"Now that the truth is clear, what do you... husband and wife have to say for yourselves?" Shen Luolun asked, folding his arms as he looked at Yinyue and Tang Hao.
At the words "husband and wife," a glimmer appeared in Tang Hao's lifeless eyes.
"A-Yin."
"He and I aren't husband and wife! We never were!"
Yinyue raised her head, her beautiful face icy.
She felt no panic or fear at being exposed, only deep loathing for Tang Hao.
"A-Yin, I know I was wrong. I know I was wrong. I don't dare hope you'll forgive me. I only wish... could I see Xiaoyue? I-"
"Get lost!"
At the mention of Xiaoyue, Yinyue was like a lioness with her hackles raised. Her bone-chilling killing intent seethed, frightening to behold.
"You're not worthy. You're not even worthy of mentioning her name!"
Tang Hao was filled with bitterness.
"A-Yin, I..."
"Do you know, Tang Hao?"
Yinyue's voice grew low and hoarse, as though she were holding back a string about to snap.
"Every time I see Xiaoyue, I want to kill you. Kill you!"
She gritted her teeth, seeming to chew up every word before spitting it out, bone-deep hatred churning in her eyes.
Yet a crack suddenly appeared in that overwhelming hatred, and it shattered beneath a film of tears.
"But Xiaoyue keeps saying, 'Daddy, Daddy!'"
Tears of anguish ran down her face. Her lips curved into a desolate smile, and her voice suddenly began to tremble.
"She wants to find you, find you!"
"So I can't kill you. I have to leave Xiaoyue something to hold on to. Do you understand?!"
She practically screamed the last sentence.
"A-Yin, it's all my fault, my fault. I'm less than human, less than human!"
Tang Hao was full of remorse. He fell to his knees and slapped himself over and over with both hands, refusing to stop even as his cheeks swelled and blood ran from the corners of his mouth.
"Bind!"
Lan Yan called out softly and activated her spell. A cyan rope took shape at her command and bound Tang Hao tightly, stopping him from hurting himself.
"Talk all you want, but don't hurt yourself."
"You still have to stand trial. Nothing can happen to you here."
Tang Hao writhed wildly on the ground like a maggot, his eyes bloodshot. Tears mixed with grit streamed down his face, which was covered in dust from the ground. A complete mess, he pleaded desperately with Lan Yan and the others:
"No, no, I was behind all of this. It has nothing to do with A-Yin. If you're going to arrest anyone, arrest me."
"I've been hiding for twenty years. I don't want to hide anymore. I caused all of this. It has nothing to do with anyone else!"
Shen Luolun clicked his tongue, unable to bear watching.
"Make him quiet down."
Master Shen couldn't stand seeing people suffer.
"Bang!"
Lumine struck the back of Tang Hao's head with her sword hilt. His vision went black, and he passed out.
Yinyue remained unmoved, watching coldly.
"Hey, I can't be bothered to get involved in your affairs as husband and wife, but there's a question you should answer for us, shouldn't you?"
Shen Luolun fixed his gaze on her.
"Who put you up to this? Who's behind you?"
Yinyue instinctively turned her face away, avoiding his piercing gaze.
"...No one. There's no one behind me. I planned everything."
"Why don't I believe that at all?"
"..."
Shen Luolun rubbed his chin and studied her.
"Selling contraband-are you short of money? But you've invested so much in the Sea Overlord, you don't look short of money. Then is it fame you're after? Would someone from the Treasure Hoarders need that?"
"..."
"If it's not for fame or profit, then what is it for?"
"Could it be that someone has something on you and is threatening you into working for them?"
As though he had hit on the truth, Yinyue pressed her pink lips together and denied it.
"No. No one has anything on me. I planned all these bad things. I was greedy. I wanted to use the Sea Overlord to make more money and the Emotion-Forsaking Beef Noodles to control everyone. Stop asking. Just hand me over to the Millelith."
"Oh~ So the person behind you wants to use the Sea Overlord to make more money and the Emotion-Forsaking Beef Noodles to control more people."
Shen Luolun spoke as realization dawned.
"You-"
Yinyue was furious. How had he only heard that part?
"Let me guess again. Something that makes you work for them willingly, and keeps you from revealing him even at the risk of your life."
"What they have on you is Xiaoyue, right?"
Shen Luolun smiled, his smile somewhat devilish.
"No, that's not it. No."
Hearing his answer, Yinyue grew even more flustered.
She felt as though someone was about to strip away every secret in her heart.
"Look at your reaction. Anyone with eyes could guess."
"You can't even put on a convincing act. Don't bother pretending in front of us."
"Come clean, and perhaps this kindhearted Traveler can rescue your child. Then you won't have to be threatened by that person anymore."
Shen Luolun patted Lumine on the shoulder, then put an arm around her shoulders like a good buddy.
Lumine gave him a reproachful look.
She didn't seem to mind his touch, though. Clearly, she was used to it by now.
"Ahem, Traveler, and you, young man, could you pay a little attention to this thing while you're chatting?"
Tsarevich pointed at the sword pressed against his face, looking miserable.
Lumine's hand had slipped just now, and she had nearly cut his face.
"Oh, sorry," Lumine said apologetically.
She put the Starblade Sword away.
"Phew~"
Tsarevich let out a long sigh.
He was finally rid of that deadly thing.
"A-Yan, tie him up," Shen Luolun instructed.
"Bind!"
Three breaths later, Tsarevich found himself in the same predicament as Tang Hao.
"Hey, wait, I'm not going to run. Is this really necessary?"
Tsarevich spoke bitterly.
Before he'd had time to celebrate, he was bound hand and foot again.
Well.
There goes my chance to escape.
"I can't tell you. Don't even dream of getting me to tell you where he is." Since they had seen through her, Yinyue stopped pretending.
"You'd rather die than talk? Don't forget you have a child. If you die, what will happen to her?"
"..."
Seeing that Yinyue had no answer, Shen Luolun smiled.
He stepped forward and untied Yinyue himself.
"You-!"
Yinyue looked at him in surprise.
He actually dared to release her.
"Even captives have human rights. It's not right to keep you tied up all the time. I have the utmost respect for ladies."
Yinyue: ...
If he hadn't humiliated her so many times, and if he hadn't whipped her more than five hundred times, Yinyue might actually have believed his nonsense.
As though remembering those torments, her restless heart began to stir.
But when she saw Lan Yan's smiling face nearby and the hand seal she was holding, Yinyue's heart went cold, and her little scheme instantly died.
She had almost forgotten that Lan Yan still controlled the restriction on her.
"Th-thank you," Yinyue said quietly.
See? She even has to thank me.
The corners of Shen Luolun's mouth rose.
"As long as you're willing to give up the person behind you, you'll be making amends through meritorious service. You'll be treated even better than you are now, and perhaps your prison sentence will be cut in half."
"With our abilities, especially the Traveler's, we'll get to the bottom of this sooner or later. No matter how deeply the person behind you hides, they'll be uprooted. Don't forget, this is Liyue. There's no such thing as a perfect crime in Liyue."
"Come clean now, or you won't even have a chance to ask for leniency."
"I..."
Seeing that Yinyue was still hesitating, he decided to try a stronger approach and smiled darkly.
"Madam, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your child, would you? Hehehe."
With that leering grin, he looked exactly like an evil villain bullying a woman.
Lan Yan: ...
Lumine: ...
Xiangling: ...