Chapter 430: Resentment Puppet

Cheng Shuili's gaze dimmed slightly; she walked forward two steps and went straight to the side-front of Huo Po.

She still wore a smile, her tone respectful, tirelessly repeating her question.

Apparently annoyed by the disturbance, Huo Po turned, raised her hand and waved, her tone growing heavier: "Old woman said it before—I don't know any white or black ghosts! I just want to tend to my own affairs here without anyone bothering me!"

After saying that, she muttered several more sentences under her breath; Cheng Shuili leaned in to hear, and they were:

"This leader is more annoying than the Rat King… I came to the wrong place…"

"If it weren't for the land here being a hundred times better than that of the Beastfolk Village, I wouldn't have come."

"I've said I don't know… I really don't know… yet you keep asking over and over… Can't you understand what the old woman is saying?"

"The old woman just wants to examine her seeds in peace… why does she provoke anyone and end up with all these troubles day after day?"

The louder she spoke, the more her resentment nearly overflowed.

Cheng Shuili didn't know what she had endured before, but these resentments were clearly not just aimed at her, and she keenly grasped a point.

She bluntly repeated the Rat King's words: "Don't want to be disturbed? Fine."

"Do you still remember I'm the Lord? The Rat King said that if this white ghost isn't dealt with, there could be a threat to life."

"If something happens to me… where else could you find protection for your lands so you can research in peace?"

Cheng Shuili's tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of pride at her accomplishment: "You're not oblivious to outside affairs—I heard yesterday from Zhou Zhuxing that you asked her why things have been so lively these days."

"The existing safe zones are only the Rat King's and the land you're standing on now. I'm the only human who can go toe-to-toe with the Rat King."

"I know exactly how vengeful the Rat King is. You left his safe zone with ease, but trying to return… would be wishful thinking."

"If something happens to me, Huo Po, and everyone in our domain will be displaced."

Seeing Huo Po's wavering expression, Cheng Shuili knew the moment was ripe.

She tucked away that deliberate show of pride, her tone sincere and calm, and began a mix of soft and hard tactics:

"Huo Po, I am not the Rat King. I won't force you, but we need mutual trust and assistance."

"Tell me the details of this white ghost, and we'll work together to solve the trouble. I guarantee that as long as I'm here, the domain stands, and your peace remains."

She paused, locking eyes with Huo Po: "From the moment you decided to leave the Beastfolk Village and step into my territory, our fates have been intertwined."

Huo Po remained silent for a long time, then nodded without a word.

She knew Cheng Shuili was right, and also knew she had no choice but to help.

All she needed to overcome her fear of the Rat King was to summon all her courage.

Her hunched back seemed to bend even more, followed by a long sigh.

"... Come in." Huo Po turned, shuffling toward the cluttered yet orderly work corner inside the house, "Close the door tightly."

Cheng Shuili had already entered.

Standing outside the door all the time isn't an option.

Moreover, this is her domain—what place could she not go?

But Cheng Shuili didn't correct anything; she turned, shut the door, and followed right in.

Huo Po sat in the corner, making herself look tiny, like a lonely old woman with no one to support her, utterly out of place among the bottles holding strange substances and materials emitting odd smells.

And her opening words were: "What is this white ghost? I, the old woman, truly have no idea."

Cheng Shuili heard this and her smile faded instantly.

Huo Po stared at her expression for a while, then added with satisfaction: "Since it's the Rat King's doing, my lord, please explain in detail—I might have seen it before."

Cheng Shuili suppressed the annoyance of being teased and recounted the entire process in detail.

Huo Po's cloudy eyes narrowed slightly, her thin fingers unconsciously twisting the few dry leaves hanging at her waist.

She listened intently; when Cheng Shuili's voice faded, the corners of her wrinkled eyes twitched almost imperceptibly, her clouded eyes half-lidded, as if sifting through dusty memories for something.

After a while, she slowly spoke: "That old Rat King sure knows how to use a name to intimidate. White ghost… hum, he likes to gild his own face, making it sound like some heavenly portent."

