That is Our Spirit Hall's Dragon Transformation Secret

"Interrogate them like this from now on," Zhao Linchuan said in a measured tone, "three times a day—morning, noon, and night."

"Do not stop until he is willing to hand over the Dragon Transformation Secret he stole from my Spirit Hall."

"Stole the Dragon Transformation Secret from Spirit Hall?" Yu Xiaogang looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, springing up from the ground instantly.

Soaked to the bone with his hair plastered to his face, he looked utterly wretched, yet he pointed at Zhao Linchuan and shrieked:

"The Dragon Transformation Secret is the exclusive, non-disseminated technique of my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect! When did it ever become yours, Spirit Hall?!"

He did indeed possess the Dragon Transformation Secret. Years ago, he had harbored the desperate hope that his mutated martial soul, Luo Sanpao—which could never break through level thirty and was nothing but a laughingstock—could bring him some form of dragon-like enhancement, just like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

He had cultivated it bitterly for a very long time, but fate was unkind; despite all his efforts, he hadn't been able to condense even a trace of dragon transformation.

To him, that secret was nothing more than a scrap of waste paper.

But even if it were waste paper, it was not for an outsider to seize.

"Go find another water vat," Zhao Linchuan said, not even glancing at him. "Increase the intensity a bit more to help him cool his head."

"Yes!" The guard responded immediately, turning and jogging away.

Yu Xiaogang's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling, yet he stiffened his neck and gritted his teeth to force out a sentence: "You... even if you kill me, I will never hand over the Dragon Transformation Secret!"

He was certain that Zhao Linchuan dared not kill him.

He was a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, the biological son of Yu Yuanzhen.

To kill him would be equivalent to declaring war on the entire Upper Three Sects.

No matter how strong Spirit Hall was, they would not easily provoke a conflict of this magnitude.

Zhao Linchuan finally cast a glance at him, his gaze so indifferent it was as if he were looking at a dead dog.

He turned his head to the red-robed spirit master and said, "You will stay here from now on and be responsible for taking care of him. Take care of him once in the morning, once at noon, and once at night."

The corner of his mouth curled up as if contemplating something amusing. "After you finish taking care of him, go catch some leeches."

"Let them have some intimate contact."

"You—!"

Yu Xiaogang's face shifted from white to green, then to purple, finally swelling into the color of a liver.

His finger trembled as he pointed at Zhao Linchuan, and he shouted in fury, "You bastard!!"

"Three times is too few," Zhao Linchuan said coldly upon hearing this. "Make it four."

He turned around and walked out side-by-side with Bibi Dong, his voice drifting back from the end of the corridor.

"Also, do not let him sleep."

"As long as he dares to close his eyes, throw him into the cold water to soak every five minutes."

"Only when he is willing to hand over the Dragon Transformation Secret he stole from my Spirit Hall may you reduce the frequency at your discretion."

"Yes!" the red-robed spirit master and the guard replied in unison.

Yu Xiaogang slumped onto the cold, wet ground, his entire body trembling; he could not tell if it was from the cold or the rage.

Watching those two figures drift further and further away, he roared hoarsely, "If you have the guts, kill me! Kill me!!!"

A long time later.

Outside the dungeon, Zhao Linchuan and Bibi Dong walked out together through the heavy iron door.

"I really didn't expect," Bibi Dong said, tilting her head to look at him with a hint of mischievous amusement in her eyes, "that you were quite well-versed in torture."

"Such things are not worth mentioning," Zhao Linchuan waved his hand.

"Oh, right," he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Bibi Dong. "Are you free? Accompany me to buy some things."

"Buy what?"

"Clothes and jewelry for a young woman."

Bibi Dong's footsteps faltered. She turned her head, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes widening slightly as she stared straight at Zhao Linchuan. "Clothes and jewelry for a young woman? Who are you buying them for?"

Zhao Linchuan met her gaze without any intention of avoiding it.

"For my fiancée."

He had thought it over and decided to make the matter public.

Yan Lingji had now settled into this world; she was not someone who needed to hide in the shadows, and he had no intention of keeping her there.

Bibi Dong's eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this, her entire demeanor radiating an irrepressible curiosity and excitement.

"You have a fiancée?!"

Her speech accelerated suddenly, words tumbling out like a rapid-fire cannon.

"Tell me quickly!"

"What does she look like?"

"Is she beautiful?"

"How old is she this year?"

"What is her martial soul?"

"How is her talent?"

She counted on her fingers, refusing to miss a single one. "Where does she live? What is her family background like? How many siblings does she have?"

"Have you confirmed your relationship yet?"

"How much of a bride price did she ask for? How much of a dowry is she planning to bring?"

"When do you plan to get married and have children?"

Zhao Linchuan's eye twitched at her barrage of questions. He looked at her eyes, which were bright enough to serve as lanterns, and suddenly felt an indescribable sense of helplessness.

"I say, Miss Dong'er," he rubbed his forehead, caught between laughter and tears, "you are, after all, the Saintess of Spirit Hall. How are you acting like a little girl who loves to gossip?"

"I am a little girl, to begin with!"

Bibi Dong puffed out her chest as if it were only natural. She tilted her head, a hint of mischievous amusement flashing in her eyes.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"Or do you not see me as a woman?"

Zhao Linchuan: "..."

He opened his mouth, only to find he was speechless.

"Fine." He sighed, resigning himself to his fate as he started walking. "I'll tell you as we go."

Bibi Dong immediately caught up, walking side-by-side with him, her steps as light as a bird.

She tilted her head, looking at him with sparkling eyes, waiting for the rest.

Zhao Linchuan thought for a moment. Where should he start?

"She is very beautiful, more beautiful than anyone I have ever seen."

Bibi Dong blinked, waiting for him to continue.

"As for her age..." Zhao Linchuan pondered for a moment, "she is a bit older than you."

"Then what is her martial soul?"

"The Mystic Bird Vermilion Bird."

"Then how did you two meet?" Bibi Dong asked again. "What does her family do?"

"Her family..." he weighed his words, "the situation is a bit complicated. She doesn't have any family left."

Bibi Dong's smile faded slightly, and a flicker of apology crossed her eyes.

She did not press further, simply nodding quietly.

The two walked side-by-side through a corridor. Sunlight slanted in between the pillars, spreading a warm, golden carpet beneath their feet.

"What is her personality like?" Bibi Dong spoke again, her voice softer than before. "Is she easy to get along with?"

"Not particularly," he said with complete honesty. "She has quite a temper and doesn't mince words."

Bibi Dong looked at him with some surprise. "Then what do you like about her?"

Zhao Linchuan did not answer immediately. He looked up at the clouds on the horizon, which were dyed a pale gold by the setting sun, drifting leisurely.

"To like someone, you don't necessarily have to be able to say exactly what it is you like."

"I see..." Bibi Dong nodded thoughtfully, not asking any more questions.