Chen Xi was quite frustrated with the current situation of Xizhi Cai, who was still bedridden in the inn. Although Hua Tuo had assured him that Xizhi Cai wouldn't die, seeing him in a half-dead state every day made Chen Xi uneasy. While they weren't afraid of confronting Cao Cao, it would be disastrous if a conflict broke out because Xizhi Cai died in Taishan. Being accused of killing an envoy would be a disaster.
"Brother Zhizai, please rest well and don't overexert yourself," Chen Xi said, accompanied by Guo Jia, offering some unconvincing words to Xizhi Cai.
Xizhi Cai waved them off, too tired to respond. He wasn't a fool and had already guessed that his spiritual talent might not be as he had previously thought. There seemed to be a distinction between friend and foe in his ability.
Perhaps the spiritual talents of enemies were weaker, but merely analyzing them was costly. If he truly tried to use them, the drain on his energy would be far greater than analyzing the spiritual talents of allies or neutral parties.
He realized this when he coughed up blood after trying to use Zhuge Liang's talent. A twelve or thirteen-year-old Zhuge Liang couldn't possibly have a greater spiritual reservoir than him. If he could activate his talent, then even if there were side effects, they wouldn't be fatal.
When Xizhi Cai activated Zhuge Liang's talent, all the spiritual talents and abilities of Cao Cao's subordinates appeared before him. In that instant, Xizhi Cai's life hung by a thread.
Spiritual talents are the result of the utmost refinement of intelligence and spirit—a manifestation of one's instincts. As such, it's unnatural for someone's instincts to produce a talent that would cause severe self-harm. This simply doesn't align with normal circumstances.
It was this near-death experience that made Xizhi Cai realize his spiritual talent wasn't omnipotent. He also understood why analyzing that person's talent had caused such problems. It wasn't just the nature of the talent—it was also due to limitations within his own.
"Zhizai, it looks like you'll be spending the New Year in Taishan," Guo Jia quipped, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Seeing you lying there half-dead really lifts my spirits. I keep thinking you're just going to keel over and die!"
Xizhi Cai shot a glare at Guo Jia. The last thing he needed was Guo Jia's reckless mouth cursing him. If Guo Jia inadvertently brought his doom with his words, Xizhi Cai might never make it out alive. He couldn't afford to die when Cao Mengde's great work remained unfinished!
"You just wait, Guo Fengxiao! I'll make sure you pay for this!" Xizhi Cai snapped, thoroughly annoyed by Guo Jia's jibes. The thought of being inadvertently doomed by Guo Jia's loose tongue filled him with dread.
"You can still talk? Stop playing dead!" Guo Jia retorted indignantly. "I thought you were done for, but it turns out you can still speak! I came all the way here to see you, and you can't even get up to greet me."
"I'd be better off if you didn't come at all," Xizhi Cai grumbled. "Watching you prance around just makes me furious. Changwen, get this jinx out of here!"
Chen Qun sighed as he entered the room and dragged the belligerent Guo Jia away, leaving only Chen Xi and Xizhi Cai behind.
"Why do this, Brother Zhizai? Though Fengxiao might wish you dead with his words, you know how he truly feels," Chen Xi said helplessly. In his view, Guo Jia and Xizhi Cai were like bickering brothers.
Since Xizhi Cai had woken up, Guo Jia had come by every day, bringing small gifts, only to immediately start teasing him once he was conscious. On one occasion, he even provoked Xizhi Cai to the point of fainting from anger. The animosity seemed so intense that one had to wonder what kind of grudge existed between them.
"That guy's a jinx," Xizhi Cai muttered from his bed, fearing that Guo Jia's unintended curse might actually come true.
"..." Chen Xi was left speechless, eventually sighing after a long pause. "You two are impossible."
Since waking up, Xizhi Cai had refrained from any reckless behavior, understanding that even if he could analyze the spiritual talents of Taishan's strategists, he couldn't use them. Moreover, purely analyzing talents without activating them would take at least a month, making the whole process frustrating.
Nevertheless, Xizhi Cai adopted a mindset of getting whatever results he could. For over a month, he focused solely on analysis, resisting the urge to activate anything. Finally, he had some success—he had figured out the spiritual talent of the man standing before him, Chen Zichuan.
When Xizhi Cai first analyzed Chen Xi's spiritual talent, if he had attempted to copy it, he would have been dead by now. He couldn't have resisted the temptation to try out such a classic spiritual talent.
Because of this, Xizhi Cai's gaze at Chen Xi was particularly complicated. This was the best spiritual talent he had ever encountered—so powerful that even Xun Yu's talent paled in comparison.
Thinking about this terrifying talent, Xizhi Cai realized that defeating Liu Bei would require one of three things: Chen Xi's downfall, Liu Bei's incompetence leading to chaos, or overwhelming force to crush Liu Bei. The first two options seemed nearly impossible, while the third, considering Liu Bei's current strength and the potential of his army bolstered by Chen Xi's talent, seemed incredibly difficult!
Fortunately, Chen Xi's talent wasn't without flaws. It was because of this second aspect that Xizhi Cai could continue planning Cao Cao's grand strategy without fear. After all, there was always the problem of managing occupied territories. One wrong move could plunge Chen Xi into a state of endless sleep, leading to a vicious cycle or even permanent incapacitation.
Just as Chen Xi was contemplating finding an excuse to leave, a messenger arrived quickly. "Military advisor, the lord requests your presence!"
"What's going on?" Chen Xi asked, momentarily caught off guard. Then, realizing this was the perfect opportunity to make his exit, he turned to Xizhi Cai with a bow. "Brother Zhizai, please continue to rest well. Lord Xuande is calling, so I won't disturb you any further."