Chapter 1256: Chapter 316: Secret Treasure, Puppet Book

In the courtyard, those two human-shaped soldiers are still patrolling day and night without pause.

If it weren’t for the secret passage, Ye Lingyue and Di Shen would probably not have been able to break in.

Ye Lingyue and Di Shen had already experienced the power of these soldiers in earlier attempts; they are true killing machines.

They don’t fear pain or death, and in the worst-case scenario, they would rather perish with the enemy.

With their skills, Ye Lingyue and Di Shen might be able to defeat them in a direct confrontation, but it would come at a heavy cost.

Moreover, neither of them knows how many more human-shaped soldiers Situ Nan has.

Ye Lingyue previously wondered how these soldiers were refined, but later learned from Little Zhiyo that they were made using living people, with Qin Xiaochuan almost being refined.

"City Lord, I need to ask you about something. A friend of mine was also captured by Situ Nan. Also, your guard captain, Luo Yi, is one of my fellow disciples. We’ve lost contact, and when we met her again, she didn’t recognize us. I want to know, what is the deal with these human-shaped soldiers? Why can some people be refined into them while others can’t?"

Being an Artifact Refiner, Ye Lingyue had never encountered such entities that are like puppets yet akin to spiritual artifacts.

"Your friend probably passed the Vajra Formation, just like Miss Luo Yi earlier. So she is one of your fellow disciples too. Her unusual physique was why she was selected for refinement into a human-shaped soldier. This is all my fault, really; I shouldn’t have let Situ Nan infiltrate, letting that scoundrel take advantage and steal the Puppet Book."

City Lord Yang expressed regret as he mentioned Luo Yi.

A young and beautiful woman turned into a soldier, manipulated at will; Luo Yi’s fate is indeed pitiful.

Puppet Book? What is that?

"City Lord Yang, what is the Puppet Book?" Ye Lingyue speculated that the Puppet Book might be the key to Situ Nan’s process of refining human-shaped soldiers.

"The Puppet Book is Gold City’s Town Treasure, split into two parts. For many years, one part was hidden within the city’s Vajra Formation. This part is public; anyone who passes through the formation can read it. There’s another part, the secret volume, which is only kept in the City Lord’s Mansion and isn’t accessible to anyone but the city lord."

It was only after being poisoned that City Lord Yang realized that before Situ Nan infiltrated the City Lord’s Mansion, he had already acquired the public volume of the Puppet Scroll, and infiltrated to seize the secret volume.

Due to practicing new martial arts, City Lord Yang had accidentally undergone deviation, and Situ Nan, possessing the medical skills, treated him while colluding with the Manager to steal the secret volume.

The Puppet Book has been in the hands of every Gold City Lord. Though each knows human-shaped soldiers are extraordinarily powerful, their refining process is too cruel, so none dared to make them.

Even City Lord Yang couldn’t have imagined that Situ Nan would actually succeed in creating these human-shaped soldiers.

Currently, as long as Situ Nan has the Puppet Book, he can keep refining human-shaped soldiers. With them, he practically holds an immense army, making it impossible for anyone to challenge him.

"To prevent the situation from worsening, I plan to write a letter to my friend, the City Lord of Shui City, to inform the Jiu Provinces Alliance. Only their people can save Gold City. Please, can you two send it for me?"

City Lord Yang worriedly stated.

"City Lord, is there no way to break the Puppet Book’s influence?"

Ye Lingyue was still somewhat hopeful.

"There is indeed a way; the solution to unlock the Puppet Book lies within itself. But the problem is that the book is in Situ Nan’s hands. With Luo Yi beside him, no one can steal it. I believe Luo Yi is the strongest human-shaped soldier Situ Nan has created to date. She possesses mutated Power of Reincarnation and, having been modified by the Puppet Book, is likely stronger than my frail old bones.

City Lord Yang shook his head.

"City Lord, can those refined into human-shaped soldiers still have their consciousness?"

Ye Lingyue couldn’t help but recall Luo Yi’s expression upon seeing the Ghost Doll earlier—the briefest moment, but Ye Lingyue suspected Luo Yi was different; otherwise, why didn’t she inform Situ Nan about the Ghost Doll’s existence?

"Highly unlikely. Once refined into a human-shaped soldier, they become a puppet, obedient solely to their master." City Lord Yang, still very weak, dictated a letter for Di Shen to write.

It was not until the sky faintly showed a fish-white hue that Ye Lingyue and Di Shen left the City Lord’s Mansion through the secret passage.

After leaving the mansion, Di Shen glanced at the letter in his hand and tore it directly.

"Di Shen, why did you do that?"

Ye Lingyue did not understand.

"Wife, really, do you plan to send this letter out? After listening to the old city lord, don’t you feel suspicious?"

Di Shen began doubting after hearing the old city lord’s words.

He didn’t voice doubts earlier, as City Lord Yang had only just recovered, making it hard for him to be thorough in his thoughts.

Although Situ Nan is cunning, Gold City is still one of Five Newbie Cities; with City Lord Yang poisoned and imprisoned for so long, how could other city lords not notice?

Especially the City Lord of Shui City, labeled a friend by City Lord Yang; as a friend, he should have sensed something amiss.

Moreover, Di Shen recalled clearly that among the city lords who co-signed complaints against his wife, the first was the City Lord of Shui City.

"If we don’t send it, what’s your plan to handle Situ Nan, or are you capable of eliminating his whole army of human-shaped soldiers?"

Ye Lingyue, seemingly smiling but angry, glanced at Di Shen. Angry she appeared, but the curve of her eyes disclosed her true thoughts.

Clearly, she didn’t want the letter sent either.

The Puppet Book sounded like a valuable item.

To see such treasure and simply hand it over is something only a fool like City Lord Yang would do.

"If Situ Nan could steal the Puppet Book, then surely we can too. Plus, my wife’s artifact refining skill is much superior to Situ Nan’s. Just wait, I’ll break the Vajra Formation and seize the public volume of the Puppet Book." Di Shen spoke, making Ye Lingyue giggle.

In their eyes lay understanding and consensus; clearly, they had thought alike once again.