When Ji You entered the front hall of the Affairs Management Courtyard, the dim hall was already packed with people.
There were team leaders who had gone out to search, instructors who had joined the search, Ban Yangshu with his arm suspended in bandages, and Ji Qirui on the left, half his robe removed, his chest wrapped tightly.
Ban Yangshu's shoulder had been smashed by an iron fist, damaging the bone. Ji Qirui's left chest had been grazed by Lightning Law, scorching his shoulder.
When they saw Ji You enter, their expressions became complicated.
They had fought the same battle, so how did he look as if he had never taken part? He was even dressed so handsomely...
Still, after grumbling to themselves, the two rose at the same time and solemnly thanked Ji You.
The three stewards also rose at the sight, expressing their concern with heartfelt sincerity, as though Ji You had been wounded just as badly as Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui.
"Where had your discussion reached?"
Ban Yangshu spoke up. "We were discussing Evil Seeds."
Ji You froze slightly. "Yesterday, I heard all of you shouting about Evil Seeds. What exactly are those things?"
"During the Primordial War, Qingyun World was not ruled by us humans, but by a race later known as the Primordial Remnant Race. Their bodies were immensely powerful, they were born able to wield the laws, they fed on humans and enslaved all living things. In the end, they enraged the Heavenly Dao."
"The Heavenly Dao then bestowed the Seven Sect Dao Artifacts, which were wielded by the Seven Sages. The Primordial Remnant Race was thus exterminated."
"These Evil Seeds are what the Primordial Remnant Race became after death and corruption."
Ji Qirui added, "After the Primordial War, Qingyun World was left with many Ancient Ruins scattered everywhere. Some are vast and boundless, places even cultivators of the Upper Five Realms dare not enter. Others are as small as abandoned houses, called ruined temples among the common folk. Evil Seeds roam around them, devouring passing woodcutters and scholars alive."
Ji You's eyes widened at those words. So that was it.
No wonder Kuang Cheng had said that if those traveling to the capital for the examinations went by land, only two out of five would survive. It had not been an exaggeration.
There was no Xiaoqian in those temples. They were practically crammed wall to wall with Grandma demons.
With things like that around, it would be hard for Old Kuang not to die on the road.
After pondering for a moment, Ji You frowned again. "You said Evil Seeds enjoy eating humans alive. Then why did the people you found become dried corpses?"
After listening to Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui finish recounting the story, Steward Qin nodded. "Ji You is indeed sharp. This is also one of the doubtful points we need to investigate. Do you have any clues?"
"That ghostly thing was very strong."
"The Primordial Remnant Race is built differently from humans. They possess immense strength by nature, and even after death, the toughness of their bodies does not diminish. That is nothing unusual."
Ji You thought for a moment, then looked up. "Just the body... can it think?"
Steward Qin shook his head. "Bodies corrupted into Evil Seeds are exceedingly bloodthirsty, but as for thinking, there has been no such precedent."
"No. When that thing fought me, it was afraid of death. After I drew my second sword, it kept dodging, and its eyes were filled with terror."
"?"
At those words, discussions broke out throughout the Affairs Management Courtyard.
The reason Evil Seeds formed from the corpses of the Primordial Remnant Race were not considered terrifying, and why no immortal sect had bothered to clear them out, was because they possessed no thought.
Even if they ate a few passing woodcutters or scholars, it was not worth an immortal sect's intervention.
But Ji You said the one he had fought understood fear. A sinister air immediately spread through the courtyard.
Steward Ji cut off everyone's discussion. "Leaving aside that Evil Seed, does Young Master Ji have any clues regarding that swordsman and the black-clad Dao Integration Realm cultivator?"
After thinking for a moment, Ji You said, "That swordsman was skilled at killing. He must often fight others. He was unlike immortal sect disciples who hide away in the mountains to cultivate in peace."
"What about that Dao Integration Realm cultivator?"
"I only fought him indirectly. I have no information to provide."
Steward Ji nodded. "Do Yangshu and Qirui have anything to add?"
Ban Yangshu cupped his fists. "That man used only basic Lightning Law. He was deliberately concealing his identity and left no clues behind."
After listening to everyone's discussion, Ji Qirui suddenly interjected, "I have something to add."
"Let's hear it."
"When the few of us left the building, we stopped because we sensed Killing Intent. But that Killing Intent first passed by us from another path. After it had gone far away, it suddenly turned back. I suspect their attack on us was a spur-of-the-moment decision."
Ban Yangshu's eyes lit up at Ji Qirui's words. "That's right. That Dao Integration Realm cultivator only arrived after the Evil Seed."
Steward Qin's brow furrowed. "So they had not planned to attack you from the start? It was the Evil Seed that lost control?"
"That should be the case."
Hearing this, Ji You could not help frowning.
That Evil Seed had pounced at them, seemingly to seize Lu Qingqiu, but as the person involved, Ji You understood that it had wanted to kill him.
If Ji Qirui was right, then the attackers had originally intended to go around them and leave. Yet for some unknown reason, the Evil Seed had lost control and fixed its eyes on him.
Ji You's brow relaxed.
The Evil Seed was a woman. She lusted after beauty.
Case closed!
No, that was not right. If she lusted after beauty, those claws would not have kept scratching at his face.
Ji You raised his head and looked at the three stewards seated above. They exchanged glances and nodded inscrutably, as though they already had a lead.
But in truth, they had no clue at all.
When they had first received the news, they believed some immortal sect was secretly targeting Celestial Academy.
But after finding the corpses, they discovered that the dead were not only Celestial Academy disciples. Among them were two imperial relatives with decent cultivation talent, while another person's identity remained unknown.
Investigating clues required finding common ground. The only thing the five victims had in common now was that they were cultivators. Nothing more.
After all the information had been checked, the crowd dispersed, while the three stewards moved into the rear hall.
The rear hall had only a small window and was dark within. The tables and chairs had been removed, leaving five dried corpses laid out in the empty hall. A Daoist in a long robe was carefully examining them, his tightly furrowed brow never easing.
"Hall Master Zuoqiu."
Zuo Qiuyang turned to look at them. "Did you gain anything?"
Steward Qin cupped his fists. "It is difficult for independent cultivators to reach the Dao Integration Realm. That man must be listed in the Immortal Registry, though the swordsman may have been an independent cultivator. The strangest matter is that Evil Seed."
"What is strange about it?"
Steward Qin lowered his voice. "Everyone knows that Evil Seeds cannot leave Ancient Ruins by more than ten li, yet it appeared in Shengjing City. That is one matter. The second is that Ji You, who fought it, said it could feel fear. That is even stranger."
Ji Jingyao looked toward the five corpses. "Has Hall Master Zuoqiu found any clues?"
"I fear Qingyun World is about to descend into great chaos."
Zuo Qiuyang looked at the five corpses, and his words left the three stewards stunned.
The corpses had indeed been drained dry rather than eaten alive by an Evil Seed, but that was not the important point.
The important point was that all five were cultivators. They had all reached the stage of condensing Spirit Cores, yet now their Spirit Cores had been dug out whole.
Murder alone was not a major problem. But when something beyond one's understanding appeared, it foretold an even greater calamity.
More crucially, the moment you noticed such a thing, it meant that thing was no longer particularly afraid of being noticed.
Before you continue