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nWhen Tang Jie woke up, he found himself in a little room.

nIt was a simple room that had been cleaned up.

nLooking out from the open window, he could see a bamboo forest. This was probably some hut hidden in the woods.

nTang Jie was lying on a bed in the room. He tried to move and found that his entire body was lacking in strength.

nLooking down, he discovered a talisman flashing on his chest.

nWhenever he tried to circulate energy, his spiritual power would flow into the talisman on his chest and cause it to flash.

n“The New Rain on Barren Mountain Curse,” Tang Jie muttered.

n“Correct. New rain on a barren mountain is like spring water running over the rocks. Anyone suffering from this curse will have their spiritual power become like water flowing atop rocks, leaving behind no marks and unable to gather, so it naturally becomes useless.”

nGu Changqing entered the room, and with him were Gao Fei and that Hawk Hall subordinate called Qi Ming.

nGu Changqing said, “The New Rain on Barren Mountain Curse is primarily used on prisoners. Students like you have little experience in the world, and few of them know of it. It’s rare to see someone like you that knows about it.”

nTang Jie indifferently replied, “I got first place in the exam.”

nThis reply caused Gu Changqing to burst out in laughter.

nHe shook his head. “Did you know? Purely through your attitude now, I can already confirm that you are Tang Jiye. No one has ever been captured by my Hawk Hall before and remained so composed.”

nTang Jie chuckled. “From your tone, I guess that Hawk Hall doesn’t have a good reputation?”

nGu Changqing took the comment in stride. “The Hawk Hall mostly deals with fiendish and blackhearted people. Extraordinary methods are naturally required to deal with extraordinary people.”

n“Before today, I had no idea I was some fiendish and blackhearted person.”

n“You’re naturally not blackhearted, but you’re extremely cunning. Do you have any idea how much manpower and resources my Godhead Palace invested into searching for you in the last few years?”

nTang Jie sighed. “Rather than wasting it all, you could have just given it to me, and then what would have been the harm in admitting that I was Tang Jiye?”

n“If you had been willing to hand over the Martial Mirror back then, do you really think my Godhead Palace would be stingy about its reward?”

n“What a pity that I don’t have it, then, nor am I the Tang Jiye you think I am,” Tang Jie sighed.

n“You still dare to lie!” Qi Ming shouted. “The people from Anyang have already identified you! If you have some sense, you will hand over the item and spare yourself the torture!”

n“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

nGao Fei spoke up. “What? You still need us to remind you? People saw you when you lived and worked in Anyang Prefecture. They’ve already pointed you out as Tang Jiye.”

n“Then they got the wrong person.”

n“All of them were wrong?”

n“They’re framing me.”

n“Why do you think they’re framing you?”

n“Who knows…? Maybe someone bribed them.”

n“Who would bribe them into framing you?”

n“The real Tang Jiye, of course.”

n“Absolute nonsense!”

n“How do you know that I’m saying nonsense? Did you investigate those witnesses?” Tang Jie countered.

nThese words made the hearts of Gu Changqing and Gao Fei leap.

nCould it be… At this moment, Qi Ming sneered, “How amusing! Why would Tang Jiye choose to frame you of all people?”

n“How would I know that? Maybe… maybe he was among the students, and maybe he heard that declaration of mine. Maybe for him, this was a chance to distract you.”

n“That’s impossible!” Qi Ming shouted. “You’re just making things up now!”

nTang Jie asked, “Why is it impossible? If you were Tang Jiye and hiding among the students, wouldn’t you use that opportunity when you saw it?”

nQi Ming coldly laughed. “The problem is that all of this is too much of a coincidence!”

n“Maybe it’s not a coincidence,” Tang Jie casually replied.

n“What?” Qi Ming didn’t get what he meant.

nUnfortunately, Tang Jie didn’t explain.

nHe scornfully glanced at Qi Ming and then closed his eyes, ignoring them.

n“Bastard…” Qi Ming was enraged by his disdain and said, “It seems like we’ll have to work on you a little before you’re willing to talk.”

nHe walked over to Tang Jie and extended a clawed hand toward him. The hand turned black and began to emit a sinister energy.

nTang Jie coldly watched, his expression unperturbed.

nGao Fei frowned and wanted to stop Qi Ming, but Gu Changqing pulled him back.

nGu Changqing shook his head and walked out of the hut.

nGao Fei looked back at Tang Jie before following.

