An Earth-Shattering Case

Chapter 48: A Shocking Case

Upon hearing the Talisman of Life and Death, Su Leng Huan immediately panicked, trembling all over.

"I only know the Ghost Venerable is in a palace, but every time I go to the palace, I'm blindfolded and led by the Ghost Venerable's most loyal death warriors. It's the same when I leave."

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

Bai Yan frowned deeply.

"Even for you Heavenly Gang Hall Masters, is the Ghost Venerable that cautious?"

"Yes... Not just the Ghost Venerable, but the other five Protectors are also like this..."

Bai Yan's expression darkened, and he immediately felt the matter was troublesome.

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

Even the Heavenly Gang Hall Masters didn't know the whereabouts of the Protectors.

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

Even they didn't have the right to know the location of the Protectors' lairs, which showed how exaggerated their secrecy was.

"Then what else do you know? Do you have any useful information at all?"

Bai Yan's tone grew colder.

Su Leng Huan's expression changed slightly, and she mumbled, "That's all... I only know this much..."

Bai Yan glanced at Su Leng Huan and laughed in anger.

"Well said, 'only know this much.' It seems you still dare to play games with me."

"It's understandable that you don't know the Protectors' lairs. It's also fine if you don't know about your subordinates' hidden activities, but you haven't told me your own purpose for hiding in Yongtang yet."

"What? Are you going to say you don't even know that?"

Su Leng Huan fell silent, saying nothing.

"You won't shed tears until you see the coffin. It seems you haven't learned enough of a lesson."

Bai Yan raised his hand and a thin layer of ice formed in his palm. Another Talisman of Life and Death was sent into Su Leng Huan's body.

The method of casting the Talisman of Life and Death this time was different from the last, and Su Leng Huan experienced a completely different kind of pain.

"Ahhh! Ahhh!"

"Kill me, kill me!"

Su Leng Huan was like a madwoman, twisting her body violently and screaming her lungs out.

Bai Yan's expression was as cold as ice.

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

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

"Speak!"

Bai Yan let out a roar, his True Essence surging with the sound, like thunder exploding, making the entire prison cell shake.

Su Leng Huan screamed in terror amidst extreme pain.

"I'll say it... I'll say it, stop it quickly!"

This time, Bai Yan didn't stop immediately. He let the torment of the Talisman of Life and Death continue for another quarter of an hour. Seeing that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown, he then raised his hand and temporarily relieved her pain.

"Speak. If you dare to play any more tricks with me, I'll come back to interrogate you tomorrow."

"Until then, the Talisman of Life and Death will not stop."

Su Leng Huan glared at Bai Yan with terrified eyes and shouted hoarsely, "You're a devil... you're a heartless devil!"

"How can there be such a cruel person in the world!"

"Anyone else can say that, but not someone from your Demonic Cult. I'm not interested in listening to your nonsense right now. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. I'll leave now, and you can enjoy yourself alone."

With that, Bai Yan made a move to turn around. Su Leng Huan quickly shouted, "Don't go! Don't go! I'll say it! I'll say it!"

"My mission in Yongtang is to befriend the powerful figures in the court and win them over for our use."

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

"The Ghost Venerable has six Heavenly Gang Hall Masters under him. We mostly have single-line contact, and everyone's mission is different."

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

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

"So, the list of powerful figures in the court that you burned in the secret room was..."

"Yes..."

Su Leng Huan lowered her head. "Besides the list, there are also letters exchanged with them, and ledgers of the bribes they accepted..."

Bai Yan let out a cold laugh.

"I'm afraid it's more than that."

"Besides these, there should also be the private secrets of these powerful officials."

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

Su Leng Huan remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed.

"...Yes."

Everyone has secrets, let alone those powerful officials in the court.

In the officialdom, how many people dare to say they are clean and without flaws?

Probably none.

Once these secrets are exposed to the public, officials would at best lose their positions, and at worst lose their heads. Even worse, many would face execution of their entire families, with their relatives up to the ninth degree implicated.

Therefore, whoever holds the secrets of the powerful officials has control over their throats.

They would do whatever they were told, obeying better than trained dogs.

"Ren Hong, ink and brush, please."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Ren Hong responded and quickly fetched the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from the Imperial Prison Enforcers.

At this moment, besides Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao, Bai Yan had already dismissed the other Imperial Prison Enforcers.

Colluding with the Demonic Cult is considered treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine degrees of kinship.

This list of officials must not be leaked.

"Speak, don't leave anyone out."

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

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

Wing General of the Vermilion Bird Army, Yongtang Four Symbols City Guard, Jiang Pingkou.

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

Yongtang County Assistant, Tong Yuanzhi.

Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Academy, Hong Shaobing.

Section Chief of the Ministry of Justice, Jin Shiliang.

Section Chief of the Ministry of Revenue, Wu Youxing.

Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Guo Ruqi.

Imperial Guard Company Commanders, Zhou Zaiwei, Hu Kang, Cheng Lijing, Luo Yupang...

One by one, names were uttered from Su Leng Huan's mouth, and Bai Yan's expression grew increasingly solemn, his heart filled with growing shock.

He never imagined that the Demonic Cult had secretly colluded with so many court officials.

Among them were eight Imperial Guard Company Commanders, with the highest-ranking official being the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a third-rank official!

One must know that the Ministry of Personnel is in charge of the selection and appointment of officials throughout the empire.

If even the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel has been bought by the Demonic Cult, could it be that even candidate officials are spies planted by the Demonic Cult?

When the court is so thoroughly infiltrated by the Demonic Cult that it's like a sieve, what secrets can there be?

Every move of the court is likely under the watchful eyes of the Demonic Cult.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Su Leng Huan finally stopped speaking.

Bai Yan looked at Ren Hong, his face grave. "Have you recorded them all carefully?"

Ren Hong nodded, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I've recorded them all."

"But sir..."

"What if this woman is lying..."

Ren Hong looked at the list of officials he had written with his own hand, his face as pale as paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his hand holding the brush shaking uncontrollably.

This outcome was too horrifying.

It was foreseeable that once this list was submitted, it would cause a tremendous uproar.

Who knew how many officials would fall, how many would have their families annihilated.

It wouldn't be long before Yongtang City was plunged into a bloody storm.

Bai Yan took the list and glanced at it, saying calmly, "Whether it's true or not, that's not our concern. We just need to hand over this list, and someone else will investigate it."

Bai Yan certainly didn't fully believe Su Leng Huan's words.

But it wasn't Bai Yan's job as a Company Commander to consider or verify the truth.

The Imperial Guard was just a blade, and a Company Commander was one of countless blades.

The ones who truly made decisions were the hands holding the blade.

The blade only needed to know where to strike.

Anything else was outside its purview and not its concern.

"I'll submit the list to the Battalion Commander first and let him decide."

"You guys, send people to keep a close eye on Su Leng Huan. Make sure she doesn't die."

With that, Bai Yan turned and strode away.

"Sir, aren't we going to interrogate Xiao Yiping?" Ren Hong asked, chasing after him.

Bai Yan didn't look back and waved his hand.

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

At the entrance of the Demonic Cult hall in Yiping Courtyard, Su Leng Huan was the Hall Master.

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

The information he could provide was far less than what Su Leng Huan possessed.

Arriving at the central hall of the Battalion Commander's office, Bai Yan cupped his fists and bowed.

"Your subordinate, Bai Yan, pays respects to the Battalion Commander."

"Rise."

Zheng Haihan took a slow sip of his tea. "How did the interrogation go?"

Bai Yan glanced around at the guards and the Enforcers on duty, his expression grave. "I request the Battalion Commander to have everyone else withdraw first!"