Chapter 585

"Now that you've seen the man, what else is there to ask?" Pan Yun tilted her chin and asked.

Qu Le pondered: "If we've already caught him, why not leave right away? Why go to the marketplace?"

Pan Yun: "If we leave now, they'll spot us immediately. We don't know if they're still in contact with those Japanese pirates—if they are, won't we be alerting them?"

She said: "Since we're here to do business, let's finish this deal properly—come in well, leave safely. After we leave the village, we can just take him along."

Qu Le: "Won't his disappearance raise suspicion too?"

Pan Yun: "How old are you this year?"

Qu Le paused: "Twenty. Why ask that?"

Pan Yun: "If you got into a fight with your family and went out for a few days without coming home, would your family panic?"

Qu Le fell silent. Of course they wouldn't—otherwise he never would've run away alone in the first place.

"At his age, and with that rat-faced look, vanishing for two or three days is perfectly normal," Pan Yun said. "As long as you two leave no trace tomorrow, nothing will happen."

Qu Le rubbed his chin and mused: "Why must we take him with us?"

"Taking him out is troublesome—we'd have to feed him. Better to interrogate him here. Tomorrow, after we buy what we need, we leave directly. Isn't that safer?"

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, exchanged a glance with Tao Yanbai, and both looked down at Cen Ermu.

Cen Ermu's heart trembled; he instinctively kicked his legs backward, but after retreating two steps, a foot pressed against his back—he had nowhere left to go.

Pan Yun curled her lips, leaned forward, and fixed her gaze on his eyes with a gentle smile. "Don't be afraid. If you answer our questions honestly, we'll tie you up right here in this Earth God shrine. If you can break free, good. If you can't, in three or five days, someone will come to burn incense and pray here—and they'll find you."

Cen Ermu shook his head frantically, eyes wide with terror. The Earth God shrine only saw visitors during New Year and early spring—otherwise, no one ever came. If he was tied up here, he'd starve to death!

Pan Yun's face dropped when she saw him shaking his head. "Refuse? Then we'll take you out and cut off all four limbs. I'll make you beg for death but never find it."

Pan Yun turned to Qu Le: "Aren't your second aunt's baozi shop on the road between Fuzhou and Quanzhou? Take him there. I see you've still got some meat on him—perfect for meat baozi."

Qu Le: … He didn't, he wasn't, don't slander him!

His grandfather was an only child. His father was an only child. Where the hell did he get a second aunt?

But under Pan Yun's gaze, Qu Le still nodded, face grim. "Those two thighs alone could yield plenty of meat."

Pan Yun rose from the altar and snorted: "It's settled. Tie him up good. We'll take him tomorrow."

Qu Le and Tao Yanbai immediately stepped forward and bound him to a pillar.

Originally, Pan Yun had only tied him from top to bottom with a single rope, leaving him some mobility. Now, tied to the pillar, he couldn't even twitch.

Cen Ermu was terrified, convinced they were serious. He let out muffled "oohs," shaking his head frantically.

Tao Yanbai observed and said: "Little Master, he says he'd rather die than speak."

Pan Yun's face darkened. "Then let's give him a taste of what's coming—he clearly thinks we're joking."

Qu Le punched him in the abdomen. Cen Ermu let out a guttural "Ooo—!" his eyes bulging, his body curling like a shrimp.

Tears streaming down his face, he lifted his head and whimpered, shaking his head at them.

Tao Yanbai said: "Little Master, he says he's unyielding under torture—he won't speak."

"Ooooh…" Cen Ermu wept uncontrollably, shaking his head desperately at Pan Yun. That's not what he meant—he really didn't mean that!

Pan Yun's face hardened. "So your mouth's that tough? Then we'll cut off one arm first, toss it out to the wolves. The rest—we'll remove after we take you out."

Tao Yanbai nodded, turning to Qu Le: "You brought your sword—you do it!" "Ooooh!" Cen Ermu banged his head against the ground, begging Pan Yun to understand his plea, while glaring hatefully at Tao Yanbai.

Qu Le half-drew his sword. Seeing no sign of intervention from Pan Yun, he ventured: "I think he doesn't mean that—he's crying so hard. Maybe we should ask again?"

Pan Yun: "Isn't his meaning obvious? Why ask? Just cut!"

"Ooooh!" Cen Ermu first shook his head, then nodded violently: "Oooohhh!"

Qu Le: "He seems to be saying… no, no—I'm willing to talk?"

Cen Ermu looked at Qu Le with relief and certainty, nodding vigorously. That's exactly what he meant!

Pan Yun looked disappointed. "Is that so? Then ask him."

Tao Yanbai pulled the sock out of Cen Ermu's mouth. The moment his mouth was free, Cen Ermu screamed: "I'll talk! Ask me already!"

"You don't ask, how do you know I won't talk?" Cen Ermu glared hatefully at Tao Yanbai. "If you can't read body language, don't misinterpret!"

Tao Yanbai frowned. "You're willing to talk?"

"As long as you let me live, I'll talk!" Cen Ermu's face was streaked with tears and snot. He stared nervously at Pan Yun. "Ask me anything—I'll answer."

!

Pan Yun's face was cold. "We're after wealth. Once we get the information, we'll let you go. At worst, we'll leave you tied here a few extra days—just to buy time."

Cen Ermu: "How can I believe you?"

Pan Yun's face darkened. "A martial cultivator values honor above all. Do you doubt my word?"

Tao Yanbai: "Little Master, maybe we should just take him away and torture him—better safe than sorry."

"I won't trick you!" Cen Ermu cried out urgently. "Ask me! I believe you—I'll answer anything you ask!"

Pan Yun finally snorted. "Good. Let's start simple. Are you a sea bandit?"

Cen Ermu: They already know I'm a sea bandit—they said so when they captured me. Now they're just testing me.

He answered honestly: "Yes, I'm a sea bandit."

Pan Yun: "What's your leader's name?"

Cen Ermu swallowed hard.

Pan Yun narrowed her eyes slightly. "Won't you speak?"

Cen Ermu hurriedly said: "No, no—our chief's name is Fan Lianyang."

"Fan?" Pan Yun leaned forward slightly. "Then he's from the neighboring Fan Family Village?"

"Yes."

Pan Yun: "But your village is mostly surnamed Cen. Who led your village?"

Cen Ermu opened his mouth but said nothing.

The scabbard in Qu Le's hand clattered to the ground, and Cen Ermu immediately said: "Cen Dachuan! Our village's leader is Brother Dachuan!"

Pan Yun: "Is he in the village now?"

"He is."

"How many of you returned from the sea?"

(End of Chapter)