"Yeah, but I'm not usually that bored as to look at the nonsense in your head."

She used this ability before during the apocalypse to make those who were inclined to submit to her even more loyal.

However, she usually blocks out their thoughts.

In fact, anyone who has been mentally imprinted by her is also a person with superpowers.

Only when he used his spiritual power to sense and touch the brand could he remind her in a moment of crisis.

Only then will she release the shield and locate him based on the mental imprint.

If the other party is also a psychic, then its uses become even more numerous.

They can use it to transmit messages in real time.

Unfortunately, Cao Jin was just an ordinary person and couldn't sense any trace of spiritual power, let alone its other uses.

Hearing Shen Mu Ning's dismissive tone, Cao Jin knew that she disdained monitoring him at all times.

Since that's the case, as long as I'm loyal, I can save my life, so what's there to hesitate about?

He took a deep breath and said to Shen Mu Ning, "I'm ready, you can begin."

It's better to leave a mental imprint early so she can feel at ease. What if I ask too many questions and she changes her mind?

Seeing how decisive and straightforward Cao Jin was, she felt that he was quite courageous.

After hearing just two sentences of explanation from myself, I was willing to try anything to save my life.

Since Cao Jin was already prepared, she stopped wasting words and extracted a wisp of her spiritual energy.

It was manipulated to slowly enter Cao Jin's mind, where it swirled into the shape of a leaf at the core of his brain before falling down.

Just as Cao Jin thought it would take a long time and was still waiting with his eyes closed, Shen Mu Ning said, "It's done."

Throughout the entire process, he did not experience the headache he had expected.

In fact, this method will not have any effect on the person who is branded; only the person whose spiritual energy is extracted will feel discomfort.

For example, right now, Cao Jin is acting like nothing's wrong and keeps asking if he's recovered.

At this moment, Shen Mu Ning's mental energy was greatly reduced, and her head began to throb with pain.

Only after Shen Muling gave him a firm and definite answer did he believe that the matter was settled.

If he had known that imprinting mental energy was so simple, he wouldn't have even considered it.

However, in his joy, he did not forget that he had already decided to work for Shen Mu Ning.

In exchange, she would spare her own life.

So instead of turning away, he asked what his next task was.

"Shen Zhiqing, I promised to do something for you. What do you need me to do?"

Shen Mu Ning had already planned this out, assigning him the task of information transmission and covert investigation of the Red Letter Soldiers.

Her young apprentice had already taken a look at the places where ancient traders stored their antiques.

The grandfather and grandson already lived there, so they wouldn't easily be exposed.

It would be more natural for Cao Jin to relay messages between the county town and the brigade.

Moreover, he stayed by Xu Wenjie's side and did quite well.

The person behind the antique trade previously chose the Red-Letter Soldiers to do his bidding; it's unclear whether that's still the case now.

If they were to find someone who was a Red-Letter Soldier, Cao Jin could secretly investigate the matter in the county town.

That way, she can use a two-pronged approach to obtain information from both sides.

So, this is the task assigned to him for now.

Cao Jin accepted the task given to him by Shen Mu Ning, and felt a sense of relief.

As expected, Xu Yuan's death was indeed related to her, and she herself had only survived because she was following Xu Wenjie.

This was his first task, and he was determined to complete it diligently and not disappoint Shen Mu Ning.

Although his loyalty to Shen Mu Ning was mostly feigned before, his mindset has begun to change since the mental imprint was placed on him.

He initially helped her to save his own life, but now he diligently completes his tasks.

"Okay, but you are not allowed to do those things again, such as suppressing the weak and bullying the five black categories."

Regardless of whether Cao Jin was sincere or not before, he is now her subordinate.

She would never allow him to continue bullying the weak.

"Uh, okay." Cao Jin reluctantly agreed.

The reason he wanted to follow Xu Wenjie was because they could plunder money.

He had just tasted some success, so why is he about to cut off his own source of income?

However, he dared not refute Shen Mu Ning's words and could only obediently listen to her.

Fortunately, he still had some money, but he wouldn't be able to live such a comfortable life anymore.

Shen Mu Ning knew, of course, that Cao Jin was not doing any proper work but was still able to live a carefree life outside, because he was exploiting the "Five Black Categories".

She would ask someone to do things for her without even paying them.

Pretending to reach into his pocket, he actually took out thirty yuan from his spatial storage and handed it to Cao Jin.

"Here, this is your salary for this month. As long as you do your job well, you'll get this much every month."

"If things are done well, there will be a reward."

Upon receiving the money, Cao Jin's mind went blank after hearing Shen Mu Ning's words; it was just buzzing.

How could a good-for-nothing like him, who's always hanging around outside, possibly have a salary?

I thought that by working for Shen Mu Ning, I was exchanging my life for hers, and that I would have to work for her at her own expense.

Then she just said something like, "I'll have money every month from now on."

After realizing what had happened, Cao Jin shamelessly counted the money in his hand; it totaled thirty yuan.

He strongly suspected that Shen Mu Ning had taken the wrong one.

“Shen Zhiqing, did you take the wrong one? This is thirty yuan.”

You should know that people working in factories in county towns might not even earn thirty yuan a month.

He used to envy those workers with secure jobs and fantasized about becoming like them.

Actually, to get a job in a factory, you either need connections or the qualifications to pass the entrance exam yourself.

Otherwise, all that thinking is pointless.

"No, it's just one month's salary for you. Come back to me for it on the same day next month."

If he were truly someone who had made a mistake and needed to atone for it, she might be willing to make him work for free.

But the previous incident didn't cause her any trouble, and she had already taught him a lesson, so it was all over.

If she were to let him work for free and even pay her own money, she wouldn't be able to live with it.

"Don't worry, Shen Zhiqing, I will definitely do my job well for you and I will definitely investigate all the Red-letter Soldiers for you."

He's a nobody, and he hasn't even accomplished anything yet, but he already has such a large sum of money.

The reward that Shen Zhiqing mentioned must be incredibly generous.

He was willing to work under her just for the money.

Unlike the money he robbed from those illicit groups before, this was his salary.

Now he doesn't feel that Shen Mu Ning has accomplished anything in this remote mountain village. If she hadn't gone to the countryside, he wouldn't have had such a good opportunity.

"You don't need to be in such a hurry. Be careful not to get discovered."

Shen Mu Ning felt that his greatest role was to deliver messages.

Besides, with his brain, how could he possibly find anything out from those shrewd people?

Preserving himself is the most important thing.