Chapter Seventy-Two: Seizing the Mind and Stealing Thoughts

Deacon Fess lay on the ground like a dead dog, gasping heavily for air. Upon hearing that calm voice, he instinctively trembled, yet still clenched his teeth, refusing to yield.

"Dream on. The great vampire will never bow to lowly humans—never."

"Oh? Then I truly wish to see how tough you really are!" With a cold laugh, Gu Zhongyan shook his wand once more.

An even brighter emerald light illuminated the conference room, and the wailing rose eightfold, so piercing it could shatter glass. Deacon Fess writhed in agony, his body twisting into grotesque shapes, resembling a freshly kneaded rope. Wave after wave of pain battered his mind, burrowing deep into his soul. Tearing, crushing, ravaging—every torment in the world seemed to originate here, afflicting the very depths of his being.

In the face of such pain, death itself was a mercy.

At last, whether it was ten thousand years or a hundred thousand, the torment finally ceased—though to Deacon Fess, every second felt like an eternity.

Gu Zhongyan's voice sounded again, cold and detached. "And now?"

Even the vampire's resilience couldn't save Deacon Fess from needing a long time to recover. He trembled, struggling with every ounce of strength just to lift his head and look at Gu Zhongyan. His voice was barely more than a whisper, gritted and weak. "You... you can forget it!"

Expressionless, Gu Zhongyan swung his wand again.

Once, twice, three times…

Each time, the duration and intensity surpassed the last by a whole magnitude.

Yet Deacon Fess never broke. After the final 'Soul Piercer,' he was too weak even to gasp for breath. He collapsed like a heap of mud upon the floor, as if death could claim him at any moment—no trace of vampiric dignity remained.

The vampires nearby were terrified by what they witnessed, silently warning themselves that if Gu Zhongyan commanded them, they would comply without resistance, even if it meant their death.

Gu Zhongyan hadn't expected Deacon Fess to be so tenacious, enduring so many rounds of soul-shredding torment without surrender. At this point, another round would surely shatter him completely, reducing him to dust.

"It seems I underestimated you. Your willpower is truly admirable," Gu Zhongyan remarked.

"I am... I am a great vampire. Low... lowly... lowly humans... can never... never make me submit. Never!" Deacon Fess gasped and stammered.

Gu Zhongyan snorted, a faint mocking glint in his eyes.

"Enough. I gave you a compliment, and you really think you're something now? You don't actually believe that's the only method I have, do you?"

"Well, I hadn't wanted to use this, but it seems I have no choice."

With that, Gu Zhongyan waved his wand and uttered, "Mind Seizure!"

Unlike Soul Piercer, Mind Seizure had no visible effects, but Deacon Fess's reaction was anything but subdued. His face changed instantly, and he stared at Gu Zhongyan in terror.

"What are you doing? What do you want? Stop! Stop it, get out! Get out, I said! Go!"

Seeing him so frantic, the others couldn't help but wonder what Gu Zhongyan had done. When Deacon Fess suffered before, he still managed to maintain his defiant attitude, but now he looked as helpless and panicked as a violated maiden in the dead of night.

The vampires might only be curious, and grew more wary of Gu Zhongyan, but Blade showed no restraint, voicing his confusion directly.

"I'm probing his mind, reading his memories," Gu Zhongyan replied coolly.

At this, everyone frowned, instinctively putting some distance between themselves and him.

For sentient beings, memory and the mind are sacred—core to one's identity. Having one's mind invaded, memories searched, is more horrifying than death itself, for it threatens the very foundation of selfhood.

Noting the complex, wary looks from Blade and Whistler, Gu Zhongyan spoke. "No need to be so on guard. Unless absolutely necessary, I never use this kind of magic."

"This spell is a double-edged sword for me. If I can avoid it, I do."

Gu Zhongyan was not lying. As a master of Occlumency, he understood the mind better than almost anyone.

In the Marvel universe, mind reading and control are common powers, practically everywhere. Yet Gu Zhongyan believed these abilities were best left untouched; most people simply lack the capacity to wield them safely.

Psychic power is a double-edged blade. The strong can peer into or control others' minds, but in the process, the minds of others influence them as well—and this influence accumulates over time.

Unless one's mind undergoes a fundamental transformation to a higher level, accumulated influences will eventually turn inward and destroy the wielder.

In Marvel, those with psychic abilities are rarely sane; the stronger their mind, the more likely they've traveled the path of darkness and ruin.

Thus, Gu Zhongyan practiced Occlumency, striving to keep his mind pure, and avoided using Mind Seizure or Soul Stealer spells unless absolutely necessary. Even when he did so, he would spend much time cleansing himself of the effects.

If Deacon Fess hadn't been so stubborn, and if Gu Zhongyan hadn't needed information from him, he would never have resorted to Mind Seizure.

Under the spell, Deacon Fess's memories unfolded before Gu Zhongyan like pages in a book, revealing themselves in his mind.

Deacon Fess could feel his deepest secrets being dredged up bit by bit, his curses growing ever sharper. But no matter how he tried or how fiercely he cursed, it was futile against Gu Zhongyan's psychic might.

At last, the ancient structure hidden deep within Deacon Fess's mind appeared before Gu Zhongyan.

"This is it—the Land of Eternal Night built by Grand Sorcerer Varna. Sorry, you're no longer of use. As thanks, I'll personally send you from this world. Farewell, Deacon Fess—never to meet again."

With a gentle smile, Gu Zhongyan slowly extended his finger. A faint ray of sunlight gathered at his fingertip and fell upon Deacon Fess's brow.