Yang Qi, as expected, was not surprised by Ye Ling’s shocked reaction. He continued, "Xiaomei was targeted by the Cloud Palace because of this device, and was eventually killed."
Ye Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you saying that the Cloud Palace was responsible for attacking Li Xiaomei?"
Yang Qi nodded. "Xiaomei wrote everything in her letter to me. She is the daughter of Li Shan, a traitor to the Cloud Palace. After her father was executed by the Cloud Palace, she depended on her mother for survival."
"Since childhood, her mother told her that she was conducting research that could change the world, and that the Cloud Palace would eventually come for them. Xiaomei was also deliberately distant from others because of this, pretending to be a reclusive child."
"Her mother had been researching neuroscience throughout her life, laying a solid foundation for Xiaomei. Later, Xiaomei's mother passed away from illness. To inherit her mother's legacy, Xiaomei enrolled in Xichuan University, secretly studying neuroscience while also learning computer science to improve her mother's research with computer technology."
"When I met her later, her research was nearing completion... and that was also when I began to pursue her intensely."
"As for what happened later... you already know, sir. After that night of drinking... Xiaomei feigned anger, deliberately distanced herself from me, and eventually disappeared from my life."
As he spoke, Yang Qi gave a bitter smile, clenching his fists.
"Later, I received her letter. In it, she told me the whole truth and also informed me of the location of her research results..."
Ye Ling said, "So, the peculiar device you mentioned, which can confuse memories without affecting your own self, is currently in your possession?"
After hearing Yang Qi's words, Ye Ling became extremely interested in the device Yang Qi spoke of.
Indeed, the soul and the body are separate. Even if the soul retains memories, a person needs the brain to process thoughts.
Therefore, people with low cultivation, once their souls leave their bodies, become incapable of thinking and lose basic consciousness.
The reason why evil spirits, formed from the dead, become like beasts is precisely due to their low cultivation, lacking the brain of a physical body to provide a medium for thought.
Of course, if one's cultivation is powerful, the soul becomes strong enough to simulate brain functions independently without relying on a physical brain. In this way, the soul can freely leave the body and roam the world.
This is also known as the primordial spirit emerging from the body.
What Yang Qi described was the active confusion of the soul's memories, followed by the use of a device to alter the brain's interpretation methods, and then allowing those jumbled memories to be transformed into normal memories through specific thought patterns in the brain...
Ye Ling carefully considered the device Yang Qi described. If it could truly decipher the connection between the soul and the brain, it might indeed be feasible.
The Eastern Xuan Continent was a civilization of pure cultivation, where hardly anyone researched science, let alone the specialized field of neuroscience.
This also meant that if the Eastern Xuan Continent did not want secrets leaked, their only options were to kill, seal memories, or implant self-destructing markers, resorting to crude methods that directly manipulated the soul.
Using such memory sealing methods would invariably restrict subordinates' actions, causing various inconveniences and unnecessary casualties.
The device invented by Li Xiaomei could completely surpass the methods used by cultivators on the Eastern Xuan Continent to handle souls and memories.
For such an item, even the old monsters of the reclusive great families on the Eastern Xuan Continent would not hesitate to snatch it.
Seeing Ye Ling inquire about the device, Yang Qi did not hide anything. He readily admitted, "That device is indeed with me. I have hidden it..."
"That thing is actually of no use to me, and it's a source of trouble. It's not impossible for me to give it to you, sir."
Ye Ling raised an eyebrow. "It seems you have conditions for me to obtain that device?"
Yang Qi said bitterly, "There's no other way... I am now deeply caught in a vortex. Your appearance has given me hope for a change in my fate, and I must seize it."
"If you do not agree to my conditions, I will be a dead man sooner or later."
Ye Ling was not surprised by Yang Qi's conditions. He smiled and asked, "So, what do you want me to do?"
A trace of determination flashed in Yang Qi's eyes. He no longer avoided Ye Ling's gaze and looked up at him. "I... I want you to find the murderer who killed Xiaomei, and then send all those murderers... to hell!"
For Yang Qi, both Xiaomei's death and his current predicament were related to those people from the Cloud Palace!
As long as those people were dealt with, he could not only avenge Li Xiaomei but also stop living every day like a startled bird.
More importantly, he would be able to see his daughter, whom he had never met!
Yang Qi continued, "As long as you help me get revenge, I will immediately present Xiaomei's invented device to you!"
Ye Ling simply shook his head at Yang Qi's condition.
Seeing Ye Ling shake his head, Yang Qi's heart sank...
He had finally mustered the courage to confront the Cloud Palace, only to be rejected by Ye Ling like this!
With him alone... he could not possibly achieve revenge. He would have to return to the same life, until one day he was found by the Cloud Palace and met a tragic end.
Just as Yang Qi was despairing, Ye Ling said, "Li Xiaoxiao is my subordinate. I came here precisely to investigate matters related to her background. If Li Xiaomei was killed by the Cloud Palace, then my taking action against the Cloud Palace is my duty. I would have done it even if you hadn't said anything."
"This is not a condition. Please, think of another one."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Yang Qi was stunned. He stared blankly at Ye Ling, his eyes suddenly welling up with tears. "S-sir..."
He felt an inexplicable urge to cry.
However, Yang Qi quickly wiped away the tears and knelt directly before Ye Ling, kowtowing three times. "Thank you, sir!"
"Your great kindness is something I can never repay in this lifetime!"
"What are you doing?" Ye Ling sent out a surge of spiritual energy, lifting Yang Qi. "I am merely doing my own work. You don't need to thank me. Strictly speaking, we are in an equal transaction."
"You propose a condition, and I take the goods."
Yang Qi shook his head. "Sir, it cannot be counted like that... That device was originally Xiaomei's property, and I was merely its custodian. Using that device to propose a condition to you just now was entirely due to my selfish desires and a self-serving decision."
"If you help Xiaomei avenge her death, then Xiaomei's possessions should naturally belong to you."
"Moreover, I will return to a normal life because you will help Xiaomei get revenge. I am the one who truly owes you a favor."
"Three kowtows are far from enough. How could I dare to propose conditions to you?"
Seeing Yang Qi's demeanor, Ye Ling smiled slightly.
If it were before, he might have harbored some doubts about the truthfulness of Yang Qi's words, believing that the incident of drunken indiscretion was Yang Qi's premeditated plan, rather than Li Xiaomei going along with it.
However, from his current observation... it was reasonable that Li Xiaomei would fall for Yang Qi and entrust her possessions to him.
The so-called drunken indiscretion was probably just an excuse for Li Xiaomei to indulge in her own recklessness.
Ye Ling smiled. "Very well, we are now quits. After dealing with the Cloud Palace, I will take you to see Xiaoxiao."
Just then, Tian Yuan's voice echoed in Ye Ling's mind, "Emperor, I have finished compiling the information regarding the Cloud Palace."