Yu Wan'er, Reduced to a Tool

"Secret Realm Puppets?" Jiang Ruoxu was utterly baffled.

"Exactly," Jiang Che snapped his fingers. "This secret realm was most likely created by a Great Emperor—or even an Immortal—who mastered mechanical arts."

"Right now, we’re still at a disadvantage in the mortal world. To put it bluntly, we can’t just rely on the Jiang family... We need our own faction!"

Jiang Ruoxu’s eyes instantly lit up!

He had finally waited for this moment—his cousin was finally willing to take him along for the ride!

Jiang Che’s reputation in the Nine Heavens was legendary, with many even predicting he would become the future top cultivator of the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm.

Even if he didn’t claim the top spot, his future was undoubtedly limitless!

With such a thick, sturdy thigh to cling to, soaring to success was practically guaranteed.

"So, bro, what’s your plan?"

"I’m going to develop this puppet secret realm. I’ll gather a team to explore it—the puppets inside are incredibly powerful. Rumor has it there are even Quasi-Emperor-level puppets. Once we get our hands on them, even if the Nine Heavens and the mortal world fully merge, no one would dare mess with us."

Jiang Che’s skill at painting grandiose visions had grown even more polished.

Of course, this so-called "puppet secret realm" was entirely fabricated by Jiang Che.

Once he whipped up some puppets and simulated Quasi-Emperor-level auras with special effects, who would be able to tell the difference?

"Quasi-Emperor puppets?! Seriously?! Bro, don’t mess with me!"

The braggart immediately stood at attention!

Aside from Mo Lianxing and his Sword Emperor master, he had never even seen a Martial God, let alone a Quasi-Emperor!

"Exactly. You just need to livestream it—go all out with the showboating. No need for me to teach you how to brag while dungeon-crawling, right?"

Jiang Ruoxu trembled with excitement.

Rubbing his hands together eagerly, he grinned. "No need, no need! Hehe..."

"Good. Once we locate the secret realm’s entrance, you can tag along."

[Ding! Host has scammed cousin ‘Jiang Ruoxu,’ earning 10 million points.]

Honestly, whoever invented this "Scam System" was a genius—it was just too damn useful.

What? The Scam System was invented by Young Master Jiang himself? Well, that explains everything...

......

Jiang Ruoxu scampered off, his mind completely consumed by Jiang Che’s words.

He was already fantasizing about his future livestreams, flexing his newfound power.

Lately, he had been feeling the pressure—ever since discovering he could connect to the Nine Heavens network, he had pissed off a lot of people.

Especially those young masters from great clans and holy sons of immortal sects.

Thanks to the "Severance of Heaven and Earth," which prevented higher-realm experts from descending, he had become the Nine Heavens’ most notorious online troll.

With just the phrase "My elder brother is Young Master Jiang," he had amassed a fanbase in the trillions.

If he could livestream himself conquering the secret realm and obtaining its treasures—especially a Quasi-Emperor puppet recognizing him as its master—the bragging rights alone... He couldn’t even imagine how much clout he’d gain!

......

Inside the Dragon Palace.

"Hey, hey, hey! You—yes, you! Come here and pour tea for me and Sister Yao!"

A petite figure lounged on the sofa. Though her face was adorably delicate, her smug, triumphant expression made her look downright punchable.

Yu Wan'er sat with her legs crossed, wearing slippers and a sleep dress that exposed most of her smooth, jade-like thighs. There wasn’t a trace of ladylike decorum, yet it only made her more alluring.

Jia Ling'er, who had been pointed at, turned with irritation—but the moment she saw it was Yu Wan'er, her anger fizzled out.

Her emotions were a tangled mess. Every time she thought about anything related to Jiang Che... the petrification on her body accelerated. It was a cruel reminder that she might actually be falling for that bastard.

"Here, your water!"

Jia Ling'er pouted as she poured tea for Yu Wan'er and Ye Mengyao.

Three fingers on her right hand had already turned to stone, but she didn’t dare tell anyone.

"Hmph! Serves you right for acting so high and mighty before!" Yu Wan'er crossed her arms, thoroughly pleased.

She couldn’t stand girls with princess complexes—except for Ye Mengyao, of course!

"Sniff... Wuwuwu..."

The thought of petrifying completely because of her feelings for Jiang Che made Jia Ling'er break into quiet sobs.

"Hey, hey! I-I’m sorry, okay?" Yu Wan'er panicked when she saw Jia Ling'er crying.

She had only wanted to knock Jia Ling'er down a peg—after all, this princess had once called her a country bumpkin. Yu Wan'er had to reclaim her dignity!

"Wuwuwu... What’s even the point of living anymore?" Jia Ling'er cried harder.

Yu Wan'er was at a loss. What the hell was wrong with Jia Ling'er???

Sure, Jiang Che had dragged her away for a few days of "cultivation," but since when had she become so fragile?

Back when Yu Wan'er had no special physique, she had survived on nothing but bitter medicine—didn’t she endure just fine?

"Sorry, okay? I won’t pick on you anymore... Just stop crying! If you keep crying... I’ll cry too!" Yu Wan'er’s lips trembled as if sensing something, and soon, fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

Honestly, Yu Wan'er was an award-worthy actress—she could cry on command. Her face was soon streaked with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Jia Ling'er: "???"

Wait, why are you crying now?!

"Jia Ling'er!!! Look what you’ve done! Bullying Wan'er again, huh?"

Jiang Che’s voice rang out from behind Jia Ling'er.

Hearing that familiar tone, Jia Ling'er stiffened, her expression frozen.

Jiang Che strode over to Yu Wan'er, scooping the sobbing girl into his arms.

"Ling'er! I know you’re a mermaid princess, but that doesn’t mean you can bully those younger than you!"

Jia Ling'er turned to see Jiang Che cradling Yu Wan'er, and her resentment skyrocketed.

"Jiang Che, you bastard! I’d rather die than fall for you!!!"

Seeing the situation had played out perfectly, Jiang Che tossed Yu Wan'er onto the sofa like a discarded prop.

[Ding! Host has scammed Yu Wan'er, earning 3 million points.]

Yu Wan'er’s hair was a mess, and she was fuming—was she just a tool to him?!

Jiang Che walked over to Jia Ling'er.

"Alright, I was just messing with you. I saw everything—did you really think I wouldn’t notice you were upset?" He pulled Jia Ling'er close by her slender waist.

A girl shouldn’t be spoiled endlessly—a little push-and-pull was far more effective.

"You—" Jia Ling'er was stunned.

"But Ling'er, you were jealous just now, weren’t you? And you still claim you don’t love me... Don’t worry, once we’ve spent more time together, who knows? We might even have a ridiculously talented little mermaid!"

Jia Ling'er: "???"