"Answer my question." I wasn't in the mood to trade barbs with Ye Zhengyi.
Ye Zhengyi answered honestly. "I really don't know. I've never dealt with the government. I can't even be considered a respectable member of the circle. I'm not on the evil side, either, but I don't have a good reputation." He rambled for a while, then, under my gaze, reluctantly continued, "In my time, there was an Imperial Preceptor. Plenty of people had their eyes on that position, so it was actually harder to rig things. If a successor from any sect tried to pull something, the other sects could rally under the banner of 'purging the court of treacherous ministers' and make their move. The one who struck first would end up being attacked by everyone else. But in modern times... I'd sensed it for a while. They must have found another way and adopted a different strategy. I have no idea who's in charge or who came up with these ideas. But..."
Ye Zhengyi thought for a moment. "From what I've observed... the whole world's atmosphere has changed. Everyone's gone into hiding. Those with real ability don't want to show their faces anymore. This whole situation..."
I watched him trail off. I already had a guess.
"The Ghost King started making moves a long time ago, didn't he? Ability-users and professionals in the supernatural circle were all targets."
Ye Zhengyi nodded. "That's right. That's why a lot of people went into hiding afterward. The world really is getting worse and worse... sigh. And that's created a problem. At least these people used to keep things in check. Everyone knew what could and couldn't be done, and there was an unspoken understanding between them. But now, it's a real free-for-all. Later on, there must have been