Hypnosis

This emotional response was completely off! Normally, hearing that your superior was an undercover agent for the evil faction should elicit shock, bewilderment, and disbelief, followed by wondering whether it was a frame-up by her political rivals. Even if Assistant Emma harbored resentment toward Winni Berent, schadenfreude would only ever be a secondary reaction—never an instinctive, split-second reflex. Otherwise, she wouldn't be fit to hold the position of ministerial assistant at all. Such a reaction could only mean Emma already knew Winni Berent was not a mole inside Heaven's Punishment, which was why she showed not the slightest hint of shock or confusion. As for that contempt, Zhang Yuanqing interpreted it as Emma scoffing at his words, exuding the smug superiority of a mastermind watching a farce unfold. Before Zhang Yuanqing could sense her emotions in greater detail, Emma pulled them all back under control. "When did you align yourself with Sean Meade?" Winni regained her composure, narrowing her alluring eyes to stare coldly at Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Tianxia Guihuo and Brother Red Chicken. "You two head outside first." Without a word, the two Fire Scorchers turned and left. Zhang Yuanqing gave Emma a profound look. "Assistant Emma, I have something to discuss with Minister Winni alone." Emma cast an inquiring glance at Winni. Winni nodded with a grim face. Once Emma left, Winni Berent crossed her hands, propped her elbows on the desk, and blue electric arcs crackled in her dark brown pupils. "Are you here to negotiate on behalf of Sean Meade?" Zhang Yuanqing felt the electric charge in the surrounding air grow intensely active; the fine hairs on his arms and head showed faint signs of standing on end. Facing Winni Berent, who was doing everything she could to suppress her rage, he unhurriedly drew out the black wooden box and said, "Minister Winni, I know you're furious, but please calm down for a moment. What I'm about to say must remain strictly between the two of us." With that, he popped open the wooden box, releasing the veil of night sealed within. Instantly, everything in the office was shrouded in a dark canopy, isolating all visuals, sounds, and auras from the outside. Winni Berent maintained her posture with crossed hands. As the aura of Eternal Night filled the office, the electric currents in her eyes grew almost tangible, and an invisible pressure bore down on Zhang Yuanqing. *It feels like she'd strike me dead on the spot if I say one wrong word. Minister Winni's impression of me has hit rock bottom...* Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat and said: "Last night, through Spirit Devouring, our Night Wanderer companion confirmed there is indeed a mole inside Heaven's Punishment. It was this mole who leaked Carlyle's address to Beast Haas. "Unfortunately, Beast Haas didn't know the mole's identity either, which was why I tested you just now. Now I've confirmed that the mole isn't you." Upon hearing his words, Winni remained unmoved. The electric currents in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest as she sneered, "And how exactly did you confirm that?" Zhang Yuanqing reached into his robes, pulled out an iron medallion, flourished it, and said: "This is a prop lent to me by Elder Fu. It belongs to the Scout class, Dominator quality, granting powerful insight." He tucked the medallion away quickly without giving Winni Berent a chance to inspect it. In truth, it wasn't a Dominator-quality prop at all, but Saint quality, and its function wasn't insight, but lie detection. He had taken it from Guan Ya solely to brush off Winni Berent. Winni Berent's expression softened slightly. "So you refused to arrest Beast Haas yesterday because you didn't trust me? There is indeed a mole inside Heaven's Punishment, but that isn't something you should be meddling with. The stakes involved are far beyond what you can handle. Jumang, I'm saying this for your own good. Your duty is to follow orders. Do not act on your own initiative again." She was deeply displeased with Jumang's conduct, yet her tolerance for him remained remarkably high. After offering that reprimand, Winni Berent's face and tone grew noticeably gentler. "Regardless, you successfully killed Beast Haas and achieved a major merit. I will publicize this news and apply for rewards on your behalf. You probably don't need merit points within Heaven's Punishment, so I will convert them into federal dollars and props for you." Beast Haas was ranked fifth on the Class-A bounty list for evil classes, and the official bounty on his head was extraordinarily generous. "I have one more matter to report," Zhang Yuanqing said. "Regarding the Bio-Alchemy Society's hit list." He informed Winni of the evil faction's hit list. The rankings on that list dictated their operational patterns, making it a critical piece of intelligence. Winni Berent's eyes lit up faintly, and what little displeasure lingered in her heart vanished immediately. "Have you told anyone else about this list?" "No!" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. A smile appeared on her cool, glamorous face. "Very good. The hit list is vital intelligence. If we manage to ambush evil classes based on it later, I'll credit you with the merit." "There is one more thing!" Zhang Yuanqing added. *Another one?* Winni looked at him with an expectant gaze. "Regarding the mole, I might have some leads. I plan to take action around noon and would like your permission. However, you must not disclose this to anyone," he said. Winni's gaze snapped sharp, and her tone turned urgent. "Are you certain?