Physical Persuasion

Was the food of the mortals here simply this disgusting?

Or was the food that came out of that iron box so hard to swallow because it had not been made by humans?

Inside one of the two standard [Compartment] medical rooms in every [Capillary Passage].

Wang Jixuan gnawed on the dry ration labeled "Emergency Biscuit," forcefully chewing it to bits before swallowing.

He felt as though he were chewing a pile of wood shavings.

Disgusting as it was, the stuff worked rather well.

Strength slowly returned to Wang Jixuan's limp limbs, and he felt the pleasure of a full stomach.

Pleasure worth 2 Food Quotas.

This demoness...

Amid faint chewing sounds, Wang Jixuan looked at the still-unconscious female doctor and pondered carefully.

By the rules of the Cultivation World, it would have been perfectly acceptable to kill this demoness who had intended to harm him.

But he was now no more than a mortal, living in this massive Underground Fortress. Surveillance covered every passage—though most of it was broken, leaving plenty of blind spots—but if he rashly killed this female doctor, he would pay with his own life.

He was still too weak. He could only adapt to the local customs and handle matters according to this place's rules.

The safer approach would be to bind this demoness with a spell, hang a sign around her reading "Demoness," and let the world know that her conduct and character were improper.

But Wang Jixuan soon discovered through Mu Liang's memories that relations between men and women in this strange world were quite open.

The environment within the fortress was so oppressive that sexual conservatives and sexual liberals were evenly divided, with their attitudes toward relations between men and women becoming polarized.

"Let's call it a local custom."

Daoist Wang thought so.

This female doctor was a Level 4 Ordinary Citizen, a specialized technical professional. Her status was slightly higher than Mu Liang's as a Level 3 Ordinary Citizen—an ordinary worker or farmer.

Even if the matter reached the authorities—the fortress's Enforcement Court and the Security Teams on every level—he would easily end up at a disadvantage.

During his Hard Cultivation in his previous life, Wang Jixuan had rarely interacted with outsiders, and his fellow disciples had found him difficult to approach. But that was merely because his heart had been devoted to the Dao, and he had been unwilling to concern himself with anything outside cultivation.

It was not that he lacked worldly sense.

Mm, in a situation like this, I should move her with emotion, enlighten her with reason, awaken her conscience, and have her give this poor Daoist proof that he need not undergo a skull-opening, brain-shaving procedure.

If she refuses to appreciate the favor, then using a few cultivator methods would be acceptable.

What methods? This poor Daoist has never studied mind-controlling spells or talismans, but he can still influence a mortal's mind a little... Still, the Mind Control Technique is taboo in the Cultivation World. This poor Daoist is no Heretical Path, after all. To preserve the purity of my Dao heart, I must use it sparingly.

Having made up his mind, Wang Jixuan habitually raised a hand and beckoned toward the cup of water beside him.

The cup remained perfectly still.

He laughed mutely, got up to fetch the cup himself, then found several [artifacts] in the medical room to improve his leverage in the negotiation. He dipped his right index finger into a drop of water, flicked it at the female doctor's forehead, and quietly recited.

"Supreme Star, Adaptable Without Pause. Clear Wisdom, Peaceful Mind."

The female doctor gave a soft snort through her nose, then clutched her forehead and groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hiss—ow!"

Muttering, "What happened to me?" she raised a hand to touch her forehead and discovered a layer of gauze there.

She seemed to have a concussion. Nausea rose in her throat, and the world spun before her eyes.

The female doctor suddenly curled herself into a ball, her breathing becoming slightly rapid as she glared at Wang Jixuan with her large, false-lashed eyes.

She had worked as medical staff in Block 602 of District C, Level 13, for two years. Of course she knew that the surveillance equipment and alarms in this medical room had long since broken down.

And this medical room happened to have excellent soundproofing!

Wang Jixuan imitated the etiquette of this place and proactively extended his right hand, intending to greet her with a handshake.

But the gesture immediately sent the female doctor into a panic.

"Y-you, what are you trying to do? I'll call for help! I have lots of friends! My ex-boyfriend is a captain in the Enforcement Team! Don't hurt me! Please! This is my first time threatening someone..."

Wang Jixuan pondered for a few moments, doing his best to organize the language of this world and keep his voice gentle.

"I will not harm you."

He spoke softly, his gaze clear and his manner sincere.

Perhaps because this body had been rather handsome to begin with, or perhaps because Wang Jixuan was merely sitting in a chair, the female doctor gradually calmed down.

She took several deep breaths and glanced down at the electronic device beside her.

A trace of her blood still stained the edge of that iron box.

"Miss... ah, Doctor Wei Na," Wang Jixuan said seriously, "we should first sort out the right and wrong of this matter. You were the one who intended to insult me first, and I was forced to defend myself. Do you acknowledge that?"

Doctor Wei Na frowned deeply.

She knew she was in the wrong and did not quite dare meet Wang Jixuan's eyes. She nodded lightly.

Wang Jixuan continued, "I will not report you to the Enforcement Team or Security Team, and you need not pursue the matter of me hitting you. Any objections?"

"O-okay, no objections."

Wei Na's voice trembled as she looked down beside Wang Jixuan's legs.

"Help me issue another certificate."

Wang Jixuan blinked lightly.

"You know what kind of certificate I want. I do not want to lose a piece of my head."

"I know!"

Wei Na nodded hurriedly.

"I've issued lots of certificates for lots of people! Nothing happened between us today, and from now on, we stay out of each other's way! Is that okay... I-I apologize to you. It's just been too long since I touched a man... I used to be half a sexual conservative myself..."

The more she spoke, the less confidence she had.

Amusement appeared in Wang Jixuan's eyes.

"I do not wish to create further complications, nor am I particularly interested in your life."

