Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 438 - 389 Demon Seed

Chapter 438: Chapter 389 Demon Seed
"No matter what Zhao Ming is secretly plotting, we must take preventive measures to stop it," Chen Danqiu said. "The Supervision Department needs to collect as many bronze instruments from the Yin Shang period as possible from various countries, especially those with inscriptions or oracle bone script. We also need to search Dongjun Tower for any Mutated Objects related to Yin Shang bronze instruments.
Master Tantai, I’d like you to organize the Doctors to start a research project to see if we’ve missed any key information.
Cui Siye, could you please make a trip to Hedong Road? The noble families have left behind a significant number of bronze instruments, and the Academic Palace is willing to purchase, rent, or exchange for them."
When the Mountain Master was away, the Sacrificial Officer’s word was law in the Academic Palace.
The individuals who received their orders turned and left the office; only Xi Yangyu was asked to stay.
"Mr. Xi, please wait."
Xi Yangyu paused, turned around, and calmly asked, "Is there something you need, Sacrificial Officer?"
Chen Danqiu sat back down, his gaze lingering for a moment on Xi Yangyu’s left sleeve, which was noticeably longer. "How’s your hand doing?"
"It’s manageable. Although it still aches every two or three days, it’s not fatal."
Xi Yangyu smiled faintly and also took a seat.
"I know you’re somewhat dissatisfied with Pu Liuxuan returning to the Academic Palace, but we need someone in Chang’an who understands Jun Qianzi and his way of thinking," Chen Danqiu said, gesturing with his palm to summon a hot water kettle through the air. He brewed two cups of hot tea and continued, "This is also the Mountain Master’s intention."
"I understand. It’s all for Yu Country."
Xi Yangyu tried to mask the stiffness in his smile. "Is there anything else?"
"Um..." Chen Danqiu sipped his hot tea and said slowly, "Have you heard of the Mind-controlling Demon Seed?"
"Mind-controlling Demon Seed?" Xi Yangyu furrowed his brows. "Isn’t that just a legend from the Former Sui?"
During the heyday of the Former Sui, a rumor began circulating in the southern regions of the empire: a Demon Sect had supposedly invented a special Cultivation Technique that could manipulate and twist a person’s mind. It was called the "Demon Seed."
Those affected by the Demon Seed showed no outward abnormalities. However, their personalities underwent drastic changes. Their habits, ways of thinking, and even their manner of speech would make them seem like a completely different person. Once the transformation began, they would gradually wither and die, a process taking anywhere from three months to half a year. During this process, anyone closely associated with a Demon Seed bearer risked being assimilated themselves.
Many people claimed someone they knew had been affected by the Demon Seed, and the rumor quickly spread throughout Jiangnan and Jiangbei, sweeping across half of the Sui Country. Even Emperor Sui heard of it and ordered the court to thoroughly investigate the matter.
The common people were panicked, fearing Demon Seed bearers appearing among them. They spontaneously organized, expelling local beggars and monks of unknown identity, and even resorted to lynchings. Some people took advantage of the situation, accusing their personal enemies of being affected by the Demon Seed, which immediately led to widespread vendettas. Neighbors, spouses, fathers and sons, masters and apprentices—all became enemies. For a time, people were deeply unsettled, and society came to a halt.
Eventually, a Minister from Yu Country stepped forward. He led troops to exterminate a Demon Sect based in Jiangnan, claiming the source of the Demon Seed had been eliminated, thereby putting an end to the incident.
Later investigations revealed there was no such thing as the Demon Seed; it was all mass hysteria fueled by misinformation. As a result, tens of thousands in the Sui Country died or were injured. Dozens of court officials were demoted or dismissed, annual tax revenue dropped by a tenth, and the secondary disasters caused by the societal paralysis were immeasurable. Emperor Sui issued an edict of self-blame. After deep and regretful contemplation, he decided to establish an institution to educate the citizens of Yu Country—that institution was the Academic Palace.
Any Academic Palace Doctor would know this history. Chen Danqiu then asked, "From the perspective of Mind Study, do you think it’s theoretically possible for the Mind-controlling Demon Seed to be realized?"
"This..." Xi Yangyu pondered seriously for a moment and slowly said, "Mind Study originates from a time even more ancient than the Yin Shang, when humans and deities coexisted. Tribal Shamans would drink brews to enter a drowsy state, communicating with the will of heaven and earth in their dreams. In this state, they could predict future weather changes and guide their tribe’s migration and agriculture. Essentially, it’s using one’s own mind to connect with the heavenly mind, just like current Mind Study. As for whether one can use their own mind to connect with another’s, changing their will, modifying their personality, or even, as the legend says, influence millions of people through the Mind-controlling Demon Seed... I don’t know."
Xi Yangyu candidly said, "Even if it is theoretically possible, it would surely require reaching the level of Lin Yuan, or perhaps even higher."
"I see..." Chen Danqiu nodded thoughtfully. Seeing the hint of curiosity on Xi Yangyu’s face, he smiled, flipped through the unfinished manuscript on his desk, and said, "I’ve been writing an article recently about the origins of the Academic Palace’s establishment. It mentions the Mind-controlling Demon Seed, so I wanted to ask your opinion. By the way, I heard your Eldest Son is soon to be engaged?"
"Yes, to a girl from the Zheng Family."
Hearing this, Xi Yangyu’s face broke into a smile.
His Eldest Son had been pursuing a fellow female student from the Academic Palace, one who hailed from the Xingyang Zheng Family. They were now at the stage of discussing marriage. Xi Yangyu came from a poor family, while the Xingyang Zheng Family was part of the Five Families and Seven Hopes. If the marriage were to happen, it would be a great honor. Perhaps, a hundred years later, the Xi Family could become a prominent noble family.
Xi Yangyu exchanged a few more pleasantries with Chen Danqiu. After finishing his tea, he stood up to take his leave.
Once Xi Yangyu had fully departed and the door had automatically closed, Chen Danqiu sat alone in the room, his smiling expression slowly fading. He picked up the unfinished article from the desk, placed it on his lap, and muttered to himself, "Mind-controlling Demon Seed, Mind-controlling Demon Seed..."
As the Academic Palace Sacrificial Official, he had access to far more material than any historian of Yu Country or any scholar researching this historical event. The Mind-controlling Demon Seed was not simply mass delusion. There were indeed individuals affected by it—their minds altered, their personalities changed—who then perished in groups after three months. It was just that the ultimate harm had not been as widespread as the rumors suggested. If this anomaly was real, could a Cultivator have mastered this technique? Could such a Cultivator, as their life neared its end, inflict the Demon Seed upon others, replacing their minds with his own, thereby achieving... a sort of immortality? And could the sudden disappearance of the Mind-controlling Demon Seed rumors also be unrelated to the Sui Dynasty Court’s efforts to calm the populace? Was it, perhaps, because the Cultivator spreading the Demon Seed in secret had already achieved their desired result and voluntarily halted the experiment?