This was truly a nonsensical fit of jealousy, and Feng Jin couldn't fathom the workings of Ling Mohan's mind.
"You might as well go to the dark prison and see how Lu Shi is interrogating them."
Anyone who could connect with Li San must hold an unusual position within their organization. Lu Shi would likely find it difficult to extract anything from him.
"If he can't even handle such a small matter, then I've been raising him in vain," Ling Mohan said, lounging on the bed with an air of complete unconcern.
Seeing his apparent lack of worry, Feng Jin felt a pang of sympathy for Lu Shi, having such a superior officer.
"I'll go to the dark prison and take a look."
Still feeling a bit uneasy, she stood up and headed for the door.
Ling Mohan hesitated for a moment before standing up. "I'll accompany you."
He quickly followed Feng Jin, and they walked side by side.
Inside the dark prison, Lu Shi stared grimly at the man hanging from a rack, his body covered in wounds. Despite employing over ten methods of torture, he had managed to elicit no useful information from him.
"How is the interrogation proceeding?" Ling Mohan asked in a low voice, then sat down in a chair opposite.
"Young General, please forgive me, your subordinate..."
"Continue with the torture," Ling Mohan said casually. Under severe duress, even a man of iron would eventually break and confess.
The prison was filled with agonizing screams.
Feng Jin found it unbearable. "With such intense torture, the person will likely be tortured to death before they can even confess." Prolonged suffering would quickly lead to death. Such cruel methods were entirely meaningless.
"Interrogating prisoners requires skill," Feng Jin stated, already formulating a plan. She ordered a halt to the torture.
"Lu Shi, give him this ginseng slice. Make sure he doesn't die."
Feng Jin produced a small ginseng slice and instructed Lu Shi to give it to the man, so he wouldn't die before she could begin her interrogation.
"Yes, Madam."
Lu Shi placed the ginseng slice into the man's mouth and had someone splash cold water on him to revive him.
The man, jolted awake, saw Ling Mohan sitting there unharmed. A flicker of an unusual emotion crossed his eyes. After a moment, he spoke his first words: "Kill me. I will say nothing."
Loyalty... was the first word he had learned. And it was the only thing he could offer now.
Feng Jin chuckled softly and said, "I have no intention of letting you die. Even with your last breath, I can save you. There are hundreds of torture methods, and I want you to experience each one."
The man bound to the rack shivered. It was surprising that a woman could utter such vicious words.
"I would rather die than speak. Your efforts are in vain."
Feng Jin was amused by his words. "You seem to have misunderstood my intention. My goal is not to extract anything from you. I simply wish to torment you for my own amusement..."
"I have no other hobbies except researching strange and peculiar poisons and using living people as test subjects. When they are on the verge of death, I revive them. Isn't that interesting? I've just developed a new poison that hasn't been tested yet, so I'll have to trouble you."
As she finished speaking, Feng Jin pressed firmly on his chest, scattering white powder into his mouth.
"Lu Shi, take him down."
The moment the man was lowered to the ground, he curled up in agony, clutching his head and rolling on the floor.
Feng Jin watched his reaction with satisfaction. The poison she had developed was indeed effective. This poison induced a sensation of splitting headaches and dizziness, as if countless insects were gnawing at his insides, yet he could not locate the source of the pain. It was a poison specifically designed for torment.
"How does it feel? Is your head splitting, your vision blurred, like countless insects are devouring your insides, but you cannot find the source of the pain?"
Sweating profusely, the man finally realized that death was the greatest luxury.
"You... kill me... kill me," he pleaded, wishing only for an end to his suffering.
"Death... I told you long ago that I would not let you die. Wouldn't it be too easy for you to die like this? You don't need to seek death, because you simply cannot die. I want you to live without the ability to live, and die without the ability to die."
Feng Jin's face held a gentle smile, but her words were utterly cruel. Killing the spirit and leaving the body to suffer, unable to live or die – this was the most brutal punishment in the world.
"You... you..." The man was in too much pain to even speak, only managing to emit choked whimpers.
Seeing that the time was right, Feng Jin took out a perfume box and waved it near his nose.
Upon smelling the fragrance, the man's pain subsided considerably. He eagerly snatched the box and inhaled the scent greedily. His body's agony lessened, and he lay on the ground, barely breathing.
"This fragrance can temporarily relieve the poison, but it will only last for half an hour. After half an hour, if you do not take the antidote, the pain will double." Feng Jin stated calmly, as if recounting a simple fact.
"You... you venomous woman..." The man's curse had barely escaped his lips when a flying dart shot out, piercing his wrist. Blood spurted forth.
"Ah!" The man cried out in agony. Intense pain shot through his wrist, his bones and tendons shattered. His hands were now completely ruined.
Ling Mohan sat behind him, his expression grim, the hand that had thrown the dart still extended.
"Tsk... that's what happens when your words get you into trouble..."
Feng Jin wore an expression of feigned pity. "After you were captured, I had word spread and had traces of a struggle left at the City God Temple. What do you think your master will do upon hearing that you've been captured?" She paused, then continued, "If I were your master, I would be worried about whether you might betray everything out of fear, or perhaps you might have become a liability... So, wouldn't it be prudent to cut your losses? And what about your family, your loved ones?"
"Stop spouting poison and trying to sow discord. I will absolutely not speak, and my master will never doubt my loyalty!" The man's eyes were filled with defiance, determined to reveal nothing, even unto death.
"Then what if I release the news that the person who attempted to assassinate the Young General has been apprehended and has confessed to the mastermind? What would your master think then?" Feng Jin's words struck at the heart of his fears, meticulously chipping away at his resolve.
A flicker of panic crossed the man's eyes. His master was inherently suspicious, always preferring to err on the side of caution and eliminate any potential threat. If his master believed he had betrayed him, he would surely not spare him...
"It is my honor to die for my master."