Chapter 239 Traitor

"Is it really that easy to interrogate someone?"

Because Fufeng had previously hinted that they would use cruel torture, I had mentally prepared myself for that. If it's so easy to get the senior researcher to cooperate, why bother with that attitude?

Perhaps things are not that simple.

I glanced at Fufeng, and then, with a testing mindset, posed a question to the senior researcher: "What was the deal with the armor you used before, and how did you get it into the prison area?"

Although the exact situation of the prison area at the Fufeng base is unclear, it is definitely not a place where prisoners would be allowed to carry dangerous armor.

The senior researcher answered honestly in a dreamlike tone: "...That armor is called the 'Unpredictable Sword Armor,' and it can be hidden when not in use."

"What?" Fu Feng's expression changed slightly.

"The name 'Wuchang Sword Armor'... Is that armor related to Luo Shan's Wuchang Sword?" I asked in surprise.

Dongche suddenly realized and said, "I was wondering why I felt a similar magical fluctuation from that armor to the Impermanent Sword... It's probably equipment that was developed using the Impermanent Sword as a base material or the forging technology of the Impermanent Sword."

“Is that so?” I asked the senior researcher.

The latter answered vaguely, "...Yes."

This explains why the armor has a concealment function. The Impermanence Sword has the ability to hide itself when not in use, and since the Impermanence Armor is a product of the same series as the Impermanence Sword, it is reasonable that it can do the same thing.

It just sounds like the Impermanence Sword Armor is a product developed by Luoshan. Why would it end up in the hands of this researcher from the Humanity Department?

I tried asking the question, and the senior researcher answered again: "...That was an armament stored in the Humanitarian Division's secret base warehouse. When the secret base was destroyed, I used my authority to retrieve it from the warehouse and successfully escaped the turmoil that destroyed the secret base while wearing this armament."

Dongche frowned and asked, "Was it looted from the front lines by your Humanitarian Division when you clashed with Luoshan in the past?"

Perhaps due to a lack of knowledge, the senior researcher opened his mouth but couldn't answer. Meanwhile, Dongche seemed to have connected the dots, and his expression turned very grim.

I was almost ready to start asking about information related to Yinyue and Chang'an, but seeing the emotion on Dongche's face, I couldn't help but feel curious, so I asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Dongche seemed to have organized his thoughts before saying, "Senior Zhuang Cheng... I remember you are from the Heretic Wuchang sect, so you should also have the Wuchang Sword?"

"certainly."

As I answered, I summoned my Unstable Sword of the Heretic Path. Even in combat within an independent reality space, this sword was somewhat out of my league, let alone in the real world. Even so, I still cherished it and would occasionally take it out to show it off.

“The Impermanence Sword is a weapon that requires the infusion of magic to be used, which means it is a weapon specifically designed for demon hunters,” Dongche said. “This researcher is an ordinary person who cannot use magic. The Impermanence Sword Armor he used before was obviously an advanced creation of the Impermanence Sword, so in theory he should not have been able to use it.”

"Moreover, I have never heard of the Impermanent Sword Armor before, and I have never heard of Luoshan developing such a thing. Even if I am ignorant, if Luoshan really did develop it in secret and it was looted by the Humanity Division, this weapon should not have been designed for use by ordinary people."

"Even if it's just a magical artifact that can amplify the power of an ordinary demon hunter to the level of a certain grade, most demon hunter families don't have one, let alone a magical artifact that can give ordinary people the power of a certain grade. There's no need for Luo Shan to waste his efforts developing new weapons in this direction; this is more like the development approach of the Humanitarian Division."

“Assuming this is the weapon developed by the Humanitarian Division… what’s the problem?” I asked.

“There’s a serious problem.” This time it was Fufeng who spoke. “Don’t be fooled by how common the Impermanent Sword is in Luoshan. Its technical principles are a closely guarded secret within Luoshan. The forging process is extremely complex, involving at least a hundred procedures, each handled by different personnel from different departments. In other words, it’s the culmination of Luoshan’s technological prowess. Many demon hunters spend their entire lives honing certain spells to increase their combat power, but that’s not as efficient as infusing magic into their own Impermanent Sword.”

