After obtaining Chen Yiyun’s signed order, the Li City Black Banner Battalion could finally take away anyone or anything they deemed necessary, confidently locking the case firmly in their own hands.

Chen Yiyun and Jiang Cheng had been aware of Shen Hao’s little schemes from the start, but didn’t call him out—so long as Shen Hao could figure out a way, they were happy to let it happen.

The Xuanqing Guard and the Government Office in Fengri City were loudly dissatisfied in front of Jiang Cheng and Chen Yiyun, but that was left unaddressed. Shen Hao’s team, carrying case evidence and everyone from the Zhan Family, returned to Li City on the same day. Security was tight, but nothing unexpected occurred on the way.

The Zhan Family, who’d put on the whole "You’re all bad people, what are you trying to do?" act back in Fengri City, crumbled the moment they entered the Interrogation Chamber. They didn’t even make it to the appetizers; just seeing those grisly instruments laid out before them, someone pissed themselves immediately.

From then on, everything went as smoothly as the arrest. By the afternoon, the Zhan Family’s confession landed on Shen Hao’s desk: just as Wang Jian had suspected before, the so-called "family" of the Zhan’s was fake, same as Zhao Chongwu’s situation.

Both had painstakingly crafted "normal" identities, while deliberately concealing the truth. This echoed their still-unknown motive for committing crimes—strange and inexplicable.

But upon returning, Shen Hao didn’t immediately interrogate Zhao Chongwu and Zhan Wenlin. He left them separated in the Interrogation Chamber, with no torture.

This was what Shen Hao called "psychological pressure" in his professional technique.

It wasn’t until dusk that Shen Hao gathered Wang Jian, Zhang Liao, and two interrogators to begin questioning—still separately. The first was Zhan Wenlin, since Shen Hao had noticed during the arrest that Zhan Wenlin’s inner character was softer than Zhao Chongwu’s, and having lost a hand recently would deepen psychological fear, making him an easier breakthrough.

As soon as he entered, Shen Hao spotted a brief flicker in Zhan Wenlin’s gaze before he forced himself to look calm. Shen Hao had seen this look countless times—all weaklings wore it.

"Let’s start with the torture."

"On it!"

The two interrogators’ eyes gleamed. They knew cases personally handled by Shen Hao were always big ones, and being seen on such a case was a major advantage. Their moves were quicker than usual, their work smooth and lively, pouring their full attention into their task.

Shen Hao always had a distaste for the process of interrogation—pure torture seemed disgusting to him. But tonight, against his own nature, he watched with relish. For evil men like Zhan Wenlin, who targeted children, only more evil recompense could be called justice.

Three rounds of appetizers had Zhan Wenlin sobbing for his parents. He went from cursing to begging for mercy to outright wailing, using up less than the time for a meal. Even so, Shen Hao remained completely silent, so the interrogators didn’t dare let up—after appetizers, they moved straight to the main courses focused below the waist.

"What the hell do you want to know?!"

"Ah! Please, I beg you, don’t do it, don’t—ah!"

"Wuuu wuuu wuuu..."

For the first time, Shen Hao truly enjoyed watching the interrogators torment someone. Seeing Zhan Wenlin’s misery filled him with an inner sense of satisfaction.

When Zhan Wenlin was about at his limit, Shen Hao waved his hand; the two interrogators immediately stopped and withdrew. Wang Jian and Zhang Liao each took out paper and pen in readiness.

"All your so-called family members are fakes. You call Zhao Chongwu ’brother’—are you two really related? Or is that fake as well?"

"He—he really is my brother."

"He’s Zhao, you’re Zhan. Are your names fake too? What’s your real name?"

"R-real name... I’m Zhao He Kun, my brother is Zhao Hesheng."

Shen Hao stood and walked up to the man bound on the Cross Pillar—no, not Zhan Wenlin, but Zhao He Kun—staring into his eyes, voice cold: "Tell me, why were you abducting those children?"

"To survive."

Shen Hao’s eyebrow twitched; he snorted coldly: "Explain yourself."

"My brother and I fell ill as children with a fatal disease, weren’t expected to live past eighteen. Later, we met a wandering cultivator who gave us a way to save ourselves—using children born on Extremely Yin and Extremely Yang days as materials for ritual blood steaming. Not only could we suppress the illness in our bodies, it’d extend life and restore youth..."

Shen Hao’s first reaction was this bastard was bullshitting him. In a flash, he snatched a red-hot iron from the nearby brazier and pressed it to Zhao He Kun’s belly. The hiss and screams went some way toward soothing his anger.

"I’m not lying, really—I swear, it’s to save our lives... The wandering cultivator said it: the blood in children born on Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang days is unique. If we use the blood-steaming ritual, people like us—ordinary men—can absorb it. It’s good for health, and even benefits the soul..."

Zhao He Kun protested through his pain, speaking urgently and convincingly—so much so it was hard not to believe him.

Shen Hao had his doubts. He realized, despite suffering hand amputation, torture, and psychological pressure, Zhao He Kun showed little fatigue—only intense fear and pain on his face, not that typical "dying" look.

Could this bastard actually be telling the truth?

Shen Hao tossed the branding iron back into the fire and sat down, motioning for Zhao He Kun to describe precisely how the "blood steaming" ritual worked, and gestured to Wang Jian and Zhang Liao to record every word.

"Collect the blood from children born on Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang days, mix with boiling water to produce steam..."

"When the blood-colored steam rises, kill the fire and lower the temperature, then sit above the steam and let it wash over your body..."

"Next, dismember and place the body in a barrel, soak yourself in it. Let the residual blood and Qi close all pores and seal the blood energy you just absorbed..."

"The remains are packed up in the end. My brother takes them to feed the fish..."

As Zhao He Kun spoke, scene after scene flashed through Shen Hao’s mind. Combined with the kettles, steaming racks, and wooden barrels he’d seen in person...

It really validated the old saying: all the cruelty in the world is done by people.

Shen Hao didn’t ask further. He called in a medic to treat Zhao He Kun’s wounds and secretly instructed the medic to check his condition—see if he truly had an illness, and whether the so-called "blood steaming" had made any difference.

Meanwhile, Shen Hao led Wang Jian and Zhang Liao to the next Interrogation Chamber to question Zhao Chongwu—now known as Zhao Hesheng.

Unlike the softness of Zhao He Kun, Zhao Hesheng was stubbornly tough. The two interrogators were thrilled by this, grinning fiercely as they went at it with all they had—forcing eight rounds of main course torture on Zhao Hesheng! It was a rare feat in their experience, especially since Zhao Hesheng was just an ordinary man—his tenacity was remarkable.

In the end, Zhao Hesheng confessed, but remained sporadically uncooperative. Shen Hao lost patience, waved his hand, and had the interrogators dish out five more rounds. They tormented him until dawn the next day before finally finishing the second confession.