Chapter 401: Chapter 401: Puppet Strength, Strongie.

Inside Wei Alchemy Hall,

Morning arrived quickly.

The store opened its doors, and guests who had waited in vain the day before once again bustled inside.

Meanwhile, in Wei Meilin’s guest room,

Two puppets in white cloaks sat across from each other at a table and seem to be... arm-wrestling.

Both were clearly putting their full strength into the match as powerful pressure radiated from their bodies as they struggled against one another.

"...!"

"...~"

"Ohh... These puppets are really powerful," Wei Meilin exclaimed in admiration as she watched the intense hand-wrestling match she had ordered the two puppets to perform.

Even though it wasn’t a pure combat test, the sheer force she sensed from their arms told her these puppets might actually be stronger than her.

Instead of disappointment, her eyes brightened with excitement.

After all, the stronger these puppets were, the better it was for her.

But then, she couldn’t help but wonder about the original cloaked puppet called Goldie.

She hadn’t seen it ever since Li Feng arrived and left again.

She turned toward Yue Lan, who was gracefully seated and quietly sipping her tea.

The two of them had spent the entire night talking, and they had grown quite close.

Even though Wei Meilin did most of the talking, she didn’t mind Yue Lan’s quiet nature.

She understood it was simply how the other woman was, not that she was looking down on her.

"Mistress, do you happen to know what happened to Goldie?" Wei Meilin asked.

Yue Lan paused with her teacup halfway to her lips.

She slowly opened her beautiful golden eyes.

"...It is as Li Feng said," she replied softly, her voice carrying that same cool, distant melody. "Goldie is occupied with an important task. It will return soon."

Wei Meilin tilted her head at the answer but simply nodded.

Curiosity still filled in her eyes, yet she didn’t press further.

Instead, her excitement bubbled up again as she glanced back at the two white-cloaked puppets, who were still locked in their intense arm-wrestling match.

The wooden table beneath their elbows creaked dangerously, fine cracks spiderwebbing across its surface from the sheer pressure.

"They’re incredible!" Wei Meilin clapped her hands together, her cheeks flushed with delight. "Even if they’re just puppets, their strength... it’s on another level. If I could control a hundred more like these, the Wei Alchemy Hall could become untouchable in the entire region!"

She leaned forward eagerly and turned back to Yue Lan, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Mistress, be honest with me... how many more puppets like these does Master have? And... can you help me ask him for more?"

Hearing this, Yue Lan’s lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile.

For once, her usually icy expression softened into something almost warm as she looked at the excited mature woman.

She took another sip of tea before replying.

"From what I know, these ten should be all he has currently. But with his talent in puppet mastery, he should be able to create more in the future."

Wei Meilin’s eyes sparkled even brighter at that revelation.

Suddenly, one of the white-cloaked puppet, the only one with a strange scar let out a low mechanical hum.

Its arm trembled violently before it slammed the opponent’s hand down onto the table with a loud crack!

The defeated puppet’s cloak fluttered as it conceded defeat, while the winner slowly released its grip and sat back straight with a smug posture, as if awaiting further orders.

Wei Meilin couldn’t help but think that these puppets didn’t feel like puppets at all... they felt almost... alive.

So she decided to treat them as such.

"Yes! A decisive victory!" she cheered.

"From now on, you shall be called... Strongie! And the other one... Hmm, Weakie? No, that sounds too mean. Loser? Wait, even worse..."

Strongie sat proudly after receiving its new name, while the other puppet (if it had a face) looked visibly disgusted.

Just as the two puppets seemed ready for a rematch, Yue Lan gently set down her teacup and murmured softly,

"He is coming..."

"Eh?"

Wei Meilin blinked in confusion.

Before she could reply—

BAM!

The door burst open as Li Feng strode inside.

Seeing him, Wei Meilin’s face lit up with a bright smile.

She immediately ran over and threw herself into his arms, pressing her voluptuous body tightly against him.

"Ahh~ Welcome back, Master~"

Li Feng’s smile deepened as he felt her soft, full figure mold eagerly against his.

Her ample breasts squished delightfully against his hard chest, and the sweet scent of her hair mixed with her intoxicating feminine fragrance.

His large hand boldly kneaded her plump, supple rear with possessive familiarity, fingers sinking deep into the soft flesh through her thin robes.

Wei Meilin let out a soft, coquettish moan and rubbed her cheek against his chest even more shamelessly.

"Mmm... Master, you’re so warm~" she purred.

Yue Lan watched the scene quietly from her seat, her golden eyes lighting up slightly.

Li Feng looked down at the mature beauty acting so coquettishly and smiled.

"It seems you’ve been having a good time."

Wei Meilin smiled sweetly and rubbed her cheek against his firm chest.

"Hehe... The puppets you gifted me are amazing! So... ehem... can you make a few more for me?"

Hearing this, Li Feng gave her round bottom a firm slap and laughed.

"Haha, I can make more, but the ingredients take time to mature and process. Once I’m back, I’ll help craft a few more puppets for you."

Wei Meilin blinked her beautiful purple eyes and looked up at him, tilting her head.

"Back? Are you going somewhere, Master?"

Li Feng nodded and reluctantly released her soft body.

"Yes, I plan to head to the Fen Dynasty for a while. If nothing goes wrong, I should be back in less than a month."

Wei Meilin’s bright purple eyes widened with visible reluctance.

Her arms instinctively tightened around his waist for a moment before she forced herself to loosen them.

The thought of Li Feng leaving already made her chest feel strangely empty.

Just then, Li Feng turned to the side and saw Yue Lan walking gracefully toward him.

The moment she reached him, she opened her arms silently, as if asking for a hug.

Seeing her calm face and open arms, Li Feng chuckled.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, boldly squeezing her firm rear as he playfully twirled her around once.

Seemingly satisfied, Yue Lan let out a soft, rare smile and looked at him.

"Do you need me to go with you?"

Hearing this, Li Feng paused and gazed at her.

She didn’t ask why he was going... only whether he needed her help.