029: Ruthless
Roch, who was also paying attention to the scene outside the protective barrier of the Earth Wall took this perfect opportunity to finish the enemy.
He was planning to kill the two enemies in one fell swoop but plans couldn't keep up with the changes so he settled his heart to quickly finish the only enemy in front for fear of further unexpected changes since the other one already escaped.
The already deadly music intensified, so much that as Zemirah watched the frost cover the crushed roses around, she actually felt a slight burning sensation.
The once romantic sea of roses turned into a death tomb prepared for their enemies.
The trapped demonic cultivator screamed like a madman, fighting with all her power knowing that if she didn't, this would be the last time she'd be breathing on this world.
Demonic Cultivators are all afraid of death and greedy for power, the one in front of them is no different.
"Young Master! I'm begging you! I'll tell you anything you want, spare me!" A hoarse female voice sounded amidst her painful screams. Like a resentful ghost calling for someone in the silent night.
Roch acted like he didn't hear anything and continued playing with his flute artifact. His slender finger moved smoothly without any hesitation at all. The ruthlessness being portrayed by him was seen clearly by Zemirah.
Deep in her heart, she was shocked at this unfamiliar sight but also had a faint feeling in her heart like it was expected.
A man like Roch, who is obviously someone born in power, would never make low-level mistakes like giving mercy to the enemy. The cultivation world followed the rule where the strong ruled while the weak could only be played in their palms.
Zemirah gradually understood this fact, so she was not disgusted. It was just that she thought that killing the enemy who was willing to submit was not worth it. Anyway, that person still has value.
Thinking of this, Zemirah stood up and went to Roch.
Roch felt Zemirah's presence nearby and opened his starry black eyes. With a gentle questioning look, the ruthless face was hidden, Roch blinked at Zemirah since he couldn't speak.
Zemirah whispered, "Let me imprison her in my artifact, she's still useful."
"She's a Foundation Building Realm demonic cultivator." He said in a mind transmission, implying that she is only at the Energy Refinement Realm which is a realm lower.
Zemirah smiled and reassured the man, "Don't worry, my artifact is amazing." With that, she raised her wrist where a pearl bracelet lay.
The man looked at the slender snow-white hands and then to her wrist before turning his attention to the bracelet artifact.
To be called amazing by the woman in front of him, it's unsurprisingly a Celestial Quality artifact.
"My artifact is called [Frost Bone Captive Pearl Bracelet], it specializes in imprisonment and torture." Zemirah didn't tell the specific situation of her artifact, a little wary of exposing her wealth that may lead to disaster.
Roch gave the woman who blinked at him to hide her uneasiness, he knew that she wanted to help but didn't want to expose her treasure. Though he already knew it, which made Roch smile.
"Okay, you capture her in my cue."
Only after confirming the artifact's function and quality did Roch agree to Zemirah. He also wants to capture the enemy to torture information but capturing alive is more difficult than killing.
Now that Zemirah has found a way, of course, Roch wouldn't let it go to waste.
Roch movements suddenly changed and made a sudden attack that the demonic cultivator didn't guard against, causing her injury to become more serious.
The deathly music invaded every part of her body and even her soul.
"Do it!"
Zemirah used her spiritual energy to activate the bracelet, the bracelet artifact released a blue light to the demonic cultivator then she disappeared into the bracelet. Successfully capturing the Foundation Building Realm enemy.
"It's done!" Zemirah cheered as she checked the prisoner in her bracelet. The demonic cultivator was stunned at the sudden changes, not figuring out what had happened.
Roch put down his flute artifact, sighing in relief that everything had finally ended. Although one escaped, they at least captured the other demonic cultivator.
"How is it?" Roch wanted to know what happened to the demonic cultivator. He has seen trapping artifacts before but the one in Zemirah's hands is a Celestial-Quality one so it must've its own merit.
"She's inside my bracelet. We can ask for information while she is inside since the bracelet has its own torture function but I never tried it before." Zemirah was quite worried that she might mess up. She never did this bloody thing like torturing someone for information.
Letting her offer to imprison and torture someone already took all her strength to suppress the conscience she had as a modern person. That conscience is not needed in the world of cultivation or else you would be the one swallowed alive.
"It's okay, she wouldn't die that easily." Roch nodded. Anyway, even if that demonic cultivator really died, he would not care.
She was supposed to die at his hands earlier, but delaying it is not much different. Zemirah can also use this chance to experience more.
Roch noticed that Zemirah was a person who could easily feel compassion and didn't have much blood in her hand. Although it was not bad, Roch didn't want Zemirah to fall because of those things. He would rather show his cold-blooded side to let her see the dark side of the world than let her suffer in the future.
