Chapter 113: Inheritance of the Arts from Master Jiazhuo

Suddenly, a gentle and tranquil sensation washed over Ye Chong’s brain. It was cool, much like being submerged in ice water, and the uncontrollable pain racking his body began to subside. Although the agony still ran deep into his marrow, it seemed to have fallen within a range that Ye Chong could endure.

At the very least, Ye Chong was now able to distract himself enough to wonder what was happening.

This episode had lasted much longer than the previous one. By the time the pain vanished without warning, Ye Chong was drenched in a pool of sweat, as if he had been fished out of water.

Pale and listless, Ye Chong stood up shakily. He did not immediately summon Shang, though he did manage to calm the AI, who was already pacing anxiously in his mind. He appeared no different than usual, save for the slight physical exhaustion caused by the heavy sweating.

Standing before him was a middle-aged man with a lean, thin face and a faint smile. He was dressed in a pale green cloth tunic and appeared quite frail in Ye Chong’s eyes.

The man spoke first: "You collapsed suddenly in front of my door. Seeing that you were in a bad state, I took the liberty of moving you inside. I hope you do not mind." His tone was calm and collected, unconsciously putting one’s mind at ease.

Only then did Ye Chong realize he was in a room. He expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, sir, for your assistance."

The middle-aged man smiled slightly. "It was but a small effort; do not mention it. I am Jia Zhuo. Rest assured, you are safe here. You were severely damaged just now, so please, sit down and rest."

"Thank you." Ye Chong sat down as instructed. Only then did he notice the soreness in his muscles. It was indeed much worse than last time, he mused to himself.

Jia Zhuo poured a cup of emerald-green, unidentified beverage for Ye Chong and gestured politely, "Please, have some."

"Oh." Ye Chong took the cup and drained it in one gulp. The bright green "Six-Inch Green" tasted incredibly mild, cool, and slightly bitter; to Ye Chong, it felt as bland as water. He did not suspect that there was anything harmful in the drink. Given his condition a moment ago, if the man had any hostile intent, Ye Chong would have had no strength to resist anyway.

Furthermore, Ye Chong was almost certain that this man was, in all likelihood, the mysterious Master of Mental Arts within the Orbital Ring.

Seeing how Ye Chong drank it, Jia Zhuo chuckled. "You must have just arrived on Harrison Planet, haven't you?" Observing Ye Chong’s confused expression, he explained, "This is the most common drink on Harrison. People usually sip it slowly to savor the flavor. Only newcomers gulp it down, which is why it tastes no different from water to you."

Ye Chong realized his mistake and replied concisely, "Indeed."

It was clear that Jia Zhuo also noticed Ye Chong was not one for conversation, so he asked, "Seeing you collapse earlier, I wonder, what was the cause?"

Ye Chong remained silent for a moment before saying, "I have a strange illness." Although he did not know what method this Master of Mental Arts had used to alleviate his pain, if he could learn it, he might be able to neutralize the poison of the Black Horn silver liquid, or at the very least, manage the pain.

Ye Chong and Shang communicated rapidly in his mind.

"Hey, Ye," Shang said. "This old guy might be able to help you with the poison!"

"I know," Ye Chong replied.

"How about we tie him up and interrogate him? What do you think of that plan?" Shang suggested deviously.

"Hmm, would he talk if we interrogated him?" Ye Chong was skeptical of this approach.

"Heh heh, Ye, don't worry about that. My database contains seven hundred and fifty-six interrogation methods, one hundred and seventy-seven of which require no tools at all. Psychology is my specialty! Heh heh. I can absolutely make him spill everything, even what he did eighteen lifetimes ago!" The devilish Shang did not forget to append a line often used in movies.

"The prerequisite is that we must first have him under our control," Ye Chong considered the possibility, then added, "But I've heard that Masters of Mental Arts are very powerful. What if we accidentally kill him? We have too little information on them."

"That’s true," Shang said, sounding a bit discouraged. "It’s a pity I can’t help you, otherwise we would surely be able to capture this old guy alive."

"Besides, according to the principle of fair trade that Mu spoke of, he just helped me. Using this method on him now seems... inappropriate!" Ye Chong, whose understanding of Mu’s fair trade principle remained vague, was not entirely certain of his own statement.

"Oh, right! How could I have forgotten that? Ye, it’s your fault for not reminding me, nearly causing such a kind, light-based AI as myself to commit a grave mistake! Heh, gratitude and returning favors—that is rule number seven of a real man’s code of conduct. Rule number seven... yes, that is indeed a very important one..." Shang diverted the subject, secretly retracting his little devil’s tail.

Poor Jia Zhuo had no idea he had narrowly skirted the edge of hell.

Hearing Ye Chong mention a "strange illness," Jia Zhuo was clearly very interested. "Oh? A strange illness? What are the symptoms? How did it originate?"

