Chapter 126: The Assassin

The first prisoner Zhou Tian chose to interrogate was Blood Fiend. This was not only because Blood Fiend was the first criminal ringleader he had captured, but also because, among all the criminal organizations Zhou Tian had eradicated, the strength of that gang of human traffickers was arguably among the best.

Since he wanted information, it was natural to seek it from those in higher positions. Given that Blood Fiend could gather such a group under his command, he clearly possessed certain means. Zhou Tian was confident that if he could pry open the man’s mouth, he would obtain information that would satisfy him.

"Name?"

"..."

"Name?"

"..."

"Very well, so you won't talk!" Seeing that the man remained indifferent despite being asked twice, Zhou Tian realized his subordinates hadn't terrified him enough. He slammed the table and stood up from his seat.

The moment Zhou Tian rose, he felt Blood Fiend flinch in tension.

Seeing this reaction, Zhou Tian understood immediately: Blood Fiend was not truly unafraid of torture, nor did he possess the backbone he appeared to have. In Zhou Tian's view, the reason he refused to answer was either because he had some secret backup plan, or because there was something he feared even more than the threats Zhou Tian posed.

"Don't worry, I won't hit you or scold you." Under Blood Fiend's tense gaze, Zhou Tian walked over, patted his shoulder, and said, "We'll leave it at this for now. I'm going back to get some rest. I believe that when I return, you will be very willing to tell me everything you know." After speaking, Zhou Tian summoned a few guards, whispered a few instructions in their ears, and turned to leave.

Naturally, Zhou Tian would not resort to physical torture. There were too many ways on Earth to make someone tell the truth. Besides, he was a Bishop; if he used overly bloody methods and it reached the ears of outsiders, it would ultimately damage his image. Since that was the case, rather than using heavy physical torture, Zhou Tian decided to switch to methods that appeared gentle but were, in reality, far more insidious.

Zhou Tian ordered his guards to work in ten rotating shifts, continuously pressing Blood Fiend for answers. By denying him food, water, sanitation, and sleep, Zhou Tian did not believe Blood Fiend could hold out for long. Countless tough characters had fallen to this very tactic in the past; judging by Blood Fiend's earlier behavior, Zhou Tian doubted he could endure for long.

Having delegated the task to his men, Zhou Tian prepared to return and wait for good news. Once Blood Fiend opened his mouth and revealed who was behind the plot against him, Zhou Tian would not mind ‘repaying’ the favor.

However, Zhou Tian had ultimately underestimated his opponent.

"City Lord, something is wrong!" Just as Zhou Tian was taking an afternoon nap, a guard rushed into his room, jolting him awake.

"Speak! What is it?" Being awakened ruined his mood. Glancing at the guard, Zhou Tian demanded the reason for the intrusion.

"All those criminals have been killed. Even the brothers we assigned to guard them were not spared; they all fell to the enemy's treacherous hands!"

"What did you say?" Zhou Tian was shocked. He sat up on the bed and immediately pressed for details: "What exactly happened? Tell me!"

"Someone infiltrated our ranks of guards. Without us noticing, they entered the interrogation room and killed all the criminals we had captured."

"What were you all doing? Didn't I tell you to keep a close watch on them? How could you let them be slaughtered so easily? You..." Stopping there, he realized his soldiers were not particularly powerful; if the intruders were strong, they truly could not have stopped them. As his anger subsided, he asked, "What about the mole who infiltrated? Was he caught?"

"He is dead." The guard gave Zhou Tian an odd look before whispering, "After they succeeded in the assassination and were surrounded by us, all the assassins committed suicide."

"Oh, is that so? In that case, then..." Zhou Tian peered at the guard before him and suddenly asked, "Can you tell me, who exactly is your master?"

The guard’s expression shifted instantly. He pulled a dagger from his sleeve and lunged at Zhou Tian.

*Clang!* With a crisp sound, Zhou Tian had no intention of dodging. He stood his ground, took the blow, and then unleashed his Immortal-Binding Rope.

Yet, the moment the rope successfully restrained the assassin, the man bit his tongue and killed himself without a moment's hesitation.

"I was careless!" Seeing the opponent had committed suicide, Zhou Tian retracted the rope. He cast a casual glance at the assassin’s corpse before dragging it toward the interrogation room.

Zhou Tian truly had not expected those acting against him in the shadows to possess such influence and methods. At first, he hadn't taken the hidden enemy seriously, which was why he had left the interrogation room after assigning guards, simply because the process was time-consuming. He had not anticipated that his departure would provide the perfect opportunity for the enemy to silence their witnesses.

Furthermore, their boldness was extraordinary; they dared to assassinate him, a Bishop of the Church of Light and a Lord of the Yanhuang Empire. If Zhou Tian hadn't previously ordered his guards that under no circumstances were they allowed to enter his room without permission—on penalty of death—he might never have realized that the "guard" who entered his room was actually an assassin.

The strength of his opponent far exceeded Zhou Tian's expectations, allowing them to exploit a moment of vulnerability. Yet, they had also underestimated Zhou Tian’s own power. Even if they had severed all the leads, so what? If Zhou Tian was determined to find them, no matter how deeply they hid, they would inevitably be discovered.