The Unlucky Sand Mercenary Corps

Escorted off by Luo Bu, captain of the Sand Mercenary Corps, Huo Yuhao and the other two returned to the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps' base. Seeing that the two mercenaries guarding the gate were still fairly alert, Huo Yuhao nodded.

"More responsible than I expected. You two go back first. I still have something to take care of." Before he finished speaking, Huo Yuhao's figure instantly vanished into the night.

"Tch, he ran off again."

Unfortunately, Huo Yuhao had been satisfied too soon. As Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor climbed over the courtyard wall and prepared to return to their rooms, Little Fairy Doctor suddenly noticed something was wrong.

In her eyes, the clutter piled up in the courtyard, the empty training ground, and the rising and falling snores were all no different from before they had left—except for the shadow in the corner.

When Xiao Yan saw Little Fairy Doctor walking toward the corner of the courtyard, he was about to ask why when he looked up and spotted the shadow as well.

Upon approaching, they found that it was a person. With a flick of Xiao Yan's finger, a small cluster of pink flames leaped out, illuminating the corner of the courtyard—and the face within that shadow.

It was a frail little girl with emerald-green hair, no more than eight or nine years old. Dressed in rags, she lay on her side in the corner, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees. Her entire body was curled into a ball. Stone Desert City lay in the desert, where the temperature difference between day and night was enormous. The girl's pale skin carried a bluish-purple tinge, and even in her sleep, her body continued to tremble.

"This person... doesn't seem to be from the mercenary corps. I didn't see her at the banquet this evening." Xiao Yan carefully studied the little girl's face, uncertain. "Should we wake her up and ask?"

"She fainted from the cold and from going hungry for too long. Bring her inside first." Little Fairy Doctor rolled her eyes at him, bent down to pick up the girl, and carried her into the guest room.

"Yuhao, what are you going to do now?"

"Teacher, you don't need to follow me. I'm just going to clean up afterward."

"Hehe, didn't expect this, did you? This is merely your teacher's spiritual avatar." Yao Chen's spiritual form appeared before Huo Yuhao. He spun around in place, showing off his new skill.

"Your teacher isn't someone who can only stand still and make no progress."

Before long, Huo Yuhao returned once more to the Sand Mercenary Corps' base.

Inside the council hall, the flames burned fiercely.

"Captain, are we really just letting those bastards leave?" one of the Sand Mercenary Corps' Dou Shi officers demanded.

Luo Bu looked at his subordinate and soothed him. "This was only a misunderstanding. They are my brothers now."

"Those bastards killed quite a few of our brothers!" The officer stared at Luo Bu, his face filled with grief, indignation, and unwillingness.

"Enough! I'm the captain!"

"I'm done! Luo Bu, you'll regret this!" The officer violently slammed the huge axe in his hand onto the ground, then turned to leave.

"I'll establish a new mercenary corps. Brothers, if you're unhappy too, come with me."

The Sand Mercenary Corps mercenaries looked at one another, unsure what to do. After waiting for a long time, the officer finally had several mercenaries step behind him. Just as he was about to leave, the doors of the council hall opened, and Huo Yuhao appeared in the doorway.

"Sorry, but you can't leave."

Soul Blast!

Before his words had even faded, Huo Yuhao's spiritual power instantly enveloped the entire hall. Every mercenary aside from Luo Bu immediately collapsed, losing consciousness.

"They... what happened to them?!" Luo Bu's voice trembled with fear.

"I only knocked them out. I didn't kill them."

"Haha, so that's what happened." Luo Bu let out a long breath and laughed. "By the way, brother, what did you come back for?"

"To use them for an experiment." After saying that, Huo Yuhao ignored Luo Bu and used Mental Sharing to alter the consciousness of every mercenary.

"You desire to join the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps." Looking into one mercenary's eyes, Huo Yuhao spoke in a low voice.

"I desire to join the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps." The mercenary's eyes were vacant as he echoed Huo Yuhao's words under his control.

"You greatly admire the captains of the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps and are willing to obey their orders unconditionally."

"I greatly admire..."

"You are very willing to accept the task of patrolling the base."

"I am very willing to accept the task of patrolling the base."

In less than half an hour, Huo Yuhao had implanted mental suggestions into every mercenary. By the time he reached the last one, his control had become extremely practiced. He no longer needed words to reinforce his commands; with a single teleport, he took control of that mercenary.

Unlike the crude method he had used on Luo Bu, these mercenaries' personalities and habits would not change. They would merely acknowledge and carry out Huo Yuhao's commands from the depths of their subconscious. Without outside help, even if their soul power increased in the future, they would still be unable to break free of the suggestions Huo Yuhao had left behind.

After leaving the Sand Mercenary Corps, Yao Chen called out to Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, use this ability less in the future."

Although he knew that Huo Yuhao came from another world and possessed mature ideas and ways of dealing with people, meaning he did not need much guidance, they were teacher and disciple after all. Yao Chen still worried that Huo Yuhao might take the wrong path in the future, focusing on such unorthodox methods while neglecting his own growth. More importantly, after observing him for this period of time, he was certain that Huo Yuhao was not as mature as he appeared. There were flaws in his mentality.

Unfortunately, Huo Yuhao was unwilling to speak of his experiences in his previous life, and Yao Chen did not know where the root of the problem lay. He could only offer hints through such minor matters.

Hearing Yao Chen's warning, Huo Yuhao stopped and stared into Yao Chen's eyes, waiting for what came next.

"Teacher?"

The words Yao Chen did not know how to say caught in his throat again and again. In the end, his heavy voice rang out. "This ability can easily make people mistake you for someone from Soul Hall. In the Central Plains, Soul Hall is practically hated by everyone... In any case, try not to use this spiritual control in front of others."

"I understand." Without asking further, Huo Yuhao nodded and continued toward his destination.

"This isn't the way back to the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps. Yuhao, what else are you planning to do?"

"To the City Lord's Manor."

"No, did the city lord offend you or something? He doesn't meddle in matters between mercenary corps." Filled with confusion, Yao Chen looked at Huo Yuhao's expressionless face, then suddenly remembered something Huo Yuhao had said.

"Not everyone can see the density of the world's elemental energy! The lack of world elemental energy at your elder brother's base was just a coincidence!"

"We'll know once we take a look."

At the City Lord's Manor, the exhausted city lord returned to his bedroom after a long day. When he saw the figure leaning by the window, he immediately felt as though the sky were collapsing.

"Guards! Assassin!"

There was no response. After shouting twice, the city lord realized that the other party must have used some sort of method. He also understood that, with his Da Dou Shi strength, he could not possibly be a match for this uninvited guest.

"Senior, what do you require? If it is within my ability, I will certainly comply."

"Searching your soul directly will damage it, and then I'll inevitably have to control your consciousness." Huo Yuhao issued a threat. "So I ask, and you answer."