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墨書 Inktalez
"Those people you brought back, when will we interrogate them?" Liu Zhuang lay bored on the desk. "They've been hungry for three days and probably can't hold out much longer. They're all clamoring to see you."
I was taken aback by his words; having spent the last few days with my senior brother, I had almost forgotten about those people.
After bringing back those men in black, I had instructed Liu Zhuang to separate them and keep them from communicating with each other. I also ordered that they be given no food, only a cup of water each day to keep them alive. After being neglected for several days, they were left confused about my intentions, and combined with their hunger and the poison in their bodies, their fear only deepened.
After pondering for a moment, I slowly said, "Take people down to interrogate them about why they were lurking in Chang'an and why they were secretly following us. If anyone is willing to confess the truth, let him go; the others can be killed."
Half an hour later, Liu Zhuang returned with a frown, sitting heavily beside the desk. He poured himself a cup of tea and took a big gulp before angrily saying, "These three won't shed tears until they see the coffin. Each of them gave completely different accounts; there's no way to determine who is telling the truth."
"Oh?" My eyes sparkled with interest; I had anticipated this outcome. "Tell them that only those who speak the truth can meet me to obtain the antidote. If one of them has a statement that differs from the others, that person must die. If all three have different statements, then they all die. Their fate is in their own hands; it's up to them whether they can grasp it."
In less than an incense stick's time, Liu Zhuang brought the three men in black to see me. I was somewhat surprised; was there really no one among them who feared death?
Having gone hungry for three days, the men in black stumbled forward weakly and fell to their knees before me without daring to look up. In the face of death, dignity and loyalty seemed insignificant. Upon seeing me, they trembled like they had grasped a lifeline, their cracked lips quivering as they spoke in a shaky and fragmented manner… trying to answer all at once.
"Stop!" Liu Zhuang saw me rubbing my temples with a cold gaze and quickly intervened.
"You all want to live, right?"
In truth, I wasn't someone who craved killing. In the past, I killed for survival; in recent years, with my senior brother gone, I found myself increasingly reluctant to take action. Liu Ying and others had started learning how to do business instead and rarely accepted assassination contracts anymore.
I frowned and looked at them with displeasure, casually pointing at one of the men in black and asking, "What do the marks you left on the wall mean?"
The man in black honestly confessed, though he spoke rather haltingly.
"Uh... that was to inform the Martial Arts Alliance that there has been a change in circumstances. It's not just Zhou Shuhan; we discovered that the young lady is also in Chang'an. We were originally spies for the Martial Arts Alliance. Many years ago, the sacred artifact of the Alliance was stolen by Zhou Shuhan. Recently, the Alliance received news that Zhou Shuhan has appeared in Chang'an, and the leader sent us to find his whereabouts and reclaim the sacred artifact. Zhou Shuhan operates secretly, and we were unsure if we had followed the wrong person, so we tracked you down, not intending to offend."
I snorted coldly and continued to ask, "Is the sacred artifact of the Martial Arts Alliance referring to the Linglong Stone, which is said to allow one to enter the realm of 'Drunken Dreaming'?"
"Yes, we only wanted to retrieve the sacred artifact to complete our mission and would not harm your senior brother."
"Give them the antidote and let them go."
"Really let us go?"
"What, do you want to stay?"
I shot a sideways glance at the three of them and waved for someone to take them out, even kindly instructing my subordinate to give them some food since their life on the run was about to begin.
Having betrayed the Martial Arts Alliance, they wouldn't be spared without me lifting a finger; they should prepare for a life of fleeing if they have that capability.
I was somewhat curious about the Linglong Stone, wondering if it truly possessed such miraculous powers as described in legends, allowing one to enter dreams and even resurrect within them.
Although I hadn't obtained much useful information, things had been going exceptionally smoothly in recent days, and my relationship with my senior brother was becoming increasingly harmonious, as if we had returned to our youthful days. As long as we didn't mention that incident from years ago, our personalities were quite compatible. The tacit understanding developed from spending day and night together during our youth allowed us to know what each other was thinking with just a glance.
So much has happened over the past decade, and now that these peaceful days have arrived, it's hard to resist. But I also know that avoiding the issue won't solve anything; as long as those mysteries remain unsolved, the gap between my senior brother and me will not disappear.
"What are you thinking about so intently?" Liu Zhuang asked, still looking as bored as ever. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and said excitedly, "Do you remember the 'Teahouse' I mentioned? It's where I first met Brother Zhou. The proprietress is truly a beauty, and the girl who sings has such a sweet voice. No wonder Brother Zhou can't bear to leave."
Teahouse? I felt a stir in my heart; my senior brother had mentioned that Qiao Lan opened a teahouse in Chang'an, where he was waiting for me.
These past few days, I've been so focused on my senior brother that I completely forgot about this. The Qiao family has been with him for so many years; they must know quite a bit.
"With a beauty by your side, life becomes flavorful. Brother Zhou really knows how to enjoy himself," Liu Zhuang continued to chatter away, spouting nonsense.
"Let's go." I shot him a glare and stood up to walk outside.
"Hey, A Yao, where are you going? Wait for me!" Liu Zhuang, confused, quickly got up and followed me.
"To drink tea."
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