Book 14: Chapter 12
200 IQ Moves (Part 3)
On account of the fact that I had spent a long time with Fiends’ Genesis during my kidnap, I told His Majesty that I could identify them from their appearances and therefore requested a decree. It was tough to identify who was with Fiends’ Genesis from amongst those arrested given how many were detained. Moreover, the Qilin Guards were brilliant in combat, but interrogation wasn’t a specialty of theirs. For those reasons, His Majesty agreed to my request promptly.
Gongsun Chu categorised them as disposable pawns. Therefore, they lost their value once they were arrested; even if he did have a backup plan, it wouldn’t include them. It went without saying that I had no intention of helping arrested members of Fiends’ Genesis. I had my own agenda.
Dim lights were spaced out twenty metres from each other, making it seem as though they wanted to demotivate prisoners from activity. Prisoners would roar at me, beg for mercy, or cry out their names and plead me to deliver a message to their family. The guard escorting me appeared to be used to it.
I demanded that I started from the prisoners farthest to the back. The Qilin Guards categorised their captives, labelling those farthest in as most likely associated with Fiends’ Genesis. Upon peering through the rails of the cells right at the back, I feigned surprised and asked, “Ol’ Gu? Why are you and your wife here?”
“It’s you!” Gu Xianxian and his wife were ecstatic to see me. “Please save us, Benefactor!”
I held their hands. “It has been a while. How come you two are here?” I glanced over to nearby cells and saw more familiar faces. “Brother Lang! Brother Teng! How did you all end up here?”
Unlike Gu Xianxian and Ning Zhuoru, it seemed as though Lang Qing and Teng never wasted their energy resisting.
Gu Xianxian inquired, “Big Bro, why are you here?”
“Oh, His Majesty tasked me with a job.”
Gu Xianxian immediately squeezed my hand as though I was the final vine preventing him from plummeting to his death. “Big Bro! Benefactor! Please do not forget us!”
“What happened to you? What crime did you commit?”
“On our way home, we ran into Qilin Guards! We failed to defeat them and were arrested!”
“What do you mean we ‘ran into’ them?! There’s no chance there can be such a coincidence!” fumed Ning Zhuoru. “I don’t know who it was, but some dirtbag reported us to the Qilin Guards. They labelled us conspirators of Fiends’ Genesis as soon as they saw us. How would they have known that if someone didn’t tell them?!”
Needless to say, that someone was yours truly. No, no, no, I didn’t sell them out for money. It was true that they conspired with Fiends’ Genesis. It was only a matter of time before Emperor’s Entourage found out and arrested them. Why not give them an opportunity to atone for their wrongs? Capturing them, then convincing His Majesty to entrust them to me, where I could have them compensate for their wrongs benefited every party. I had planned to save the chance for later, but circumstances forced me to prematurely employ them.
Ouyang Xiucai, also known as Zhuo Yupin, and Elder Lianhua most likely fled to Valley of Yearning. Emperor’s Entourage would have to give up on them since they wouldn’t want to cross one of the Seven Champion White Princes.
I didn’t expect Lang Qing to be captured so soon when he was around Zhuo Yupin’s level.
“… Yi Ya…” Lang Qing stated through his white wall.
Oh, forget what I said. Getting whooped against someone who could survive as Baima’s disciple was completely normal.
“I’m going to catch up with an old friend. I’ll come back to you guys in a bit.”
“Benefactor! Benefactor! Please do not forget us!”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
Save for Ning Zhuoru, they could all be useful in some capacity. The only problem was that they weren’t smart and corrupted enough, which limited the sorts of circumstances they’d be useful. I had one more person I always believed would be useful.
I had the escort open the cell right in the rear for me to enter. As soon as I stepped inside, they locked the door without a moment wasted and explained, “Please understand, Duke Ming. He is dangerous, so we have to implement safe measures.”
“I understand. Wait for me to call for you.”
“Understood.” The escort left us.
I went up to the man who had his entire body tied up in iron chains. The once spirited man now resembled a depressed and fallen man.
“Long-time no see, Ol’ Yuan.”
Yuan Kou raised his head to survey me, lowered his head again, then sighed after a long pause. “Master Ming, this is wrong.”
“How so?”
“After I was brought here, they serve me three beatings daily, don’t feed me and restrict my freedom. Most importantly, the only question they ask is if I will confess or not. When I ask them what they want me to confess to, they beat me again.”
“Ooh, nice. Never expected you to be classified as a S-rank criminal. That goes to show that they think highly of you.”
“I would be more than happy to let them think highly of you instead.”
“I’ll pass. I’m seen in a high enough light.”
Yuan Kou let out a long sigh again. “Did you not promise to protect me in the underground palace?”
“You said you wouldn’t betray me.”
“Come on. Did I not own up to it?”
“Never said I believed you.”
“Y-you cannot do this. The two of us bowed our heads to the ground and…”
“Yeah, stop. Are you a part-time author? When did that ever happen? If you want to bow so badly, go line up outside.”
“Is that not the problem?! They said they would call an interrogation expert over in a few days. Please, Master Ming, get me out of here. Once I am out, I promise, I swear to protect you.”
“Let’s hear what you have to offer first.”
I called over the escort to open up once we were done conversing. I strolled out of the prison with my hands behind my back, ignoring all of the stuff yelled at me.
Following a short conversation with me outside the prison, Long Zaitian asked, “You want to take them all?”
“Uhm.”