The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Divine weapon, like fire, so be it!" After reciting the last incantation, Daoist Chiling suddenly felt a divine power descend upon him, and as he opened his eyes, a golden light seemed to flash by.

Jiang Chen also sensed that powerful force. The Taoist priest standing in front of him seemed to have suddenly become a different person, his aura suddenly becoming righteous and exceptionally strong.

"It really is Erlang Shen?" The Weaver Girl sensed a slightly familiar aura and quickly bowed to Daoist Chiling. "Weaver Girl greets Erlang Shen. Please come quickly to my rescue!"

Erlang Shen never expected to see the Seventh Princess he was looking for at this moment. Without saying a word, he immediately rushed to the direction where the wisp of divine consciousness had descended.

A flash of light appeared, and the true form, dressed in battle robes and wielding a three-pointed double-edged sword, appeared under the big locust tree. Daoist Chiling and Jiang Chen hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

"This matter does indeed involve high-ranking figures in the Heavenly Court." After exchanging simple pleasantries with the Weaver Girl and the others, Erlang Shen asked about all the details and then said in a deep voice, "Xiaotian Dog has already found the six imprisoned princesses in the Heavenly Realm, but to avoid alerting them, he has not rescued them."

The mastermind behind this is too well hidden; I haven't found any evidence yet to take them down in one fell swoop.

"Now that the Seventh Princess has escaped danger, why not take advantage of their ignorance and leave them in the mortal realm temporarily? I will leave a wisp of my divine soul to protect her. When the Queen Mother returns from her inspection of the heavens, we can capture them all at once, how about that?"

He now has something more important to deal with—he must get Liu Chenxiang to complete the act of splitting the mountain to save his mother before the Queen Mother of the West returns to the Heavenly Palace and before the conspiracy of the Golden Bull Star Lord and others is exposed.

Only in this way can Yang Chan be stripped of her immortal bones and demoted to a mortal, so that she won't be implicated in the case of murdering the Seventh Princess, the Weaver Girl, and lose her life!

Even Erlang Shen, the God of Justice, felt deeply ashamed for his own selfish actions.

However, the Seventh Princess has already escaped unscathed, and he will take the initiative to apologize once the matter is settled. It is only because he is a brother who wants to spare his sister's life and make a final effort that he feels guilty and can only postpone it for the time being.

"I will follow the True Lord's arrangements." The Weaver Girl also wanted to know who the mastermind was, so she was not in a hurry to return to the Heavenly Palace.

Erlang Shen turned to Jiang Chen and said loudly, "As a little tree spirit, you have done a good job in protecting the Seventh Princess. Once this matter is closed, I will definitely ask for a reward for you. I will also trouble you, little fellow Daoist, to take in the Seventh Princess for a while."

My true spirit will remain nearby, ready to capture any accomplices, including Taurus Star Lord, in one fell swoop!

"I will obey the True Lord's arrangements."

“Fellow Daoist Chiling, to avoid alerting the enemy, I would like to trouble you to keep an eye on that wandering ghost in Taoyuan Village who has taken over a human body. If he does anything unusual, report back immediately.”

"This humble Taoist receives the decree of the True Lord!"

After arranging things properly for the human, the demon, and the immortal, Erlang Shen personally reinforced the seal on the Taurus Star Lord's divine consciousness, which had been temporarily sealed by the Red Ridge Taoist, leaving behind a wisp of his original divine soul before disappearing into the land of demons.

"Seventh Princess, young friend, we must take our leave for now." Daoist Chiling glanced at Jiang Chen meaningfully and said, "Anyway, there's plenty of time in the future. After we successfully resolve the case of the Seventh Princess being framed by villains, we'll hold a celebration banquet!"

Jiang Chen understood that he didn't want to be exposed in front of the Weaver Girl, so he bowed and said, "Thank you for your great help, Daoist Master. I will definitely open my fine wine and invite you to drink to your heart's content!"

Taoyuan Mountain finally calmed down completely, but a noisy wind swept through Taoyuan Village as the village chief and others returned in high spirits.

"Duang! Duang! Duang!"

Before even entering the village, the village chief couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed a broken basin, banged it with a stick, and shouted to the villagers, "Everyone, come out and hear the good news! This is incredibly good news for our Taoyuan Village!"

