Qing Furen was forcibly pinned down by the shadow soldiers, kneeling in front of Ji Xia.
"You are Ji Xia? This strange soldier... was summoned by a spirit summoning array?" he asked, his face devoid of any panic.
"Don't trouble yourself, esteemed National Master. Do you know why I've captured you alive?" Ji Xia, only twenty years old, exuded the demeanor of a ruler who had been in power for decades.
"It's simply to threaten the Lord of the Zhouqing Kingdom. You just offended the Jiuquan Kingdom. Do you dare to kill me? If you do, you'll have enemies on both sides—only a dead end awaits you!" Qing Furen sneered, a confident smile forming on his face.
Ji Xia nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed, that is the reason. However, I have another question for you, National Master."
His gaze locked onto Qing Furen, who was still grinning smugly. Ji Xia continued slowly, "If I remember correctly, Zhouqing has not made any moves against Taicang for the past six months, despite having troops stationed at Mount Cangqing. Do you know why?"
"Do you really think that just because you've captured me, I'll tell you everything? Even if I were to reveal some secrets, would you trust me?" Qing Furen's lips curled in disdain. "You're far too immature compared to your father. It's laughable."
"Would you, National Master, do me a small favor and share some past events between Zhouqing and Taicang? It will help me plan future relations between our two kingdoms."
"Plan? What's there to plan? Once Zhouqing finishes this grand project, the human race of Taicang will be nothing more than our food supplies during the long winter." Qing Furen scoffed.
"Are you truly unwilling to speak?" Ji Xia asked, unphased by Qing Furen's mocking gaze.
Qing Furen looked at him as though he were an idiot. Ji Xia, ignoring his expression, spoke calmly, "How about we make a bet?"
"If I manage to make you willingly reveal everything I want to know, will you acknowledge me as your grandfather?"
Qing Furen's expression turned from amused to furious. "How dare you insult me, you little brat?"
Ji Xia shrugged nonchalantly. "Why be so anxious, National Master? If you refuse to speak, I'll just let you go…"
"My lord!"
Lu Yu, the Governor of Taicang, rushed in, unable to hide his concern. He was still uneasy about the crown prince, whose past was filled with incidents. As the current ruler of Taicang, the prince might act impulsively and set free such a dangerous individual—what then?
Hearing Ji Xia's words, Qing Furen immediately suppressed his anger, laughing. "Little brat, you think you can find a way to let me go? Don't worry, if you release me, one day, when Zhouqing breaks through Taicang, I'll make sure you get a whole corpse left behind!"
Ji Xia nodded, satisfied. "How about we make an oath under the witness of Lord Lu?"
The Lu Father's Oath was one of the most effective and binding vows in the boundless wilderness. Lord Lu was a god with enormous power, and once this oath was in place, Lord Lu would supervise it. Any violation of the oath would result in the violator's instant death. Countless people had perished due to breaking this vow.
Qing Furen lowered his head in thought, before looking up at Ji Xia. "Fine. We'll let Lord Lu witness this. If you manage to make me reveal the secrets, I will acknowledge you as my grandfather. If not, you must release me."
Ji Xia immediately summoned Zhao Qu, who began sketching a complex array on the ground. Lu Yu and Zhao Qu stood nearby, their faces dark. Zhao Qu even sighed and muttered under his breath, undoubtedly cursing the crown prince of Taicang, who often acted on a whim.
Finally, the array was completed. It formed a circular frame, within which were intricately arranged runes. At the center were two eyes that seemed to be staring directly at anyone who looked at them. No matter from which angle, those eyes appeared to follow you, and there were two tiny runes within the pupils that no one could decipher.
Ji Xia walked up to the array, and the Sword of Vengeance materialized in his hand. With a quick slice of his finger, a drop of blood fell into the array.
Several shadow soldiers dragged Qing Furen forward. Ji Xia's companion, Ji Qianqing, drew the Qingjun Sword and fiercely stabbed it into Qing Furen's arm. Qing Furen's spiritual wheel was sealed, and his spiritual power was rendered useless. Blood poured from the wound, staining the ground.
Qing Furen let out a pained scream, glaring at Ji Qianqing, but she acted as though she hadn't noticed, sheathed her sword, and stood behind Ji Xia.
