Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Chapter 6 Prosthetics and Cybernetics.

Hearing Ge Changyuan's words, Su Qing's heart sank. The Lingtian District was sparsely populated, with most of the area outside the market. Incidents of monsters harming people were not uncommon.

For someone like Ge Ling to escape the jaws of a monster is already incredibly fortunate.

In the world of cultivation, physical disabilities are not considered a big deal.

The superior method can perform the limb regeneration technique, restoring the severed limbs to their original state. However, such a method is only available to cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage. Ge Changyuan and Su Qing are clearly neither qualified to have such an existence appear, nor can they afford the corresponding price.

The best approach is to seek help from a spiritual healer if the severed limb remains intact. After several months of recuperation, it should be fine. However, according to Ge Dayuan's description, the monster tore off the leg and fled in fright. Now, the severed leg has probably been digested into dust.

The less advanced method is prosthetic limb modification, which uses external objects to replace some of the functions of the missing limb. This is a method that some puppeteer apprentices and weapon-refining apprentices can do.

However, due to differences in techniques, the effectiveness of prosthetics varies greatly.

The weapon refiner treats the prosthetic limb as an independent individual and refines it using the same techniques as those used to refine magical artifacts. The prosthetic limb itself may not have any major flaws, but the stiffness and resistance it feels when used constantly reminds the patient that they are wearing a prosthesis.

In contrast, the puppeteer treats the patient as a whole, with the prosthetic limb being merely a part of that whole. Once installed, it not only seamlessly integrates with the patient's body but also possesses a certain level of intelligence. If it weren't for the fact that cultivation would be impossible after the prosthetic limb is installed, the prosthetic limb crafted by the puppeteer could truly rival the limb regeneration technique of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Su Qing's main means of making a living in the Spirit Field District were repairing farm tools for the Spirit Planters and occasionally making prosthetics for the Spirit Planters who had lost limbs.

At the time, he was just a puppeteer's apprentice, but because of his meticulousness and ability to meet the needs of customers, whether expected or not, coupled with his unique expertise in bionic runes, the prosthetics he crafted were praised by all the customers who used them.

Sure enough, Ge Changyuan rushed over overnight, asking him to make a prosthetic limb for Ge Ling, which is proof of his good reputation in the past.

Of course, part of the reason is that he is now a mid-grade first-level puppeteer, and he is the only first-level puppeteer that Ge Changyuan could possibly ask to join.

“Ling’er has loved beauty since she was a child. This old man can’t bear to see her using those crudely made prosthetics. I would like to ask you to make a trip for me. I have already prepared the reward. Please see if this is enough. If not, I can make more. My family’s spirit fields are worth more than a thousand spirit crystals.”

Although Su Qing had been allowed to stay at his home for several years, there was a certain degree of affection between them.

However, cultivators are not sentimental, and after Su Qing advanced to the first-level puppeteer, the two had little contact. Ge Changyuan was also worried about whether Su Qing still remembered their old friendship.

Concerned and worried that Su Qing might not like the small order, he stuffed the money bag in his hand into Su Qing's hand before she could agree.

Su Qing did not refuse, reached out and took the money bag, weighed it in her hand, and found that it contained more than four hundred spirit crystals.

That's not a small amount either.

A spirit plant grower like Ge Changyuan, after a year of hard work and deducting all expenses, would only have two or three hundred spirit crystals left. After purchasing some farming animals and tools, as well as household expenses, there would be very little left at the end of the year. The spirit crystals in this bag were his savings accumulated over many years.

But for Su Qing, traveling back and forth between the living area and the spirit field area involves not only risks, but also the wasted time. Given his current efficiency in crafting puppets, he would only lose money.

Moreover, he is currently in a crucial stage of striving for the perfection of his Passionate Couple, and if someone else were to ask him for help, he would definitely refuse outright.

But Ge Changyuan's family held a different place in his heart than ordinary people.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait outside while I make some preparations."

Seeing Su Qing accept the money pouch, Ge Changyuan felt relieved, thinking to himself that his wife at home was right; this Fellow Daoist Su was a man of great loyalty and righteousness. A moment later, with the help of the Wood Spirit servants, Su Qing strapped all the puppet-making tools to his iron-legged horse and walked out of the courtyard.

The residential area was quiet late at night, with few cultivators venturing out to avoid encountering evil spirits.

As soon as Su Qing stepped out of the courtyard, her brows furrowed slightly.

This world is different from the previous one. The talk of evil spirits is not just the delusional fantasy of ignorant people, but a real phenomenon.

As far as Su Qing knew, evil spirits belonged to the yin category. The more evil spirits were born in places where sins and injustices abounded, the greater the probability of their birth. They followed certain rules and acted accordingly. Anyone who encountered them would either fall seriously ill or die.

The area around Baiyun Market is densely populated and has enjoyed peace for a long time. In addition, the market holds an exorcism ceremony every six months, so evil spirits rarely appear.

Even so, the independent cultivators tried to stay home as much as possible at night.

He did carry an exorcism talisman he bought from the old Taoist priest, but with his and Ge Changyuan's meager cultivation levels, even with the talisman's protection, they would likely be unable to escape if they encountered evil spirits.

Besides, Su Qing was even more worried about the lurking cultivators within a hundred-mile stretch between the residential area and the spiritual field area.

Since the incident, Ge Changyuan has only been concerned about finding Su Qing. All he could think about on the way was what to do if Su Qing refused. He didn't even consider the risks along the way.

Seeing Su Qing leading the Iron-Footed Horse, silently gazing into the dark night, he realized what was happening and broke out in a cold sweat.

"This old man deserves to die. I didn't expect the risks on this road. I dare not let you follow me into danger. I'll wait until dawn to set off."

Ge Changyuan slapped his forehead in frustration, then squatted down by the courtyard wall. Although he was extremely anxious, he dared not urge Su Qing at all.

"The prosthesis needs to be installed as quickly as possible. The longer it takes, the less effective it will be. We can't wait until dawn!"

Su Qing put the Iron-Footed Horse aside and walked to Tang Wanqing's courtyard.

Before he could knock, Tang Wanqing, dressed in plain Buddhist robes and seemingly listening to the sounds outside, pushed the door open and came out.

After whispering to each other for a few moments, Su Qing hired Tang Wanqing, a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, as his bodyguard for the price of a high-end Passionate Puppet.

Although Ge Changyuan did not know what price Su Qing had paid to persuade Tang Wanqing, he knew that Su Qing had done this for the sake of his daughter. Moved, he patted his chest and said that he would bear the cost of the employment.

Su Qing nodded slightly, intending to just symbolically accept a few spirit crystals from him as a token gesture.

The three did not exchange many words. Ge Changyuan led the way on a short-legged horse, Su Qing rode in the middle on an iron-legged horse, and finally, Tang Wanqing activated her magic robe and soared several feet into the air.

Along the way, perhaps because of the chaos caused by the demonic cultivators today, the tribulation cultivators chose to observe and rest for a few days, or perhaps because Tang Wanqing's late-stage Qi Refining cultivation had enough deterrent power.

Anyway, the three of them had a smooth journey and did not encounter any evil spirits or treacherous attacks, which made Su Qing, who had been using her divine sense to control the wood spirit servants to keep watch along the way, secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

As night faded and the sun was about to rise, the three, who had been traveling for most of the night, finally arrived at the territory of Gejia Village.

(End of this chapter)