Yun Jin was speechless.
She'd already pulled out her lifetime's worth of acting skills to play along with that mirror guy, and yet the bastard still wouldn't stop!
Sighing inwardly, she let the strange wave of energy flow straight into her sea of consciousness.
Inside the mirror, Mister Mirror grinned.
This white-haired race really was as weak as he'd heard. His spiritual power slipped into her mind effortlessly, not meeting even the slightest resistance. Things were going far smoother than he'd expected.
His mental energy surged forward, quickly reaching the core of Yun Jin's sea of consciousness. Just as he was about to take control of her, a flicker of fear crossed his eyes. Before him stretched a boundless ocean. Waves crashed violently, and above that vast expanse, countless divine beasts loomed in hazy silhouettes.
The moment his spirit entered, he realized he was like an ant trespassing into the realm of giants—small, fragile, and completely powerless.
Wait... this was supposed to be a sea of consciousness? Was this even something a normal person could have?
Mister Mirror's mind filled with panic, and he spun around, ready to flee.
A massive divine beast's shadow smiled at him, then lunged forward.
His spiritual form was devoured in an instant, leaving no trace behind.
The next moment, inside the carriage, Yun Jin opened her eyes. She stared with interest at the enormous mirror before her and calmly gave a command. "Stand up."
The mirror rose obediently to its feet.
Only then did she see the person's true form. He was a tall Shi Tribe man, and unlike the others, his entire chest had been replaced by a gleaming mirror.
That mirror was clearly a rare magic artifact, and judging by the way his flesh and the mirror were fused, he'd used some kind of body-refining forging technique, merging himself completely with the artifact.
It was a powerful combination, nourished by living blood and flesh, allowing the mirror to unleash its full potential. But the flaw was obvious: this man was now bound to it for life. If the mirror broke, he'd die with it.
"Senior," the mirror man said slowly.
His voice was mechanical, entirely under Yun Jin's control.
Trying to play mental domination tricks in front of her? Please. She'd practically written the book on it.
Even with that soul-capturing mirror's help, his mental strength was nothing compared to her vast, ocean-like spiritual power. He never stood a chance.
"Talk," Yun Jin said coolly. "Who sent you here? Why are you collecting rare species, and what's the deal with this carriage?"
Mister Mirror's eyes were blank, but his answer came without hesitation.
"My master is Shi Xuan of the Shi Tribe royal family. He ordered us to capture rare species and send them to the royal capital. This carriage contains the latest group we've gathered."
Yun Jin raised an eyebrow. "Shi Xuan? Why's he after rare species?"
The man's expression turned vacant. "I don't know."
She narrowed her eyes slightly. He was completely under her control; there was no way he was lying. So he truly didn't know the reason.
Snapping her fingers, she cleared the fog in his eyes, though he still stood respectfully before her.
"Just keep going to the royal capital," she instructed. "Act normal. Don't let anyone notice."
"Yes," he answered immediately.
Satisfied, Yun Jin nodded. "Open the door."
Mister Mirror stepped aside, revealing a wooden door behind him. He opened it respectfully.
Yun Jin walked through without hesitation.
As the door closed behind her, she took in the scene inside the carriage. There were about thirty rare species locked here, each with lifeless expressions and eyes full of despair.
When she entered, a few lifted their heads briefly, then lowered them again. To them, she was just another person dragged here to die with them.
Glancing around, Yun Jin walked over and sat beside a girl with blue eyes and pointed ears. The girl was curled up in the corner, unmoving even as Yun Jin sat next to her.
"Hey, sis, what race are you?" Yun Jin asked casually.
The girl didn't even look up. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and she didn't say a word.
"Why so quiet? With those pointy ears, are you maybe from the Pointed-Ear Tribe? Or Blue-Eyed Tribe?" Yun Jin mused. "Wait, could it be your race doesn't talk at all? So you're from the Silent Tribe? Or maybe—"
She just kept talking.
At first, the girl stayed expressionless, but eventually, she couldn't take it anymore and snapped, "Shut up!"
Seriously?
They were all about to die, and this woman wanted to chat?
"No can do. My race is called the Must-Keep-Talking Tribe. If I stop talking for too long, I'll die," Yun Jin said with a straight face.
Everyone in the carriage turned to stare at her.
The Must-Keep-Talking Tribe? What kind of nonsense was that?
But... given how she wouldn't shut up, maybe it wasn't so far-fetched.
"Alright, I've told you my secret, so it's your turn. What's your race?" Yun Jin pressed on, clearly ready to nag her to death if she didn't answer.
The girl ground her teeth. "If I tell you, will you shut up?"
"Of course," Yun Jin said brightly. "My tribe can rest occasionally, you know. Go ahead!"
The girl took a deep breath, her face blank. "We draw energy from heaven and earth, gathering the aura of nature and all living things. Our name is—"
"The Aura Tribe!" Yun Jin exclaimed with exaggerated awe. "That's a great name!"
The girl's face twitched, and she shouted, "We're the Elf Tribe!"
"Oh, I see. That makes sense." Yun Jin nodded approvingly. "So, how'd you end up captured?"
The girl glared at her. "You promised to shut up after I answered!"
"Right, right." Yun Jin nodded seriously. "I'll be quiet now. Go back to spacing out."
Spacing out? What the hell did she mean by "spacing out"?
She was mourning her tragic fate, not daydreaming!
For the first time since her capture, the girl's expression actually changed. Her emotions were so stirred she almost spoke again.
But Yun Jin was already gone, heading toward another person.
"Hey man, what about you? What's your race?"
The man said nothing.
"Let me guess," Yun Jin said, squinting at him. "Your head's a bit big, so maybe... Big-Head Tribe? And your arms are really long, so Long-Arm Tribe? Hmm, or maybe—"
Her non-stop chatter filled the carriage again.
The man finally snapped. "I'm from the Strange-Movement Tribe!"
"Strange... as in weird-shaped? Strange-Shape Tribe?" Yun Jin asked innocently.
He clenched his jaw. "Our movements are unpredictable and ghostlike, hence the name Strange-Movement Tribe!"
"Unpredictable, huh? Hard to catch? Then how'd you get caught?" Yun Jin asked sweetly.
Emotional Value +500!
Emotional Value +500!
She had no doubt that if his spiritual power wasn't sealed, he'd have attacked her on the spot.
Time to slip away.
Yun Jin cheerfully moved on to the next person.
Within moments, the once-dead-silent carriage was filled with simmering anger. Every single captive glared daggers at her.
Yun Jin just smiled, counting the fresh wave of Emotional Value flooding in.
Yep.
Things were always more fun when everyone was lively.