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墨書 Inktalez
The Divine Sword Sect settled deep within the mountains. However, the conditions in the mountains were limited, and relying solely on self-sufficiency made it difficult for the Witnesses to lead a prosperous life. Thus, they selected elites from their ranks to form a mysterious team that would venture out for trade.
What they sold outside the mountains were agricultural tools produced by the Divine Sword Sect. As experts in forging weapons, creating production tools was a piece of cake for them.
The tools made by the Divine Sword Sect were particularly exquisite and easy to use, enjoying excellent sales. Even though their prices were higher than the market average, they remained in high demand, ensuring a steady income for the sect. The money earned from selling these tools was used to purchase essential goods that could not be produced in the mountains, such as rice, flour, oil, silk, and clothing, as well as raw materials needed for weapon forging. These supplies were then secretly transported back into the depths of the mountains.
At first, everything went smoothly, but as time passed, some began to long for the vibrant world outside.
Especially after the war had ceased, many who ventured out for trade witnessed the flourishing scenes beyond the mountains and found it hard to resist their desires. This included several individuals of high status within the sect. Gradually, the Divine Sword Sect split into two factions: one advocating for a return to seclusion in nature and the other believing they should step out of the mountains and put their divine skills to use.
Initially, the two factions engaged in heated debates, which eventually escalated into an unwillingness to compromise. Over time, they completely severed ties and viewed each other as enemies, even resorting to violence when they met. They no longer shared the name of Divine Sword Sect but instead split into two sects based on their leaders' skills: Thunder Sect and Earthfire Sect.
Today, I encountered Thunder Sect, which represents the peaceful faction advocating for seclusion.
Thunder Sect had a significant advantage over Earthfire Sect because during the split from Divine Sword Sect, its leader supported seclusion. Thus, after the division, the original leader of Divine Sword Sect became the leader of Thunder Sect. Consequently, all of the core secrets of weapon forging—traditionally passed down only through leadership—were entirely held by Thunder Sect.
Earthfire Sect lacked core techniques and found little purpose in venturing out. Therefore, over these years, they remained in the mountains, confronting Thunder Sect at both ends of a valley while waiting for an opportunity to seize Thunder Sect's town and acquire their secret techniques to fulfill their desire to re-enter society.
For nearly a decade now, these two factions have been at odds without determining a clear victor.
It seems that what we need to resolve today is that Earthfire Sect has sent spies into Thunder Sect to steal information.
I felt a mix of emotions—somewhat amused yet exasperated. It appeared that Thunder Sect was not only peaceful but also quite principled. Although their forged weapons had a fierce reputation, in their hearts lay compassion for the world; they hoped to use their weapons to protect people rather than take lives. My impression of them suddenly shifted from negative to positive.
However, Earthfire Sect was truly perplexing; with so many people coveting their techniques, why didn’t they ally with powerful figures outside? Why not invite danger into their midst and take down Thunder Sect in one fell swoop? It seemed that this sect was rather simple-minded; even when scheming, they couldn't manage anything particularly cunning.
"Since you are all experts in weapon forging, may I ask you a question?"
"Please feel free to ask, Miss Heroine; we will answer anything we know."
So I posed a technical question that had been on my mind for some time.
"If human flesh and blood are added to the furnace during weapon forging, would it result in exceptionally powerful swords?"
Several people exchanged glances, their faces changing color.
"Heroine, how could that be possible? That's not forging swords; it's dark sorcery!"
"You've never used this method before?"
The heads of several men shook like a rattle drum.
"No, and we've never seen anyone use it. If that were the case, wouldn't there be vengeful spirits hidden within the blades? How could the user possibly sleep soundly at night?"
Indeed, they were a group of kind-hearted individuals. It seemed their skills were purely technical, completely different from those of the people Ren Pingsheng had encountered in the mines.
I began to like them a little.
A few men, whom I would tentatively call "Constables," brought me to a place resembling an official office. However, this place lacked any courtrooms or intimidating plaques; it felt more like a venue for mediation or discussion. Behind the office was a private residence with several dark rooms. It seemed that imprisoning someone in a dark room to deprive them of their freedom for a while was all the punishment this place required.
"I am Hu Xuan Zhi, a Legal Envoy of the Thunder Sect. These are my brothers responsible for overseeing the enforcement of clan rules. May I ask for your name, miss? Where do you come from?"
The burly man was indeed the leader of this group. After revealing their clan's background, he finally remembered that both sides should introduce themselves.
