Chapter 126: My Apologies, Calling You Paupers Was Hasty of Me (I)

"Name?"

"Lu Huaiben."

"Where are you from?"

"From Qianshan, Yuan Zhao Nation."

Luo Chen’s eyebrows arched slightly as he lazily chewed on a handful of celestial beans.

Fellow townsman?

What a coincidence. He, too, hailed from Yuan Zhao. Who would've thought that the half-dead man hanging from the iron rack was also from his hometown?

Bound tightly to the rack, Lu Huaiben was barely clinging to life. He had endured an entire night of torment—sinister methods that left him broken in body and spirit. Under such suffering, he had no energy left to lie. Each question was met with immediate, almost instinctive replies.

"Which faction are you from?" Sikong Shoujia continued coldly.

"No faction, just a rogue cultivator living in Snow Lotus Market."

"What's the name of your leader?"

"Shan Xiu. Also a rogue cultivator. We usually make a living hunting demonic beasts."

"If you hunt demonic beasts, why did you plan to rob our Hall Leader? Tell me, was someone behind this?"

"No one! We just heard alchemists were rich. We wanted to get lucky and make a big score before leaving!"

"Still lying? Looks like you haven't suffered enough!"

Sikong Shoujia's expression turned cold, and the three silver needles originally inserted into Lu Huaiben's head sank a fraction deeper.

Ah, ah, ah....

The once barely conscious Lu Huaiben suddenly convulsed violently, resembling a fish flopping about in its final moments. Mucus and tears streamed down his battered face. Sikong Shoujia's hands paused in midair, and the silver needles rose slightly.

"Stop! Please, I beg you—enough!" Lu Huaiben sobbed, gasping like a drowning man breaking the surface.

Lu Huaiben cried out, wailing, "We really just wanted to make a quick score while passing through! No one ordered us!"

"Nonsense! Dan Chenzi's whereabouts are unpredictable, and he rarely leaves the Alchemy Hall. How could you have run into him by chance? Someone must have tipped you off. Speak—who was it?"

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Lu Huaiben wept louder, blood flecking his lips. "No one, I swear! A female cultivator... her name was Yuan Xiaoyue! She mentioned Dan Chenzi delivers goods to her every month... we guessed it had to be around this time!"

"Yuan Xiaoyue?" Sikong’s eyes shifted to Luo Chen, who frowned deeply and responded via voice transmission.

"Keep pressing—find out what Xiaoyue’s connection to them is. Why would she reveal that?"

Sikong Shoujia nodded and resumed the questioning. "What’s her relationship with your group? Why would she tell you that?"

Lu Huaiben shook like a leaf. "We bought all her celestial beans... then asked if she’d have more. She said a new batch would be delivered in a few days."

Ugh!

Everyone froze, and Luo Chen's expression stiffened.

Damn, with such intelligence and talent, why not take the imperial exams instead?

Sikong snorted and continued, "Your leader is Shan Xiu, right? Where’s his base in Dahe Market? Where does he stay in the Snow Lotus Market?"

He pulled out a thick silver needle, letting it glint under the torchlight.

"I warn you to tell the truth, or this Divine Needle will have to go through you again."

Lu Huaiben’s soul nearly left his body. With the speed of a desperate man, he rattled off a series of addresses—some specific, some only half-remembered.

By now, there wasn’t much more to extract.

Mi Shuhua gave a slight nod and turned to leave. Luo Chen followed.

"Elder Sikong," Mi Shuhua said over his shoulder, "keep him for two more days. See if anything else comes up."

"This old man understands," Sikong Shoujia replied, a sinister grin spreading across his face. He pulled out another handful of thin, gleaming silver needles and looked at Lu Huaiben like a wolf eyeing a lamb.

Even though cultivators weren’t known for physical resilience, their bodies were still far tougher than ordinary mortals. That just meant there was more room to "play".

Listening to the relentless screams coming from the dungeon behind him, Luo Chen shivered.

When Sikong Shoujia personally began the interrogation, Luo Chen almost thought he was seeing a reincarnation of the infamous Rong Momo [1].

Isn't this old man quite amicable usually?

"Leader, is this how we usually interrogate prisoners?"

Mi Shuhua raised a brow. "Yes, originally Poshan Gang had a Punishment Hall, but I thought it wasn't a good idea, so I dissolved it. Before that, Elder Sikong served as the Hall Leader of the Punishment Hall for a while. What do you think? Pretty skilled, right? Once he starts, people spill everything like a bamboo tube pouring out beans."

Luo Chen quickly shook his head, "That's not what I meant. Don't Foundation Establishment cultivators have techniques like soul-searching or soul-bewitching?"

The moment those words left his lips, Luo Chen felt a subtle shift in the atmosphere. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mi Shuhua staring at him, surprise flickering in his gaze.

"Where did you hear about these?"

Luo Chen cautiously replied, "At the rogue cultivators' market, everyone was bragging about it."

Mi Shuhua shook his head, "Whether it's soul-searching or soul-bewitching, they're demonic techniques. In our Jade Cauldron Domain, and even the Far East Six Domains, such spells are strictly forbidden."

"Really? I find that hard to believe," Luo Chen said skeptically. "I heard the enchantresses at Tianxiang Tower are quite good at that sort of thing."

"Hehe, that's another kind of technique." Mi Shuhua chuckled knowingly.

