Chapter 155: Guarding the Village, the Art of Puppetry

The two of them exchanged a glance, a faint smile curling the corners of their lips. Hidden within that smile was a tacit understanding that needed no words, as if in a silent world they had already clasped hands, jointly guarding some unspeakable secret.

It was an understanding that transcended language, a resonance deep within their souls, as if saying:

"Hey, the two of us really are cut from the same cloth!"

The old man's retreating figure gradually vanished into the corner of the alley, leaving behind a string of lingering footsteps echoing in the air.

Xu Baoshan was just about to step across the threshold when his expression changed drastically in that exact instant.

As if encountering something terrifying, he spun around and bolted deeper into the narrow alley.

Panic flashed in his eyes, his footsteps chaotic as though countless vengeful ghosts were chasing after him, every single step treading on the very edge of danger.

Li Chao followed closely behind, his brow furrowed, muttering inwardly:

"This fellow's vigilance is remarkably high. Could he have sensed something already?"

His pace unconsciously quickened, as if racing against time, every stride filled with power and determination.

Li Chao had already made up his mind; now that he had caught up, he would absolutely not let him escape.

He powered up his legs, surging forward like a cheetah, and quickly shortened the distance to within ten paces.

His figure flickered in and out of the dim alleyway like a phantom, relentlessly biting at Xu Baoshan's heels.

Xu Baoshan cursed his bad luck internally, muttering as he ran:

"My god, I haven't done anything heinous! I was just comforting that young lady—do you guys really have to pursue me so relentlessly?"

His tone was full of grievance and helplessness, as if the entire world were conspiring against him.

In his desperation, he flicked his wrist, and two palm-sized metal mechanical birds suddenly burst forth. Gleaming with a dazzling metallic luster,

they carved blinding streaks of light through the gloomy alley. Accompanied by a piercing whistle of wind, they struck directly at Li Chao.

Li Chao's eyes narrowed; he shifted his body to the side, dodging the dual attack by a hair's breadth.

The two bird-like metal objects grazed past his clothes, leaving behind a flash of cold light.

Li Chao felt a jolt of secret alarm, not expecting the attack to be so swift and cunning, complete with hidden follow-up moves.

Just when he thought he had escaped the danger, those two bird-like objects eerily looped back,

as if guided by invisible threads. They moved even faster than before, their wings flashing with a heart-palpitating cold light.

Li Chao was deeply startled, finally understanding why Duan Tian had fallen for this trick, and his vigilance instantly shot to his highest alert.

"Hiss! This sort of trick is truly impossible to guard against!"

Li Chao thought to himself, but his movements didn't hesitate in the slightest. With a powerful leap,

like a vigorous eagle soaring high into the air, he evaded this fatal blow.

With two muffled thuds,

the two metal birds drove deep into the alley wall, sending dust flying and leaving two alarming holes behind.

Li Chao landed steadily from the air, his speed increasing rather than decreasing, charging straight toward Xu Baoshan like a streak of lightning.

He delivered a kick packed with immense crushing force, aiming straight for Xu Baoshan's back, as if tearing the air apart.

Feeling the oppressive murderous intent closing in from behind, Xu Baoshan's heart skipped a beat, and he dared not show the slightest carelessness.

He abruptly spun around, throwing a punch to meet Li Chao's kick, a fierce expression flashing across his face,

as if he wanted to vent all his frustration and anger into this single strike.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A series of heavy collisions rang out. Xu Baoshan was, after all, no match for Li Chao,

and was forced back step by staggering step, almost tumbling to the ground.

At this critical juncture, he flicked his sleeve once more, and a twenty-centimeter-tall wooden puppet soared into the air.

Acting as though it possessed a life of its own, it launched itself diagonally at a tricky, devious angle.

The wooden puppet carved a bizarre arc through the air, pressing in on Li Chao as if pinning all its hope and despair on this final counterattack.

A battle resembling a shadow play, yet brimming with hidden lethal intent!

To be honest, the sensation felt just like watching a shadow play, deeply captivating Li Chao's mind.

This combat technique felt like the ultimate fusion of ancient art and modern power, astonishingly novel.

Li Chao's gaze locked tightly onto the scene before him, every single detail opening his eyes to a new world and filling him with silent awe.

However, amazement was just amazement; Li Chao had no intention of getting lost in this illusory shadow play for long.

