Ye Tingyan said nothing at her words, glancing at the two of them thoughtfully before nodding. "Then I'll trouble you, third brother. His Majesty's health has only just begun to recover, and there must be no further mishaps this time."
With that, he turned and left. Although Ye Tingyu was unwilling, having learned his lesson from his two broken fingers, he dared not confront Ye Tinglan directly.
He snorted and quickly followed.
Feng Yinwan raised her eyes, her gaze falling on the direction they had left, and spoke softly.
"Ye Tingyu's poison seems to have been cured."
She hadn't detected any trace of the Fragrant Soul Curse from Ye Tingyu earlier, and combined with his complexion, the poison should have been resolved.
But the problem was, the Fragrant Soul Curse had no antidote, and ordinary medicine could hardly suppress it. So how was the poison in Ye Tingyu's body cured?
Ye Tinglan had heard her mention this matter before. His brow twitched slightly at her words, and he pursed his lips.
"Let's return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation first."
The large group of rebels being purged was supposed to be cause for celebration, but after interrogating them from beginning to end, not a single piece of useful information was obtained. Feng Yinwan's mood grew solemn.
Clearing out the Imperial Guards and dismantling the Empress's forces was only the first step. More importantly, they had to eliminate the remaining remnants and identify the person who had fought Ye Tinglan in the storeroom that day.
A supreme master could fight a hundred, and these Imperial Guards were nothing compared to that person.
Yet, the interrogations here yielded nothing, and the Chang Le Palace had been unusually quiet these past two days.
Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she rose from her seat.
"Bring in the person we captured earlier. I will interrogate them myself."
"Yes!"
The guard quickly brought the person in.
She had been to the interrogation room many times in the past two days and was somewhat familiar with various torture devices. Glancing at the man, she instructed.
"Hang him up."
The guard complied, dragging the man to a rack nearby. With a clatter of chains, the man's hands and feet were shackled.
Several days of interrogation had already numbed him. Seeing this, he merely looked up before allowing the guards to hoist him up.
Feng Yinwan's gaze swept across the examination table before her, and she made no move.
"I don't have time for beating around the bush. To get straight to the point, I am the new Sect Master of the Xuan Sect. Answer my questions truthfully, or you will know what methods I will use to deal with you."
Unlike ordinary prison sentences, the Xuan Sect dealt with traitors using elixirs.
That was not merely physical pain; it was torture in the truest sense!
The man clearly hadn't expected Feng Yinwan to say this, nor did he expect her to be the new Sect Master of the Xuan Sect. His body trembled, and his face instantly changed.
Feng Yinwan glanced at him, coldness slowly seeping from her eyes.
"If you don't want to suffer, cooperate properly."
"Yes..."
Seeing his genuine fear, Feng Yinwan's sharp gaze softened slightly as she spoke.
"I ask you, besides the Imperial Guards, are there any other remnants in the palace? What are their identities, and how do they usually communicate?"
"Three questions. Think carefully before answering. If the result is not to my satisfaction..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but the man was already trembling and starting to respond.
"Return... return, Your Excellency. Besides the Imperial Guards, there are indeed others who belong to the Empress's faction, but..."
Sensing the sudden chill emanating from in front of him, the man flinched and dared not look directly.
After a pause, he continued, "But they are all of very high rank, directly under the Empress. We usually have no contact with them, so we naturally don't know their identities. As for how they communicate... that's even less known."
He had only answered one of the three questions, and it was the least important one. The moment he finished speaking, he felt like he was about to freeze to death.
As expected, Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes darkened. A silver needle flew out, embedding itself directly in his chest.
Blood circulation was blocked, and a numb, stiff sensation spread immediately.
Feng Yinwan raised her hand, three elixirs now appearing in her palm.
She glanced at him, her tone extremely calm, yet terrifying.
"Choose one."
There were no names inscribed on the three elixirs, but being a villain, cultivating poisonous elixirs was commonplace. The man could tell from their appearance that each elixir was more potent than the last, all designed to bring one to the brink of death without being fatal, and to recur.
Who the hell said righteous path cultivators don't refine poison and are all useless?
Any one of these elixirs could play him to death!
His face was pale with fear, and he didn't dare to speak. Feng Yinwan, however, raised an eyebrow.
"Not choosing? Do you want all three?"
"..."
"Fine, this Master will grant your wish."
"!!!"
She had no intention of negotiating with him. Feng Yinwan raised her hand, twisted her wrist, and dislocated his jaw before shoving the three elixirs into his mouth.
How could the man have expected her to be so decisive and go through with it? Seeing this, he thrashed his limbs with all his might as if fighting for his life.
The chains clanged, accompanied by the man's muffled screams, making the scene even more horrifying than the execution room next door.
"Your Excellency, spare me... Everything I said is true. I have told you everything I know. I truly know nothing else...!"
He was on the verge of madness, forced by the three elixirs.
Seeing this, Feng Yinwan knew he was not lying. Her expression darkened, and she flicked her hand, flinging him back.
The lead had gone cold again.
It seemed this matter was more complex than she had imagined.
As her brow furrowed, the interrogation room door was knocked. Ye Tinglan stood outside, his gaze directed towards her, tinged with a hint of weariness.
These past two days, Ye Tingyu and Ye Tingyan had gathered some ministers outside, who had jointly impeached Ye Tinglan for arbitrary rule and treasonous intent.
His appearance suggested he had just returned from dealing with court affairs.
Feng Yinwan's expression shifted slightly, and she stepped out of the interrogation room.
The wind outside was bleak and cold. The moment she stepped out, the biting wind struck like a blade.
Feng Yinwan hadn't worn a cloak when she arrived. As the cold wind seeped in, she instinctively hunched her neck. This movement caused Ye Tinglan's brow to subtly furrow. He raised his hand and took off his own cloak, handing it to her.
Made of fine soft satin, it felt soft and fluffy on her, still carrying a hint of warmth. Feng Yinwan didn't stand on ceremony and wrapped herself in it.
She had intended to ask him why he had come, but before she could, he spoke first.
"Was the interrogation smooth?"
This question hit the mark. Feng Yinwan pursed her lips and replied truthfully, "No."
It was like a massive stone sinking into the abyss. Despite all these actions, on the surface it seemed advantageous, but in reality, it was all sound and fury, signifying nothing. There were no substantive gains.
This was what unsettled her the most.
Ye Tinglan, aware of the situation, his dark eyes deepened. However, he changed the subject.
"We don't need to rush this matter for now. There is something else I need to discuss with you."