"Okay, I'll start now?" Zemirah was quite nervous. She inhaled to calm her rapidly beating heart.
She urged her spiritual energy and activated the artifact. The imprison function was used earlier and now Zemirah was going to use the last torture function.
She did not really know how the prisoner would tortured but Zemirah had the premonition it would be worse than death.
Sure enough, it is so.
A piercing cold sensation attacked the female demonic cultivator. From her skin to her flesh then her bones. From her mind to her soul. Everything seems to be surrounded by the dark ice from the coldest abyss.
It was so cold she wanted to burn herself.
"AH!"
"HELP! PLEASE!"
"STOP! I'll tell you anything you want!!!"
Zemirah's hands shook at the painful screams. she wanted to stop the second she heard the first scream but steeled herself not to.
She chanted in her heart again and again that the person inside her bracelet was an enemy who wanted to take her life a few minutes ago. Zemirah keeps telling herself that giving mercy to the enemy is hurting oneself.
Although she killed before, those people died quickly unlike the one right now where she was actually inducing pain.
Roch saw Zemirah's reaction. The shaking of her fingers was subtle but the sudden paleness of her face told him Zemirah was not feeling good. Just as the prisoner inside was being tortured, Zemirah was also being tortured as she felt her morals being eaten away.
The dark thoughts were about to devour Zemirah when a slender hand suddenly held hers. The warmth from those hands transferred to her cold ones. Roch held Zemirah's hands without thinking much and pinched her fingers, attracting her attention.
It was effective as Zemirah's thoughts were pulled away from the negative pit awaiting her.
"You okay?" Roch whispered softly.
Zemirah nodded slowly, "Thank you."
Roch was still worried but Zemirah flashed him a smile through her eyes. "Let's start asking for information?"
Seeing her change the subject, Roch didn't force it and nodded.
"I'll tell you what to ask."
"Okay."
Roch asked many questions, from who sent her, what was her specific mission, is she related to the other demonic cultivator's activities, and more.
Zemirah honestly repeated Roch's questions and told Roch the answers from the female demonic cultivator. When the demonic cultivator hesitated, she would use the torture function to remind her she had no choice but to answer honestly.
It didn't take long before the interrogation finished. Roch said that the prisoner could stay in her bracelet for a while as he would contact his subordinates to fetch her when the time came.
From the answers given by the female demonic cultivator, Zemirah learned many inside stories. One of the shocking ones is that the person aside from Martin who is one of Roch's subordinates is the Jade Teal Town Lord but he was a spy.
That spy was a demonic cultivator that is proficient in disguise.
This made Zemirah anxious for Martin since they were together per Roch's order.
Seeing her worry, Roch smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, Martin already knew he was suspicious and was on guard."
"That's good." Zemirah sighed in relief, not wanting Martin to be harmed. She thought that someone like Martin who was so knowledgeable in food should not die.
"Should we go meet them?" Zemirah asked. Although she did not know what is Roch's plan regarding the traitor, she wouldn't question it.
Roch nodded, "I'll clean up the mess first then meet them."
The surrounding was in ruins with the sea of roses nowhere in sight. It was so obvious that a fight just happened and Roch did not want anyone to meddle in his affairs.
He took precautions before isolating all the sounds coming from here to not alert anyone, especially any spies watching him like the Jade Teal Town Lord.
Zemirah watched Roch make a seal and the surroundings seemed to have an invisible hand that cleaned up all the mess. the crushed roses turned to dust while the uneven land caused by her talisman was flattened.
"How about the roses?" Such a big bald spot in the sea of roses is eye-catching. Zemirah doesn't have the desire to ruin this beautiful place thus her question.
Roch blinked and smiled, "I'll have my subordinates plant the roses."
He has no flower seeds on his body so he can't do it.
Zemirah remembered that she got a bunch of seeds from Verona. She recalled that a pack of rose seeds was there.
"I seem to have the rose seeds on me, I'm just not sure if they are the same roses as the ones here," Zemirah murmured.
Roch raised a brow, "It's fine, as long as it's a rose. You can see that the roses here are mixed."
Zemirah noticed it too and smiled happily, "That's good."
Zemirah took out the packet of rose seeds from her space ring and checked if the ones in her hands were real rose seeds. "Here it is."
She handed them to Roch.
Roch took it with a question mark on his head and saw Zemirah smile cutely, "I don't know how to plant them."
Roch wanted to ask if he looked like he knew it but decided against it after seeing her looking at him with her eyes so focused that she knew he could do it.
And so, the young master of Whitelock House suddenly learned the art of planting flowers.