Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

The disciple on guard moved swiftly, and in less than half an incense stick's time, he brought the person over.

Not only Dao Xuanzi, but also the white-haired Shen Suan Zhenren followed behind him.

Since the battle at Jiyue Mountain, Master Shensuan has been in seclusion at Suandao Peak. At this time, his hair is gray, and his gaze toward Xue Lan is still gentle, but he has lost his previous vigor and spirit.

Xue Lan was all smiles and laughter in front of Dao Xuanzi, but behaved very obediently and sensibly in front of Shen Suan Zhenren. The girl leaned against the iron gate railing, looking at Shen Suan Zhenren outside.

"Xue Lan greets her senior uncle. How has your senior uncle been lately?"

Shen Suanzhen reached out and touched her head: "Everything is fine."

"Senior brother, don't spoil her." Dao Xuanzi looked at Xue Lan and sneered.

"If I lock you up on the Cliff of Repentance, you'll release the people your master personally brought back. If I confine you on Jiyuan Peak, you'll blow up the mountain."

Dao Xuanzi's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction, but more so a sense of teasing and helplessness.

Xue Lan understood that Dao Xuanzi was unaware of the old man's background, so she didn't need to worry about being expelled from the sect.

With her heart at ease, the girl began to inquire about Dao Xuanzi's questions.

"Master said earlier that the old man was brought back by Master. When did Master bring him back?"

“About four hundred years ago.” Dao Xuanzi sighed. “This person had no demonic energy, but his thoughts were truly obsessive. Your master raised him on the Cliff of Contemplation, and four hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye.”

Four hundred years have passed, and countless generations of mortals have witnessed the vicissitudes of life. This old man has remained in this prison cell ever since.

Xue Lan pondered for a moment.

Was she waiting for her master, or for the person he was looking for?

Xue Lan knew that Dao Xuanzi wouldn't know the old man's background, and she wouldn't ask.

Those were powerful cultivators at the Integration Stage. Knowing about his affairs in the lower realm would not only fail to aid their cultivation but could also bring them trouble.

The girl was lying on the iron gate, looking pitiful.

"Master Uncle, I wish to forge a weapon for my Third Junior Sister and would like to go to the War Puppet Mansion ahead of time."

Dao Xuanzi looked at him with a somewhat suspicious expression.

"Let her go," said Master Shensuan.

Dao Xuanzi stroked his beard and waved to open the iron gate.

"Since you're going to make a magical artifact for your aunt, let her come with you. Also, take Shishi with you."

Xue Lan nodded repeatedly, understanding Xuanzi's thoughts.

It's simply a matter of finding someone, a reliable disciple, to keep an eye on this naturally rebellious person like myself.

Ji Jinjin has a broad perspective, but after all, she is his junior sister, and it's hard to guarantee that she won't help the wicked.

Bringing along the steady and appropriate Yin Shishi is just right.

That afternoon, Xue Lan and the others sailed the sect's small spirit boat to the Mingyangchuan War Puppet Mansion.

Three days later, in the outskirts of Xie Cui City, Mingyangchuan.

Xue Lan stood at the bow of the ship, looking down at the massive city below, then turned to look at Yin Shishi.

"Junior sister, do you know why Xie Cuicheng is called Xie Cuicheng?"

Yin Shishi, dressed in a bright green dress, glanced at her upon hearing this and offered a nonchalant compliment: "I don't know, Senior Sister said!"

Xue Lan knew that Yin Shishi didn't want to talk to her, but it was still very kind of her to give herself face and give her a perfunctory response.

So Xue Lan cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, the great demon king of Jidu, the Golden Crow, fell to the ground carrying the sun. Its demonic body sank a hundred meters into the ground and transformed into the Golden Crow Seal Iron."

"Later generations built a city here and smelted iron, making it the capital of weapons."

Yin Shishi gently turned a page of the medical book in her hand: "So why is it called Xie Cuicheng?"

Xue Lan chuckled.

"Because the sword cultivator was impatient, he kept urging the sword-making master. The master said, 'Thank you, but could you please stop urging me?'"

Xue Lan finished speaking and spread her hands: "That's it!"

Yin Shishi felt she was acting strangely by listening to Xue Lan. She put away her medical book and walked to the bow of the boat, watching the spirit boat slowly descend.

The three disembarked from the spirit boat, where they were met by a disciple of the War Puppet Mansion. He stared at Xue Lan for a long time, then hesitated to speak. Finally, he looked at Ji Jinjin standing to the side.

"This must be Senior Sister Ji from the Xuanhuang Sect, right?"

Xue Lan raised an eyebrow, looking at the young disciple in front of her with great interest.

Ji Jinjin nodded in agreement: "Exactly."

