Tower. Bedchamber.

An incense’s smoke lazily ascended, joining the vague misty smoke that hung like a curtain over the bed room, filling the air with the sweet scent of sandalwood.

At the center of the room, the twins lay side by side on the bed, deep in the embrace of slumber.

Their chests rose and fell rhythmically, and their faces were serene, untouched by the strange events unfolding around them.

Seated cross-legged next to Wei Er, Bubai’s eyes were closed, and his fingers, positioned like a gun, gently pressed against the forehead of the sleeping Wei Er.

Bubai had an air of concentration about him, broken only by the soft hum of the chant being muttered by his lips.

“Wei Er, your first meeting with Elder Ma… Wei Er, your first meeting with Elder Ma...”

His lips repeatedly uttered the same words. It was as if he was trying to unlock something hidden within the depths of Wei Er's consciousness.

After a while, Bubai opened his eyes, revealing a mix of frustration and determination. “Why did it fail again?”

With a sigh, he lifted his hand from Wei Er's forehead, watching as some ethereal Qi dissipated into the air.

Bubai knew there were no issues with his Qi manipulation. Within the range of his spiritual sense, his control over his true Qi was exemplary, even when it was circulating inside the twins’ body.

Plus, he had plenty of practice with the corresponding circulation technique for gathering memory Qi.

To top it off, his established foundation granted him heightened senses toward memory Qi and a strong affinity for the Dream Fishing technique.

So, mastering the basic kinks of this technique was a breeze.

However, searching for specific information was another issue altogether.

This process hinged on proper keywords - needed to guide the target’s subconsciousness to recall the corresponding memory.

To unearth memories related to a specific target, it was necessary to possess preemptive knowledge about the victim. This includes details like names, preferably with corresponding titles, and a clear specification of the event or time node.

The less vague the keywords, the greater the likelihood of triggering and accurately retrieving the corresponding memory.

Certainly, some memories could be sealed or blocked due to external influences, like the heavenly oath of cultivators. Attempting to access these memories typically triggers an instinctive resistance, causing the infiltrating true Qi to be rejected and may even cause a backlash.

But in his current case, there wasn’t even a reaction. He had already experimented with various altered keywords, but they still rendered zero results.

This suggested a complete absence of relevant memories associated with the keywords he was using.

A subtle frown creased Bubai’s forehead, "Could it be they really aren’t sent by Ma Pei? Then, who sent them?"

Bubai decided to change his approach.

He folded his arms, forming a series of incantation gestures with his fingers and channeled his true Qi according to the Dream Fishing technique-

Whoosh! His finger tapped on the forehead of Wei Er once more, this time accompanied by a different set of words, “Wei Er, your first orders from your mistress WeiWei… Wei Er, your first orders from your mistress WeiWei...”

Resonating with Bubai’s voice, the forehead of Wei Er seemed to hum with an unseen energy...

As the incense stick burned steadily, Bubai's concentration deepened, and beads of sweat began forming on his forehead.

Soon, the stick of incense burned out, the smoke gradually began fading away…

As if stirring from her slumber, Wei Er’s brows furrowed slightly.

Reacting just in time, Bubai’s fingers drew out a strand of green Qi, tinged with pink mists, from Wei Er’s forehead.

Swiftly, he opened his mouth, swallowing the memory strand, letting it take the highway down before guiding it into his dantian.

When the memory Qi vanished from his dantian, Bubai's eyes snapped open, exhaling with satisfaction. “I wasn’t wrong.”

Bubai's consciousness seamlessly transitioned into the depths of his memory space.

Immediately, his mental senses honed in on the new addition - an inferior quality memory orb that hovered in orbit, waiting to be explored.

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That’s right! The memories acquired through the Dream Fishing technique could actually be used to supplement his memory totem's cultivation, showcasing its exceptional compatibility with the Arboreal Bliss Dreamcatcher Art!

It dawned on him that this might be one of the reasons why the technique was gifted to him by Granny Shu.

“Hey, if I got this technique before my promotion, I wouldn’t have to worry so much about my cultivation pace...”

Of course, the quality of these externally gathered memories didn't match up to his own memory Qi. Maybe it was due to his relatively low mastery of the technique.

Repeating the familiar process, Bubai made a copy of the orb's contents.

Soon, the memory Qi dissolved within his mind, and Bubai closed his eyes, surrendering to the darkness that enveloped him.

Gradually, the darkness receded, replaced by the familiar scene of his lounge downstairs.

His perspective had shifted, and he found himself kneeling before a woman, her presence undoubtedly familiar. It was WeiWei.

“...I will not mention your true roles, but you shall also act as my proxy from now on."

WeiWei’s attractive, red eyes bore into the souls of those before her, and Bubai could sense a subservient desire being induced within him, influenced by the memory owner’s emotions.

“Remember, he is also your master now. The balance must be maintained. Understood?”

“Yes mistress.” His perspective shifted to the familiar twin kneeling by his side. It was Wei Yi.

“Good. As for your main duty… You are here to serve.”

