CHAPTER 44: PUPPET

Wei Ji stared straight into Lu Shaohua’s eyes. His tone was calm, but his gaze carried something sharper, colder. "Don’t pretend," he said quietly. "I know you know who tried to poison me."

The words struck the air like a blade cutting through silk.

Lu Shaohua froze. Her breath hitched. Her pupils widened, and for a brief second, the light in her eyes wavered. "Poison you?" she asked, her voice unsteady, trembling at the edge of disbelief.

Wei Ji didn’t look away. "Even I know who did it."

A silence stretched between them. Lu Shaohua’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Fear began to creep up her face—subtle, but real. Her delicate fingers trembled against her robe, and Wei Ji saw it—the faint flicker of her Celestial Demon heart stirring behind her calm facade. The air around her grew tense, almost heavy, as if the spiritual energy itself feared her next reaction.

Wei Ji immediately realized his mistake. He had cornered her. He had spoken too directly.

He exhaled and softened his tone. "But I don’t blame you."

Lu Shaohua blinked, startled. "What?" she whispered. Her confusion deepened. "Why?"

Wei Ji sighed, rubbing his temples as if the weight of his words drained him. "After all," he said slowly, "you were just a puppet of demonic cultivators."

The phrase made Lu Shaohua freeze in place. Her expression twisted between confusion and horror. "Puppet... of demonic cultivators?" she repeated in disbelief.

Wei Ji nodded solemnly. "Yes. That’s how they work. They never attack the strong head-on. Instead, they choose their victims carefully—those with great potential, or high standing. Then they curse them. Not always with something visible, but with something subtle, something that isolates."

Lu Shaohua swallowed hard, her fingers curling around her sleeve. "Isolates?"

Wei Ji began to explain, his tone slow and deliberate, each word carrying weight. "They make the world turn against you first. They twist rumors, seed hatred, make others doubt your worth. You start to lose allies, friends, even the people who once believed in you. Slowly, you begin to stand alone. That’s when the curse grows deeper."

Her gaze wavered. She was listening, though her face was pale.

"They break your support," Wei Ji continued, his voice dark and steady. "Piece by piece. Until you no longer have anyone to lean on. And once you start doubting yourself, once you start thinking everyone else is the problem—they swoop in."

Lu Shaohua bit her lip. "To help?"

Wei Ji gave a humorless smile. "That’s what they make it look like. They offer comfort, guidance, power. They make you depend on them, trust them, obey them. And by the time you realize they’ve replaced everything you’ve lost, it’s too late. Your thoughts are no longer yours. Your will belongs to them. You become their puppet."

The words hung heavy between them.

Wei Ji looked straight at her. "Like you," he said softly. "When you first came here, do you remember what people said?"

Lu Shaohua hesitated. "What... people said?"

Wei Ji’s voice was quiet, almost pitying. "They said you were ugly. That your beauty was a curse. That your face brought misfortune."

Her face turned pale. Her hands began to shake.

Wei Ji sighed and looked down for a moment. "That was probably their curse too. To make everyone believe you were something you weren’t. Even the rumors from the Shen Flame Kingdom said the same thing. They called you the ugliest princess, the shame of the royal bloodline. And as punishment for my arrogance, my father bound you to me as my wife."

His tone softened as he lifted his gaze. "But to me..."

He paused.

Lu Shaohua looked at him with wide eyes. "To you?"

Wei Ji’s lips curved faintly, almost as if the truth escaped before he could stop it. "When I saw you, you were the most beautiful mortal I had ever seen. However—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening slightly as he realized what he had just said.

Lu Shaohua blinked, her face frozen in disbelief. A soft pink color crept up her cheeks, slowly spreading across her pale skin.

Wei Ji cursed internally. Why did I say that out loud?

He looked away quickly, pretending to cough. His thoughts were racing. I just wanted to make her distrust her subordinates. Why the hell did I end up complimenting her?

The silence between them grew unbearable.

Lu Shaohua stood stiff, her cheeks glowing red, her fingers nervously brushing her hair behind her ear. Wei Ji scratched the back of his neck, his eyes darting anywhere but at her. The air felt thick, awkward, and suffocating.

Neither of them spoke.

Wei Ji tried to think of something to say—anything—to end this strange, embarrassing pause. He could feel his heartbeat hammering in his chest.

Then Lu Shaohua suddenly looked down, trying to hide her blush.

Wei Ji cleared his throat. "Well... about the curse—"

But before he could finish, the atmosphere around them shifted. The air grew heavier, a deep vibration running through the ground. A faint tremor echoed, followed by a chilling growl.

Wei Ji’s instincts flared immediately. He turned his gaze behind Lu Shaohua.

A large shadow loomed over her.

A deep, guttural growl rolled across the room.

Wei Ji’s eyes narrowed. "That presence..."

Out from the darkness stepped a massive beast—its fur black as pitch, eyes glowing faintly like molten silver. Its claws scraped the floor as it moved. The War Chariot Wolf.

Wei Ji’s brows furrowed. This thing again?

The beast looked menacing, its aura fierce and violent. It bared its fangs, exhaling steam-like Qi from its nostrils. But then, the moment its glowing eyes met Wei Ji’s, its entire body stiffened. The arrogance in its posture vanished. Its tail twitched, and a faint tremble passed through its limbs.

It looked terrified.

Meanwhile, Lu Shaohua turned to the beast, still trying to hide her flustered expression. "Ah... you’re here," she said softly, seizing the chance to break the awkward silence. "This is my War Chariot Wolf."

Wei Ji raised an eyebrow. "Your... pet?" he pretended not to know.

Her tone brightened, trying to recover her dignity. "Not just a pet. He’s one of my strongest companions." She gestured proudly, completely unaware of the wolf’s trembling body. "He’s loyal, fierce, and very intelligent. His name is Fenrir."

Wei Ji kept a straight face. "I see."

Lu Shaohua smiled and turned toward the beast again. "Fenrir, this is my husband, Young Master Han Ji of the Duke Han Family." Her tone softened slightly. "You must greet him properly."

The wolf didn’t move. Its eyes darted between Lu Shaohua and Wei Ji, as if begging for mercy.

"Fenrir," Lu Shaohua said again, her smile fading a bit. "Did you not hear me?"

Still, the wolf didn’t move.

Wei Ji watched silently, arms crossed, trying not to smirk.

Lu Shaohua’s brows knitted. "Fenrir! Greet him properly."

The beast whimpered softly.

"Fenrir!" she called once more, her tone now stern. "You’re embarrassing me!"

Wei Ji finally cleared his throat, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. "It’s fine," he said casually. "We met before."

Lu Shaohua turned to him in surprise. "You... met before?"

Wei Ji nodded, keeping his tone calm though his eyes glinted with amusement. "Yes. I thought he was a demonkin because of his black fur and aura, so I beat him up."

The War Chariot Wolf lowered its head instantly, ears drooping, as if remembering the nightmare of that night.

Lu Shaohua stood frozen, her mouth slightly open in shock.

Wei Ji shrugged lightly. "It was a misunderstanding."

Fenrir gave a small whine, looking like it wanted to dig a hole and disappear.

Lu Shaohua blinked several times, torn between disbelief and awkward laughter. Wei Ji’s calm tone and the wolf’s trembling made it all the more absurd.