With virtue

Zhao Yunshu stood in front of the gate and watched as Young Master Wang stepped directly into the mansion without anyone stopping him, as if it were commonplace.

Zhao Yunshu looked around. He had been in Dingzhou City for some time now, but he had never been this close to this mansion before.

Actually, he didn't really want to go in.

His master taught him from a young age to avoid wealthy and powerful families, otherwise he would surely encounter great trouble.

However, things have come to this point, and there's no escaping it now; we have no choice but to face it head-on.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and followed them inside.

Zhao Yunshu followed the young master Wang and entered the governor's mansion through the main gate, which was actually quite presumptuous.

But this young master Wang was able to enter through the main gate, and he and the little Taoist priest also benefited from the light.

Upon entering the courtyard, one finds the entire mansion built around a large lake with clear spring water, teeming with large goldfish, surrounded by moonlight, fragrant water, and the changing light of sunshine and rain, with the mountain pavilion exuding fragrance.

Flowers and bamboos meander through the hillside, along winding paths.

Ten thousand willows, like clouds, stretch out like a flowing ribbon. Artificial hills and grottoes lead to the lakeshore.

Verdant snow fragrance, emerald cliffs leaning against beauty.

It truly lives up to its reputation as the residence of a military governor; it's incredibly luxurious.

But Young Master Wang bypassed these decorated areas and took only the side paths, specifically seeking out the winding, secluded corners. He passed through several small houses and arrived at a secluded courtyard.

The side courtyard looked unremarkable, with few guards, and even a bit gloomy, not like a place where people lived.

Entering the side courtyard and then the room, they discovered several lids. Opening the lids revealed hidden staircases beneath, leading to what was clearly a dungeon.

It's not surprising that this mansion has a dungeon; after all, it's the residence of a military governor, so there has to be a place to imprison people.

Zhao Yunshu could sense the eerie atmosphere here, which suggested that many people had died. However, he couldn't see any ghosts, probably because those who died here couldn't possibly remain as ghosts.

As you descend the ladder, you'll see several martial artists standing at the entrance, all carrying weapons.

They had already been on guard when they heard the sound of someone approaching, but when they saw that it was Young Master Wang coming down, they relaxed a bit, didn't ask any questions, and simply made way for him.

This young master really has a lot of influence. The sight of him running rampant in the governor's mansion is still astonishing no matter how many times I see it.

Descending into the dungeon, a damp, gloomy atmosphere immediately enveloped them. But then, the space suddenly opened up before them, transforming from a cramped staircase into a vast prison area. A network of passageways crisscrossed the area, carving out more than a dozen cells from the ground. In one of the cells, several iron stakes were driven into the wall, with chains wrapped around them. Looking through the chains, two people could be seen locked inside, both shirtless and covered in blood, clearly having been subjected to considerable torture.

But besides the marks of torture, Zhao Yunshu noticed that on their shoulders, each shoulder had an iron chain piercing through their collarbone. The chains were as thick as chopsticks and looked extremely painful. The chains were connected to the iron stakes behind them and were locked tightly.

The clavicle, also known as the collarbone, is the horizontal bone on the shoulders and neck. Locking it with an iron chain underneath is so powerful that even a deity would have to waste all their skills and master all seventy-two transformations to break free. It is an extremely useful method to capture you, no matter what supernatural powers or magic you possess.

Young Master Wang stood in front of the iron gate, looked inside, but did not intend to go in. He simply pointed from the outside and said to Zhao Yunshu with some annoyance, "These two inside are the ones my men caught these past two days. That's why Mr. Yuan went to deal with those curse spells."

"These two reckless hooligans are probably sorcerers working for the Lushan Black Head Sect. They're not very capable, just shameless and reckless bastards who make a living. I guess they were taught some magic by the Lushan Sect and are working for them. That's why I captured them."

"Unfortunately, these two are both incredibly stubborn. I tried all sorts of torture methods but they wouldn't utter a single word. They seem to be made of iron. That's why I brought you here so you could try. Just be careful and use your strength wisely, so they don't bring their words into the underworld."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunshu also approached the iron gate and looked carefully inside.

As you can see, the two people inside are indeed covered in wounds, with marks from branding irons, whip marks, and even needles still stuck in their fingers.

There were also some instruments around that Zhao Yunshu couldn't understand, which were probably torture instruments.

During the Shenlong era of the previous dynasty, there were cruel officials who were extremely creative. They invented methods such as "Dead Pig's Sorrow," "Sudden Roar," "Phoenix Spreading Wings," "Donkey Colt Pulling Pegs," "Stabilizing a Hundred Veins," "Unable to Breathe," "Severed Spine Wheel," "Corpse Torture," "Blood Silk Frame," and "Deep Illness Prison," which greatly expanded the upper limit of the Tang Dynasty's interrogation capabilities.

It seems that most of these methods have not been lost, but have all been passed down to the present day. It is estimated that some of these methods have been used on these two scoundrels.

