Past or Present?

"Are you Yadelik?"

"...Yes. I advise you not to act rashly. If you dare lay a hand on us, Arad and Xilolin won't let you off..."

"Shing—"

Before Yadelik could finish speaking, Cheng Shi's scalpel pierced through the slightly damp crotch of his trousers and shot into the floor beneath the table. The ringing sound gave him such a fright that this miner who knew when to yield immediately chose to shut his mouth.

Cheng Shi snorted, thinking that this man was far less quick-witted than his fellow miners.

"When you were sleeping with Arad's sister and stealing Xilolin's money, did you ever imagine that one day you'd use their reputations to seek protection?"

Cheng Shi had only been teasing offhandedly, but he never expected the miner across from him, whose legs were trembling with fear, to actually give an "earnest" "mm."

That "mm" left Cheng Shi speechless.

Wait, you really did imagine that?

What was going on? Was the ash from the Abyssal Volcano poisonous or something? Why was everyone here a little off in the head?

Cheng Shi opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. After exhaling a breath of stale air, he finally picked up his train of thought, shook his head, and laughed.

"Last chance. I'll ask the questions, and you'll answer them. If you give another ridiculous answer, I'll send you down to meet... the Blind Man."

"???" Yadelik was bewildered and terrified. He didn't understand what "going down to meet the Blind Man" meant, but he knew he couldn't ask again. Asking again meant death.

Cheng Shi didn't waste any more time. He got straight to the point.

"When did you and Aromani become husband and wife?"

The moment he said this, everyone's ears perked up. This was clearly a question meant to determine