Marrying Wives and Attaining Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 330: Interrogation

After subduing the alchemist’s third disciple, Xu Lian refrained from killing him. He needed to extract detailed information about the disciple to ensure that his impersonation would be flawless.

He and Cai Yi brought the middle-aged man back to the narrow cave. Using a secret technique, Xu Lian erected a barrier within the cave to muffle any sounds, preventing them from leaking outside.

Once the preparations were complete, he partially restored the man’s ability to speak while keeping his mobility sealed to prevent unnecessary resistance.

The middle-aged man’s face was pale, and his eyes were filled with terror as he realized the direness of his situation. “Who are you? What is your purpose for infiltrating this exclusive cultivation resource zone of the Qian Dynasty? Do you intend to make enemies of the Qian Dynasty?”

Xu Lian sneered. “You still don’t understand your position, do you? Your life is now in my hands. With a flick of my finger, I could end you. You have no right to question me, let alone threaten me. From now on, if you dare to say even one unnecessary word, I’ll cripple one-tenth of your cultivation until there’s nothing left. Do you understand?”

The middle-aged man fell silent, nodding to indicate his understanding.

“Good.”

Xu Lian began his interrogation. “Name?”

The man replied, “Qin Feng.”

“Your background, your position in the Qian Dynasty, and your responsibilities in this exclusive cultivation resource zone.”

“I am the second legitimate son of the Qin Marquis House. I’ve been studying alchemy under my master since childhood. Currently, I hold the position of Grand Minister of Revenue in the Qian Dynasty. In this exclusive cultivation resource zone, I’m in charge of cultivating rare medicinal herbs to refine the Metamorphosis Substance.”

“And your master?”

This question made Qin Feng hesitate, but after a moment, he answered. “My master is a member of the royal family and one of the most renowned alchemists in the Qian Dynasty. He holds the position of Grand Agricultural Minister in the Ministry of Finance and serves as the overseer of this exclusive cultivation resource zone, specializing in refining the Metamorphosis Substance.”

Xu Lian could tell that Qin Feng held some loyalty to his master, although it wasn’t particularly strong. Without resorting to torture, Qin Feng had already revealed all of this information.

Of course, it was also possible that these details were public knowledge, so Qin Feng had no qualms about answering so directly.

Xu Lian calmly continued, “Tell me about your eldest senior brother and second senior sister.”

Qin Feng answered one by one.

The eldest senior brother was named Zhao Ming, the legitimate son of the Zhao Marquis House. He held the position of Grand Minister of Finance in the Qian Dynasty and assisted their master in refining the Metamorphosis Substance within this exclusive cultivation resource zone.

The second senior sister was Ning Meixue, the legitimate daughter of the Ning Marquis House. Like Qin Feng, she also held the title of Grand Minister of Revenue and shared his responsibility for cultivating rare medicinal herbs.

“How does your master value each of you three disciples? And what is the dynamic between the three of you?”

Since Xu Lian intended to impersonate Qin Feng, he needed to know these details – the more comprehensive, the better.

The simplest method would have been soul-searching, but major top-level factions often placed restrictions on the minds of their key members. Xu Lian had tested it earlier and discovered a restriction in Qin Feng’s mind. If he attempted soul searching, Qin Feng’s mind would collapse, leading to his death, and the Qian Dynasty would immediately detect the intrusion. Soul-searching was only effective against ordinary wandering cultivators, not against important members of top-tier factions. There was no easy way to uncover the secrets of such powerful organizations. Therefore, Xu Lian resorted to this tedious method of questioning – sometimes the simplest approaches were the best.

Qin Feng frowned at him. “What do you want? Why do you ask such detailed questions?”

“Wrong answer!”

Xu Lian’s gaze turned icy. He pressed his palm against Qin Feng’s dantian, crippling one-tenth of his cultivation.

Blood seeped from Qin Feng’s mouth, and his eyes widened in fear. However, his demeanor suddenly hardened. “If I tell you everything, I’ll lose my value, and you’ll definitely kill me. So no matter what happens, I can’t say another word unless you guarantee that you won’t kill me!”

A man who valued his life just like me… Xu Lian felt a strange kinship and softened slightly. “I bear you no grudge. Whether I kill you or not is entirely up to me. But if you answer truthfully, I will spare your life once I’ve completed my task.”

Qin Feng challenged him. “How can I trust you to keep your promise?”

Xu Lian replied, “I can swear a Great Dao Oath. For someone like me, a top-tier powerhouse who aspires to ascend to the highest status, no one dares to take the Great Dao lightly. You have to believe me now, right?”

For any cultivator, promises were unreliable, but the Great Dao Oath was sacred. Especially for those with hopes of becoming a Supreme Being, breaking such an oath would sever their path to ascension. No one dared to violate it lightly.