Judging from their appearance, they hadn't uttered a word. Young Master Wang had called them tough guys, and he probably truly admired them. However, Zhao Yunshu noticed that the two locked-up sorcerers were not only in a sorry state, but also had dark circles under their eyes and some of their veins were bluish-white. Based on his experience in cultivation, this was very likely because they had gone astray in their practice of Yin magic.

If he had drawn evil energy into his body when he learned the Ghost General's techniques and went astray, similar traces would have appeared.

Seeing that Zhao Yunshu remained silent, Young Master Wang spoke up, "The people in the Jiedushi's mansion may not be trustworthy, and even if they are, there's no guarantee they won't have eavesdroppers. So this matter is entrusted to me. But the men I brought are all brutes, skilled at wielding knives and cutting people, but when it comes to extracting information from these two tough bastards, there's no way to do it except through torture. You are a cultivator and have fought with Anhe before, so you might be able to see some clues and uncover something that others can't."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunshu said, "Leaving aside the sorcerers serving in the Yiwu Army's governor's mansion, you might not be able to trust them, but there should be quite a few cultivators in the city, and there must be many talented and extraordinary people among the common folk. How come this matter ended up falling on me?"

Young Master Wang scoffed, "Ha, how can those mediocre people compare to you? Anhe has fallen into your hands. If we're talking about cultivators in Dingzhou City, there's not a single one who can match the evil Anhe."

Young Master Wang knew very well that no matter how wicked Anhe was, his cultivation was not exactly heaven-reaching, but it could still be described as "thoroughly grounded." He was a ruthless person who could truly descend to the underworld, and could be considered a first-rate master in this world, someone that not everyone could compare to.

However, Zhao Yunshu could only manage a wry smile at his words.

They make it sound like they're on par with Anhe and the sorcerer; last night was just a lucky night for them.

If we were to truly prepare our skills for a real fight, I reckon I'd be instantly defeated by Anhe and the sorcerer in a single exchange, making a direct confrontation impossible.

He brought this upon himself, insisting on challenging his master's seven souls, and ended up stabbing himself to death.

That's how battles in the martial world are. Even those with great skills can capsize in a ditch. It's not about winning or losing, it's about whether you die or not.

But with the matter at hand, he naturally couldn't say this outright. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, "Alright, since we're already here, have you apprehended them and found out their names? Have you investigated their backgrounds?" Young Master Wang nodded, "Of course I have. The young one is called He Wulang, from Lingnan. He used to be a local exorcist, skilled in carving masks and performing tricks to exorcise spirits. Later, he probably joined a branch of the Lushan sect and was taught some magic. Many of the curses performed this time were his work."

"The older guy over there is surnamed Sun, named Meng. He comes from a Dong village and knows how to repel insects. He keeps two or three reptiles and a dozen or so flying insects under his command. They are extremely poisonous. One of my men was bitten and had to have half a basin of pus and blood squeezed out before he survived."

"These two are very tight-lipped. I even used the 'Seeking Ruin' technique, but they didn't confess. Since they didn't confess, I'm out of options too. So I can only rely on you." Young Master Wang shook his head, as if he really had no other choice.

"What does 'seeking ruin' mean?" Zhao Yunshu asked.

Young Master Wang chuckled: "Don't ask me that, or you won't be able to sleep... You know, of those who have been subjected to the 'begging for family ruin,' nine out of ten would rather beg me to kill their entire family than continue to suffer the torture."

Zhao Yunshu didn't ask any further questions; it seemed to mean exactly what he said: "Please kill my whole family..."

If they can't handle this level of torture, then they're really tough. Besides, how could a young Taoist priest have the ability to torture people like that? It's far beyond what's expected.

It seems that we have no choice but to find another way.

Zhao Yunshu then walked over to the two men without saying a word and carefully examined their wounds.

I was shocked when I saw it. The wound where the iron chain pierced the bone was already festering, the surrounding flesh was red, swollen, and ulcerated, and it even emitted an abnormal sweet smell. It was obvious that it had been treated with some kind of medicine, but the effect was probably not to cure the disease...

Among them, the young man named He Wulang had branding marks on his chest, his skin and flesh were rolled up, and the wound on his chest looked like a child's mouth. All his fingers were broken, and not a single finger bone was intact; they were all black and twisted into a ball.

He had wounds all over his body, and even his genitals were reduced to just one testicle, a testament to the horror of the torture he had endured. Zhao Yunshu felt her eyelids twitch just looking at him. Go to Bing and search for "Deqi" to see the latest chapter!

No, he endured this kind of torture and didn't say a word? He didn't reveal any information?

No wonder Young Master Wang said he had no other options; he really had none. He's a true tough guy, made of iron!

Just as Zhao Yunshu was looking at them, the two men were also sizing up the young Taoist priest, but they looked like they didn't care about life or death, and wished they could be tortured to death as soon as possible.

However, Young Master Wang was very careful in his actions, and he didn't really harm their vital organs, so they wouldn't die anytime soon.

Zhao Yunshu frowned after reading it.

He then walked to a table and sat down.

This table was probably where the jailer sat to rest after he got tired of beating people. It's clear that being a jailer isn't an ordinary job. If you were really asked to use tortures like "begging for the destruction of the family" or "phoenix spreading its wings," most people probably wouldn't be able to do it.

