Volume 3
152 A Living Puppet

"Nie… Nie Zun…" My eyes widened.

"Nie Zun!"

I heard both the voices of Gaoqin Jiuye and Jiao S at the same time.

That"s right, the attacker whom I had trapped with Piercer was none other than Nie Zun.

At this moment, his gaze looked so hopeless. There were many tiny black lines in that bright red left pupil of his, and they looked like a mark left behind from a curse. His other eye was still as starry as before, and it was looking at me with so much gentleness.

Scars of various sizes were all over his face.

Even with those scars, I was still able to recognize that he was Nie Zun.

He was still in that black, high-collared windbreaker, and his hair seemed to be a little messier now.

A funny feeling overcame me as we looked into each other"s eyes.

"Nie Zun…"

I called out to him, forgetting that we were still in the midst of a fierce battle just moments ago. I let go of his arm, and pulling his elbow towards me, I tried to get him to come closer, just in case he wanted to disappear on me again.

Right at this moment, a desolate look flashed in his normal eye, and before I could decipher what it meant, I felt something at my lower abdomen.

My eyes opened wide.

"Ah Shen!" "Li Shen!"

I heard Jiao S and Gaoqin Jiuye"s anxious voices.

A bittersweet smile appeared on my face.

Nie Zun"s right hand was currently embedded in my lower abdomen, and it jutted out of my back like a sharp blade.

The tip of Nie Zun"s nose was about to touch mine.

I let go of Piercer in my right hand, and it fell away from his neck, dropping onto the ground.

This was probably the first time that I had let go of Piercer.

My right hand slowly found its way to his left hand. As I held the hand that was now only left with two fingers, I saw a column of tears escaping that black eye of his.

I smiled at him, right hand holding on tightly to his left hand, while my left hand was at his waist as I held onto him. His left hand was in my palm, and his right hand was still embedded in my body.

"Li Shen you have to wake up! He might be a fake!"

I heard Gaoqin Jiuye"s shouts in the darkness.

No, Gaoqin Jiuye, you"re wrong. I"m sure this is him. This monstrous, disfigured man was my Nie Zun.

"Why did you have to do this?" I smiled as I moved my lips closer to his lips as I asked.

The tip of his nose brushed against mine as he attempted to move his head backwards. As he moved, I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen!

The pain caused me to fall forward a little, and my lips brushed against his cheek. My lips felt wet. I tasted his tears.

He remained silent even though endless tears were gus.h.i.+ng out of his eye. An emotion flashed in his eyes, and that bright red left eye of his seemed to turn a bloodier red. It was so red that it looked like it could bleed anytime!

He drew his left hand out of my abdomen suddenly!

Pu-chh!

Blood sprayed out from the wound in my lower abdomen!

"Ugh…" I was starting to feel unsteady on my feet because of the pain!

But my right hand held on tight. I refused to let go of his left hand!

I saw a look of consternation and despondency in his eyes, as if he wanted to turn and run away again!

"Don"t…" Though it was painful, I tried my best to speak. It felt as if my body was slowly crumbling to the ground.

"Uhh!" Nie Zun opened his mouth! But instead of speaking, he produced a series of weird, hoa.r.s.e sounds! It sounded as if his vocal chords had been broken. It was a hoa.r.s.e, low-pitched voice which made my heart break!

Freeing his left hand, he used both hands to grab onto my shoulders, staring at me with anxious eyes!

"What a resilient lady."

The darkness was gone in an instant with Ta Lai"s elegant voice!

We were in the Southern District"s border forest again!

I looked towards the sound as soon as we were out of that darkness. A lanky individual in a blue jacket was just a short distance away behind Nie Zun. Ta Lai was walking towards me with an elegant and enchanting smile.

Gaoqin Jiuye and Jiao S rushed to my side, one pulling me away from Nie Zun, while the other held onto him! Jiao S dragged me a few steps away from Nie Zun!

"No!" I tried to escape Jiao S"s clutches in an attempt to get closer to Nie Zun, but I ended up falling onto my knees due to the pain in my abdomen!

Though Gaoqin Jiuye held onto Nie Zun, he was still bleeding from his lower abdomen. He was very pale and it was obvious he could not use all his strength!

Nie Zun let him be, and his eyes seemed to have lost all control as he kept looking around, producing unintelligible sounds.

