The world was pitch black. The dark cloud that had gathered atop the island, threatening to form a heavenly tribulation, had vanished, chasing Ye Xuanming. However, even though that particular cloud was gone, the night sky was still veiled by vast dark clouds, blocking the light of the moon and stars and making the world a dark and somber place. The nights on the island where Water Tower City resided were usually filled with the sounds of insects chirping, owls hooting, wolves howling, trees rustling, water rushing, and more. But the island’s recent devastation had silenced most of that. Now, only the chirping of insects and the rumbling of shattered mountains—their integrity lost and threatening to become landslides—broke the oppressive quiet.

  On the side of the island, where the waves of the sea crashed against a cliff face, there was a cave. Within this cave, a small bonfire crackled, sending a plume of white smoke toward the ceiling. A man tended the fire, and chained to the cave wall was his prisoner.

  The man tending the fire walked to the sea, filled a pitch-black bowl with water, and returned to the cave. He splashed the water onto his prisoner. As the cold water drenched his face, his eyes fluttered open, confusion flickering across them for a moment before giving way to alarm. He tried to move, but his limbs were all chained. When he tried to circulate his qi, it felt sluggish, and its movement created immense pain, causing him to grimace.

  This man was Liu Xing. His body was covered in blood, mud, and bruises. His face was dirty, his hair was damp, and after suppressing the pain he felt, his eyes were cold and focused. Beneath that coldness and focus, however, was an ocean of sadness and regret, as well as the crushing thought that he was a failure. Images of Qing Yuan being turned into a pill and crushed in Ye Xuanming’s mouth, Qing Lian’s head exploding, Su Nian being torn to shreds, and his friends being swallowed by a black snake and teleported away played in his mind over and over again. Still, while these emotions raged inside him, he directed his anger toward the man standing before him, who held a bowl made of ink. The man's crimson eyes reminded Liu Xing of Ye Xuanming, but his white hair and black circles around his eyes revealed that he was not Ye Xuanming. Rather, this man was an annoying opponent and one of the reasons he had failed.

  "You're finally awake," Hua Beifeng stated calmly.

  Liu Xing tried to cycle his qi to break free from the chains and rip the man's throat apart. Since he could not, he opted to spit at the man instead. His saliva flew from his mouth, but Hua Beifeng simply dodged to the side, letting the spit land on the bonfire. His face remained calm as he raised a hand and swung it, the crisp sound of the slap echoing in the cave.

  "You must be wondering why you are still alive. It's for two reasons."

  The man walked toward the side of the cave. Only then did Liu Xing realize that they weren't alone. Lining the walls were his paintings. One was of a cat girl, which he had painted on a whim. The second was a portrait of himself and his friends from the past. There were also landscape paintings that he didn't care much about, such as one of himself flying in the air. Seeing these paintings made his anger subside for a moment.

  "These are your paintings, right?" the man pointed.

  Liu Xing was silent for a while as his brain began to work. The last thing he remembered was being swallowed by a giant bat made from ink. He remembered the pain as its razor-sharp teeth bit into him. He looked down at his body and realized its bite marks were still there, leaking blood. That bat was strong enough to pierce his body, even though it was strengthened by Diamond Pills. By all means, that bat could have killed him. Hua Beifeng could have killed him. And yet, instead of being dead once again, he was alive. Badly hurt, but still alive and able to recover. That thought made Liu Xing pause. He was still alive.

  "So what?" Liu Xing answered.

  "I just wanted to say that these paintings are unique and deserve to be appreciated." He nodded. "As a painter myself, I can see that you pour your heart into your paintings, especially this one," he pointed to the portrait of his past self with his friends.

  Liu Xing looked at that painting for a while, and he felt as if his heart were being sliced by a sharp sword. He remembered he had died once at Ye Xuanming’s hands, and while he didn't know how he had come back to life, the mission Niu gave him had almost failed because of it. Then, his mind suddenly conjured the faces of Qing Yuan, Fang Ruxue, Su Nian, and even Qing Lian. He felt a wave of helplessness wash over him, and his tongue felt bitter, as if he had just crushed and swallowed a cockroach.

  "What is your other reason?" Liu Xing asked, trying to distract his brain from reminding him of how weak and pathetic he was.

  "It's the real reason I took a risk and decided to spare you," Hua Beifeng walked back and stood in front of him, both hands clasped behind his back. His crimson eyes looked at him with focus, and his qi leaked out from his body, conveying a heavy malice that made the world feel colder. "I wanted to ask you about a man named Yu Yongrui. I know you have information about him."

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  "I don't know him," Liu Xing instantly replied.

  The man slapped him again, the sound echoing within the cave.

