Mr. Yan held a tiger down with one hand, forcing it to crouch in front of Elara.
The tiger's eyes were blood red, as if something had taken control of it. Elara placed her hand on the tiger's head, closed her eyes, and began using the power of her Holy Spirit blood—part clumsy, part familiar.
The day she came to the border, under Oswyn's guidance, she had taken the golden pill her white-haired master gave her.
After swallowing it, she felt a sudden surge of power in her body. That power gave her a stronger and clearer sense of control over the Wei Clan and the other creatures controlled by parasites.
Now looking at the tiger under her hand, Elara tried to use the Holy Spirit power in her body to slowly invade the parasite inside the tiger, then devour it bit by bit.
After a few seconds, the tiger's blood-red, struggling eyes suddenly became calm. The big furry head gently nudged her hand, then stuck out its tongue to lick her fingers.
She had succeeded.
She had been at the border for three days already. On the first day, she had asked Oswyn to develop a medicine using the parasites in the controlled beasts here at the border, one that could sever their connection with the Puppet Cult and hide any unusual behavior.
On the second day, she began testing counter-invasion and reverse control, successfully taming a few small-sized creatures. Today was the first time she had successfully taken control of a tiger.
Oswyn told her that if she could control a tiger, she should be able to control humans too.
Elara looked at her hand and felt a flicker of joy inside.
If that was true, then her plan was fully workable.
For the next five days, Elara kept moving along the border of the Marigold and Plumera regions. She had walked nearly the entire boundary. Sometimes she would go deeper into Marigold, sending the creatures she had taken over to gather and return with information.
Unfortunately, she still couldn't control a large number of them. The creatures under direct control of the remaining three hall masters and the leader of the Puppet Cult were off-limits. Even with Oswyn's medicine, any mishandling could expose her.
So after laying the groundwork, she had her controlled beasts take the stealth medicine Oswyn made. Then they silently returned to Marigold to continue spying, while Elara left only a squad of controlled puppets and elite soldiers behind to pass along messages.
She then led the rest of her group back to Huayan Commandery.
She had spent eight days at the border, plus two days on the road. By the time she returned to Huayan, ten days had passed.
In those ten days, Huayan had already undergone major changes.
Before leaving the city, Elara had instructed the construction department to dig a moat. Now more than half of it had been completed. Only one final section remained to connect the full circle around the commandery.
Three sides of the moat were already finished, and bridges had been built over them. The final one was under construction and nearly done.
The most satisfying part for Elara was the massive crossbows now mounted on the repaired and reinforced city wall. Two had been installed on the east and south sides.
As soon as she returned and passed through the city gates, she went straight to the wall to check the crossbows up close. To her surprise, they closely matched the ones she had imagined.
The craftsmen from the military department had done a great job. In just ten days, they had figured out everything she explained and even completed working models.
The city wall was filled with people from the construction and military departments. When they saw Elara, they all rushed forward eagerly to report their progress.
"Your Highness! The moat is nearly finished! We only need about ten more days to complete the whole thing!"
"And the last bridge will be ready in three to five days!"
"Your Highness! Look at these two crossbows! The craftsmen worked around the clock using your instructions. Each one can shoot over three hundred meters. Don't worry, within a month, we'll get the range up to five hundred!"
"Your Highness, and there's also..."
After listening to the reports from the construction department, Elara had a clear understanding of the city's progress. She gave firm encouragement to the workers and told them to keep up the good work.
On the way back to the Commandery Governor's residence, the Wei Clan members she had assigned to keep watch on Haochen came to report.
"Your Highness, in these past ten days, he hasn't done anything unusual. Only on the day you left Huayan did he leave the city for about two hours."
Elara stopped and looked at them. "I just left and he left too?"
"Yes. When you sent us to tail him, he had already gone. No one knows where. All four city gates reported nothing unusual, not even the Qis guarding the city noticed. But two hours later, he returned from the rear mountain of the north gate. He was holding a bunch of herbs, and his clothes were covered in mud. It looked like he went to collect herbs in the northern hills."
None of the guards at the four gates noticed him leaving?
That didn't seem right. He was just a child. How did he slip past so many skilled soldiers with high internal strength and sharp eyes?
As for herb gathering... that boy's body had always been strange. Back when she was taking care of him, he used to go up into the hills to gather herbs he recognized and eat them.
"Nothing else strange?" she asked.
"No. After that day, he stayed in the residence. Every day he studied the papers you left for him in the courtyard where you taught him."
Elara rubbed her forehead and kept the report in mind. She thought about it for a moment.
"Alright. Keep watching. I'll decide what to do next."
"Yes."
Thinking about Haochen, Elara returned to the Governor's residence. She hadn't had time yet to check on the boy.
Then a servant ran up to her in a panic, knelt down, and pleaded with a pale face.
"Your Highness! Please! My young master has been poisoned again! I beg you, save him!"
Elara looked at the servant for a moment before recalling he was the one serving Ge.
Ever since she returned from Anqi Town, she had been busy nonstop. With all the hidden pieces in Huayan now under control by the Wei Clan, she hadn't paid much attention to Ge, who had been sent here openly by Lord Gregory.
