But Wen Jiu noticed that someone hadn't eaten.
In the few seconds he spent hesitating, the formation covering the Ancient Tower suddenly released a dense rain of golden light.
He hadn't seen what it was, but the next moment, he heard three or four people scream and collapse to the ground.
He didn't know if they were dead
or had simply passed out.
"Take them away. Don't ask them anything. I'll Soul Search them when I get there!" Si Kongbai's cold voice rang out.
Soul Searching!
At those two words, Wen Jiu's heart skipped a beat.
As a Corpse Nurturer, how could he not know of the infamous Soul Searching technique, a renowned art of the Unorthodox Path?
It was vicious.
And brutal.
He didn't know exactly what it did, but he knew that anyone subjected to Soul Searching would lose all reason and become an idiot.
Better dead than alive.
A moment's hesitation had earned those people such treatment. It seemed the Flying Immortal Peak Master was desperate to learn something.
Wen Jiu couldn't help feeling fortunate that he hadn't hesitated earlier.
Soon,
the questioning began.
Under Si Kongbai's orders and with Mu Canglong's permission, the twelve managers of the Night Patrol Division began questioning all its disciples.
There were only two simple questions.
Did you harbor any ill will toward Flying Immortal Peak?
In the past year, had anyone from Flying Immortal Peak—or anyone outside it—asked you to do anything beyond your duties in the Night Patrol Division?
Clearly,
the disciples of the Night Patrol Division weren't the only ones under suspicion.
Just as Wen Jiu continued to pretend to be dazed, a muffled bang suddenly rang out. A mass of blood and flesh blasted past him, splattering across his right cheek and side.
The managers erupted into a commotion.
"Stay calm. It's only an Unorthodox Path technique that seals the tongue!" Si Kongbai said sternly, steadying them.
Mu Canglong followed with a cold remark. "All you'll do is kill them. You won't get anything useful out of them."
Si Kongbai gave a humorless smile. "Fellow Daoist Mu, this is the Peak Master's arrangement. I can only carry it out. By the way, once this matter is settled, we'll have to go to the main hall of Flying Immortal Peak and face questioning ourselves. Fellow Daoist Mu, you'd better hope none of your subordinates are exposed..."
"What are you implying?"
Mu Canglong glared at him coldly.
Si Kongbai only smiled in silence, his gaze gradually settling on the floor below.
At the same time, Li Ye walked up to Wen Jiu, his smile growing increasingly sinister.
Let's see how you get out of this one, brat!
"Do you harbor any ill will toward Flying Immortal Peak?" Li Ye asked coldly.
Wen Jiu copied a nearby corpse-burier and slowly answered, "No."
Li Ye asked again, "In the past year, has anyone from Flying Immortal Peak—or anyone outside it—asked you to do anything beyond your duties in the Night Patrol Division?"
"Yes... I used to work as a corpse-burier under Manager Wang Nian... hauling and burying Corpse Remnants every day... My sister even asked me to visit our late parents' graves... Manager Li Ye of the Night Patrol Division also told me not to take the corpse-buriers' end-of-year examination. He said that in ten years, he'd help me get a job in the Night Patrol Division..."
At those words,
Li Ye's expression changed.
Damn it.
How did that come out when he asked?
Mu Canglong sneered. "Just like your people, aren't you? A dignified manager of the Night Patrol Division, shamelessly threatening a lowly corpse-burier to keep him from taking the year-end examination."
Si Kongbai's expression turned cold.
He was at a loss for words.
But the look he gave Li Ye was already edged with blades.
Seeing things turn against him, Li Ye hurriedly asked again, "Were Fang Zheng and the other two killed by your hand?"
As soon as he finished,
Li Ye continued speaking.
"Have you used the Corpse Raising Method to do anything shady?"
Liu Xiao, who was questioning a disciple of the Night Patrol Division nearby, stiffened. "Li Ye, what are you doing? I advise you not to go too far. If you're trying to use this to settle a personal score, don't blame me for giving you a taste of your own medicine!"
Li Ye hurriedly turned and cupped his fists apologetically. "Manager Liu, I'm sorry. I got carried away for a moment... I'm sorry, truly sorry!"
As he spoke,
Li Ye stepped aside.
But he was actually listening closely for Wen Jiu's answer.
He didn't believe Wen Jiu hadn't done it!
