"Erase memories? Demonic Cultivators can do that?"
Shen Yuxi's mind raced.
"Those capable of such a thing are either great experts who specialize in the Soul Dao, or they possess a special artifact made for it. There are only a handful of people who can tamper with someone else's mind without leaving a trace... you could count them on your fingers."
"If the Demonic Path hired help... ah, that person does seem quite likely. Cooperation means mutual benefit. Nothing shameful about that."
He nodded to himself, then shook his head again.
"Still, considering his cultivation, this kind of memory cleansing probably cannot be done cleanly on cultivators above the Soul Emergence Realm. The Demonic Path would not dare take such a risk.
"So even if there truly was contact, those who might have been tampered with were likely only a few elders with lower cultivation. Experts at Master's and the two Martial Uncles' level possess souls tempered like steel. If they truly encountered something like this, they could not possibly remain entirely unaware."
Thinking this through, the heart hanging in his throat settled slightly. He let out a breath and turned his gaze back to Yun Mufeng.
Yun Mufeng raised a second finger.
"Second—everything happening in the Nine Domains now, everything related to the Demonic Path, bears no trace of the Demon Venerable. He truly has matters he cares about more, and has not concerned himself with worldly affairs for nearly a century."
At those words, quite a few people in the hall exchanged glances. When True Person Yuanji had brought back the news, they had believed it seven or eight parts out of ten, yet several doubts had remained in their hearts—
Who was Si Beixing? He was the fiend who had once ruled Nether Swan Hall with an