Chapter 90: What's the Use of Raising You?

It's clear that the owner of this household is quite diligent.

"Eh, what is this thing?"

Niao zui yi sheng noticed an abnormality and walked to the altar against the wall in the center of the main hall. Candles were lit symmetrically on both sides of the altar, and a porcelain bowl filled with fruit was placed in the middle as an offering.

On the wall above the altar hung a black-and-white photograph.

Seeing the person's face in the photo clearly,

Niao zui yi sheng sucked in a breath of cold air.

"Goodness… isn't this the old man I just met?"

Although it is a summoned creature of the Triumphant Alliance,

but it still knows a bit about some folk customs of the Dragon Nation.

It understood what it meant for the main hall to hang a black-and-white photograph.

"So you're saying the old man I just met is actually deceased?"

"But I can be sure I didn't see wrong!"

Niao zui yi sheng's mind was as clear as a mirror, yet at this moment it felt a wave of dizziness, becoming somewhat muddled.

It covered its forehead, using its power to erect a barrier around itself, which made it feel a bit better.

Having taken the risk, it continued searching inside the house.

At this moment,

Niao zui yi sheng discovered a dust-covered wooden box beneath the altar.

The wooden box was locked with a rusty iron lock, casually tossed beside the altar, clearly unopened for a long time.

Niao zui yi sheng bent down, intending to pull it out.

But just as it bent over,

the person's face in the black-and-white photo on the wall began to change slowly.

The originally solemn visage revealed a ghastly smile, eyes drooping as they gazed at Niao zui yi sheng, an indescribably eerie and terrifying sight.

Even more frightening,

the person's appearance was changing bit by bit at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Wrinkles disappeared, sparse hair became thick, missing teeth grew back one by one…

The portrait, it was actually undergoing rejuvenation!

"Finally got it done."

"Take it outside to have a look; this house has an indescribably eerie atmosphere."

Niao zui yi sheng carried the box out of the house.

It flicked its fingers, and a clump of azure flame appeared beside it, instantly illuminating the surrounding darkness.

A sickle chopped through the lock on the box!

Click—

As the box slowly opened,

the contents inside also gradually revealed themselves.

It was a sheet of paper.

To be precise, it was paper made from some kind of animal hide.

Laid at the bottom of the box, with several flat ancient books pressed on top of it.

"What is this, animal hide?"

"Why does it smell like a person?"

Niao zui yi sheng picked up that piece of sheepskin with both hands and brought it close to examine.

Only then did it discover that the sheepskin was finely drawn with clothing, hands and feet, and various expressions and poses of a person.

Although it is sheepskin,

but it is not merely sheepskin.

but rather a paper figurine made from sheepskin…

"Shadow Puppet Show… Shadow Puppet Person…"

"Could it be the Shadow Puppet Person that the little boy mentioned earlier?"

Niao zui yi sheng gripped the Shadow Puppet Person, using the azure firelight to try to see every detail clearly.

But as the details of the Shadow Puppet Person became increasingly clear, until its true form was fully revealed,

Niao zui yi sheng could no longer remain calm,

"Good heavens!"

"Isn't this the little imp I locked inside the Blood Bottle?!!"

It excitedly threw the Shadow Puppet Person in its hand onto the ground.

In the firelight, the Shadow Puppet Person that closely resembled a little boy lay still, its face seemingly still bearing a smile.

Niao zui yi sheng trembled all over.

That smile, it was all too familiar!

It could be certain that this Shadow Puppet Person was the little boy in disguise!

Wielding the sickle, it split the Shadow Puppet Person down the middle.

But it restored itself at an astonishing speed!

No matter how it was cut, torn apart, or even burned with fire, it could not be destroyed!

"Holy crap!"

Niao zui yi sheng's heart was pounding.

However, it didn't notice,

The portrait on the hall wall had, at some point, turned into the likeness of a little boy!

"Master…"

Just then, Yi hao, Er hao, and San hao, who had been acting separately, also came to Niao zui yi sheng's side.

Seeing it stare in terror at the parchment on the ground, they quickly gathered around.

As a result,

When they clearly saw the Shadow Puppet Person on the ground,

they were likewise startled.

"How… how is this possible?"

"Wasn't that little brat already sealed by you, Master, in the Blood Bottle?"

"Definitely not it!"

Yi hao spoke decisively, refusing to believe such nonsense.

Er hao followed up in agreement: "Exactly, one is a real person… although not entirely real, but certainly not a Shadow Puppet Person."

San hao also said: "I admit, this Shadow Puppet Person is ninety-nine percent similar to that little brat, but they absolutely cannot be the same thing!"

After the three finished speaking,

almost immediately,

another voice sounded: "I also don't think so."

Niao zui yi sheng nodded: "Hmm… it seems everyone's view basically matches mine."

"Perhaps it's just a similar aura."

It agreed with everyone's opinion.

However, to be sure, it still decided to open the Blood Bottle and take a look.

As a result…

The little boy who had turned to powder inside the Blood Bottle had long since vanished without a trace.

Wait a moment!

Something seems off!

At this moment, Niao zui yi sheng suddenly realized a problem.

Was there an extra speaker just now????

Oh dear!

The reacting Niao zui yi sheng hastily looked around.

However, aside from itself and Yi hao, Er hao, San hao, there was no one else present.

Who was the divine being that just spoke?

A ghost?

"I myself am a Summoned Object—what can a ghost do to me?"

