Outside the research institute, Qingshui and Chen Dong got into the car one after the other.
Yue Qian, in the driver's seat, stepped on the accelerator, started the car, and drove off.
Before long, the car stopped in front of a hidden bunker in the suburbs.
A uniformed official from the bunker was already waiting at the entrance, guiding the three people, including Qingshui, inside after they got out of the car.
"How has Ma Xianhong been recently?" Qingshui asked the bunker staff member in the clean, bright corridor.
"According to our mental assessments, most of the modified memories have been corrected. Based on the professional evaluation of relevant mental health experts, it's expected that the hidden dangers caused by the Dual Hand's memory modification will be largely suppressed after this treatment cycle."
The staff member, wearing a white lab coat, replied.
"That fast? Have you already arranged for him to meet his family?" Qingshui raised an eyebrow slightly, asking.
He had originally estimated that at least two more treatment cycles would be needed.
As for the treatment method, it involved a mind-cleansing technique that his Marvel Universe avatar had recently learned from the Mind Stone, and he had also taught Ma Xianhong some self-cultivation methods compiled from the Mind Stone to strengthen his mind.
No matter how the Dual Hand modified memories, those altered memories were always acquired. As long as Ma Xianhong's mind was strong enough, his mind would instinctively detect every subtle inconsistency in the memories and correct them on its own.
This was far more effective than the crude external examination provided by the Lu Family's Soul-Illumination Technique.
After all, no amount of memory review could compare to one's own profound personal experience of the past.
With both methods working in tandem, Qu Tong's influence on Ma Xianhong would eventually be completely eliminated.
The bunker staff member nodded at Qingshui and continued:
"Following your suggestion, National Security found several other relatives of Ma Xianhong last week. They are Ma Yuanlu's only surviving fourth son, Ma Juncai, and Ma Juncai's eldest son, Ma Junyu. To avoid the attention of the Anomalous Human World, they changed their surname to He and hid on Hong Kong Island, running a furniture factory with skills passed down from their ancestors.
They had many interactions with Ma Xianhong during his childhood. After contacting them a few days ago, the slight resistance Ma Xianhong still had basically disappeared. Stimulated by associated memories, when we asked about events related to Qu Tong, we found his mental state had improved significantly compared to before, which is why we believe it can be reduced to one treatment cycle."
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the area where Ma Xianhong was being held.
Well, "area" — a place that included normal living quarters, exercise, and entertainment.
And to say he was "held" wasn't quite accurate either.
Aside from his memory and mind being affected by Qu Tong, Ma Xianhong had no other abnormal issues, and even his potential harm to society was close to zero.
He hadn't committed any crime, so it couldn't really be called detention; he was more like a patient receiving treatment here.
This area was essentially a sanatorium. Most of the people living here were like Ma Xianhong—their situations were special, but they posed little danger and were relatively controllable.
For example, Liu Hongzhong, the brother of Liu Wukui, the "Immortal Child" also from Biyou Village, was also staying here for treatment and research.
Of this brother-sister pair, both born with "child-of-destiny" fates, the sister was an Immortal Child, born with a mental anomaly, transforming into the Five Directions Jieti to protect herself. The brother, however, was a "sick child," frail and sickly, unable to walk more than a few steps without becoming breathless, with little ability to care for himself.
When Qingshui saw Ma Xianhong, he happened to be playing chess with Liu Hongzhong, who had recovered quite a bit, on the side of a basketball court, with many people watching.
"Oh, Professor Zhuo, you're here!"
"Teacher Ma, why don't you go for your treatment with Professor Zhuo first? I'll finish this game for you."
"Give it a rest, Old Zhao, with your terrible chess skills, playing would be pointless. Better let me take over."
The chattering crowd automatically parted, making a path for Qingshui, perfectly revealing the chessboard in front of Ma Xianhong and Liu Hongzhong.
Then Qingshui realized he couldn't understand the game.
The board was large and novel, with representations of mountains, rivers, plants, and various mysterious buildings and people.
Both the board and the pieces vaguely exuded the aura of Qi. It was clear that Ma Xianhong had personally crafted these Magic Tools using Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements in his spare time. Their level was likely not low, and their power was considerable.
However, no matter if he tried to apply the rules of Chinese chess, military chess, Monopoly, or Ludo, none of them fit.
"This game you're playing is..."
