Chapter 586: Interrogation

Cen Ermu's forehead broke into sweat, his heart chilled, yet he dared not refuse to answer: "Thirteen from our village returned, and other villages each sent back over a dozen, but I don't know the exact numbers, and some people sneak back, so we can't be certain."

Pan Yun: "What's your name?"

"What?" Cen Ermu looked up, utterly bewildered.

Pan Yun said: "I know there's a band of sea pirates holed up on the Matsu Islands—they call themselves the Dragon's Den Gang. What about you? What do you call yourselves?"

"Ah?" Cen Ermu looked dazed: "We, we don't have a name. I only know Brother Fan is our boss, and Brother Dachuan is one of the second-in-commands. We just follow them to rob things—it lets us eat and drink our fill, and support our families."

"We're not trying to build a gang. Everyone we bring to sea is from villages we know inside and out."

Pan Yun sneered, stepped forward, and pressed her foot against his ankle: "Just to eat and drink your fill? Then why sell out the people of Quanzhou to the Japanese pirates? I thought you had great ambitions—yet you don't even have a name."

"Wh-what?" Cen Ermu's heart clenched, as if his chest had been seized; his limbs went numb. He instinctively blurted: "I don't know what you're talking about…"

Pan Yun pressed on: "How many times have you cooperated with the Japanese pirates and betrayed your own people?"

Cen Ermu hesitated slightly—Pan Yun pressed her toe down harder. Cen Ermu screamed, and instinctively shouted: "Once! Only once!"

Pan Yun asked quickly: "Who proposed the cooperation?"

"Brother Fan! It was Brother Fan who brought them here!"

Pan Yun: "Who were these Japanese pirates? What was their leader's name?"

"I don't know!" Cen Ermu wept uncontrollably: "I've only seen them twice. I know the one who came to the island was called Nai Hongjian. I know nothing else."

Pan Yun increased her pressure—crack! Cen Ermu howled, shouting loudly: "Brother Dachuan didn't agree! It was Brother Fan who insisted! We just gave them a map and guided them partway—we didn't know they'd massacre the village, kill so many! If we'd known, we'd never have cooperated with them!"

Cen Ermu writhed in pain, lying limp like a dead fish, sobbing: "It's true, I'm not lying. Because of this, Brother Dachuan broke with them—that's why he brought us back. We didn't even take the goods the Japanese gave us. Otherwise, our village wouldn't be this poor—we're already struggling with summer tax payments…"

Cen Ermu grew more heartbroken, and burst into loud sobs: "If I hadn't been out of money, how would I have targeted you?"

If he hadn't targeted you, how would he have been captured?

Pan Yun finally lifted her foot and asked, expressionless: "Nai Hongjian? What did they give you?"

"A shipload of goods," Cen Ermu became much more compliant, speaking plainly: "Silk, tea, porcelain—all goods favored by foreign countries, easy to sell."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "A Japanese pirate—how did he get Chinese local specialties to trade with you?"

"They stole them. Cost them nothing."

Pan Yun lightly traced her thumb over her index finger: "Where is that cargo now?"

"Brother Fan took it to Java. Originally, this cargo was meant for Japan and Korea—but after Nai Hongjian's massacre, their land invasion, the scandal grew too big. Then the navy, the Wu Lin Alliance, and the Celestial Master's Mansion joined forces to crush them. The enmity deepened. We dared not go to Japan anymore, so we sent it to Java."

Pan Yun: "Where are those Japanese pirates now? How do you contact them?"

Cen Ermu: "How would I know such secrets? I'm just a lowly thug…"

Pan Yun raised her foot and stepped on him again.

Before she even applied pressure, Cen Ermu screamed: "I don't know! But Brother Dachuan knows—he's the second-in-command, he must know!"

Pan Yun looked down at him, saw his face pale, his whole body trembling, and sneered. She pressed down hard—crack! His shinbone snapped. "Ahh—!" Cen Ermu screamed and collapsed.

"You think the man who led your group wouldn't know anything?" Pan Yun scoffed: "You think throwing Brother Dachuan under the cart will save you? Let me tell you—if you don't talk, when Brother Dachuan comes, I won't spare you either!"

Cen Ermu froze.

Pan Yun bent down, stared into his eyes, and spoke slowly, word by word: "If you're smart and confess everything, we won't need to capture Brother Dachuan. If you don't speak, and I don't speak, no one will ever know you betrayed your own people. Otherwise…"

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly: "I'll bring him here. Let him watch you in this state. Can you walk away alive from me—and survive in the eyes of him and Nai Hongjian?"

Cen Ermu's pupils shrank sharply—he understood.

He swallowed hard, his voice dropping: "I don't know much. I only know some of them were from the shogunate. Nai Hongjian—he's a branch of the Muromachi shogunate. I went to meet them at sea myself. I overheard them whispering that their landing was for some ritual—something messy, we didn't understand."

Pan Yun watched him silently.

Cen Ermu's heart tightened; he grew more anxious and fearful, and strained his memory—soon he recalled something: "Dongyang Island! When we met them at sea, their ship came from Dongyang Island!"

"How do you know?"

"The coordinates—closest land is Dongyang Island. Their bow pointed northwest, meaning they came from the southeast. There were seaweed clinging to their hull—fresh, not washed off by the sea. They hadn't been out long. It must be Dongyang Island. That's their transit point!"

!

Pan Yun and Qu Le exchanged a glance and asked: "Any other details? Think harder!"

Cen Ermu nearly cried again: "I've thought of everything—I really can't remember more…"

Seeing Pan Yun's face darken instantly, he shuddered and hurriedly added: "Th-there is one thing! One woman among them always wore a black cloak, never showing her face. I saw Nai Hongjian treat her with great respect—is this useful?"

Pan Yun smiled, encouraging: "Yes. Anything else? Think again…"

Cen Ermu racked his brain for a long time, rattled off many minor details, but finally could recall nothing more—he could only stare helplessly at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun finally let him go.

Cen Ermu was tied to a post. Pan Yun left him a knife.

The knife hung from the ceiling beam; the rope binding it was worn down to a single thread.

Pan Yun crouched before him: "When the rope breaks, the knife will fall right here. You just need to reach out and grab it—then you can untie yourself and leave."

Cen Ermu, gagged, shook his head frantically, gazing at her with pleading eyes: "Mmmmm…"

"What if it doesn't fall?" Pan Yun sighed: "If your luck is that bad, and it still doesn't drop, then you must rely on heaven—hope some villagers come to burn incense during this time."

Pan Yun chuckled: "If no one comes at all, then it's fate. You've done too much evil—Heaven is taking you."

Cen Ermu's eyes widened in disbelief—he couldn't believe she'd say that.

Pan Yun clapped her hands and stood up, waving: "Let's go back to sleep."

(End of Chapter)