It was an ordinary day in Gusu Lan. Wei Wuxian, as always, was by Lan Wangji’s side. Nothing foretold trouble—until the disciples brought disturbing news: young cultivators, while patrolling the area, had discovered a cave from which ominous dark energy was seeping. Without hesitation, they set off.

The cave greeted them with a suffocating chill. Dark energy churned, saturating the air with a foul miasma. Wei Wuxian sensed a familiar presence. Demonic cultivation… Could someone be treading his path once again? But why hide?

The cave walls were lined with hundreds of talismans. And then—there was a door. They opened it and froze.

Before them stretched a workshop, filled with strange mechanisms and glimmering gears. Who had created this place? There was no sign of life. While the others investigated the room, Wei Wuxian moved toward the far corner, where a large table caught his eye. Something was standing on it, covered by a heavy cloth. His heart skipped a beat.

He pulled it off—

A young girl was revealed, no older than sixteen or seventeen. But something about her immediately felt wrong. She didn’t move, didn’t breathe.... Wei Wuxian gently touched her face—and instantly recoiled. Her skin was icy, smooth like porcelain. The impossible became clear. He carefully took her wrist and noticed... thin lines, joints, perfectly aligned. This wasn’t a girl. This was a puppet—a marionette mimicking a human in exquisite detail. Yet despite her delicate craftsmanship, something about her was unsettling. Dark energy still emanated from her, casting a sinister aura.

Had her creator tried to replicate his own forbidden spell? But then—why did she look so gentle, with snow-white skin and flowing hanfu that concealed most of her form? Perhaps they weren’t creating a weapon... but trying to bring someone back. A daughter? A sister? A beloved?

Only one way to find out—wake her.

With that thought, Wei Wuxian began searching for a way to awaken the puppet. And soon... he found it.