It seemed that recalling the scene he had witnessed before, Charles Carter's expression turned rather unpleasant, because some of his own personal guards had also been killed by that sorcery. If the Yellow Turban Army hadn't already been on the verge of collapse at the time, he might have suffered a crushing defeat himself.

After hearing Charles Carter's account, Henry Lewis grew increasingly curious.

Ever since he arrived in this world, he only knew that he had come to the late Eastern Han dynasty, but whether this was the world of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms or actual history, he couldn't figure out. Judging from the current situation, it seemed to lean more toward the Romance?

At the same time, he was very curious about the level of cultivators in this world. The key was that he needed to determine whether there existed anyone here who could threaten him. If so, he would have to focus even more on his own cultivation and prepare more life-saving magical treasures.

If everything was within his control, then he could divert some energy to developing his own power—he still had ambitions to build a vast empire and take revenge on that group of bastards!

Although he was certain that his enemies were definitely not in his current star system (the escape technique he used with all his cultivation was no joke—even he didn't know how far he had shot out), sooner or later, he would run into them. He couldn't possibly wait until that moment to start preparing, could he?

Moreover, that empire had always emphasized expansion under his leadership. Who knew when they might attack here? Before that happened, he at least needed to develop enough strength to protect himself.

Now, after hearing Charles Carter's words, it seemed that the cultivators in this world were not particularly powerful. Perhaps there were some mighty figures he needed to be wary of, but most were not worth fearing.

At the same time, the dragon aura of the Son of Heaven itself had a miraculous effect of warding off evil, and was even immune to some strange and sinister spells. As long as their true strength was inferior to his, they could forget about harming him.

After a few more words, Henry Lewis simply said that he had accidentally found an ancient scroll in the palace and, following its instructions, mastered some mystical arts, while also using some body-strengthening techniques recorded within to enhance his physique.

When he said this, he noticed Charles Carter's brow twitch slightly, and his gaze involuntarily flicked over to him.

Henry Lewis, puzzled as to what he had said to attract Charles Carter's attention, suddenly understood.

Charles Carter was seven chi tall, which by his previous standards was just over 1.6 meters, and there was nothing remarkable about his appearance.

To say that Charles Carter didn't care about his own stature and looks was definitely false. Henry Lewis still remembered reading an account that said when Charles Carter met with the Xiongnu envoy, he felt his appearance was lacking and had a subordinate impersonate him, while he himself dressed as a guard.

From this, it was clear that the infamous schemer, warlord, and Emperor Wu of Wei, Charles Carter, was quite dissatisfied with his own looks and stature. Now, upon hearing that Henry Lewis possessed a mystical art that could refine the body, how could he not care?

Henry Lewis thought for a moment. Since he wanted to win this man over, it was only natural to offer some benefits. Besides, the so-called body-refining techniques were not rare—just some basic methods using medicinal herbs and simple breathing exercises to temper the body. They meant little to him. If he could use this to win the other over, why not?

He casually reached into his robe, took out a jade slip, and handed it to Charles Carter: "Let today's matter remain unknown to others for now. If there's anything urgent, you can use this as a token to find me!"

Charles Carter nodded, reaching out to take the jade slip.

The moment his fingers touched the jade slip, he froze, then his eyes lit up with joy, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curving slightly. He then pretended nothing was amiss as he accepted the jade slip and saluted Henry Lewis.

It turned out that Henry Lewis always carried some jade slips inscribed with talismans, which could be used for communication or to record information. The instant he reached into his robe, he had already recorded the technique and the required medicinal ingredients into the jade slip. As soon as Charles Carter took it, a message rushed directly into his mind, causing him to pause in surprise.

The message wasn't large; it simply told Charles Carter what the item was and how to use it. After receiving it, Charles Carter tried it out and indeed found he could access the information stored within. He then saluted Henry Lewis in thanks.

At the same time, he was secretly amazed: "Are Daoist arts truly this wondrous?" Although he still didn't think this would help Henry Lewis compete for the throne, it did boost his confidence somewhat.

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Chapter 8: The Inner Court

Daoist arts were indeed miraculous, especially after Charles Carter had memorized all the information in the jade slip. He then discovered that the jade slip had another function—the information inside had been completely erased, and Charles Carter could now store any message he wanted in the jade slip and send it into the palace without fear of discovery.

The method for using the jade slip, along with the body-refining techniques, had been given to Charles Carter. Moreover, aside from Henry Lewis and Charles Carter, no one else could access the information within the jade slip, making it far more secure than so-called secret letters hidden in a jade belt or elsewhere.

Henry Lewis naturally knew about this use. He gave Charles Carter the jade slip, calling it a token, but in reality, it was for communication. After all, the current situation was chaotic, and a little caution never hurt.