nAs he walked up behind Gu Changqing, he saw that Gu Changqing’s face was sullen, and he was seemingly pondering something. Gao Fei didn’t dare to speak, so he simply stood on the side. Tang Jie’s grunts of pain could be heard from the hut. The torture had begun.

nAll of the subordinates of the Hawk Hall were skilled torturers, able to put a person in so much pain that they would beg for death. People who went through their hands would often have their skin flayed off while still being alive.

nThis was precisely why an extremely small number of people could endure the interrogation of the Hawk Hall. At times, they wouldn’t even want to live anymore, would hand over all their secrets for the sake of a swift death.

nBut Gu Changqing didn’t appear to have any hint of anticipation on his face.

nHis face was dark as he listened to the groans of pain from the hut and Qi Ming’s shouts of “Talk! Where is the Martial Mirror?”

nSuddenly, he said, “Gao Fei, do you think Tang Jie was telling the truth?”

n“Eagle Master is referring to…”

n“Those people from Anyang.”

n“Eagle Master still feels some doubt over whether Tang Jie is Tang Jiye?”

n“No!” Gu Changqing shook his head. “There is no doubt that Tang Jie is Tang Jiye. You can tell that from how he’s acted today alone. Such composure is not something an ordinary student could have. This means that he’s already psychologically prepared himself… and perhaps even more than that.”

nGao Fei was taken aback. “Then why…”

n“Because it isn’t normal! A young man that is being unjustly accused, even if he’s not going to wail to the heavens about his misfortune, would at least be somewhat agitated. Do you remember what I said before? If Tang Jie is Tang Jiye, then his mind is far greater than we can imagine! He’s fallen into our hands, yet he doesn’t even try to put up a perfunctory disguise. All he says is that he isn’t Tang Jiye, but his attitude and his tone all scream that he’s Tang Jiye… This is too contradictory! Too abnormal!”

n“It truly is rather abnormal, but regardless, he’s in our hands now. No matter what ideas he has, we’ll slowly get them out of him.”

n“What I fear is that we won’t get anything at all. There are always some tough bones in this world,” Gu Changqing said with a sigh.

n“Even the toughest bone will be useless against the Soulscour spell.”

nGu Changqing coldly said, “If he came prepared, I fear that not even the Soulscour spell will work.”

nGao Fei was stunned.

nGu Changqing said, “I have a bad feeling. Gao Fei, where are those people from Anyang now?”

n“I’ve already had them leave.”

n“Go after them and investigate. See if they took money or not.”

n“Since we’ve already confirmed that he’s Tang Jiye, why even investigate?”

n“For many things, without a definite answer, all speculation is pointless. In the end, you have to find out the truth to understand. In addition, once you’re done investigating, there’s no need to hurry back. Wait outside for further news.”

n“No need to hurry back?”

n“Yes. I feel that this operation has gone too smoothly, abnormally smoothly, and Tang Jie’s behavior is strange. There might be a trap, and I have this extremely worrying feeling that bad news might show up at our doorstep at any moment. Having you go is leaving behind a back-up plan, a sliver of hope.”

n“Eagle Master!” Gao Fei shouted in agitation.

nGu Changqing stopped him. “I did an injustice to you over the Zhuang Shen affair, and it is time for me to compensate you. Just wait outside, and no matter what happens, don’t make a move. In short, if nothing happens, then everything will be fine, but if something does happen, you put your own safety first. Am I understood?”

nGao Fei stared in shock at Gu Changqing, and Gu Changqing pointed out and harshly said, “Go! Now! This is an order!”

nGao Fei stared at Gu Changqing before finally bowing and departing.

nGu Changqing watched Gao Fei vanish from his field of vision, and then he pondered for a little while longer before heading back into the hut.

nIn the hut, Tang Jie was still enduring Qi Ming’s torture. His body was covered in wounds, with barely a single place on his body having been left intact. But the true pain came from inside his body.

nBerserk energy rampaged inside his body, prodding into him like innumerable needles and causing so much pain that his body spasmed like he was being electrocuted. And then these “needles” exploded throughout his body, as if every cell in his body was exploding. Tang Jie felt like he was being blasted into tiny bits. His breathing halted as he felt like he was being sent to the heavens. At that moment, even his heart had stopped.

nHis blood vessels bulged, his eyes stuck out, and he truly appeared like a person standing on the precipice between life and death but never falling… It was an indescribable pain.

