Regardless of Lu Su's calm demeanor, Chen Xi found himself quite interested in the mental talent that had erased Lu Su's abilities. Even though it merely felt like a tickle to him, with the end of the recent tasks in sight, Chen Xi wasn't worried about failing to meet deadlines and had lost interest in finishing his current work. So, he decided to seek out the person who had nullified Lu Su's talent.
"Zijing, how about we go find them?" Chen Xi suggested with a grin.
"How do we find them?" Lu Su asked with a smile.
"By checking one person at a time?" Chen Xi replied awkwardly.
"And how do we check?" Lu Su pressed further.
"..." Chen Xi was left speechless, staring at Lu Su. "Aren't you at all interested in the person who nullified your talent? What if it's permanent?"
Chen Xi noticed that when he mentioned "permanent," Lu Su's hand, which was holding a pen, visibly trembled. Despite his earlier nonchalance, it was clear that Lu Su valued his mental talent more than he let on. For someone of Lu Su's caliber, losing such a defining trait would certainly be unsettling.
Lu Su looked at Chen Xi for a long moment before finally saying, "Alright, let's go. Can you at least pinpoint a rough location?"
"The person is definitely in Fenggao. Last time, I felt a slight tickle, and this time the sensation was the same. It seems they can't completely suppress my mental talent," Chen Xi replied excitedly.
"But how do we conduct our search? Once the person conceals their talent, we won't be able to distinguish them from anyone else. Simply asking around won't reveal anything," Lu Su raised an important point.
"We'll take it one step at a time," Chen Xi laughed. His suggestion to find the person who had nullified Lu Su's talent was primarily driven by his desire to avoid finishing his current work, so he hadn't really thought through the plan.
"Sigh, fine. It might be good to figure this out anyway. If only my talent was nullified, it wouldn't be a big deal. But if it affects everyone on our side, it could be a serious problem. We should meet with everyone and confirm the situation. If it's a group-wide nullification, we need to consider how to handle it if we encounter this on the battlefield. Thankfully, this first encounter didn't happen in a critical combat situation, or..." Lu Su trailed off, glancing at Chen Xi.
Unlike Chen Xi's carefree attitude, Lu Su was always the steady one, not shaken by the loss of his talent. Instead, he immediately began analyzing the potential problems this mental talent could cause for Taishan and how they might address them.
"Now that you mention it," Chen Xi said, furrowing his brow as he realized the gravity of the situation. He hadn't thought much of it because his own talent hadn't been affected. But now, after Lu Su's warning, he saw the danger.
Chen Xi had long understood how vital mental talents were for top strategists. A fully powered Jia Xu, with his future prediction ability, could easily outmatch two opponents if they lacked their talents. If this talent could suppress everyone's abilities in Fenggao, the implications were serious.
"Could such an overpowered talent really exist? It seems more likely that it only affected your talent. My talent is still functioning, even though I'm not entirely sure what it is," Chen Xi said after some thought, feeling more at ease. Since his own talent was unaffected, he figured it must be limited to one person.
"Let's not take any chances. I've always suspected your talent is unusual. Anyway, let's ask the others and find out for sure," Lu Su conceded after a brief reflection, agreeing that Chen Xi's point made sense. However, he remained curious about Chen Xi's talent.
As Lu Su and Chen Xi stepped out of the room, they were met by two messengers rushing toward them. The sight gave them pause, and they exchanged uneasy glances, feeling a bad omen settle in.
"Report! Adviser Jia requests that you both wait in the administration hall for him and Adviser Liu to arrive shortly," one messenger relayed.
"Report! Magistrate Li requests that you both wait for him and the Duke of Qi; they have urgent matters to discuss," the other messenger said.
Chen Xi and Lu Su exchanged a shocked look, both feeling an ominous foreboding but suppressing their reactions.
After returning to the administration hall, Jia Xu and the others arrived in less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, all wearing grave expressions.
"It seems confirmed. Aside from my talent, everyone's mental talents in Fenggao have been suppressed," Chen Xi said with a frown. "Let's set aside who the culprit is for now and focus on how much combat strength we have left under these conditions."
"I'm out," Li You said with a bitter smile. "With my talent suppressed, all my abilities have significantly weakened. I can't contend with top-tier opponents anymore. Even with experience, I'll make mistakes."
"I'm managing," Fa Zheng said with a wry smile. His talent had only recently awakened, so losing it felt like losing a handy tool, but it wasn't yet indispensable.
"My capabilities remain unchanged, just slower," Jia Xu said calmly. Even without his talent, he was still the cunning Jia Wenhe, only now he'd take a bit longer to work.
"It's disorienting. I'm coming up with fewer strategies," Liu Ye said with a bitter smile. He had always found his endless mental calculations frustrating, but now that they were gone, he felt like he was missing something vital. Before, he could come up with numerous plans whenever he wanted; now...
"I won't be affected as long as I'm not on the battlefield," Lu Su said with a wry smile. "Overall, the impact is significant, but it hasn't completely destroyed our advantage. As long as Zichuan still has his grasp of fate, we retain a strong position. Let's find this person."
"That's the plan. This talent clearly suppresses us. Let me and Ziyang handle finding the culprit. Although it will be difficult, someone with such a powerful talent is bound to have a reputation. I'll start the search," Jia Xu said calmly, though inwardly he was seething with the desire to strangle the person responsible for suppressing his talent.
"Leave it to us. The person behind this won't remain anonymous for long," Liu Ye added with a smile.