Master of Strange Dao

Yin Xiaoshi glanced at Yu Ziqing, saying nothing, but with even more amusement in his eyes. He could naturally sense that Yu Ziqing seemed not to be doing this for the first time. It was obvious he was a good child who respected the old and loved the young, so he allowed Yu Ziqing to support him.

Old Brother Busi followed honestly behind, not uttering a word, his breathing even slightly weakened. It was clear that he was indeed a bit afraid of Yin Xiaoshi.

"Elder, Old Brother Busi mentioned your feats, but he stopped halfway, leaving me itching with curiosity. Could you tell me what name you use outside?"

"Haha, I have no specific name, it's just outsiders calling me randomly. There are many, though perhaps you've heard just one, the Eight-step Sword Devil. It's not a good name; I'm not satisfied with it either. It's all others spreading it."

Yu Ziqing's mind trembled, his hand almost shaking.

How could he not have heard? Back then, after Body Refinement, what he wanted to pursue was indeed becoming a Sword Cultivator.

On one hand, to layer the thickest armor, first to ensure his life; and to kill, if he practiced Qi Refinement, he would naturally choose among the strongest Killing Techniques, that would include the highest of a Sword Cultivator.

The name Eight-step Sword Devil, was naturally one he had heard.

Back then, this figure took eight steps to kill an Evil Dao, and with one sword, struck down the Evil Dao three thousand eight hundred miles away on the spot, annihilating both body and spirit.

The brilliance of that single sword spanning three thousand eight hundred miles was still a tale people relished even today.

To this day, no one knew what Dharma Method this figure used back then to strike across such a distance with one sword. Some Sword Cultivators who finely honed Flying Sword techniques could indeed achieve this.

However, a sword qi crossing three thousand eight hundred miles and still precisely executing someone remained an unsolved mystery.

To be honest, Yu Ziqing also wanted to learn.

Regardless of whether he practiced Qi Refinement or not, if he did someday, he certainly wanted to learn such moves.

Yin Xiaoshi looked at Yu Ziqing with amusement, shaking his head.

"Don't think about it, you can't learn it. What you learn is too mixed. My sword requires dedication to achieve Sword Heart Clarity, with Sword Intent reaching Sword Qi."

"But, it's still up to you."

Yin Xiaoshi casually took out a bamboo slip, handing it to Yu Ziqing.

"None of the Yin Family want to learn my sword technique. They don't have the talent for it either. This sword technique slip in my hands is useless now, so I'll give it to you."

"This... Elder, you know I can't learn it."

"Just take it, I'm old and don't want to travel anymore. In the future, if you meet a talented child with a good character, pass it on for me so it doesn't end up lost.

Inside it contains my three sword qis, which can stand in to teach. It also houses Sword Intent that can be personally comprehended.

Take it, it's not Yin Family inheritance. I can give it to whoever I love; no one can utter any needless nonsense."

"Alright, thank you, Elder." Yu Ziqing cheerfully accepted the bamboo slip.

Honestly, he felt that interacting with someone like Yin Xiaoshi was much more interesting than dealing with that fellow Busan.

Supporting Yin Xiaoshi into the inner hall, they found Busan already waiting there.

This fellow was still meticulous in his actions. Upon meeting, he first thanked, then offered greetings, before speaking after the formalities.

"Brother Qing, you actually saw through those people as problematic, right?"

Yu Ziqing pointed at Yin Busi.

"You may ask him. His insight is far more venomous than mine."

"I identified eighteen." Yin Busi said.

Yu Ziqing was astonished. He had been just casually complimenting him, yet he nearly identified all of them indeed.

Yin Busi took out a paper, listing names on it.

Yu Ziqing saw that they were all people he and Lou Huai had unanimously deemed problematic.

"And three more."

Yu Ziqing read the names.

The three of the Yin Family looked at the list and fell into contemplation.

"Family Head, it's time to act ruthlessly." Yin Xiaoshi looked at the list, chuckling coldly, the elder's eyes filled with killing intent, his gaze shooting out like sword light.

