The second floor of the dark dungeon looked like the ghosts' realm, with only a bluish light from a few oil lamps lighting the corridor.
*Clang clang---*
The clang of chains echoed through the corridor, and the cell-locked criminal cultivators all turned their eyes to the black iron bars at their cells' doors, knowing that they would have a new pal to talk to in the next few hundred years.
Two disciples in the *Core Formation* stage escorted Xue Xinghai toward the innermost interrogation room, with Zhuang Yan following behind.
After walking about a hundred steps and reaching the cell door, Zhuang Yan told the two disciples, "You can leave now. I will interrogate him myself."
"Yes, Master."
The two cupped their hands and left. After Zhuang Yan and Xue Xinghai entered the room, they closed the black iron door and set a soundproof barrier talisman to avoid disturbing other inmate cultivators on the same floor during their self-reflection.
Xue Xinghai walked inside the interrogation room and looked around. Seeing the torture instruments specially used for cultivators on the wooden table in the corner, he raised an eyebrow and said, "These instruments were all made by me."
"Indeed." Zhuang Yan nodded as he picked up a knife engraved with symbols from the wooden table and turned around. "What happened today? Why were you caught by those three?"
"You gave me a list of twenty-eight people. One of them, Yun Shulong, escaped. When I found him, he had already been caught by the Second and the Third Ladies."
"Yun Shulong? Yun Kun's youngest son?"
"Yeah." Xue Xinghai nodded. "I was worried that he would say something that would raise Third Miss' suspicions, so I had to intervene. Originally, I wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of the two young ladies as well, but who would have expected..."
"Who would have expected what?"
"Who would have expected the two *Foundation Building* cultivators accompanying them to be that powerful?" He raised his left hand severed by Feng Yu Die and said, "A mid-stage *Foundation Building* cultivator could cut off my late-stage *Core Formation* body's left arm in one swoop?"
"Maybe he was concealing his cultivation level?"
"It didn't look like it, but he had silver hair and is probably of the Holy Emperor's bloodline."
"The Holy Emperor's bloodline?" Zhuang Yan frowned, then thought for a while before saying, "I heard that the ***Black Star*** Sect recruited a silver-haired disciple. Could it be that one?"
"From what I've heard, the ***Black Star*** Sect disciple is a woman, but the person following the Second Lady today was a man."
"Well, you mentioned two people? What about the other one?"
"That girl used the *Leaf Shadow Sword* technique. She could be Master Yun Tianchong's illegitimate daughter. Moreover, she already reached the middle stage of *Foundation Building* at such a young age, so she should not be underestimated."
Zhuang Yan narrowed his eyes with a trace of distrust, as if he thought that Xue Xinghai had let himself be caught too easily, and asked, "Just two cultivators at the mid-stage *Foundation Building*, and you couldn't deal with them?"
"There was another person, and I couldn't see through his cultivation level at all."
"Who?"
"The kid who was with the Eldest Miss. He used an *Illusory Form Pendant*, so both his cultivation level and appearance could be fake."
Hearing this, Zhuang Yan's eyes widened slightly. Although he didn't see the two *Foundation Building* cultivators mentioned by Xue Xinghai, he did see Ye Anping.
However, he didn't notice anything wrong with Ye Anping, he only felt that this youngster was quite handsome.
If Ye Anping really used an *Illusory Form Pendant* to hide his cultivation and appearance, then this pendant had to be a spiritual treasure.
There were only two possibilities for using a spiritual treasure to conceal one's cultivation.
- Either his cultivation was too high and could not be suppressed by an ordinary *Illusory Form Pendant*.
- Or he was simply too wealthy and disdained using an ordinary *Illusory Form Pendant*.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Yan felt something was wrong and asked again, "Then, since you can't see through it, how did you know he used the *Illusory Form Pendant*?"
"He deliberately showed me the pendant as if he wanted to threaten me," Xue Xinghai replied with a pout. "That's why I didn't dare to act rashly at that time."
"He deliberately showed it to you?"
"Yes."
"Hmm... Could it be a trick?"
"Elder Zhuang, when you see the pendant, you will understand why I didn't dare to act rashly at that time. It is not an ordinary spiritual treasure. I'm afraid I can't even find something like that even if I search through the treasuries of all sects in the **Southern Region**."
"Really?"
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrows but didn't take him seriously, feeling that Xue Xinghai was exaggerating. Then, he waved his hand, using his spiritual power to move a stool over, and motioned him to sit down. He asked, "Where's the stuff?"
"I have stored the organs of the twenty-seven internal disciples in the secret room. Yun Shulong's head was taken away by the two people you brought."
"How much is left?"
"Not much. The demonic corpse has been stitched up almost completely, only one *Spirit Blood Pearl* is missing."
"I see." Zhuang Yan nodded and said, "Then, I will trouble you to stay here for a few days. Most of the other elders already know that I have captured you, and I can't just let you go. After a while, I will arrange your escape."
"Fine."
Xue Xinghai shrugged, then glanced at the small dagger in Zhuang Yan's hand and joked, "To enter the Sword Sect's interrogation room but not be able to experience some interrogation tactics, is quite regrettable.
"Want to try?"
"No, I still want to live longer."
"Alright, let's go out..."
Suddenly, there were two knocks on the iron door outside the interrogation room. Zhuang Yan was puzzled for a moment but quickly came back to his senses. It was probably other elders coming over.
*Clank clank---*
He immediately waved his hand, and several iron chains in the corner of the room swiftly wrapped around Xue Xinghai's body, suspending him in mid-air with his arms and legs restrained.
Only then, Zhuang Yan walked to the door and opened it. Yun Yiyi and Ye Anping stood outside, accompanied by a mature woman wearing a golden sect attire.
"Eh?" Zhuang Yan pretended to be surprised and said, "Third Miss and Elder Hu? Why are you guys here?"
Yun Yiyi cupped her hands and replied, "Elder Zhuang, this matter concerns the lives of the twenty-eight inner disciples, plus two other disciples, after all. After thinking it over, I decided to come and watch the interrogation. As for Elder Hu, we met her on the way. Since she had nothing else to do, she came along with us."
"..."
Zhuang Yan's eye twitched as he glanced at Hu Tianyue standing behind them. If it were only Yun Yiyi and Ye Anping, he could use his status as an elder to drive them away. But with Hu Tianyue present there, things could turn difficult for him.
Hu Tianyue looked at Zhuang Yan with a smile on her face, lifted her wine gourd, took a sip, and said, "Elder Zhuang, you seem to be in a good mood today. It's rare to see you personally involved in solving a criminal case."
"Elder Hu, you're kidding. I was just passing by today and saw the youngsters in trouble, so I lent a hand."
"No need for pleasantries. Third Miss said there's something interesting here, so I came along to take a look. Well! Elder Zhuang, please continue. I'll just watch from the side."
"..."
Hu Tianyue directly pushed aside Zhuang Yan, who was blocking the door, creating a path. Ye Anping and Yun Yiyi also squeezed their way in and brought three chairs to sit down.
Ye Anping looked at Xue Xinghai, who was hanging in mid-air without any signs of interrogation and wondered. "Elder Zhuang, you haven't started yet? That's perfect; we can listen from the beginning too."
Zhuang Yan's eyes narrowed, but he had no choice but to close the door and walk toward Xue Xinghai with a small knife in his hand.
Xue Xinghai's eyes widened: *Elder Zhuang, you're not serious, are you?*
Zhuang Yan pursed his lips: *Hu Tianyue is watching. What else can I do?*