As noon approached, a large circle of villagers who were cooking and those who had followed them from the countryside gathered around, all craning their necks and whispering questions to the people who had come up the mountain with the village chief, wondering what good news it was.

"The Taoist priest has subdued the monsters in Peach Blossom Mountain for us!" the village chief shouted. "From today onwards, our long-standing rule of not daring to enter the mountain can finally be broken. We can now freely enter the mountain to gather herbs and hunt without worrying about being harmed by monsters!"

"Really? Is the Taoist priest that capable?"

"Did you see it with your own eyes? What kind of monster is occupying our Peach Blossom Mountain?"

"Uncle Wang, I've been wanting to learn archery and hunting from you for a long time. You have to teach me!"

"Stop interrupting! Village chief, tell me about the demon-slaying and monster-exorcising you saw on the mountain. I really regret not going with you to see the world..."

…………

The shouting of the crowd, coupled with the village chief's constant banging of a broken basin to gather the villagers together, quickly woke Mu Jiuxiu, who was dozing off.

Upon hearing the commotion on the street that the Taoist priest had subdued the monster, he suddenly sprang to his feet, and, still unsteady from just waking up, stumbled and wobbled into the street.

"Everyone heard right, the Taoist priest really killed all the monsters!" The village chief said with an uncontrollable smile, "It turns out that one of the monsters that occupied our Peach Blossom Mountain was a wolf monster and the other was a catfish spirit!"

The two monsters colluded and spread rumors, making the villagers afraid to enter the mountains. We also stopped offering incense to the local earth god, so Peach Blossom Mountain was naturally taken over by the monsters!

Today, the local earth god manifested his power, and together with Taoist Master Chiling, they utterly defeated those two monsters, forcing them to reveal their true forms, which the Taoist master then captured. From this day forward, we will rebuild the earth god's temple and offer incense to him. Then, we will no longer fear demons and monsters roaming and occupying Peach Blossom Mountain, and everyone will receive the earth god's protection when gathering herbs and hunting in the mountains!

The curious villagers kept asking questions, and the village chief and others had already agreed on a story, piecing together the magpie spirit and the old ox's situation. They talked so much that spittle flew everywhere, like a storyteller, leaving everyone stunned.

"That wild wolf that chased me was also a monster? Pshaw~ Who are you trying to fool? How could there be any catfish spirit in the river?" Mu Jiuxiu was completely baffled. He subconsciously felt that the Taoist priest was using a charade to scare these unsophisticated villagers, just like the fake Ganoderma lucidum he had conjured up before.

If the wolf were truly a monster, how could it be that it couldn't even catch me?

Monsters are so powerful, they can just use a spell to knock people unconscious, right? Besides, they've cultivated themselves into monsters, why would they chase after people to eat them?

Catfish spirits are even less likely. If there really were such powerful demons, the old ox would have warned me long ago!

"Fellow villagers, did you see my old ox when you went up the mountain today?" Mu Jiuxiu thought for a moment and then went up to ask. What if someone saw it? Finding the old ox would be the same as finding the Weaver Girl.

The village chief and the others all looked over, stared at him for a few moments, and then shook their heads in unison. "We didn't see you. We went into the mountains with the Taoist priest to fight monsters. We didn't see your old ox."

"Then..." He hesitated for a moment before pressing on, "Has anyone seen the female demon who set the fire yesterday? That is, my wife!"

The village chief said coldly, "You won't say what kind of monster your wife is, so how will anyone know?"

Yesterday, everyone was too far away to see clearly before they were burned. Today, the catfish spirit that the Taoist priest captured was actually a female demon, dressed in black and white clothes and adorned with a head full of gold and silver hairpins. She was quite fierce!

With a flick of her sleeve, she could blast rocks and trees to smithereens. Fortunately, the Taoist priest possessed profound magical power and forced her back to her original form, otherwise Peach Blossom Mountain would still be under her control.

6. The power collar of the thirty-seven camphor trees in Haddi is

"Husband, do you think... the Taoist priest might take your sister-in-law away?" Old Mrs. Niu was furious. She was hoping to become a rich lady by taking advantage of the female demon. If she was subdued, where would she get gold and silver?

