Chapter 462: Why Help an Outsider?

Qing Qing leaned forward, staring fixedly at the puppet's movements, and with a quick glance from the corner of her eye, she looked at Cheng Shuili.

Cheng Shuili frowned slightly, spoke again, her voice colder than before: "Stop! I order you, cease all movement!"

The Gray Puppet's steps paused for a moment.

It was just this pause that made everyone's hearts skip a beat!

Is it useful?!

Did Wu Ya's command take effect?!

But the next second—

"Crack… crack crack…" the Gray Puppet's head, as if resisting some great force, turned with extreme difficulty toward Cheng Shuili.

Its rough mouth opening and closing, it emitted a broken voice: "Sorry… sorry, I cannot obey!"

Before the words finished, its paused body sprang back to life, moving even faster than before as it lunged at the elderly man.

"Attack!" Almost at the moment the Gray Puppet moved, Cheng Shuili shouted sharply, simultaneously flipping her wrist, a long sword suddenly appearing in her hand, following her motion, she thrust straight for the puppet's neck joint.

Qing Qing had likewise been poised to strike; the instant Cheng Shuili's voice rang out, she shot forward like a leopard!

The dagger in her hand traced a cold arc, not aimed at the elderly man nor at the puppet's torso, but precisely slashing at the elbow joint of the arm the puppet was reaching toward the elderly man with.

Their attack target was very clear.

To destroy the puppet's mobility, not to directly oppose the rule of execution!

The Gray Puppet seemed not to expect the two to react so swiftly and in such perfect coordination; its lunge at the elderly man hesitated slightly, and it prioritized swinging its other arm to block Qing Qing's dagger.

"Clang!"

A piercing metallic clang rang out!

The dagger struck the wooden arm, leaving only a faint white mark, the impact making Qing Qing's arm go numb.

This puppet's material is unusually hard!

Even so, Cheng Shuili's long sword still slipped like a venomous snake into the gap of the puppet's neck joint.

The sword tip scraped against the wood, emitting an ear‑grating screech, then sprayed out several tiny wood chips.

The Gray Puppet's movement noticeably lagged, the arm reaching for the elderly man slowing by half a beat.

"Get out! Get out!"

The elderly man seized this moment of delay, bursting with survival instinct, he rolled and crawled backward, trying to create distance.

The Gray Puppet seemed even more resentful of the rule‑breaking attackers, ignoring the interference at its neck, despite Cheng Shuili's sword lodged there restricting its head turning.

Its other arm bent at a strange angle, bringing a howling wind, it fiercely swept at Qing Qing, who was right nearby.

This strike was heavy and powerful; if it landed solidly, it would likely break several bones.

Qing Qing's pupils contracted; she did not retreat but advanced, her waist bending with impossible flexibility to lean back almost parallel to the ground, narrowly avoiding that sweeping wooden arm.

At the same time, she shook her dagger‑wielding wrist, the tip flicking upward, precisely aiming for another seemingly weak joint under the puppet's armpit.

"S—"

This time the dagger's tip seemed to pierce a little deeper, yet still it failed to inflict any serious damage.

The Gray Puppet merely shook its body, then launched another attack.

Seizing this opening, a cold light flashed in Cheng Shuili's eyes.

She suddenly exerted force with her wrist, not to pull out the long sword, but to use the leverage of the blade lodged in the joint to spring up, her legs scissoring toward the puppet's neck!

She intended to use her whole body's weight to disrupt the Gray Puppet's balance, at the very least… to give it some effect!

"Thud!"

Cheng Shuili's legs clamped hard around the puppet's neck, her body dropping down.

The tremendous force caused the puppet's head to jerk violently to one side, its whole upper torso swaying as well.

Its motion to grab Qing Qing was completely interrupted.

"Wuya Lao Da! I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"

Qing Qing gave Cheng Shuili a smile, raising her dagger once more.

"Cut the chatter! Just do what needs to be done."

Cheng Shuili's forehead veins throbbed; is now really the time to say that?

Fortunately, although Qing Qing had spoken, her hand did not stop moving.

This time, the tip of her dagger glowed with a dark red light, striking with thunderous speed at the joint between the puppet's wrist and palm!

As long as this is cut off, that hand of the puppet is useless!

This seemed not to be an ordinary physical attack, but the effect of some special device.

The Gray Puppet seemed to sense the threat; its head, choked by Cheng Shuili, turned with difficulty, its hollow eye sockets looking at the dagger Qing Qing thrust toward it, while its other arm tried to defend, but was slowed half a beat by Cheng Shuili's restraint.

"Pfft!"

A sound, clearly different from the previous metallic clang, rang out.

The dagger's tip finally penetrated somewhat!

Although not deep, the dark red energy on the sword tip followed the dagger inward a little, and at the puppet's wrist joint the wooden surface instantly showed several spider‑web‑like black cracks.

The Gray Puppet's movement, with the appearance of this, showed its first noticeable delay!

Its entire body came to a halt, as if some internal drive mechanism had been interfered with.

"Ah ah ah!"

The elderly man had already rolled and crawled several meters away, lying limp on the ground, his crotch wet again, tears and snot streaming down his face, still shaken.

The short‑haired woman and the obedient boy stared wide‑eyed at the lightning‑fast clash, their minds blank.

Cheng Shuili seized the moment, relaxed her legs and landed smoothly, pulling out the long sword lodged in the joint, the tip pointing obliquely at the ground, she breathed slightly.

Qing Qing also quickly stepped back two steps, forming a pincer with Cheng Shuili, warily watching the immobilized Gray Puppet, the dark red light on her dagger fading, a fine sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead.

That strike just now obviously consumed a lot.

Inside Juchang, only the Blood Ring continued to emit an ominous faint light, illuminating the stalemated sides.

The Gray Puppet stood there, its head tilted to one side, black cracks marking its wrists, completely motionless.

After a few seconds, its hoarse voice sounded again, haltingly; this time, its voice carried obvious confusion.

"Why... why..."

It turned its head extremely stiffly, once again looking toward Cheng Shuili.

"Lao... Lao Da... why..."

Cheng Shuili's heart jolted: Why? Why what?

She's out of character?!

The puppet's voice continued: "Helping... outsiders...?"

"Helping outsiders?"

Before Cheng Shuili could speak, Qing Qing's kiss made her frown and repeat it; she swiftly stepped forward, kicked the Gray Puppet, then quickly retreated.

She crossed her arms and said: "What do you mean outsider? This is my teammate!"