Liang Xiaoxiao was dead, so the accusation he had made before his death was naturally extremely powerful. It was just that the other witness to the incident in the Garden of Zhou — Zhuang Huanyu, besides giving an extremely brief explanation of the situation, had maintained his silence for the vast majority of the time. As a result, there were many details in the deceased's story that had not been filled in. Coupled with the fact that the person Liang Xiaoxiao was testifying against was not an ordinary person, the incident in the Garden of Zhou was very naturally dragged into a quagmire. Even after several dozen days, there was still no progress.
Chen Changsheng's identity was extremely special. The important figures of the Li Palace were assuredly keeping an eye on this matter. In the Grand Examination, people had already discovered that Zhexiu had a rather good relationship with the Orthodox Academy. Moreover, this wolf youth had achieved countless military merits in the snowy plains of the north, deeply receiving the appreciation of a few Divine Generals of the Great Zhou Army. As for how this matter would develop, many people believed that it would ultimately depend on the Divine Empress's decision. As a result, the Garden of Zhou became the focus of unparalleled gazes. This was because this was Zhou Tong's mansion. The Divine Empress's will had always been manifested through this craziest and cruelest mad dog. It was also because, after the Imperial Court had taken Zhexiu away from the Li Palace, he had been imprisoned here.
Very few people knew that the legendary Zhou Prison, that great prison that caused countless ministers and generals to tremble in fear at the mention of its name, had originally been in the same building as Zhou Tong's mansion. The two were separated by only ten-some zhang and two flimsy doors. The phrase 'beautiful scenery on a beautiful day, but the heavens' referred to Zhou Tong's mansion and Zhou Tong's prison. The former had the beautiful scenery of the four seasons, while the latter was the heavens' that could not be helped, and the blue sky could not be seen.
The black rhinoceros dragged the heavy carriage through the stone arch of the Garden of Zhou, arriving at the sinister building in front of it.
Although it was so close, Zhou Tong still habitually rode in the carriage.
Other than in front of the Divine Empress, only in this carriage did he feel safe.
The black rhinoceros carriage arrived in front of the prison's tunnel. With a creak, the carriage door slowly opened.
Zhou Tong slowly walked out of the carriage. He subconsciously gazed at the night sky, his face somewhat pale under the starlight.
The moment he stepped off the carriage, the security around Zhou Prison was instantly raised by several levels. As for the shadows of the nearby eaves, who knew how many cultivators were hiding?
Zhou Tong was not a weakling. He was a Star Condensation expert, one of the few experts of the Great Zhou Dynasty. But even so, he still lived very cautiously and cautiously. Besides the need to investigate a case, he rarely left Zhou Prison. Even if he did leave, the vast majority of the time, he would go to the Imperial Palace. Moreover, every time he went out, he would bring countless guards with him. He knew very well that there were countless people who wanted to kill him. If there was a ranking of the people on the continent that most people wanted to kill, Su Li would definitely be ranked behind him.
He arrived at the dark and cold prison cell. Zhou Tong's expression did not change in the slightest as he looked at the badly mutilated wolf tribe youth. He did not show any of the abnormal excitement that was rumored to have. There was only calmness.
Ever since the Divine Empress had ordered him to take over the Department for Purging Officials, Zhou Tong had interrogated countless prisoners, personally used countless punishments, and seen countless wretched situations. There were many people even more wretched than Zhexiu, so it was impossible for him to be moved by this. But he did not believe this to be numbness, nor would he allow himself to become numb because of this bloody scene. He firmly believed that only by maintaining his original intentions towards his work could he continue to maintain his interest and liveliness, and only then could he maintain his keen senses towards many things.
Yes, Zhou Tong had always believed that this was just a job. He had originally studied the books of the sages, but he had not done well in policy theory, so he switched to cultivation. He had done quite well in cultivation, but because he was too old, he did not have the opportunity to enter the inner sect of those sects to study. As a result, he began to build his network, finally meeting the Divine Empress in the Hundred Herb Garden and taking up this job. When doing a job, one had to love it, and one had to earnestly do it to the best of one's ability. Whether it was reading the books of the sages, cultivating the Dao, or now torturing the people of the world, Zhou Tong had always demanded this of himself, and the facts proved that he had truly succeeded.
"At six fifteen, you fainted from the pain. Based on the time, you should have woken up from the pain, so I will ask you again. If those two women were the two wings of Demon Princess Nanke, why did they not work together with that Demon General couple and directly kill you? Instead, they worked separately, giving you the chance to separately defeat them?"
Zhou Tong did not stand in front of Zhexiu and stare into his eyes to pressure him, nor did he look at the file on the table.
He stood at the only vent in the dungeon, calmly gazing at the stars in the night sky, seeming rather absent-minded.
The file on the table was the statement that Zhexiu had made to Mei Lisha on the road, and after Zhexiu had come to Zhou Prison, he had not said a single word. Zhou Tong was keenly aware that mental pressure was of no use to this wolf youth. Zhou Tong had read through the file once and remembered all its contents, including those inconspicuous details. He felt that it was just like Liang Xiaoxiao's last words. Zhexiu's statement also had many questionable points, but he still asked absent-mindedly, because he knew that he did not need to put too much effort into it. Zhexiu would still not admit anything.
His question was only a part of his job, a procedure, or perhaps a process. The laws of Zhou stipulated that he had to do something — it was all work. Only by ending this part could he proceed to the next part.
Hearing Zhou Tong's voice, Zhexiu finally responded, but he still said nothing. On the contrary, he closed his eyes.
After returning from Hanqiu City to the capital, the Li Palace had sent a cardinal to personally treat him. Currently, the poison in his body was completely suppressed in his eyes. Although he still could not see, it should not worsen and his life was not in danger. He did not care about these problems. He was more concerned about what had happened in the Garden of Zhou. Why had the sky of the Garden of Zhou collapsed? Had Nanke and those demon experts died? Had Chen Changsheng also died? And also … had Qi Jian's injuries gotten any better? Was he unconscious, or had he already woken up?
He concentrated on these matters, hoping that he could use this method to alleviate his pain. However, his face grew paler and paler, beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolling down his forehead.
An extremely thin needle was stuck between his eyebrows. Zhou Tong pinched the end of the needle between his fingers and lightly twisted it.
Zhou Tong's expression was very calm. It did not seem like he was executing a torture, but more like a doctor saving his patient.
Zhexiu's breathing grew more and more hurried, his eyebrows creased more and more, and his body began to violently tremble.
The thin chains that passed through his body rubbed against his flesh, scraping away the rotten flesh and new tender flesh.
Zhou Tong lightly brushed the end of the needle. Zhexiu's mouth was already full of blood from his bite, but he could no longer endure. He cried out in pain, his hoarse voice echoing through the quiet and gloomy Zhou Prison.
He wanted to faint, but he was in so much pain that he could not faint.
Life and death, pain and relief, everything was in Zhou Tong's fingers.
… …
… …
Mo Yu left the Garden of Zhou and headed for the Imperial Palace. The wheels of the carriage rolled over the gray stones, causing them to undulate.
She felt that it would have been better if the carriage had been pulled by a black goat. However, the black goat did not like Zhou Tong and would never follow her there.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped.
She calmly gazed at the curtain in front of the carriage and asked, "Your Highness, what do you want to do?"
Luoluo's voice was clear and bright, like a newly sprouted leaf in early spring. "I want to tell all of you that just because Teacher has not returned does not mean that the Orthodox Academy has no one."
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