Chapter 33: Meeting a Peer

Hearing Mo Ci knew his disciple had a sharp mind and rarely resorted to empty pretense.

But he still couldn't help asking, "How can you tell? I heard no flaw in what that young Miss just said."

Chen Ye replied, "I heard no flaw either. It's just that when arriving in a strange land, the first person one meets is rarely so simple."

Hearing Mo Ci asked in confusion, "What kind of evidence is that? Sounds like the ravings of a madman."

Chen Ye also mocked himself, "Indeed, just treat it as my paranoia. Sigh, if only my cultivation were higher, I could simply search his soul and be done with it."

Hearing Mo Ci sneered, "What are you thinking? Even at the Profound Penetration Realm, soul-searching is difficult. The soul is incredibly fragile; a slight struggle will shatter the memories. Look at your Ten Thousand Souls Banner; after long torment, the resentful souls can't even remember who they are. What you dig up from soul-searching might not be what you want; perhaps it's just the hatred from being bullied in childhood.

"Even the Righteous Path's Heart-Questioning Art requires setting up a grand formation, presided over by a high expert. Just the preparation takes several months. Do you really think you can grab someone and know everything?"

Chen Ye sighed, "Yes, that is why it is troublesome."

Chen Ye looked at those martial artists with their heads knocked against the ground. Without soul-searching, interrogation would be very laborious.

Hearing Mo Ci asked again, "Since you suspect that young Miss is hiding something, why did you let her go? Just put her directly into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and torture her for a few days. I don't believe she can hold out; she'll surely spill everything like that Monk did."

Chen Ye countered, "And then? If what that young Miss said is true, and she really is a righteous thief, when Miss Su returns and we review the case, how will we explain it to her? Do you think Miss Su, who cultivated bitterly for years and came down the mountain for the first time to gain experience, is really that easy to fool?

"I am not afraid; at worst, I'll have a rift with Miss Su. She won't demand my life, but if Master you want to beg the Qinghe Sword Sect for help, that will be difficult."

Hearing Mo Ci sighed, "Sigh, in the end, it is I who have implicated you."

Chen Ye nodded repeatedly, saying, "Master, as long as you know that. When you reshape your flesh and restore your cultivation, remember this favor."

Hearing Mo Ci felt something was wrong and asked suspiciously, "Wait, you rascal, are you trying to trap me?"

"Hehe, Master, you guess."

"A treacherous disciple who betrays his master and destroys his ancestors!"

Hearing Mo Ci was too lazy to guess Chen Ye's true intentions; this disciple was sharper than a fox demon and wouldn't do business at a loss.

"So what will you do now? Is the revenge for the tea house waiter settled?"

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "Revenge is just a side effect. I came to investigate the case for Miss Su. Since we've already fought, let's solve it using the methods of cultivators."

Chen Ye never got the main point wrong; cultivation was like this, and doing things was like this.

He was using the upholding of justice to make a name for himself, so he could quickly approach that Princess Hongyu. Coincidentally, these martial artists were also involved in the forced conscription of young boys and girls, so he might as well handle it all together.

Chen Ye waved the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, commanding those resentful souls to pull out all the martial artists whose heads were embedded in the floor.

One by one, covered in blood and filth, most had already fainted.

Chen Ye walked over to the so-called Bone Demon or whatever who had struck first. This scarred man had a few more scars on his face; he would surely have more intimidation when walking the martial world in the future.

Chen Ye lamented that he was truly a great benefactor, and deserved good rewards.

He slapped the man's face, waking the drunk and dizzy scarred man, but he still looked arrogant and unyielding.

Even with a face covered in blood, he gritted his teeth and said, "If you have the guts... give me a quick death! If I flinch even once, count me as a coward!"

Chen Ye laughed, "You dog who bullies the good still have a sense of honor."

The scarred man sneered, "Pah, the world is simply where the strong eat the weak. Wolves eat meat, dogs eat shit. Those without ability deserve their fate."

"Again, not acting human but acting like a beast." Chen Ye shook his head and refuted, "Beasts eat the weak because they are hungry; they seek survival. You are full and well-dressed, yet bully others purely out of cruelty. Even a wild dog won't bite randomly when full. You are truly worse than a dog."

Chen Ye had always detested this so-called "survival of the fittest" saying. Slash-and-burn agriculture was originally devised to feed more people; it is the greatness of humans surpassing beasts.

If sages were all beasts, why open the heavens and earth? Why mold clay to create humans?

The ancestors struggled hard to emerge from the wilderness, yet some always want to return to that primitive, barbaric past, and even take pride in it.

Cannibalism should only be done out of necessity; it should not be praised, let alone be a source of pride.

However, Chen Ye was too lazy to waste words on such a person and went straight to the point, asking, "Where is that Young Master Jiang you mentioned? Is the forced conscription of young boys and girls related to him?"

The scarred man snorted coldly.

"You think I will betray Young Master? Don't even dream of it. Even if I am shattered to dust, I won't tell you a single word."

Chen Ye knew this person wouldn't speak so easily, but he had a way.

He took the *Sutra of the Earth Store Bodhisattva's Fundamental Vows* from his storage bag and muttered to himself, "I originally wanted to learn the Immobilization Spell first, but you forced me to learn the Torture Interrogation Art first."

The scripture recorded four secret arts: Restraint, Lock, Question, and Torture. Chen Ye had intended to learn the Lock technique first, but now he had to bring out the Torture technique for a last-minute cram session.

"Let me see, do it like this... oh, it's quite difficult."

The scarred man didn't know what Chen Ye was doing, but he was held by invisible resentful souls, completely unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as Chen Ye dismantled a table and arranged the wood around him in a strange shape.

Chen Ye walked a few circles, his fingertips constantly tracing among the wood, while chanting, "Draw a prison on the ground, break wood to form shackles, with your sins, you shall not attain rebirth..."

Chen Chant for a long time, long enough for the blood on the scarred man's face to dry, making him think Chen Ye was just putting on empty pretense.

Finally, Chen Ye's fingertips left the chaotic wood and pointed at the scarred man's chest.

This point was very light, yet it left a green mark on his chest.

Immediately, a thorn vine sprouted from this round spot.

The scarred man, who had just been full of disdain, suddenly let out a horrific cry; his eyes instantly filled with blood vessels, as if they were about to burst from their sockets.

The thorns spread and grew, instantly covering his whole body, crawling like venomous snakes, piercing the flesh and tearing the internal organs, yet not a single drop of blood appeared.

These were not real thorns, but thorns acting upon the soul. They did not harm the flesh, nor even cause damage to the soul; this secret art only brought pain, more painful than the torture of being cut by a thousand knives.

Torture Technique — Thorn Hell!

Those with deep sins shall suffer the punishment of thorns piercing their bodies.

Chen Ye did not cast it as a spell, but set up a simple formation; this increased the success rate and made the casting easier.

Unfortunately, it couldn't be used in magical duels; after all, no one would stand there waiting for you to set up a formation and chant a spell for half a day.

However, it was very useful for forced confessions.

The Thorn Hell lasted only a moment; the scarred man, who had just been full of pride, was now writhing in pain, crying out and begging for mercy.

Chen Ye didn't pay attention, letting him howl a while longer so the others could hear clearly.

Setting up the formation once was already tiring; if he had to set up a formation for every single person to force a confession, Chen Ye would really die of exhaustion.

After the scarred man wailed for a while, his throat was already hoarse, leaving only a raspy moan.

Verdant thorns crawled all over his body, even wriggling in and out of his seven orifices, looking quite terrifying.

Sensing the timing was about right, Chen Ye was about to withdraw the punishment and resume questioning when he saw a layer of hazy pink light appear.

"Hmm?"

Chen Ye frowned; this person's soul was not right, as if someone had tampered with it.

Leaning in for a closer look, he saw that within the pink light were countless runes like insects; originally they had been shrouding this person's soul, but the stimulation of the Thorns Hell had triggered the excruciating pain, causing these runes to surface automatically.

"Not good, I've met a peer."

After studying it closely for a long while, Chen Ye finally recognized it: this was the Demonic Sect's Charm Art, not much different from what Hearing Mo Ci had previously taught him.

Is Young Master Najiang a demon?

Could it be that he is the mastermind behind County Magistrate Cui's forced conscription of young boys and girls?