Of course, no one knew that through his unique system, Xu Lian could bypass the Great Dao entirely, rendering such oaths meaningless to him. He could swear a hundred Great Dao Oaths without any consequences.

Qin Feng stared at him intently. “Fine. Swear the Great Dao Oath that you won’t kill me or cripple my cultivation. If you do that, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

Xu Lian’s expression turned solemn as he performed the ritual, pretending to swear the oath according to Qin Feng’s conditions.

Only then did Qin Feng relax slightly, his tense body loosening. At the very least, he now knew that he wouldn’t die or lose his cultivation.

He began to speak slowly. “Among us three disciples, Master values the eldest senior brother the most. Senior Brother has inherited all of Master’s teachings. Once the Fifth Prince becomes the Crown Prince, Master plans to recommend Senior Brother to independently oversee an exclusive cultivation resource zone.”

Xu Lian asked, “Don’t you and your second senior sister feel jealous?”

Qin Feng replied, “When I first entered the sect, Master was too busy to teach me alchemy. It was Senior Brother who taught me everything. To me, Senior Brother is like a second master. How could I be jealous? As for Second Sister… I don’t know. But Senior Brother has expressed interest in pursuing her, hoping to form a Daoist union. If they become a couple, I imagine that Second Sister would be pleased with Senior Brother overseeing an exclusive cultivation resource zone.”

Xu Lian noticed a subtle shift in Qin Feng’s expression when he mentioned Second Sister. With his Origin Tracing Realm cultivation, Xu Lian’s perception was exceptionally sharp. He couldn’t help but smile. “It seems that your Second Sister, Ning Meixue, is quite beautiful. You harbor feelings for her, don’t you?”

Qin Feng’s expression darkened. “In terms of cultivation talents, the three of us are roughly equal. After over two thousand years of practice, we’ve all reached the Unity Realm. However, in terms of alchemical talent, Senior Brother excels the most, followed by Second Sister. I’m the weakest. I know that I’m unworthy of Second Sister, so there’s no point in dwelling on it.”

Xu Lian pressed further. “How do you usually deal with your eldest senior brother and second senior sister? How about with your master? And how about your family?”

Qin Feng’s face paled as he began to suspect something. “What exactly are you planning to do! Are you going to impersonate me? Steal the Metamorphosis Substance? Or infiltrate the Qian Dynasty?”

Xu Lian’s tone turned cold. “What I plan to do is none of your business. All you have to do is answer my questions truthfully. I’ve already taken the Great Dao Oath to spare your life. If you lie, the oath will become void, and I’ll have no obligation to honor it.”

After a long hesitation, Qin Feng finally began to speak.

Xu Lian listened in silence, gaining a clearer understanding of Qin Feng’s personality.

First and foremost, Qin Feng valued his life above all else. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have divulged so much information just to survive.

Secondly, he was largely inconspicuous. Whether in his sect or at home, he lacked presence. In the sect, he was overshadowed by his highly talented senior eldest brother. At home, he was overshadowed by the legitimate eldest son of the Qin Marquis House.

“A person with some status but little presence-that makes him perfect for me to impersonate. I won’t attract too much attention, but I’ll still have access to the Metamorphosis Substance. It’s ideal,” Xu Lian thought to himself. He gave Cai Yi an approving look. After being trapped here for over a thousand years, Cai Yi’s suggestion of targeting Qin Feng was excellent.

Feeling his gaze, Cai Yi shivered and reiterated, “Great One, I truly have no interest in humans.”

“…” Xu Lian sighed. “Rest assured! I find spiders just as repulsive!”

Cai Yi brightened. “That’s good.”

“…” Xu Lian didn’t know what else to say.

“Spiders?” Qin Feng glanced around the web-filled cave and then at Cai Yi. “Are you the five-colored spider? The one who escaped over a thousand years ago?”

Cai Yi snorted. “Yes, it’s me. And I should thank you. Your carelessness allowed me to escape.”

Qin Feng sighed wistfully. “Back then, my venom extraction technique wasn’t refined enough, and a five-colored spider escaped. Master punished me severely for it. I never expected you to still be hiding here in this exclusive cultivation resource area. Did you bring in a top-tier powerhouse from the Origin Tracing Realm to deal with me? Is this destiny? A calamity destined to befall me.”

Cai Yi opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to explain her relationship with this Origin Tracing Realm powerhouse. But after a moment’s thought, she decided that there was no need to explain herself to Qin Feng. She smiled and remained silent.

Xu Lian found the story between Qin Feng and Cai Yi amusing. A millennium of cultivation, a millennium of loneliness… The phrase “misery loves company” echoed in his mind.