The front hall’s flower room.
Tuoba Yan sat on the high seat, with several deputy generals seated on his left and right. Ma Peng was among them, as he was responsible for leading his own contingent.
"Just stalling like this won't do," Ma Peng said.
"Indeed. Although we have military pay now, wouldn't letting it drag on be a waste of time? I think we should strike directly into Yong'an City while our military strength is at its peak."
Tuoba Yan was a skilled warrior and genuinely wished to march north, to drive Prince Qi Ming back to Bianjing to cry to his parents.
"Impossible," A Jiu burst in.
Tuoba Yan's stern expression immediately softened. He got up and walked down from the high platform to greet her. "Sister Jiu'er, is something the matter?"
"Look at this," A Jiu handed Tuoba Yan the letter left by Xue Zhen.
Seeing this, the others bowed and withdrew from the council chamber, leaving only A Jiu, Tuoba Yan, and Zhao Kun, who was guarding outside.
Tuoba Yan opened it and read: "In Yong'an City, there are puppet sorcerers. What does this mean?"
As soon as A Jiu saw it, she reacted, excitedly and enthusiastically explaining:
"Little Yan, do you remember my father saying that some of the Qi soldiers they encountered were people with blank expressions and vacant stares? I didn't know what it was at first, thinking King Qi had ordered them to kill their families and sever their emotions, thus driving them to such a state. But with Xue Zhen saying this, doesn't it fit? I now believe it must be this kind of puppet technique."
A Jiu even combined it with what Xue Zhen had said about some cultivating souls and others cultivating bodies. She theorized that sorcerers who could control people's minds were likely cultivators of spirit bodies.
A subtle metallic glint flashed in Tuoba Yan's eyes. He instantly input "puppet technique."
The information quickly overlapped, and the next moment, his pupils constricted, and his expression turned grim. The fundamental principle of puppet technique was incredibly similar to implanting a certain system or code. It was akin to implanting a soul force devoid of any autonomy after a human’s soul had been extracted.
"What's wrong?" This was the first time A Jiu had seen such a look of wavering fear on Tuoba Yan's face. He usually appeared as if nothing in the world could scare him. "I haven't even proposed a countermeasure yet."
Tuoba Yan forced himself to calm down and regain his composure. "Sister Jiu'er, you speak."
"My idea is to send someone to capture one for study," A Jiu said, walking around the battle sand table in the council chamber, thinking as she went. "Perhaps we can find a way to break through that puppet army." After all, such an army was terrifying because it had lost its humanity and thus had no weaknesses.
"Alright, Sister Jiu'er, I'll send Zhao Kun to capture one right away." Tuoba Yan never questioned A Jiu's ideas. This was also why he had felt a sense of familiarity the first time he saw her; her words felt like a program that had always been stored in his system, instantly unlocked upon seeing her.
With that, Tuoba Yan dispatched Zhao Kun himself, along with two other men.
Tuoba Yan, holding A Jiu’s hand, led her back to the rear courtyard. As they walked along the corridor, Tuoba Yan suddenly glanced at the young girl beside him. "Are you bored living alone in the rear garden? Would you like to accompany me to the military camp for a bit?"
A Jiu didn't know why he was suddenly saying this, but she honestly replied, "I'm not bored. I can grow vegetables and read."
For the first time, Tuoba Yan didn't respond to A Jiu's words.
It wasn't until they reached the entrance of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in the rear garden that Tuoba Yan finally said, "You grow your vegetables then. I have something to attend to and can't accompany you for now." Tuoba Yan turned and left.
Only then did A Jiu realize something was amiss. She looked back and saw his silhouette—broad shoulders, narrow waist, back straight. The weapon by his waist was not a saber, but an iron rod. Suddenly, she felt a chill emanating from him, no, rather, a sharp intensity. What was wrong with him?
Tuoba Yan suddenly felt that he was very similar to a puppet, with all his programs controlling his every word and action. Moreover, his existence was inseparable from various data and programs. It was, as A Jiu had said, like a puppet. A "creature" devoid of independent consciousness. Thinking of this, Tuoba Yan suddenly felt a headache and quickly leaned on the wall, shaking his head before recovering.
"Ancheng was actually a complete setup by Prince Qi Ming," Xue Zhen said after Tuoba Yan left, entering A Jiu's room. "But he was guarding against King Nan Ming back then."
A Jiu said nothing, sitting at the dressing table, resting her chin on her hand, and looking at herself in the bronze mirror. "I'm quite curious where King Qi found these sorcerers who can turn people into puppets." A Jiu appeared calm, but her heart was churning. If there truly was such an army that feared no death, wouldn't they be invincible? Why would they need an ambush? They could have just fought King Nan Ming directly, as those people were fearless.
Xue Zhen smiled faintly. "The art of puppets, within the entire lineage of Taoism, belongs to the puppet techniques of the Yinshan sect. Generally, orthodox cultivators would disdain to engage with that kind of people. They don't cultivate the body or the spirit, but rather use techniques to capture spirits and dispatch generals, focusing primarily on sorcery."
A Jiu blinked. "There's such a method of cultivation? Then, does that mean capturing spirits and dispatching generals is merely a sorcery, and thus a demonic path? After all, no one has the right to control the actions of others."
"Right." A Jiu suddenly remembered something and quickly walked into the study. When she had been dusting the bookshelves that morning, she had indeed seen a book that mentioned something about the Yinshan Ancestral Teachings.