"What"s wrong with him?!" I directed this at Ta Lai, who was getting closer to us.

Ta Lai smiled, using his left hand to turn that jade stone ring on his right finger.

"I planted a living puppet in his left eye, and he is now a living puppet that belongs to me. Just like a puppet on a string, he"s being totally controlled by me right now."

A fire burned in my chest as anger rose up in me!

"No need to look at me like this, Li Shen. You went back on your word, and this is your punishment."

Ta Lai lost his smile as he moved that jade stone ring! With that, Nie Zun seemed to turn into a robot that was switched on. He used his bare hands to grab Gaoqin Jiuye, throwing him somewhere behind Jiao S and I!

As Gaoqin Jiuye was already injured, he was not able to react in time. He was simply thrown by Nie Zun!

"Those are definitely the hands of a devil. After my honing, his hands can harm bodies of consciousness directly, and the wound would not heal as quickly!" Ta Lai looked at the crazed Nie Zun in awe.

After he threw Gaoqin Jiuye, Nie Zun was coming for Jiao S and I!

Jiao S was supporting me with both hands, and she stared at Nie Zun!

Boom!

We were encased within powerful air currents, and Nie Zun slowed down! Jiao S signaled for me to steady myself, and after she let go of me, she took a giant sword in her right hand! She swung that giant sword at Nie Zun seemingly without any hesitation!

My heart skipped a beat. Though I was worried about them both, I knew that Nie Zun could dodge that attack easily!

But as he dodged it, he bent down to pick up Piercer which was on the ground!

"Careful!" I called out, trying to alert Jiao S!

As I called out, I saw an agony in Nie Zun"s eyes!

That pain shot right through my heart!

"Let him go, Ta Lai!" Pressing onto my abdomen, I shouted at Ta Lai!

Nie Zun"s every move was being controlled, as if he was attached to some invisible string and being forced to fight against us!

"Uhh!" Nie Zun produced a bizarre sound once more!

"Let him go!" Hearing that sound, I was on the verge of tears as I cried out! I was on my knees, and my hands were already wet and sticky around my waist with blood.

But all this could not compare to the pain I felt in my heart! The usually lazy and distant Nie Zun was now being tortured in such a cruel manner, just like a puppet that had been completely broken. He was being used to attack us!

As Jiao S swung at Nie Zun with her sword again, Nie Zun swung Piercer, and a striking violet ray was produced!

The violet ray was flying straight at Jiao S like lightning, and with white fog surging in her eyes, Jiao S retreated backwards quickly!

At this point, Shen Qi appeared again. He was standing beside Gaoqin Jiuye, who was currently crouched on the ground because of his injury. Shen Qi stared with angry eyes, and his stance was that of a protector!

Ta Lai was standing some distance away, an elegant smile still on him. He moved that jade stone ring gently, and smiled lightly at me as he said, "Seems like you miss him a lot. In this case, I"ll let him speak with you for a bit."

Nie Zun stared with wide eyes as the restriction on his voice was gone. He shouted at me as soon as Ta Lai freed his voice!

"Shen"er, don"t care about me!"

"Ugh…" I covered my mouth with my hands, crying.

Don"t care about you? How can I not care about you?! How can you always say such things so easily!

Jiao S was forced to retreat some ten meters or so because of Piercer"s violet blade, and she suddenly swung that giant sword towards where Ta Lai was standing!

Ta Lai laughed, and with a wave of his right hand, a giant dropped from the sky! It was a puppet!

This was Ta Lai"s best ability, manipulation!

The giant roared as it blocked Jiao S"s sword! At the same time, Ta Lai signaled at Nie Zun with a hand!

Nie Zun shouted at me, "Go away!"

He could not control what he did, and he already swung Piercer, violet blade flying in my direction! Looking at the strength he swung it with, there was no way I could have dodged that in my injured state!

Gaoqin Jiuye was also stopped by Shen Qi when he tried to protect me!

Shen Qi is a living weapon, and it was obvious that protecting Gaoqin Jiuye was of utmost priority to him right now! He wanted to ensure Gaoqin Jiuye"s safety!

"Shen Qi, move!" As I heard Gaoqin Jiuye"s chilly order, the violet blade was already right in front of my eyes!

A look of indescribable agony appeared in Nie Zun"s bright red eye!