Chapter 156: A Strange Interrogation

Chapter 156: A Strange Interrogation

Ten days later, as night fell, a hidden valley in the Isle of Xiao was lit up with a bonfire.

The chefs on the island were preparing spiritbeast meat. Two huge toad spirits were seated close by, staring at the roast meat on a spit with eyes the size of lanterns. They were drooling madly.

Xiao Nanfeng and You Jiu had just finished setting up the Immortal's Destruction and camouflaging it.

"Sir Xiao, the spiritual aether around the Isle of Xiao is far more dense than at sea. There's something unusual about this island, and it might be able to increase the power of the Immortal's Destruction by a fair amount," You Jiu commented curiously.

"It's an island that my father left behind, so there naturally has to be something special about it. That said, the spiritual aether here can't compare to that on Taiqing Island. Spiritual aether is even more prevalent there."

"Could Taiqing Island be built on some vein of draconic aether, then?" You Jiu asked curiously.

"I'm not so sure about that. Right, when you went to hunt down the sea serpents, did you figure out where their lair was?"

You Jiu nodded. "It's a large spiritbeast cave, one filled with sea serpents, Even from afar, Croak could sense a few Spiritsong-realm sea serpents. There might be even more in their midst. It felt particularly dangerous, so we didn't go near it."

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng's face fell.

"However, we did see a ship heading into it," You Jiu recalled.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. These serpents were in cahoots with humans? There had to be something exceptional about this spiritbeast cave.

"Sir Xiao, do we need to continue keeping watch on the serpents?" You Jiu asked.

"Not at the moment," Xiao Nanfeng replied, shaking his head.

You Jiu nodded.

Just then, Croak's urgent voice came from afar. "Isn't the meat finished yet? I can smell how fragrant it is! Can't we eat already?"

"These two fish can be eaten, but they're a little hot. As for the others, they'll have to wait," one chef replied, quaking. This was the first time he was serving two humongous spirits. If not for Xiao Nanfeng's presence, he would long since have been stared stiff.

"We're not afraid of heat!" Croak leapt over excitedly, but Warble snatched both fish first.

"Warble, there are two fish! Let's have one each," Croak said expectantly.

"No! Wait for the next set." Warble had no intention of giving up her spoils. She kept both fish firmly in her grip.

Croak was almost in tears.

"Don't worry, Croak. With so many chefs around to cook for you, you'll surely be able to eat your fill." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

Croak glanced at Warble, disagreeing. With a wife as gluttonous as Warble, would it really get to eat anything?

"There's a lot of spiritbeast meat, but Warble could eat it all..." Croak croaked.

Just then, one of Ye Dafu's lackeys, drenched, rushed into the valley.

"Senior Brother, something's wrong!" he cried out.

Using his many years of experience as an assassin, he caused a diversionary commotion before slipping by the guards in a disguise, entering the Isle of Nalan proper.

The moment he did so, the hairs on You Jiu's neck stood on end. He felt as though he had been marked by something dangerous—the arrays that warded the island. The arrays targeted all those who were on the island, ready to strike them at any moment.

You Jiu didn't dare reveal himself, and he became even more cautious. Taking advantage of his experience, he quietly took down and interrogated a few guards, after which he learned of Ye Dafu and the others' location. He silently crept inside the prison in which they were detained.

From afar, he could hear their shouts.

"Beat me if you dare! I won't reveal anything. Beat it out of me if you want!" Ye Dafu bellowed.

A whip slashed through the air.

"Argh!" Ye Dafu cried out, then continued, "Haven't you eaten? Put more strength into your blows!"

"Looks like it'll take a beating to loosen your mouth. Continue whipping him!"

"Argh! Ah, argh!" Ye Dafu's cries rang out through the underground prison.

"Well? Were you the ones who captured our men? Are they still alive?" the interrogator shouted.

"I'm not going to say anything. Keep whipping me if you dare!" Ye Dafu hollered.

"Beat him!"

"No, beat us! Don't beat our boss!" Ye Dafu's lackeys cried out.

"Beat all of them!"

The sound of whips echoed through the prison. Ye Dafu and his lackeys cried out with every whip, but they adamantly refused to speak.

You Jiu glanced at them strangely. "Are these cultivators so loyal that none of them would give in...?"

He crept closer, skulking through the darkness and watching the interrogation from afar.

A group of cultivators in purple were whipping Ye Dafu and his lackeys. They shook and trembled, but continued to refuse to talk.

"Whip them, harder! Whip them within an inch of their lives!" the lead interrogator commanded.

Ye Dafu's body shook as he received the beating. Subconsciously, he murmured, "Ah, it's so relaxing..."

"What did you say?!" the cultivator whipping Ye Dafu paused, wondering if he had misheard.

"I didn't say anything! Keep going!" Ye Dafu shouted. His pained expression and loud cries finally dispelled the cultivator's doubts.

"Sir, something's wrong! I saw him smiling lecherously just now!" one of the guards shouted.

Ye Dafu's eyes widened, hurriedly schooling his expression into one of pain. Pretending to cry, he begged, "It hurts, it hurts! Don't beat me anymore!"

"Don't hit our boss! Hit us!" his lackeys cried out.

"Beat them all!" the leader of the guards demanded.

The whips cracked as the interrogation continued.

You Jiu, still watching from afar, began to frown strangely. He could clearly see that Ye Dafu had been enjoying his beating—and his lackeys, as well. Though the pain made them gnash their teeth, they then subconsciously revealed an expression of bliss and relaxation. How could these cultivators be enjoying the interrogation? Were they all perverted?!