The next moment,
Wen Jiu answered groggily. "I didn't kill them... Sometimes I had my Black Zombie haul the Corpse Remnants while I slacked off nearby..."
At those words,
Li Ye's face tightened.
His heart filled with confusion and doubt.
No!
How could it not be him?
Before he could react, Liu Xiao had already stepped in front of his usual confidants. His face dark, he asked, "What shady business does your Gathering Righteousness Hall get up to?"
At those words,
Li Ye and several other managers' expressions changed drastically.
Even Si Kongbai on the second floor reacted the same way.
"Shut up!"
In his desperation, Si Kongbai leaped down and slapped the disciple under questioning, sending him flying.
He seemed afraid the man might say even one more word.
Seeing this, Liu Xiao took several steps back and apologized just as Li Ye had. "Steward Sikong, I'm sorry... I lost control for a moment and asked something I shouldn't have... I'm sorry, very sorry."
Si Kongbai's face darkened.
He looked ready to kill.
Liu Xiao didn't give an inch.
He stood tall and straight,
as if telling him, Wen Jiu isn't without protection. Ask one more question, and I'll expose all your dirty secrets!
"You're asking for death!"
Si Kongbai spoke coldly, his anger mounting.
Just then, Mu Canglong's deep voice rang out. At some point, a sword had appeared behind him.
A giant azure sword.
It circled around him.
Slowly,
but brimming with sword intent.
Even from five or six zhang away, Wen Jiu could still feel its surging, heart-stirring sword intent.
Si Kongbai felt it too. His gaze swept over the giant azure sword, and a trace of wariness flashed in his eyes. So, despite his anger, he didn't stay where he was. He turned and waved for Li Ye to continue.
"Li Ye, if you ask one more pointless question, I'll send you to guard Flying Immortal Peak's mountain gate!"
Li Ye answered nervously, "Yes!"
Only then did Mu Canglong slowly put away the giant azure sword. "Si Kongbai, I know what sordid things your Gathering Righteousness Hall gets up to without asking. I just can't be bothered to deal with you. But if today's matter doesn't get a proper explanation, you'd better think carefully about the consequences!"
At his words,
Si Kongbai's expression grew even uglier.
But thinking of that giant azure sword, he could only suppress his anger and say, "Fellow Daoist Mu, I'll give you an explanation!"
At those words,
Li Ye's expression changed drastically.
A quarter of an hour later,
Wen Jiu copied the others and woke up, then collapsed limply to the ground. He only managed to get to his feet with help from those around him.
Once he was standing, Wen Jiu bowed to Mu Canglong, Manager Liu, and the others, then joined everyone else to one side.
Soon,
all the disciples of the Night Patrol Division had been questioned.
Aside from the spies discovered at the beginning, they found no one else.
Next, in front of all the Night Patrol Division disciples, Mu Canglong and the other manager examined all the managers in turn.
Still, they found no one.
Just as Si Kongbai prepared to dismiss everyone with a grim expression, Mu Canglong suddenly interrupted him.
"Wen Jiu!"
Wen Jiu hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.
"Steward Mu!"
Mu Canglong said coldly, "Once you reach the third layer of Qi Refining, if you don't beat Li Ye to a pulp, don't you dare call yourself one of my people!"
"Yes!"
Wen Jiu nodded.
Then he saw Si Kongbai and Li Ye's expressions both change.
Wen Jiu was delighted.
So this was what it felt like to have someone powerful backing you?
It felt great!
But even if Mu Canglong hadn't said anything,
Wen Jiu would still kill Li Ye.
After this, that sort of person probably wouldn't bother him again for a while, but there was no telling what he'd do later.
So once he was strong enough, he'd have to deal with him.
The third layer of Qi Refining, huh?
He wasn't far from being able to kill someone at that level.
"Dismissed!"
Si Kongbai forced down his anger and sent everyone away.
Wen Jiu left with the crowd.
But as he walked, he kept thinking about that corpse.
They hadn't caught many spies this time, but there were still a few. If Soul Searching turned up anything,
would they turn the Dead Corpse Land upside down, searching it over and over?
No.
He had to move the corpse somewhere else, fast.
As for the damaged first-grade high-quality magic tool, he'd keep it on him, since he'd already bought a Storage Bag.
It could block Spiritual Sense probes.
Before you continue