Uno pressed one hand on a tiger, forcing it to crouch in front of Elara.
The tiger's eyes were blood red, as if something had taken control of it.
Elara placed her hand on the tiger's head. She closed her eyes and began to move the power of the Sacred Blood Spirit in her body, still somewhat unfamiliar with it.
The day she arrived at the border, under Oswyn's guidance, she had taken the golden pill given by her white-haired master.
After swallowing it, she immediately felt a new power rise in her body. It gave her a much clearer and stronger sense of control over the Wei clan and the other puppets controlled by insects.
Now, facing the tiger under her hand, Elara tried to guide the power of the Sacred Blood Spirit into the insects inside the tiger bit by bit, slowly invading and consuming them.
After a dozen seconds, the tiger's bloodshot, struggling eyes suddenly calmed. Its large, furry head gently pressed against Elara's hand and even licked her fingers.
She had succeeded.
She had been at the border for three days. On the first day, she asked Oswyn to prepare a medicine that could help the puppets break their link with the Puppet Sect without drawing attention.
On the second day, she started attempting reverse control and corrosion. She successfully controlled several smaller puppets. Today was the first time she had successfully taken control of a large beast like a tiger.
Oswyn said that if she could control a tiger, then she could likely control a human.
Elara looked at her hand and felt a wave of joy inside.
If that was the case, then her plan could definitely work.
For the next five days, Elara continued to move along the border, covering nearly the entire stretch between Marigold and Plumera. Sometimes she ventured deeper into the territory, using the puppets she controlled to scout and gather information.
Unfortunately, even though she could now reverse control these creatures, she still couldn't handle too many. The ones still under direct control of the remaining three hall masters and the Puppet Sect leader were dangerous to touch, even with Oswyn's medicine, because they might notice.
So after preparing all she needed at the border, she fed Oswyn's stealth medicine to the puppets she controlled and sent them quietly back into the region to continue gathering information. She left behind only one team of puppets and elite soldiers to act as messengers.
Then she returned to Marigold County.
She had spent eight days at the border. Including two more days on the road, ten days had passed when she finally returned to Marigold County.
In those ten days, the city had changed quite a bit.
Before she left, she had ordered the Construction Department to start digging the moat. By now, most of it was already done. Only one section remained before it would completely circle the city.
Three sides of the trench were already finished, and the Construction Department had built three drawbridges. The last one was almost complete, already taking shape.
What pleased Elara the most was the two large ballistae now mounted on the repaired and reinforced city walls on the east and south sides.
As soon as Elara returned and stepped through the city gates, she went directly up to the walls to examine the ballistae. She saw that they were surprisingly close to what she had imagined.
The craftsmen of the Military Engineering Department had done very well. In just ten days, they not only understood what she had described but also managed to build working models.
Workers from both the Military Engineering and Construction Departments were on the wall. Seeing Elara return and come up, they rushed over excitedly, eager to report their progress.
"Your Highness, the moat is nearly finished. Just ten more days and the construction will be complete."
"And the drawbridge too. The last one will be done in three to five days."
"Your Highness, look at these ballistae. The craftsmen worked day and night to study what you taught them and built these under tight deadlines. Right now, the range is just over three hundred meters, close to four hundred, but don't worry. In another month, we'll have them reach five hundred meters."
"Your Highness, look here..."
After hearing all the reports, Elara had a clear understanding of how much progress had been made in the past ten days.
She praised and encouraged the workers from each department and told them to keep up the good work.
On her way back to the governor's residence, the guards she had sent to keep an eye on Imani returned to report.
"Your Highness, during the past ten days, he didn't show any strange behavior, except for the day you left. He also left the city for about two hours."
Elara stopped walking and looked at the guard. "I left, and he left right after?"
"Yes. When you told us to watch him, he had already left Marigold County. No one at any of the four gates noticed him leave. Not even the guards from the Qi family. But two hours later, he returned through the north gate's back mountain. His hands were full of herbs, and he was covered in mud. It looked like he had gone into the mountain to gather medicine."
None of the gatekeepers noticed Damon leaving?
That didn't make sense. How could a child sneak past so many skilled guards with strong vision and inner strength?
As for gathering herbs... that boy's body was already strange. When Elara had brought him here, he would often run off to the mountains to collect herbs he recognized and eat them. "Anything else strange?"
"No. Since that day, he's barely left the governor's residence. He stays in the courtyard where you taught him, reading the documents you wrote for him."
Elara raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. She noted the guard's report and thought it over.
"Alright. Keep watching him. I'll decide what to do next."
"Yes."
...
Still thinking about Damon, Elara returned to the governor's residence. Before she could go check on the boy, a servant came running up in a panic and knelt down before her, pale-faced.
"Your Highness. Please, my young master's poison is acting up again. I beg you. Please save him."
Elara stared at the servant for a moment before finally remembering. He was Imani's little servant.
Ever since she had gone to Anju Town, she had been busy nonstop. And since all the spies in Marigold were now under the Wei clan's control, she hadn't paid much attention to Imani, the obvious pawn sent by Lord Gregory.