"Creation of Heaven and Earth: The Rift of the Earth: World-Creating Mountain! We saw a kind of chess online, and since we were tired of all the other games, Teacher Ma refined this board based on the online map. Although it's a bit complex, it's quite fun."
A tall, thin man answered from the side.
What a long name.
Qingshui shrugged, saying to the indecisive Ma Xianhong:
"I say, Old Ma, how much longer are you going to take? Don't waste time."
"This... well, Old Bai, you take over for me."
Ma Xianhong hesitated, then reluctantly stood up from his seat. Before leaving, he deliberately moved a certain piece before following Qingshui out.
One hour later.
In a simply furnished room, Ma Xianhong sat cross-legged, opening his bright eyes. He felt his thoughts were clearer than before, and the subtle inconsistencies in his memories, previously imperceptible, had been sorted out and perfected by his mind's spontaneous action.
Qu Tong's influence on him had been largely eliminated.
"So, what do you think about what I told you last time?
Also, with your craftsmanship, and your idea of giving everyone the choice to become an Anomalous Human, it aligns to some extent with the Mohist Sect's concept of shared prosperity. Are you interested in joining the Mohist Sect after you leave?"
Qingshui sat on the sofa opposite Ma Xianhong, holding a cup of tea, and asked him.
"I can go out now?" Ma Xianhong asked, surprised.
"Mmm-hmm, probably. I just checked, and Qu Tong's influence on you has been mostly eliminated. After a couple more days, once the relevant authorities in the mental health field re-examine you, you should be good to go," Qingshui said, nodding at Ma Xianhong.
"That's wonderful! Oh, by the way, how is Qu Tong doing?"
"Nadou Tong and the national security forces are jointly pursuing her. The entire Anomalous Human World was in chaos for a while because of it, causing a lot of trouble. Even the Heavenly Master was invited down from the mountain and brutally suppressed a bunch of Quansheng members who were taking advantage of the situation. Tsk tsk, Quansheng wanted to fight back, so they gathered fourteen of their top experts, including Ding Daoan, and challenged the Old Heavenly Master on the Xilin Gol Grassland. He took them all down with just two slaps."
"Two slaps?" Ma Xianhong exclaimed, astonished.
"One slap for Ding Daoan, and one for everyone else remaining."
"That powerful?"
"Otherwise? After that battle, the entire Anomalous Human World quieted down. No one wants to cause trouble anymore. It's just that kid Zhang Chulan has been showing off quite a bit while he's been out, but thankfully, he hasn't been too arrogant. Alright, back to business. You still haven't given me an answer." Qingshui took a sip of tea and continued to question Ma Xianhong.
"Although Qu Tong deliberately manipulated me and amplified some of my thoughts, they were still my thoughts. But it seems now that my path, just as you said before, is a dead end. Besides joining your 'pirate ship,' there doesn't seem to be any other way." Ma Xianhong scratched his head, looked at Qingshui, and then said seriously, "But before I get on board, I need to ask again: Is the destination of your path the same as the destination I want to reach?"
"Humans are too fragile. If we don't change, even if we leave Earth, we won't get far in the universe. To change, a complete Anomalous Human transformation of society is an excellent choice. While it will bring many accompanying problems in the process, as long as preparations are made in advance, the negative impacts can be minimized. However, it will also take a lot of time, perhaps fifty years, or even a hundred years, to achieve a smooth transition."
"If you had said five or ten years, I might not have believed you. After all I've been through, I pretty much know how difficult this is. Fifty years it is, then. A hundred years, well, I can't wait that long, but eighty years from now, I imagine it should be nearing success, and we'll see results, right?" Ma Xianhong smiled slightly and extended a hand to Qingshui.
Qingshui also extended his hand and shook Ma Xianhong's.
A top-tier young talent who had mastered Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements and possessed first-rate Magic Tool crafting abilities was successfully brought into his fold.
Tool user +1.
After emerging from the bunker, in addition to the car Yue Qian had driven when Qingshui arrived, there was now a minivan parked outside with the Nadou Tong express company logo on it.
"Professor Zhuo, if you don't come out soon, I'll have to leave first. Any later, and I'll miss the high-speed train. Xu Si, I haven't seen a scene of that magnitude many times in my life!" Xu Si sat in the back seat, rolled down the window, a cigarette between his fingers, and greeted Qingshui with his other hand.
