Zuri had truly earned her name as Shadow of Agony. John had initially had doubt that she would do better than him interrogating Galvsten, as he had quite an extensive history of 'interrogation,' but he couldn't help but admit that when it came to such things, Zuri was practically a heaven-defying genius.
Her techniques were practiced and mysterious. She worked on Galvsten's body like a surgeon, poking, prodding, and invading in seemingly random locations, using a mysterious blend of Qi John couldn't exactly identify. He could detect several Dao's in the Qi she used, and surprisingly even the Dao of Life, although at a much lower level than what Laia used.
Still, the result was equally fruitful and terrifying.
"How did you become so good at this?" John couldn't help but ask as Zuri stepped back from Galvsten's dead corpse.
She glanced sideways at John, her face becoming downcast for an instant before returning to her normal cold calmness.
"Before I joined the Guild, I was raised in the Light Dao Sect, and taught the healing arts by my father," she said, bringing up painful memories of her recently killed father. "My father was second to none when it came to knowing human anatomy. Things like nerves, meridian channels, pain clusters…all of that was taught to me for the purpose of healing. All that knowledge is very useful when interrogating someone."
John nodded his head, understand a bit of why she was so frighteningly efficient at torture.
"And that Qi you used?" John asked curiously.
"A homemade blend of several types of Qi," Zuri said. "Dao of Pain, Dao of Blood, Dao of Darkness, and to make sure their body doesn't fall apart too quickly, the Dao of Life to heal the wounds I made."
John sucked in a breath, thanking he was on Zuri's side. Even with his high tolerance to pain, he was sure being interrogated by her would bush him to the brink of insanity based on what he had seen.
The two fell silent, their thoughts drifting back to the things Galvsten had revealed during his torture. He had eagerly given up the information, most likely hoping for a swift end if he was compliant. Still, Zuri made sure he did not have an easy death, as payment for the pain and suffering he had caused to so many others.
John's brow furrowed as he recalled the many terrible things Galvsten had mentioned. He had mentioned that this chamber's true purpose was to collect human cultivator blood. This blood was separated into four different pools in the middle based on the talent and blood quality of the cultivators, and was then to be sold to the Devil Race, who paid a premium for human blood to be used in their cultivation arts.
As for the barbaric torturing of the victims, that was a side-hustle Galvsten had set up. He had realized that there were quite a few wealthy people out there with sick and twisted desires, but with no means to carry out those desires. By providing them the outlet for those desires, he made money twice on the bloodletting of the victims. This had proven a very wealthy business venture, and had been the sole reason he had amassed so much wealth and political pull to become the leader of Clearmist City.
This 'business' of his had been going on for three years already, sickening John to his core. Who knew how many people suffered brutal ends before perishing under Galvsten's hand. John shook his head, moving on to the other things Galvsten had mentioned.
Zuri had also asked about the woman Galvsten had mentioned, as she knew how much the information meant to John. What Galvsten had revealed was not much, disappointing John greatly, but it was still better than nothing.
'According to Galvsen, the place he saw Lilian at was merely called 'The Auction',' John recalled thoughtfully, looking over to Zuri.
"Do you know about this 'Auction' he mentioned?" John asked hopefully.
"Very little I'm afraid," Zuri said with a shake of the head. "I've heard about it, but only through rumors and small information briefs from the Guild. The Auction is a mysterious group that reaches out to certain individuals, and allows them to attend their auctions. Those auctions happen in random places at random intervals, and the only way to attend is to be invited. One cannot ask to join, as no one knows who runs the entire thing. The only way to find out about the Auction is to be invited, at which point the method of accessing the auction is revealed."
John frowned upon hearing this.
According to Galvsten, The Auction was a place where anything and everything was bid on and sold, from treasures to people. The bidding process was entirely anonymous, with each person bidding from an enclosed room, fully shielded from divine sense and other spying methods. Most likely the only people who knew the identities of the participants were the people running The Auction.
Galvsten had mentioned that a woman matching Lilian's description had been the last auction of the night, and the most fought over bid. Her beauty was irresistible, and her talent undeniable. Galvsten had mentioned that Lilian looked a bit injured when she was presented to them for bidding.
'It's most likely the only reason she was captured in the first place,' John thought angrily, thinking about the fall to this world. Lilian had used her full power to shield John from the horrifying spatial storms, and had most likely been gravely injured in the process.
She did not have the healing capabilities John had, and so healing would be a much slower process for her. He was sure that if she had her full power at her command, her capture would never have happened.
Uneasiness filled John's body and soul as he thought of Lilian being captured and sold like a slave. He was sure that if she recovered her full power she would be able to protect herself and escape, but who knows when, or even if, that would happen. She was bid on and sold to a mysterious individual, and who knew what her current fate was.
John had assumed that he would be able to take his time to look for Lilian, but that was completely incorrect. Every day he didn't find her and rescue her was another day leaving her to this unknown fate. The thought infuriated him.
John's fists tightened so powerfully that the air trembled around him. His murderous aura leaked out instinctively, causing Zuri to feel shock at how thick and bloodlusted it was. The only thing that stopped him from going over the edge was the description of Lilian Galvsten had given. When he described her, he had mentioned that she had a light, mocking smile on her face. That was not the reaction of someone who had no hope in their situation.
John turned his eyes to Zuri.
"Find what you can about this Auction, and the fate of my companion."
His words weren't a request, but a command. Zuri's instincts were to berate him for talking to a superior like that, but the memory of what John had done in the place filled her mind, the scenes of his combat prowess still shaking her to her core.
"As payment for the good deeds you did today, I will gladly do my absolute best to find your companion," Zuri said sincerely. "I will also reach out to the Guild Headquarters and make this a top priority mission as well."
"Good," John nodded, his murderous gaze staring off into the distance.
Once he found the ones who had purchased Lilian, the slaughter and destruction of this night would look like a joke compared to what he would unleash on those who held Lilian captive.
'I will bathe this entire world in blood and bring it to ruin if that's what it takes to get her back.'