"To prevent the technology of the Impermanent Sword from being leaked to certain fallen witcher factions, the complete technical details are only known to a few high-ranking personnel, all of whom are bound by strong contracts that forbid the leakage of technical information. Without first mastering the technical details, it is impossible to make any improvements to it."

"I'm more inclined to believe that this weapon was developed internally by Luoshan and then somehow ended up in the hands of the Humanitarian Affairs Department. As for why it was manufactured into a type that even ordinary people can use, I have no idea. Perhaps the technicians found some interesting topics that we laymen can't understand."

Dongche, however, was still troubled and asked the senior researcher again, "Where exactly did the Humanitarian Affairs Department get that kind of thing?"

He clearly suspected that there was a traitor among the high-ranking officials in Luoshan.

It was quite dramatic that it came from someone considered a future traitor to the cause of governance. Fu Feng didn't offer any further opinions, but simply watched how things unfolded.

The senior researcher remained silent. This time, I realized something was wrong. Since the mental spell he was under was almost as effective as the Black Rope Heart-Locking Ring, even if he was unaware of it, he shouldn't have remained silent; he should at least have replied, "I don't know."

“It seems this question has touched on his restrictions.” Fu Feng said unsurprisingly, “The researchers of the Humanitarian Division can easily access many of the organization’s secrets, and they are basically all implanted with complex anti-interrogation mental restrictions. That Impermanent Sword Armor has the power to turn ordinary people into high-level combatants, so it must be a very important treasure for the Humanitarian Division. It’s best not to expect to get any more information out of them.”

Mental restraints? I didn't know such a thing existed. But that's normal. The accomplices who teamed up with Lu Youxun to kidnap Ma Zao, including Lu Youxun himself, all had similar mental restraints. If a senior researcher who possesses so many secrets didn't have something similar, the Humanitarian Department would be far too negligent.

Fu Feng gave the interrogator a look, who snapped his fingers, instantly snapping the senior researcher out of his daze. The interrogation seemed to be coming to an end. However, I still had many questions I hadn't had a chance to ask, and I couldn't just go back like this.

"Do you know Chang'an... Zhu Chang'an? And Yin Yue, have you heard of her?" I asked the senior researcher.

"Who...who is that?"

He reflexively asked back, his gaze gradually focusing. Come to think of it, I had asked him about Chang'an before, even using the black rope heart-locking ring, and he knew nothing about it either. But that reaction now seemed suspicious.

A person who keeps a secret must also keep the secret of themselves. So, does he truly not know? Or has the relevant information in his memory been blocked?

"Is there a way to break the mental restriction?" I turned to look at Fufeng.

Yes, yes.

The one who answered me was Dongche, who seemed to want to show off in front of me: "It is said that although the researchers of the Humanitarian Division have their memories related to important projects sealed when they are outside, in order to avoid hindering them from returning to participate in important experiments, their superiors have the password corresponding to the mental restriction. As long as you recite this key password to your subordinates, you can temporarily break the mental restriction."

After saying that, he glanced at Asao for some reason. Asao didn't react.

“Since he is Ying Lingyun’s right-hand man, this password should only be known to Ying Lingyun,” Fu Feng said. “Luo Shan has captured important officials of the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau before, but he rarely broke the mental restrictions without obtaining the password. The higher the position in the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau, the stronger the mental restrictions. Forcibly breaking them will only destroy the mind and soul of the person being interrogated. We can only try our luck now.”

"What do you mean by 'taking a chance'?" I asked.

“When the person being interrogated is driven to the brink of personality collapse, there is a small chance that the mental restraints implanted within them will malfunction,” he said. “For example, to torture someone whose pain sensitivity has been amplified three thousand times. Although an ordinary person would definitely go into shock and die from such immense pain, we can use magic to sustain their life. Past records have proven the effectiveness of this method.”

"He can only consciously feel pain, he can't even go insane—Luo Shan's magic can not only heal physical wounds, but also most mental illnesses."

His words revealed a disregard for the lives and dignity of the enemy, while the interrogators beside him seemed to take it all for granted.

