Just as Wenshu lowered her head in contemplation, Xiaoyu swept her into his embrace, tightly holding her slender frame. "This is good, this is perfect," he murmured. "Wait for me. I still have some matters to attend to. Once they are settled, we will leave, leave this place forever, far from all this trouble."

Hearing this, Wenshu tilted her head up, her wide eyes blinking, affecting an air of complete ignorance. "What is it? What still needs doing?"

"I'm going to see Mother, and then I'll take her, Wang Jue, and you all away together," Xiaoyu declared with unwavering confidence, showing not the slightest regard for the old Puppet King, as if he were merely there to collect passengers before departing.

"Will they let you go?" Wenshu suddenly realized the implication of Xiaoyu's plan and asked with a suggestive tone.

"They will. I don't need to become the Puppet King. If I absolutely must, then I will free every single puppet, cease manipulating them forever, and ensure no new puppets are ever created," Xiaoyu stated with absolute finality, without a trace of hesitation.

Only then did Wenshu understand that achieving her objective would not be simple. She had initially assumed that winning this man's heart would solve everything, only to find such a profound conflict existed between him and the two old Puppet Kings. The lack of an heir meant the Puppet King could not reincarnate. The two elders were clearly weary of this world and longed for their former quiet life as a couple. They wished to depart, but their daughter was held by the Li family, forcing them into a desperate struggle for dominance. If the new Puppet King could bring Nangong Ying back and settle her safely, the old couple could leave with peace of mind. At that point, Xiaoyu and she would become the new Puppet Kings! Thinking of this, Wenshu began to feel a secret thrill of triumph; as long as this man remained devoted to her, the entire world would be within her grasp.

"Let's go to the village; I heard my mother is there." Xiaoyu shook Wenshu, who was standing lost in thought, snapping her out of her lofty dream of ascending to the Upper Kingdom. Noticing her dazed eyes and haughty demeanor, as if she were an unassailable Empress, he suddenly recalled Wang Jue's earlier words. Mermaid? He repeated the word three times in his mind but still couldn't grasp Wang Jue’s meaning. Thus, he dismissed the confusing thoughts, took Wenshu's hand, and together they dove into the pool, swam through the water-filled tunnel, and climbed out onto the bank on the other side, traversing the passage to reach the bottom of the well.

The well bottom remained sealed. Wenshu uttered a soft, drawn-out plea towards the tunnel ceiling: "Open the door." Suddenly, the well entrance burst open, and a shaft of soft sunlight streamed down. The rope that Xiao Shu and Zhang Yuqiu had used moments before still dangled in the center of the well, swaying gently in the breeze from above. Xiaoyu sprang upward, grasping the well rope precisely, wrapping two loops around his hand, and extending his other hand toward Wenshu. As Wenshu gently placed her hand in his, Xiaoyu swiftly pulled her up to the rope. "Hold the rope, step on my shoulders, and climb," he instructed.

Wenshu was so moved by his actions she hardly knew how to respond. She thought back to the inexperienced, fresh-faced youth in the mental asylum years ago; this man, weathered by hardship, was truly the resting place for her heart. If she could become the Puppet Queen alongside him, a divine couple, all the suffering endured in the preceding decades would be rendered utterly insignificant.

"Let's go, don't be afraid. I can bear your weight!" Seeing Wenshu gripping the rope but remaining still, Xiaoyu assumed she was frightened and offered encouraging words to bolster her courage.

"Mm," Wenshu nodded shyly, lightly placing her feet on Xiaoyu’s shoulders while gripping the rope with both hands. In just a few swift movements, she reached the well opening. During this ascent, Xiaoyu continuously tightened his hold on the rope, using the strength of both arms to haul himself and half of Wenshu’s weight up to the rim. Once out of the well, he looked at his hands; they were already raw and bleeding. Yet, within two minutes, the wounds healed automatically. Looking closely again, only a streak of blood on the rope served as proof that he had been injured.