Hypnotism, Remodeling the Duke of Yansheng

The moment Kong Ne caught sight of Zhang Yi, he finally remembered what kind of place the Serenity Temple was.

His intestines were twisted with regret now. Why on earth had he randomly picked a Taoist temple, only to stumble straight into Zhang Yi’s lair?

He could hardly be blamed. Although he had once heard Zhang Yi mention that his place of practice was the Serenity Temple, there were easily seven or eight hundred Taoist temples in this world bearing that name.

How was he supposed to know that the world could be this small?

Kong Ne only wanted to run away immediately before Zhang Yi could catch up to him, but reality is often so cruel.

Zhang Yi trotted over and draped an arm casually over Kong Ne’s shoulder.

Kong Ne kept his face rigid, maintaining a completely expressionless mask.

"Benefactor Bai, who is this calling of the souls for? You’ve certainly come to the right place by visiting my Serenity Temple...

This is the specialty of our Mount Longhu!"

Kong Ne took a sharp breath. Zhang Yi addressing him repeatedly as "Benefactor Bai" made his scalp tingle.

Yet Zhang Yi’s words also reminded him that when it came to calling back wandering souls, this kid might actually be capable of it.

The boy possessed the Art of the Five Ghosts Transportation, so he surely knew other esoteric Daoist arts as well.

"Can you really do this?"

Kong Ne looked at Zhang Yi with suspicion. He was far too familiar with the boy to easily associate him with a high-ranking Daoist master.

"Any walking chicken—no, walking Daoist you see out on the street—belongs to my Mount Longhu, and I am the direct successor of Mount Longhu, the second-in-line heir to the Celestial Master Mansion. What do you think?

"Bai... Benefactor, would you like to give it a try?"

Zhang Yi deliberately emphasized the word "Bai," driving the blood straight to Kong Ne’s face, making his ears burn.

Gritting his teeth, Kong Ne nodded and turned back to instruct Steward Fu:

"Steward Fu, help my grandfather inside!"

"Young Master...?"

Seeing that Zhang Yi looked no older than seven or eight, Steward Fu hesitated.

Could this little Daoist priest really be up to the task?

However, Kong Ne had already taken the initiative to push Zhang Yi forward, the two of them whispering quietly to one another.

Kong Ne: "How did you recognize me?"

Zhang Yi: "Did you take me for blind with that giant character 'Kong' carved right into your jade pendant?"

Kong Ne: ......

Instantly, he changed the subject:

"Are you actually going to be able to do this or not?"

"Nonsense. Isn't your grandfather just playing dumb? Whether this works or not depends entirely on whether he's willing to wake up himself."

"My grandfather isn't faking it. It seems he genuinely..."

Kong Ne spoke concisely, briefing Zhang Yi on Kong Kejian's condition.

"The Emperor actually let you out? And on top of that, he's truly out of his mind?"

After recognizing Kong Ne, Zhang Yi had initially intended to tease him, but upon hearing the details of Kong Kejian's condition, he fell silent as well.

Had Kong Kejian actually gone mad?

If so, that was going to be difficult to handle!

Mental illness was not something easily treated in ancient times, let alone centuries later where it remained an incurable ailment!

"Tell me about his symptoms in detail!"

Zhang Yi whispered to ask Kong Ne for more information, and Kong Ne answered everything without reservation.

Shortly after, the group arrived in the courtyard. Zhang Yi said:

"I need to examine him. Senior Brother Deng, you and this elder wait outside. Young Master Bai, come with me to the alchemy room!"

Kong Ne nodded and helped the old man walk toward the alchemy room.

Inside the alchemy room, the pungent smell of garlic caused both of them to frown.

Zhang Yi observed that Kong Kejian reacted the exact same way.

"Sit him down!"

Zhang Yi arranged for Kong Kejian to be seated, but the old man remained dazed and foolish, not uttering a word.