As Qing Furen's blood mingled with the array, it suddenly emitted an eerie aura. Both Ji Xia and Qing Furen seemed to see an ancient god watching them, surrounded by countless tormented souls howling and writhing in agony, but to no avail.
In the blink of an eye, the strange aura disappeared. However, Ji Xia felt a connection to some divine force, as if an invisible rule had been established.
The Lu Father's Oath was now in effect. There was no need for them to speak it aloud—Lord Lu would know the content of the oath if both parties willingly agreed to it.
Ji Xia nodded in satisfaction. He grasped the Sword of Vengeance and pointed it directly at Qing Furen. "Why has Zhouqing been silent for the past six months, despite having troops stationed at Mount Cangqing? What are you planning?"
Qing Furen tried to suppress a laugh. "Boy, do you think that just because you have a sword pointed at my throat, I'll be afraid…" His voice trailed off, and a tremendous voice suddenly echoed in his mind, commanding him, ordering him: "Tell him!"
"Quick! Tell him!"
Qing Furen's consciousness was immediately overwhelmed by the voice. His remaining willpower fought back, but it was futile.
Ji Xia felt the Sword of Vengeance tremble slightly. He could sense the sword's power being activated, yet it struggled against Qing Furen's strong will.
"The true power of the Sword of Vengeance seems to have limitations. When facing someone of divine strength, whose will is firm, even this weapon finds it difficult to force them. Moreover, this is while Qing Furen's spiritual wheel is sealed. If his wheel were still active, I doubt the sword could have broken him," Ji Xia mused inwardly. "Perhaps it's because I, its owner, am too weak to truly empower it."
Despite this thought, Ji Xia continued to glare at the trembling Qing Furen and shouted, "Tell me!"
The vast voice roared in Qing Furen's mind, crushing his remaining will. With a low, guttural growl, his consciousness was completely subdued.
Under the astonished gazes of Lu Yu, Ji Qianqing, Zhao Qu, and the others, Qing Furen's eyes became vacant, his pupils dilated. Slowly, he spoke:
"The Daofu Kingdom sent emissaries to Zhouqing, ordering us to mine the Chi Yan stones. If we extract 30,000 jin of these stones, Zhouqing will receive a spiritual talisman and have one wish granted!"
"Our 15,000 soldiers, apart from the 4,000 stationed at Cangqing Mountain, have all been sent to the Chi Yan Mountain in the northern part of Zhouqing to mine the stones."
"What wish?" Ji Xia asked.
"Currently, we've mined almost 20,000 jin of Chi Yan stones. Our lord has promised the Daofu Kingdom that once we've mined the remaining 10,000 jin, they will send powerful warriors to slaughter all the Taicang soldiers. At that time, Zhouqing's army will enter Taicang and take control of both Taicang and Cangzhou cities, enslaving the human race…" Lu Yu's expression darkened, his face as ominous as a storm cloud.
"Then why did you come to Taicang to assassinate the former king?" Ji Xia pressed. "Just wait quietly."
Qing Furen's face shifted. His lifeless eyes suddenly showed a flicker of emotion. "I happened to learn that Ji Shang had a seed from the Tianwu Tree, one that could be planted in the spiritual wheel. This seed would grow into a spiritual fetus and reach the Spiritual Master realm. The seed would protect the fetus and provide endless spiritual energy!"
"I didn't want the Daofu strongmen to seize it first, so I tried to assassinate Ji Shang while he was severely injured. But when I arrived, Ji Shang had already died, and the Tianwu seed withered along with his spiritual wheel…"
Ji Xia nodded silently. Just as he was about to put down the Sword of Vengeance, a thought struck him. "Your cultivation method is called the Dark Dust Manifestation Technique, right? Tell me all its secrets and key points, and let the Ghost Recorder document them."
The Ghost Recorder bowed in response.
Qing Furen, like a puppet, mechanically recited the techniques and key points of the Dark Dust Manifestation Technique. The Ghost Recorder did not use pen and paper but instead stood silently next to Qing Furen, listening intently. As soon as Qing Furen finished, the Ghost Recorder bowed to Ji Xia. "Your Majesty, all has been recorded."