Chapter Thirty-One: The Art of Bewilderment

At Lei Yan’s command, Yin You’s figure vanished instantly from the wooden hut. Old Man Er and the others either climbed onto the beds, leaned against the walls, or stretched out on the floor. Only Lei Yan remained, sitting cross-legged against the wall near the door. Before Yuan He died, he had told Lei Yan that the treasure map was in the possession of a boy named Niu Ben. However, judging by the confidence that had been on Yuan He’s face, this boy Niu Ben might be far from ordinary. With a flicker of his intent, Lei Yan’s psychic perception instantly blanketed the entire village.

Lei Yan’s expression shifted. As his perception expanded, he immediately detected a trace of spiritual sense hovering over Niu Village. Because this spiritual sense was not targeting anyone in particular, Lei Yan had not noticed it earlier; it was only when his own perception spread that he discovered it. Following the trail of this spiritual sense, Lei Yan’s perception instantly pinpointed Li Lie and his group.

"Sister Hua, are we just going to keep waiting like this?" Yu Yang, having learned that Lei Yan had arrived, was growing restless.

"Yu Yang, shut your mouth! Damn it, when Fairy Hua made the proposal earlier, weren't you the one raising both hands in favor? What’s the matter now? Can't handle it?" Li Lie’s anger flared upon hearing Yu Yang’s words. He had previously suggested capturing Lei Yan alive to force the location of the treasure out of him, but Fairy Hua had rejected it. Instead, she proposed using the Mind-Beguiling Technique to manipulate the bandits, and Yu Yang had been the first to agree. How could Li Lie not be furious?

"Then was then, and now is now. Given our strength, we truly don't need to go through all this trouble, but I will support any proposal Sister Hua makes," Yu Yang retorted aggressively.

"Enough, enough. Stop bickering," Fairy Hua intervened. "Did Yuan He’s self-detonation last time not teach you a lesson? If this lead breaks, where else are we supposed to look? We have already turned Niu Village upside down multiple times."

Once Fairy Hua finished speaking, Li Lie and Yu Yang fell silent. She was right; if this lead were lost, they would likely never find another.

Lei Yan’s psychic perception swept over the four of them, yet they remained entirely unaware. With his focus locked onto them, Lei Yan began to analyze the situation. From their conversation, he had gleaned at least three vital pieces of information: first, Yuan He had self-destructed, and they apparently had not obtained the information they sought from him; second, they had already searched Niu Village, which meant the boy Niu Ben was indeed suspicious; third, they intended to use him to lead them to the treasure, meaning he and his men were safe for the time being.

Synthesizing this, Lei Yan reached a decision: he would have Old Man Er and the others leave immediately while he remained behind. After all, these people were after the treasure. He slowly opened his eyes and said in a low voice, "Er, wake everyone up and gather them in the courtyard."

Old Man Er, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them immediately upon hearing Lei Yan. Despite some lingering regret, he responded respectfully and vanished from the room in a flash. Hearing the commotion, Zhao Liu opened his eyes as well. "Boss, what happened?"

"Gather everyone in the courtyard. I have instructions," Lei Yan said calmly.

Zhao Liu scrambled up, hauled the still-sleeping Lu Kai off the bed, and dragged him out into the courtyard.

A moment later, all twenty-seven men were assembled. Lei Yan looked at them and said, "You are to lead these men toward the northeast. When you reach the next village, open this note; it will tell you where to go. Remember, do not open it until you arrive at the next village. Wait for me at the destination." Seeing their confused expressions, Lei Yan added coldly, "This is an order."

Old Man Er took the note, tucked it into his tunic, and led the group out of Niu Village.

Watching them leave, Lei Yan smiled faintly. Under the cover of Li Lie’s spiritual sense, nothing could be hidden, so the note he had given Old Man Er was blank. He trusted that Old Man Er would wait for him at the next village, as Qing Ling was already there.

In a nearby guest room, Li Lie frowned. "What is that kid doing? Why would he suddenly send everyone away? Fairy Hua, should you recall those warriors?"

"No need. Those under the influence of the Mind-Beguiling Technique aren't even aware of it themselves. These hidden pawns might yield unexpected results. Since the kid hasn't left, let’s see what tricks he’s playing," Fairy Hua replied coldly.

Li Lie nodded, but his eyes narrowed into slits as he glanced at Fairy Hua, thinking to himself, "Such a sinister technique. This woman cannot be left alive. If the opportunity arises, I must eliminate her."

"The Mind-Beguiling Technique? Old Man Er and the others are under the Mind-Beguiling Technique?" Lei Yan, whose perception had remained locked on the four, frowned as he overheard their conversation. He pondered, "What exactly is this technique? Judging by the name, it must be a spell designed to bewitch the mind." Retreating into his room, Lei Yan sat on the bed and began leafing through the bamboo slips he had obtained from the Wind-Singing Valley. There were over thirteen hundred bamboo slips and five hundred jade slips in total; surely, one of them would contain information on this technique.

As he read, Lei Yan absorbed a vast amount of knowledge—unprecedented spells, alchemy, artifact refining, and the various stages of cultivation. The vague concepts he once held about cultivation levels were now crystal clear. He learned that there were seven stages: Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Integration, Tribulation Transcendence, and Mahayana. The characteristics of each stage were now plain to him. The two men he had killed previously, Zi Chao and Zi Yue, had been at the early Golden Core stage. Using his perception to scan Li Lie and his companions, he realized that while the monk’s level was unknown, Li Lie was at the mid-Golden Core stage, while Fairy Hua and Yu Yang were only at the early Golden Core stage.

"Found it." Lei Yan spotted an entry regarding the Mind-Beguiling Technique on a jade slip. It was a spell used to manipulate the mind; the victim remained entirely unaware of the influence. With a single incantation or hint from the caster, the victim would obey them completely. The conditions for casting it were extremely harsh, and once cast, the spell would not dissipate unless the caster died.

The slip only recorded the effects and the method of breaking the spell, noting that the conditions for casting were severe but providing no further details. With the method to break it now in his possession, Lei Yan was confident. If he killed Fairy Hua, the technique would naturally be broken.