As Su Jin's investigation into the "Crimson Hand" deepened, her army successfully captured a warrior during a border skirmish. The prisoner was a member of the Crimson Hand, still dressed in their distinctive armor with the mysterious symbol etched across his chest—a symbol no one had yet been able to decipher. Su Jin realized this prisoner might hold the key to unlocking the secrets of the Crimson Hand and, most importantly, the elusive "Blood Sovereign." She needed to extract as much information as possible from him.
Su Jin entered the dungeon, the dim light casting flickering shadows across the stone walls. The air was damp and heavy with the smell of mildew. The prisoner was being held in the deepest cell, guarded by several soldiers who snapped to attention as Su Jin approached, their faces tense with anticipation. Since his capture, the prisoner had maintained an eerie silence, showing no fear or concern for his fate.
The cell door creaked open, and Su Jin stepped inside. The prisoner, a young man, sat shackled to the wall, his expression blank. His hands were bound by heavy chains, but his eyes betrayed a calm resolve, as if he was unbothered by his circumstances. This unnerving composure made Su Jin even more cautious.
"What is your name?" Su Jin asked in a measured tone. She knew that threats and violence might not work on someone so seemingly steadfast.
The prisoner remained silent, merely staring at her as if he was weighing every word, every gesture.
After a moment of thought, Su Jin changed her approach. "You, like the others in the Crimson Hand, are loyal to the one they call the Blood Sovereign. Tell me—who is your leader? Why does he hide in the shadows? What is your true purpose?"
At the mention of the Blood Sovereign, a flicker of emotion passed through the prisoner's eyes, brief but noticeable to Su Jin. It was clear that this leader held a deep significance to him.
"We cannot be defeated," the prisoner finally spoke, his voice low but filled with conviction. "Your kingdom is rotting from within. We are merely here to cleanse it, to build a new order."
Su Jin narrowed her eyes. "A new order? Who is the Blood Sovereign? What does he want?"
A cold smile crept onto the prisoner's lips. "You'll never understand. The Blood Sovereign's power is beyond your comprehension. When the time is right, everything will be revealed, and you will all bow before him."
Leaving the dungeon, Su Jin's mind was heavy with concern. The prisoner's confidence unsettled her. They weren't just facing a powerful army—they were confronting an ideology, one that sought to undermine her kingdom from the inside. This new enemy wasn't only challenging her military strength; they were attempting to erode the very foundations of her rule.
As Su Jin emerged from the dungeon, Gu Tingfeng joined her, his expression serious. "Your Highness, I've heard about the interrogation. It seems they hold an unshakable loyalty to this 'Blood Sovereign.' It may be difficult to extract any more useful information."
"Yes," Su Jin sighed, "the Blood Sovereign is more than just a leader to them. He is a figure of almost mythical reverence. We need to find out more about him."
Gu Tingfeng was silent for a moment before suggesting, "Perhaps we can use another strategy. If the prisoner won't cooperate, we could try to manipulate him into revealing more."
Su Jin nodded thoughtfully. "That may work, but it will require patience. We can't risk alerting them to our plans too early."
Over the next few days, Su Jin employed a new approach to the interrogation. Instead of pressuring the prisoner for information, they began to use psychological tactics. Conversations designed to mislead him were staged nearby, where the prisoner could overhear rumors of supposed internal strife within the kingdom. The idea was to make him believe that the Crimson Hand's plan was succeeding.
Eventually, the prisoner began to show signs of wavering. During one conversation, he inadvertently revealed a key detail about the Blood Sovereign's plans. He mentioned a critical upcoming operation—an attack on the capital itself. Su Jin realized then that the Blood Sovereign's true goal was to strike at the heart of her kingdom, to weaken the center of her rule.
Understanding the urgency of the situation, Su Jin immediately gathered her most trusted advisors and generals to devise a new defensive strategy. The enemy was advancing quickly, and she needed to prepare for the inevitable assault on the capital.
"We now have crucial intelligence. The enemy plans to attack the capital in the near future," Su Jin announced in a war council, her voice filled with determination. "Their goal is clear—they intend to cripple our kingdom by taking out its heart. We must not let them succeed."
Gu Tingfeng quickly agreed. "Yes, Your Highness. We need to reinforce the city's defenses and send more spies to track the Blood Sovereign's movements. The more we know, the better our chances of stopping them."
Zhang Huai added, "If we can create the illusion of weakness at certain key positions, we might be able to lure their forces into making a premature move, exposing their vulnerabilities."
Su Jin nodded. "That's a solid plan. We will deploy false defenses to draw out their vanguard, while our main forces remain hidden, ready to strike when they least expect it."
As the prisoner's secrets slowly came to light, Su Jin realized that the Crimson Hand's ambitions ran deeper than she had imagined. She had to be ready to confront this growing threat head-on, using every resource at her disposal to turn the tide. The coming battle would not only test her military might but also her ability to outwit an enemy that sought to destroy everything she had fought to build.