"Elder, the King's forces have moved south, the Great Ming dynasty has fallen, and we have come to save you..."

Zhang Yi suddenly shouted right next to Kong Kejian's ear. Kong Ne was startled, thinking this kid was truly audacious—was he trying to get himself killed?

Kong Kejian remained vacant and silly, offering no response at all!

Zhang Yi thought for a moment, then shouted again:

"The Ming army has washed the Kong family in blood! Everyone is dead, everyone is dead... Elder, the Kong family is finished..."

At the utterance of those words, Kong Kejian’s pupils constricted violently, and his whole body showed a slight reaction.

Seeing Zhang Yi go this far, Kong Ne was just about to step forward and push him away.

"Ah, so that's how it is!"

At that moment, Zhang Yi stopped his actions, looking thoughtful.

Kong Ne stopped as well, asking nervously:

"How is my grandfather?"

"There's no need to call back his soul, because his soul hasn't scattered!"

Zhang Yi turned back to tell Kong Ne:

"Instead of saying your grandfather lost his soul, it's more accurate to say he is plagued by inner demons. The root of his illness stems from his obsession with protecting the Kong family...

You see, when I mentioned the Mongols earlier, he had no reaction.

Yet when I said the Kong family was destroyed, it triggered him!

From this, we can see that the root of his mental illness is fear. Long-term fear devoured him, causing his psychological defense line to collapse and pushing him toward a state of dementia!

This isn't a matter of spirits and ghosts; it's primarily a medical issue..."

"Then is there any medicine that can cure it?"

As Kong Ne finished speaking, Zhang Yi rolled his eyes:

"Mental illnesses require mental cures; haven't you ever heard that saying?

Not every sickness can be treated with pharmaceuticals. I can't guarantee I'll be able to bring him back, but shall I try?"

"Can you really save him?"

At this point, Kong Ne regarded Zhang Yi as a drowning man clutching a straw, his expression extremely emotional.

"I can't promise anything, but I can give it a try!

Take him to my room..."

The two of them emerged from the alchemy room and led Kong Kejian into Zhang Yi's quarters.

"You, get out!"

This time, Zhang Yi didn't even allow Kong Ne to stay, directly shooing him out and slamming the doors and windows shut!

"Being under constant surveillance for so long caused severe mental anxiety, and since that anxiety was never relieved over a long period, it began to affect his brain, gradually forming a pathological state...

Whether he can be saved or not, we'll just have to treat a dead horse as if it were still alive!"

Although Zhang Yi felt no sympathy for Kong Kejian, since a "customer" had arrived, compounded by Kong Ne's friendship, he would put in his best effort to give it a try.

Besides, if Kong Kejian could be rehabilitated, it would also be considered a positive development for Huaxia!

The lineage of the Duke Yansheng wielded an absolutely overwhelming influence over the spiritual world of Huaxia.

The tiny bit of influence the Zhang family possessed wasn't even worthy of carrying the shoes of the Kong family!

"Although I never studied medicine, my level of psychology amounts to having read a few books. Treating a dead horse as a living one won't hurt!"

Zhang Yi recalled the psychology books he had read in his past life, along with his amateur-hour hypnosis techniques.

He had actually self-studied hypnosis for a short period in his previous life, mostly for self-hypnosis to improve his mental state and aid sleep!

Hypnotizing someone else was clearly much more difficult than self-hypnosis, but he could certainly try!

"Judging from his reaction just now, he can understand external signals. That's good news!"

Gazing at the vacant-eyed Kong Kejian, Zhang Yi improvised a prop and swung it back and forth in front of him.

"You are in the Kong family of Qufu... You are..."

He began verbal induction, painting a picture of what Kong Kejian desired most.

Misty clouds drifting, the Kong family estate nestled among rolling mountains...

The crisp sound of children reading books echoing through the valley.

The source of the reading was a Confucian temple housing a massive statue of Confucius.