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Winni fell silent for a few seconds before slowly replying, "I need to know your plan; otherwise, I cannot agree." If the mole occupied a high position inside Heaven's Punishment, apprehending them would require careful deliberation and even authorization from headquarters. It wasn't something Jumang could simply carry out on a whim. "Rest assured, I won't be reckless!" Zhang Yuanqing snapped the wooden box shut and walked out of the office. Leaving the minister's office, he stepped directly out of the bank building, hailed a taxi, and arrived outside an upscale apartment complex adjacent to the world-renowned financial district. Living in these apartments were rising stars of finance, long-established titans, and high-ranking white-collar professionals working in banking, insurance, trusts, and stock exchanges. Zhang Yuanqing bewitched the security guard with an illusion, breezed into the apartment building, took the elevator up to the twelfth floor, and stopped before Room 1202. *Ding-dong!* He rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the latch clicked open from within, leaving the security door slightly ajar. Zhang Yuanqing pulled the door open, stepped inside, and closed it behind him. Behind the door lay an apartment of over a hundred and thirty square meters, laid out with two bedrooms and two living rooms. With few partitioned rooms, it felt exceptionally spacious and luxurious. The interior decor was imbued with sophisticated elegance, clearly the handiwork of a master designer rather than the perfunctory effort of an amateur from an ordinary firm. The moment Zhang Yuanqing shut the door, a crimson figure dashed forward. Bare, fair, delicate feet leapt into the air from two or three meters away, throwing herself straight into his arms. Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly opened his arms and caught the shapely rear beneath her red dress with both hands. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter wrapped her legs around his waist, draped her arms around his neck, and looked down. Her gorgeous eyes behind the mask sparkled with amusement as she huffed: "I've been in New York County for a whole week, and you only remember me now? Tell me, have you been fooling around with those vixens from the Association of God of Beauty?" "I had too much official business to handle, and I was worried that once I saw you, I'd end up running here every single day." Carrying the Palace Master by her rounded hips, Zhang Yuanqing walked into the living room, tossed her onto the plush sofa, and got straight to the point: "I need you to hypnotize a Saint for me so she speaks the truth." He explained his suspicion that Emma was a mole for the Covenant of Freedom. Hearing that it was serious business, the Palace Master dropped her coquettish attitude and fell into thought. "Hypnotizing a Saint isn't difficult, but have you considered how the Covenant of Freedom's moles managed to stay undercover inside major organizations for years without being discovered? "The First District's classes possess no skills equivalent to 'Concealment.' If so, Heaven's Punishment could have easily borrowed the Tiger Tally from the Five Elements Alliance to root out the spies, yet they never did." Zhang Yuanqing's brow furrowed. "Perhaps it's not that they didn't, but that they did and it had no effect." The Palace Master nodded. "Indeed. And why would that be?" "The Covenant of Freedom's moles are also protected by Concealment..." Zhang Yuanqing's expression hardened. Viewed this way, Ling Tuo and the Covenant of Freedom truly were in league with each other. The Palace Master agreed. "If that's the case, hypnosis won't draw anything out of her unless the protection of Concealment is shattered first." "How can it be broken?" "The only thing that counters Taiyin is the Sun! The person you suspect is a Saint. A Saint's rank shouldn't warrant Ling Tuo personally bestowing Concealment upon them. Therefore, the divine power of the sun at the Dominator stage should be sufficient to purify Taiyin's Concealment." Zhang Yuanqing said with excitement, "That's worth a try!" Back when Fu Qingyang requested the Tiger Tally to conduct the grand health check on Songhai's official walkers, he had indeed flushed out a few traitors from the Dark Night Rose, but they were all minor figures at the Transcendent stage; not a single one was at the Saint stage. Those minor figures weren't worth Ling Tuo expending power to grant protection. Compared to the Covenant of Freedom, the Dark Night Rose was a "small organization." Saints were exceptionally precious to them, entitling them to the privilege of personal protection from the Lord of Taiyin. But the moles planted in Heaven's Punishment by the Covenant of Freedom might not enjoy such a privilege. "I could ask the Empress for purification power at the Dominator stage, but the materials consumed by the summoning ritual are too expensive. There's no need to waste money. I'll ask Zhao Chenghuang instead." Elder Sun was lower in level than Elder Zhao; to be safe, turning to Elder Zhao was the surer bet. He immediately took out his phone, called Zhao Chenghuang, and explained what he needed. "Wait a moment!" Zhao Chenghuang hung up. Ten minutes later, he called back with an answer. "Great-grandfather agreed. He happens to have a set of purification talismans, but it's single-use only. If you need more later, you'll have to pay for them." Consumables at the Dominator stage were extraordinarily expensive. "One set is enough. Wait for me at Heaven's Punishment, and keep it confidential." Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the Palace Master. "We still have the whole morning. How should we spend it?" The Palace Master tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I've explored pretty much all of Manhattan. As for traveling elsewhere, there isn't enough time. Hmm... just stay with me for a bit and tell me what you've been up to lately." "Alright!" The two stayed in the apartment until midday, with Zhang Yuanqing recounting his experiences in New York County, analyzing the conflict between the Orderly and evil factions, and laying out the relationships among the major powers. Soon, noon arrived. The Palace Master rose gracefully. "I'm going to change!" She walked into the bedroom. About fifteen minutes later, a young, gorgeous woman stepped out of the room, dressed in black shorts, a white blouse, and a mid-length brown trench coat. Simple yet refined. