Imagine how boring the world would be if, wherever you looked, you only saw cultivators soaring on their flying swords, with the mortal realm merely serving as their breeding ground. If it really were like that, we’d have no choice but to find a place to live in seclusion and cultivate with My Lord. Otherwise, we wouldn’t dare set foot outside."
"A Cheng, you’re quite chatty today," Siniang said with a laugh.
Liang Cheng pointed at A Ming and said, "He can live for a long time, and I have already lived for a very long time."
"I agree with what A Cheng said." A Ming took another swig of his "water."
Liang Cheng glanced at A Ming, pointed at his wound, and asked, "Not too serious, right?"
"It’ll affect my speed and movement, but it’s manageable."
"The general in the city is capable. Surprisingly, we couldn’t counter-attack just then," Liang Cheng stated.
"Hmm, we’ll see how Blind Bei handles things on his end." A Ming gestured toward Blind Bei with a lift of his chin.
Blind Bei was squatting beside Lady Daxi; opposite him squatted Zheng Fan.
Lady Daxi wasn’t much of a beauty. She was probably not very old, but she clearly lacked Siniang’s meticulous grooming or her kind of refined demeanor. Perhaps the harsh mountain winds had chiseled her features too sharply, giving her a somewhat fierce and unapproachable look. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
Blind Bei knew this wasn’t My Lord’s type. My Lord wasn’t the depraved, beastly sort; if anything, he was perhaps *too* proper, almost excessively so.
Lady Daxi glared at Zheng Fan and Blind Bei squatting beside her. She remained silent; in truth, her mind was still reeling from the utter rout moments before, and she was unsure what she should say now. However, Zheng Fan had no intention of letting her speak, because her mouth could be... borrowed.
"Blind Bei, are you confident you can do it?"
"I might overdraw my abilities, My Lord."
Influencing someone’s mind wasn’t a major issue, and inflicting mental trauma wasn’t too difficult for the current Blind Bei. However, to completely control someone, to turn them into a mindless puppet in a short time—that was extremely difficult.
"It’s fine. As long as you don’t die."
"..." Blind Bei was speechless.
Zheng Fan chuckled. "If you overdraw, you can just rest up and recover." He himself had overdrawn several times due to Mo Wan possessing him.
Blind Bei nodded and called out, "Siniang, help me give her a couple of jabs."
Siniang, having just finished stitching Fanli’s wound, walked over, two embroidery needles held between her fingertips.
Lady Daxi’s expression changed, fear flaring in her eyes. Surely, even the boldest person would feel a chill of fear and unease seeing an enemy approach them with fine needles?
"My Lord, should we try asking her again?" Siniang inquired. What if she’s willing to cooperate?
Zheng Fan shook his head. "No need. Her stockade is deep in the Southwest of Qian State; she won’t cooperate." Then, Zheng Fan opened his mouth, yawned, and said, "If we let her go to the front and shout, ’My boys, don’t worry about me! Defend the city with your lives!’ wouldn’t that just make us look like idiots?"
They were undeniably the aggressors here, but Zheng Fan had no desire to become a stereotypical villain. At least, he wanted to skip the all-too-familiar, cringeworthy villain tropes.
"Understood, My Lord."
Seeing Zheng Fan’s insistence, Siniang said no more. Her twin needles plunged directly into Lady Daxi’s head. Siniang was an expert with needles, naturally knowing all the body’s acupoints. Because the needles were so fine, and she wielded them as weapons, every strike had to achieve maximum effect. If she weren’t running a brothel, Siniang could have made a fortune running an acupuncture clinic.
As the needles went in, Lady Daxi’s body began to convulse, and her eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.
"Ah Li," Blind Bei called.
Fanli, his wounds now treated, came over, his tower-like physique shielding Blind Bei’s side.
Blind Bei placed his hands on the sides of Lady Daxi’s temples. Zheng Fan felt something—not wind, yet like a layer of substance—brush across his face. If he had to describe it in a word, it would be... a ripple.
Is this what spiritual power feels like?
At that moment, Lady Daxi’s body stopped convulsing. As a captive, she was quite pitiful. Although this world had no Geneva Convention, very few prisoners of war were likely to receive such "special treatment."
Beads of sweat began to seep from Blind Bei’s forehead, and his body started to sway back and forth.
The next moment, Blind Bei pitched forward. Fanli, who was right beside him, reached out, caught him, then rose and slung the unmoving Blind Bei onto his shoulder.
"Is it done?" Zheng Fan asked.
"It’s done." The reply came in a woman’s voice, but with Blind Bei’s distinct manner of speaking.
Zheng Fan looked down and saw that Lady Daxi was no longer showing the whites of her eyes; her pupils had refocused.
"Phew... this feeling... it’s actually quite good."
"The sensation of seeing with eyes... I’m really not used to it," said Lady Daxi.
"What’s it like?" Zheng Fan asked curiously.
Just as a nearsighted person accustomed to wearing glasses finds the world excessively blurry when they remove them, one who is accustomed to perceiving the world with their heart finds it utterly fake when they try to see with their eyes.
Zheng Fan looked at Lady Daxi, still lying on the ground.
Lady Daxi had no choice but to speak again: