"Fine, let me know once you have information."
Xu Zhentai took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaled two streams of smoke through his nostrils, and sneered, "This Ye Yunfeng is a fool, being used by others without even knowing it."
"He claims he and Yin Ping discovered the uses of Demonic Qi, but I think that's a load of crap."
"If I'm not mistaken, he was also used by Yin Ping. Everything he knows about Demonic Qi was probably told to him by Yin Ping!"
"He was foolish enough to let Yin Ping turn him into a monster who doesn't even recognize his own family."
Hearing this, Xu Ke shook his head. "Ye Yunfeng probably knows he's being used. For the sake of power, he simply doesn't care."
"After all, if he truly valued family, he probably could have come to his senses in time, just like you, Second Uncle."
Everyone cultivates Demonic Qi. Xu Zhentai can stay clear-headed, so why can't Ye Yunfeng? Isn't it simply because in his heart, power is far more important than family?
"That's true."
Xu Zhentai agreed at first, but his brow quickly furrowed and his eyes widened. "No, strictly speaking, I didn't come to my senses all on my own."
"What do you mean?" Xu Ke asked, startled.
Xu Zhentai didn't answer directly, changing the subject instead. "Remember how I was cursing your master this morning?"
Xu Ke nodded. Back then, he had been wondering what sort of grudge his uncle had against his master to be cursing up a storm like that.
"Back then, when I was self-harming, I ran into your master. After he appeared and identified himself, he healed my injuries," Xu Zhentai explained. "I was incredibly grateful and asked what he wanted as a reward, but he said he didn't want anything."
"And then?" Xu Ke pressed.
That doesn't sound like there was a problem at all! Master seemed so benevolent, like a true healer dedicated to aiding the world!
But Xu Zhentai's next sentence hit Xu Ke like a ton of bricks.
"Your master didn't want a reward, but he told me that since I was going to self-harm anyway, I might as well let him beat me up for seven days straight."
As Xu Zhentai recalled this, his eyes still held a look of utter speechlessness.
Xu Ke was floored. What the...?! Master, what on earth were you doing?
"Then... you agreed?" Xu Ke asked hesitantly.
"Of course not!" Xu Zhentai clapped his hands, becoming visibly agitated. "But it was useless. I couldn't beat him. He knocked me unconscious with one hand, and when I came to, I was covered in bruises from head to toe."
"What followed were the most brutal seven days of my life."
Xu Ke was speechless.
"While he was beating me, I was cursing him out, hurling every insult I could think of. But your master's skin... it's incredibly thick. He didn't get angry at all. In fact, his retorts completely broke my composure. Back then, I was convinced he was scum."
"You don't mind me talking about your master this way, do you?"
Xu Ke coughed twice. "I don't mind. Sometimes I say the same things about him."
Hearing this, Xu Zhentai paused and glanced at Xu Ke. "It seems you two get along quite well, huh?"
Xu Ke replied, "...Indeed."
"After those seven days, your master left. From that day forward, I promptly withdrew from the martial world. Firstly, I was genuinely afraid of the Sorrowful Heart Art acting up again, and secondly, I never wanted to encounter a madman like your master ever again." Xu Zhentai coughed twice.
"Oh... so you didn't just retire from the martial world because you wanted to, but because you were beaten into retirement?"
"Something like that."
"Then why didn't you tell me such an embarrassing story this morning?"
"I already said it's embarrassing! Why would I tell you, you little brat!" Xu Zhentai grumbled, then added, "All these years, I always thought the Medical Saint was just an eccentric person. Looking back now, I realize your master was probably trying to save me!"
"Save you?" Xu Ke was taken aback.
"Because after those seven days, even when the Sorrowful Heart Art flared up, it never affected my mind again. That was a first for me," Xu Zhentai said. "I refuse to believe it had nothing to do with your master!"
"What's more, your master has been appearing and disappearing mysteriously for years. I suspect it might be related to the Demonic Qi..."
"If, behind all this Demonic Qi, Yin Li and Yin Ping are just pawns of some mastermind, then your master is very likely investigating them."
As his voice fell, Xu Ke was stunned.
Xu Zhentai had a point. Moreover, before Xu Ke left the mountain, Ren Gu had told him that it would be difficult to find him in the future. He said he had to investigate something, but Xu Ke just hadn't been paying much attention at the time.
Thinking of this, Xu Ke stroked his chin and mused, "So, you're saying there's a mastermind behind all of this who introduced the Demonic Qi to you... Then what is his purpose?"
"Purpose?" Xu Zhentai raised an eyebrow, then pointed to the pool of blood that still hadn't been cleaned up. "Is this what Ye Yunfeng's subordinate turned into after taking that drug?"
"Yes!"
"And after this pool of blood appeared, did the Demonic Qi on the mountain become even stronger?"
Xu Ke thought for a moment. "Yes!"
A cruel smirk spread across Xu Zhentai's face. "Then I understand."
"Fighting in an environment saturated with Demonic Qi can enhance the combat power of people like me."
"And Martial Artists who consume this drug can unleash short but powerful bursts of strength, even if their talent is poor. After death, they turn into pools of Demonic Qi-infused blood. This contaminates the surroundings, creating the very environment of Demonic Qi that strengthens us."
"So, what happens if these drugs and Cultivation Techniques spread?"
"Under the weakening effect of the Demonic Qi, other Martial Artists' strength will drop drastically, making them easy to consume. The consumer, in turn, gets stimulated by the boost to their cultivation and will pursue even more killing. In such a cycle..."
"It's obvious. His purpose is to turn the entire world into a paradise of Demonic Qi!"
As Xu Zhentai finished speaking, Xu Ke gasped. "How... how did this suddenly become a matter concerning the fate of the world?"
"If it weren't a threat to the entire world, why would someone of your master's stature get involved?" Xu Zhentai retorted.
Then, he added, "In any case, be careful. This power is too strange. Besides, didn't Ye Yunfeng say this Demonic Qi seems to be incomplete?"
"That's right," Xu Ke nodded.
"If the incomplete version can absorb the corpses of Martial Artists, what about the complete version? Could it directly absorb all the power from a living person's body?" Xu Zhentai speculated.
Xu Ke's expression changed drastically. "If Ye Yunfeng possessed the complete Demonic Qi, wouldn't that be absolutely heaven-defying?"
For a Martial Artist who wields it, that kind of Demonic Qi would be like a nuclear weapon. If Ye Yunfeng could absorb True Qi from living people, they would have all been killed moments ago.
"Exactly. So... be extra cautious. Have your men stay alert for this Demonic Qi. If anything happens, notify me immediately. Don't face the enemy alone again, understand?" Xu Zhentai warned.
"Understood!" Xu Ke nodded.
Afterward, Xu Ke had Ye Feng send men to seal off the Ye Family's back mountain. Aside from Ye Feng and those he trusted completely, no one else was allowed up there. He didn't want any more strange people getting their hands on Demonic Qi. Ye Yunfeng's impressive display today was sure to tempt certain individuals in Tianhai, who might try to sneak up the mountain to absorb its power.
After leaving the Ye Family's back mountain, Xu Ke and Xu Zhentai went their separate ways, with Xu Ke heading back to the Wang Family.
On the way, Xu Ke contacted Wong Qifu to check on her condition. He was relieved to hear that she was all right.
