Seeking a Clearer Understanding

Chapter 39 Seeking a Clearer Understanding

With a calculated attack on the unsuspecting Alphonse, Alphonse used two moves, the Dragon Capture Stance and the Spinning Dragon Style, to capture Feren in one fell swoop.

Everything is under control.

Feren was already panicking, and his eyes couldn't help but dart towards Alphonse.

His eyes were filled with fear.

How could Alphonse be that strong?

What kind of magic is this?

It doesn't resemble the suppression of battle qi at all!

It was so easy to bind myself, I couldn't move or even speak!

He hadn't taken Alphonse's victory over Keberi seriously before; it was just a win against someone who had just mastered battle aura. But now, the situation had left him feeling utterly disheartened.

It's no wonder that Feren made the wrong judgment.

It had only been a little over ten days since the day of the honor duel.

However, Alphonse's skills have greatly improved and are far superior to what they were back then.

If it were a direct confrontation, Feren was well-prepared, making it much more difficult to take him down, and it would inevitably alert others.

A sneak attack would be a very safe bet.

Alphonse carried the fallen servant into the room and closed the door.

He turned around and arranged for Ferren, Emeralda, and the servant to sit down on the bedside.

Both master and servant could only move their eyes, filled with fear and panic.

It was only then that Ferren realized that Amelanda was acting strangely, as if her mind had been bewitched.

He was even more shocked.

He never expected that Alphonse would possess mental magic.

If he had known earlier, he should have been on guard. Alphonse was hiding his true colors so well; were all his previous ugly behavior just an act?

Is it so that people will think he's a country bumpkin, a clown?

Alphonse pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the two men.

He laughed at Ferren, "My good friend, I never imagined you would try to harm me."

Feren tried to argue his case, but he couldn't say a word.

Like a wooden puppet, completely at the mercy of others.

But he had no time to think about how to escape.

I felt as if ripples were spreading across Alphonse's eyes, mesmerizing and disorienting, and I couldn't help but be drawn in.

They wanted to resist, but they simply couldn't.

A short while later, my mind went blank, and I lost my self-awareness.

His attendants were in an even worse state, already in a daze.

Alphonse had tested this technique on Tessie before, and the Soul-Capturing Technique couldn't bewitch him. However, after a few days of practice, his true energy increased, and he became different again.

Using it in battle, attempting to bewitch Faerûn's mind with the Soul-Stealing Technique might be somewhat difficult.

But once he's subdued, he can't resist, which makes things much simpler.

Alphonse reached out and poked Feren, releasing his speech impediment.

Why did you want to hurt me?

"Because you don't deserve the status of a nobleman. You're just a peasant. I want to see you fall into depravity, to see you kneeling before me licking my boots," Ferren replied woodenly.

Hmm? That seems a bit too general a question.

Feren had already guessed almost exactly what was on his mind.

"You set up this scam just to seize Coldwind Territory? Do you have any other reasons?" Alphonse asked again.

"Yes, having more territory is a good thing for our family; you are a very easy person to manipulate. As long as we can get Amelanda to marry you smoothly, I can keep Coldwind Territory in my hands, and your title will be inherited by the bloodline of the Mujik family, which will also solve the problem of Amelanda's pregnancy."

Who's easy to manipulate now? That's that stupid kid from the past!

Alphonse muttered a curse to himself, then suddenly remembered something.

If Feren has turned against himself, could the old baron's death also be the work of the Mujik family?

"Was my father's death related to your family?"

Ferren mechanically shook his head. "It has nothing to do with me, and I've never heard my father mention anything about dealing with your father."

"Is Count Mujik in the castle?"

"No, he went to the capital."

Alphonse stroked his chin thoughtfully. Since Count Mujik wasn't in the castle, there was no need to worry about him too much.

A wicked thought suddenly welled up in his mind: if he could do the opposite and use Feren to turn the tables on Count Mujik and take him down, then the financial difficulties of Coldwind Territory would be solved.

"Does Count Mujik also possess battle aura?"

"right."

"What rank is he?"

"Third-tier superior."

Tsk!

My deceased cheap father was also a third-tier nobleman, but he was only a baron. It's true that people have different fates.

Some people are born into privilege, while others struggle their whole lives only to end up like beasts of burden. Comparison is the thief of joy.

With his current level of internal energy cultivation, he probably couldn't control someone with third-tier battle qi, let alone Earl Mujik, who was at the upper third tier.

Alphonse pondered for a moment. This time, he would at most teach Feren a lesson, but he shouldn't expect any money. If he left with a large amount of gold coins, Count Mujik would definitely investigate the reason.

If Feren were to write a confession, Count Mujik might turn the tables and accuse him of using mental magic on Feren.

After all, everyone considered him a good friend, and he even spoke up for him openly.

Fine, I'll vent my anger first since I'm still not at peace with myself!

Alphonse's mind raced, and he quickly decided how to deal with Feren and Amelanda, before slowly speaking.

"You will forget everything you were going to do to me tonight; all you will remember is that I came to the dinner party tonight."

The slow, rhythmic speech carried a strange tone.

"After I leave, you will stay here for about the duration of one dance, and then return to the banquet hall. In front of everyone, you will loudly announce your relationship with Amelanda and that she is pregnant with your child. Then, you two will quickly take off all your clothes and offer a wild dance to the guests."

He then turned to the attendant and said, "As for you, you will wake up after returning to the banquet hall, and you will have no memory of me whatsoever."

The means of retaliation can be used on Feren and Amelanda.

Alphonse didn't intend to do anything to a servant. He only followed because of Faerûn's orders. There was no need to involve him further, as it would only arouse suspicion.

"Did you all understand?"

"Understood."

The three nodded mechanically in agreement.

Alphonse smiled with satisfaction and released the pressure point seals on the three men.

The three of them remained motionless, like clay or wooden sculptures, sitting blankly on the edge of the bed.

Alphonse took his coat from the coat rack, put it on, left the room, closed the door behind him, and quietly returned to the banquet hall along the same route he had come from.

The musicians have changed to playing a melodious and cheerful tune.

The ball has begun.

In the center of the magnificent hall, couples embraced, dancing lightly to the music, twirling around.

No one noticed that Alphonse had slipped back.

Alphonse ran to a corner, picked up a glass of red wine, and quietly waited for the show to begin.

After a while, Ferren led Amelanda into the hall.

(End of this chapter)