Chapter 134 - ONE-SIDED INTERROGATION OF MADAM RU

AFTER Shen Ji Yun chained Luo Yan to the wall, he immediately walked out of the torture chamber.  

Luo Yan stared at Shen Ji Yun's fleeing back.  Why did it feel like he's running away from someone?  One would think he's being chased by some horrifying monster or something.  He just shrugged and waited for Shen Ji Yun to bring Madam Ru here.

The two of them already talked of the dialogue they'd use once Madam Ru was here.  Or rather, what dialogue Shen Ji Yun would use.  Since, technically, he was the only one who's supposed to talk.  He really hoped they could solve all the Mysteries in this door soon.

It's probably already eight in the evening.  If they do things right, they could finish this before nine.  Then his sleeping schedule wouldn't be messed up too much.  He could still sleep before ten.  

After a while, he heard two sets of footsteps coming.  He softened his body so he would look like he didn't have any strength left in him.  He sagged his head to the side, making his long hair covered half of his face.  Blood and dirt could be seen on the other half.  Add that to his ripped robe with patches of blood on them and Luo Yan was truly a sorry sight.

That's what Shen Ji Yun saw when he came back to the torture chamber.  Even though he knew that it was all just an act, he still couldn't help but feel worried and anxious.  How could he not?  The rabbit right now was in such a sorry state.  Anyone who could see him right now would feel pity for him.  Shen Ji Yun wanted to rush forward and enclosed him in his arms.  Protecting him from any kind of danger.  Making sure that he could always keep his smile.  

But for now, the fastest way to get the rabbit out of those chains and back to his normal state was to get the information they needed from this Madam Ru.  With that thought in mind, Shen Ji Yun didn't hesitate to push the NPC beside him towards the torture chamber.  He didn't hold back his strength, causing Madam Ru to stumble forward.  She even ended up falling on the ground.   

"I won't go around in circles.  We already know your connection to Wei," he said directly.  

Just like Luo Yan's theory, the moment he mentioned 'Wei', there was a small crack on Madam Ru's calm façade.  But as quickly as it appeared, it also quickly disappeared.  As if it didn't happen at all.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, calmly.

"Do you see that girl chained over there?  She told us everything she knew.  Including your connection to the Wei Kingdom.  You might think that that's impossible since she's not part of the web of spies you groomed in your pavilion.  But she heard your talk with that girl, Guiying.  She knew you're going to assassinate the crown prince tonight during the performance.  That's why she intercepted that dagger.  Because she didn't want the prince's death to be connected to her most loved pavilion.

"But that was her mistake, thinking that your pavilion would be spared if the prince was saved.  And so, she ended up there.  Tortured and chained.  But I must say, one couldn't help but admire her tenacity.  Even if she knew all of these was your fault, she still tried to protect you.  Must be some kind of misplaced gratitude, considering how you're the one who practically raised her.  But physical pain has a way to get into people.  In the end, she told me everything she knew."

Shen Ji Yun said it all using a very monotonous tone, as if he's reading out of a script or something.  Which was partly true.  Since everything he's saying now was what Luo Yan taught him.  

Luo Yan almost wanted to move his head and shake it.  Good thing the guy was wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.  If not, Luo Yan was sure that there'd be no expression and emotion on his face right now.  Which wouldn't make him very believable.  Now, because of the mask, he just looked like a heartless person who couldn't care less.  Aside from properly doing his job as a dark guard, of course.

Shen Ji Yun continued, "Even if you deny what I'm saying right now, the poison identified by the godly doctor will still connect you to the Wei Kingdom.  And by the way, if you're waiting for rescue, the people from Wei who are currently hiding in this manor are now being round up by His Highness' dark guards.  So they wouldn't come.  It's over."

Which was true.  Before getting Madam Ru, he communicated with one of the dark guards stationed near the dungeon and told him about the high possibility of people from Wei hiding in the manor.

"Now, there's only one question I'm particularly interested in knowing the answer.  If you tell it to me, I might even consider sparing your life.  Which son of Prince Lin Rong is connected with Wei?"

This time, Madam Ru's reaction was much bigger.  Her eyes visibly widened.  But soon, it turned to calmness again.  She looked at Shen Ji Yun and smirked.  "I won't tell you anything."

He noticed her moving her jaw, as if she was about to bite into something.  But Shen Ji Yun was faster than her.  He moved like a flash of lightning, putting his hand over her mouth.  Pinching her jaw to prevent her from biting anything.  Madam Ru looked at him full of unwillingness and hatred.

Shen Ji Yun already guessed that she was probably trying to kill herself.  Either by poison or by biting her own tongue.  How could he let that happen when he hadn't yet gotten the information they needed?  But then again, how would he do that when the NPC he's trying to get the information from couldn't talk?  Because he knew, once he let go, this NPC would just immediately kill herself.

In this situation, he could only gamble.    

He looked coldly at Madam Ru.  "You don't need to answer because we already know who it is.  It's Lin Mo."

After he said the name, Madam Ru's pupils dilated.  Clearly in panic.  That was enough to confirm which of the two sons of Prince Lin Rong was connected to Wei.

He forcefully let go of his hold to her jaws, almost planting her face on the ground.

"Go ahead.  You can now kill yourself."

Madam Ru looked at him hatefully.  But she didn't speak and just continued was she was about to do earlier.  She bit on something.  After that, she vomited blood and completely collapsed on the ground.

What happened to her was almost the same as what happened to Prince Lin Rong during the banquet.  So there's no doubt that she poisoned herself.  This NPC was probably programmed to do that once she knew that her mission failed.

"She really killed herself?" asked Luo Yan who had only been listening since Shen Ji Yun and Madam Ru walked in the torture chamber.

"It didn't matter.  We already got the answer we needed."

Shen Ji Yun walked towards the rabbit.  Finally, he could get him out of those chains.  He was about to do just that when another voice echoed in the dark dungeon.

"Are you two doing some kind of bondage play?"

Both Luo Yan and Shen Ji Yun turned to the direction of the voice.  And there, standing just outside the torture chamber was Duan Yu.  Looking at them full of interest.