The Drawbacks of the Soul Grafting Technique

"I wonder what business National Teacher Hu has with me?" Zhuge Xiang asked in surprise, upon hearing that Imperial Preceptor Hu Xian'er had come directly to see him.

Although he and she had fought side by side, they weren't really friends. He wondered why she had come to the Hall of Honored Guests specifically to find him.

"What is it? Of course, it's good news," Hu Xian'er said, rolling her eyes at Zhuge Xiang. That eye roll was truly charming.

"King Fenghe Li Zhi's father and the current emperor's younger brother. During the journey to the Heaven-Piercing Tower, most of the Cultivator perished, but Li Zhi, an ordinary man, survived. This is all thanks to your care. Therefore, King Fenghe personally hosted a banquet to express his gratitude and invited you all. I just happened to overhear and came to deliver a message."

"A thank-you banquet? Very well, where is it?" Upon hearing that King Fenghe was hosting a thank-you banquet for them, Zhuge Xiang naturally couldn't break his promise and nodded to ask.

This Great Tang Dynasty has matters concerning the National Fortune of the nation, and I need to plan carefully. Getting to know more important figures is always a good thing, as it may make things much easier in the future.

"Of course it's the King Fenghe's Mansion. The time is in three days. Alright, the message has been delivered, so I'll be going now. Tsk tsk tsk, such a young retainer, truly a formidable young talent," Hu Xian'er replied, then teased Zhuge Xiang with a charming laugh before turning to leave, her words tinged with envy.

"The Imperial Preceptor's status is no lower than that of a Venerable, so why would she envy me?" Zhuge Xiang wondered to himself, sensing a hint of envy in Hu Xian'er's expression towards his Venerable status.

However, Zhuge Xiang did remember the thanksgiving banquet at the King Fenghe's Mansion three days later. He, Lu Yuling Wu Zhao all be attending. A thanksgiving banquet? Li Zhi had run away because he was unhappy with the marriage arranged by his family; he wondered how Li Zhi was doing now.

Zhuge Xiang stayed behind, chatted with Die Wu for a few more minutes, and after washing up, he perked up. Die Wu, on the other hand, did not exhibit any more of her abnormal mental symptoms.

During this time, Die Wu mentioned to Zhuge Xiang that she wanted to study the Little Fire Phoenix for a few days. Creatures like Phoenix are born with the inheritance of the Phoenix Bloodline, which would be of immeasurable help to her research.

However, Zhuge Xiang would never agree to Die Wu's request.

Are you kidding me? This guy may look normal now, but once he gets really into it, he'll become completely ruthless. He'll even lose his mind. There are plenty of people and animals here who have had limbs grafted. Who can guarantee that if he goes berserk, he won't cut off a part of the Little Fire Phoenix's body and try grafting it on?

Ultimately, Little Fire Phoenix also calls Zhuge Xiang "father." Although Zhuge Xiang himself is not very old, only around twenty, he still has a deep fatherly affection for Little Fire Phoenix. As a loving father, who would let his child fall into the hands of a potentially insane research fanatic?

"Fine..." Hearing Zhuge Xiang's rejection, Die Wu sighed in disappointment, then said to Zhuge Xiang, "However, it is a divine bird, Phoenix, and I cannot study it at will. So, if Phoenix Feathers occasionally falls, may I pick it up and study it?"

"That's no problem," Zhuge Xiang agreed, hearing Die Wu's words and seeing her expectant eyes. Besides, it was just picking up a few Phoenix Feathers, which wouldn't harm the Little Fire Phoenix.

Why would Phoenix shed its feathers for no reason? But the Little Fire Phoenix is Juvenile Stage. As it grows, its feathers will gradually be replaced, so some old feathers will be replaced.

"The dragon is a divine beast, its whole body is a treasure. The Phoenix, as a divine bird on par with the dragon, is naturally no less valuable. A single Phoenix Plume is worth a fortune. I don't want to take advantage of you for nothing. May I ask what you want from me?" Upon hearing that Zhuge Xiang had agreed to her request, Die Wu couldn't hide her joy and asked Zhuge Xiang. She clearly understood that she didn't want to take advantage of others.

Zhuge Xiang nodded in agreement with Die Wu's words. As the saying goes, "A gentleman's friendship is as light as water." Even when making friends, there is a principle of reciprocity. Even among close friends, one-sided devotion can cause unpleasantness, let alone when the two people don't have much of a relationship to begin with.

However, although Die Wu had spoken, Zhuge Xiang himself didn't actually have any urgent needs. So, with a wave of his hand, he readily and generously said, "Consider these favors and remember them for now. If I need your help in the future, I hope you won't refuse."

"The Phoenix Plume is indeed precious, but if you want me to do something inappropriate for you, such as betraying the dynasty, I am afraid I cannot comply."

Die Wu's personality is clearly cautious. Although she wants to obtain the Phoenix Plume, she hasn't gone to such extremes yet. She has seriously made a three-point agreement with Zhuge Xiang to set the limits.

