Envoy

"You're really going to end your own son?"

The unfamiliar voice interjected, amusement lacing his words.

The voice sounded old and rough, like that of a person who had lived a hard life but never quite grown up.

Zorha's gaze landed on the speaker, taking in the white gown that was streamlined with a green fur coat and a crest mark on his chest in the shape of a wolf.

"Who is that?"

Zorha thought, eyeing the figure with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Ding!

[ Unknown person appeared. ]

"Why are you so adamant on killing your own son?"

The unfamiliar person repeated, his voice laced with curiosity.

The elders exchanged worried glances, knowing that this was not the right time to reveal the truth.

But when they saw the newcomer's face, they all froze and knelt down in respect.

"We greet Academy Professor Yi Rong," they said in unison.

Yi Rong acknowledged them with a nod before turning his attention back to the father and son who were facing off.

Lu Kong clicked his tongue in annoyance, his expression darkening as he stared at his son.

"He is not my son."

He declared, his words laced with bitterness.

Yi Rong's smile remained in place, but impatience crept into his voice.

"Are you sure? Would you like me to check?"

He asked, his right hand raised in a gesture of authority.

As a soul search Envoy, Yi Rong had been called to Glory Sword City by the governor to take special students from the big families in the territory.

He had no time for this spectacle.

Lu Kong hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

He was still confused about Zorha's true identity, and having an expert like Yi Rong to confirm it would put his doubts to rest.

"Alright."

Yi Rong said calmly as he rolled up his sleeve and raised his right hand.

Zorha's panic rose as he realized that Lu Kong and Yi Rong were working together.

He knew something terrible was about to happen.

"What are you going to do?"

He cried out in fear, scrambling backward.

Yi Rong gave him a lazy look and spoke in a calm tone.

"Soul search."

Zorha's heart sank as he understood the implications of those words.

He had heard of soul search torture, a heinous act used by villains in cultivation novels to extract information or satisfy sadistic desires.

"Wait!"

Zorha pleaded desperately.

Suddenly, the figure of Yi Rong in front of him disappeared, and he felt a presence behind him.

A shadow emerged out of nowhere, and Zorha's eyes widened in horror as the person placed his thumb on his forehead.

As Yi Rong attempted to perform the soul search, a sudden blockage appeared, preventing him from delving any deeper into Zorha's mind.

Confused, he tried again, but the blockage remained.

"What is this?"

Yi Rong muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed in frustration.

Zorha, on the other hand, felt a sense of relief wash over him.

He couldn't explain what had happened, but he knew that something about the system had stopped Yi Rong from accessing his memories.

As the seconds ticked by, Yi Rong realized that he was unable to complete the soul search.

He withdrew his thumb from Zorha's forehead and stepped back, his expression darkening.

"Interesting."

Ding!

[ Game mechanics block the game character's soul search. Memories of the player outside the game and about the game will be safe. ]

Zorha let out a shaky breath, realizing that his memories outside the game and his knowledge about the game were safe.

He didn't know how or why it had happened, but he was grateful for the blockage of the system that had saved him from the horrors of soul search torture.

[ The player was safe against the soul search but the next soul search, the player won't be safe. ]

[ Warning: avoid soul search in the future, the more experience the player got in this cultivation world, the more painful will the soul search becomes. ]

Zorha's heart raced as he saw the warning, feeling a sense of impending doom.

Suddenly, he saw that Yi Rong and Lu Kong were staring at each other.

Yi Rong had demonic glinting eyes while Lu Kong had a serious look on his face.

"Do it,"

Lu Kong said, his voice laced with desperation.

Yi Rong smiled wickedly, his eyes glinting with malice.

"Got it."

He replied, his tone filled with sadistic pleasure.

To Zorha, it feels like the father of Lu Tang, Lu Kong, allowed this bastard to perform soul searching that's not normal.

"Wait!"

However, his vision had already turned dark.

The elders and members of the Lu Family looked on in confusion and horror, wondering why Lu Kong believed that his own son was possessed.

Suddenly, Yi Rong's eyes widened in surprise.

"I never thought that the legend of your family would be true."

He said, his words causing a stir among the onlookers.

But before anyone could react, blood began to pour out of Yi Rong's mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

He stumbled back, his expression contorted in pain and fury.

"Are people planning to rebel against the whole Glory Sword City!?"

Yi Rong screamed out, his entire upper body covered in a red glow as his cultivation went haywire.

In an instant, his neck and head turned pale white, as if he was withering away.

The scene was chaotic, and everyone was left confused on what just happened.

"You sick bastards!"

Yi Rong growled, his voice thick with anger.

"I don't know what kind of trap you've set, but I promise you this: if I, Yi Rong, were to fall right here, right now, all of you will pay for this and face the wrath of my Academy!"

His cultivation aura exploded, and his sword materialized in his left hand, ready for combat.

He knew that a normal soul search wouldn't harm him, but if it was a higher-stage soul search, the one who performed it would receive the backlash instead.

Time users in history were able to make soul searchers suffer from their own technique.

Yi Rong believed that the Lu Family wanted to harm him, which was why Lu Kong let him perform a higher-level soul search.

However, as he looked around at the dumbfounded expressions on everyone's faces, Yi Rong froze.

"What do you mean?"

Lu Kong asked, his confusion mirroring that of the elders around him.

Yi Rong remained cautious, but seeing their expressions, he couldn't help but wonder if they were all clueless.

He inspected every detail on their faces, trying to determine if he should tell them that Lu Kong's son had the ability to grasp space and time, even though it was just a faint ability given his young age and current level of cultivation.

Suddenly, as they were talking amongst themselves, Zorha - who was inhabiting Lu Tang's body - collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

As Zorha lay unconscious on the ground, everyone's attention turned back to Yi Rong, who was supporting himself with his arm against the wooden floor.

'This Lu Kong won't let me go, even if I tell them the truth or not.'

Yi Rong thought to himself, feeling trapped.

'He would detect any lies, and my only outcome is death.'

His eyes flickered over to the unconscious Lu Tang.

'Should I?'

He wondered, a glint in his eyes as he made a decision.

'I will just pledge that I will not tell anyone a soul. Maybe they will be satisfied with that.'

Suddenly, Yi Rong closed his eyes, surprising everyone around him.

'This is better than being a slave to the whole Lu Family.'

He thought.

With swift movements, the envoy raised his hand, and a light emanated from his fingertips as if he was praying to heaven.

"I, Yi Rong, hereby make an eternal pledge to Young Master Lu Tang of the Lu Family that I will not tell a soul about the fact that Master Lu Tang has grasped a little concept of time."

He declared loudly.

"If I ever break this pledge and tell anyone, my soul will be burned by the heavenly light! And if someone performed a soul search on me, my cultivation will erase the memory of young master Lu Tang in my head!"

Everyone watched in awe as the light dissipated, and Yi Rong opened his eyes, his expression solemn and determined.

He knew that he had just made a dangerous pledge, but it was the only way he could keep his life intact.