Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 720 Prying Open Her Mouth

When Liang Jin carried the old woman back to Duange Town, a pale crack had already appeared in the distant horizon, and the chill before dawn was the most biting.

Duange Town remained exactly as it had been when he left, even more so than before.

The dense crowd, like bundles of harvested wheat stalks, knelt on the cold sand, stretching from the town center to the edge of the crumbling earthen walls.

They huddled together, heads buried deep, shivering in the biting morning wind, afraid to make the slightest sound.

Soldiers clad in cold iron armor stood like statues all around, their torches flickering as they held them high, and the blades of their tightly gripped swords reflected a chilling, eerie light.

As expected, Liang Jin's most concerned target, Hua Nongying, had already been captured by Leng You.

At this moment, the enchantress who once bewitched all living beings with her unparalleled beauty and exquisite disguise skills has long lost her former composure and charm.

She knelt on the ground in a similar sorry state, a pair of heavy, black iron hooks piercing her collarbone, blood already soaking through the fabric of her clothes. Her major acupoints were clearly sealed by special techniques, her exquisite internal energy completely imprisoned.

Two burly, expressionless soldiers pressed their scabbards firmly against her shoulders, forcing her to remain kneeling.

Leng You sat calmly on a grand chair that had been moved from somewhere, her head bowed, slowly and meticulously wiping a minor superficial wound on her palm with a clean cloth.

Even though Hua Nongying was in a sorry state, her face was still breathtakingly beautiful, enough to stir the heart of any normal man and evoke a protective instinct in him.

Unfortunately, she encountered a cold and aloof person.

This former Star Demon Sea Left Envoy is renowned for her cold-heartedness and ruthless methods. In her eyes, beauty is no different from skeletons and bones, and may even be more repulsive.

"Whoosh-"

With a whooshing sound of clothes rustling in the wind, Liang Jin, carrying the old woman, landed steadily from the sky like a meteor, his feet touching the ground without stirring up a speck of dust.

"Greetings to the Marquis!"

In an instant, all the soldiers who were standing with their swords knelt down on one knee.

Leng You immediately stood up and quickly moved the armchair she had been sitting in behind Liang Jin. Her movements were smooth and natural, showing the respect due to a subordinate.

Liang Jin sat down calmly, casually tossing the old woman, who was carrying a tattered sack, onto the sand at his feet, stirring up a small cloud of dust.

The old woman groaned and struggled to move, but she didn't even have the strength to get up.

His deep, cold gaze slowly swept over the dark mass of people kneeling on the ground. His voice, though not loud, clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable determination:
"Ordinary citizens, once verified, shall be released immediately."

"Ordinary merchants will pay ten times the back taxes, be registered, and then be released."

"Those who sell stolen goods shall be detained."

"Those who traffic in people shall be detained."

"Those whose origins are unclear and who cannot prove their innocence shall be detained."

"The black market organizers and their cronies have all been detained."

The commands are concise and clear, without any redundancy.

As soon as he finished speaking, a considerable commotion broke out in the crowd.

Those who were deemed eligible for release were overjoyed, bowing their heads in gratitude and uttering incoherent words of thanks before scrambling to escape.

In the end, only about a hundred people remained in the original crowd.

Liang Jin paid no attention to the screening results before him and calmly continued to ask:

"Have all these people's names been properly recorded?"

Qi Zijun, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward and respectfully presented a thick register with both hands:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the names, general backgrounds, and matters involved of all those involved have been registered. Please review them."

Liang Jin took the roster and casually flipped through it.

His gaze swept quickly across the lines of text on the roster, seemingly casually, but in reality, he had already entered every name into the [Thousand-Mile Tracking] feature list.

After completing the data entry, he casually tossed the roster back to Qi Zijun as if it were trash, his voice suddenly turning cold, like the coldest icy blade in the Western Desert, severing everyone's last shred of hope:

"Kill them all."

Qi Zijun accepted the order without hesitation, bowing deeply.

The order was given, and the execution ground was set up immediately!
"No—! My lord, spare my life!"