The two continued walking, the tunnel gradually giving way to daylight as they exited. Dawn was breaking.

Mi Shuhua had returned late last night, having chased Shan Xiu for hours, but ultimately failed to catch him. That Water Evasion talisman wasn’t an ordinary item—it was a genuine second-tier spell from the Five Elements Evasion Techniques. Among the Five Elements Evasion Techniques, even the most basic ones are second-tier spells. Once activated, it allowed the user to travel up to a hundred li in an instant.

Moreover, Shan Xiu hails from Snow Lotus Market, where most people excel in concealment techniques. Mi Shuhua searched for half the night but truly couldn't catch him.

That person's spirit awareness was sharp; the moment he sensed danger, he activated the Water Evasion talisman without hesitation. He even resorted to trading injuries with Liu Qiang, enduring a blow head-on.

The two stood under the eaves, watching the snowflakes gently drift down.

"This matter will definitely have a satisfactory resolution for you. For now, we can rule out any major factions' involvement; it seems to be a simple case of raiding cultivators."

Even raiding cultivators can be considered simple, huh?

"Could it possibly be Gao Tingyuan targeting me?" Luo Chen suddenly mentioned a name.

Mi Shuhua pondered for a moment and shook his head. "It shouldn't be him. After all, I've already spoken with Wang Haichao last time.

"And to let you in on something, when Jade Essence pills are sold in other markets, we'll collaborate with the Dajiang Gang. He wouldn't go so far as to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Luo Chen sneered, "That's how you Foundation Establishment cultivators think, but it doesn't necessarily apply to Gao Tingyuan."

"You've got a point!" Mi Shuhua thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll speak to Wang Haichao again and have him keep an eye on Gao Tingyuan. Whether it's him or not, dangers must be nipped in the bud."

"With your reassurance, I feel at ease." Luo Chen yawned, waved his hand, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. "Leader, the weather's gotten cold. The alchemists in the Alchemy Hall aren't living too well these days."

With that, he strode off grandly, now accompanied by four cultivators. Each was tall and imposing, with realms that were quite impressive—the weakest being at the seventh stage of Qi-Refining. When Liu Qiang recovered, his escort team would grow to five.

Leaving home with five late-stage Qi-Refining bodyguards—who else in Dahe Market could boast such a privilege?

Mi Shuhua stood under the eaves, still pondering over certain matters.

Footsteps sounded behind him. Without turning around, he asked, "Ping'er, what's the matter?"

Mi Junping excitedly said, "Elder Sikong sent over last month's Alchemy Hall ledger. I discovered that over four thousand Jade Essence pills were refined last month, including a thousand two hundred mid-grade Jade Essence pills!"

Mi Shuhua froze momentarily, then broke into an expression of sheer delight.

Over a thousand mid-grade Jade Essence pills—ten pills per bottle, fifty spirit stones per bottle—that's over five thousand spirit stones.

And if you add the low-grade Jade Essence pills...

After deducting various material and personnel costs, Mi Shuhua could net at least two thousand spirit stones!

And this was just one month's earnings! If this continued for a few years, he might even have the confidence to purchase a defensive enchanted treasure.

Even if he didn't buy a defensive enchanted treasure, the cultivation resources needed from the mid to late stage of Foundation Establishment would no longer be a concern.

Moreover, as Luo Chen became increasingly adept at refining Jade Essence pills, the profits would likely grow even further in the future.

"Indeed, investing in Luo Chen at all costs was the best decision I ever made.

"From the moment I learned that mid-grade pill was refined by him, I knew Luo Chen would be a benefactor on my path to cultivation!"

Listening to her father's almost frantic muttering, Mi Junping couldn't help but ask, "Is Luo Chen really that important?"

"Ping'er, you must remember, alchemists are forever the most precious talent in the cultivation world!

"You must not offend them, let them have a negative impression of you, or create conflict. Even if conflict arises, either resolve it immediately or eliminate the alchemist at all costs."

Mi Junping opened her mouth, wanting to retort. But thinking about the profits the Alchemy Hall brought last month, she was left speechless.

After his excitement, Mi Shuhua gradually calmed down. The earnings wouldn't be that easy to fully pocket; he still needed to share some benefits with others.

"Ping'er, deliver an invitation to the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion and invite a distinguished guest to dinner at Zhongding Restaurant tomorrow night.

"Also, contact the Nangong family. They've just relocated from Snow Lotus Market and are familiar with the area. I need detailed information about someone named Shan Xiu.

"I'll be heading to the Dajiang Gang shortly; have someone inform Wang Yuan from Water-Dragon Hall to accompany me."

After saying all this, he still seemed unsatisfied. Looking at his daughter, a brilliant idea struck him.

Under Mi Junping's shocked gaze, he brought up something unexpected.

"Your Dao companion has been gone for years now—have you considered remarrying?"

1. 容嬷嬷 (Róng Mó Mó) is a notorious character from the classic Chinese television drama 《还珠格格》 (Princess Pearl). She is the trusted servant and confidante of the Empress, known for her unwavering loyalty and ruthless methods. 容嬷嬷 is infamous for her cold and calculating demeanor, often carrying out harsh punishments, including physical torment, to intimidate and suppress others. Her actions, especially her use of needles for punishment, have made her a memorable and deeply feared figure in the show, evoking both hatred and recognition from viewers ☜