NOVPUBJia Xu’s face also showed a hint of a smile, "This is a good thing, no? Why don’t you try to use your Radiance in your dreams to infect the other party and then find out their location? We’ll find them and let you merge, how does that sound?"
"I’ve been fishing for several days now and still haven’t reeled it in. I vaguely sense where it might be, but my Spiritual Talent is too strong," Chen Xi said joyfully. He had always believed that it was a part of himself that had split off, but with a pointer from Jia Xu, he suddenly realized that it could be someone bizarre like Zhuge Liang.
"Let me think, see, first you say that your Spiritual Talent is very practical, right? For sure, everyone in the world who knows about it would want it. There will definitely be others similar to Kongming, although Kongming has said he cannot use your Spiritual Talent," Jia Xu chuckled, while Chen Xi nodded incessantly on the side like a pecking chick.
"So, that means the other party wants your Spiritual Talent, which is hard to duplicate. This fits with the theory that the one beside you is a Small Jade Bi Disc," Jia Xu said with a look of pride. The best part about his Spiritual Talent was that he could deduce the closest possible reality from the scant clues he had, and with a high degree of accuracy.
"Of course, after Kongming got to know you better and understood your Spiritual Talent, he said that if someone could break through your Spiritual Protection Layer and try desperately, they might reach the limit of your Spiritual Talent. Just like this..." Jia Xu quickly resolved Chen Xi’s doubts with a few words.
"It could be someone from Cao Cao or Yuan Shao’s ranks. Just wait for the recent intelligence reports to come in. We’ll see if some capable civil official under their command has had an incident," Chen Xi said with a smile, "Hengheng, such a great thing. Though it’s a bit small, after merging it with my Spiritual Talent, the effect should increase by at least twenty percent."
"Report!" A messenger rushed in, shouting loudly.
"What is it?" Chen Xi and Jia Xu exchanged glances and asked.
"There’s an urgent report from Yanzhou," the messenger replied loudly.
"Bring it here," Chen Xi ordered, dispelling the gloominess he felt earlier.
The messenger took out a bamboo slip and handed it to Jia Xu, then retreated. Jia Xu quickly scanned all the secret codes on the bamboo slip, then silently deciphered them.
"Hahaha! Xi Zhicai actually died," Jia Xu laughed loudly. "This report says that Xi Zhicai, a key aide of Cao Cao’s, died of illness not long ago. Cao Mengde personally held the funeral. If we calculate the time... huh, the chaos in Yanzhou has made our intelligence organization slow to react."
"I think I understand now," Chen Xi said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"It must have been Xi Zhicai’s doing. The timing is too coincidental. This way, I can also make sense of how your Spiritual Talent was exposed to Cao Cao’s side. When Xi Zhicai last visited, it was to probe our Spiritual Talent. It’s likely that his Spiritual Talent belonged to the type that could replicate others’," Jia Xu said thoughtfully, closing the bamboo slip.
"It can probably only be explained this way, that my Spiritual Talent appears identical because Xi Zhicai died, causing the one copied from my Spiritual Talent to act this way," Chen Xi said, stroking his chin.
"It’s not just that," suddenly Zuo Ci entered, taking over the conversation.
"Can you not appear and disappear like a ghost?" Chen Xi pulled a face as he spoke. When Nanhua left, he said, "If you need anything, seek Zuo Ci, he will be protecting you lately," and then he vanished. However, Chen Xi didn’t really care whether these elusive immortals came and went; he barely noticed them at all.
"Since Marquis Chen dislikes it, I will pay attention to it in the future," Zuo Ci said with a smile, which was a much nicer demeanor compared to Nanhua.
"Come on, tell me what’s really going on, Left Immortal Master. I’ve even had nightmares, and you all just let it be. Didn’t you say I couldn’t have any accidents?" Chen Xi complained, pulling a face again.
"Didn’t Marquis Chen also say that absorbing that Small Jade Bi would enhance your power by a little? If it was truly harmful, wouldn’t we stop it?" Zuo Ci said with a smile, "Xi Zhicai is indeed a prodigious talent; he dared to bet on his success based merely on some vague clues.
"He succeeded? That’s not right; I feel like that small Spiritual Talent is truly mine," Chen Xi said, puzzled, while on the other side, Jia Xu had already deduced the actual situation based on his Spiritual Talent.
"Let me explain, the words you all would say probably involve some cause and effect," Jia Xu said with a smile.
"I guess he succeeded. Spiritual Talent is the sublimation of Spirit essence. Whether it’s a copy from the other or Kongming fully owning our side’s Spiritual Talent, in fact, it’s the essence of the spirit that has changed. And if Xi Zhicai were to die immediately after changing…" Jia Xu said with a smile.
An epiphany surfaced on Chen Xi’s face. If Xi Zhicai did not die, there was the possibility of reverting, but since Xi Zhicai had died, the Spiritual Talent identical to his own would inevitably merge into a complete entity. At most, there would be a slight rejection due to some lingering will of Xi Zhicai, but it would not last more than seven days…
"Then how should I reclaim my Spiritual Talent?" Chen Xi curiously asked, unabashedly regarding the Spiritual Talent exchanged through Xi Zhicai’s death as his own.
"That is something Marquis Chen will have to handle himself, I can only answer some minor questions for Marquis Chen," Zuo Ci adhered to his own principles.
"Then nevermind, I’ll figure it out myself later. But could you tell me what that layer of Clear Radiance is? I see it slowly appearing on that other Small Jade Bi," Chen Xi asked turning his head, "This isn’t a problem, is it?"
"That layer of Clear Radiance is the protection of your Spiritual Talent, which is essentially the Free Spirit Energy. The brighter your Radiance, the more Spirit Energy you have stored, and your Spiritual Talent relies on this layer of Clear Radiance to resist natural disasters," Zuo Ci pondered stroking his beard, "Of course, if the Radiance fades, you may fall into a deep sleep."
"…" Chen Xi furrowed his brow, feeling that something was amiss. The Small Jade Bi had already begun to show a Clear Radiance that was not visible before, and now he could see it in his dreams, [Could there be some problem? If even recognizing Cao Cao has an effect, how is that possible?]
"What’s the matter?" Seeing Chen Xi wave his hand, indicating that Zuo Ci need not bother himself, Zuo Ci bowed respectfully and then disappeared. Jia Xu then asked, noticing the conundrum on Chen Xi’s face.
"Let’s just consider it to be Xi Zhicai. The Small Jade Bi that he replicated couldn’t possibly possess my abilities, nor should it be able to attract Free Spirit Power. You know my Spiritual Talent," Chen Xi said, turning his head to speak.
"Now that you mention it, it makes sense," Jia Xu quietly activated his Spiritual Talent, "Your Spiritual Talent actually depends on the people’s recognition of you, as well as the Lord’s. The same goes for that smaller piece; it must follow suit, but under Cao Mengde’s command, the recognition…" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to give recommendations and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
