The Soul’s Cage

1,576 words

Han Li had more or less pieced together the sequence of events when he noticed several peculiarities from across the way.

First, he could not determine her approximate age from her exquisite, otherworldly beauty.

Her skin was smooth and delicate, suggesting she was in her early twenties. Yet her gaze and bearing seemed more like someone in her thirties or forties. But then again, the frivolous manner faintly visible between her brows was like that of a pampered young master.

She was only at mid Foundation Establishment, however. That much was clear at a glance. This was also the reason Han Li dared to stay. If she had been at late Foundation Establishment, he would have had to consider whether to meddle in such a melodramatic affair.

Second, he was standing right here now, yet Dong Xuan’er only cast him a cold, indifferent glance before turning her head back to gaze at the beautiful man with infatuation. It was as if he were a complete stranger. That was far from normal.

“Who are you? Another admirer of this young lady? I, Tian, should make this clear in advance: unless this girl leaves of her own free will, no one is taking this beauty from my arms.” The beautiful man saw that Han Li was unremarkable in appearance and only at early Foundation Establishment. A hint of contempt flickered in his eyes. After lightly patting Dong Xuan’er’s fragrant shoulder, he spoke with utter nonchalance.

Han Li showed no irritation at being so lightly dismissed. Instead, after sweeping his gaze between Dong Xuan’er and the beautiful man several times, he suddenly barked:

“Who are you, sir, to use soul-bewitching methods on a disciple of our seven sects? That’s a rather bold move!”

At Han Li’s words, the beautiful man’s face shifted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. “What nonsense are you spouting? This young lady and I are together of our own mutual affection. If you don’t step aside, don’t blame me, Tian, for being merciless!”

Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng, who had also heard Han Li’s words, suddenly understood. They immediately flanked the beautiful man with hostile intent, their anger flaring.

“So that’s it! I was wondering why Junior Sister Dong suddenly acted bewitched and ignored us. So you used an evil art to delude her! Release the spell immediately, or don’t blame me, Feng, for being impolite with my Purple Light Cymbals!”

“That’s right. I sensed something was off. How could Miss Dong leave with a stranger for no reason? So you’re a demonic fiend! I, Yan, must teach you a lesson for Miss Dong!”

With that, Senior Brother Feng and Yan Yu each produced a magical tool—a purple cymbal-shaped artifact and a short spear—looking ready to strike.

The beautiful man’s face iced over at the threat of an early and mid Foundation Establishment cultivator. “Overreaching,” he said coldly.

But Han Li, in his heart, was feeling a growing sense of unease. He instinctively sensed that this beautiful man was extremely dangerous. His mind raced, and he suddenly sent a sharp sound transmission straight into Dong Xuan’er’s ear:

“Dong Xuan’er! Look at what you’ve done! Aren’t you afraid Grandmaster Red Blade will confine you?”

Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng sensed nothing of Han Li’s transmission. But the beautiful man seemed to perceive something. He shot Han Li a glare, then quickly looked down at Dong Xuan’er.

At this moment, however, Dong Xuan’er’s face filled with alarm. She struggled fiercely, broke free from the beautiful man’s embrace, and stumbled back a few steps. Then, a look of confusion spread across her face, as if she had just woken from a deep dream.

Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng were overjoyed.

When they saw the beautiful man’s grim expression and his intent to move toward Dong Xuan’er, they acted without a second thought, stepping forward to separate her from him. They had no intention of letting the hard-won clarity be shattered by his evil art again.

Dong Xuan’er’s mind was now fully clear. But she seemed to recall something terrifying. She didn’t dare so much as glance at the beautiful man. Panicked, she rushed toward Han Li and hid behind him, breaking the beautiful man’s furious gaze entirely.

Her body trembled uncontrollably. Her face was a mask of terror. There was no trace of her usual willful arrogance.

The beautiful man’s face turned green. His venomous gaze swept over Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng, who stood before him, before finally fixing on Han Li with a deathly stare.

Seeing all three of them watching him with full alertness, he knew that taking Dong Xuan’er back today was now impossible.