The master of the Kong family, the contemporary Duke Yansheng Kong Kejian, sat within the temple, listening to the voices of his descendants reading their classics.

Before him lay an imperial decree sent by the Emperor, inquiring after the health of the Kong family head!

Zhang Yi wove a beautiful dream for Kong Kejian. Under the influence of the hypnosis, the old man's head drooped, and he fell heavily onto Zhang Yi's bed, fast asleep.

Kong Kejian slept soundly. It could be said that ever since Zhu Yuanzhang detained him in Nanjing, he had never truly slept peacefully once.

"If the mind is deprived of relaxation for too long, it probably leads to depression, right?"

Thinking to himself, Zhang Yi continued to weave a pleasant dreamscape for Kong Kejian.

In the dream, the Kong family possessed an unyielding backbone, taking the preservation of Confucius's teachings as their bounden duty.

While helping Kong Kejian relax, Zhang Yi also slipped in some private agenda, planting subtle psychological suggestions.

As for how effective these psychological suggestions would be, he had no way of knowing.

At any rate, it was better than doing nothing!

Having finished all this, he opened his bedroom door.

Outside, Kong Ne, Steward Fu, Deng Zhongxiu, and the others swarmed over instantly.

"Can my grandfather be saved?"

"How is the old master?"

"Junior Brother, how is this elder?"

Zhang Yi waved his hand, signaling them to quiet down.

Putting on a mysterious air, he said:

"This poor Daoist has pacified the soul of the old benefactor and let him rest for a while...

His illness arose from inner demons; outsiders cannot help him much!

This poor Daoist has created an illusionary realm for him; let him nourish his spirit there!"

Steward Fu and Kong Ne initially thought Zhang Yi was just playing mystical tricks, but when they went inside to take a look, they fell silent.

They had never seen Kong Kejian sleep so peacefully before. With a sleeping state like this, his condition was improving at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Zhang Yi chuckled:

"Living in hell, one is bound to fall ill. While this poor Daoist cannot pull him out of hell, I can grant him a moment of respite. Whether he can walk out of his inner demons depends entirely on himself!"

Kong Ne looked pensive and turned to tell Steward Fu:

"Steward Fu, wait in the carriage. I'll stay here until Grandpa wakes up!"

Kong Ne turned around and handed Steward Fu the remainder of his money, signaling him to step outside.

Zhang Yi also gestured for Deng Zhongxiu to leave.

As soon as the others departed, Zhang Yi casually tossed the jade pendant back to him.

"You aren't taking any money? That's not like you at all!"

Kong Ne said with annoyance. Zhang Yi patted his chest:

"We're brothers, how could I possibly take your money?"

Hearing him say that, Kong Ne immediately grew apprehensive!

"So I'm asking you for a small favor, and you won't turn me down, right?"

"What favor?"

"I need to compile some mathematics textbooks recently, but copying them by hand is too slow. There's a section of material I want you to help me transcribe!"

"Deal!"

Kong Ne began helping Zhang Yi copy the books, with Zhang Yi dictating.

Having collaborated multiple times before, the two of them worked together with a tacit understanding.

As they copied and chatted, Kong Ne learned about the bet between Zhang Yi and Liu Bowen.

He drew in a sharp breath.

High-ranking court officials like Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang were figures larger than the heavens in his mind.

Not only did this fellow dare to talk back to such people, but he actually dared to place a wager with Liu Bowen?

Kong Ne gazed at Zhang Yi's figure as he copied the texts, remaining speechless for a long time.

In truth, he deeply envied Zhang Yi's uninhibited nature—lawless, free, and completely at ease!

Unlike himself, who had shouldered the responsibilities of the Duke Yansheng since childhood, his every word and action was scrutinized by others, forcing Kong Ne to be extremely cautious most of the time.

Ever since the troubles befell the Kong family, this caution of his had only been magnified.

"What are you staring at? Hurry up and write..."

"Oh, oh..."

Kong Ne quickly refocused his attention on the transcription.

