After deliberating about it for a few minutes, Aksai decided to keep the leather armor vests worn by his three puppets.
He also gave them their respective weapons back, increasing their battle potential.
Although his newfound wealth had been spent on buying a lot of resources in bulk, he wasn’t exactly cash-strapped. Plus, he could always sell the resources he cultivated inside the Everwood farm to make more money.
More importantly, Aksai had practically given up on visiting Lakir City in the near future. As such, he didn’t have to worry about running into city guards who could identify the puppets or their possessions.
Aksai didn’t expect much from the two subordinate puppets because they had been negatively impacted the most and regressed in their cultivation after being refined as puppets. However, they could still serve as good distractions during critical times.
What Aksai found fascinating was the fact that these puppets still retained some of their muscle memories, sword arts, and agility-based movements. Nesha was especially eye-catching with her lethal sword arts and battle-centric moves.
Although her movements had turned a bit sluggish and lost their charm, Nesha was still a force to be reckoned with for those under the late-stage Spirit Refining.
Most low-stage and mid-stage cultivators wouldn’t be able to stand as her opponents.
Nesha could also make use of the weapon-based Spirit spell of her weapon and release a flying weapon slash. Instead of her own Spirit essence, she would rely on the Spirit essence obtained from the Spirit stones embedded in her.
After Aksai realized this, he immediately decided not to sell his puppets’ possessions. After all, the more trump cards his puppets had the better it would be for him.
“This Scarecrow Puppet Creation manual is truly remarkable,” Aksai remarked, impressed by the inheritance he had received.
“The versatility of this puppet creation method is astonishing. I doubt I’ve ever even heard of anything quite like it,” he mused, considering its potential impact.
“I imagine both demonic and drifting cultivators would pay a hefty price for access to such a technique. Even some righteous cultivators might find it hard to resist,” Aksai chuckled at the thought.
However, Aksai had no intention of selling the method or any of the items he had inherited. Selling one’s inheritance was considered a last resort, akin to sacrificing long-term benefits for short-term gains.
To Aksai’s disappointment, the refined puppets couldn’t cast Spirit spells. Maybe it was because Aksai’s puppet refining skills were low and he was inexperienced. Maybe it was because the puppet bodies were of low quality. Maybe it was because the puppet creation manual was only of 1st order status.
Or maybe it was the combination of all of those things.
Despite the obvious limitations of the puppets, Aksai was very content with the result that he had obtained. He stepped forward to look Nesha in the eyes and observed her form before mumbling to himself.
“Perhaps, I can make use of her to train myself in swordplay. Although her movements are a bit sluggish, I can still learn a lot from her. I can probably make use of some of the agility-based talismans on her to restore her peak performance temporarily.
However, all of that depends upon my own progress in body cultivation and martial arts. After seeing her slap herself, I now understand what she can do and behave after receiving my commands. So I won’t casually engage with her before I gain sufficient mastery of the sword and develop an elementary battle style for myself.
Um… It’d be really shameful if I end up getting injured by my own puppet,” Aksai concluded and sighed.
“Hmm. These leather armors are a bit too eye-catching. They look rugged and expensive at the same time,” Aksai murmured as he examined the leather armor vests adorning his puppets.
“Hmm. I should do everything in my power to ensure these puppets don’t stand out,” he thought, resolving to address their appearance.
First, Aksai instructed his three puppets to remove their outer garments and don the leather armors beneath.
Witnessing Nesha undressing with a stoic expression, Aksai felt a moment of awkwardness but quickly dismissed it as irrelevant teenage sentimentality.
Once satisfied that the leather armors were sufficiently concealed, Aksai retrieved three wooden masks he had crafted previously. Handing each puppet a mask, he instructed them to don the disguises. The masks were equipped with simple Skin-hugging talismans, ensuring they remained securely affixed to the puppets’ faces.
Some might deem Aksai paranoid, especially considering he had no plans to visit Lakir City. Yet, he preferred to err on the side of caution, avoiding unnecessary attention. With his puppets’ original identities now securely concealed, he breathed a sigh of relief before attending to his own needs.
“I guess I should call it a day,” Aksai yawned, retrieving the Everwood painting from his storage ring. While he had plans to refine this family heirloom, he recognized the importance of proceeding cautiously.
Not every task required immediate attention, and he needed to ensure both his safety and the painting’s preservation.
Withdrawing his Spirit Sense into the Everwood painting, Aksai vanished from the isolated domain, reappearing within the dilapidated house on his rented Spirit farm.
Stowing away the Everwood painting, he collapsed onto his bed, exhausted yet content.
***
The passage of time flowed like an unstoppable river. In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.
Throughout these two years, Aksai seldom ventured beyond his rented Spirit farm.
Despite the escalating activity among cultivators in Wuyum County and the neighboring regions, driven by expeditions organized by the Lakir and Wilben families, Aksai remained steadfast in his resolve to steer clear of the inheritance grounds.
No matter how many cultivators died or thrived on the inheritance ground, the young and wise turtle Aksai felt that he had nothing to do with these expeditions.
While the promise of the inheritance grounds enticed many, Aksai recognized the perilous risks involved. Rather than subject himself to such dangers, he found solace and opportunity within the confines of his home.
Diligently tending to his rental Spirit farm, he cultivated various Spirit herbs and plants within the Everwood farm’s isolated domain. His previously bought Spirit seeds and other resources were put to good use during this time.
Aksai could earn loads of Spirit stones in bulk if he decided to sell his produce in the market.