The rhythm was precise and deliberate, definitely not an accidental blink.
What was this? Morse code?
Bai Ci felt a bit vexed. She didn't understand it. What normal person would memorize such a thing? It was useless in daily life.
It seemed she had one more thing to memorize once she returned.
The only thing she could be sure of was that the person opposite her was highly likely a player.
The person opposite didn't seem to be using Morse code, or perhaps he realized that Bai Ci didn't understand it. In any case, after exchanging signals confirming they were both on the player faction, he stopped blinking.
He switched to another method, subtly looking down at something and then looking back up.
This movement looked very normal, but at a critical moment for transmitting information, it was definitely not meaningless.
Was he signaling her to agree and not refuse?
In an instant, Bai Ci made up her mind. She gave a soft reply, still maintaining her timid and cowardly appearance, "I will do as Mother says."
Seeing Bai Ci comply so obediently without any hesitation or resistance, Madame Xu's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a trace of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
The doctor also nodded slightly and spoke with feigned composure, "In that case, this old man shall perform the art immediately."
"This secret art requires drawing a protective rune for you first to suppress the blood and qi in your body and stabilize your muscles and skin. Only then can the subsequent conditioning yield twice the result with half the effort."
As soon as he finished speaking, the young apprentice waiting on the side immediately stepped forward. An eager and flattering smile plastered his face once more, and his movements were extremely swift.
"Master, I have the ground ink with me."
He stepped forward quickly, holding a sealed bamboo tube in one hand and offering a writing brush with the other. His posture was extremely respectful, the very picture of an incredibly observant lackey.
Looking at his apprentice, the doctor's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction, and he casually praised, "Although Xiao Xiang is the latest disciple to enter my tutelage, he is the cleverest and most observant. He saves me a lot of trouble."
Hearing this, the young apprentice's smile grew even wider. He repeatedly bowed his head and humbly agreed, looking thoroughly flattered.
Bai Ci stood quietly in place, watching this scene without showing any emotion. This guy could act even better than she could.
Her acting range was actually quite narrow. For instance, if she had to play a role like this guy's, she would break character in a matter of seconds.
"Young Madam, please sit down and place your hand here, back of the hand facing up."
The young apprentice deftly placed a cushion on the table and guided Bai Ci to sit.
The doctor picked up the writing brush, dipped it into the thick, pitch-black ink in the inkstone, and began writing on the back of Bai Ci's extended left hand.
The ink was thick and pitch-black, looking completely ordinary, but the moment the brush touched her skin, Bai Ci felt a faint, icy sensation seeping through her skin along her muscle fibers.
As the brush tip moved, the lines twisted and coiled, outlining an extremely bizarre and complex pattern stroke by stroke.
The pattern was not like a conventional talisman. The lines tangled, twisted, coiled, and intersected. Upon closer inspection, the center of the pattern surprisingly revealed two snake-like shapes biting each other's tails, tightly coiling and stitched together.
Once the rune on the back of her left hand was fully drawn and the color had completely stabilized, the doctor stopped and handed the brush to the young apprentice beside him.
"I will leave the right hand to you to draw. Remember to keep your hand steady and your strength controlled. Make no mistakes."
"Yes, Master!" The young apprentice hastily bowed in response and respectfully took the brush.
He took half a step forward, drawing close to Bai Ci's side. Seizing the opportunity as he leaned down to write, he lowered his voice and quickly whispered a warning in a volume only the two of them could hear.
"When the rune turns red, let the eldest young master out."
Even as he gave this warning, his face still maintained that flattering and respectful expression. He lowered his eyes, focusing intently, and meticulously replicated the exact same snake rune on the back of Bai Ci's right hand.
Compared to the doctor's skilled movements, he would occasionally hesitate as he wrote, making a show of stealing glances at the pattern on her other hand.
This movement was subtle but noticeable, though it was fortunately intended to be seen by others in the first place.
The final result was about eighty to ninety percent similar to the style drawn by the doctor, who nodded in satisfaction.
"Sit quietly and wait here for a moment. Once the rune completely seeps into your skin, the first step of the secret art will be complete."
The doctor picked up the tea beside him, his expression arrogant.
Bai Ci did as told, lowering her eyes to look at the snake runes on the backs of her hands, waiting quietly.
The patterns were not static; instead, they slowly flowed on her skin, and their color changed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The black gradually faded, revealing a faint, blood-red tint.
Seeing that the black runes were about to turn completely red, and the timing was just right, Bai Ci looked up at the perfect moment. "Doctor, how much longer do we have to wait?"
At this moment, the doctor was being earnestly complimented and flattered by Madame Xu, with his own apprentice echoing the praises. He was thoroughly enjoying the adulation, feeling on top of the world.
Suddenly interrupted, he grew somewhat impatient. Without even raising his head, he snapped with a hint of arrogance and perfunctoriness, "What are you rushing for? Why so impatient, are you in a hurry to reincarnate? It will be done soon, just wait quietly."
She had been waiting for exactly these words. As soon as his voice fell, Bai Ci performed a masterclass on the spot in what it meant to switch personas in a split second.
"What is the use of drawing these runes on the backs of my hands?"
Bai Ci looked down at the backs of her hands again. Her tone was calm, carrying the detached yet open scrutiny of a scholarly gentleman.
The doctor, who had been full of impetuous pride from all the flattery, froze at the sound of the voice and instinctively looked up.
The person sitting upright in the chair had not moved, and her appearance had not changed, yet her entire aura had completely transformed.
The grace in her gestures and her scholarly, refined tone of voice were, in every aspect, that of a well-educated young master from a noble family.
Meanwhile, a wave of joy surged in Madame Xu's eyes.
"My son!"
She almost stumbled forward, her hands trembling slightly. She wanted to touch him but feared disturbing him, her eyes meticulously tracing the features of the person before her.
"You're awake? You're finally awake again. Is there any discomfort in your body? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"
Bai Ci looked up at her and nodded gently, her tone carrying a hint of comforting calmness, exactly the way Xu Qinghe usually treated others.
"Do not worry, Mother. I am fine. I have caused you concern."
Seeing this, the cultist doctor had no more doubts. He quickly straightened his posture, shedding all his previous flippancy, and stepped forward to bow slightly.
This young master possessed a unique destiny and was someone the cult leader had explicitly ordered to be monitored to ensure the ritual was completed without any mistakes.
The doctor adopted a relatively respectful attitude to avoid giving any cause for offense, fearing that if the eldest young master turned out to be less gentle than rumored, it might complicate the completion of the ritual.
"Eldest Young Master Xu, this old man has been impolite."
"The two runes on the backs of your hands, Eldest Young Master, are the sacred runes of our cult, representing two snakes coiling together, binding yin and yang."
"The greatest function of these runes is to suppress the soul of the body's original owner, imprisoning her spiritual awareness and suppressing her mental perception."
"It is precisely by relying on the power of these sacred runes that your spiritual awareness can safely awaken now, Eldest Young Master, to temporarily take control of this body."
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