Chapter 434: Interrogation and Secret Artifact

"Bang! Bang!"

After a brief collision, the Chaos Dwarf Warriors, wearing red high hats decorated like flames and equipped with relatively crude gear, had already lost their combat effectiveness; only a few remaining guys wearing masked helmets still wanted to resist. Sinuoli's Anvil Guard faithfully executed his orders, carving these guys into short sticks.

"You, you!"

"Slap!"

"Did I give you permission to speak? Fallen one, spit it out word for word when it is your turn!"

Sinuoli pressed his left hand against the expedition leader's neck, pinning him firmly to the ground; when he lifted his head from the rubble to try and say something, he received a loud slap in the face.

The Dwarf King used his free right hand to quickly remove any items on him that might pose a threat. A short scepter made of obsidian connected to an axe blade allowed Sinuoli to discern his identity—a Demon Smith Sorcerer, a spellcaster serving Hashut.

"Take them away, interrogate them further at His Majesty Wahaf's camp! Although their tongues need to be kept for a while longer, I don't want to hear a single word of filth; gag their mouths tight!"

The Devil's Spine Mountains, as the name implies, is not a peaceful place. The personal guards and scouts joined forces, escorting the captives down the mountain quickly, arriving all the way at the eastern end of Coffin Canyon.

"Hahaha, what did I say? The King of the Southlands would surely take this matter to heart."

Wahaf, the master of the Second Dynasty of Khemri, came out to greet them personally, and riding with it was a hunched mummy. This guy looked weathered, unable to even stand steadily and likely to be buried by the sand at any moment, but Sinuoli knew this was likely a state approaching a return to simplicity.

"Is Your Excellency the Great Mortuary Priest Khatep? Thank you for the information you provided that allowed me to capture these rebels."

Sinuoli used both hands to support them and stop them from getting off the chariot. This Khatep was a founder of a school; even if the Mortuary Cult was a heterodox path, after thousands of years of tempering, he possessed the peak combat power of a mortal.

"Please, come inside to talk! The old gentleman is my teacher; after my late father was entombed, it was his all-out assistance that allowed me to secure the throne. This place is just a military camp, not some city-state, so it cannot be considered a violation of my late father's decree."

Wahaf waved a large hand to let Sinuoli step onto its chariot. Knowing the Dwarf was eager to interrogate the captives, after the two sides exchanged brief pleasantries, it provided Sinuoli with an interrogation site.

"There is an old saying in Zhendan: those who understand the times are outstanding. With the various torture instruments at hand, I believe they will surely pry your mouth open. I hope you will cooperate well with us; the Ancestor Gods might forgive you!"

Following Sinuoli's order, the Dwarfs did not waste words and each showed their skills, as everyone wanted to show off their abilities in front of Sinuoli. Soon, soldiers were unable to endure the torture, but unfortunately, they knew almost nothing about the expedition's goal.

"He still won't confess? Is his mouth that hard? Have I used both of those tricks?"

That leading Demon Smith was given special attention.

Sinuoli even personally demonstrated how to cover his face with a cloth and pour water on it, letting him repeatedly experience the feeling of suffocation.

"Forgive our incompetence!"

"Forget it, I suppose the guy who sent him also chose him for this very reason."

Sinuoli shook his head. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to show divine miracles to convert that Demon Smith; in fact, if he hadn't used the Valaya Ritual, he would have already gone to report to the Bull God. It was just that this seemed to have the opposite effect—who knows how the Chaos Dwarfs have vilified the Ancestor Gods over the millennia.

"Respected King of the Southlands, may I have a chance to try?"

Just as Sinuoli was wondering whether to call in the main force to search for it himself, Khatep wobbled in slowly.

"Why not."

"Creak, creak!"

Khatep nodded slightly, and the long staff in his palm, carved with the incantations of the Nehekhara gods, tapped the ground lightly. A large number of skeletons gushed out from underground out of thin air to form a bone pile, from which a small casket emerged.

"Casket of Souls? I see. Physical pain can be resisted by the spirit, but how will you deal with a direct attack on the soul?"

Khatep did not answer, as opening the Casket of Souls was easy for him, but controlling the soul flow to a range where the Demon Smith still had a chance to speak was a bit difficult. One had to know that the souls inside were suffering torment at every moment, and if a crack was opened, they would scramble to rush out.

"Ahhhhh!"

The Demon Smith let out a scream that did not sound human, and he visibly collapsed.

"Confess honestly!"

"False god's, Artifact, offer, offer to Hashut, Drill, God Blood!"

After spitting out a few intermittent words, the Demon Smith rolled his eyes and fainted. Although he still had breath, Sinuoli could feel that his soul had already been torn to shreds.

"The first half is easy to understand, but what are the Drill and God Blood? I'll have to investigate when I have time."

Stroking his beard and shrugging, Sinuoli knew that no more could be squeezed out of the remaining captives. The information obtained from Fuzhou depicted the Dark Lands very accurately—the Chaos Dwarfs, with the Tower of Zharr as the center, enslaved Greenskins to collect resources to manufacture war machines; and plundered offerings to sacrifice to evil gods.

"Can you provide me with a map of the Devil's Spine? Perhaps there is an Artifact of my race waiting to be recovered."

"Hehe, I have traveled all over this land in the past years, and it just so happens that I really found an interesting place in that vicinity."

"You came prepared. I will speak plainly; my title of the Generous One did not come for nothing."

"I know, I know. My old bones dare not ask anything of you, only hoping that after you ascend to the divine throne, you will pick up the dust and recast the golden body for the Great Emperor, and if possible, help Wahaf as well."

"Truly, your loyalty is commendable. I swear by the Book of Grudges of the Southlands, you can rest assured!"

After writing the check, Sinuoli snapped the Demon Smith's neck and ordered the execution of all prisoners—only hiding a few of the most cooperative ones secretly with Wahaf for possible experiments—and then sat on the Kuluozhanche and set off on a path similar to the one he came by.

"Whew!"

Khatep was well-prepared. After wandering around, they arrived under a sand dune. The long staff tapped to cast a spell, moving away the covering yellow sand to reveal a downward passage. This place was already very close to where the Chaos Dwarf expedition was captured; if it hadn't been for it sealing the entrance, those bastards might have really succeeded.

"Interesting, it should be here."

Sinuoli glanced at the Lich Lord. He felt a familiar aura faintly underground; although he had never come into contact with it, it was of the same origin as the other Ancestor Gods.

"Please, I will stay outside and catch some scorpions. The seal inside is very powerful, but for you, it must be like opening your own front door."

Walking down the steps and passing through a long tunnel, Sinuoli saw a door sealed by Runes. Although thousands of years had passed, the bound Winds of Magic were still faithfully performing their duty.

(End of chapter)