"My name is Ye Liuhui. I come from Chang'an and work at the Dali Temple." It turned out these men were too young; the Divine Sword Sect had been in seclusion for several decades. They had grown up in the mountains and did not belong to any merchant caravan, so they knew nothing of Chang'an or the Dali Temple.
Since you are completely ignorant of the outside world, why bother asking where I come from? I silently scoffed but managed to hold my tongue.
"About that matter, do we have any suspects?" I tried to shift the topic back to business; I was eager to return to Chang'an.
Hu Xuan Zhi pointed toward the row of dark rooms.
"The last leaked piece of information was classified. Only four people had access to it, and we have already detained them separately, but we still haven't found any evidence."
In my heart, I thought they had finally done something logically sound; they had accurately narrowed down the range of suspects.
"Is the capture a secret?"
"Indeed, only we and the Sect Master, along with the Son-in-law, know."
"How long has it been closed?"
"Ten."
"In these ten days, has any information been leaked?"
"Not at all... Ah!" A look of surprise suddenly appeared on Hu Xuan Zhi's face. "Miss, do you mean we caught the right person? Because the spy has been locked up, so the information hasn't been lost?"
I felt a headache coming on. How could such a simple logic not occur to him?
"Alright, give me a detailed account of how the information was lost. No need to discuss the content of the information; I'm not interested. In a bit, I’ll try talking to those people and see if I can uncover any clues."
I planned to put into practice some techniques I had learned in Interrogation Studies. If applied correctly, those who lied would not escape our scrutiny.
Indeed, Interrogation Studies is quite an interesting subject.
Although modern technology has advanced significantly—biological evidence identification techniques, electronic technology, and some unnamed methods are all highly sophisticated—even if a suspect doesn’t utter a word, various pieces of evidence can perfectly substantiate the facts of a case. However, confessions have long been regarded as the "king of evidence." The phrase "coerced confession" is so familiar that it proves that in the past, especially in ancient times, obtaining a confession was often seen as solving a case perfectly.
This notion should be discarded in modern times, but it cannot be denied that confessions hold an irreplaceable importance within the system of evidence.
If a person willingly recounts their crimes clearly, nothing can more directly prove the facts of the case than that.
Moreover, sometimes based on a suspect's confession, one can trace leads to find other significant pieces of evidence—like bodies of missing persons buried underground or bloody weapons discarded in the wilderness.
If they weren't guilty, how could these things possibly be found?
From the very beginning of our studies, Old Liu emphasized the significance and difficulty of Interrogation Studies. This is not merely small talk between individuals; it involves employing various methods to breach the psychological defenses of others in a psychological battle. A slight oversight could lead to defeat.
Observation is the most important thing. When people are anxious or lying, subtle body language often reveals their true feelings without them realizing it. As an investigator, observing the world around you should not be a passive act; it should be conscious and engaged, until it becomes instinctual, a part of life.
This is just like what my idol, the great detective Sherlock Holmes, said to his partner Watson: "You see, but you do not observe."
"Seeing" and "observing" are completely different things.
Of course, I didn't discuss this with the Thunder Brothers; I felt we were not on the same wavelength, so it was better to say nothing at all.
In the Interrogation Studies class, there was an interesting memory. It seemed amusing at the time; I was quite pleased with myself. But now that I think about it, that memory is actually quite embarrassing, and recalling it makes me blush a little.
At that time, we were learning how to see through a suspect's lies by observing their body movements while questioning them. When people lie, they exhibit many natural physiological responses—such as increased heart rate, sweating, swallowing saliva, and various distancing behaviors. When these abnormal behaviors are observed, one must pay special attention and begin to apply pressure through clever questioning to lead them into revealing inconsistencies.
However, when Zhang Yang heard us studying this, he displayed a look of disdain. We were merely theorizing on paper. The rookies in the criminal police team were all brimming with confidence, eager to use their newfound knowledge to crack down on captured suspects, but the reality was often far from that.
"The real situation is much more complex. If you naively think that what’s in the books can be easily applied without using your own body to truly feel it, you might end up wronging an innocent person," Zhang Yang told us during his practical class.
Looking at our unconvinced expressions, he smiled helplessly and proposed a test right then and there. This test took us by surprise but was quite interesting. By the end of the class, most of our arrogance had been deflated; we looked like defeated roosters.
The test required us to play the role of liars. Each of us had to tell a lie while also stating a fact and weaving our deception seamlessly. If anyone could completely overcome their physical reactions during the lying process and avoid raising any suspicions with the instructor, they would pass.
In other words, we needed to defeat him—a seasoned human lie detector.
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