He grit his teeth hard, condensing all his starlight energy into his fist. The fist instantly burst with dazzling brilliance,

like a shining shooting star piercing through the dark alley,

carrying an unstoppable, majestic momentum as it smashed toward the seemingly fragile wooden figure!

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the wooden puppet instantly erupted into a flurry of sparks, bursting apart as brilliantly as fireworks.

A relaxed smile curved the corners of Li Chao's lips, as if he deemed this battle to be nothing special after all—just like that!

Yet, right as he was feeling proud of himself, the plot took a dramatic turn.

The next second, Li Chao's expression changed abruptly, and his body violently side-stepped.

Swish!

A sharp blade flew like lightning out from the shattered puppet. Carrying razor-sharp killing intent, it sliced through Li Chao's clothing and then buried itself deep into a distant wall.

The blade was so fast that had Li Chao not reacted swiftly, he would likely have been severely wounded.

"What the hell! So insidious?"

Li Chao couldn't help but curse out loud, reigniting the fury in his heart like a raging fire whipped up by a gale.

Seething with anger, Li Chao refused to give the old man another single opening.

He threw his fist once more, trailing a sky full of golden light, and smashed fiercely toward Xu Baoshan's face like a deity descending from the heavens!

That fist carried the momentum of a thunderbolt, as if it intended to shatter everything in its path, making the surrounding space tremble.

Bang!

With a loud crash, blood sprayed directly from Xu Baoshan's nose, and half of his face swelled up like a steamed bun in an instant.

Before Li Chao could make another move, Xu Baoshan dropped heavily to his knees with a thud and cried out at the top of his lungs:

"Fellow Daoist, spare my life!"

"Stop hitting me!"

"I admit defeat!"

Xu Baoshan's face was plastered with panic and pleading; gone was his previous arrogance, replaced by an instant surrender!

In truth, this was only natural.

After all, his cultivation base was low, and he relied entirely on catching people off guard with his puppets.

Now that his puppets had been shattered and his opponent had closed the distance, if he didn't beg for mercy, he would probably be beaten until he lost the ability to take care of himself.

Xu Baoshan trembled all over, entirely stripped of the courage to resist, leaving his fate completely at Li Chao's mercy.

Seeing him surrender, Li Chao didn't strike again, instead taunting him:

"I thought you were going to struggle a bit longer!"

His tone carried a trace of mockery and disdain.

Able to bend and stretch, this Xu Baoshan was actually quite interesting.

Looking at him, Li Chao found it somewhat amusing.

However, Xu Baoshan shook his head frantically:

"I won't struggle anymore!"

"I can't beat you!"

"I really can't beat you!"

He begged repeatedly, his face filled with terror and anxiety.

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked up at Li Chao with a puzzled expression and asked:

"Little brother, I don't think I've ever offended you, so why are you arresting me?"

His eyes were filled with incomprehension and grievance, as though he were an innocent victim.

Li Chao let out a cold snort, his voice as frigid as frost:

"One of my friends was injured by your hands today! I happened to run into you, so I'm just doing him a favor by capturing you and sending you to the Dragon Group to rack up some merit!"

His gaze locked tightly onto Xu Baoshan, as if trying to see right through him.

What?

Hearing this, Xu Baoshan turned pale with fright, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief.

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to meet such a fate, and his heart flooded with regret and fear.

The Dragon Group?

Upon hearing these three words, Xu Baoshan shrieked out loud, as if he had just heard something horrifying.

"You're telling me the guy I hurt today is from the Dragon Group?"

"Oh, what a disaster!"

He wailed,

"I actually attacked someone from the Dragon Group?"

His voice trembled, filled with terror and incomprehension; his expression was as though the sky were collapsing upon him.

"But the crucial point is—does the Dragon Group really care about comforting young women now?"

Xu Baoshan couldn't help muttering another complaint, his tone brimming with bewilderment and grievance.

"Isn't this going way too far? Do they even want cultivators to live?"

Uh!

The corners of Li Chao's mouth twitched a few times. This whole situation... really was a coincidence.

He shook his head helplessly, internally feeling that the turn of events was too coincidental, almost like a meticulously designed script.

Then, as if recalling something else, Xu Baoshan hurriedly asked:

"Right, that guy I hurt..."

"He's a Dragon Group captain!"

Li Chao interrupted, correcting him.

His tone was serious, his gaze fixed on Xu Baoshan to gauge his reaction.

Hiss!

Xu Baoshan drew a sharp breath, hesitated for a moment, and asked again:

"That captain... is he badly hurt?"

