Chapter 103 - 102: Driving Tang Ruan

Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Driving Tang Ruan

Although Li Ruanyu was an instructor, she was actually only a few years older than Zhao Chi.

In terms of age, she was more like an older sister.

Their way of communicating wasn’t too formal.

Zhao Chi: [I want to see some blueprints for women’s fashion, mainly... for silk stockings.]

His tone was a bit awkward.

Li Ruanyu’s tone, however, was quite natural.

[Oh, no wonder you bought so many silk stockings last time. I was wondering what you were buying them for, but then I figured it out. Your race is mutated, so they’re all women. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ll go take a look for you in a bit.]

Zhao Chi: [Instructor Li, is this convenient for you? I heard from the Clan Leader that your situation is a bit special, and that it might not be convenient for you to help me.]

Li Ruanyu: [It’s really nothing. It’s just that I’m being monitored, so I was worried I’d cause you trouble by giving you things. But buying supplies on your behalf is no problem, of course. Don’t worry.]

Zhao Chi: [That’s good. Thank you.]

Li Ruanyu: [I’ll contact you when I get to the Exchange.]

’This works out well.’

It saved Zhao Chi the time he would have wasted running back and forth.

He didn’t have money for a horse, so he had to run. A round trip took at least two hours.

Now that he had saved some time, it was the perfect opportunity to learn from the Body Driving Skill Book.

Tang Ruan had just woken up and was in good physical shape. He could use her as the target.

Besides, her personality was: obedient and hardworking.

Perhaps that made her a better match for this skill.

He closed the system interface.

Tang Ruan stared at him blankly. "My Lord, you’re not leaving anymore?"

"Right, I’m not leaving just yet."

"Oh, hehe, I’ll go help with the modifications then."

During his brief conversation just now, Tang Ruan had already called over quite a few villagers to work on modifying the hot spring.

Their morale was still high, and the CLANGING and BANGING of their work was already underway.

It looked like the Carefree Spring would be finished by noon.

"You don’t need to help with the modifications. I have a new skill I want to try on you, to see if I can ’drive’ you. Come inside with me."

Tang Ruan blinked.

"’Drive’ me?"

Zhao Chi smiled. "That’s right. I need to enter your body, but I’ll need your full cooperation. Don’t resist at all."

Tang Ruan’s eyes went wide, and her cheeks flushed crimson.

She quickly looked around.

All around them was the CLANGING and BANGING of the construction; no one was paying attention.

Tang Ruan then glanced nervously at the room next door.

Gu Qing was sleeping in there.

Tang Ruan looked troubled. "I... I don’t really have many reservations. My Lord has been so good to me, I’m willing to do anything. Even if my Affinity for you isn’t unlocked, as long as you want it, My Lord, I will definitely cooperate completely. But..."

Zhao Chi was a little confused. "What’s wrong? You have reservations?"

Tang Ruan asked in a small voice, "Won’t Sister Gu be unhappy about this?"

"Huh? Why would Gu Qing be unhappy?"

Tang Ruan stammered out an explanation, "Sister Gu is indeed lenient with us about many things, but this... I think she’d be very bothered by this. It’s not that she’d mind adding me—she wouldn’t care if there were several more—but she might mind who is the *first*. Why don’t you go to her first, My Lord?"

The more Zhao Chi listened, the more he felt something was off.

It felt like the innocent Tang Ruan had gotten the wrong idea again.

It seemed she was *always* getting the wrong idea.

’Why does such an obedient girl with long, straight, black hair always think along those lines?’

’Are the things I say really that ambiguous?’

Zhao Chi sighed. "What did you think I was going to do with you?"

Tang Ruan bit her lower lip and pouted. "You’re awful~"

’Huh?’

’How am I being awful now?’

Zhao Chi explained, "I really am just asking you here to try out a skill. I don’t mean anything else."

"Huh? Oh..."

She seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

But she also seemed a little disappointed.

Zhao Chi chuckled. "Just come with me for now. We can talk about whatever else later."

"Oh..." Tang Ruan obediently followed Zhao Chi into the room.

He closed the door.

Zhao Chi pulled Tang Ruan over to the edge of the bed.

"Lie down, relax your whole body, and don’t be nervous. In a moment, no matter what I do to you, don’t resist in the slightest. Can you do that?"

Tang Ruan was extremely puzzled.

"I mean, I can cooperate, but... are you *sure* you don’t mean ’that’?"

"Don’t let your imagination run wild."

"Oh... so, do I need to take my clothes off?"

"No."

"Oh... you want to take them off for me yourself? I’m willing, of course, but since it’s my first time, I hope you’ll be gentle."

’It seems she still doesn’t believe me.’

Zhao Chi didn’t bother explaining further.

He took out the [Body Driving Skill Book] and tapped ’Use’.

