Nakamura Shin'ichirō lay on the cold ground, screaming hysterically.

“Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?!”

“Do you know who I am?”

“I am Nakamura Shin'ichirō of the Sakura Country! I am the future Divine Craftsman!”

His voice was hoarse, with ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) a hint of frenzied bluster.

“I advise you to release me immediately, otherwise, when Guild Leader Xie finds me, you will surely die!”

Zhou Huai controlled Moria, watching him silently, not uttering a word.

Those silver eyes showed no emotional fluctuations, like two bottomless cold abysses.

Nakamura Shin'ichirō looked at Moria's expressionless face, and the chill in his heart grew heavier.

This silence made him feel more fear than any threat.

He forcefully suppressed the panic in his heart and adopted a coaxing tone.

“Your Excellency, I don't think there is any enmity between us.”

“I can tell you must be acting under someone's orders.”

“As long as you are willing to release me, whatever amount he offered you, I can give you double! No! Triple!”

His eyes gleamed, as if he had grasped the last straw of hope.

“Money, beautiful women, just name it, whatever you want, I can satisfy you!”

However, what answered him was not words.

But a foot carrying a strong gust of wind.

Zhou Huai was too lazy to listen to his nonsense anymore.

Moria's figure flashed, and the foot, clad in a black leather boot, struck Nakamura Shin'ichirō's face like a soccer kick.

“Bang!”

A dull thud.

“Ah—!”

Nakamura Shin'ichirō let out a shrill scream, and he was kicked to roll twice on the ground.

He felt as if his nasal bone had instantly fractured, and warm liquid gushed out of his nostrils, instantly staining half his face red.

He was merely a lifestyle professional; his physical fitness was incomparable to that of combat professionals.

This kick almost made him pass out on the spot.

It was only when Nakamura Shin'ichirō's wailing gradually weakened that Moria took a step, walking unhurriedly towards him.

Looking down from above, his voice was cold.

“From now on, I ask, you answer.”

Nakamura Shin'ichirō was curled up in a ball, his body trembling uncontrollably from intense pain and fear.

He looked at those cold leather boots, not daring to even raise his head.

Moria's voice sounded again.

“What is your true purpose in coming to the Great Xia Country?”

Zhou Huai felt something was off when Nakamura Shin'ichirō appeared in Skyfire City.

It was an undeniable fact that the Great Xia Country's forging industry was far inferior to that of the Sakura Country.

Those Sakura Country blacksmiths carried an inherent arrogance, completely looking down on their counterparts in the Great Xia Country.

Many blacksmiths in the Great Xia Country wished they could go to the Sakura Country.

Yet this Nakamura Shin'ichirō, as the number one Genius of the Sakura Country, did the opposite.

He claimed to be coming to the Great Xia Country for exchange and learning.

This was completely illogical. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Furthermore, the relationship between the two countries was growing increasingly tense, with the dark clouds of war looming over the border, potentially erupting at any moment.

Taking such immense risks, Zhou Huai absolutely did not believe he was merely here to discuss forging techniques.

Therefore, on the night the banquet ended, Zhou Huai arranged for members of the Eternal Night Guild and Moria to infiltrate Skyfire City.

Kidnapping Nakamura Shin'ichirō was part of his plan.

Upon hearing Moria's question, Nakamura Shin'ichirō's body noticeably stiffened.

He lay on the ground, his voice heavily trembling.

“I... I really just came here to exchange and learn with the blacksmiths of your country...”

“To promote... to promote the relationship between the two countries in the forging world, that's all...”

A hint of impatience flashed in Moria's eyes.

“Wrong answer.”

“That's not the answer I want to hear.”

As soon as he finished speaking, another kick.

It landed hard on Nakamura Shin'ichirō's abdomen.

“Ugh ah!”

Nakamura Shin'ichirō's eyeballs instantly bulged, veins popped out on his forehead, and he arched up like a cooked shrimp.

His stomach churned, and even the alcohol he drank yesterday was vomited out in one go.

He felt as if his internal organs were dislocated, and the intense pain made it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He lay on the ground, gasping for air, and it took a long time for him to recover.

