast driving the cart stopped. The two quickly stood up, pulled the chubby youth from under the seat, and said, "We’ve arrived, we have to go."

With that, the three of them disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"How strange," Chu Liang muttered to himself, "And why does that chubby guy’s voice sound so familiar?"

He didn’t think much about it and conjured a delicate treasure chest in his palm. The red exterior shimmered with a glossy sheen and the material appeared to be extremely sturdy. There was no lock on the outside; instead, the intact chest was embedded with a piece of jade, suggesting a special technique would be needed to open it.

He spent last night researching the Miracle hand and was worried about where to practice it. Seeing these three gave him the idea to test it on them to see the results. After all, he acquired this Divine Skill from them, and it was fitting to use it on them again.

As the saying goes, take from the people and use it for the people.