Niu Da was also anxious, and hurriedly grabbed a young man and asked in a low voice, "Is the catfish spirit that the Taoist priest captured the Cowherd's wife?"

The other person shook their head, looking bewildered. "I don't know. We didn't get a clear look at her yesterday, and today that female demon is even more ferocious, constantly exploding things around. Who would dare to go up and take a closer look?"

Old Mrs. Niu slapped her thigh in frustration, "Oh no, what are we going to do?"

"Didn't you see clearly? Didn't any of you see clearly?" Mu Jiuxiu was also confused. Although he didn't quite believe that the Taoist priest had any real abilities, what if they went into the mountain in a noisy manner, and the old ox, being cautious, took the Weaver Girl deeper into the mountains to avoid any unforeseen complications?

With his ambition to make a fortune at stake, Mu Jiuxiu felt he couldn't delay any longer and had to hurry up and find them!

Ignoring the village chief's ramblings about each family contributing manpower and money to build a temple, he shouldered his bundle and prepared to head into the mountains under the scorching midday sun.

Niu Da gave his wife a wink, and the two of them quietly followed Mu Jiuxiu out of the village and headed up the mountain.

Even at this point, Mu Jiuxiu still did not feel anything was wrong.

He always believed that no matter how the world in the mirror changed, the overall story framework could not be altered. Once the outline of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meeting on the Magpie Bridge was entered, it would happen no matter what, and no one could resist the will of "Heaven".

As a newly appointed shop owner with no experience, Mu Jiuxiu carried his package into the mountains, still dreaming of getting rich after finding the Weaver Girl, completely unaware that the fear of being forcibly rewritten was about to overwhelm him.

"Drip drip..."

The low, mournful alarm sounded again from the attic.

The puppet maid, Ime, was wiping the treasures displayed in the shop when she heard the sound. After a moment of silence, she couldn't resist using her mechanical arm to open the attic door once again.

Unlike last time, the swirling mist in the two mirrors had transformed into a dense, dark cloud. A red message flashed on the intricately designed machine screen in the center: "Plot Deviates from Story Summary; Mission Completion Rate Too Low, Imminent Failure!" [The shopkeeper can click to view details after mission failure. Please reflect on your mistakes and try again.]

"So it really is that good man trying his best to stop him from harming the Weaver Girl?" Imei was very curious about what was happening in the mirror world, but the machine could not be operated to see the details until the shopkeeper who could manipulate the mirror world returned.

She then thought about how to protect the shop owner's shop, and a trace of worry appeared on her pretty face.

"Huh? Why am I getting so fixated on this!" Imei locked the attic door and was about to go downstairs when her eyes suddenly lit up. "My goal is to protect the shop and myself from the shop owner's mysterious power that might influence me to make decisions against my conscience. So I can simply trade the treasures that protect me!"

A change in mindset brought sudden clarity!

She had been thinking about how to take the initiative, but the shop rules strictly stipulated that no treasure obtained through a transaction could be used directly on the shop owner to harm him. So she decided to use it on herself!

Didn't that gentleman warn me that Mu Jiuxiu was quite lusting after him...?

The puppet maid descended the wooden stairs and stood in the center of the shop, gazing at the dazzling array of treasures. Having made up her mind, she clasped her hands together and silently prayed, "I dedicate my endless life to this wondrous shop. I hope to trade for a divine artifact that will protect me from all harm..."

Taking advantage of her proximity, Yimei took the initiative to express her sincere desire for a trade, and then listed her conditions: she would offer her puppet body and endless lifespan to the wondrous shop to become an untradeable part of it, in exchange for a precious treasure that would protect her absolute freedom of mind and body from any interference or disturbance by any energy. Even the shopkeeper's mysterious power could not go against her will, and anyone who forcibly disobeyed would suffer a backlash!

"In this way, as a puppet, I become an integral part of the Wonderful Shop, and I can completely protect the shop's interests from being infringed upon. No matter who tries to subdue me or what methods they use, it will be impossible!" After she finished praying, a faint smile appeared on her face. "Mu Jiuxiu had better not have any intentions towards me, otherwise even as the shop owner, you will surely suffer a backlash!"

