Placing the Hall of Merits atop Qingming was something Wei Yuan had considered carefully. At present, the two most important things in the entire domain were Qingming and the Hall of Merits. Placing them together made sense, as they would only need to defend a single location.
Wei Yuan discussed with Ji Liuli whether she could set up a formation to protect both the Hall of Merits and Qingming together.
After pondering for a moment, Ji Liuli replied, "There happens to be a formation that fits quite well, though it's on a fairly large scale. Give me the first chance to make an exchange; I need to redeem some spiritual materials."
Wei Yuan naturally agreed.
Upon emerging from the Hall of Merits, Wei Yuan first went to check on Sun Yu's injuries. Sun Yu was still in a deep sleep. Over the past few days, he hadn't slept a wink, enduring multiple bloody battles to break through enemy lines, which had even damaged his Dao Foundation. This sleep would likely last at least a full day and night.
Fortunately, the effects of Jia Wood Life-Mystic were far more potent than ordinary life-mystic power. Furthermore, Wei Yuan had focused all the domain's power onto Sun Yu, allowing his damaged sea of consciousness and Dao Foundation to mend bit by bit. There was a real chance of full restoration, ensuring his future cultivation path would not be compromised.
With Sun Yu's condition stabilized, Wei Yuan felt relieved and prepared to head to the cells to see how Xu Wanyi was faring with the interrogation.
Xu Jingfeng was merely a spoiled playboy, completely unable to take a beating. Wei Yuan estimated he wouldn't hold out long, though prying every last detail out of him might still prove somewhat tricky. That was precisely Wei Yuan's intention in having Xu Wan'er conduct the interrogation.
Xu Wan'er had once been a member of the Xu family herself; her father had been a commandery governor and an important figure in the family, whereas Xu Jingfeng's status had originally been far inferior to hers. As such, Xu Wan'er knew the Xu family inside and out; if Xu Jingfeng tried to lie, he would find it hard to slip past her.
Wei Yuan was just a little uneasy about her ability to handle torture, which was why he had come to take a look.
Xu Wan'er had previously been a sheltered noble daughter with no experience, easily susceptible to being softhearted. Wei Yuan had originally thought Yun Feifei would be best suited for this task, but recruiting in Quliu Town was fraught with danger—only a woman as thoroughly calculating as Yun Feifei could handle it. Had he sent Xu Wan'er instead, Wei Yuan feared she wouldn't make it back alive.
When Wei Yuan arrived at the cells, he was surprised to see two cultivators standing guard outside. He didn't recall assigning any guards, which made him curious. Seeing Wei Yuan, the two cultivators hurriedly explained that Xu Wan'er had instructed them to stand watch outside to keep idle bystanders from interfering with the interrogation.
Wei Yuan nodded and told them to continue keeping watch outside before stepping into the dungeon. The two cultivators naturally did not dare stop him, quietly pulling the door shut behind him.
To prevent prisoners from escaping, the cells had been excavated directly into the mountain rock. Wei Yuan walked down the corridor and stopped outside one of the cells.
The cell door was closed, and from within came terrified shrieks: "Stay back! Don't come any closer! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!!"
"Shut up!" came Xu Wan'er's sharp rebuke.
Then followed a bloodcurdling scream, cut in half as his mouth was gagged, leaving only muffled groans.
Wei Yuan quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Inside, Xu Jingfeng hung against the wall, limbs spread wide and bound in an X-shape. His mouth was stuffed with cloth torn from his own clothing, and his eyes were wide with sheer terror. His once-handsome face was twisted beyond recognition, practically scared out of his wits.
Yet Wei Yuan could tell that the screams held far more terror than actual pain.
At this moment, Xu Jingfeng's lower body was covered in blood. Xu Wan'er crouched before him, holding a delicate small knife between her fingers, sizing up where to make the next cut.
Xu Jingfeng thrashed violently, but Xu Wan'er grabbed his leg in a firm grip, rendering him unable to move. She then brought the blade down near the base of his thigh, slowly slicing upward from below.
