Chapter 1337: Chapter 864: Master of Bone Pavilion
"No, really no!" Song Ziming nervously defended himself.
"Do you know the exact location of that group?" Yang Xiao turned his face to look at Tong Han.
"I only know they settled outside the town. I was worried about a conflict with them, so I didn’t send anyone to investigate in detail," Tong Han explained. "They’ve been guarding for almost a month now."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao turned his head to stare at Song Ziming, his expression cold. "An Evil Cultivator Guardian, with plenty of serious business like killing and arson to attend to, travels thousands of miles bringing people here, guarding outside the town for a month for you, and you say you haven’t taken anything from them? Are you effing taking me for a fool?"
"Seems like you won’t speak the truth without a bit of suffering." Sui Chengguo instantly stepped forward, his fingers like hooks, pinching Song Ziming’s scapula, his fingers suddenly exerting force, causing Song Ziming to cry out continuously in pain.
But even so, Song Ziming still refused to change his words, insisting he was innocent. He really didn’t take anything from anyone, and he wouldn’t dare, given that he’s a small figure who wouldn’t dare offend the notorious Withered Bone Pavilion.
Tortured to the brink of death by Sui Chengguo, Song Ziming collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back, white foam appearing around his mouth. Only then did Sui Chengguo stop, taking a deep breath before raising his head to look at Yang Xiao, shaking his head slightly.
Yang Xiao understood that Sui Chengguo believed he wasn’t lying.
"If he didn’t take anything from them, then why are the people from the Withered Bone Pavilion chasing him relentlessly?"
"Could it be it’s not a magic artifact, but some secrets he shouldn’t have known?"
For Yang Xiao, this speculation was reasonable, after all, he’s often silenced people, some secrets can only be told to the dead.
But after the interrogation, Song Ziming, already half-crazed from the torture, could barely speak coherently, yet he insisted he didn’t partake in anything inside the sect, merely holding a title and playing with women for fun.
But this was normal within their sect, everyone did it, sometimes even catching people to join in the fun, both men and women. The female elders of the sect would often go out to catch men they fancied and bring them back for training.
"Did you capture a disciple from the Withered Bone Pavilion?" Yang Xiao questioned.
"No... we wouldn’t." Song Ziming, dazed, confessed honestly, "We wouldn’t dare. There are three unbreakable rules set by our Sect Leader: First, don’t touch high officials... high-ranking dignitaries. Second, don’t touch Fierce Grade or higher Angel Envoys. Third, don’t touch those backed by major sect forces."
"Quite cautious..." Yang Xiao mentally noted with a hint of sarcasm, while his curiosity grew stronger.
The people from Withered Bone Pavilion wouldn’t come without reason, and since they’re here, there must be a reason.
Yang Xiao scrutinized Song Ziming, knowing this guy must have a secret, a secret he might not even know himself.
With the situation unclear, continuing to drag on would be pointless. After warning Song Ziming with a few words, Yang Xiao and his group left.
There was no worry Song Ziming would escape, as those disciples from the Withered Bone Pavilion outside weren’t to be trifled with. If he dared to escape out of town, he’d be a dead man walking.
"Have you verified this Song Ziming’s identity?" Yang Xiao looked at Tong Han.
Tong Han nodded, his voice steady and reassuring, "All verified. What he’s saying checks out. He comes from a small sect in the neighboring Huiling Province called the Joy Sect. He’s indeed an Evil Cultivator, though not notable, ranking low on the Patrol Defense Office’s clearing list, with a slight reputation locally in Huiling Province."
"Their lineage is small, barely numbering 100 people when all counted together. Their headquarters is hidden within a place running a sex business. Their Sect Leader is the boss, a Ghost Level Middle Angel Envoy."
"Over a month ago, their headquarters was attacked, and nearly all their experts, including the Sect Leader, were killed. This Song Ziming was lucky to escape."
"Moreover, their lineage acts rather strangely, enjoying dual cultivation with others and frequently capturing both men and women to engage in wild escapades, not caring about looks or body but rather about so-called spiritual roots."
"Intelligence mentioned that once, an 84-year-old elderly man from a nursing home was abducted at night by several women from their sect, taken back to the headquarters, and later drained dry."
"When the body was discovered, it was emaciated, weighing under 60 pounds, with an autopsy revealing substantial leftover aphrodisiac, suspected of causing sudden death due to overdose."
Tong Han’s intelligence work has always been impeccable, complying with Yang Xiao’s demands, especially their willingness to heavily invest in this aspect.
"That’s too cruel... treating an 80-year-old elder like this, in broad daylight, it’s simply inhuman."
The fact that this lineage has been wiped out is fortunate. Otherwise, Yang Xiao would surely have crossed provinces personally to visit these scoundrels and see their methods firsthand.
"Additionally, at the crime scene, the deaths of two individuals were especially tragic, one being their Great Elder, and the other a tributor with a status almost identical to Song Ziming."
"These two were found stripped and hung upside down outside the gate, their bones completely removed and neatly arranged on the ground," Tong Han added.
"Sounds like revenge," Yang Xiao surmised, stroking his chin.
"It’s definitely revenge. This is a signature method of the Withered Bone Pavilion, specifically used to warn opposing factions." Sui Chengguo, once a Mercenary Captain who traveled extensively, had a more thorough understanding of various power dynamics.
"Apart from Song Ziming, did anyone else from the Joy Sect escape?" Yang Xiao continued to ask.
"Yes, a few others fled to the nearest Patrol Defense Bureau and surrendered," Tong Han replied.