nOnly when Qi Ming drew back his hand did Tang Jie feel that heart-rending power disappear. He breathed a sigh of relief as he returned from the heavens to the mortal world.

nHIs forehead was caked in sweat.

n“Heheh…” Qi Ming chortled. “Did you like my Thousand Carnage Hand? Obediently tell us where the Martial Mirror is and you won’t have to endure this pain anymore.”

nTang Jie squeezed out a smile.

nPerhaps because the pain had robbed him of too much of his strength, this smile was particularly ugly.

nHe weakly said, “Are you thirty?”

n“Mm?” Qi Ming was startled.

n“I’m guessing that you’re not that old,” Tang Jie muttered. “You’re about to die soon, and at such a young age. What a pity.”

n“Bastard!” Enraged, Qi Ming once more applied his Thousand Carnage Hand.

n“Urrgh!” Tang Jie grunted in pain.

nBut he clenched his teeth and didn’t yell.

nThose eyes that were about to pop out of their sockets stared hard at the ceiling, his consciousness floating up and down in the sea of pain while sweat mixed with the blood flowing out of his body and dyed his body red.

nThe session ended.

nTang Jie’s body flopped like a fish, and it took a while for his spasms to finally stop.

nQi Ming grabbed him by the collar. “Talk!”

nHe sent a stream of spiritual energy into Tang Jie’s body to bring back his mind.

nA little life came back to Tang Jie.

nHe looked at Qi Ming and softly chuckled. “You should cherish the little time you have left.”

nThe Thousand Carnage Hand again.

nWhen Gu Changqing came in, Tang Jie was still twitching in pain on the ground.

nWhen Qi Ming saw Gu Changqing come in, he awkwardly stood up and said, “Eagle Master, this kid’s tough. He’s received the Thousand Carnage Hand five times and still won’t talk.”

n“Understood.” Gu Changqing didn’t find this strange.

nIn truth, he would have found it far stranger if Tang Jie had broken now.

nGlancing at Tang Jie, Gu Changqing walked over and sat down next to him. “I’ve already sent Gao Fei to investigate those people from Anyang. Is that what you wanted?”

nTang Jie looked at him and said nothing.

nGu Changqing muttered, “If my guess is right, you must have given those Anyang people some silver. After being paid off, those Anyang people can’t be trusted no matter what they say. It’s a good way of cleaning yourself, even if killing them would be better. But it seems that you’re not too willing to kill the innocent.”

nTang Jie continued to ignore him.

nGu Changqing continued, “But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Since you wanted to fabricate evidence to show that you weren’t Tang Jiye, why do you not even try to act like it in front of us?”

nTang Jie finally spoke.

nHe said, “How long have I been here?”

nGu Changqing was taken aback by the question, but he still replied, “An hour.”

nTang Jie nodded. “It’s about time. Prepare yourselves. You still have a chance.”

nThe two of them were puzzled by this. Gu Changqing frowned. “What are you saying?”

nTang Jie simply laughed at Gu Changqing.

n…Like he was looking at a dead man.

nGu Changqing felt a chill in his heart.

nHe suddenly realized something and blurted out, “The Basking Moon Sect! You’re waiting for the Basking Moon Sect to save you?”

nQi Ming was flabbergasted. “How could the Basking Moon Sect find this place?”

nThey had naturally prepared to deal with the Basking Moon Sect for this kidnapping.

nIt had to be understood that the greatest difference from their previous attempts was that they had acted out in the open!

nThe Basking Moon Sect could not tolerate such a thing.

nThus, the Hawk Hall had never hoped about the Basking Moon Sect letting them go. This place that Tang Jie had been brought to was a secret base that Godhead Palace had been operating for a long time that existed precisely for this day.

nBut from Tang Jie’s tone, it seemed that what they had believed to be a sure thing wasn’t so certain at all.

nGu Changqing wasn’t in the mood to think about this problem. He took out a talisman and swiftly burned it. “All people, increase the alarm perimeter and prepare to withdraw!”

n“Eagle Master, isn’t this being too cautious?” Qi Ming anxiously said. “If the Basking Moon Sect really is coming to save him, he has no reason to warn us.”

nLooking at Tang Jie’s confident eyes, Gu Changqing felt an inexplicable fear. “Better to believe that there is a threat than to believe that there’s nothing.”

nSuddenly, a sharp whistle shattered the calm of the bamboo grove.

n“Enemy attack!”

nAnd then the voice was cut off!

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