"I'm willing to pay! I'm willing to pay money to save my life!"

"I know many important people in the city! Please allow me to pass on a message to them!"

……

In an instant, cries, pleas for mercy, curses, wails... all sorts of desperate sounds suddenly erupted.

However, the only response they received was the soldiers drawing their swords expressionlessly, the sharp, grating sound of their blades scraping against each other more chilling and piercing than any cry or scream.

The gleaming blade traced a series of poignant arcs, and then... it fell mercilessly!
"Pfft!" "Snap!" "Ah—!"

The dull thuds of blades slicing through flesh and breaking bones, the short, shrill screams of those on the verge of death, and the heavy thuds of corpses falling to the ground rose and fell incessantly.

Warm blood spurted out, staining the dry sand red. The already strong smell of blood in the air instantly became nauseating, as if it had solidified into a tangible substance.

The cries and curses quickly subsided and disappeared, eventually fading into complete silence.

Hundreds of lives were taken like grass in this short period of time.

Bao Rui, who had been kneeling not far from Liang Jin's feet, was terrified at this moment.

His entire body of fat trembled violently like a sieve, his teeth chattered, and his face was deathly pale.

If he hadn't already been so frightened that he lost control of his bladder and his bladder was empty, he probably would have already soiled himself and made a complete spectacle of himself.

As he watched the corpses rapidly cooling and contorting in various ways as they lay in pools of blood, he felt his own soul tremble and shatter along with them.

This terrifying aura, which viewed human life as worthless and could casually conjure hundreds of corpses, completely shattered his last defenses.

Liang Jin's cold gaze slowly shifted and landed on Bao Rui's trembling, obese body:
"Isn't there anything you want to say to me?"

Bao Rui could no longer hold on. He lunged forward like a mangy dog, crawling on all fours to Liang Jin's feet, tears streaming down his face, and cried out with all his might:

"My lord! My lord! I know I was wrong! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!!"

As he cried out, he suddenly raised a trembling finger and pointed it sharply at Hua Nongying, who was kneeling to the side with her collarbone pierced. His voice was shrill and distorted, filled with the fear of desperately trying to distance himself from her.
"It's all her fault! This was all orchestrated by that vixen!"

"It was her! She suddenly approached me a few days ago and gave me that map marking the location of the spirit mine! She was also the one who told me that there was divine tortoise blood here!"

"She forced me! She coerced me into introducing her to you, Your Excellency! Everything I said was taught to me by her! Yes! She forced me to say it!"

"She used her sorcery to bewitch me, and I was so confused that I was blinded by greed and believed her lies!"

"My lord, please have mercy! My lord, spare my life! I beg you, in consideration of my hard work and dedication, spare my life! I am willing to serve you like a slave to repay your kindness!!"

At this point, Bao Rui dared not hide anything or take any chances.

Even if he was stupid, he knew that things had been completely exposed, and the only way to have a slim chance of survival was to push all the blame onto Hua Nongying.

Liang Jin listened to Bao Rui's desperate cries, but his face remained calm, as still as a deep pool, showing no surprise.

After his conversation with Gao Hongzhe and learning about the possible connection between the divine tortoise and the spirit mine, he had already guessed that Bao Rui's seemingly coincidental "triple gift" must have hidden a carefully designed trap.

With a slight thought, he typed the name "Baorui" into the [Thousand-Mile Tracking] panel, which only he could see.

If Bao Rui were to behave himself and become a sycophantic jester who only knew how to flatter and amuse, Liang Jin might not mind having such a clown by his side to add some spice to his dull life.

But since he dared to participate in deception, and might even endanger himself, he absolutely cannot be allowed to live.

In Liang Jin's eyes, the lives of such people were no different from those of the hundred or so people who had just been executed, and were even more despicable.

After the name was entered, Liang Jin didn't even lift his eyelids. He just raised his hand slightly and waved it casually, as if shooing away a bothersome fly.

Qi Zijun, who was standing to the side, understood immediately. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and without hesitation, he drew the long sword from his waist again with a clang, still covered in blood.

The long sword slashed down!