His eyes were filled with worry and dread, as if he could already see his own miserable future.

Li Chao replied:

"He's definitely not lightly injured!"

"Besides, he swore that once he recovers, he's going to deal with you!"

Li Chao's words landed like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely against Xu Baoshan's heart and plunging him instantly into an abyss of despair.

Gulp!

Xu Baoshan's throat bobbed, and he collapsed straight to the ground, his face as pale as white paper.

He was in deep trouble!

This time he was in massive trouble!

The Dragon Group served as the law enforcers for the hidden sect cultivators; offending a Dragon Group captain meant he would certainly come to a bad end!

His body turned as limp as a puddle of mud, devoid of all strength, leaving him at the mercy of fate.

However... Xu Baoshan suddenly seemed to think of something. He snapped his head up, looked at Li Chao, and pleaded:

"Fellow Daoist, you shouldn't be with the Dragon Group, right?"

"Look, you and I have no real feud. How about you put in a good word for me?"

"I was just trying to flee for my life back then, I really didn't mean to offend the Dragon Group."

His eyes were filled with pleading, as if grasping at a final straw.

Li Chao glanced at him and chuckled:

"No feud?"

"If I hadn't reacted quickly just now, I'd be the one knocked out!"

His smile carried a hint of annoyance and disdain; clearly, he wasn't buying Xu Baoshan's plea for mercy.

Changing the subject, Li Chao grew a bit curious and asked:

"Do you practice puppet mechanics?"

A hint of curiosity and probing flickered in his eyes, as if he had just discovered a new world.

Xu Baoshan nodded:

"Yes! It's ancestral!"

"I'm not bragging, but back when the Xu family was at its peak, we were a prominent, wealthy clan, and even the guards watching our gates were puppet soldiers!"

"Not even a fly could buzz its way in!"

A nostalgic and regretful look crossed his face, as though he had traveled back to those glorious years.

Huh?

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener paid attention.

Hearing this, Li Chao's eyes lit up, and he asked:

"You're saying puppet arts can be used to guard a home?"

A wave of anticipation surged in his heart, as if he had spotted a new glimmer of hope.

Xu Baoshan paused, looking proud:

"Of course!"

"That's our specialty!"

"Legend has it that back in the day, the Xu family could even forge golden-armored puppets with combat power comparable to grandmasters, standing unmatched across the hidden sects..."

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, as if returning to the glorious past of the Xu family, his face glowing with boundless honor and pride.

Seeing him drift off topic again, Li Chao interrupted once more:

"Stop talking about the past!"

"I'm asking you, how is your puppet art right now?"

His tone carried a touch of impatience, clearly displeased with Xu Baoshan's rambling.

Xu Baoshan declared:

"Although this old man hasn't reached the level of my ancestors, I've at least grasped the essence of the puppet arts!"

"Otherwise, how could I have detected you in advance?"

His face was full of confidence, as if he had mastered the most mysterious power in the universe.

Ha!

Li Chao sneered contemptuously, clearly skeptical of Xu Baoshan's words.

Hearing this, however, a smile blossomed across Li Chao's face.

What a fortuitous coincidence! Just as he was fretting over finding a suitable guardian to look after the village, he unexpectedly stumbled upon such a candidate in the blink of an eye.

This fellow was not only a cultivator but also proficient in puppet arts and skilled at surveillance—even a Profound Realm cultivator had once fallen into his hands. He was practically tailor-made for the job.

What destiny!

Li Chao's joy was plain for all to see, as if he had obtained an invaluable treasure.

With this thought, Li Chao spoke up:

"That makes things easy to resolve!"

"I can intercede on your behalf with the Dragon Group to spare you from punishment for the injury incident, but you must agree to one condition!"

Li Chao's gaze was resolute, and his tone carried an undeniable air of authority.

Hearing this, Xu Baoshan asked warily:

"What condition?"

Guarded light flickered in his eyes, his mind secretly guessing Li Chao's true intentions.

Li Chao stated bluntly:

"Guard the village for me!"

He directly laid out his demand.

Guard the village?

This was practically a joke!

Xu Baoshan immediately shook his head and refused:

"No way!"

"I, Xu Baoshan, am a descendant of puppet masters. How could I ever stoop to doing something like..."

Xu Baoshan's words were filled with anger and disdain toward this demand, his face plastered with rejection.

However, his sentence remained unfinished before being interrupted.

For Li Chao had already begun loosening up his joints, the bones in his hands cracking rhythmically while dangerous ripples flickered in his eyes.

