A Shocking Case

A Shocking Case

The moment she heard "Talisman of Life and Death," Su Leng Huan panicked. Her whole body trembled as she said:

"I only know that Ghost Venerable is in an underground palace. But every time I go there, I'm blindfolded and led by Ghost Venerable's most loyal Death Warriors. It's the same when I leave."

"I really don't know where the underground palace is!"

Bai Yan's brows drew tightly together.

"Even you Heavenly Gang Hall Masters don't know, and Ghost Venerable is still this cautious?"

"Yes... Not just Ghost Venerable. The other five protectors are the same..."

Bai Yan's expression darkened slightly. He immediately felt that this matter was troublesome.

He hadn't expected the Demonic Cult's internal rules to be so strict.

The protectors' whereabouts were unknown even to the Heavenly Gang Hall Masters.

One had to know that every Heavenly Gang Hall Master was a grandmaster-level expert, already considered a high-ranking figure within the Demonic Cult.

Even they weren't qualified to know where the protectors' lairs were. It was clear just how exaggeratedly well-hidden they were.

"What else do you know? Don't tell me you have no useful information left at all?"

Bai Yan's tone grew even colder.

Su Leng Huan's expression shifted as she stammered:

"No more... I only know this much..."

Bai Yan glanced at Su Leng Huan and laughed angrily.

"What a fine 'I only know this much.' Looks like you still dare to play tricks with me."

"It's understandable that you don't know where the protectors' lairs are. It's also fine if you don't know where your subordinates are hiding. But you still haven't explained why you yourself were hiding in Yongtang."

"What? Don't tell me you want to claim you don't know even that?"

Su Leng Huan fell silent, not saying a word.

"Looks like you haven't suffered enough to shed tears before the coffin. You still haven't learned your lesson."

Bai Yan raised his hand and struck out with his palm. A sheet of thin ice condensed in his hand, and another Talisman of Life and Death was driven into Su Leng Huan's body.

This time, he used the Talisman of Life and Death differently from before, and the agony Su Leng Huan experienced was entirely different as well.

"Ahhh!!"

"Kill me, kill me!!"

Su Leng Huan writhed violently like a mad demon, screaming until her voice tore apart.

Bai Yan's expression was cold as ice.

"With me here, you can't die even if you want to!"

"If you don't tell me everything you know, this torment will never stop!"

"Speak!"

Bai Yan roared. His True Essence erupted with his voice, crashing like thunder and shaking the entire prison cell.

In the midst of unbearable pain, Su Leng Huan cried out in terror:

"I'll talk... I'll talk! Make it stop!"

Bai Yan didn't stop immediately this time. Instead, he let the Talisman of Life and Death torment her for another quarter of an hour. Only when she was on the verge of a mental collapse did he raise his hand and temporarily relieve her suffering.

"Speak. If you dare play tricks with me again, I'll come interrogate you tomorrow."

"Until then, the Talisman of Life and Death won't stop."

Su Leng Huan glared at Bai Yan in terror and rasped:

"You're a demon... You're a completely heartless demon!"

"How can there be someone as cruel as you in this world?"

"Anyone else could say that, but people from the Demonic Cult have no right to. I'm not interested in listening to this nonsense. If you don't want to talk, that's fine too. I'll leave now, and you can slowly enjoy yourself alone."

With that, Bai Yan pretended to turn around. Su Leng Huan hurriedly shouted:

"Don't go! Don't go! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"My mission hiding in Yongtang was to befriend influential figures in the Imperial Court and bring them under my control."

"As for the others' missions, I really don't know."

"Ghost Venerable has six Heavenly Gang Hall Masters under him. Most of the time, we contact each other through separate lines, and everyone's mission is different."

"I really don't know about the others' missions."

Su Leng Huan looked at Bai Yan with eyes full of pleading, afraid that he wouldn't believe her.

"So the list of influential figures in the Imperial Court that you burned in the secret chamber was theirs?"

"Yes..."

Su Leng Huan lowered her head. "Besides the list, there were also letters exchanged with them, as well as account books recording the money used to bribe them..."

Bai Yan let out a cold laugh.

"I'm afraid it wasn't only that."

"Besides those things, there should also have been these influential figures' private secrets."

"You used their secrets to threaten and control them, didn't you?"

Su Leng Huan fell silent for a moment before finally sighing.

"...Yes."

As long as someone was human, they had secrets, let alone those influential figures in the Imperial Court.

In officialdom, how many people dared claim that their family background was spotless and that they had no flaws?

Probably not a single one.

Once these private matters were exposed to the world, the influential figures would lose their offices at best, and lose their heads at worst. Some might even have their entire families executed, with their nine clans implicated.

