Chapter 470: Pull!

The blurry human face on that white skull turned toward the audience, emitting an indistinct buzzing sound.

Several of the limbs attacking Qing Qing's kiss also showed a moment's hesitation.

Taking this opportunity, Cheng Shuili immediately returned to her position.

"Settled? Wuya Lao Da?"

Qing Qing's kiss's voice still carried a slightly teasing tone, but Cheng Shuili could see at a glance that she was almost covered in blood.

"Mm." Cheng Shuili replied, her voice deeper than before.

Night Hunt adjusted slightly in her hand, its black blade reflecting the dark red light of the Blood Ring, like the eye of a ferocious beast about to open.

"Next, listen to my signal."

She didn't look at Qing Qing's kiss's injuries; that wasn't something to worry about now.

Concern and hesitation would be too out of place right now.

The Gray Puppets were already in place, like two silent gray walls.

They had no weapons, only stiff bodies and hollow eyes, but they were numerous and absolutely obedient.

The Puppeteer also seemed to sense something was off.

The human face on that white skull writhed wildly, emitting an ever sharper, chaotic hiss.

All the pallid limbs gave up chasing the wounded Qing Qing's kiss, snapping back like a frightened snake swarm, shielding the torso, their tips uniformly pointing at the Gray Puppets in the audience seats, and also warily pointing at Cheng Shuili, appearing hesitant yet frenzied.

"Are you afraid?" Cheng Shuili raised her long blade and shouted.

Cheng Shuili's voice wasn't loud, yet it cut clearly through the tense air at the stage's center, even overriding the Puppeteer's chaotic hiss.

She gripped Night Hunt, blade tip pointing diagonally at the ground, and stepped forward.

"You draped yourself in human skin, played the elegant Puppeteer, hid behind the curtains pulling strings, toying with hearts… because only this way could you feel your own existence, right?"

Her tone was calm, yet like an ice‑quenched needle, it pierced that twisted white mass.

"Now the flesh has rotted, the puppets won't obey, and even the audience you despise most can face you head‑on this long."

She halted her steps, only a few meters from the Puppeteer's wary cluster of limbs.

The Blood Ring's red light stretched a long shadow behind her, joining with the silent ranks of the Gray Puppets to form an invisible encirclement.

"You question why we differ." Cheng Shuili lifted her gaze, staring at the skull lacking features yet filled with countless pained faces, "Now it's my turn to ask you——"

She slowly lifted Night Hunt; its blade reflected her own icy brows and eyes, and also reflected the Puppeteer's nauseating outline.

"After shedding all disguises, stripping off all costumes, even discarding the ridiculous title of Puppeteer……"

"What, exactly, are you?"

Her words rang loud and clear, yet the Puppeteer only gave a cold laugh; its white mass fixed on Cheng Shuili, snarling word by word: "You… on what grounds do you question me?"

Cheng Shuili said all this to her certainly not to question her.

On the floor, at some point a coil of rope had appeared—exactly the infinite‑length safety rope Cheng Shuili had obtained long ago.

This thing hadn't shown up in ages, but now it was finally going to be put to great use.

Without another word, the battle resumed after a brief pause!

The Gray Puppets standing on either side surged forward like two streams of gray iron, unafraid, toward the wildly dancing pallid limbs.

They had no weapons, only stiff bodies and absolute obedience.

The first puppet to lunge was instantly pierced through by a limb, its gray body shattering, but immediately the second, third… more puppets surged forward, using their bodies and numbers to restrain and entangle the deadly tips of those attacks!

"Klaklakla——!"

Grating friction and the snapping of hard objects rang out continuously.

The puppets' bodies were constantly damaged by the limbs' struggling piercings, fragments flying, yet more gray figures kept coming forward one after another.

They were like pain‑less worker ants, using the clumsiest yet most effective method to pin each limb that tried to strike back or thrust at Cheng Shuili to the spot, or at least greatly limit its range of motion.

The Puppeteer emitted a shrill cry mingling anger and panic, the face on its white skull twisted to the extreme.

It tried to retract its limbs, but was entangled by a tide of Gray Puppets; attempting to attack Cheng Shuili, it was blocked by more puppets lunging forward.

This was only part of the Gray Puppets' effect; half remained in place, waiting for the rope spoken of by their boss to appear.

Cheng Shuili acted under this chaotic cover!

She didn't rush the Puppeteer's torso or head; instead she bent, nimbly picking up the inconspicuous coil of infinite‑length safety rope on the ground.

The rope unfurled in her hand like a living thing.

Cheng Shuili flicked her wrist; one end of the safety rope lashed out as if alive, precisely sweeping past one of the Puppeteer's limbs and emerging from the other side.

She swiftly moved to the other side and threaded the rope through again.

Just as the Puppeteer grew weary fending off the Gray Puppets, the infinite‑length rope, like a fine spiderweb, wove densely beneath it.

Qing Qing's kiss always stood at the rope's other end, waiting for Cheng Shuili's command.

Once everything was ready, Cheng Shuili grabbed this end of the rope and shouted, "Kiss Sis! Follow my lead!"

Qing Qing's kiss's wounds were so many that any movement made blood gush out, yet she seemed unfazed, instantly standing up and even squeezing a smile at Cheng Shuili.

But unfortunately, Cheng Shuili didn't see it.

She gripped one end of the rope, eyed a crossbeam, took a few quick steps, then hurled the rope upward.

Qing Qing's kiss took it all in; though she didn't understand why, she imitated Cheng Shuili and tossed the rope upward as well.

At that moment, the Gray Puppets standing silently on either side, as if triggered by a program, instantly pulled the rope down and passed it to each puppet's hands.

Cheng Shuili finally relaxed, wiping sweat from her forehead, finally smiling and shouting loudly, "Three… two…"

This countdown, unsurprisingly, caught the Puppeteer's attention; only now did it finally spare a glance to check on these two tiny players.

The Gray Puppets were many, but to the Puppeteer they were merely ants that could be stabbed to death in a single blow.

Dealing with these puppets was just a matter of time.

Those two players actually thought this could defeat it—how ridiculous…

"One, pull!"

Cheng Shuili's voice fell, the Gray Puppets on both sides immediately exerted force, pulling the ropes in their hands!