"You... what do you mean by this?"

Xu Baoshan panicked.

His voice trembled, and his body involuntarily backed away.

Li Chao chuckled:

"If you're not willing, I can only resort to extreme measures!"

"First beat you half to death, and then hand you over to the Dragon Group for disposal!"

"Oh, right, I heard you have a certain hobby—comforting women. Since I happen to be a doctor, I can incidentally help you regulate your body along the way. But you're getting older; having too strong of a desire isn't good, you need to exercise some restraint!"

A cunning and threatening smile showed in Li Chao's expression.

Upon hearing this, every hair on Xu Baoshan's body stood on end.

He was all alone with no one to rely on, and his sole hobby now was seeking out female companionship.

If even that desire were stripped away, what meaning would life have?

Xu Baoshan's complexion instantly turned ashen, his eyes filled with terror.

Seeing that Li Chao was about to make a move, Xu Baoshan shrank his neck in fright and waved his hands frantically:

"Fellow Daoist! Brother! Big boss! Don't be rash!"

"Let's talk this out nicely and discuss it further!"

Xu Baoshan's voice overflowed with urgency and panic, desperately trying to halt Li Chao's movements.

Li Chao stepped closer to Xu Baoshan and said with a smile:

"You guard my village for one year!"

"I guarantee the Dragon Group won't come looking for trouble with you anymore!"

"Besides, I'm a miraculous doctor. If you perform well, I can even give you some secret formulas to boost your cultivation base, guaranteeing your cultivation leaps forward by bounds."

Li Chao's words were dripping with temptation, painting a wonderful future for Xu Baoshan.

Li Chao calculated internally that within a year at most, he would definitely find a stronger and more suitable guardian.

Keeping this guy around as a transitional placeholder could be considered an expedient measure.

Xu Baoshan asked doubtfully:

"You aren't lying to me, are you?"

His eyes were filled with suspicion and hesitation.

Li Chao retorted:

"Why would I lie to you?"

"If you don't believe me, I'll go back right now and brew two bowls of herbal medicine for you. You'll know the effect as soon as you drink them!"

Li Chao's expression was deadly serious, his tone firm.

After a slight pause, he continued:

"Would you prefer I beat you up first and hand you over to the Dragon Group to take the punishment?"

"Or help me guard the village for a year while getting your health tuned up?"

"Make your choice!"

Li Chao planted his hands on his hips, his gaze locking tightly onto Xu Baoshan as he awaited his reply.

With a comparison like that, making a choice became exceptionally easy.

Xu Baoshan stood there, caught in a deep tangle of thought and hesitation.

The corners of Xu Baoshan's mouth twitched slightly as he gently rubbed his cheeks before finally spitting out:

"Fine! Then I'll help you look after the village!"

"But we must make it clear beforehand! Only one year!"

"When the time comes, don't try to keep me and refuse to let me leave!"

Xu Baoshan's expression appeared somewhat helpless, yet it seemed as though he had made a vital decision.

Li Chao nodded repeatedly:

"Leave it to me and rest assured!"

"When I do things, I am always true to my word."

A satisfied smile bloomed across Li Chao's face, as if everything were entirely within his control.

Then, after pondering for a moment, Xu Baoshan asked again:

"Right, are there any cheerful girls around here?"

A trace of anticipation and a slightly frivolous smile hung on Xu Baoshan's face.

Oh, good grief!

Several black lines instantly popped up on Li Chao's forehead as he answered with deep depression:

"There are no girls!"

"But there are plenty of aunties!"

"Do you want one?"

Li Chao glared fiercely at Xu Baoshan.

Hey!

Xu Baoshan had only thrown it out casually, but his eyes lit up instantly.

That burst of excitement could simply not be concealed.

A radiant gleam flashed in Xu Baoshan's eyes, as though he had spotted some peerless treasure.

Thinking Xu Baoshan had misunderstood his meaning, Li Chao hastened to clarify:

"Listen carefully! I said aunties—they're all in their fifties!"

Li Chao raised his voice, attempting to snap Xu Baoshan back to reality.

Instead of calming him down, however, the clarification only made Xu Baoshan even more excited as he directly rubbed his hands together and said:

"Older is better! They know how to care for people much better! I really wouldn't know how to handle someone too young!"

Xu Baoshan's expression grew increasingly wretched, practically unwatchable.

Slap!

Li Chao smacked Xu Baoshan right on the head, issuing a warning:

"Care for people, my foot!"

