Master of Strange Dao

Among devils, there was a kind known as Yin Devils. These creatures never showed themselves to masters among cultivators, and even somewhat stronger cultivators often couldn't detect them.

They would plant seeds into the heart field of every mortal and minor cultivator within their territory.

Tirelessly and without seeking results, they would toil year-round without rest.

One day, if a flaw emerged, and conditions were right, those seeds would sprout and grow into Devil Thoughts.

For instance, when a person's spirit was shaken, or their resolve was unstable, was when this was most likely.

Yin Busan heard these words and was slightly taken aback. There had never been any mention of Yin Devils in the records of his family.

But he understood what Yu Ziqing was saying.

"Of course, there's another rather coincidental matter. Almsgiving Hungry Ghost can eliminate the Devil Thoughts in one's heart."

After Yu Ziqing finished speaking, he said no more.

Yin Busan understood, the Heart Devil Oath was not as dangerous as he had thought.

Previously, the Heart Devil Oath had always been something cultivators feared the most. Many would rather die than easily make such an oath.

To put it bluntly, it was a self-destructive method to willingly cultivate Devil Thoughts and nurture a Heart Demon.

This kind of extreme precaution, even if one did not violate the Heart Devil Oath, over time, if one thought too much about every action, would eventually lead to the birth of Devil Thoughts.

So, this matter was essentially unsolvable.

And for some pawns who were already prepared to sacrifice their lives and abandon their beliefs for a certain task, even making them take the Heart Devil Oath would be useless.

They weren't afraid of death; why would they fear the birth of a Heart Demon?

It was simply laughable.

Therefore, when encountering that person in the cave before, Yu Ziqing didn't even want to hear more and directly threw him into the pit.

Listening to them speak a partial truth could potentially mislead him subtly in the future, so it was better not to listen or inquire.

Yin Busan did not make an appearance, but Feng Buju went to meet several of the Yin family's elders and some of the returning experts.

The next day, the members of the Yin family gathered together.

Yu Ziqing still had not detoxified them. He didn't even know if Wu Shuangge's Mixed Yuan Gold Bowl could dispel the toxins.

He needed these people to maintain their current state, the state where Devil Thoughts were most easily born.

Besides Feng Buju and Yu Ziqing, there were no other non-Yin family members present. King Xiang had withdrawn his people, staying far away, unwilling to get involved in Yin family affairs.

Yu Ziqing looked at the members of the Yin family, brought out a chair, and sat down, picking up a tea bowl and taking a sip.

Afterwards, he slowly put down the tea bowl and lifted his head to look at the Yin family members.

"To be honest, I originally had no role here, but Feng Family Master sought me out, saying that the Feng and Yin Two Families were intertwined. With the Yin Family Patriarch gone, he felt obligated to help stabilize the Yin family again.

He wanted you all to make a Heart Devil Oath to find the traitors.

And it just so happened that I, from Jinlan Mountain, had a knack for dealing with Devil Thoughts. He wanted me to help keep watch, just in case.

So, I came."

"Thank you," one of the Yin family's experts immediately bowed his hand in respect, quite solemnly.

Yu Ziqing casually returned the gesture and continued,

"Honestly, I wasn't acquainted with the Yin Family Patriarch before, and I'm a junior, so it's not my place to say anything.

But precisely because I am an outsider, I can afford the boldness to speak some impartial words.

If what I say is incorrect, I ask for your pardon."

"Brother Qing risked danger to rescue us and was gravely injured nearly to death to save the patriarch. We are all aware of this. Brother Qing, please speak freely. There is nothing we cannot discuss."

The Yin family expert who returned with him first responded, and the others could say nothing more.

Yu Ziqing smiled slightly, speaking in a calm tone.

"If you ask me, the reason there are so many snitches in the Yin family is all because of the Yin Family Patriarch.

He was too rigid a person, so strict in his ways, only handling matters according to set rules, never showing any leniency.

But many things can't be predicted in advance by rules, can't be predetermined, then fit precisely.

Not every situation can be judged by a particular rule.

In my view, those so-called traitors, in fact, weren't betraying the Yin family. They were merely dissatisfied with the patriarch to a certain extent."

Yu Ziqing's speech became slower, yet each word grew more distinct.

In his heart field, the Red Ape suddenly opened its eyes.

The Red Ape sat cross-legged, a slight smile on its face. Above its head, tendrils of Fire Qi silently dispersed from the burning flames.

These strands of Fire Qi spread out, becoming almost undetectable. Following Yu Ziqing's words, they stealthily expanded, slowly infiltrating each member of the Yin family.

Yu Ziqing used his words to stir their emotions, granting those faint strands of Fire Qi an opportunity to merge into their bodies.

Hearing Yu Ziqing's words, many in the Yin family already felt some discontent, even a trace of anger.

They didn't want to hear someone disparaging their patriarch.

That trace of anger and fury wasn't something they could consciously suppress.

A person found it hardest to control their emotions; all they could manage was not letting those emotions lead them to action.

The more one restrained oneself from thinking about something, the more it lingered in the mind. Emotions were just instinctive reactions to certain events.