Master of Strange Dao

In the court, if you're working as an official, you must learn to showcase yourself as much as possible when the conditions are right.

Like now, this Shangguan certainly wouldn't feel annoyed.

Yu Ziqing reviewed the complicated records while listening to the oral account, nodding constantly.

This interrogator is indeed a talented person.

"Sir, there's someone of relatively high status inside who's also about to speak up.

I plan to give him the last spot among his three chances.

Sir, do you want to hear him say it himself? I haven't listened to his confession yet."

"Bring him out."

Before long, a middle-aged man with foot chains and shackles was brought out.

Li Cang stood by Yu Ziqing's side, with a slight smile, speaking sincerely.

"Da'er, I'm giving you a chance, this is an esteemed Riddler from the Yin column.

Say what you want to say, don't waste the opportunity.

There won't be a second chance.

What exactly are you all planning? Hurry and say it."

The middle-aged man's face showed a trace of helplessness, a hint of despair, and a complexity that couldn't be expressed.

"It's all for welcoming back the Evil Dao Lord.

So that one day, we evil cultivators can appear openly just like the Devil Dao cultivators."

Yu Ziqing shook his head.

"Guess, if the Evil Lord were here right now, would he kill you all first or save you?"

Da'er suddenly raised his head, the complex emotions in his eyes immediately disappearing, his eyes reddening, glaring at Yu Ziqing as if Yu Ziqing had touched his most sensitive spot.

Yu Ziqing remained expressionless, speaking calmly.

"The place where the Evil Lord fell back then is now Jinlan Mountain, and later it was sealed by the Dadui Seal.

I think you should all know about this?

So guess, have we ever talked to him?

I say, if he were here right now, the first person he'd kill is you.

Do you believe it?"

"Absolutely impossible, dying at the hands of the Evil Lord would be an honor." Da'er replied without hesitation.

Yu Ziqing sighed lightly.

"On the day you caused the incident, I personally went to speak with the Evil Lord.

You're not saving him, nor bringing him back, you're actually destroying the Evil Dao.

The path you started on was wrong from the beginning."

"Impossible."

"Believe it or not, let me put it harshly, you evil cultivators aren't even worthy of me making up lies to deceive you."

Da'er said nothing more, lowering his head, lost in thought.

After a long time, he lowly said,

"Before I die, can I see the Evil Lord once?"

Without waiting for Yu Ziqing to answer, he continued speaking to himself.

"In my youth, my first contact with cultivation was actually regular Qi Refinement.

Later, I accidentally obtained an Evil Dao Dharma Method, though I had not yet practiced cultivation at that time.

By chance, the village of my clan was annihilated in a crossfire between orthodox Qi Refining cultivators.

I barely survived by using that Evil Dao Secret Technique.

Yet those so-called orthodox cultivators used my Evil Dao cultivation as an excuse to silence me through death.

I then questioned, what is right, what is wrong?

Whether right or wrong, isn't it all dependent on people? What does it have to do with the Dharma Method?

Even Devil Dao can be cultivated normally, I don't understand.

My master saved me, but then my master died, and I stumbled around, hiding every day.

One day, a fellow villager approached me and shared his vision.

He wanted to make it so that those evil cultivators who weren't particularly malevolent could walk the streets openly, just like Devil Dao cultivators.

He said he knew the whereabouts of the Evil Dao Lord and wanted to rescue him.

To have the Evil Lord reorganize the Evil Dao so that we practitioners of the Evil Dao could appear openly.

Why is it that within the Devil Dao many succumb to the Devilic path, yet people can still make distinctions?

Why is it that no matter who the Evil Dao cultivator is, even if just an ordinary boy, they must die?

We worked hard for a long time.

But I later heard that it still failed, and the Evil Lord had not returned.

This time, it was intended to hold a grand ritual in Dadui to summon back the Evil Lord.

But we failed and had to start in West Qian instead.

The people above provided a carriage, we only needed to navigate the stone statue carriage along a specific route.

I only know this part; others are responsible for other parts."

"Do you know that now in West Qian, all children can no longer enter the path?" Yu Ziqing said slowly.

"Yes, it's part of the ritual."

"Poisoning?"

"No."

"It will spread, won't it?"

"Yes, starting from the weakest mortals, the numerous stone statue carriages will travel along a predetermined route, outlining a giant ritual rune that covers West Qian.

Over time, this power will infect everyone.

The weaker the ability, the sooner they will be infected, followed by the stronger ones.

If it can spread from West Qian to the whole of Dadui, then even Ninth Tier Strong individuals will be infected.

All those infected will lose their power."

"Only Qi Refining cultivators, right?"

"Most effective on Qi Refining cultivators, less so on Body Refinement and Refining God cultivators."

"Have you heard of the gateway?"

"I've heard of it; it's a portal to a mysterious Grotto Heaven, containing the power to reorganize the Evil Dao. I don't know the specifics."

"Do you really believe in such things?" Yu Ziqing couldn't help but ask.

Da'er was stunned for a moment, then after a long silence, spoke somewhat solemnly,

"In my life, I've done many evil deeds and am already like this, but I still hope that one day the Evil Dao can return to normalcy.

I've practiced too many Evil Skills, and my lifespan is already limited, but even now I am more determined in my original ideals.

For all cultivators, for everyone, to be the same.

No matter the outcome, I am not in a high position, nor can I influence the result.

But I can say, it will actually be impossible to stop you.

When that rune encompassing the entire West Qian is complete, no one will be able to stop it again.

If we succeed, we can call back the Evil Lord.

If we fail, there will be no more Evil Dao from then on.

And no more Qi Refining.

Everyone will be the same, no one will be higher than anyone else, and that would actually be good."

Yu Ziqing slowly closed his eyes, these people were crazy.