This kind of breakdown wasn't enough. It might have been sufficient for ordinary people, but Bai Wuji was inherently cunning and unpredictable.
Lin Xiaotian planned to interrogate him slowly once his mental state had completely collapsed.
After about half an hour, Lin Xiaotian suddenly gestured with his hand.
The silver needles reappeared in his hand, and a brilliant smile spread across his face. "I say, Old Bai, you're being too much of a coward. A grown man crying like a primary school student who's about to be spanked."
"Can't you have some backbone? I used to admire you, after all, you bravely admitted to all the things you did and even stubbornly wanted me to kill you directly?"
"But look at you now."
After speaking, he shook his head as if extremely disappointed.
Bai Wuji found that his pain had almost completely disappeared, and he could open his mouth to speak, though his voice was hoarse, as if he had drunk several bottles of soy sauce.
"Lin Xiaotian, you don't need to mock me like this. I know you won't let me go, and I'm definitely going to die today."
"But I still have some doubts. Who exactly are you? Why do you have such immense power?"
"It's okay even if you don't tell me. I just want to understand, and I'll tell you everything you want to know. Let's just exchange questions."
Lin Xiaotian nodded with a smile. "Alright, I can agree to that."
At this point, he could see that Bai Wuji's mental state had truly collapsed. What was keeping him alive was merely his body's instinct.
And only a few thoughts remained in his mind.
Bai Wuji took a few deep breaths before speaking directly. "I really want to know, are you only in your twenties?"
"And how did you defeat Mr. Song?"
"His methods are divine and unfathomable, something a young man your age can never compare to. Did you use some sort of trickery? For example, what method did you use when you attacked me just now? Just tell me, and I'll tell you everything I know."
A brilliant smile appeared on Lin Xiaotian's face. "Have you forgotten something?"
"You have no power to resist in my hands now. You are already a piece of fish on my chopping board, to be manipulated at my will."
"Exchanging answers with you is already the greatest mercy I can show you. You still want me to tell you first. Do you think I'm stupid?"
"I'll give you one last chance. If you don't confess honestly, I don't mind making you suffer that pain again. This time, I won't give you any more chances."
"I will make you suffer until you die."
Hearing this, Bai Wuji couldn't help but shiver. The pain he had just experienced was soul-piercing.
If he had the chance, he would never want to endure it a second time. After hesitating for a few seconds, he spoke without hesitation.
"Actually, I have no connection with Song Jia. They approached me first."
"Mr. Song came to me himself. As for what other powerful experts his Song family has, he didn't tell me. He just showed me his abilities, and I thought he could deal with you, so we formed a partnership."
"In truth, I know very little about them."
Lin Xiaotian's eyes narrowed when he heard this. "So you were trying to trick me, weren't you?"
Bai Wuji shook his head, his voice trembling. "Although he didn't tell me some information, I know that he might have accidentally been recorded by my home's surveillance cameras when he was on the phone."
"There's a recording here, you can take it and watch it!"
"I've already saved it on my phone, in case he decides to betray me one day."
As he said this, he shakily took out his phone and handed it to Lin Xiaotian.
"I've told you everything I know, and I've given you the last piece of evidence."
"If you think I might know more answers, then let's make a trade. If you don't want to say anything, that's fine. I definitely don't want to suffer that pain anymore."
"Just give me a quick death, kill me!"
Hearing this, Lin Xiaotian's smile became even more brilliant. "If we just negotiate like this, you're making it too easy for yourself?"
"I have a way to make that pain recur intermittently. As long as I give you the antidote, the pain will be suppressed. But if you don't get the antidote, you'll be in excruciating pain until you die, and you won't even have a chance to kill yourself."
"From now on, you will work for me."
Bai Wuji's eyes widened with disbelief. "What did you say? You want me to work for you?"
"Aren't you afraid I'll betray you one day?"
"And don't forget, I'm not a good person. Although I've suffered at your hands and caused you a lot of trouble."
"Do you really intend to use me?"
Lin Xiaotian's smile deepened, and his eyes held a hint of amusement. "You have indeed caused me a lot of trouble. But as you said, Mr. Song approached you first for cooperation. Without absolute strength to back you up, you'd obediently be like a dog, unless someone could resolve your troubles."
"But I am confident that no one else can resolve those things except me, especially the little things I'm about to put on you."
"There's something called a Gu worm. I believe you've heard legends about such things."
"I will put this little worm on you. If you dare to betray me or reveal any secrets, it will trigger a secret command. You won't need me to act; the little worm will eat you clean."
"And it will eat you from the inside out, slowly, for months."
Thinking of such pain, Bai Wuji wished he could just die quickly.
He truly didn't want to endure it any longer. Facing such agony, he would rather die.
Lin Xiaotian said with a smile, "You've built such a strong career, and now you're just going to abandon it and die? Are you really happy about that? After all these years of hard work, haven't you thought about enjoying life properly?"
"I'm giving you a chance to live, or to die. As long as you obediently work for me, I don't mind sparing your dog's life."