Bao Rui's cries and pleas for mercy came to an abrupt halt at that moment.

A flash of light, and a large head, with an expression of disbelief and terror, rolled to the ground. The headless corpse fell heavily, kicking up a little dust.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Hua Nongying, kneeling to the side, never even glanced at Bao Rui out of the corner of her eye, as if his existence and death had nothing to do with her.

From the very beginning, her gaze was fixed on the old woman who was slumped on the ground, filled with resentment.

Her lips moved a few times, and through gritted teeth, she squeezed out two words in a venomous, icy voice:
"traitor!"

Seeing Liang Jin return safely with the old woman, while her own companions were nowhere to be found, Hua Nongying could guess their fate with a snap of her fingers.

At this moment, all the hatred and anger in her heart were focused on this "traitor" in her eyes.

Upon hearing the curse, the old woman's sunken lips curled into a mocking and disdainful smile, and she sneered:
"Pah! You little slut, since you keep calling me a traitor, then so what if I become a traitor?"

"To see your Yinxi Society's conspiracy exposed, to see all your people die, I feel an immense sense of satisfaction!"

At this point, she struggled to lift her head slightly, looking at Liang Jin with an eagerness to take credit and guide him:

"My lord! Please don't be fooled by this little slut!"

"She holds an extremely high position in the Yinxi Society; she is a true core member and knows countless secrets!"

"This whole operation against you was orchestrated by that little bitch! She's the mastermind! You absolutely cannot let her get away with this!!"

Liang Jin listened indifferently to their mutual attacks, as if watching a clumsy farce, without any emotional fluctuation.

He couldn't be bothered with this pointless dog-eat-dog drama.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze passing over the two arguing individuals and landing directly on Hua Nongying's face—pale and disheveled, yet still breathtakingly beautiful. His tone was calm, yet carried an immense, invisible pressure:
"Hua Nongying, is there anything you wish to say to me?"

Hua Nongying suddenly turned her head, her captivating eyes now filled with resentment and deep doubt.

She stared intently at Liang Jin, her voice trembling slightly from the excruciating pain of her collarbone being pierced:

"Meng Xinghun! Tell me! How exactly did you see through me?!"

This was her biggest question, and the answer she most wanted to know after her pride and confidence had been completely shattered.

She had absolute confidence in her disguise skills, which was her greatest asset for survival and for maneuvering.

She once used this technique to successfully impersonate the Empress for a very long time. There were many experts in the palace, but not a single one could see through her disguise!

Except for... that long-dead Imperial Guard commander Liang Jin, who is like a nightmare!
Since then, she has become increasingly cautious in her actions, and her skills in disguise have become even more refined.

Facing the Marquis of Zhenxi today, she believed that her portrayal of "Su Yumo" was flawless, with no flaws in her demeanor, tone of voice, or even subtle mannerisms.

She couldn't understand how Liang Jin could have accurately guessed her real name, "Hua Nongying," at a glance!
Upon hearing this, Liang Jin simply shook his head, as if the other party had asked a meaningless question:

"That's not important."

His tone carried a condescending indifference:

"Tell me everything you know." "Then I might consider sparing your life."

Upon hearing this, Hua Nongying's pale lips involuntarily revealed a cold smile mixed with pain and mockery:

"Lord Meng, we have lost this time, I admit it."

She took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain, and tried to keep her voice calm, even with a hint of threat:
"But I advise you to think carefully. Our people will be coming to you soon. They will offer you... terms you can't refuse."

"We might have more opportunities to 'cooperate' in the future. Why push things to the brink now?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin couldn't help but smile slightly.

That smile held no warmth, only endless coldness and mockery.

His body slowly leaned back in his chair, as if he had lost his last bit of patience, and his tone became listless:
"I gave you the opportunity. It was you who...did not cherish it."

He stopped looking at the flowers and shadows, turned his gaze to the cold, dignified figure standing to the side, and gave the order:

"Leng You, she's in your hands now. Pry open her mouth; I want to know everything she knows."