Huo Po paused, looking at Cheng Shuili: "What you encountered might be a kind of puppet, its full name likely being 'resentment puppet.' It's not anything profound, but it's plenty disgusting; as for danger to life…"

"How could that thing cause any danger to life?" she frowned, glancing disparagingly at Cheng Shuili, as if blaming this youngster for hearing wind and taking it as rain.

Cheng Shuili blinked, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

But thinking about it, Huo Po could stay so calm only because she knew what it was.

If she didn't know, and suddenly heard a frightening name, then been scared by the Rat King's alarmist talk, she'd likely struggle to stay completely calm.

Huo Po also understood this, and recalled every word Cheng Shuili had spoken since arriving here, every deed she'd done…

This human capable of pulling together such a large safe zone is certainly no ordinary person.

If an ordinary person faced this, they'd probably be panicked all day long.

The Rat King's words surely weren't well-intentioned; thinking of this, Huo Po asked again: "You didn't promise anything to the Rat King, did you?"

Cheng Shuili blinked, then realized what the old woman was asking.

She shook her head, still wearing that proud air, not minding Huo Po's disdain, and asked: "Huo Po, please tell me in detail about this resentment puppet."

We still need to understand it thoroughly.

If Huo Po can't do anything either, the only recourse would be to summon the banished spirit.

After all, even if it poses no mortal danger, Cheng Shuili can't allow it to keep popping up again and again.

Watching Cheng Shuili quickly adjust her state and humbly seek advice, Huo Po's opinion of this young lord rose a few notches.

Capable of yielding and standing firm, clear in purpose, yet not losing her edge—she truly is someone who can accomplish great things.

"Was Su Rui scared badly?" Huo Po nodded knowingly, brushing off that slight embarrassment: "Although anyone driving smoothly would be startled if that thing suddenly appeared by the roadside. But this matter doesn't really concern you, does it? For the sake of your subordinates, you've caused a fuss here for quite a while."

Her voice still carried a hint of dissatisfaction, but more so, satisfaction with this young lord.

Good.

Really good.

Today Cheng Shuili could come to her for Su Rui's sake; tomorrow she could do the same for someone else.

Which subordinate wouldn't like a lord like this?

Huo Po didn't wait for Cheng Shuili to speak, Qing Qing cleared her throat and continued: "Solving this thing isn't really difficult."

She stood up, imitating Cheng Shuili's manner, smoothing the wrinkles on her face to reveal an identical proud expression, then said: "In this matter, you came to me; you chose the right person."

Huo Po said this while clasping her hands behind her back and rummaging for materials in another part of the hut, with Cheng Shuili following closely.

She explained as she searched: "A grievance puppet is neither a true living being nor has a real body. It's more like a mass of… collected and kneaded negative emotions."

At that point, Huo Po suddenly turned and pointed; Cheng Shuili followed her fingertip to see a glass bottle containing half a bottle of purple liquid.

"Do you see that? I developed it myself and named it Frightvine; of course, this is the extract. Using this together with specific methods, you can create a grievance puppet. The material itself is harmless and not even rare."

"Do you also make puppets?"

Cheng Shuili was genuinely surprised; she had always thought the old woman only liked seeds, never expecting she could even make puppets!

Mentioning puppets reminded her of Fengyun Tianxia; she still didn't know who sent that guy, and if Huo Po even knew this…

Her eyes were shining, but Huo Po suddenly turned, tugged at the corner of her mouth and waved her hand, "I don't know much, and what I make isn't great. For example, this grievance puppet I made can only work once before it naturally dissipates."

Huo Po's murky eyes fixed on Cheng Shuili, as if recalling something; she snorted coldly before saying, "That old Rat King thing must be using a more subtle method, which is why it appeared twice in such a short time."

She curled a mocking smile: "But because it's not a solid, it's formless and material‑less, appearing abruptly and vanishing quickly. Even if left unchecked, it lasts at most a month; you really needn't worry."