His perspective lowered, staring at WeiWei’s fair toes.

“No matter what your master wants, you must give it to him. If he wants a maid, you give him a maid. If he wants a dog, you be his dog. I want him to lose himself completely, even forgetting about that third woman. If I find out he isn’t satisfied…”

WeiWei’s slender finger lifted the chin, forcing his perspective back up to face her red eyes that seemingly bore into his soul, “I’m sure neither of you want to end up in the Public Commons, now, do you?”

Bubai could sense the panic brewing within him, “Y-Yes mistress...”

The scene faded away, leaving him once again in the darkness. As a strand of Qi washed away the underlying influences, Bubai opened his eyes and frowned. "It doesn't seem to be her either."

Bubai rose from his seated position, heading over to the side-table by the mirror where the incense burner awaited.

He retrieved another Sweet Dreams Incense from his storage space.

Snap! His fingers conjured a tiny spark of fire, and with it, he ignited the incense.

The fragrant smoke began to curl upwards, a new wave of sweet aroma permeating the room.

Stabbing the incense stick into the burner, Bubai felt a pang of discomfort stabbing his conscience because he knew he was burning money, but it was necessary.

During the extraction process, the Dream Fishing technique mandated the target to be plunged into a deep sleep.

A normal knockout isn’t enough because the target might be stimulated by the dream, awakening in the process and triggering their spirit’s instinctive resistance against the intrusion.

Hence, external aids, like the Sweet Dreams Incense, were deemed necessary for a successful application of the technique… at least, during the initial learning stages.

Returning to the bed, Bubai seated himself once more beside the sleeping twins.

Patiently, he waited, observing the smoke in the room thicken once again. The twins, seemingly affected by the incense, sank deeper into their slumber.

Even Bubai felt a faint sense of weightiness settling over his own body, clearly affected by the potency of the incense.

Fortunately, this was the extent of the effects because his enhanced physique possessed a natural resistance to these external influences.

Well, even without his physique, his spirit also kept him alert - a trait shared by other Foundation Establishment cultivators who had their spiritual power permeating their own bodies.

True Qi could then be consumed to clear away these weak, external influences.

Additionally, the cultivators’ strengthened spiritual powers would instinctively resist the infiltration of external spiritual power.

Unless a complete suppression of spiritual power could be achieved, the Dream Fishing technique isn’t as effective against cultivators in the Foundation Establishment realm or higher.

Fortunately, this wasn’t an issue when dealing with mortals and Qi-refiners.

Bubai glanced at Wei Yi, eventually setting his gaze back on Wei Er. “So, only one suspect left…”

Drawing a strand of green Qi from his dantian, Bubai circulated it within his own mind, seeking heightened clarity to avoid any missteps in the delicate process that lay ahead.

Repeating the ritual, he channeled his Qi according to the technique, his fingers tapping into the memory of Wei Er once again. “Wei Er, your orders from your master Elder Mo…”

This time, there was a response to his chant.

Bubai's senses sharpened, and he honed his focus on the circulating current of true Qi within the mind of Wei Er.

With precision, he guided the energy along the fishing route, carefully harvesting the targeted memories.

When the lit incense stick was halfway through, Bubai drew a strand of Qi out from Wei Er’s forehead, the ethereal thread pulsating with the captured pink mist.

With familiarity, he guided the strand into his opened mouth once more, eventually absorbing the essence into his memory space.

It was a success, but the implications didn’t make Bubai any happier.

Dissolving the copied memory Qi in his mind, Bubai's consciousness soon plunged into another vivid memory, finding himself kneeling in a luxuriously furnished guest hall, bearing great resemblance to the halls he peeked into during his tour of the Central District.

Seated on a mahogany chair, an old man pretentiously sipped his tea, his demeanor radiating authority and apathy. Around his neck hung a medallion showcasing the sect’s emblem with four rays on the sun.

Coiling down his black robe was an embroidered dragon, its gaping maw opened to exhale fire toward the stylized image of a tripod, partially obscured by the familiar head of the twin kneeling before him.

The old man, setting down his tea cup, addressed the twins with a voice that reached through the corridors of time. "Your duty is to report who he interacts with. Learn his weaknesses and behaviors during dual cultivation. Earn his favor, be his poison testers...”

“Do well to cherish this opportunity, but remember, no matter how ugly he is, no matter how he treats you, he must live until the day I deem fit. Understand?"

Obedient and subservient, the memory owner’s perspective lowered her head, affirming, "Yes, master Mo."

When the perspective looked up once more, Bubai also noticed the other twin fervently nodding in agreement.

Elder Mo nodded, his rosy face wearing a smile as he patted the head of the twin in praise. “Yes, very good. Wei Yi, right? Indeed, you are qualified. Now, it’s time for the quality check of your sister...”

As the perspective crawled forward, hinting at the subsequent scene, Bubai abruptly broke free from the memory, choosing not to delve further into the details.

Falling back to reality, the frowning Bubai’s eyes opened, bearing a dangerous glint. "As expected, the mastermind is him."

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place.