His tone became more forceful, carrying a clear instruction:
"Be careful, don't let her die easily, and definitely don't let her commit suicide."

Leng You was clearly very experienced in this area.

Her previous methods of sealing acupoints and piercing bones were to prevent Hua Nongying from severing her own meridians or using other secret methods to commit suicide.

Upon hearing Liang Jin's special instructions, she immediately stepped forward and roughly grabbed Hua Nongying's long, black, and beautiful hair, forcing her to tilt her head back.

With his other hand, he ruthlessly pried open Hua Nongying's mouth, his fingertips imbued with internal force, carefully examining the inside of her mouth, the gaps between her teeth, and even under the root of her tongue, confirming that there were no hidden poison sacs, poison fangs, or other such mechanisms.

After confirming that everything was correct, Leng You grabbed Hua Nongying by the hair as if dragging an object, and pulled her toward a sturdy, sealed carriage that had been prepared in advance.

Hua Nongying's eyes flashed with a chilling coldness and humiliation. She struggled desperately, but was immobilized by the iron hooks and pressure point seals, and could only scream shrilly:
"Meng Xinghun! What do you want to do?!"

"You dare touch me?! Even Emperor Zhao Yu wouldn't dare to touch me easily, are you looking for your own death?!"

"If you dare to torture me, the Yinxi Society will never let you go! We will search heaven and earth to tear you to pieces!!"

Liang Jin couldn't be bothered to listen to her meaningless threats, and didn't even lift his eyelids.

Leng You was even more decisive, seemingly casually pinching and dislocating Hua Nongying's jaw with her fingers!
A slight, crisp "crack" sound.

All of Hua Nongying's curses and threats instantly turned into indistinct "hoho" sounds. Her jaw was cleanly and decisively dislocated, and she could no longer utter a clear word.

All that remained were her beautiful eyes, filled with resentment, fear, and unwillingness, staring intently at Liang Jin until Leng You roughly shoved her into the dark carriage that seemed to devour all light.

The car door slammed shut, isolating the inside from the outside.

Soon, some muffled, blocked sobs and struggles could be faintly heard from inside, but they were quickly suppressed by some force.

It is conceivable that Leng You's various methods, enough to make even ghosts and gods speak, will soon be unleashed on Hua Nongying without reservation in that confined space.

Liang Jin had absolute confidence in Leng You's ability to extract confessions.

He learned some of the Star Demon Sea's secret techniques from Leng You, and with just the "True Word Root," he was able to make Empress Mu Congshuang utter true words.

As for the more bizarre, direct, and destructive tortures and mind-controlling techniques that Leng You himself possesses, even if Hua Nongying has a strong will, she probably wouldn't be able to endure them for long.

Then, Liang Jin's gaze shifted back to the old woman:
"And you? Is there anything you wish to say to me?"

When the old woman met Liang Jin's unfathomable, emotionless gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine.

She was well aware that her relationship with Liang Jin was very delicate; they weren't exactly enemies, and in fact, they had a basis for cooperation because of a common enemy.

However, she knew even better that if she tried to play mind games or hold back at this moment, or if the information she gave failed to satisfy this decisive and ruthless marquis, then he would definitely regard her as an enemy without hesitation.

What awaits her then will be the same fate as Hua Nongying, or perhaps even more cruel.

She was not afraid of the torture from the Yinxi Society, because they were her enemies, and hatred gave her the strength to resist.

But she had no grudge against Liang Jin, and she didn't want to die in such an unclear and meaningless way at the hands of this ruthless young overlord; that would be too unjust.

Immediately, the old woman suppressed her fear and tried to make her voice sound calm and sincere. She answered with a resigned compliance:
"This old woman, Mi Lanyue, greets Your Excellency."

She first formally gave her name, and then continued:

"If Your Excellency wishes me to speak, I will speak without reservation. However, I do not know where to begin, and I fear that if I speak in a rambling manner, I may annoy Your Excellency."

Her cloudy eyes flickered, as if she had found a starting point:

"However, during my imprisonment, I overheard the leader wearing a straw hat, a fellow named Shawuti, talking to his men about... things concerning you, my lord."