As he copied the contents above, he unconsciously became captivated by them.

"Mathematics... it actually seems quite interesting..."

The future Duke Yansheng was developing a deep interest in mathematics.

Time slipped away unnoticeably, and two hours passed.

The scion of the Kong family and the scion of the Zhang family finally finished transcribing the required texts. During the break, Zhang Yi even went to check on the allicin.

Some movement came from inside Zhang Yi's room.

The two boys rushed over to check on Kong Kejian, only to find the old man waking up naturally.

"Grandpa..."

Kong Ne tried to wake his grandfather, but Kong Kejian still didn't acknowledge him.

However, he noticed that the look in Kong Kejian's eyes had become much more vibrant!

"Sure enough, what he lacked was relaxation..."

Though still muddled, Kong Kejian's mental state was improving at a speed visible to the naked eye, and Zhang Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At least his persona as a little immortal hadn't crashed and burned...

Kong Kejian had been showing symptoms of mental illness, but it hadn't reached a totally irreversible stage yet.

"Zhang Yi, thank you!"

Once Kong Ne confirmed that his grandfather was improving, he solemnly bowed to Zhang Yi.

"Hehe! Your grandfather isn't completely cured yet. If it's convenient, bring him to the temple often so I can pacify his spirit!

He'll never truly recover back at the Kong estate; that environment is the very source of his illness!"

Knowing that Zhang Yi was well aware Kong Kejian was faking madness, Kong Ne found it easy to converse without hiding anything.

"Understood, sorry for the trouble!"

"No problem. Help me copy more assignments later; I'll still have things needing your help down the road..."

Zhang Yi had originally planned to visit Kong Ne in a bit to discuss his grand money-making scheme, so giving him a favor beforehand was no big deal.

Hearing that Zhang Yi would still need his help put Kong Ne at ease.

He nodded silently, helped Kong Kejian outside, and boarded the carriage for home.

Upon leaving, Zhang Yi noticed Deng Zhongxiu chatting casually with a nearby neighbor outside the Kong manor, though he didn't think much of it.

After seeing them off, he failed to notice that the so-called neighbor wore a pensive expression.

Shortly thereafter, a secret memorial detailing these events landed on Zhu Yuanzhang's desk.

"Kong Ne went to Serenity Temple? Was it a coincidence?"

Zhu Yuanzhang read through it once, deep in thought, and handed the document to Zhu Biao, who smiled.

"Calling back souls...

It seems Elder Kong Kejian has genuinely lost his mind!"

"The crucial point is that Zhang Yi actually possesses a method to treat a wandering mind. The report says Elder Kong seemed much better after coming out of there!

Divine methods indeed!"

Zhang Yi was exceptional, and the father-son duo of the Zhu family knew he had a connection to immortals. However, in their daily interactions with him, it was easy to forget he was a little deity.

Yet just as you forgot, he would use his own methods to remind you that he indeed possessed supernatural skills!

"Father, if we let the Duke Yansheng's estate and the Zhang family get too close, the chances of our secrets being exposed later will increase!"

"Pay it no mind; this is a trivial matter!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved a hand, cutting off Zhu Biao's worries!

Time flowed on, and the days passed.

In the days that followed, Kong Ne treated Zhang Yi like his straw of salvation, bringing Kong Kejian over to Zhang Yi's place every single morning at daybreak.

Zhang Yi would cast a hypnotic spell laced with private suggestions on Kong Kejian and then let the old man sleep in the temple.

The temple was quiet, and since Zhang Yi wasn't brewing the next batch of allicin, the environment was much better than before.

Amidst the sound of Deng Zhongxiu's spiritual cultivation chants, Kong Kejian's condition grew better and better.

He didn't just sleep all the time; sometimes, after waking up while Kong Ne walked around, Kong Kejian would quietly sit in the room, waiting for someone to pick him up!