Zhao Yunshu thought for a moment, then untied his bundle and took out the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones that he had looted from An He and the sorcerer. He arranged all these items on the table one by one and lit candles to make sure everyone could see them.

An old inkstone, a purple-tipped brush, a packet of cinnabar, and a stack of yellow paper were all items that Anhe, the Taoist priest, carried with him during his lifetime.

The young Taoist priest took out all these things and then began to draw talismans.

His movements were very relaxed, neither too fast nor too slow, as if he were drawing talismans at home. Just as Young Master Wang was feeling a little strange, the young Taoist priest suddenly began grinding cinnabar with an inkstone.

This is the function of a jade inkstone.

Normally, the inkstones needed for grinding ink are the so-called "Four Famous Inkstones": Duan inkstone, She inkstone, Taohe inkstone, and Chengni inkstone. This is because inkstones require moderate hardness to achieve a state of "combining hardness and softness, fineness without slipperiness, and roughness without coarseness." Jade is generally too hard and is not a good choice for grinding ink, so people who have some requirements for ink generally do not use it.

If the inkstone is too soft, the ink will be finely ground, but it will also be sticky and easily stick to the brush. It may even cause stone powder to mix into the ink, affecting the ink color.

However, it's too stiff. Although the ink comes out quickly, it spreads coarsely, making it easy to drip ink when writing. The brush tip is also too stiff, which requires a certain level of skill and makes writing difficult.

However, this is how scholars use inkstones. Taoists use inkstones, which need to grind various minerals frequently. Therefore, the inkstone must be hard, and stone powder must be avoided from mixing into the material and affecting the effect of drawing talismans. Thus, knowledgeable people can tell at a glance that a jade inkstone is probably from a Taoist who needs to draw talismans.

Zhao Yunshu gently ground the cinnabar, making a soft rustling sound. The sound had barely echoed in the dungeon when the two men suddenly looked up and their expressions changed!

Young Master Wang raised his eyes slightly, watching with great interest the change in the attitudes of the two men.

Huh? The prisoner who was subjected to the "donkey pulling the stake" torture thought he was a real tough nut to crack, so why did his attitude change so quickly?

At this moment, the two people, who had been dazed and drooping from the torment, looked up and saw the table full of things. Their faces twitched violently, and they stared intently at the table. Although they tried to keep their faces straight, their muscles trembled violently, and the veins in their temples throbbed uncontrollably.

The two of them clearly recognized these items.

The brush, cinnabar, yellow paper, and white jade inkstone—these were all personal belongings of the Taoist Anhe, rarely lent out, let alone given away. Now that this set had fallen into the hands of the young Taoist, there could only be one possibility…

But the young Taoist priest, seeing their expressions, smiled and said, "You recognize this?"

The two did not answer, but the iron chains passing through their collarbones kept rattling.

But the young Taoist knew that he had already achieved his goal, and he still needed to find another way!

He thought to himself that there must be a reason why they refused to say anything. Just like some righteous people who were tortured but refused to speak, it was because their spiritual strength overcame the physical pain.

However, he didn't think that the reason these two evil sorcerers were so stubborn and refused to talk even at the cost of their lives could be something like loyalty or ideals.

They're all practicing evil magic; it would be a miracle if they had any ideals of loyalty and righteousness.

But what exactly it is, let's guess. The first thought is that, given Anhe's methods, he probably knows it's impossible to show kindness and appeasement to these people. So the reason why these people dare not speak is nothing more than coercion and enticement.

As for what he's afraid of... it's nothing more than the Black-Headed Mage's methods. With the abilities of Anhe's Yin-Yang Temple, even if he went to the underworld, Anhe would probably personally go down and bring him back.

If one cultivates the Luoyin Temple to a high level, one can personally descend to the Yellow Springs to see the Underworld. If these two dare to reveal the matter of Lushan, they will die. Then, the underworld officials will take them across the Naihe Bridge and bring them back to the Underworld. Theoretically, they will have no connection with the mortal world anymore. Anhe might as well personally chase them to the Underworld, capture their souls again, and slowly process them.

For these people, death is not the real suffering; the real suffering is falling into Anhe's hands after death.

So whips were useless, branding irons were useless, no form of torture worked; they simply dared not speak out. No matter how much physical torture one endures, at worst one will just suffer and die. As for the physical tortures they were currently being subjected to, while they were horrifying, ultimately they still dared not torture them to death.

Therefore, how can this kind of torment compare to the suffering of having one's soul refined a hundred times?

They would rather suffer in this dungeon than utter a single word! Because if they did, and Anhe the sorcerer found out, they wouldn't even die in peace! They would be chased all the way to the underworld by the Luoyin Temple!

It was this fear that enabled them to withstand the most severe punishments.

But what if this fear is broken?

Zhao Yunshu's mind raced.

These two men certainly don't act like death squad members; they lack that kind of unwavering courage to die for their cause.

They were just scared.

As long as they can be convinced that Anhe can never be found again and poses no threat to them, their will to survive will be rekindled, and they will naturally keep quiet.