Poisoned to Death

Inside Zhaoyu Tower, Yun Zishan strode at the front, the hem of her deep-blue flowing dress brushing the floor with a faint rustle. Qiao Bin followed close behind, his expression grave, while Xu Yinyin brought up the rear, her gaze wandering as she wrestled with her thoughts.

"What exactly happened?" Yun Zishan asked.

Qiao Bin quickened his pace until he was half a step behind Yun Zishan, then reported in a low voice, "Today, while searching for Magic Stones, the sect captured seventeen Demon Cult spies. Two resisted arrest and killed themselves on the spot, leaving fifteen confined in Zhaoyu Tower. But since dusk, they've been crying out with stomach pains one after another..."

"Why wasn't I informed sooner?" Yun Zishan stopped and turned to look at Qiao Bin.

Qiao Bin hurriedly bowed. "At first, the guards thought it was an isolated case, so they treated the prisoner as usual. But then more and more began suffering stomach pains, and they reported it as an emergency."

Yun Zishan said no more. She hurried to the nearest Interrogation Room, pushed open the door, and entered. Two Law Enforcement Hall disciples stood around an iron chair. When they saw their Hall Master arrive in person, they hurriedly turned and bowed.

"How is the situation?" Yun Zishan asked.

The two disciples bent over and lowered their heads, exchanging a glance. Neither dared speak first.

Yun Zishan went straight forward. The spy strapped to the chair had blood streaming from every orifice, his eyes rolled back. He was already dead.

"He's... dead..." one of the disciples finally stammered.

Yun Zishan's expression turned icy. She immediately headed for the other Interrogation Rooms.

One room, then two... She went through all fifteen cells where the spies were held. The same horrific scene awaited her in every one. Some prisoners had bitten through their lips; others wore twisted expressions, plainly having endured tremendous agony. All of them had blood streaming from every orifice, their eyes rolled back.

According to all the disciples on guard, the prisoners had first complained of stomach pains, then started screaming and convulsing all over. The Law Enforcement Hall disciples had tried every method of treatment, from channeling True Qi into them to feeding them pills, but nothing had worked.

In the corridor, Yun Zishan's temples throbbed relentlessly. "Perform autopsies immediately," she ordered coldly. "I'll wait here. We must find out what caused this!"

Qiao Bin immediately cupped his hands. "Understood!" Then he hurried off to arrange the autopsies.

Just then, Yun Zishan's gaze unintentionally fell on an Interrogation Room at the end of the corridor. The five characters "Special Interrogation Room" on its sign glimmered in the light. It was the very room Yang Ning had remodeled yesterday.

Yun Zishan walked over and slowly opened the door. Xu Yinyin silently followed behind her.

Inside the Interrogation Room, the One-Way Glass gleamed faintly in the candlelight. Yun Zishan gazed at her blurred reflection. In the next instant, she seemed to see Yang Ning on the other side of the glass yesterday, facing her. Their figures slowly overlapped, just as they had the day before.

"Yinyin."

There was no answer. Xu Yinyin's mind was elsewhere, worrying: With rain that heavy, could Boss Yang catch a chill? The Rejuvenation Pill's effects are too weak. Tomorrow, I should go to Dan Peak and ask for a Life-Yang Pill...

"Yinyin?" Yun Zishan turned around. Seeing Xu Yinyin's dazed expression, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

Xu Yinyin's heart gave a thump. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and immediately cupped her hands. "This disciple was thinking about the case."

Yun Zishan nodded slightly. She looked around the Interrogation Room, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "When you went to Yang Ning's shop today, did he ever leave?"

"No," Xu Yinyin replied without hesitation, shaking her head.

"Are you sure?" Yun Zishan asked again.

Xu Yinyin's heart tightened. She knew her master seemed to have grown suspicious of Yang Ning again. She immediately raised three fingers. "Master, I, Xu Yinyin, swear to Heaven that from the start of the mao hour (five o'clock) to the fourth quarter of the you hour (six o'clock) today, Boss Yang never left his shop. He was in my sight the entire time! If I break this oath, may my Root Bone—"

"Enough!"

Yun Zishan cut her off sharply. Xu Yinyin was the personal disciple she valued most. There was no way she, as her master, would let her make such a vicious oath.

Yun Zishan turned away. "There's no need to say more. I understand."

Xu Yinyin also realized that her reaction had been far too intense, and slowly lowered her head.

Silence settled over the Interrogation Room once more.

Before long, Qiao Bin came in from outside and cupped his hands. "Hall Master, all the coroners in the Law Enforcement Hall have completed their examinations. The autopsies are done."

"Speak," Yun Zishan said coolly.

"All the spies' bodies tested positive for Deadly Poison. The preliminary analysis found that the poison contained Gut-severing Grass, One-day Silence, and other ingredients..."

"Did they all die from poisoning?" Yun Zishan asked.

Qiao Bin hesitated before answering, "The cause of death was extreme pain. These poisons can trigger terrible abdominal pain. The victims... were tortured to death by the pain."

Yun Zishan's hands clenched tightly together, her knuckles turning white. "The Demon Cult is the Demon Cult. They're this cruel even to their own people, not even letting them have a quick death."

Her emotions, rarely so turbulent, stirred. "These spies deserved to die, but now not a single one is left alive. The only one who survived has gone mad after interrogation. What comes next... won't be easy."