The two boys, Kong and Zhang, continued transcribing the textbooks from Zhang Yi's mind, failing to notice that the old master's gaze was gradually regaining its sharpness.

"Done!"

Finally, one day in the courtyard, the two boys cheered!

"This mathematics textbook is finally finished!"

Looking at the mountain of manuscripts before him, Zhang Yi felt deeply gratified.

Without Kong Ne's help, he doubted he could have finished it alone.

"So this is the mathematics textbook you compiled for the Great Ming? There is so much of it..."

"You don't understand. This covers everything from elementary studies up to advanced scholarship; it'll be enough for over a decade... This time, we're definitely going to defeat Liu Bowen..."

"Mathematics... the imperial examinations... Liu Bowen..."

The drifting words from outside caused Kong Kejian's gaze to flicker.

"Ne-ne, I'm taking these materials to present to my teacher..."

Zhang Yi bundled up the manuscripts and bid farewell to Kong Ne:

"Once your grandfather wakes up, feel free to leave!"

Kong Ne watched Zhang Yi depart, then turned to browse through the items on the desk.

"《One Hundred Whys (Part 4)》? What on earth is this..."

Kong Ne picked up a manuscript from Zhang Yi's desk to read, when in a daze, he noticed someone walking past the window.

Zhang Yi normally disliked outsiders entering, and both Deng Zhongxiu and Steward Fu were outside.

A flash of inspiration struck Kong Ne, and he hurried out, only to see that Kong Kejian had somehow walked out on his own.

"Grandpa, are you better?"

"Better?"

Kong Kejian's expression remained vacant, but one had to admit he was indeed much better than before.

Filled with joy, Kong Ne pulled his grandfather down to sit and began chatting with him.

Kong Kejian tilted his head, listening quietly, his eyes shimmering...

...

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi and Deng Zhongxiu headed toward the Xu estate.

When Zhang Yi handed a box full of manuscripts to Xu Xunren, the older man was similarly taken aback.

"Just how much did you write?"

Zhang Yi's manuscripts weren't just a single stack, but nearly a dozen separate files, and each individual manuscript was thick enough to be bound into a book.

Meaning his student had produced the equivalent of over a dozen books within ten days.

A monster!

Xu Xunren stared blankly at Zhang Yi, then opened the manuscripts to flip through them.

He fell into a conflicted state. Zhang Yi's manuscripts were numerous, but they looked remarkably ordinary.

Using these writings to counter Liu Bowen seemed rather inadequate...

"Does Teacher feel that my work cannot compare to Lord Liu's?"

Sensing Xu Xunren's hesitation, Zhang Yi simply smiled!

"Indeed. As your teacher, upon a first glance, I can see these materials were put together with effort and contain some clever little tricks!

While I am not well-versed in mathematics, I can tell the standard of these writings certainly cannot match Liu Ji's!"

Xu Xunren said:

"It's not that this old man is praising a fellow townsman, but Liu Ji is the most intelligent man I have ever laid eyes on. Astronomy, geography, orthodox teachings, and heterodox subjects—there is almost nothing he hasn't mastered.

If not for his slightly humble origins and the fact that he isn't part of the Emperor's inner circle, I doubt the position of Left Minister of the Secretariat would have fallen to Lord Li!

Compared to him, you are still a bit too green, but it's fine.

Liu Ji still has broad-mindedness; he won't hold anything against you!"

Xu Xunren comforted Zhang Yi:

"Since you've written so much, he will see your effort. Afterward, Teacher will arrange a gathering for you to apologize to him, which can also help you build some connections in Nanjing!"

Zhang Yi laughed dryly:

"Teacher, I don't think I'm going to lose! Lord Liu is very clever, I admit that. But precisely because he is so clever, his desire to win is the exact reason I will triumph!"

Xu Xunren wanted to press further, but Zhang Yi adopted a mysterious air:

"Teacher, just wait and see tomorrow!

I trust the Emperor's judgment!"

*(End of Chapter)*