Seventh District. Watchtower. Morning.

Sitting atop the watchtower's battlement in lotus position, Bubai’s eyes gradually eased open to survey the gloomy expanse of sandstone residences sprawled below.

Casting a wistful glance back at the empty tower rooftops behind him, a hint of disappointment flickered across his face. "Guess the silly cat won't be coming today."

Was she throwing a tantrum because he missed a day due to taking care of the visiting guests, or are there other reasons?

Bubai’s brow furrowed in thought before he shook his head lightly. "Well, cultivate and wait a bit longer…"

Bubai’s words trailed off, his gaze drifting over to the skies, catching sight of a figure sailing toward the tower peaks atop a weathered windsurfer, its triangular sail billowing in the breeze.

When the middle-aged man aboard steered closer, he relaxed his raise hand, letting his small boat drift forward through the air as he vigilantly stared at Bubai, his sharp eyes eventually falling on the inner disciple token fastened to Bubai’s waist.

"Huh? Old patrol shift?" the middle-aged man called out, his voice carrying over the distance between them.

Bubai silently glanced at him before offering a tacit confirmation with a nod, opting not to correct his misconception.

The middle-aged man gave him a once-over, a skeptical look crossing his features.

"I'm not sure if your clan has notified you, but I'm here to take over," he announced, his tone firm but not unkind.

Getting up from his spot, Bubai dusted off his robes and politely saluted, "Then I won't bother fellow daoist."

Bubai cast one last glance back at the rooftops, leaking a faint sigh. Seems like even this meeting place can't be used as frequently as before.

Spreading his arms, Bubai surrendered himself to the empty air and dove off the ledge, disappearing into the depths below...

East District. Tower.

As the tower entrance rumbled shut behind him, Bubai could already hear the faint echoes of footsteps pitter-pattering down the stairs.

He glanced over, catching sight of Wei Er descending into the corridor, her face alight with joy at the sight of him.

"Master, welcome home!" she called out sweetly.

Bubai arched a brow, noting the unusual enthusiasm in her greeting.

Though he had an inkling why, Bubai simply smiled, walking over to her and asked, "Oh, what makes my little Wei Er so excited today?"

Wei Er shuffled up to his side, hooking herself to his arm with a shy smile. "Of course, it’s seeing master that makes Wei Er excited.”

Bubai's smile widened, his eyes holding a knowing glint as he regarded his maid. “Is that so?”

"Mm. Mm.” Wei Er nodded eagerly, her face flushing pink, “Wei Er is master’s most obedient maid and always excited to serve master! So, let Wei Er serve master! A relaxing bath, or perhaps a satisfying meal? Just say the word, and Wei Er will make it happen!”

Bubai raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't your sister usually arrange these?"

"Yes, but…” Wei Er rolled her eyes ever so slightly. “Wei Er also want to do all I can to please master.”

“Haha…” Bubai chuckled softly at her eagerness, remarking teasingly, "What a sweet mouth.”

“Mm, mm! Wei Er’s mouth is very sweet.” Wei Er leaned closer, pressing herself against his arm, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Master, let Wei Er show you how sweet it can be...”

"Maybe next time." Bubai gently deflected with a playful smile, his gaze shifting to the stairs.

Wei Er followed his gaze, her lips puckering slightly in disappointment when she saw the descending figure of Xiao Lan, followed closely by her older sister, Wei Yi.

With a composed face, Wei Yi presented her usual respectful bow, "Welcome home, master."

“Haha, there’s my obedient Wei Yi.” Bubai gently disentangled himself from Wei Er.

Leaving the sulking younger sister behind, he approached Wei Yi with a warm smile, reaching out to pet her head affectionately, "Did Xiao Lan teach you what you need to do once you get sent over?"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Wei Yi nuzzled against his touch, her expression serene, "Yes, master. Wei Yi will make sure to master the tricks to help master."

Hearing this, Wei Er rolled her eyes slyly, sidling up next to Bubai and asking hopefully, "Master, can Wei Er learn too?"

Bubai threw her a glance, "Why do you need to? It’s your sister being sent over, not you.”

“But master-” Wei Er wanted to plead her case, but Bubai interrupted her with finality, "There's no need to say more."

Bubai then glanced towards the Xiao Lan, who had already moved to adjust the lamp mechanism, "Okay, I still have things to do. You two be obedient, alright?”

“Yes, master.” “Ao.”

Bubai turned and walked off towards the already opened staircase leading into the dungeons. “Xiao Lan, I will leave it to you here.”

Xiao Lan nodded silently in response, her expression unreadable as always.

The twin sisters stood side by side, silently watching the secret staircase wall grinding close.

Wei Er eyed the passage, then Xiao Lan, who nailed her in place with a frigid stare.

After the passage to dungeons was sealed off, Xiao Lan's frigid gaze finally left the twins, her steps taking her into the storage room, sliding the door shut not long after with a click.