"Then let's get going quickly. We should make it," Qingshui said, checking the time on his wrist, then got into his own car.
"Alright, Baobao, let's go." Xu Si called out to Feng Baobao, who was in the driver's seat, drinking milk through a straw.
"Oh, okay, let's head to the train station first." Feng Baobao slapped the steering wheel, pressed the accelerator, and led the way.
Yue Qian also started his car and followed behind the Nadou Tong delivery vehicle.
The next day, Qingshui, Zhang Chulan, and Feng Baobao arrived in Zhangjiajie, Hunan. After spending the morning sightseeing, they arrived at Tianmen Mountain in the afternoon.
At the foot of a mountain that had not been developed for tourism, Qingshui and his group walked to the spot.
"This place is too remote! Why would Old Man Li choose such a place?"
"This mountain had a name decades ago: Sanyi Peak. Hearing that, you should know why it was chosen!"
"The Sanyi Sect's old site is on the mountain?"
"Yes, it's been abandoned for so many years. Other factions in the community don't want to touch it, but there are many outside the community who want to take it over and develop it into a tourist attraction. However, the terrain is too dangerous, and construction is difficult. The old ancestors of the Sanyi Sect probably gathered many Anomalous Humans to establish their sect here.
In modern times, it could still be developed, but every time it comes down to making a decision, the people who come to inspect it always encounter some kind of problem. Although there's no real danger in the end, nothing ever comes of it. Some say it's the vengeful spirits of the Sanyi Sect members, but really, dead people shouldn't be able to cause such a stir.
It's more likely that living people have done something here." Xu San pushed up his glasses and looked at Lu Jin, who was sitting on a bench in a pure white long gown.
Beside Lu Jin was one of his grandsons, a middle-aged man in his forties.
That was Lu Lin's father. Their lineage inherited the Reverse Life Triple of the Sanyi Sect. Both Lu Lin and his father's Reverse Life Triple had reached the second stage.
If Lu Jin were to die, this father and son would be the last remaining inheritors of the Sanyi Sect in this world.
This was also why Lu Jin had brought them.
In the rows of seats behind Lu Jin were the Feng Family members led by Feng Zhenghao, the Wang Family members led by Wang Ai, and representatives from various major forces who had come to bear witness.
In the last row were Ding Daoan, whose arm was in a cast, and Na Ruhuo, who looked bored.
Ding Daoan joined Quansheng to conveniently challenge others, but in reality, he was an upright person, so the Old Heavenly Master spared his life.
And everyone was staring at an old man with white hair, sitting cross-legged opposite Lu Jin.
Li Muxuan.
This person, known as the "Evil Child" back in the day, was notorious for causing trouble. He constantly bothered various sects and offended many people. Yet, he only ever stirred up mischief and disgusted others, never taking lives. While it seemed like he avoided escalating situations, he actually managed to cripple quite a few individuals.
Due to his experiences at the Sanyi Sect in his youth, he snuck into the Sanyi Sect with Wugensheng. However, his own recklessness led him and Wugensheng to cause a huge commotion there, directly causing the Sanyi Sect leader, Zuo Ruotong, to lose heart and pass away. This ignited a full-scale conflict and war between Quansheng and the Sanyi Sect.
It could be said that Li Muxuan and Wugensheng were the direct cause of Zuo Ruotong's death—Zuo Ruotong being the leader of the righteous path and one of the two top masters in the world at the time—and the culprits behind the demise of the great Xuanmen sect, the Sanyi Sect.
Then, having caused such trouble, he didn't dare to take his own life in atonement to stop the war between the Sanyi Sect and Quansheng. Instead, Wugensheng sent him to Nason Island, where he hid for over a hundred years.
He couldn't be a good person, and as a bad person, he wasn't thoroughly bad enough. Although his talent was exceptional and he was intelligent, he lacked responsibility when it came to acting. Throughout his century-long life, he accomplished nothing, only harming many people, appearing like a complete joke.
And now, this Untainted Immortal, who spent his entire life evading and self-deceiving himself with the notion of "near ink yet unblemished," finally admitted that he had been tainted by those things and was making a final effort to become untainted.
"Today is the seventh day. When the sun sets, the moon rises, and the gong sounds, according to the rules of the path, I will settle my karma and leave Quansheng. I just don't know what I can learn from you all."
Li Muxuan sat on the ground, legs splayed, looking at the newly arrived visitors.
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