Master of Strange Dao

"Well, that's all then."

A moment later, the New No. Ten appeared in the backyard of the club.

"I need to do something, go to the east of Dali to the Qiguang Trading Company, and obtain three pairs of Shadow Devil's eyes."

Yu Ziqing thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"I have no means to leave an imprint on that thing and guarantee it won't be discovered, but thank you for the information."

The New No. Ten nodded and took out a jar.

"This is Heart-devouring Powder, a deadly poison. No. 3 asked me to poison you, wanting to test if Wu Shuangge's magical treasure can detoxify it."

"Then leave half with me, I will personally give it a try."

"No, I leave it all with you. This thing is too dangerous. Dissolved in liquor, it's meant specifically to destroy the flesh. Effective for seven days, then the poison activates after seven days. Below Ninth Tier Body Cultivation, there's no cure."

The New No. Ten left the item and departed immediately.

Yu Ziqing looked at the jar, intending to try Wu Shuangge's Mixed Yuan Gold Bowl later to see how far it had progressed.

The New No. Ten came specifically to talk about this matter, which made it appear that No. 3, the White Water Egg, excelled in creating various poisons.

Knowing about Wu Shuangge's magical treasure too.

Considering this, for several years now, the cultivators that frequently appeared poisoned at the Health Club might be due to No. 3, the White Water Egg, experimenting with these poisons.

Last year, two cultivators were recommended by Duke Lin.

They had been poisoned with a delayed-action toxin, but before the poison activated, the effects matched those of a Spiritual Medicine.

Yet those poisons were generally mild; Fifth Tier Body Cultivators could withstand them, and Fifth Tier Qi refining cultivators could suppress them.

However, the physicians found it difficult to completely detoxify, resembling a bone-attached malignancy, very troublesome.

But with Wu Shuangge, they could be completely detoxified.

It seemed that No. 3's experiments began long ago.

Only before, he had never noticed.

This time, with the New No. Ten specifically bringing the item and mentioning it, Yu Ziqing could immediately connect these seemingly insignificant events.

Wu Shuangge's detoxification was entirely different from others' methods.

Did No. 3, the White Water Egg, hold a grudge against Jinlan Mountain?

Yet there was infiltration by hungry ghosts, and special research into bodily-destructive toxins, intending to experiment with Wu Shuangge's magical treasure, clearly targeting.

Just to disrupt matters, why expend so much effort on these actions?

Yu Ziqing understood the Dao cultivators quite well.

Like Yang, if absolutely necessary, he wouldn't waste years, even a decade, on one task.

Every time Yu Ziqing sought his assistance to research something, Yang seemed to explode in anger.

Wishing desperately to solve it on the spot for Yu Ziqing, so he could leave immediately, conserving as much time as possible.

Thus, for No. 3, the White Water Egg, to be so targeted, there must be a deep-seated enmity with Jinlan Mountain.

Merely for profit, there was no need to expend such effort.

These people even wanted to incite a chaotic war among the Three Divine Dynasties, and Jinlan Mountain's strength and actions had little impact on the grand scheme.

Yu Ziqing couldn't fathom when he made such an enemy of No. 3, the White Water Egg.

He decided to compile a list, to include everyone he had disputes with.

Eight out of ten times, No. 3, the White Water Egg, had connections with someone on that list.

This also served as a clue.

As for another lead, the Qiguang Trading Company of Dali, Yu Ziqing sent a message to the Crown Prince of Dali, instructing her to check the customer list purchasing Shadow Devil's eyes within Dali.

Yu Ziqing himself couldn't investigate thoroughly and had no energy to spare.

The list for Dazhen was handed to Emperor Zhen; for Daqian, a message was sent to Song Chengyue.

Regardless, taking a shot in the dark might just uncover something.

Time passed swiftly over a month.

Cece reported that within the hungry ghosts of the Abyssal Rift, there was a report.

A hungry ghost with three eyes had appeared and regained a slight bit of self-awareness.

Such special hungry ghosts would always be reported.

These were all normal procedures.

Yu Ziqing had the three-eyed one brought to him.

Yu Ziqing observed the No. Seven hungry ghost, whose forehead eye had become controllably closed over the month.

Its aura stabilized, and its belly slightly rounded; it appeared not to have starved.

"It seems your self-awareness has recovered well; have you recalled your past memories?"

The No. Seven hungry ghost approached step by step, feeling an immense pressure akin to a mountain collapse and searing waves.

The sight of Yu Ziqing brought about this pressure, greater than any he had known in life.

As Yu Ziqing spoke, that pressure dissipated like a gentle breeze, soundless and unnoticed.

The No. Seven hungry ghost hesitated a moment, then nodded.

"I recall much, no, I recall even more."

Not only had he remembered many memories as No. 7, the White Water Egg, but he also remembered his name, his former identity, and experiences.

Yet these memories were fragmented, except for the intact and first-recalled memory.

In fact, it was the memory of being controlled by various means, ultimately starving to death.

Just recalling these experiences, with their profound anguish, made him uncomfortable, stirring his strongest instincts to reject them.

Yu Ziqing observed the No. Seven hungry ghost's expression and understood what he recalled.

Without experiencing death by starvation, one couldn't fathom what such an experience entailed for a hungry ghost.

For those who, from the start of their consciousness, never felt hunger, empathizing with the current state of the No. Seven hungry ghost was impossible.