Seeing Xiao Lan finally gone, Wei Er sidled up to her sister, her voice small and pleading. "Sister…"

Wei Yi shook her head subtly, giving her sister a light rap on her forehead and chided. "If you can’t even be smart enough to convince master, what use will you be even if you go over?"

Wei Er pouted, feeling the sting of her sister's words. "Can’t sister give me an idea?"

Wei Yi silently stared back at her with a composed, unreadable face, her expression giving away nothing.

Seeing this, Wei Er swayed her sister's arm, her eyes begging, "Sister~”

Facing her sister’s cute act, Wei Yi let out a sigh, her tone softening just a fraction. "Go upstairs and talk.”

“Yeah!” Wei Er cheered, a bright smile lighting up her face. "I just knew sister dotes on me the most! I’ll go set up our sister mat!"

Watching her younger sister bouncing up the stairs, Wei Yi lowered her head, her composed facade cracking with a slight, self-deprecating smile, whispering in a barely audible voice.

"Sorry… Sister is just a selfish woman."

In the stairway, Bubai glanced back, his thoughts swirling as he muttered to himself, "Is she actually naive enough to think the walls were completely soundproof?”

Or maybe... it was deliberate?

After all, any women handpicked to be sent out as spies didn’t have a simple mind. Their true thoughts and intentions, who knows how deep they are.

With a sigh, Bubai shook his head, “Alas, how many spies in movies and stories actually have a good end?"

Pushing aside these thoughts, Bubai stepped into the underground prison.

Entering a clean and spacious cell, Bubai's consciousness shifted inward to his storage space.

Admist the clutter of his cramped storage space, he found his target.

There, kneeling before a low-end table, was the wheat-skinned An Jali, her fishnet outfit hugging her curves, accentuating her bombshell figure as she leaned over, diligently chiseling away at a formation chip, fashioning it into a needle-like shape.

This was his idle servant’s job recently.

As a puppet with inhuman strength and no need for rest, she was the ideal candidate for the various crafting endeavors that occupied his thoughts. And this was just one among them.

Whenever Bubai failed in his formation practice, he never discarded any of the formation materials.

Despite the Weeping Willow wood’s unassuming appearance, he knew the value of this material all too well - durable, almost metal-like in quality. It was too precious to waste!

Thus, he hoarded them, harboring intentions of repurposing them into more practical items.

However, due to the nature of the task, there really wasn’t many cost-efficient options for him to choose from.

Hiring outsiders to process the Weeping Willow wood was not cheap.

After all, the sheer resilience of the wood rendered it resistant to manipulation by ordinary human strength, necessitating sophisticated equipment or adept craftsman for processing.

Even Xiao Lan, skilled as she was, would struggle to carve these woods without resorting to her sword skills, an overkill for such delicate work.

Bubai’s own physical strength fits the task requirements, but this task was not an efficient use of his time, especially since he is bogged down by other pressing matters.

Herein lay the role of his puppet doll.

She was a gorgeous beauty on the surface, but don’t forget: her body had been refined into a finely tuned machine, possessing strength far surpassing that of a normal mortal!

This made her ideally suited for mundane grunt work, especially jobs like these that required both strength and a delicate touch of power.

In this aspect, An Jali certainly proved her capabilities to him.

She was able to work in a small room full-time with no complaints nor monetary pay. The perfect employee.

So, she deserves a breath of fresh air.

Adding the freshly carved wooden needle to the neat pile on the side, An Jali was just about to pick up another used formation chip when Bubai's command resonated in her mind, “Jali, you will continue your work outside."

Hearing her owner’s voice, An Jali glanced upwards toward the heavens of the small space, a sultry smile dolling up her face, "Yes, my king."

Feeling a tug on her being, An Jali surrendered to the unseen force, allowing herself to be drawn into it.

In a blink, she found herself transported into a prison cell, falling towards the ground.

An Jali immediately adjusted her posture mid-air, allowing herself to land in a kneeling position like a warrior paying respects to her liege. "An Jali greets my king."

"Dispense the formalities.” Bubai acknowledged her with a nod, his hand gesturing to summon the table and crafting supplies, stationing them nearby. “Ready to keep working?”

An Jali lifted her head, honoring Bubai with a gaze heavy with desire and purred seductively. "An Jali is happy to serve my king at any time.”

"Very good," Bubai gestured towards the table laden with crafting supplies. "Then, I'll leave it to you while you regenerate your yin energy."

Just as Bubai was about to turn away, he felt a hand tug on his pants.

Glancing back, he met the pleading gaze of An Jali, her plump lips parted in a longing plea, "My king, can you give Jali a charge first? Jali has worked hard these past days without energy…"

Oh Merlin… is it time for another charge already? Bubai couldn’t resist a smirk that all men of culture understood...

The downside of employing his doll full-time meant he needed to recharge her more frequently. If he wants his production line to keep working, this was a matter he obviously can’t miss out on.

So, Bubai… obviously had no choice but to sacrifice his own energy to fulfill his devoted servant’s needs...