No wonder he felt his subsequent methods towards the senior researcher would be unsightly. While I don't believe one should be merciful to the enemy, going to the extent he described is nothing short of ruthless. Overly extreme methods not only destroy the enemy but also have a detrimental impact on the mental health of one's own people.

Previously, influenced by Zhu Shi, even though Lu Youxun and the young Lu Chan had both explained to me the theory that "the pacifist movement is the most likely force to turn ordinary people into slaves," I always unconsciously thought that the pacifist movement should lean towards the benevolent camp. But Fu Feng, who has reached the pinnacle of the pacifist movement, doesn't seem to be the kind of person I thought he was.

Or is it unrelated to ideology or faction, but rather that a powerful figure like him, who has lived for hundreds of years and walks the earth like a demigod, will eventually develop this cold and cruel temperament?

"Do you want to keep watching?" Fu Feng asked us.

The senior researcher also heard those words, and he clearly realized the kind of desperate hell he was about to enter, and immediately showed a look of collapse.

Perhaps knowing that begging for mercy would be futile, he stopped begging and instead, trembling all over, glared at us with eyes that seemed to say, "Even as a ghost, I won't let you go." Unfortunately, in a place like this, even if he became a ghost, he couldn't do anything to us; he would most likely be left behind to continue being tortured and interrogated. Luoshan is indeed another name for hell.

Suddenly, his gaze fixed on me.

He glanced at the Unstable Sword of the Heretic in my hand, then at my face, and murmured to himself, "You, you are...where have I seen you before?"

The nameless pendant won't affect people who already know me. He'd seen me before, so naturally he remembered me. But back then I looked like I was twelve or thirteen. Right now, he seems just confused, not yet connecting me to the child in his memory.

Seeing that the other party seemed to recognize me, Fufeng paused for a moment, then gestured to the interrogator, who tactfully withdrew from the interrogation room.

I thought for a moment, then immediately transformed into my twelve or thirteen-year-old form, walked up to the senior researcher, and said, "Do you still recognize me?"

Mazao blinked. Fufeng merely raised an eyebrow, not saying anything in particular, while Dongche looked utterly surprised.

"You...it's you!"

Enemies meeting are bound to be furious. The senior researcher, his eyes bloodshot, shouted in a fit of rage, "Was it you who did this...? Ever since you showed up, everything has gone wrong! Did you lead Luo Shan and that Zhuang Cheng to our place?!"

“You know my name, don’t you? Or are you still being influenced by your past perceptions?” I said. “I am Zhuang Cheng.”

"What!?" The senior researcher was dumbfounded.

“So, you know how you might be treated afterward. If you don’t want that to happen, you’d better cooperate with us,” I said. “Do you know how to break free of your mental restraints?”

Upon hearing this, he gritted his teeth and, with a rather nonchalant attitude, said, "I don't know."

Seeing him like this, I've actually grown to like him a little. What awaits him is a hell of pain, three thousand times more intense than before. Even knowing it's unchangeable, how many people could remain so resolute? Even I don't know how I would react to such suffering. Although he's probably just putting on a brave face now and will soon break down, that doesn't stop me from admiring him.

"Fufeng, what is the probability of breaking a mental restriction through pain?"

I think as long as it's not zero, the problem should be solved by relying on the influence of the jinx constitution.

Fu Feng pondered, "That depends on the level of his mental restriction, but..."

“It’s zero.” Dongche gave a fairly clear answer. “I can observe that the restrictions in his soul are incredibly powerful, and they can’t be shaken by means of causing his personality to collapse.”

"Why would the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau possess such a powerful mental restriction spell? Even the level-one Wuchang masters in Luoshan, who are skilled in mental spells, might not be able to use such a restriction..."

His voice grew increasingly puzzled, and his gaze inexplicably drifted toward Asahi.

“Since even you say so, then it really is hopeless.” Fu Feng unexpectedly trusted Dong Che in this matter.

It seems that this time, I won't be able to solve the problem with my magical jinx constitution.

That was my original thought, but my "Lady Luck" once again exceeded my expectations.

Just then, Asaha raised his hand.

“I might know,” she said.

Fu Feng paused for a moment, then asked, "Know what?"

“I know what the password for the Humanitarian Affairs Department’s mental restraints is,” Asaho said.

(End of this chapter)