Chapter 200 The Puppeteer and the Ghost Witch

Chapter 200: The Puppeteer and the Ghost Witch

Who did the Fog City Lord see?

Unable to move and deprived of sight, Su Bai could only discern the Fog City Lord's shock—and even terror—through his tone.

At this moment, Su Bai also guessed, or rather confirmed, the identity of the newcomer. After all, there was only one terrifying, eerie entity capable of appearing in the Mist Store in such a manner: the creator of the Mist Store, the "Master" Xiao Wu had spoken of.

The name of this entity was also inscribed on the marriage contract Su Bai had signed in his previous life. Thus, this figure was not only the creator of the Mist Store and Xiao Wu but also his nominal—or contractual—betrothed.

There could be no more obvious answer.

Su Bai didn't know why this mysterious and terrifying betrothed had chosen to deprive him of his hearing and mobility during their "first encounter," nor why they had chosen to reveal themselves before the Fog City Lord. Yet, the entity's appearance did not frighten Su Bai.

Perhaps it was because this betrothed had had countless opportunities to kill him but had done nothing, or perhaps it was due to some inexplicable sense of trust deep within, or maybe because the fragments within his body sensed no danger. Even in this paralyzed state before the Fog City Lord, Su Bai felt no fear.

Strangely, Su Bai even felt safer at this moment than ever before.

Feelings aside, Su Bai was not pleased that this never-before-seen betrothed had taken control of him the moment they appeared. He could only strive to use his remaining sense of hearing to perceive everything happening around him.

Su Bai hated being left in complete ignorance more than anything. So, even if this mysterious and terrifying betrothed considered this their first "date," from the moment Su Bai entered the Mist Store, he had been actively assembling the puzzle about this "mysterious betrothed." He had never given up on completing the information puzzle of this powerful, eerie entity and would not miss any opportunity to gather information.

"With your abilities, you can naturally go anywhere," the Fog City Lord seemed to regain some composure after his initial shock.

The tone of Mayor Bai, the form the Fog City Lord had taken, was always pretentiously elegant yet condescending, but now it sounded exhausted and feeble.

"But why have you appeared here? Appearing in this doomed City of Fog is one thing, but why show up in this dilapidated shop operated by a human?" The Fog City Lord's words suggested he did not mind the betrothed's presence in Fog City and attributed the store's peculiarities to their appearance, still believing the Mist Store to be nothing more than a small shop run by a human.

"..."

The betrothed behind Su Bai did not seem inclined to answer the Fog City Lord's question.

However, the Fog City Lord was clearly in no position to object. He continued as if talking to himself, "Have you finally seen it? This city, created under your inspiration, is now displaying its most beautiful scenery, Puppeteer Lord! No, Ghost Witch Lord!"

The title the Fog City Lord uttered at the end shook Su Bai’s awareness.

Although he had heard the title "Ghost Witch" from that peculiar caretaker before, Su Bai had never imagined that the Puppeteer who had inspired the Fog City Lord’s obsession with creating puppets—the legendary creator of conscious puppets—was the same person as his betrothed.

"..."

"No, you do not care about this city," the Fog City Lord went on, speaking to himself. "Neither this city nor the puppets I’ve imitated and created mean anything to you. After all, ‘Puppeteer’ is just a title used by the ignorant. The techniques and abilities of puppet-making, which are beyond our reach, are likely nothing but a diversion for Ghost Witch Lord."

"Could it be… you’re here because of this human?" The Fog City Lord’s tone began to fill with disbelief.

Su Bai didn’t know how the Fog City Lord had extracted so much meaning from mere silence. Although Su Bai’s knowledge of his betrothed was fragmented, he felt that the silence likely held no emotion—it was more as if the Fog City Lord was being utterly disregarded.

"When I last awoke from slumber, the thick fog outside my dwelling, meant to keep unwanted visitors away, had unexpectedly dissipated."

A voice, both unfamiliar and oddly recognizable, sounded behind Su Bai. Though the Ghost Witch was right behind him, the voice felt remote and intangible. In Su Bai’s memory, this seemed to be the first time he had heard his betrothed’s voice. It was calm yet carried a peculiar power, like an age-old melody weighted with time, where even the slightest shift in tone could influence the listener’s consciousness.

"Fortunately, no one entered the mountain, so it was not a major issue."

"I simply never expected that the fog had not dissipated on its own but had instead mutated into an eerie being."

As the voice spoke, the power behind Su Bai began to surge, growing more oppressive than before. However, this power carefully avoided Su Bai as it moved forward. Though Su Bai could feel the pressure, it did not cause him discomfort; instead, he felt wrapped in a comforting warmth.

"Yes," the Fog City Lord struggled to speak under the intense pressure.

"Mastery over another’s fate is not a domain a mere fog can touch." The Ghost Witch’s voice turned icy. "The person standing before you is no exception."

"Attempting to transgress your limits will inevitably come at a cost."