Otherworldly Affairs Office-Chapter 708: Aftermath of the Battle - Part 2 (Request Subscription)

Watching Zhao Yuanhu run out of the room with a flushed face after their argument, Pei Yan knew for sure that the other party had feelings for him. Feeling satisfied and elated, Pei Yan wasn't in a hurry to pursue further; there were more important matters awaiting his attention.

He quickly got dressed and headed downstairs, just in time to meet Pei Jin serving the dishes. Pei Yan hurried forward, taking the food from his sister's hands, and asked, "What time is it now? How long have I been asleep?" He feared he had overslept and missed his rendezvous with Shitang Longsi.

"It's four in the afternoon now. You came back after a restless night and slept until now." Pei Jin wiped her greasy hands with a tissue and teased her brother, "Eat up; I knew you'd be hungry when you woke up. What did you say to Zhao Yuanhu? She was so flustered, she ran back without even speaking to me."

"You don't know what I said to her?" Pei Yan replied, taking a bite of a bun. "Wasn't it your plan to have her look after me? Half of your and Mom's wish is fulfilled. Once everything here is settled, I'll…" He left the sentence unfinished, noticing Jiang Feiyang entering the room, knowing that if he discovered their situation, the whole hall would find out, and Pei Yan wasn't ready to make his relationship with Zhao Yuanhu public.

Understanding her brother, Pei Jin didn't press further and quietly sat down. Just then, Jiang Feiyang, with dark circles under his eyes, approached the table and stuffed a bun into his mouth.

"How's Li Songtao doing?" Pei Yan asked with a laugh, seeing his appearance.

Jiang Feiyang swallowed the bun and sat beside Pei Yan, massaging his forehead with a sigh, "Don't even mention it. That stubborn fool is tough as nails. As soon as his condition improved, people from the Immortal Palace arrived. The Investigation Bureau and the Immortal Palace took turns questioning him, using every method in the book!"

He shook his head as if recalling something terrifying, shivered involuntarily, and said with lingering fear, "Pei Zi, I'm telling you, I witnessed methods today that made the techniques I used on Little Friedrich look like child's play. Compared to them, I'm practically a saint. If it were me under such interrogation, I'd confess to the color of my underwear, but Li Songtao hasn't said a word. He's incredible!"

Jiang Feiyang got up, took a bowl of meat porridge from Pei Jin, thanked her, and sat back down. As the warm porridge settled his pallor, Pei Yan couldn't help but be curious, seeing such a sly person express such admiration, "Are there none of those so-called memory-extracting techniques? They didn't work either?"

"They're using them now!" Jiang Feiyang answered, eating salted vegetables, "But I heard from the Immortal Palace elder in charge of the soul search that there's a significant restriction in his mind. Breaking it will take at least ten days or half a month, but in ten days to half a month? Li Songtao may not even survive. Even if he lives and divulges information, the Immortal Palace election would be underway, and God knows what moves the Divine Will might have taken!"

Hearing this, Pei Yan felt a little deflated, which was expected. Li Songtao was known for his resilience, and that's why he was transferred from the Investigation Bureau to the Immortal Palace. Whether his methods would work later was uncertain. Sighing, Pei Yan muttered, "So all that effort last night was for nothing."

Jiang Feiyang, taking another bun after finishing one, shook his head, "It's not all for nothing. The Immortal Palace did gain something."

"Oh? Did Suhabaru reveal something?" Pei Yan's eyes lit up with excitement.

Jiang Feiyang ate and replied, "No way. You know how badly Suhabaru got beaten, worse than Li Songtao. Jiang Donghu, who was sent to monitor the Immortal Palace's interrogation, reported that the guy was emaciated. He's been in critical condition since he was brought back and hasn't recovered. It's not him; it was someone internal to the Immortal Palace!"

Leaning closer, Jiang Feiyang whispered, "You know what happened to Lin Daozi who secretly competed with you last night?"

"Yes, what's up?"

Jiang Feiyang looked gleeful, "He got agitated by your words and investigated the six mansions of the Immortal Palace. I don't know the details, but rumors say several insiders colluding with the Underworld's eighteen divisions were caught. This morning, the six mansions, along with the four major sects and the participating sects of the Heroes Pavilion, conducted a massive citywide raid. You should have seen the spectacle!"

"Hmph!"

Seeing Pei Yan scoff disdainfully, Jiang Feiyang laughed, "What? Did you see through it?"

"A massive spectacle?" Pei Yan reclined with his bun, chewing slowly, "I may not have eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run. In detective dramas, apprehensions are always done covertly. This loud raid seems more like an announcement to let everyone flee in time."

"Yeah, exactly. Despite the show of force, most places were vacated by the time they arrived. The ones caught were just insignificant figures. From morning till now, there hasn't been even one substantial resistance," Jiang Feiyang sneered, shrugging.

Pei Yan stood and stretched, sighing, "Though the Daoist Realm seems calm on the surface, beneath it are dangerous undercurrents, as treacherous as the Hell Plane. The Divine Will and the Underworld appearing at this juncture can't be for a spectacle; I have a bad feeling something major is about to happen."

With a sense of urgency, Pei Yan strode outside, not waiting for Jiang Feiyang to finish eating. He hastily followed, carrying a plate of buns.

As they passed through the courtyard to the cellar, Pei Yan heard piercing screams from within before he entered, subconsciously touching the shard of origin in his pocket, resolving to step into the cellar.

Descending the stairs, he saw Wang Wenze, who was on guard. Without saying much, he gestured for Pei Yan to continue. Pei Yan followed the direction, winding through until he stopped before a door, confirming his location through the screams inside before pushing it open.

"Well, well, well, look who's here! Has our prince come to see his prisoner?" Taunted Li Songtao, shackled on the rack, raising his head with a contemptuous smile and spitting blood disdainfully, "Bring out all your tricks. If I even utter a word, it'll be your victory!"