Ed looked at the Hall and said with a smile:
"I know the situation on the battlefield perfectly well; don't try to deceive me."
Hall hesitated for a moment, then finally said with a sincere expression:
Three.
Ed nodded in satisfaction, as if to confirm that his answer was correct.
"So where are your three clones now?"
Hall answered seriously:
"The first one has just been abandoned and is now your prisoner, Cardinal."
"Secondly, it was bound by Aeldra with ice spikes and electric current, and was eventually swallowed."
"The last body was captured by that mage and taken away using a teleportation spell."
"The remaining few clone puppets have all been completely destroyed by Aeldra's lightning."
"I see."
Recalling the previous earth-shattering surge of Psionic Energy, Ed nodded thoughtfully:
"So you're not wrong after all; of these three people, my moral standards are indeed the highest."
"Your answer corroborates what I've seen, so you pass."
As he said this, Ed's clone began to move naturally, heading towards the Resurrection Tree not far away.
In the space of his consciousness, he continued speaking to the Hall:
"From now on, this body will be your prison. You'll be locked up here until the major crisis is resolved."
"I will ask you many questions at any time. I know the answers to some, and I don't know the answers to others. Once I find out you are lying, our cooperation will end—I don't care how many pillars are left in this world."
"Okay, okay... I'll do whatever you say."
Hearing that he really didn't have to die, even an old man like Hall felt extremely happy at that moment.
Ed thought for a moment, then said while manipulating his clone to walk:
"This can't go on. You can't be a prisoner with my face on your person. Create a real face, and I'll change it for you."
"Clear."
A portrait of a human face appeared in the consciousness space, Ed immediately recognized it as the face of the "runaway nobleman" puppet that Hall had initially relied on.
"You actually quite like this face?"
Ed asked with a smile.
"Yes, this is a puppet I'm quite used to using; it belongs to a prince from four hundred years ago."
"Then this one will do."
Ed's clone's face immediately softened like clay, transforming into the appearance of the runaway nobleman under the pull of muscles and plant tissues without any external kneading, even down to the clothes, which were perfectly replicated.
Ed, or rather Hall's body, was manipulated by Ed to arrive in front of the Resurrection Tree. Looking at the tree hole in front of him, he heard a "plop" sound.
Soon, a third Ed appeared in the Wilderness of Chaos, still with that youthful face, still wearing that white-outer-green-inner priest's robe, and still with that familiar smile.
Their conversation transitioned from the realm of consciousness back to reality. Ed looked at the Hall and said:
" The Second Holy See has some strange rules that you need to follow."
"Please, speak freely."
"Vampires in the Second Holy See must use wheelchairs."
"?"
Before Hall could fully grasp the deeper meaning of those words, he felt his feet being lifted up, and at the same time, something soft seemed to be placed under his buttocks.
Vines bound his limbs, forcing the Grand Duke, who had lived for thousands of years, to sit in a wheelchair that grew out of the ground.
Ed Number Three walked to the back of the wheelchair, placed his hands on the handles, and began to push the wheelchair forward:
How are you feeling?
"Good..."
"No, that's not the kind of answer you should give."
Ed pulled down a lever that had become an essential facility.
Low Tier counts use low current, Middle Tier marquises use medium current, and High Tier grand dukes, of course, use high current!
This is why the laws of our ancestors must not be abandoned.
Although the wheelchair beneath Hall looked ordinary, it was actually something Ed had painstakingly created, and it was even capable of restraining a newly revived Grand Duke like Hall.
The Psionic Energy Circuit engraved on it are naturally far superior to those wheelchairs of the past. Only High Tier or Middle Tier Psionic Energy (such as liches) can drive such Psionic Energy Circuit to unleash a thunderous electric shock. Ordinary people simply cannot use it.
Electricity flowed through the Hall's body, which originally belonged to Ed but had been transferred to the Hall's name after being modified.
Moreover, the thoughtful former landlord Ed didn't forget to synchronize his physical and spiritual senses before leaving, and even increased the sensitivity to the highest level within the limits he could.
As a result, after the current flowed through the Hall's body, he finally became more obedient than before.
"Your Excellency, Cardinal..."
Hall asked in a trembling voice:
Isn't it a bit too much of you to push me like this?
"Actually, I can walk on my own. I've been sealed inside this body by you, so I won't cause any trouble, and besides..."
Hall looked at the body's fingers; even now, the nails showed no signs of turning black, and the bloodstain between the eyebrows was very faint.
This is enough to show that this young man who calls himself a cardinal has truly isolated himself from the power to influence others; he is simply unfathomable.
"To be honest, I'm also a vampire who keeps my promises, which is different from ordinary vampires."
"So could you please make an exception and let me be the only vampire allowed to walk on your land?"
Upon hearing this, Ed Number Three behind him stopped in his tracks and looked at the Hall, saying:
"No, rules are rules, and besides, there are already vampires who can walk."
Hall was greatly surprised upon hearing this:
"Already have it? Who is it? Could it be Adelaide? Has Adelaide's true form fallen into your hands?"
"No, I traded Adelaide's original body to Vanessa."
Ed explained:
"There's a vampire named Muller who can roam freely within my territory."
Why can he do it but I can't?
For no apparent reason, Hall suddenly felt a little jealous.
It wasn't that he had Stockholm syndrome or some kind of quirk; it was simply that he had never heard of the name Muller before and knew that the other party was probably not even High Tier.
Why should a vampire who isn't even a duke be treated better than me?
Meeting Hall's gaze, Ed said earnestly:
"Because Muller was a eunuch."
"Um... what kind of eunuch are you referring to?"
"It's just what you think. You've lived through a long history, so you should know what that means. I permanently and completely stripped him of his ability to infect other creatures, so he's completely harmless, which is why he has the right to walk freely."
Ed looked at the Hall and asked:
"Could it be that you also...?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, Your Grace, there's no need for that."
Hall's attitude changed in an instant. Even though he didn't have a physical body, Hall still didn't want to permanently lose his ability to infect.
He's a vampire. For vampires, infection is reproduction, and reproduction is infection.
He cannot lose his ability to infect, just as the Tree Worship Church cannot lose its Holy City.
Looking at it this way, the wheelchair is good, the seal is good, and the electric shock is good too.
That's it!
Everything is fine!