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a vivid oval face, large, round eyes brimming with springtime vitality, flawless skin, and delicate, moist red lips. Zhang Yuanqing stared straight at her for more than ten seconds before chuckling: "Is this your real appearance?" The striking girl with the oval face nodded vigorously. "Pretty, aren't I?" "Any random practitioner from the Desire class could blow you out of the water. No wonder you wear a mask," Zhang Yuanqing teased. The Palace Master huffed and puffed out her cheeks. The two left the apartment, took a taxi together, and entered the bank building. Zhang Yuanqing brought the Palace Master straight to Winni's office. "Minister Winni, this is my friend. I'll explain her identity later. I'm waiting for one more person." Zhang Yuanqing then introduced Winni to the Palace Master. The Palace Master gave a cool "Mm," seemingly not particularly fond of Winni. Winni gave her a polite nod and said flatly, "Have a seat over there!" Lowering her head with pen in hand, she continued her work. A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Chenghuang arrived alone, holding a stack of talisman papers and a yellowed blueprint depicting a spirit talisman circular formation. "What's this?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, feigning ignorance. Zhao Chenghuang glanced at him. "A Night Wanderer's spirit talisman formation. This one is for purification; the core is the talisman papers, while the spirit formation is auxiliary. I can draw it too. When do you need it?" "Hold on a moment!" Zhang Yuanqing looked toward Winni behind her desk and smiled. "Minister Winni, where is Assistant Emma?" Hearing this, Winni slowly narrowed her eyes. After a long pause, she retracted her gaze without speaking, picked up the desk phone's receiver, and said, "Emma, come in for a moment." In less than a minute, Emma entered from next door. She scanned the three people in the room, lingering briefly on the Palace Master, before bowing toward Winni: "Minister, what are your orders?" Winni said nothing, turning her gaze toward Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the Palace Master and gave a slight nod. The Palace Master immediately rose, stepped directly before Emma, raised her hand close to her eyes, and snapped her fingers before Emma could even react. Emma's eyes instantly unfocused, turning dull and blank. "You can draw the formation now," Zhang Yuanqing said. Zhao Chenghuang nodded, drew out cinnabar, blazing sun stone powder, rooster blood, and other materials, expertly prepared the 'ink,' and began inscribing the spirit runes. The circular spirit formation was simple—merely a catalyst to guide the talismans into self-ignition. For a Stargazer proficient in spirit runes, it posed no challenge at all. Zhao Chenghuang finished drawing the formation in short order, arranged the talisman papers one by one according to the blueprint, and held the final one in his hand. "It's ready. Should I activate it now?" He raised the talisman in his grip. The Palace Master gazed into Emma's vacant pupils and whispered softly, "Walk over there!" With a blank stare, Emma stiffly turned around and walked into the center of the spirit formation. Only then did Zhang Yuanqing say, "You can activate it." Zhao Chenghuang placed the final talisman into the formation. An instant later, the talismans ignited, erupting into dazzling golden light that engulfed Emma at the center. The pure, supreme divine power of the sun flooded the office area, bringing with it a sweltering, midsummer heat. Emma abruptly snapped awake. The purifying sun erased all outside powers, including mind-control skills in the mental domain; the Palace Master's hypnosis had been dispelled. Emma's hair rapidly caught fire, and her tailored suit was burned full of holes, revealing sensual lingerie and snow-white skin. Soon, even her undergarments melted away under the golden light. "Minister, this... you... what are you—" Gripped by shock and fury, Emma covered her chest, entirely unable to grasp what was happening. *Snap!* The Palace Master snapped her fingers once more, plunging Emma back into hypnosis. *That should do it. If the purification didn't work, Winni might just twist my head off...* Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself internally as he walked over to Emma and asked in a low, solemn voice: "Did you leak Abner Carlyle's address to Beast Haas?" With a dull expression, Emma replied, "Yes, I did!" Winni Berent rose abruptly, her face covered in frost. She strode out from behind her desk, walked up to Emma, and demanded harshly, "Why?!" Emma stared blankly ahead, answering every question without hesitation. "It was an order from the organization." "Which organization?!" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "The Covenant of Freedom..." Emma replied. Winni Berent gritted her teeth. "When did you join the Covenant of Freedom?" Emma was someone she had personally promoted; she had been a member of her team back when Winni was still in the Saint stage. "Six years ago..." Emma said with a vacant look. "I met a man named Vic Fowler. He was gentle and mature. We quickly fell in love and became a couple. One day, he said he wanted to take me to a gathering. I forgot where it took place, but I only remember that everyone wore masks and spoke with great courtesy. Vic Fowler formally introduced me to everyone at the gathering. "Everyone applauded for me; they were so warm, so friendly. Afterwards, they had me lie on a bed cast of pure gold, telling me it was a sacred treasure, and that lying upon it would allow me to listen to divine revelations..." Winni Berent had already composed her emotions, accepting her confidante's betrayal, and asked coldly, "Did you receive a divine revelation?" "Yes!" "What was the content of that revelation?"