After settling the courtyard commotion by leaving her two small disciples behind, Bai Fanxian headed into the underground secret room where Barbatos was being held.
"...He's still the same, right?"
Bai Fanxian asked Jin Ling, who explained straightforwardly.
"Yes. Seems he still can't remember anything. Only the Marshal and certain high-level personnel can enter that room."
He led her to the room entrance. Jin Ling entered the code and scanned his retina to open the door. The moment it succeeded, Bai Fanxian sensed the cold air flowing from the room again.
"...You go out first."
Jin Ling nodded readily and went back outside to observe from a distance.
"If there's an emergency, this room will lock automatically. Be careful about that."
Bai Fanxian understood. She entered the room where a single living being remained bound alone at the center.
"..."
Barbatos sensed something and slowly opened his eyes, slightly surprised to see the young woman from yesterday.
"Hello."
Bai Fanxian rarely greeted others first. She kept things simple—pulled a chair over to face the middle-aged man. Her demeanor suggested she'd just come to visit, nothing more.
Silence filled the awkward situation. One wasn't good at talking. The other had memory loss. They stared at each other blankly for over five minutes before Barbatos finally spoke.
"...Hello?"
He asked uncertainly. This young woman before him didn't seem like those who'd captured him. Though he couldn't remember anything, his mind unconsciously resisted the group who'd taken his freedom.
"Do you remember your own name?"
Bai Fanxian raised an eyebrow. She didn't expect him to answer the same way.
"...I can't remember anything." Barbatos shook his head, eyes unfocused. The more he tried thinking of his past self, the more pain shot through his brain. He shook his head forcefully then sighed weakly.
"Barbatos... that's your name."
Bai Fanxian considered then decided to tell him. She quietly circulated qi power in her body, fearing that telling him his name might trigger his memories' return.
"Bar...batos?"
But contrary to expectation, the middle-aged man murmured his own name with unfamiliar feelings. He tried to think. But no matter how much he thought, he couldn't. And he seemed to feel something wasn't right.
"...Why... do I feel it's not?"
The middle-aged man felt strangely conflicted. He sensed contradiction in his head. Finally it ended in pain shooting through again until he had to shake his head forcefully.
Bai Fanxian watched everything. Her Heaven Sense had been monitoring his every move from the start. When he made those gestures, she paid particularly close attention.
Was this man telling the truth?
Even she hesitated over that conclusion. Or maybe "Barbatos" wasn't his real name at all.
That seemed most likely. It might be an alias or fake name. Considering he was part of that world-renowned thief group, the chances were high.
"It's okay... you don't need to rush."
Bai Fanxian sent her pure qi to calm the confused middle-aged man. He relaxed, feeling better about the conversation. Barbatos opened his eyes again—clearer this time. He asked what he'd been wondering.
"...Why did you have to bind me like this?"
He meant his current state—bound completely except for his head.
"...That's right."
Slash!
With just a light flick of her hand, Bai Fanxian tore the military's special restraints to pieces. Jin Ling, observing outside, startled so badly he nearly jumped.
Red alarm signals blared. But the soldier quickly shut them off before chaos erupted. He was confident in Bai Fanxian's strength. If she couldn't stop Barbatos, bringing the entire army wouldn't make a difference.
So he trusted his instincts and let her do as she pleased.
Barbatos experienced freedom for the first time since waking. He raised an eyebrow in surprise as his body dropped to the floor. He knelt there, slowly moving like someone unfamiliar with their own body, while Bai Fanxian sat watching quietly.
"...Will it be okay?"
He'd stood up on his own two feet again. This woman was different. She showed no fear like those who'd visited him the first few days. And her strength impressed him—casually destroying restraints that wouldn't budge no matter how hard he'd tried.
"Or will you run?"
Bai Fanxian asked straightforwardly. Right now she really wanted a cup of tea to sip.
She'd have Huang Zihuan prepare some in advance next time.
"No... where would I run to?"
The answer sounded strange, but it was true. Barbatos looked up and laughed bitterly. With no memories, he had no reason to leave this unfamiliar place.
"But for their peace of mind... just stay in this room for now."
Bai Fanxian made that decision without consulting anyone. But she wasn't being careless. She was already thinking about creating a Border around this room that could block Sage-level power.
She believed that cooperation couldn't be forced unreasonably. Especially with someone suffering memory loss—if she could make him trust her, everything would be much easier.
"Just letting me move my body is enough..."
Days of being bound without movement had left him extremely sore. If Barbatos's body weren't many times stronger than ordinary people, it would be far worse than mere soreness.
"...Alright. I have some things I want to ask you."
Bai Fanxian didn't care if he started doing floor exercises or stretching. She sat still and asked.
"Do you know anything about magic?"
This was what Bai Fanxian really wanted to know. The mysterious art she'd never encountered always drew her interest.
Though she doubted someone with memory loss could answer questions about it.
"...Magic?"
Barbatos's confused expression made Bai Fanxian prepare to sigh.
But—
"You mean this?"
Bai Fanxian stared, wide-eyed. Barbatos opened his hand, and blue light flowed from his palm. This could only be the "mana" she'd heard about!
"You remember these things?"
Bai Fanxian was surprised. Her assessment of this man's danger level rose another notch.
"I don't know either... but I can sense it. It feels like they're nourishing my heart or something."
Barbatos touched his chest uncertainly, then sat on the floor without hesitation as they talked.
"You're interested in it?"
"...Yes. Frankly, I came to see you because I'm interested in what's called magic."
Bai Fanxian answered honestly. Barbatos nodded in understanding, even seeming more satisfied.
At least this woman was straightforward about her intentions. For someone with no memories, talking with people like this was far more comfortable.
"What do you know about it..."
Barbatos raised his hand to his chin, pondering. Besides sensing it flowing through his body, he knew nothing else. Forcing it out through his palm earlier had been pure instinct—his body's muscle memory.
"Sorry. Seems I can't help you."
He sighed, having tried thinking of everything possible. But nothing came. He could only apologize.
She'd gone to the trouble of freeing him. He felt somewhat guilty.
"Oh well... I expected this."
Bai Fanxian stood up without much disappointment. She didn't look too regretful.
Barbatos looked at Bai Fanxian in confusion.
But his body floated up uncontrollably. He struggled in midair then looked at Bai Fanxian in shock. His face was stunned and bewildered, not understanding what the young woman was about to do.
"Negotiation time is over..."
Bai Fanxian spoke flatly. She stomped her foot lightly on the floor below and many strange-shaped tools appeared from dimensional gaps. Barbatos felt a chill run down his spine for unknown reasons. He looked at Bai Fanxian revealing a faint smile at her lips with fear.
"...Let's start a small experiment instead."
Bai Fanxian's tone remained utterly calm. But for the listener, it felt cold to the heart's core. Jin Ling standing outside watching through the monitor was gaping at this situation that changed so abruptly no one could prepare!