Cold sweat began trickling down Cai Kechang's forehead. He couldn't help it, though, as after listening to his report, the Crimson King inexplicably closed his eyes and said nothing.

If only the Crimson King said something or reacted in some way...

Unable to say anything or move a muscle, Cai Kechang could only wait in tense silence.

The silence seemed to weigh a ton as it continued on for quite some time. Eventually, though, the Crimson King finished his thoughts and opened his eyes. He then addressed Cai Kechang in his trademark bassy, weighty voice. “So, your man was defeated?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Hmm…” The Crimson King skimmed through the written report about Jin Bao. “With his level of ability, he shouldn't have been defeated that easily, so how did it happen, I wonder?”

“...My lord. All of his muscles were ruined while his meridians were severed. Without help, he can't even lift a spoon properly. But the biggest issue is... His mind is no longer with him.”

“His mind... In other words, his brain is damaged?”

“Yes, my lord. I can't fathom just what kind of an impact it had to be to leave a person in that state...”

“Hmph. His 'naohu' acupuncture point must've been attacked.”[1]

Cai Kechang couldn't respond to the Crimson King since this knowledge was beyond his realm of understanding.

The Crimson King carried on. “With 'normal' qi, you can't turn a perfectly sane person into a drooling idiot no matter how much you...