After a moment of silence, the wondrous shop responded to the puppet maid's sincere prayer.

Clearly, even the wondrous thing itself could not resist the condition offered by the mysterious puppet maid who offered herself in exchange for the treasure.

"Please come to the trading table." A distant, indistinguishable male or female voice echoed in the empty shop, "Please invite the puppet maid, Ms. Ime, to the trading table."

She obediently walked over and sat down in the velvet chair.

A glint of light flashed across the previously empty tabletop covered with an exquisite velvet tablecloth, revealing a beautifully crafted necklace, intricately made and perfectly matching the shop's ambiance, adorned with large gemstones, pearls, and diamonds.

"This treasure is made of rubies, sapphires, turquoise, agate, and 99 pearls and 99 diamonds set in a gold necklace. It is also infused with a trace of the supreme power of the will of the chief god and is called the Power Necklace."

Wearing it means you are protected by the will of the supreme deity, and you are absolutely free in both mind and body, unaffected by any force, whether it is the shopkeeper's mysterious power or any treasure obtained from any transaction in the wondrous shop.

The Power Necklace ranks first among tradable treasures, with no other treasure surpassing it.

However, wearing it grants you absolute power, but it also means you are bound by that power. You will no longer be free; all your time will belong to the shop, and you will also have the responsibility to protect the Wonderful Shop. Any attempt to damage or disturb the shop is your enemy, and you must fight to protect it!

In other words, you will become an inseparable and non-tradable part of the store.

Its power surpasses that of the shop owner; even the shop owner cannot sway your will or decisions. The Wonderful Shop has the right to control you, and if it discovers that you pose a threat to the shop's safety, the Wonderful Shop has the right to eliminate you.

Think carefully before you act. Whether or not to trade is your decision, but what we can guarantee now is that your mind is not influenced by any distractions, and you can make a decision entirely from your heart.

Imei gazed at the shimmering velvet necklace resting on the table, lost in thought.

The voice rang out again, "If you want absolute freedom, you can leave the Wonder Shop right now. You are not bound by any contract, and the outside world is vast and boundless. With your abilities, you can live well wherever you go."

"Excuse me, my most respected shop owner... where has your soul gone?" She didn't answer but asked in return.

"One clause in the contract signed by the shop owner states that upon obtaining the right to operate the Wonderful Shop, the shop owner also dedicates their soul to the Wonderful Shop. If they die while protecting the interests of the shop, their soul ascends to become part of the shop's will, meaning they have merged into us and become a void existence, neither dead nor reborn."

We are the fairest and purest will of the Wonderful Shop, a collective formed by the souls of past shop owners who fought and died for the Wonderful Shop.

We listen to all the prayers of the three thousand worlds and decide whether to descend to fulfill the other party's transaction.

The spirit of the respected store manager you cherish is with us. We are him, and we are not only him, which is why we give you more choices. You can push open the store door and go to any world you want to go.

Dear Yimei, you did not receive the love of your master when you were first created, but now you possess mysterious power, which is the result of a shop owner's deep love.

He hopes you can be happy forever without being troubled, and not be defined, disturbed, or influenced by the outside world, so that you can be an absolutely free person;

He raised you with the love and care of a daughter. He wanted to tell you: whether human or puppet, having an independent soul and consciousness is life itself, and deserves respect. Don't limit your dreams with human scrutiny and expectations. Do what you truly want to do; living your life to the fullest is the best way to repay him.

Ime's eyes immediately welled up with tears. She heard the voice of the respected shopkeeper in that indistinguishable male and female voice, devoid of any emotion, and seemed to see again that face that would never grow old and always had a gentle smile.

“Shopkeeper…” She turned to look at the shop’s entrance. The stained glass windows were illuminated by the sunlight, casting a colorful shadow. The exquisite door clock that he had made and hung behind the door was as it always was.

Imei has been to the outside world before.

When the shop owner was still around, he would often urge her to go out and see the world.

At first, she was resistant to it. The outside world reminded her of her miserable experience as a failed and abandoned puppet. Humans mocked her for being ugly and incomplete. Even the master who created her hated her and threw the broken puppet into the trash heap, muttering curses about how much effort and precious materials she had spent, only to end up with a defective product.