"Using resentful energy, anybody can do a measure magic," Jin Guangyao says, a bit prissily. "It opens the door to all sorts of charlatans and half-baked talisman workers who don't properly know what they are doing. Also, the resentful energy is bad for your meridians and most likely wreaks havoc with your Golden Core, if you have cultivated one. Chances are you can't do both at once -- proper and demonic cultivation, that is, without burning yourself out. Which posits that the Yiling Pariarch, your revered Wei-gongzi, must be slowly going mad from the maelstrom inside his meridians. At least that is what our doctors think. The only people for whom it's harmless might be fierce corpses."

Hannibal sighs gentle. "No monologuing in the kitchen, please. A-Yao, please pass me the spring onions."

Jin Guangyao sighs as well, and does so.