"Of course," Zhuge Xiang nodded readily, not disliking the other party's caution.

The saying goes, "It's always better to be upfront and clear things up first." Otherwise, if things aren't explained clearly beforehand, disagreements later on can not only upset both parties but also damage their relationship. Rather than that, Zhuge Xiang prefers Die Wu's approach of being upfront and clear things up first.

Intelligent people speak with ease. Soon, after Zhuge Xiang and Die Wu settled their matter, Zhuge Xiang had no intention of staying any longer and got up to take his leave.

"Wait, Xiao Dou, go and get two Heart-Clearing Fruits," Die Wu called out to Zhuge Xiang and Mo Lingna as they were about to leave, and then asked Xiao Dou to fetch the fruits.

"Okay, Elder Sister Die Wu," Xiao Dou nodded obediently and skipped away.

Die Wu watched with doting eyes as Xiao Dou skipped away. Only after he was gone did she speak to Zhuge Xiang, saying, "Xiao Dou, what I told him was that he was an orphan whom I found on the street, but that's not the truth. He is my only family in this world. He is my Younger Sister's biological son. On my deathbed, I promised her that I would give him a perfect life."

Die Wu's words were filled with sighs and lamentations. Zhuge Xiang did not interrupt her, but listened quietly.

On her deathbed, Die Wu's younger Younger Sister entrusted Xiao Dou to her. Therefore, Die Wu wanted to give Xiao Dou a perfect life and constantly used soul grafting to instill in him the knowledge and abilities of top figures in their respective fields.

At first, under this guidance, Xiao Dou wrote with flowing strokes and spoke eloquently, while the sound of her zither lingered for three days. Die Wu was overjoyed, feeling that she had found an excellent way to help Xiao Dou become more perfect.

But now, with a look of confusion in her eyes, Die Wu asked Zhuge Xiang, "Fellow Daoist Zhuge, what are your thoughts on Xiao Dou? Please speak frankly, for those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things more clearly."

"Fellow Daoist Butterfly wants me to tell the truth?" Knowing that Die Wu had deliberately sent Xiao Dou away so that she could talk to him about these things, Zhuge Xiang looked at Die Wu deeply and asked seriously. After all, Xiao Dou's matter was someone else's private matter, and Zhuge Xiang was unwilling to interfere. However, since Die Wu had asked, Zhuge Xiang was prepared to tell the truth.

"Not bad, please give me your guidance, Fellow Daoist Zhuge," Die Wu nodded, adopting a very humble posture.

"In my opinion, Fellow Daoist Butterfly's soul grafting technique is an unprecedented and unparalleled Divine Ability. However, the performance of this soul grafting technique requires an important prerequisite."

Zhuge Xiang began to speak eloquently. Although Zhuge Xiang had never personally tried the soul grafting technique, Zhuge Xiang wisdom allowed him to easily deduce some things.

"Please speak plainly," Die Wu said, nodding.

"All knowledge, learning, Skill are acquired through step-by-step exploration, thinking, and training. Even if the physical body is destroyed, the soul is immortal. These things are grafted from the soul and will inevitably be grafted along with the soul's imprint," Zhuge Xiang said to Die Wu.

His words made Die Wu nod in agreement; Die Wu herself had realized these things.

"When a soul is grafted, a soul imprint will inevitably be transplanted. If the original soul is a bucket of water, then the imprint of the grafted soul is a drop of ink. A drop of ink dropped into the bucket will naturally not cause any change, but what if there are dozens or hundreds of drops?"

"The water in the bucket will slowly turn black," Die Wu's face was somewhat unpleasant. Although Zhuge Xiang's analogy was simple, the meaning was sound, and Die Wu could easily understand what he meant.

"Xiao Dou, only eight years old, has a weak soul and a blank slate. An ordinary person's soul might be a bucket, but Xiao Dou's soul is merely a bowl of water, making it more susceptible to the influence of those soul imprints. But what about you? You've poured hundreds of drops of ink into that bowl of water. Is it still water? It's become a bowl of ink."

Getting back to the main point, Zhuge Xiang first used an analogy to illustrate the things to pay attention to Soul Grafting Technique. Then, he brought up Xiao Dou. Zhuge Xiang's analogy was very apt, but precisely because of this, Die Wu, who understood Zhuge Xiang's meaning, looked even more embarrassed.

"A bowl of clear water has now turned into a bowl of ink. So, is Xiao Dou still Xiao Dou?"

Die Wu Dance murmured these words to herself, her face finally streaked with tears. "No, a bowl of ink, definitely not a bowl of water. He is no longer Xiao Dou. Although he looks the same, he is no longer Xiaodou. I killed Xiao Dou. I killed him..."

Mo Lingna remained silent throughout, but after hearing Zhuge Xiang's words, Mo Lingna understood why Zhuge Xiang had tried to stop her from grafting a soul. This was truly terrifying. (To be continued...)