"A month?" Cheng Shuili furrowed her brows; that's not a day or two, it's a whole month!

"Then how can that work? This ghost thing always shows up when Su Rui is driving; we can't just ignore it…"

"So I said, you found the right person."

Huo Po finally dug out an inconspicuous wooden box from beneath a pile of bottles, brushed off the dust, and said, "I can't make lasting puppets, but an old fellow taught me a way to counter them."

She opened the box; inside were neatly arranged items: a pinch of ash‑white fur, several jet‑black stones, a few silver‑blue veined leaves, and a tiny copper bell covered in runes.

"Calm‑Heart Fur, Soul‑Absorbing Stone, Illusion‑Breaking Leaves… these are the basic ingredients for handling this sort of thing." Huo Po pointed to the first few, "They treat the symptoms, not the cause, but can alleviate."

Her finger finally rested on the copper bell; her murky eyes seemed sorrowful, and Cheng Shuili, sharp‑eyed, even caught a glimmer of tears at the corner of her eye.

Huo Po solemnly thrust the item into Cheng Shuili's hand: "This is what I actually want to give you."

The copper bell felt slightly heavy, its surface cool, the runes primitive and strange, exuding an aged aura.

Cheng Shuili gave it a gentle shake, but no sound came out.

Huo Po stared at the object for a long while, sighed softly, and then said, "This is called the Soul‑Scattering Bell. It was given to me by an old friend when I was young. It's not valuable, but… she made it herself. No matter what strange thing you encounter, take out this bell and give it a shake; most of the time it will be useful."

She paused, apparently unwilling to discuss that old friend, then said, "Dealing with a grievance puppet is simple. When something feels off, take out this bell, point it toward the suspicious direction, and gently shake it. Remember, it's not the wrist's force, but your intention—or simply, shake it with the thought of shaking it."

Cheng Shuili followed the instruction, calming her mind and visualizing the shaking.

Her wrist didn't move, yet the bell trembled slightly and emitted a crisp chime.

"Ding—"

Cheng Shuili felt the Soul‑Scattering Bell in her hand warm slightly, an invisible ripple centered on her quietly spreading outward.

"Do you feel it?" Huo Po observed her expression, "This thing can even disperse filth within a certain range, like grievance puppets; they dread this kind of vibration that directly attacks their existential foundation. However,"

She shifted tone, becoming serious, "The bell's effect is good, but there are two limitations."

"First, its range isn't large—about twenty to thirty steps—so you must stay relatively close to the target."

"Second, and most crucial, once you use the bell to disperse that thing, the Rat King will immediately know. He will understand you've found a countermeasure, and may even guess that I—or someone like me—is helping you."

Huo Po's eyes grew deeper with worry, "And that old Rat King thing hates losing control. The more you resist, the more he wants to suppress you."

Cheng Shuili held the icy, primitive copper bell, feeling the faint lingering vibration at her fingertips, yet her mind was clear.

She understood Huo Po's worry, but since the Rat King had already made a move, she couldn't remain passive.

Now there's a way to resolve it; we should send back the war letter the Rat King sent!

However…

Cheng Shuili suddenly asked a completely unrelated question: "Huo Po, you must know a beast‑person who can make puppets, right?"

Huo Po twirled a dried leaf between her fingers, her murky eyes turning to Cheng Shuili, showing obvious helplessness.

"You brat, your mind does turn quickly." She muttered, not denying, "What, looking for someone who can make puppets to send a gift back to the Rat King?"

"Reciprocity, right." Cheng Shuili weighed the Soul‑Scattering Bell, a sharper smile appearing, not denying: "The Rat King sent us such a big surprise; wouldn't it be rude not to return a gift?"

"Besides," Cheng Shuili took out the remains of Fengyun Tianxia, "Huo Po, can you tell where this came from? I only know someone sent it to assassinate me; I have no clue who or which region."

She smiled brightly, but her eyes were as cold as ice, "Being passive isn't my style. Since someone has reached out, I must know which one to cut down, right?"