Niao zui yi sheng adjusted his mindset; as a 'lunatic' in the eyes of outsiders, how could he be so easily frightened?

"Could it be that I'm hallucinating?"

It shook its head and ultimately chose not to dwell on it.

Turning to Yi hao, Er hao, and San hao, it asked:

"Do you have any findings on your end?"

Yi hao, Er hao, and San hao revealed all the information they had gathered without reservation.

First, the village has a total of three hundred households, of which three are major households, likely of landlord status.

Moreover, in these households, almost every family has a wooden box.

Inside the boxes are entirely Shadow Puppet Persons.

Furthermore,

On the walls of these households' living rooms, portraits are also hung.

The faces on the portraits are almost identical to those of the Shadow Puppet Persons—completely the same person!

Could it be that people here turn into Shadow Puppet Persons after death?

At this moment, Yi hao suddenly said: "Actually, I have a doubt: many so-called 'families' are not actually families."

"According to our speculation, people become Shadow Puppet Persons after death."

"But some boxes contain not just one Shadow Puppet Person, but even several."

"Could our speculation be wrong?"

After listening, Er hao nodded slightly: "It might really be incorrect."

At this point, San hao, who was stroking his chin in thought, proposed a bold idea:

"Could it be that the portraits are shared?"

"What the heck?"

This statement was immediately opposed by Niao zui yi sheng and Yi hao, Er hao, San hao.

"How could that be!"

"In the Dragon Nation, portraits are a serious matter!"

"One person, one portrait, just like one coffin per person."

"One dead person, one coffin—if too many dead bodies lie in a coffin, the yin energy becomes too heavy, which is highly inauspicious!"

Before the fifth contest began,

They specifically learned some customs of the Dragon Nation.

So, in their view, sharing the relic portrait thing is completely unreliable!

San hao, hearing them say that, couldn't help asking: "Could it be that we are facing a Summoned Creature?"

"The more inauspicious something is, the scarier it is?"

Niao Zui Da Fu, Yi hao, Er hao: "……"

It seemed somewhat reasonable.

"This village is really strange; constantly pondering like this won't work either."

"Let's go see that Shadow Puppet Show; we have no idea how Si hao, Wu hao, Liu hao are doing."

Saying that,

Niao Zui Da Fu led Yi hao, Er hao, and San hao into the deep mountains.

But they all didn't notice,

Originally there were four people, but now there were five.

As if an extra one had appeared.

But they didn't perceive it.

……

In the deep mountains,

In the pitch‑black, secluded forest depths,

There was an open area of about five hundred square meters.

Surrounded by towering trees, their branches swaying in the evening wind, giving an eerie feel.

In the center of the clearing stood an old stage with a huge curtain, shadow puppets projected onto it, performing a strange Shadow Puppet Show.

The cast of this show was numerous,

indeed several hundred.

Roughly, the plot was: a remote quiet village received a mysterious troupe that performed a free Shadow Puppet Show for the villagers, who happily went to watch…

So far, the storyline has been rather bland.

Yet the hundreds of villagers in the audience watched with great relish.

"I think these villagers are odd; look, their smiles are all so stiff."

Wu hao frowned; based on observation, it found the villagers' behavior differed from that of ordinary people.

Liu hao shook his head, "It's not just the villagers; the shadow puppets on stage are also problematic."

"The aura these shadow puppets emit is too human‑like!"

"I seriously suspect they were made from humans!"

Those words immediately earned the agreement of the other two.

"Let's go check the backstage."

They instantly fell into step, planning to sneak toward the backstage.

However, as soon as they turned, the villagers who had been watching the show stared toward them almost simultaneously.

Their previously expressionless faces instantly twisted into snarls.

Then,

Several robust villagers lunged forward, quickly closing in on Si hao, Wu hao, and Liu hao.

Following that came the screams of Si hao, Wu hao, and Liu hao,

as well as the villagers' whispered mutterings,

"Kill them; even though the skin is a bit off, a little tweaking can make it usable."

"Hmm, that makes sense."

……

Soon,

Niao Zui Da Fu brought Yi hao, Er hao, and San hao to the deep mountains.

From afar they could see the stage performing a Shadow Puppet Show.

"Search for Si hao, Wu hao, and Liu hao's trail."

"Once we entered the deep mountains, I lost contact with them."

Niao Zui Da Fu said.

The four figures beside him immediately nodded, their gazes sweeping over every spectator present.

Up to now, Niao Zui Da Fu and his group have not realized that an unknown creature has joined their ranks.

"Master, I've noticed a problem: many of the villagers here look a lot like the relic portrait!"

"They are probably the very ones themselves."

San hao, with keen observation, spoke up.

Niao Zui Da Fu also took note of this.

Now, looking around, none of the villagers here is a normal person.

"We've found Si hao and the others!"

At that moment, Er hao let out a gasp.

Following the direction it pointed, Niao Zui Da Fu quickly summoned Si hao, Wu hao, and Liu hao.

"Why are you sitting here watching the show?"

Have you found any clues?

That damned Summoned Creature of the Dragon Nation still hasn't shown up!

The Bird-beak doctor seethes inside; more frustrating than an unbeatable foe is an enemy you can't even strike!

Si hao shook his head, "Sorry, master, I don't know."

Wu hao echoed, "I don't know either."

Liu hao wore a blank expression, "I don't know either."

Nobody knows?

What's the use of keeping you!