"You all know her." Han Feng smiled helplessly. "Ikegami Aya, the new head of the Ikegami family. Now she's... one of us."
"One of us?" Su Wanwan jumped off the sofa and leaned closer to examine her closely. "Wasn't that the powerful aura she exuded in R country a while ago hers? How did she suddenly become one of us?"
Han Feng gestured for Chi Shangling to sit down, but Chi Shangling shook her head: "There is no seat for me in front of the master."
These words plunged the living room into an eerie silence. Liu Mengran's hand, which was arranging flowers, froze in mid-air, Su Wanwan's mouth hung open, and even Dongfang Wantang showed a surprised expression.
Han Feng had no choice but to explain: "I planted a mental imprint on her. Now, Aya Ikegami is... well, my direct subordinate."
Han Feng briefly told the three women about how he had asked Liu Xiaoran to bring the seriously injured Chi Shangling back to China for treatment a few days ago, and how he had later asked her to return to R country to integrate the forces of the ancient martial arts world.
When the three women learned that Ikegami Aya's cultivation level had stabilized at the Great Dao Realm, their mouths dropped open in astonishment.
"The Great Dao Realm?!" The star chart in Dongfang Wantang's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".
Aya Ikegami finally spoke, her voice calm and even: "It was only thanks to Master's all-out effort to save me that the energy was stabilized."
Han Feng felt three gazes instantly focus on him, and quickly changed the subject: "I've called you here mainly for two things. First, I need you to set up a global communication network to ensure instant contact at any time."
"Yes, ma'am." Aya Ikegami replied without hesitation.
"Secondly, set up defensive formations at key locations in Kyoto and China, capable of withstanding... well, at least attacks at the Great Dao Realm level."
This time, Aya Ikegami hesitated for a moment: "I might not be able to do this well on my own..."
"Just tell me if you need anything." Han Feng pointed to himself, "The array base and such are yours."
Still reeling from the shock, Aya Ikegami nodded instinctively, "Oh, okay..."
Su Wanwan suddenly interjected: "Wait! How are you sure she won't betray us? Is that mental imprint reliable?"
As if to answer this question, Aya Ikegami suddenly raised her hand, and a complex rune condensed at her fingertips. The air in the living room instantly froze, and the three women simultaneously felt a suffocating pressure—the unintentional aura emanating from a powerful cultivator at the Great Dao Realm.
"If I harbored any disloyalty towards my master," Aya Ikegami's voice was as cold as ice, "I would have been utterly annihilated, soul and spirit."
The runes vanished from her fingertips, and the oppressive feeling disappeared with them. Su Wanwan slumped back onto the sofa, muttering softly, "Fine, never mind..."
The three women were only at the late stage of the Innate Realm, and they were still somewhat outmatched by the pressure from the Great Dao Realm.
At this moment, Han Feng's cold voice rang out: "I hope today's situation doesn't repeat itself. They are all my women!"
The low, somber words drained all of Aya Ikegami's energy, and the mental imprint immediately took effect.
With a pained expression, Aya Ikegami said, "I will never dare to do it again. Please forgive me, Master."
Han Feng then stopped controlling the mental imprint, and glanced at the time: "That's all for today. Find a place to rest nearby, and start working on the tasks I assigned you tomorrow."
"No need." Aya Ikegami shook her head slightly. "I can keep watch outside."
"No way!" Liu Mengran blurted out, "How can you let a girl sleep by the door!" After saying that, she froze, seemingly not expecting to speak up for this "dangerous element".
Han Feng shook his head: "Listen to Mengran. Go to a hotel and get a room."
After a moment of silence, Aya Ikegami finally bowed: "Yes, sir."
After Aya Ikegami left, the living room remained silent for a long time. Finally, Su Wanwan broke the silence: "Han Feng... are you sure you can control someone like that? The energy she emitted just now made my legs go weak..."
Han Feng looked out the window; Ikegami Aya's figure had already disappeared into the night.
“No need to control her,” he said softly. “She understands the cost of betrayal better than anyone.”
Dongfang Wantang picked up the astrolabe, her expression grave: "I saw...the sign of a blood moon in her. She's probably burdened with immense karma."
Han Feng didn't answer. He recalled the despair in Ikegami Aya's eyes before she turned to ashes, and the way she was reborn in the energy storm. Mental imprints can control behavior, but they cannot change one's essence.
"Alright." He clapped his hands. "Let's get down to business. I might be leaving for a while soon."
The three women looked up at the same time: "Where are we going?"
"To a higher plane of existence." Han Feng's gaze swept over their worried faces. "So before you leave, you must ensure the safety of yourself and this city."
Han Feng's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples throughout the living room. Three pairs of eyes widened simultaneously, their expressions a mixture of shock and unease.
"Where to?" Liu Mengran was the first to react, her fingers clenching the hem of her clothes. "The higher plane is..."
"It means exactly what it says." Han Feng's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable weight. "There are countless planes in the universe, and Earth is just one of the lowest levels."
Su Wanwan suddenly stood up: "Then let's go together!"
"No." Han Feng shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the three women. "The pressure of the spatial passage requires at least the strength of someone at the Great Dao Realm level to withstand. You are currently..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Dongfang Wantang's horoscope suddenly emitted a faint buzzing sound. She glanced down at the chart, her expression changing slightly: "The Blood Moon has shifted, an ominous star hangs in the sky... Han Feng, this journey is fraught with misfortune."
"I know." Han Feng actually smiled. "But some things just have to be done."
He walked to the window, where the stars seemed brighter than usual: "The reason extraterrestrial forces dare not directly invade Blue Star is because of the limitations of dimensional laws—higher-level beings cannot remain in lower-level planes for extended periods."
Liu Mengran astutely grasped the key point: "So after you broke through to... the Origin Realm, you actually became a burden to Blue Star?"
"My Mengran is truly clever." Han Feng nodded approvingly. "Just like a small pond can't hold a whale. My continued presence here will only attract the attention of more powerful beings from beyond the realm."
With red eyes, Su Wanwan punched his shoulder: "Can't you suppress your cultivation level? Like in the novels..."
"Wanwan." Han Feng grasped her fist. "Some things, once understood, can never be undone. Like now that you've entered the world of cultivators, can you still pretend you don't understand these things and remain just like an ordinary person?"
He turned to Dongfang Wantang: "The kind of energy you asked about earlier..." A chaotic mist of light appeared in his palm, within which countless stars seemed to be born and die. "This is the power of laws; only by touching the source of energy can one control it."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com