Unexpected News

"The Da Dou Shi Soul Imprint Art?" Xiao Fan stared at what the system had given him and sank into thought.

After questioning the system, Xiao Fan learned that this so-called Da Dou Shi-level Soul Imprint Art would allow him to plant a soul imprint in a Da Dou Shi's mind, enslaving an expert of that rank.

Xiao Fan carefully read the description of the soul imprint. After cultivating this art, he only needed to make contact with a Da Dou Shi to plant the imprint in their mind using Dou Qi. Once planted, unless he removed it himself, a single thought could kill its bearer.

However, Xiao Fan's current cultivation imposed a limit. With his strength as a four-star Dou Shi, he could plant an imprint in only one Da Dou Shi's mind at most.

Attempting any more would fail, and failure carried a chance of damaging Xiao Fan's own soul.

Yet enslaving a Da Dou Shi with only a Dou Shi's strength was utterly unheard of on the Dou Qi Continent.

Only because Xiao Fan possessed the system could something that shattered the understanding of the Dou Qi Continent's people appear.

Xiao Fan had no Source Coins left now, and even his gold coins amounted to only a little over three hundred thousand, nowhere near enough to continue performing Black Tier summons.

Looking at the cultivation art in his hands, Xiao Fan came up with a plan.

Night, outside the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group's base.

As one of Desert City's two local tyrants, the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group had its base in one of the most bustling stretches of the city center.

Countless members of the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group stood guard around it.

Although no one in Desert City was foolish enough to barge into the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group's compound, posting guards was also a way for the group to display its strength to outsiders.

Whoosh!

While the mercenaries were distracted, a dark figure silently slipped past the many concealed sentries, entering the heavily guarded headquarters of the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group right under their noses.

The dark figure darted across the rooftops inside the compound. Under cover of darkness, he soon reached the inner courtyard.

The figure stopped in a gap beneath the eaves and surveyed his surroundings.

It was none other than Xiao Fan.

After obtaining the soul imprint cultivation art, Xiao Fan had come up with an idea.

He would use this imprint and the Da Dou Shi-Level Combat Card he had obtained to bring Desert City's two great mercenary groups under his control, then use their wealth to equip himself.

Xiao Fan had already asked around during the day. Han Jue of the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group was sinister and crafty, but he treated his family exceptionally well. He had a daughter whom he cherished deeply.

The leader of the Flame Mercenary Group was named Zhu Yan. Because he cultivated a fire-attribute art, he had an explosive temper, flaring up at the slightest provocation. He was not Xiao Fan's ideal candidate.

The imprint Xiao Fan possessed would only work if he got close to these Da Dou Shi, but it was virtually impossible for someone of unknown origins to approach the leaders of the two great mercenary groups.

Xiao Fan had little time to waste here, so he could only resort to some less honorable methods.

After examining the layout of the courtyards, Xiao Fan picked out one filled with blooming flowers and darted toward it.

According to the information Xiao Fan had gathered, the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group's leader had a daughter named Han Qianqian. She was known throughout Desert City as a spoiled young lady with a formidable temper, all because she relied on Han Jue's doting affection.

Han Qianqian had always loved flowers and plants, so she filled her little courtyard with blooms. She also frequently brought beautiful flowers she spotted outside straight back to her courtyard.

But Desert City bordered the desert, where flowers were rare to begin with. Most of the plants people encountered had medicinal value. Han Qianqian cared nothing for that, however; whenever she liked something, she ordered it delivered to her, throwing her weight around throughout Desert City.

Xiao Fan mulled over the information he had gathered.

As long as he abducted Han Qianqian and let Han Jue know, given the man's temperament, he would come even if he knew it was a trap. Han Qianqian was his most beloved daughter, after all.

Apart from her maid, there was practically no one around Han Qianqian's little courtyard.

After all, this was the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group's private inner courtyard, occupied mostly by the women of the household. Stationing mercenaries here would naturally have been inappropriate.

That saved Xiao Fan some trouble.

Xiao Fan inspected Han Qianqian's courtyard. Only one maid was tending and rinsing the flowers and plants by an outer side room. Everywhere else was pitch-black, suggesting everyone had already gone to bed.

Seeing that she still made her maid tend her flowers outside even at midnight, Xiao Fan's estimation of Han Qianqian's domineering nature rose another notch.

Finding her sleeping quarters, Xiao Fan carefully climbed in through the window.

Strangely, however, Xiao Fan found no sign of Han Qianqian inside.

Just then, Xiao Fan heard footsteps outside and hurriedly hid.

The footsteps stopped at the courtyard entrance, followed by a clear, bright voice.

"All right, Father, I'm going back to rest. Don't worry! I've been taking very good care of all those rare, precious medicinal herbs!"

Then a middle-aged man's slightly resonant voice rang out.

"Hehe, thank you for your hard work, my precious daughter. These medicinal herbs have made everyone misunderstand you."

