A heavy, oppressive sadness began to spread from its body. It was not aggressive and it did not attack directly. Yet it seeped into the surroundings, into the air, into the mind.

Han Yu felt it.

At first, it was faint.

Then it grew.

Memories surfaced.

Moments of loss.

Moments of regret.

Things he had left behind.

Things he could never return to.

The feeling deepened.

The crying continued.

Han Yu's breathing slowed.

His thoughts became heavier.

Then something changed.

The memories were no longer his.

They shifted.

Distorted.

He began to see things that had never happened.

He saw himself failing.

He saw the people he had saved falling once more.

He saw Qing Luan lifeless.

He saw Wu Shuan broken.

He saw everything he had built collapse into nothing.

The sorrow intensified.

For a brief moment, Han Yu felt as if all meaning had been stripped away.

Then his eyes sharpened.

"Enough."

Memory Echo activated instantly.

A surge of Soul Qi reinforced his mind, stabilizing his consciousness and severing the influence of the external aura. The illusions shattered like fragile glass, collapsing into nothingness.

Han Yu stepped back, breathing slightly heavier than before.

Sweat lined his forehead.

He looked at the Jiangshi again.

It was still crying.

Unchanged.

Unaware.

"…this is dangerous," he said quietly.

This Jiangshi did not need strength.

It did not need speed.

Its power lay entirely in the mind.

Given time, it could erode the will of even a cultivator.

Han Yu approached carefully and began testing its limits. He attempted to calm it, issuing commands, adjusting the flow of energy, even reinforcing its internal structure. The crying lessened in volume after repeated attempts.

Yet it never stopped.

The tears continued endlessly.

Even when silent, the sorrow remained.

Han Yu eventually managed to suppress the outward aura to a manageable level. It required multiple layers of control, including Memory Echo reinforcement and minor adjustments to the internal energy flow.

Once stabilized, he allowed himself to continue.

"This will have its uses," he said.

Interrogation.

Psychological warfare.

Suppression.

The possibilities were clear.

Still, it required careful handling.

Han Yu moved on.

The next emotion he chose was Fear.

Unlike the previous ones, this one gave him pause.

He understood its nature well.

Fear was primal, instinctive and almost unpredictable.

He prepared another corpse, repeating the established process with precision. When the time came, he summoned the Fear Energy. It was darker than the others carrying a strange sense of oppression.

He guided it into the Jiangshi and the reaction began immediately.

The body changed before it shrank.

The flesh tightened against the bones, creating a gaunt, skeletal appearance. The cheeks sank inward, hollowing the face. The eyes drooped, giving it a lifeless yet unsettling expression.

Its hair grew rapidly, cascading down until it reached the ground. The strands were thin and dark, moving slightly even in still air.

Then the claws formed, long and sharp. They extended from both hands and feet, reaching nearly half a meter in length. After a few minutes the transformation stabilized as the Jiangshi stood still.

Then it looked at Han Yu.

Its eyes were empty.

Yet…

Something was there.

Han Yu felt it immediately.

It was fear but not his own. Still, it was directed at him. The aura spread slowly as the world shifted.

The Jiangshi's form blurred and distorted. Then its body expanded, changing entirely. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Han Yu's eyes widened slightly.

Standing before him now was a familiar figure.

The Second Kidney Peak head.

His master and his expression was cold. But a moment later anger appeared.

"You dare to deceive me?" the figure spoke.

The voice was perfect.

Totally Identical.

"You think you can hide forever?"

Han Yu's heart skipped a beat.

"You are not Ju Fan," the figure continued, stepping closer. "You are Han Yu."

The words struck with precision.

For a brief moment, Han Yu's mind faltered. That was not information anyone should possess.

The pressure increased.

The presence became overwhelming.

Then, Han Yu's eyes sharpened.

Memory Echo activated once more and the illusion shattered instantly. The workshop returned to normal the next second. The Jiangshi stood before him in its original form.

Gaunt, silent and unmoving.

Han Yu exhaled slowly.

He turned his head slightly.

"Xinren," he said.

"Yes, Master."

"What did you see?"

"Nothing, Master."

He looked at the Joy Jiangshi.

"And you?"

"I saw nothing. I was waiting, Master."

Han Yu remained silent for a moment.

Then he nodded.

Confirmed.

The Fear Jiangshi did not create physical illusions.

It targeted the mind directly.

It manifested fear itself.

Personal and specific to the person, precisely targeting what they feared.

Han Yu looked back at it.

"…this one is even more dangerous," he said quietly.

Unlike the Sadness Jiangshi, which eroded gradually, this one struck directly at the deepest fears of its target.

It knew.

Or at least, it found what it needed.

Han Yu stood there, his thoughts moving rapidly.

Trust created loyalty.

Joy created intelligence.

Sadness created mental erosion.

Fear created personalized illusions.

He looked at his creations.

A faint smile formed.

"I've stepped into something far bigger than I thought."

Han Yu did not allow the unsettling nature of the Fear Jiangshi to distract him for long.

Once the initial shock passed and his mind stabilized, his attention shifted toward systematic evaluation. No matter how strange or dangerous the creation appeared, it still fell under his control. That alone gave him confidence to proceed.

He raised his hand slightly and gave a simple command.

"Stand."

The Fear Jiangshi obeyed instantly.

Its body straightened, though the motion carried a strange stiffness that made it appear unnatural even by Jiangshi standards. Its long hair dragged across the floor as it moved, and its hollow eyes remained fixed on Han Yu.

"Move forward."

It stepped forward.

"Stop."

It stopped.

Han Yu observed carefully.

Control remained intact.

That was the first and most important condition.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, then raised his voice just a fraction.

"Why did you hesitate earlier?"