It might be related to the Yinshan Sect.
Where is it? A'jiu murmured, searching row after row.
Behind her, Xue Zhen's gaze calmly swept over the dazzling rows of bookshelves. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, landing on the "Empress Chang's Secret History."
Taking advantage of Jiu'er's busyness, he snatched it up and began to read.
After about fifteen minutes, A'jiu finally climbed the wooden ladder and retrieved the book "Yinshan Ancestral Teachings" from the topmost shelf.
Upon opening it, she saw various runes, along with instructions for cultivating numerous techniques and their taboos.
The lamplight flickered, and soon the wick withered, the oil burning out.
The study was illuminated only by a sliver of faint moonlight filtering in from outside, but A'jiu's night vision was completely unfazed, and she continued to flip through the pages.
*Snap*. Xue Zhen closed the book and murmured, "There's not even a single mention of me."
This woman, her heart entirely set on Huachang Kingdom, ended up with such a tragic fate…
A'jiu also finished reading. Closing the book, she realized someone else was in the study: "What are you doing here?"
Xue Zhen finally reacted, "The book was so captivating that I lost track of time."
Putting the book back, Xue Zhen turned to leave but was called back by A'jiu. "You said this branch of the Yinshan Sect, 'Soul Seizing and Spirit Dispatch,' involves confining a person's soul and then using it to control their body?"
Xue Zhen continued without looking back, "Yes, one must have cultivation of a hundred years or even higher to possess the ability to control the souls of living people."
A'jiu and Xue Zhen chatted for a while longer.
What he said made sense. Living people have consciousness, their souls intertwined with their bodies, existing in mutual support. Therefore, to control a living person, this individual's cultivation must be extremely high.
"Yes," Xue Zhen said, hesitating. "I haven't returned to Prince Qi's side for several days. I imagine he's already become suspicious and dispatched troops. I should return now."
Jiu'er was instantly pulled back from her book to reality. She generously handed him several spiritual fruits:
"The ginseng is gone, but I can plant some tomorrow. You can use these for now."
A'jiu felt that spiritual fruits were ultimately inferior to spiritual ginseng, so she gave him a few more.
This caused Xue Zhen, who had initially intended to take them with one hand, to now have to cup both hands, and then embrace them full-heartedly.
He looked like a pregnant woman.
"This… I can't possibly carry it all," Xue Zhen said, carefully holding the fruits. With a *thump*, a tomato fell to the ground. It seemed overripe, and it smashed into a pulp.
It was such a pity to see it ruined.
"Then eat it before you go," A'jiu said bluntly, gesturing for him to sit down and eat slowly.
Xue Zhen had no choice but to sit down, still looking at the smashed tomato with regret in his eyes.
A'jiu fumbled in the dark and found another book, beginning to flip through it while eating the tomato.
Xue Zhen had no choice but to eat as well. He knew how rare these spiritual products were in these barren, war-torn times.
Unexpectedly, as they ate, Xue Zhen began to burp, with juice splattering out for the first time.
Streams of spiritual energy expanded his Dantian until it was huge, as if he were about to give birth.
He couldn't take it anymore. He had to meditate and refine it immediately, or his stomach would burst.
A'jiu didn't stop him. She had already prepared a room for him in the backyard. She had seen this situation before with her grandmother.
It wasn't until the early morning that the backyard was brightly lit, the torches casting flickering, indistinct shadows on A'jiu's body.
Tuoba Yan came personally to see Jiu'er. Initially, he feared she might be asleep, but upon realizing she was awake, he got straight to the point.
They had captured a city guard in Yong'an City.
He said that during a fight, he had been bitten by a soldier who had already died but had crawled up again. It was completely unexpected and had bitten Zhao Kun on the arm.
However, the result was that three of his front teeth had been knocked out.
If he had wanted to kill the man, Zhao Kun would have done so with a single kick.
The person they had tied up and brought back was now locked in the dungeon of the county magistrate's yamen.
The dungeon became lively. There was already a group of Qi soldiers imprisoned there. After several days, they had even been eating tomatoes, vegetables, and barley rice distributed by General Tuoba. Their resolve had begun to waver, and they had been quiet.
The "grandson" who had been brought back was causing such a commotion in the entire dungeon that it sounded like thunder. He neither ate nor slept, constantly wailing.
Nearby prisoners could see through the bars that this fellow was also banging his head against the cell door. Blood streamed down the wooden posts, showing no signs of stopping.
But they had also been followers of Prince Qi.
They could tell at a glance that this person belonged to Prince Qi's "Ghost Soldier Camp."
They were usually silent, and would not respond if spoken to.
Just then, the dungeon door opened. It was General Tuoba Yan himself, accompanied by a young woman dressed in a silk robe and a thick fur cloak.