Thus, once one grasped the influential figures' secrets, it was equivalent to seizing them by the throat.

They would do whatever they were told, more obediently than domesticated dogs.

"Ren Hong, prepare the brush and ink."

"This subordinate obeys!"

Ren Hong answered and left. Soon, he returned with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone obtained from the Imperial Prison guards.

At this moment, aside from Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao, Bai Yan had driven away all the other Imperial Prison guards.

Colluding with the Demonic Cult was a crime equal to rebellion, one that implicated nine clans.

This list of officials absolutely could not be leaked.

"Speak. Don't leave out a single one."

Su Leng Huan took a deep breath and slowly began reciting the names one by one.

Vice General of the White Tiger Army, one of the Four Symbols City Guard of Yongtang City, Shi Gankai

Assistant General of the Vermilion Bird Army, one of the Four Symbols City Guard of Yongtang City, Jiang Pingkou

Logistics and Grain Officer of the Black Tortoise Army, one of the Four Symbols City Guard of Yongtang City, Feng Zhaohou

Yongtang County Assistant, Tong Yuanzhi

Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Academy, Hong Shaobing

Section Chief of the Ministry of Punishments, Jin Shiliang

Section Chief of the Ministry of Revenue, Wu Youxing

Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Guo Ruqi

Hundred-Head of the Imperial Guard, Zhou Zaiwei, Hu Kang, Cheng Lijing, Luo Yupang...

One name after another came from Su Leng Huan's mouth. Bai Yan's expression grew increasingly solemn, and the shock in his heart deepened.

He had never imagined that the Demonic Cult had secretly connected with so many officials of the Imperial Court.

There were even eight Hundred-Heads of the Imperial Guard among them, while the highest-ranking official could reach the level of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel—a Principal Third Rank official!

One had to know that the Ministry of Personnel was responsible for selecting and appointing officials throughout the realm.

If even the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had been bought off by the Demonic Cult, didn't that mean that even candidate officials might be spies planted by the Demonic Cult?

Once the Imperial Court had been infiltrated by the Demonic Cult like a sieve, what secrets could remain?

Every move made by the Imperial Court was probably already beneath the Demonic Cult's watchful eyes.

After roughly a quarter of an hour, Su Leng Huan finally stopped speaking.

Bai Yan looked at Ren Hong, his expression solemn.

"Did you record everything carefully?"

Ren Hong nodded, his voice carrying a hint of trembling.

"Everything... Everything's recorded."

"But, my lord..."

"What if this woman is lying..."

Ren Hong stared at the list of officials he had written himself. His face was as pale as paper, cold sweat covered his forehead, and the hand holding the brush trembled uncontrollably.

The result was simply too horrifying.

It was easy to imagine that once this list was submitted, it would be Earth-Shattering Stone.

No one knew how many officials would fall, or how many would have their homes confiscated and their families exterminated.

Before long, Yongtang City would probably be plunged into a bloody storm.

Bai Yan took the list and glanced over it before saying calmly:

"Whether it's true or false isn't for us to worry about. We only need to submit the list. Someone else will investigate it."

Of course Bai Yan didn't completely believe Su Leng Huan's words.

But whether they were true or false wasn't something a Hundred-Head like Bai Yan needed to consider or verify.

The Imperial Guard was merely a blade, and a Hundred-Head was one of countless blades.

The ones who truly made decisions were the people holding the blades.

A blade only needed to know where to strike.

As for everything else, it wasn't the blade's concern, nor was it the blade's place to concern itself with.

"I'll submit the list to the Thousand-Head first and ask him to decide."

"Send someone to keep watch over Su Leng Huan. Whatever you do, don't let her die."

With that, Bai Yan turned and strode away.

"My lord, aren't you going to interrogate Xiao Yiping?"

Ren Hong chased after him and asked.

Bai Yan didn't turn around. He merely waved his hand.

"If you want to interrogate him, go ahead. But I doubt you'll get anything useful out of him."

Su Leng Huan was the hall master of this Demonic Cult stronghold at Yiping Courtyard.

As for Xiao Yiping, he was merely a tool Su Leng Huan had used.

The information he knew was far less than what Su Leng Huan knew.

When he arrived at the main hall of the Thousand-Head's office, Bai Yan cupped his fists and bowed.

"This subordinate Bai Yan pays his respects to the Thousand-Head."

"Dispense with the formalities."

Zheng Haihan held a teacup and took a leisurely sip.

"How did the interrogation go?"

Bai Yan glanced around at the surrounding guards and the guards standing watch. His expression solemn, he said:

"Please first dismiss everyone around you, my lord!"