With all the knowledge and experience Solaan possessed about cultivation, he still couldn't help but frown at the state of this body.
What is this?
He wondered as he observed an emblem hidden on the heart of this slave boy.
It's draining the life force out of this body… in fact, it already has.
Using his Neili Sense, he probed deeper.
The emblem was inactive, as though it had completed its objective, or at least it looked that way. Solaan's heart was beating slowly and weakly.
And with each beat, the emblem drew life force from his heart.
If you had taken it from me, do you think that I couldn't take it from you?
Angry at his current straits, Solaan began channeling his Neili Sense, immediately moving to suppress the effects of the emblem on his heart.
As though the emblem sensed a strong threat, it reacted and drew more life force from the little Solaan had left.
Impudent.
He snorted lightly.
With his Neili Sense, in his inner world, an avatar of himself manifested and raised its hand, manifesting a long blade with its movement.
"Worldbreaker: Blade's Might."
His blade descended.
There was no explosion or commotion, just an eerie silence that followed the emblem being sliced into pieces.
Almost immediately, Solaan could hear the screeching of a woman coming from the emblem.
As I thought, it's connected to another side.
At the same time, he made a grabbing motion, drawing immense life force from the other end. More than what this body would be able to contain at its peak.
Dundun!
His heart beat with such force that his body jerked off the table. It was so strong that he felt like it was going to explode.
But Solaan didn't panic. If anything, he was pleased with it.
Guiding the life force, he began cultivating the Khan way once again.
At the back of his mind, something doubted if this was even real. Perhaps he was truly in hell. But because he was able to use his Neili sense, he felt a bit comforted.
Blood Pulse Method.
From the moment a child of the bloodline turned five, the elders would press a cold iron rod to their chest and say;
Feel it. That beat. That cold and that fire. That is your first weapon… and also your last.
The children would sit in silence, meditating on pressure, rhythm, on the raw unrelenting pump of life.
They trained the heart to strengthen itself… they made it beat harder. Faster. And hotter.
Like the blacksmith's bellows, they clenched their hearts with their wills, compressing it, forcing it to work beyond its natural limits.
And over time, as their hearts grew stronger, so did their blood.
Recalling the sensation, alongside the life force he seized, Solaan went through all of this in mere seconds.
His heart produced a small strand of Neili that slowly nurtured the blood it pumped.
Exhaling, he opened his eyes. "I'll have to drain this body of its impurity if I want to progress faster."
Almost immediately, he heard footsteps coming from the other side of the door.
"Inquisitor Johan, Magistrate Wei commands that we let the slave go. He suspects foul play."
"What!? The slave is an accomplice, we can't just release him back into the open. No, I refuse to let him go."
Inquisitor Johan? Quite a stubborn man. He could recognizethevoiceimmediately. Does he have a grudge with this body?
Solaan thought.
He also agreed that there must have been foul play somewhere. From the slave's memories, he was well aware that he didn't have an atom's weight of confidence to assist in an attempt to take a Prince's life.
"I have told you before, your stubbornness will cost you your head one day." Another voice said.
"Chief!" Both Johan and the other man said at the same time.
"The Magistrate has given his order. Our job now is to obey. We cannot oppose the Jade Hall, remember that." The chief said.
"But chief, I—"
"Enough!" He snapped. "Release the slave. Even though he's a slave, he's entitled to rights, albeit limited. Don't make me repeat myself or I'll be processing a suspension for you, Johan. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir," Johan replied spitefully.
Then footsteps approached the door.
With a loud bang, the door was pushed open. A furious Johan barged in. He glared at Solaan as though the young man had caused the death of his close ones.
Which got Solaan wondering, is he the person trying to set me up? Is that why he's so furious?
Pulling on the chains once again, this time Johan meant no harm, or at least his action did nothing but yank the chains towards himself. He retrieved a key and freed Solaan from his bindings.
"Leave before I change my mind," Johan uttered with great restraint.
Expecting Solaan to scurry away, he closed his eyes and took in deep breaths to calm himself.
"You don't seem like a man out to get me… You look like a man seeking vengeance." Solaan uttered.
Though his voice was still hoarse, the room was small and quiet right for Johan to hear him.
"How dare a lowly slave speak of my heart!? Do you truly want to die? What would you know of feelings, what right does a slave have to feel at all!?"
His rebuttal sent a flurry of conflicted emotions to Solaan's mind.
It made him recall his last interaction with Gillard.
"True… what right do I have to discern your emotions?"
When I couldn't even tell that my closest friend hated me.
Slowly getting up to his feet, Solaan took steady steps towards the exit.
Inquisitor Johan watched him leave and he couldn't help but frown. Not entirely because of the slave's attitude, but the air he gave as he walked away.
Johan felt as though he was staring at the back of a man who surpassed the Imperial family.
"Argh!" He growled as he punched and broke the table into pieces.
As for Solaan, his mind was still trying to get around the betrayal of his friend.
Was I at fault? Had I assumed too much?
If it wasn't for the raggedy clothes he had on, and his malnourished body, from the way he walked, one would have mistaken him for a noble.
In about an hour, Solaan found himself standing in front of the Slaves' Chamber in the Eastern Wing of the Imperial Palace.
He had unknowingly made it here. Although it was already night, there were enough torches around to illuminate the surroundings.