This time, it worked.

A glow appeared, and Zhao Chi learned the skill instantly.

[You have mastered the Dark Spiritual Art: Body Driving Technique]

[Name: Body Driving Technique]

[Type: Dark Spiritual Art]

[Effect: Basic Spirit Technique. Consumes 10 Spiritual Power to enter a target’s body and control it at will. Duration: 10 minutes.]

[Explanation: Can only be used on targets with no soul or who have absolute trust in the user. Otherwise, you may suffer severe backlash, or even perish.]

It was a Dark Spiritual Art, after all. It was bound to have some side effects.

If it went wrong, the consequences could be severe.

This was also why Zhao Chi had chosen Tang Ruan.

She was more simple-minded than Gu Qing and trusted Zhao Chi blindly.

Besides, her Loyalty was at 8 points, and she had unlocked Tier Two Affinity.

She was a perfect fit.

"I’m starting now."

"Mhm!"

Tang Ruan closed her eyes.

Her hands clenched into two small fists, and her pale, delicate toes curled slightly.

Her body was completely taut with tension.

"Relax. It’ll be hard for me to get in otherwise."

"Aiyah~ My Lord~"

Tang Ruan whined coquettishly.

It was as if she was scolding him for being too blunt.

Zhao Chi sighed.

’The more I talk, the deeper the misunderstanding gets. Enough talk. Time for action!’

Spiritual Power was consumed, and Zhao Chi felt a jolt, as if electricity had passed through his body.

The next moment, he saw a strange light shoot from his own forehead and strike Tang Ruan’s.

Tang Ruan’s gaze went vacant.

She seemed to have zoned out.

Zhao Chi also felt his vision begin to blur. It felt like he was flying, the fierce wind making it impossible to open his eyes.

Even when he managed to force them open, it was like entering a heavily pixelated world where he couldn’t see anything clearly.

Everything was a blur.

His body felt warm.

Everything around him, in every direction, was soft and incredibly warm.

Gradually, his vision began to clear again.

Before his eyes was the roof of the Lord’s cabin.

He was already lying on the bed.

’No.’

’This must be Tang Ruan’s perspective.’

’Did the skill work?’

"..." Zhao Chi.

Zhao Chi found he couldn’t move.

He couldn’t control Tang Ruan’s body at all.

He couldn’t even blink; the blinking that was happening now was still Tang Ruan’s own.

Just then, Tang Ruan curiously turned her head to look at the spot where Zhao Chi had been standing.

Zhao Chi had vanished.

"My Lord?"

Tang Ruan sat up and saw only Zhao Chi’s clothes and shoes on the floor, but Zhao Chi himself was nowhere to be found.

"My Lord, where did you go?"

Tang Ruan called out softly.

’Zhao Chi was screaming in his mind, but he couldn’t make a single sound.’

He was like an audience member now.

He could see what Tang Ruan saw, hear what Tang Ruan heard, and even feel all of Tang Ruan’s physical sensations.

"Where did My Lord run off to?"

Tang Ruan was very confused.

She couldn’t help but touch her own burning cheeks as she looked around for Zhao Chi.

Zhao Chi could feel a pair of hands touching a soft, hot face. So this was the soft, tender sensation Tang Ruan felt when she touched her own face.

Tang Ruan’s field of vision darted left and right.

One moment she was looking at the ceiling, the next she was lifting the blanket.

She even opened the cabinet next to the bed.

Finally, she lowered her little head and looked under the bed.

Zhao Chi thought with exasperation, ’This Tang Ruan really is simple-minded. Would I really take off my clothes and crawl naked under the bed?’

Tang Ruan sat on the bed, still looking around randomly.

Then, she muttered to herself:

"Where did My Lord go?"

"Did he go to that other world?"

"Honestly... I was all ready."

"And he left without a word."

Tang Ruan grumbled softly as she picked up Zhao Chi’s clothes.

She folded them neatly and placed them at the head of the bed.

Then her eyes landed on Zhao Chi’s messy blanket.

She reached out, pulled the blanket over, folded it twice, and then stopped.

Her gaze quickly darted to the door.

It was closed.

Then, Tang Ruan buried her entire head in Zhao Chi’s blanket and took a deep breath.

"Ah... so this is what My Lord smells like."

As Tang Ruan spoke, she burrowed into the blanket again and took another deep breath.

*SNIIIIIFF~*

She took another sniff.

’Zhao Chi felt helpless.’

’What on earth is this Tang Ruan sniffing?’

"Ah! My Lord!?"

Tang Ruan suddenly cried out.

She looked around in a panic, but she didn’t see Zhao Chi.

"My Lord, are you back?"

’Zhao Chi was also confused.’

’I didn’t say anything. Can she hear my thoughts?’

"Huh? My Lord, I can hear you! Where are you?"