With her mind restored, the three of them only needed to delay him long enough for her to escape. And if a fight broke out, the chances of attracting other cultivators were very high. He had no wish to be recognized here.

But in all his life, he had rarely had a morsel snatched from his mouth once it was there.

At this thought, his beautiful face twisted slightly. Then he spoke with biting coldness:

“This isn’t over. The three of you—I, Tian, have memorized your faces. You’d best watch yourselves.”

With that, a five-colored light flashed around the beautiful man, and he transformed into a streak of light that shot into the distance, leaving Han Li and the others staring at each other where they stood.

…

At the Fengyue Inn, where Han Li was staying, he, Yan Yu, and Senior Brother Feng listened as Dong Xuan’er recounted how she had been bewitched by the beautiful man.

“…I don’t know why, but the moment my eyes met his, I felt an explosion in my head. I couldn’t think of anything. All I wanted was to please him, to do anything for him. It was as if… as if he were my destined master. I couldn’t muster any will to resist. But I’d only seen him for the first time! How could this happen? I refuse to be anyone’s slave!” As Dong Xuan’er spoke, her face turned paler and paler. The feeling of having been utterly controlled—body and mind—by that beautiful man had, for the first time, made her feel a terror worse than death.

Han Li exchanged a glance with the other two, whose faces were equally grim. For a time, none of them spoke. That beautiful man’s soul-bewitching art was far too powerful. If he were to use such a technique on the three of them, how could they possibly resist?

“Don’t worry, everyone. That man’s heart-deluding art, as powerful as it is, should be ineffective against us,” Han Li finally said slowly after a long silence.

“Oh? What makes you say that, Junior Brother Han?” Senior Brother Feng asked, perking up.

“It’s obvious. If his bewitchment art could be used on men, do you think he would have let us off, given the hateful look he gave us when he left? The alternative is that he lacked the mana to cast it again. But judging by the unperturbed expression he wore when facing the three of us, that doesn’t seem likely. So I think the first possibility is the most plausible.” Han Li explained calmly.

Hearing this, Senior Brother Feng and Yan Yu both let out a sigh of relief. If the art could only be used on women, then they had nothing to fear. When it came to a direct contest of magical power and artifacts, they weren’t afraid.

“Senior Brother Han! If we female cultivators run into that man, does that mean we’ll be controlled forever? I don’t want that!” Dong Xuan’er’s face was deathly pale. As she spoke, she was on the verge of tears. For the first time, she addressed him as “Senior Brother Han,” her voice filled with bitter despair.

Han Li was at a loss for words. He was hardly her admirer. If she was seeking protection, she shouldn’t be coming to him.

What Han Li didn’t realize was that, ever since he had rescued her from that terrifying state of mental enslavement, Dong Xuan’er had unconsciously developed a certain dependence on him. Now that she felt trapped in danger, she naturally turned to him with this pleading look.

Before Han Li could respond, the other two, brimming with jealous indignation, pounded their chests and vowed to protect Dong Xuan’er closely over the next few days, promising that the fiend would never succeed again.

Hearing this, Dong Xuan’er did feel a bit more at ease.

Having two Foundation Establishment cultivators as bodyguards did seem like a solid defense. The last time she had been controlled, it was only because she had let her guard down completely. Next time, she wouldn’t let him have such an easy chance.

So, recovering some of her spirit, Dong Xuan’er was soon laughing and joking with the two men again, turning her charm up to full force and enchanted them until they could barely tell north from south.

Han Li found the whole scene rather amusing.

In truth, Dong Xuan’er’s own technique was not all that different from the beautiful man’s bewitchment art. It was just a little less domineering.

Hers was undoubtedly a very advanced form of charm magic. To be able to subtly ensnare a man’s heart and body so completely without his awareness was, in Han Li’s estimation, no less dangerous than the beautiful man’s art.

Equally perilous.