He raised his face, stained with blood and dirt, his voice weak and full of pleading.

“I... I'm telling the truth!”

“I really have no other purpose! Please, spare me!”

“Please!”

Zhou Huai, controlling Moria, shook his head helplessly.

It seemed he was indeed not suited for this kind of interrogation work.

Moria's strength was ultimately too great.

He was truly afraid he might accidentally kick this important source of information to death.

He no longer lingered, turning and walking out of the basement.

Outside the door, Jasmine was already respectfully waiting aside.

“My Lord.”

Zhou Huai, controlling Moria, spoke in a flat voice.

“Arrange for a few professionals who specialize in torture.”

“Go in and properly 'entertain' that Sakura Country man.”

He paused, then added.

“You can use any methods you like, but don't kill him.”

“If he's running low on health, find a healer to restore him, then continue.”

Upon hearing this, Jasmine felt a chill run down her spine and her scalp tingle.

But she did not hesitate for a moment, immediately bowing and accepting the command.

“As you command, My Lord.”

Not long after.

The heavy iron door of the basement was pushed open again with a creak.

From outside, five or six burly men walked in successively.

They had malevolent smiles on their faces, and as they walked, they excitedly flexed their wrists, making cracking sounds from their knuckles.

Leading them was a Fat Man with a full beard.

He looked at Nakamura Shin'ichirō, curled up on the ground, and chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

“Oh, so this is the Sakura Country man My Lord mentioned, eh?”

“Don't you guys agree, he's got such fair skin and tender flesh, quite good-looking actually.”

“I like him.”

The few men behind him also burst into laughter, rubbing their fists together, their eyes filled with cruelty and excitement.

“Brothers, what are we waiting for?”

“Let's get to it, let's give this distant guest a proper welcome!”

Nakamura Shin'ichirō looked at these men, like demons, and the color drained from his face instantly.

Boundless fear completely engulfed him.

“What... what are you going to do?!”

“Don't come any closer!!”

“Don't come any closer!!!”

“Bang!”

The heavy iron door was slammed shut.

Inside the door, from time to time, a few uncontrollable, heart-wrenching screams would be heard.

...

The next day, early morning.

She walked up to Moria, bowing respectfully.

“My Lord.”

“Nakamura Shin'ichirō has something he wants to tell you.”

Zhou Huai's lips curved into a smile.

So, he's ready to confess honestly?

It had only been one day, and he couldn't take it anymore.

He had thought his mouth would be much tougher.

Moria's figure flashed, not using the door.

Instead, he directly transformed into a wisp of ink, seeping into the basement from the shadow under the door crack.

When his figure re-condensed inside the basement.

A strong smell of blood and foulness assailed him.

On the ground, Nakamura Shin'ichirō's appearance was utterly miserable.

His originally neat white robe had long turned into tattered strips of cloth, haphazardly hanging on his body.

His entire body had hardly a single good patch of skin, covered in purplish bruises and fine blood marks.

His hair was disheveled, matted together by sweat and blood, and his face was swollen like a pig's head, almost unrecognizable.

His pants were stained with dried, dark red blood.

It was hard to imagine what he had endured in the past dozen hours.

When he saw Moria's figure emerge from the shadows like a ghost.

His eyes, originally filled with terror, actually burst forth with a glimmer of hope.

“Hoo... hoo...”

He made incomprehensible sounds in his throat, using all his strength to crawl towards Moria.

He stretched out his still trembling hand, wanting to grab Moria's pant leg.

“I... I'll tell...”

“I... I'll tell everything...”

“Please... don't let them... torture me anymore...”

Zhou Huai looked at his humble, dog-like appearance, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.

He raised his foot, mercilessly kicking away Nakamura Shin'ichirō's outstretched hand.

His voice remained cold.

“Speak.”

Nakamura Shin'ichirō's body trembled violently.

He no longer dared to hide anything, speaking haltingly in a choked voice.

“It... it was my teacher...”

“It was my teacher who sent me to the Great Xia Country...”

“To... to find a ruin...”