"Hmph!" Han Qianqian wrinkled her nose haughtily and planted her hands on her hips. "Father, you can't go back on your promise!"

"All right, all right, my good girl. I promise I'll take you back to see your Brother Mu this year."

A maid was then summoned to help Han Qianqian wash up and prepare for bed.

Inside the room, Xiao Fan listened to their exchange. It seemed this father and daughter of the Han family were nowhere near as simple as outsiders claimed.

From those few brief remarks, Han Qianqian's apparent love of flowers and plants seemed to conceal an ulterior motive.

A flicker of surprise crossed Xiao Fan's eyes. Then he waited quietly in the room for Han Qianqian to return.

Before long, Han Qianqian returned to her room after washing up. Dismissing the maid behind her, she headed toward her bed.

Only then did she see a dark figure sitting on the table in her room, drinking tea and watching her with a faint, ambiguous smile.

"Don't make a sound, Miss Han. Otherwise, you might not live to see tomorrow's sun."

Faced with that smile, like a demon baring its fangs, Han Qianqian's open mouth moved slightly, but she ultimately made no sound.

The icy menace in Xiao Fan's voice did not seem feigned.

Han Qianqian mustered her courage and asked in a trembling voice.

"Who are you? I'm the young mistress of the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group!"

"Hehe." Xiao Fan chuckled. "It's precisely because you're the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group's young mistress that I came looking for you."

Then Xiao Fan looked at Han Qianqian and spoke with that same faint smile.

"Sit down. Put down the pill in your hand. Poison won't work on me."

Hearing Xiao Fan's words, Han Qianqian refused to give up and hurled the pill in her hand at him. Han Jue had given it to her for self-defense. Even an ordinary Dou Shi struck by it would suffer a brief spell of dizziness.

But seeing Xiao Fan calmly drinking tea amid the poisonous mist, Han Qianqian slumped down where she stood, as though resigned to her fate.

Looking at the girl sprawled on the floor, Xiao Fan spoke curiously.

"Who would have thought? The arrogant, domineering Han Qianqian everyone talks about has actually been hiding so much from everyone, quietly plotting with her father."

Han Qianqian spoke bitterly. "Hmph!" Han Qianqian said resentfully. "Even if you kill me, you still won't get that sixth-tier medicinal herb, swallowing hundred herbs."

Hearing Han Qianqian's words, the threads in Xiao Fan's mind suddenly connected.

He had merely been bluffing to probe Han Qianqian, yet he had unexpectedly uncovered something this significant. Xiao Fan immediately understood why Han Qianqian pretended to love flowers and plants, using every means of trickery and force to seize medicinal herbs from outside.

The sixth-tier medicinal herb, swallowing hundred herbs, was an herb that required deliberate cultivation.

This herb only had a chance of appearing where a sixth-tier magical beast had died. Once it appeared, it had to be picked within three days, or it would wither. Even after being picked, it could not be consumed immediately. At that point, swallowing hundred herbs was still a seedling. Only after being watered with the juices of other medicinal herbs until its roots and stem turned red would it mature and become usable. Before then, it had no effect whatsoever.

Once swallowing hundred herbs matured, it could be consumed directly, increasing a Dou Emperor expert's strength by two stars. If someone below the Dou Emperor rank consumed it, they could reach at least Dou Wang, and their chances of becoming a Dou Emperor would increase greatly.

No wonder this father and daughter had put on such an act to secretly nourish this swallowing hundred herbs plant.

Xiao Fan had never expected to stumble upon such an unexpected windfall.

Seeing the delighted surprise on Xiao Fan's face, Han Qianqian knew she had made a terrible mistake. Clearly, Xiao Fan had not known that swallowing hundred herbs existed here. She could not help silently regretting her words. If news of swallowing hundred herbs leaked, not only Desert City's factions but even the other major powers of the Jia Ma Empire would probably be unable to sit still.

After all, even the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, the dominant power in the Jia Ma Empire, was only a Dou Emperor.

Xiao Fan glanced at Han Qianqian and flicked out a strand of Dou Qi, knocking her unconscious on the spot.

He had originally intended to abduct Han Qianqian merely to lure out Han Jue and take control of the Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group. He had never expected to obtain information like this.

Taking the opportunity, Xiao Fan thoroughly searched Han Qianqian's little courtyard again. As expected, he found no trace of swallowing hundred herbs.

For such a precious medicinal herb, Han Jue probably would not feel reassured unless he kept it himself.

Unable to find the herb, Xiao Fan decided to follow his original plan for now. Regardless of who held the herb, he would first lure Han Jue out.

Carrying Han Qianqian in one hand, Xiao Fan left her little courtyard. This time, he did not conceal his movements. After all, with a whole living person in his hand, slipping out without a sound was unrealistic.

That night, the entire Iron Cavalry Mercenary Group flew into a rage. Han Jue even issued a ruthless declaration: he would fight whoever had taken his daughter to the death!