The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

In Fengfu City.

Mafan brought Qinfen back to the empty store and controlled his mind. 

"Where are the mines located?" Mafan asked, pacing back and forth at the blank-eyed Qinfen sitting on a chair in the middle of the dusty store.

"I don't know any mines," Qinfen said with a monotone voice.

Mafan's forehead wrinkled. He can't lie to me with my mind control. 

"Bring me to the engineer's office."

"I don't know where."

Mafan stopped pacing and turned to Qinfen, deeply annoyed. "What? What... are the places you know?" He said, half shouting.

"I know the brothel, the governor's office, our house, the estate, my room, my mother's room, my friend's houses, my favorite restaurants where I brought the girls, and my favorite courtesans' rooms in the brothel." Qinfen replied sounding like a robot.

Mafan was in a rage and wished to beat Qinfen to a pulp but controlled his anger. He still needed him as a guide and host. But his usefulness ended there. 

This is harder than I expected. Frustrating.

He defined Qinfen as a total asshole. His brother was the governor but here he was, living a life of a wastrel. Mafan imagined Qinfen's daily routine base on the places he mentioned and shook his head.

If you were my brother, I'll have your butt paddled a hundred times.

Mafan wanted to shout his frustration but held it inside. There was no point doing it. Unknowingly, his conclusion was quite off the mark because Qinfen's abilities was more on the business side.

To make use of his time, Mafan told Qinfen to lead him to the governor's office and introduce him to someone who knew the place well. Hence, Qinfen brought him to Zang Wei.

---- o ----

Anghus was in a disadvantage but he was not someone who gives up without a fight. He jerked any item he saw and threw them at Ming, but who could stop the speed and strength given by the special fruits?

Ming wave his sword with ease, slashing every object thrown at him. Because in his present visual capacity, Anghus movements were in slow motion. Then he lessened the gap between them in one swift move and grabbed Anghus' shirt's lapel. The latter was shocked to the core as Ming lifted him up on the air.

Chamis jumped to Anghus aid but stopped in his tracks when Ming placed the sword's sharp edge on Anghus neck and shouted, "Don't come any closer or your friend dies." 

Anghus gulped hard, scared stiff as the blade touched his neck. Yet, as he heard three of his men howled in delusion, his courage grew. He decided to do anything or even trade his life just for his comrade's lives and freedom. 

"I'll ask you again, who are you and what happened to your men?" Ming asked.

"They are sick. I'll tell you everything and even pledge my life to you but promise me you'll spare my men and send them to the city's best physician," Anghus pleaded.

Chamis cried, touched with his leaders statement. "Anghus," he whispered as tears fell on his face. He made a quick prayer that the gods and their ancestors would save them now, hoping they would come although he hadn't seen it happened. But in this desperate times, he would dare believe the unbelievable, wishing for a miracle to happen.

"You're not in a position to negotiate. Tell me now and I might spare your life," Ming harshly said near the man's ear.

Anghus winced with every word he heard but he didn't try to escape. He had to convince Ming for his family and for his comrades. "We are just a bunch of hired hands to bring a man here and do his errands," Anghus replied at once.

Chamis knelt on the ground and fell prostrate. "Please, governor. We are not bad people. Please, let go of Anghus. His mother is sickly and his brothers are still young. They badly need him. We are nothing but poor street guys hired to do errands for the merchants for a menial pay to feed our loved ones. Take me instead in exchange of our leader and our friends. I'll swear to become your slave for life."

However, Ming didn't falter with his focus on Anghus. "Who hired you and what are your errands here? Is one of that errands was to place an illusion trap in the Goding camp?" Ming pushed the blade on the man's tanned skin. The wound slowly bled but was not that deep to cut a vein. He had to make them scared because he was sure, one of these guys did it. He had to make either of them confess the truth.

"I'm the one who did it and the only one who can free them." Anghus divulged everything to gain even a minute of Ming's trust and a leverage to negotiate.

Ming eyed him with squinted eyes. 

Anghus swallowed hard with Ming's savageness but didn't waver to make his appeal heard. "Yes, I'm the one. I will stop the trap but promise me first."

"Tell me now or you'll die." Ming said with gnashing teeth, like a fierce tiger ready to eat his prey alive.