  Liu Xing sharpened his gaze and looked at Hua Beifeng, his eyes shining with defiance, as if daring Hua Beifeng to slap him again. His refusal to divulge information about Yu Yongrui did not stem from a desire to protect him, and it certainly wasn't from any camaraderie because they belonged to the same sect. Instead, he just wanted to deny Hua Beifeng the one thing he wanted. His logical mind was beginning to discern the situation; there had to be a reason this man was looking for Yu Yongrui, and he could use it as leverage. Still, deep anger rumbled inside his heart, accompanied by sadness, regret, and self-deprecating feelings that made him feel as if he were suffocating.

  Hua Beifeng asked him again about Yu Yongrui. Liu Xing denied him an answer. The sound of slaps filled the small cave.

  As Hua Beifeng slapped him back and forth, Liu Xing began to understand his predicament. The chains that restricted him, he realized, were no ordinary chains. They were special, borderline treasures typically used to suppress cultivators. Still, there was a limit to their effectiveness, and these chains were usually supported by other means. Liu Xing realized that there was a paper talisman on the back of his head suppressing his qi, several nails lodged deep in his shoulders to weaken his body, a needle near his heart connected to a suppressing formation, and who knew how many other methods Hua Beifeng had employed. Still, he realized that Hua Beifeng hadn't tried to completely suppress him, because he needed Liu Xing to talk.

  "What a stubborn man," Hua Beifeng commented after another slap, his eyes filled with annoyance. "My one and only goal is to kill Yu Yongrui."

  Liu Xing was silent.

  "Start talking," he commanded. "I could kill you right here and now if I wanted to."

  The silence stretched for a while until Liu Xing finally opened his mouth. "It seems that you have no experience with this kind of situation."

  Not that he had any experience. He had never been interrogated like this, nor had he ever been the one interrogating. Still, he knew for a fact that Hua Beifeng wouldn't kill him because he was desperate for information about Yu Yongrui. The truth was, Liu Xing didn't actually have much useful information. Still, the little he had seemed to be very valuable to Hua Beifeng.

  At that moment, Liu Xing decided on a simple plan. He could still feel a connection to his gun, which meant he could summon it in an instant. However, since he was chained and his body and qi were restricted, summoning the gun at the wrong time would be disastrous.

  "I will talk," Liu Xing continued, "but only if you release me from these suppressions."

  "Indeed, I am a novice at this sort of thing. I am an artist first and foremost. However, you are insulting my intelligence. Do you think I don't see the murder in your eyes? I know for a fact that your hatred for me is the same as my hatred for Yu Yongrui. The moment I free you, you will lunge at me and try to kill me."

  "Don't you have any confidence in your power?"

  "I have," he stated. "I am stronger than you. When I said that I could kill you anytime I wanted, it was not a lie."

  "So free me. Then I will talk."

  Hua Beifeng pinched his chin. Then, he began to look at the chains that restricted Liu Xing's arms and legs. Liu Xing schooled his face to be as calm as possible and tried to stabilize his heart. But inside, he was hoping his words would work, that Hua Beifeng was naive enough to believe him. The heart in his chest wanted to thump with anticipation. From what he knew, Hua Beifeng fought using that brush of his, creating objects or creatures that he could control freely. That kind of technique was quite versatile, and he was sure that it was at the very least an Earth Grade technique. Still, he needed to be free first so he could execute his next plan, even though he risked a fight with an enemy while he was still suppressed.

  Liu Xing looked at Hua Beifeng with a calm face, waiting for his answer. And then, Hua Beifeng nodded.

  "Alright, it seems it is the only way for you to talk." As he said that, he cycled his qi in a specific pattern, and instantly, the chains that restricted Liu Xing's limbs shattered, and he landed on his feet.

  For a moment, there was only silence between them, while the wind howled outside the cave. He needed to summon his gun, but while the chains were shattered, there were still talismans and treasures restricting him.

  "You're free from the chains," Hua Beifeng said. "As for the other suppressions, I'll free you once you give me all the information you have."

  Liu Xing’s brain began to work, trying to find the best path forward. He decided he needed to buy time to find the best moment to discreetly summon his gun. He thought for a full second before he finally decided that the only way to buy time was to talk about Yu Yongrui. He realized that giving up the information freely was a bad choice. He was still suppressed, and his logic dictated that once he spilled everything, Hua Beifeng would likely kill him. After all, it was evident that Hua Beifeng had gone against Ye Xuanming’s order to kill him, so to protect himself from the wrath of the Patriarch of the Nether Lotus Sect, it was only logical to kill Liu Xing after he got what he wanted.

  Still, Liu Xing had no other choice, so he decided to carefully release the information about Yu Yongrui.

  "Alright, first, I'll describe his appearance."

  Liu Xing decided to sit, crossing his legs and positioning his right arm behind his body, obstructing it from Hua Beifeng's view. When Hua Beifeng decided to sit and said, "Continue."

  Liu Xing inhaled deeply, looking for the perfect time to finally summon his gun.

  keep the lights on.