"I'll do it; this isn't suited for the eldest brother." Yin Busi smiled, taking away the list, ready to play the villain.

"No, I'll do it." Busan opened his eyes, taking back the list.

"Busi, there's something else for you to do. Investigate how they ended up like this."

Yin Busi departed, leaving Busan and Yin Xiaoshi.

Yin Xiaoshi stared at the list for a while, his grin brimming with killing intent.

"Not counting those already dead, there are twenty-one here. Twenty of them are young; does our Yin Family have too many fools, or is someone trying to uproot us? Do they really think this old man is too aged to draw his sword anymore?"

Yu Ziqing was pricked painfully by the aura emanating from Yin Xiaoshi. He seemed like a mass of sword qi, more like countless fine swords gathered together.

That sharp aura could rival King Xiang's Geng Metal Qi Secret Technique, but it held an even more terrifying decisive sharpness, indestructible, unbreakable.

Yin Xiaoshi restrained the sword qi well, but that thought required no contact to make Yu Ziqing, a Body Cultivator, feel a prickling pain.

"Family Head, hesitation leads to ruin, make your decision."

Yin Xiaoshi retracted his aura and left with a cane.

Yu Ziqing took the opportunity to support Yin Xiaoshi, leaving Busan in peace.

He knew Busan had an extremely firm will and wouldn't hesitate. Previously, he had clemency toward his own, but if it affected the Yin Family, the most ruthless one would surely be this Family Head of the Yin Family.

Supporting Yin Xiaoshi out, Yu Ziqing consoled the elder.

"Elder, calm down. If it doesn't work out, how about I kindle a fire for you, help you relieve the anger?"

"No need, save it, it'll be more effective when killing later."

"Then, I'll heed you, Elder. I reckon you'll have plenty of chances to strike in the future, so take care of your health first, don't get too worked up."

"Hey, you guy, you're quite young, don't pick up bad habits, speak incomplete sentences."

"There really is nothing. Whatever I'd see, you'd see too, saying it out loud wouldn't mean much."

"So you mean you saw it too? If you hadn't, how could you know I'd have plenty of chances to strike in the future?"

"Elder, I really didn't see anything specific; I just feel that someone's been silently setting up against the Yin Family for a long time. Once we find out who, when the time comes to fall out, you'll definitely have a chance to strike."

"Don't doubt Busan, he's the one under the greatest pressure and the one who wants the best for the Yin Family. He's just overwhelmed and needs someone to help him shoulder some burden." Yin Xiaoshi sighed suddenly, saying this.

Yu Ziqing wanted to retort but held back in the end, saying nothing.

As they stepped out of the main courtyard, they saw a group of Yins stepping out of a nearby small house, each with complex expressions.

Even more people pulled in line, awaiting detoxification... oh, I mean, detoxification.

Feeling the toxins in these people dissolved, Yu Ziqing breathed a little easier.

It seemed Wu Shuangge's Mixed Yuan Gold Bowl was still as reliable as ever. Though troublesome, it was still capable of detox, and the grade of that poison shouldn't be very high, just troublesome.

Meanwhile, at Jinlan Mountain.

The village chief had just finished his daily health regimen and stepped down from that black giant stone.

Only to see the black qi roiling from there hadn't returned to its former state, but instead surged like boiling water.

As the black qi boiled, it began continually expanding, growing larger and larger, forming a black cloud in the mountain, descending a tornado-shaped thing from the cloud, swallowing the enlarging black qi and burying it in the Jade Tomb.

The entire Jinlan Mountain trembled slightly.

The mountain peak slowly rose higher, its body slowly expanding.

Soon, the blank space between Jinlan Mountain and the locust forest began to be overrun; locust trees uprooted and spread outward continuously.

As all the black qi from the black cloud was absorbed by Jinlan Mountain,

Jinlan Mountain expanded more than twice its previous size both east-west and north-south.

Including many of the great arrays Lao Yang had previously deployed, all forcibly shattered.

The village chief was stunned by this transformation, also noticing a wisp of black qi on the giant stone, transforming into large letters, floating before the village chief.

"The dust of history settled, the Evil Lord escaped."