"The timing of the attacks is unpredictable. Symptoms include pain, and the origin is unknown," Ye Chong’s mechanical response earned him a sneer from Shang. Although Ye Chong knew it was the silver liquid poison, he felt it was not appropriate to disclose it, so he had to settle for "unknown."

Ye Chong’s answer was too vague, causing Jia Zhuo to frown. "Hmm, are there any particular features?"

Ye Chong recalled the sensation carefully. "Well, it feels as if my consciousness is being tormented. This time, my muscles also ached, and my brain waves were isolated, making it impossible to connect to light armor or other brain-wave-controlled instruments."

"Oh! There is such an illness?" These symptoms were clearly beyond Jia Zhuo's expectations. After frowning and pondering for a long time, he finally sighed and offered an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, I am not a professional physician, and I do not know of this strange affliction."

"Oh." Ye Chong asked suddenly, "Are you a Master of Mental Arts?"

Jia Zhuo was startled, then smiled. "Heh! I am a Master of Mental Arts."

Ye Chong asked, "Was that cool feeling in my head earlier your doing?"

"You mean this, right?" Without any visible movement from Jia Zhuo, a wave of coolness suddenly rose in Ye Chong’s brain. It was just like it had been during the episode, but because he was fully conscious this time, the sensation was even more distinct—like cool spring water washing over his brain, refreshing and pleasant.

Ye Chong was startled. Anyone would be surprised to suddenly have something manifest inside their head. Curiously, he asked, "How did you do that?"

Jia Zhuo laughed. This was not the first time someone had asked him that.

Masters of Mental Arts were, simply put, a group of practitioners who trained their consciousness to develop their body's latent potential. Thus, they often possessed abilities that ordinary people did not. Unlike the physical prowess of the Black Horn, they represented another kind of power. What Jia Zhuo had just used was the most basic and common application of their craft, used to calm the mind, known as "Cleansing the Heart."

However, this was a shock to Ye Chong, who had never encountered such things.

Suddenly recalling what Hake had told him about the three major schools of pilots, Ye Chong blurted out, "Secret Arts Masters?"

Jia Zhuo was surprised. "I didn't expect you to know about Secret Arts Masters. Heh, it seems that is no longer a secret. Secret Arts Masters are the predecessors of Masters of Mental Arts. Back then, the school split into two: those who focused purely on mental training became Masters of Mental Arts, like myself. The others became Mental Arts Pilots—they are pilots who are also practitioners of mental training."

"Mental Arts Pilots!" This was the first time Ye Chong had heard the term. Imagining a pilot with psychic abilities—what would a battle look like? Ye Chong felt a surge of excitement.

"Heh, not many people outside know about Mental Arts Pilots. They usually stay within the Master of Mental Arts sect and rarely venture out," Jia Zhuo explained, noticing Ye Chong’s puzzled expression.

"Well, I cannot help with your strange illness, but you could try the Shute District. There are many eccentric experts there; you might find unexpected results." Jia Zhuo leaned over his desk and wrote something. After a moment, he looked up and handed the paper to Ye Chong. "These are the addresses of several physicians I know who are quite skilled. You can try them, but most people there have strange temperaments and may sometimes make bizarre demands. You must be careful! Even if these few cannot help, do not be discouraged. It is a place full of hidden talents; as long as you search patiently, you are likely to find a physician who can cure your ailment."

Ye Chong took the paper and said gratefully, "Thank you."

Jia Zhuo smiled warmly and waved a hand. "It is nothing. I could not help you much! You will have to find your own way."

Ye Chong asked suddenly, "Can you teach me 'Cleansing the Heart'? I am willing to trade something for it."

Jia Zhuo offered an apologetic smile. "Although 'Cleansing the Heart' is the simplest mental application, it is not easy to learn! Furthermore, without the permission of the Master of Mental Arts sect, I cannot teach it to others."

Ye Chong responded with an "Oh."

In his mind, Shang grumbled, "I knew we should have just tied him up and interrogated him! I don't believe he wouldn't have talked!" After a few seconds of silence, he added excitedly, "Ye, I’ve thought of a good plan!"

"What plan?" Ye Chong asked curiously.

"Heh heh, this old man has been good to you, so we can't lay a hand on him! But there must be more than one Master of Mental Arts here, heh heh. As long as we capture other ones, that won't violate the principle of fair trade!" Shang instigated.

"Hmm, that actually sounds quite reasonable," Ye Chong said.

"Of course! Would I ever suggest something unreasonable? I am not like that boring guy Mu, heh heh. Masters of Mental Arts—this must be fun!" The devil’s tail began to wag again.

Ye Chong bade farewell to Jia Zhuo and took the opportunity to ask if there was a Master of Mental Arts sect in the Shute District.

Jia Zhuo, assuming Ye Chong was interested in joining the profession, enthusiastically pointed out the specific location of the sect in the Shute District. He even provided the addresses of several powerful local Masters of Mental Arts, telling Ye Chong he could go and seek their advice when he had the time.