The Bitter Fruit (5)
Four people sat in the same space, each with a different expression, and far apart from one another. Before he arrived, none of them had said a word.
It looked like he would have to approach them one by one and break the ice to get any useful information.
Although the scene felt strangely familiar, and Fu Qian was something of a professional at this sort of thing, this time he didn't choose to take things slowly. Instead, he subtly guided the conversation and got them talking as a group.
As everyone knew, one of the greatest advantages of a group interview was that your fellow participants were there to hear every word you said. That meant the host didn't need to put much extra pressure on anyone.
And in Fu Qian's view, with so little knowledge of this place, that would be a highly efficient way to get a preliminary understanding of it.
As it turned out, he was right.
Though they differed in age and temperament, so far their answers had shown no contradictions at all.
Under the pressure of this test, more than one person had even revealed their deeper self with remarkable efficiency.
For instance, the middle-aged man, who couldn't stop himself from speaking up until he finally broke down, and Bride Lady, who had simply run off into the night with someone.
Putting together what he'd learned from them, he could more or less sum up his current situation—
He was a stranger to this land, suffering from a heart condition, and had come here seeking a cure.
The people here worshiped a four-eyed Higher Being named Akons, the God of Insight and Wisdom.
His attending physician, meanwhile, shared their faith, but was suspected of being a heretic: Xilaliya.
For reasons