Share to

Reading Guide Decoding

Bewitched and Broken: Han Li’s Cold Logic vs. a Master of Mind Control

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

Soul Bewitchment vs. Natural Charm: This chapter draws a fascinating line in the cultivation world’s psychological arsenal. The beautiful man’s technique is an external, invasive soul-control method—essentially a magical roofie that hijacks the victim’s will and turns them into a devoted thrall. It’s a form of spiritual domination that Chinese xianxia often associates with demonic or heterodox paths: violating a person’s autonomy is considered a fate worse than death. By contrast, Dong Xuan’er’s “bewitching charm” is a cultivation-enhanced natural allure, something closer to a superpowered version of real-world human magnetism. She doesn’t cast a spell; she is one. The narration deliberately parallels the two, suggesting that while one is obviously evil, the other is no less dangerous if you’re not careful. It’s a classic “is it better to be drugged or seduced?” dilemma, and the novel lands firmly on “both are bad for your health.”

The Sound Transmission as a Pierce-Antidote: Han Li’s use of a sound transmission to break the spell is a clever nod to cultivator tech. In Chinese cultivation fiction, sound transmission is a private, mana-based whisper that can bypass physical barriers. Han Li weaponizes it here to deliver a sharp, targeted shock—like an electrical jolt to the soul—that snaps Dong Xuan’er out of her trance. It’s not a brute-force dispelling technique; it’s a tactical use of information (mentioning her master’s name) delivered through an invisible channel. This reinforces Han Li’s core combat doctrine: you don’t need a massive fireball when a precisely aimed psychological needle can do the job.

Chapter Overview

Hold onto your fellow daoist hats, because this chapter is a masterclass in psychological horror on a stick. Han Li stumbles into what looks like a cheesy Jianghu love triangle, only to realize that Dong Xuan’er—the notorious, perpetually sulking enchantress—has been completely mind-jacked by a devastatingly beautiful male cultivator. And we mean completely: she’s staring at him like a lovesick puppy, utterly unaware of the world. When Han Li breaks the spell with a single sound transmission, the real dragon rears its head: the mystery man (who’s packing mid Foundation Establishment energy) reveals he’s a cold, calculating predator who doesn’t take kindly to having his prey stolen. It’s the most deliciously tense mix of flirting and death threats we’ve had in a while.

Key Plot Points

Han Li observes Dong Xuan’er acting strangely and identifies the presence of a very powerful soul-bewitching art at work.
The beautiful man, calling himself “Tian,” dismisses Han Li as an unremarkable early Foundation Establishment outsider, but Han Li is not so easily cowed.
Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng finally catch on to the bewitchment and prepare to attack, but “Tian” is unfazed.
Han Li sends a sharp sound transmission directly into Dong Xuan’er’s mind, breaking the spell and shocking her back to her senses.
Dong Xuan’er panics, flees to hide behind Han Li, and reveals her terror of having been completely mentally enslaved.
“Tian” warns the three men, memorizes their faces, and leaves with clear threat, but chooses not to fight—suggesting his bewitchment art cannot be used on men.
At the inn, Dong Xuan’er recounts her horrifying experience of being utterly dominated against her will, while the two senior brothers offer protection and flirtation.
Han Li deduces that the bewitchment art only works on women and warns that Dong Xuan’er’s own charm technique is similarly dangerous.

Reading Guide

This chapter is a quiet but important character beat for Dong Xuan’er. Up until now, she’s been the bratty, flirtatious princess who uses her charm as a weapon and a shield. Here, she gets a hard dose of vulnerability: the realisation that someone else’s magic can do the same thing to her—but worse, and without her consent. It’s a moment that cracks her arrogant shell and makes her, for the first time, genuinely sympathetic. Watch how Han Li reacts: he doesn’t rush to comfort her. He observes, he calculates, and he draws a cold, logical conclusion about the limits of the bewitchment art. His emotional distance is a deliberate contrast to the other two men’s instant white-knighting. And that final note—about Dong Xuan’er’s charm being equally dangerous—is Han Li’s way of saying: “Don’t forget who you’re talking to, lady. I see you.” Classic.