Interrogation

But then Chu Moqing and the others realized they still had not figured out this deviless's true identity. If she had obtained a secret technique for possessing someone else's body without being discovered, that meant her status within the Devil Race was not low.

"Stop for a moment. Tell us who you really are first. There aren't many people in the Devil Race as insane as you. You should be rather famous, so why have I never heard of you?"

Qu Lanxin thought over everything she knew about the Devil Race, racking her brains, yet she could not think of any woman as deranged as the one before her.

When 'Qin Leyan' heard her ask about her identity, she had not wanted to tell them. Chu Moqing saw through her intentions and said indifferently, "If you refuse to talk, then I can only call my disciples over to entertain you."

When 'Qin Leyan' heard that, she recalled how Feng Wuhen and the others had treated her. She no longer dared conceal anything and poured it all out like beans from a bamboo tube.

"You don't know who I am because, in your minds, I am already dead.

"I was one of the Devil Race's candidates for Holy Maiden. There could only be one Holy Maiden in the Devil Race, and we candidates fought one another like venomous insects raised in a jar. Only the sole survivor could become the Holy Maiden.

"I joined forces with another Holy Maiden candidate to fake my death. Then I shed my old shell and possessed Qin Leyan's body. My real name is Ling Ji."

Qu Lanxin had heard the name Ling Ji before, and so had Chu Moqing and the others. She was renowned within the Devil Race for her exceptional illusion techniques.

She had once killed many righteous cultivators using illusions and had even been listed on the cultivation world's bounty board. Later, they heard that she had been jointly killed by several other candidates during the Holy Maiden selection, but they had not taken it to heart at the time.

If it was her, then it was no wonder Qin Che had failed to see through her identity as a member of the Devil Race. Even mighty cultivators in the Body Integration Realm could not detect anything wrong with her illusions.

Ling Ji continued recounting what had happened after she successfully possessed Qin Leyan's body. "Six years after I succeeded, I suddenly received a message from the Devil Race. The Left Protector of the Devil Race learned that I had possessed someone's body and ordered me to work with him from within to destroy Mount Grand Mystery.

"At first, I refused. I was very satisfied with my current life and did not want anything to change.

"Until he told me that if Mount Grand Mystery was destroyed, Qin Che would be mine to deal with as I pleased. I was tempted.

"So I became the Devil Race's informant and passed along quite a bit of information, though it was all about disciples leaving the sect for training.

"The Left Protector wanted to gradually destroy Mount Grand Mystery's foundation, leaving it unable to replenish its ranks.

"I did not dare go too far for fear that you would discover me, so I only passed along the movements of certain elders' disciples and some of the more talented outer sect disciples.

"The Left Protector was not satisfied with the information I gave him and demanded news about even more talented disciples. That was when I got the idea of leaking information about Qin Xiaoran.

"I already hated him. If I could get rid of him and make that bitch Ruan Siyao suffer unbearable pain, that was exactly what I wanted to see.

"And while Ruan Siyao was suffering, I could poison her. Then Qin Che would have no one but me by his side.

"I simply never expected the protective treasure on Qin Xiaoran to be so powerful. Even while being hunted down, he managed to break through to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage and returned alive.

"To make sure he died for good, I brought him medicine laced with Spirit-Severing Powder today. I intended to personally send him on his way.

"But I ran into those little brats. Not only was I discovered, but I was captured by all of you.

"That is all I know. Kill me or torture me as you please, but do not hand me over to those little monsters again."

Seeing how terrified she was of Feng Wuhen and the others, Yan Ke was deeply curious about what those children had done to make such a ruthless Holy Maiden candidate fear them so badly.

"What exactly did little Wuhen and the others do to her? Why is she so scared? It feels even more terrifying than the punishments of the Enforcement Hall. Should I go learn a few things from them?"

Seeing that he truly seemed to be considering it, Chu Moqing grabbed him. "Absolutely not, Senior Brother Yan. The disciples are already afraid of you. If you go learn from them too, they will probably be even more terrified of you."

Yan Ke became even more interested in speaking with Feng Wuhen and the others after Chu Moqing stopped him and said that.

Song Junning told Yan Ke and the others about how Feng Wuhen and his companions had tormented Ling Ji. After hearing it, Yan Ke remarked, "That does not sound especially painful. Why is Ling Ji so afraid?"

Xu Kuang was straightforward by nature. Seeing that Yan Ke still did not understand, he explained, "The key is not how severe the punishment was, but the humiliation. What sort of person is Ling Ji? Though she was only a candidate before, she had always been fawned over by the Devil Race.

"After successfully possessing Leyan's body, she was also doted on by all of us. When had she ever suffered such humiliation? What Wuhen and the others did was not merely tormenting her soul—it was tormenting her heart as well."

Qu Lanxin agreed. "Senior Brother Xu is right. Injuries to the soul are inherently more painful than injuries to the body. That burning and freezing was no less terrible than the punishments of hell."

Yan Ke nodded to show that he understood. "I see. I had originally wanted to adopt Wuhen and the others' ideas, but it seems I should forget it. It can only be used as punishment for the soul; the Enforcement Hall cannot use it.

"We cannot drag someone's soul out just to punish a disciple, can we?"

Now that the matter had been thoroughly questioned and there was nothing else to do, Chu Moqing decided to return and train his disciples.

They had only just succeeded in drawing in qi and gained spiritual power. It was time for them to begin learning swordsmanship and other spells.

"Please trouble Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters to report her testimony to Senior Brother Sect Master. I'll take Wuhen back to Nine Heavens Peak first."

Song Junning and the others left the task of reporting Ling Ji's testimony to Qin Che to Yan Ke, then returned to train their own disciples.

According to Ling Ji, they would eventually fight a battle with the Devil Race. Naturally, they had to make the most of their time and train their disciples.

After Qin Che read the testimony, he furiously slapped the desk before him into powder. "Devil Race! What a Devil Race! Are they trying to start a war with my Mount Grand Mystery?!"

After saying that, Qin Che gave a cold laugh. "I fear it is not only Mount Grand Mystery. They have likely planted spies in other cultivation sects as well, or turned people within them to their side.

"I will write letters to the sect masters of the other sects later, informing them that Mount Grand Mystery discovered a Devil Race spy. After being exposed, that spy took my daughter hostage, causing her severe injuries and leaving her unconscious.

"I will tell the other sects to remain vigilant and secretly investigate the elders, disciples, and peak masters within their own sects."

Seeing that Qin Che had a plan in mind, Yan Ke returned to deal with Ling Ji, who was still being held in the Punishment Hall.