Wang Jixuan picked up the foot-long repair wrench beside his leg, twirled it in his hand, then stood and placed it in the repair kit in the corner.

Doctor Wei Na let out a long sigh of relief.

She touched the faintly aching wound on her forehead and, as she rose from the narrow hospital bed, saw her neatly arranged pair of Martens Boots.

"Is issuing the certificate troublesome?"

Standing at the door, Wang Jixuan habitually clasped his hands behind his back and asked as gently as he could.

Wei Na lowered her head to put on her boots, muttering with lingering fear.

"It's not troublesome. I just need to use the terminal. I have to go to my office. I had only just started my shift today when I received a notice that someone rescued after a suicide attempt in this block needed treatment, so I came over... I had some alcohol earlier, so I got a little impulsive... Everyone here is under a lot of pressure. You can understand this awful living environment too, right... haha..."

Her dry laugh was full of bitterness.

Wang Jixuan did not respond.

Wei Na put on her white coat, took several deep breaths, swiftly picked up her access pass and ID card, and said in a low voice,

"It has to be handled through the medical terminal.

"Come with me. My main medical office is only a few dozen meters away. It's right around the corner."

Wang Jixuan pulled open the metal door of the alloy medical room. Outside lay a [Capillary] corridor only wide enough for three people to walk abreast.

The energy-saving fluorescent lights were kept at their lowest brightness, making the corridor dim and gloomy.

The place was silent.

It was afternoon, within normal working hours. Few figures moved behind the alloy doors spaced every three meters, and the lights in room after room were off.

It would be at least another two hours before the place became bustling with voices.

"Lead the way."

"Okay," Wei Na said, lowering her head as she quickly walked out of the medical room, regret on her face.

There was also a deep sense of defeat.

She had actually been hit.

While trying her best to show off her charm, she had been rejected by a young man in the form of being knocked unconscious.

Was she really getting old? Weren't people around here supposed to be casual about such things? He was actually a conservative? Oh God... this was so humiliating...

Wang Jixuan followed two meters behind Wei Na, remaining somewhat on guard the entire time.

The elders of his sect had often said that the more alluring a demoness of the demonic path was, the more devious her schemes. One could never let down one's guard, no matter the time or place.

They would stop at nothing to steal a cultivator's Primordial Yang.

The two walked one before the other through a brightly lit corridor intersection and turned into familiar surroundings. Wei Na's usual clinic was right ahead.

The faintly flickering cross-shaped sign finally gave her enough of a sense of security.

Wei Na's Train of Thought immediately became active again.

She was somewhat unwilling to accept this setback.

"Before..."

Wei Na deliberately slowed her pace, turned to look at Wang Jixuan, and blinked softly.

"Have women ever told you that you're actually very charming?"

"No."

"Do you reject relationships between men and women? Are you an extreme conservative? No? Don't tell me you like men?"

"..."

"You really hit hard. I'm still a little dizzy. It must be a concussion."

Wei Na lightly bit her lower lip.

"But when you hit me just now, it felt like someone clenched my heart hard, you know? No one has ever rejected me when I took the initiative."

Wang Jixuan remained expressionless, and even felt like sneering.

Sure enough, she was a demoness.

If this medical certificate were not important, and if the office they were heading to were not right before them, he truly would have turned around and left.

"I have someone I love," Wang Jixuan replied.

The person he loved was any random fairy maiden from the Immortal Realm.

"Someone you love? That's such an old-fashioned way to put it. Was she a classmate you met at school? Your White Moonlight? That's truly heartbreaking... We're here."

Wei Na pressed her ID card against the electronic access control three times. The electronic lock whirred with the sound of a motor, and the cheaply made alloy door opened inward with a click.

She turned to look at Wang Jixuan, failing to notice that his body had suddenly tensed, ready to leap backward at any moment.

Wang Jixuan sensed three auras behind the door. They were likely this demoness's accomplices...

Tap!

A cold gun barrel pressed against Wei Na's smooth forehead.

Wei Na froze in place at once.

Inside the doorway, three men in gray tracksuits stood silently.

Wei Na's expression changed several times before she forced out a fairly seductive smile.

"Brother Hua, was that really necessary... I truly didn't have time last time..."

The short middle-aged man in the center put away his black pistol, snorted through his nose, grabbed Wei Na by the hair, dragged her into the spacious clinic, and kicked her without holding back at all.

"Brother Hua, don't! Ah!"

"You bitch! Letting you be the lead surgeon was doing you a favor!"

Wang Jixuan felt that wisely retreating now would be the proper choice.

But the other side had clearly already noticed him.

The other two burly men looked at him with unfriendly expressions as they slowly closed in from either side.

"Brother Hua" shouted again, "Drag her boyfriend in too!"

The burly man on the right immediately said, "Kid, you! Brother Hua wants you inside."

"I only just met her."

"Get inside!" the big man on the left roared, glaring.

"Fine, since you gentlemen insist."

Wang Jixuan calmly walked through the door, swiftly considering whether, with the power of his remaining soul, there was any method among spells, talismans, and techniques that could easily subdue these mortals.

Boundless Heavenly Venerable.

The spiritual energy here was thin, greatly reducing the power of techniques, and he...

Really was not very skilled at close-quarters combat.

Bang!

The two burly men forcefully shut the alloy doors of the "District Clinic," cruel smiles appearing on their faces.

Launching two books a week early caught the editor completely off guard!

(I had originally planned to seamlessly connect this with Immortal Father. Later, because I was in good form writing this book, I decided to write both at once, and now I've released it ahead of schedule. No other reason—I just had hot hands.)

This time, I only wanted to quietly write a fun story.

Going forward, there will be two updates daily at noon. No group for now; my focus remains on Immortal Father, which is currently in its final stretch.