"I don't care how you mess around outside, but if you dare pull any funny business inside the village, I'll be the first to deal with you!"

Li Chao's slap landed without holding back, producing a crisp, echoing smack.

"..."

Xu Baoshan wore a blank expression.

What was that supposed to mean?

Look but don't touch?

Ugh!

This was far too depressing!

Yet right now, he seemingly lacked the qualification to raise any objections.

Forget it, resignation was the only option.

Xu Baoshan drooped his head, looking precisely like a deflated balloon.

With that, Li Chao led Xu Baoshan outward.

Halfway through the walk, Li Chao seemed to recall something and asked:

"Your name is Xu Baoshan?"

"How is it?"

"Pretty cool, right?"

Xu Baoshan lifted his chin, his face written all over with pride.

Huh?

"..."

Xu Baoshan.

Holy crap!

Big boss, you are way too good at crushing people's spirits!

Yet the crucial thing was that this explanation actually seemed completely flawless.

Xu Baoshan, who had taken pride in this name his entire life, felt troubled for the very first time ever since meeting Li Chao.

Xu Baoshan's face was plastered with depression, leaving him utterly speechless.

Li Chao brought Xu Baoshan to get into the car.

The engine roared to life, and the vehicle drove slowly in the direction of the village.

Pondering briefly, Li Chao picked up his cell phone, dialed Duan Tian's number, and briefed him completely on the current situation.

On the other end of the line, Duan Tian gripped his phone with a baffled expression.

Wasn't he supposed to be assisting him in capturing a fugitive?

How did it end up with the person being brought straight to Li Family Fort?

Duan Tian's brows knitted tightly together, filled with utter incomprehension as he questioned Li Chao on the other end of the line:

"Li Chao, what kind of play are you putting on?"

Meanwhile, when Li Chao brought Xu Baoshan back to the village, dusk was already settling in.

Quite a few people had gathered at the village entrance, busy stringing up electric wires while Sun Peng bustled about nearby.

Catching sight of Li Chao driving back, he hurriedly quickened his pace to step forward.

Sun Peng's strides were rushed, anxiety written all over his face.

"What's all this hustle and bustle about?"

Li Chao asked out of curiosity, his gaze sweeping across the busy crowd.

Sun Peng replied:

"Didn't you say you wanted to install surveillance equipment around the village? I compared several companies and picked the most suitable one. Today we're stringing the lines first, and tomorrow we'll install the equipment and run tests so it can be put into use!"

Sun Peng wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke at a rapid-fire pace.

Li Chao nodded, gestured toward the Xu Baoshan beside him, and said:

"This is a... security consultant I specially invited from the city."

"I'll take him to get familiar with the village first. Come find me at the clinic tonight, and we'll arrange a place for him to stay at the rear mountain production base!"

Li Chao's tone carried a steady, resolute determination.

"..."

Sun Peng was momentarily choked for words.

A security consultant?

There was such a position?

Despite the mound of doubts filling his mind, he didn't dare slack off regarding anything Li Chao instructed, so he nodded in agreement right away.

Sun Peng's gaze swept over Xu Baoshan up and down. Though thoroughly confused, he still responded:

"Alright, Brother Li, I understand."

Having wrapped up his instructions, Li Chao parked the car beside the clinic and took Xu Baoshan for a spin around the village.

Along the way, Li Chao gave Xu Baoshan a detailed introduction to every corner and vital location in the village.

Xu Baoshan's eyes darted around non-stop.

Well, the aunties really were numerous.

Too bad he couldn't do a thing about it.

Sigh!

What an exhausting life!

Xu Baoshan's mind clearly wasn't entirely focused on familiarizing himself with the environment; internally, he was still brooding over not being able to take any "action."

After finishing the tour, Li Chao stated:

"The daily security of the village is handled by the security squad!"

"However, hidden risks still remain even after installing surveillance, so you need to keep a secret lookout!"

Li Chao's expression was grave, his gaze locked firmly on Xu Baoshan.

Xu Baoshan nodded hurriedly:

"A piece of cake!"

"I have plenty of little gadgets on me. Once I set them up, anyone approaching is guaranteed to be spotted!"

"I might not be the best at fighting, but my defensive methods are absolute top-tier!"

Xu Baoshan patted his chest, offering a solemn guarantee.

Li Chao nodded, a satisfied expression surfacing on his face as he continued:

"That's good then. I hope you keep your word."