The disciple immediately bowed and introduced himself: "Greetings, senior sisters. I am Luo Yi, a disciple of the Puppet Sect of the War Puppet Mansion. I have come to welcome you at the request of Senior Brother Yan. Please come in."

Luo Yi raised his hand in invitation, and Xue Lan bowed in thanks: "Thank you very much, Junior Brother. I wonder how Junior Sister Wu has been lately?"

Luo Yi froze for a moment before slowly raising her hand to reply, "Senior Sister Wu is doing well."

Ji Jinjin noticed the stiffness in the person in front of her and looked at Xue Lan, who had a playful smile on her lips.

To everyone's surprise, Xue Lan simply shook her head slightly and then followed Luo Yi first.

Seeing her like this, Ji Jinjin felt relieved and followed her.

In the puppet-refining chamber beneath the War Puppet Mansion, the girl sitting on the central platform suddenly opened her eyes, her bright and beautiful peach blossom eyes looking at the boy beside her.

"I lost!" Wu Yijun's ten fingers flew, his knuckles wrapped with transparent puppet threads.

Meanwhile, on Xue Lan's side, Luo Yi, who had been leading the way for half the time, suddenly seemed to have all his bones removed, turning into a thin human skin in front of them, and swaying as he flew towards the War Puppet Mansion.

"A puppet." Yin Shishi glanced at the thing flying in the sky. She turned to look at Xue Lan to the side.

Xue Lan darted out and flew to the eaves of a house ahead: "Chase!"

The remaining two quickly followed, and the three of them headed towards the War Puppet Mansion located in the center of Xie Cui City as light as birds.

“I said before, Xue Lan may not be good at puppetry, but her familiarity with materials is unmatched. Unless you directly modify a person, it’s impossible to hide it from her.” In the puppet-making room, Yan Chengxue put down what she was holding.

"Go out and check, make sure she doesn't come in and see the new Golden Crow Seal Iron that your martial uncle just gave you..."

"Golden Crow Seal Iron".

Before Yan Chengxue could finish speaking, Xue Lan's voice came from the door of the puppet-making room.

Looking up, he saw a girl in white standing there, her gaze fixed on a piece of shimmering material on the table behind him.

Yan Chengxue smiled and stood in front of the display stand, changing the subject: "How did you get in? These gatekeeper disciples are really something..."

"I climbed over the wall to get in; I have the pass Master Chen gave me before," Xue Lan replied, her eyes fixed on the Golden Crow Seal Iron.

Yan Chengxue secretly gave Wu Yijun a wink, and the girl took small steps to approach the artifact platform behind her, putting the Golden Crow Seal Iron on it into her sleeve.

Xue Lan's expression immediately turned sour, as if someone had stolen his wife.

"This piece was given to me by my master; I'm going to use it to refine puppets. I'm not giving it to you!" Wu Yijun said, hiding behind Yan Chengxue.

Xue Lan knew the plan had fallen through. So she stood at the door and knocked perfunctorily, asking, "May I come in?"

Yan Chengxue nodded and let the three of them in, and saw that Ji Jinjin was holding a human skin in her hand.

"Put him down quickly, or it will get wrinkled and hard to fix!" Yan Chengxue completely abandoned his aloof and detached senior brother demeanor, jogged a few steps forward, took the nearly crumpled Luo Yi from Ji Jinjin's hands, and handed it to Wu Yijun beside him.

"You guys just love making these scary-looking things." Xue Lan had just found a place to sit down when Wu Yijun, holding the deflated Luo Yi, came over and asked, "Xue Lan, Xue Lan, how did you figure out that Luo Yi was a puppet? Was it really because of the materials?"

Xue Lan shifted slightly to the side. Yin Shishi, who had been watching the two of them, finally couldn't help but speak up.

"She wasn't wearing black today."

Because Xue Lan wasn't wearing the black clothes she'd worn for decades, the puppet hadn't recognized her before.

“The puppet has no intelligence; it doesn’t recognize me, which is why it called me Auntie.” Xue Lan looked into Wu Yijun’s eyes.

"You can never harm other gods to create puppets, even if you spend your whole life spying on them. You will never be able to fool me with puppets."

“The weapon refiner assessment can begin now. I’ll go with you, and you can leave after you’re done.” Yan Chengxue grabbed Xue Lan by the collar, trying to lift her away.

Wu Yijun is the most beloved junior sister of those madmen in the Puppet Sect of the War Puppet Mansion. If she is corrupted by Xue Lan, both of them will die.

Before Xue Lan could say much, Yan Chengxue grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away, leaving Ji Jinjin and Yin Shishi to accompany Wu Yijun.

"Senior Sister Yin, will my senior sister be alright?" Ji Jinjin asked, swallowing hard.

"What if she plays herself to death in the War Puppet Mansion?" Yin Shishi said.

"Then let's just say she's dead."