"A theory." Doul is kneeling by a table, a handful of books and notes spread out in front of him. The topics range from histories of cultivation sects, lineage guides, and tracts on local legends.

"He has killed nearly all his living family, but not one. One is never mentioned by him, and when others speak of them, he will not hear it." There's a low hum in his chest, a thoughtful and frustrated sound. "Find his mother. Living or dead. I cannot say what to do with the woman, but it should be enough to unsettle him, to unseat his careful plans. If she does not live, you might do well to look into his memory of her. A rosy image of a life not yet tainted, a soft touch, the smell of her perfume, it is a start."