Xu Jingfeng's entire face contorted. He desperately wanted to dodge yet didn't dare move; unable to cry out, two streams of tears suddenly rolled down his cheeks.
The knife had only moved an inch, still just shy of his vital parts, when Xu Wan'er sensed something. She turned her head and saw Wei Yuan!
Wei Yuan was expressionless.
Xu Wan'er leaped up like a startled rabbit, her knife violently dragging across Xu Jingfeng's thigh, carving out the deepest wound yet.
"What are you doing?" Wei Yuan asked.
With her head lowered, Xu Wan'er murmured in a barely audible voice, "...Severe torture."
Whether it qualified as severe torture or not, the effect was certainly remarkable—the Jade-Faced Scion had already been reduced to tears. Wei Yuan glanced at Xu Jingfeng's blood-soaked lower body and asked, "So, did you get anything out of him?"
Xu Wan'er shook her head. "Not yet."
Wei Yuan was somewhat surprised. Xu Jingfeng looked as if he were about to pass out, yet he still hadn't said anything? This guy actually had some backbone!
Then again, what Wei Yuan had heard at the door didn't sound like that at all—the man had clearly been eager to confess.
Wei Yuan reached out and yanked the rag from Xu Jingfeng's mouth. "Young Master Xu, being stubborn will only bring you more physical torment. If you can't prove you're still of some use to me, there's no need for me to spell out your fate. If I could kill Xu Guanwen, I wouldn't mind adding one more Xu Jingfeng to the count."
Finally able to speak, Xu Jingfeng immediately sobbed, "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! But what on earth do you want to know? Don't just torture me—ask something first!"
Speechless, Wei Yuan turned to glance at Xu Wan'er.
"I... I just don't have any experience..." Xu Wan'er lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
Wei Yuan looked at her delicate, blood-stained hands, then endured his discomfort to sweep his divine sense over Xu Jingfeng's lower body, instantly discovering over a dozen long, thin gashes.
Nursing a headache, Wei Yuan decided not to probe further and simply said, "Mainly find out what price the Xu family would be willing to pay to ransom him, and how we can ensure we actually receive it."
"All right."
"I'll be going then." Wei Yuan turned to leave. Behind him came Xu Jingfeng's frantic, desperate cries, only for his mouth to be stuffed shut once more.
This matter wasn't easy for Wei Yuan to handle either. Xu Wan'er harbored a blood debt against the Xu family, so taking this opportunity for a bit of revenge was only human nature. Besides, Wei Yuan didn't genuinely intend to trade Xu Jingfeng for anything right now; he was merely placing a standby piece on the board.
Inside the cell, Xu Wan'er clamped her hand tightly over Xu Jingfeng's mouth and nose, smothering him completely. Unable to channel his Dao power, Xu Jingfeng could only struggle desperately. Yet that small hand grew increasingly forceful, squeezing his facial bones until they creaked.
Only when the sound of Wei Yuan's footsteps faded from the dungeon did Xu Wan'er finally release her grip. Staring into Xu Jingfeng's eyes, she whispered, "What was it you said that day? That you were going to take me right in front of everyone, was it?"
Xu Jingfeng was terrified out of his mind. Just as he tried to speak, his mouth was stuffed shut again.
The next two days passed in calm.
Sun Yu had recovered for the most part. True to his reputation as an elite disciple of the Hall of Xuanming, the moment he regained mobility, he began treating his own wounds, speeding up his recovery several times over.
Yet over these two days, Wei Yuan felt an increasingly suffocating pressure, as though a heavy boulder were resting on his chest, gradually leaving him short of breath. Ji Liuli, who had been setting up the formation, suddenly summoned everyone for a meeting on this day.
Gone was Ji Liuli's usual nonchalance; the grim look on her face was completely unmasked.
Once everyone was present, Ji Liuli spoke up: "I've been feeling restless these past two days. We might have been targeted."
Chapter 146