Then, the old woman, who called herself Mi Lanyue, continued in her hoarse, dry voice:
"They talked triumphantly, saying that their main purpose this time was not to kill you directly, but to try to lure you to a specific place."

She paused deliberately, emphasizing her words:
"That place is... where the divine tortoise resides!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin felt a sudden chill run down his spine!
Where does the divine tortoise reside?
What does this mean?
Could it be that the people of the Yinxi Society not only know the legend of the divine tortoise, but have actually discovered the exact hiding place of the divine tortoise?

Could that divine tortoise, which made a fleeting appearance during the ancient Ulan Kingdom nearly a thousand years ago, really still exist in the world?

How can something survive for thousands of years without dying?
Or perhaps, what exists today is not the same divine tortoise from back then, but its descendants, or some other divine tortoise.

Countless questions flooded Liang Jin's mind in an instant.

He remained calm and continued to press for answers:

"Oh? Then, do you know exactly where that divine tortoise is?"

Mi Lan Yue answered immediately, her tone carrying the professional certainty characteristic of her family:
"of course I know!"

"My lord, to be honest, this position was only confirmed after years of painstaking effort by myself and the few remaining members of the family, based on ancestral secret methods and clues!"

She extended a withered, grime-covered finger and pointed in a certain direction:
"That divine tortoise must be hiding in... a spirit mine in Drought Dragon Gorge!"

When the topic turned to stabbing, Mi Lanyue's wrinkled old face instantly revealed uncontrollable anger and deep-seated hatred.

Her words also became somewhat sharp due to her excitement:
"But! It was precisely because my clansmen and I successfully located the divine tortoise that those damned beasts of Yinxi Society thought we had lost our usefulness and immediately discarded us like used millstones!"

“They…they killed my last few relatives right before my eyes! My nephew, my apprentice…they all…”

"If it weren't for... if they hadn't thought I might still have some value, I'd probably have turned into a pile of bones on this Gobi Desert long ago!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin immediately understood.

The magical mine of Hanlong Gorge!

This is precisely the so-called "first major gift" presented by Baorui!
It turns out that all of this bait ultimately pointed to this place.

The legend of the divine turtle, the map of the spirit mine, the blood of the divine turtle... these key points were completely connected by Mi Lanyue's words at this moment.

Liang Jin pressed for key details:

"You saw that divine turtle with your own eyes?"

Upon hearing this, Mi Lanyue's excitement subsided slightly. She shook her head, a hint of regret and helplessness appearing on her face.

"I... yearn to see the true form of the divine tortoise that my family has been searching for for generations. It is the ultimate dream of my clan for thousands of years."

"But unfortunately, when we finally determined, based on various signs, that the divine tortoise was hiding deep within the spirit mine in the Drought Dragon Gorge, we were unable to actually see its trace with our own eyes."

"The divine tortoise is hidden very deep, located in the core area where the underground spiritual veins converge. To see its true form, a large-scale underground excavation must be carried out to break through the rock layers."

"Shortly after we determined the approximate location, the Yinxi Society forcibly took me away from the scene and imprisoned me. Whether they organized people to excavate afterwards, whether they have seen the divine tortoise, or even whether they have obtained anything from the divine tortoise... I know nothing about any of these."

Liang Jin paused for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, before asking a crucial question:
"Milan Yue, what would happen if I went to Drought Dragon Gorge?"

Mi Lanyue shook her head slightly, a look of confusion on her face:
"This...this is beyond my knowledge."

"Your Excellency, I and my family have been studying for generations how to find and locate the divine tortoise, as well as understanding its external habits and related celestial phenomena."

"But Yinxi knows far more about the mysteries of the divine beasts themselves, their specific abilities, and even how to use them... These deeper secrets are far beyond what we do! They have been studying various divine beasts for generations, and their knowledge is unfathomable."

"So, what exactly is their intention in scheming to lure you, Lord Marquis, to the place where the divine tortoise is? This old woman... truly cannot fathom it."

She added definitively at the end:
"But regardless, given the Yinxi Society's modus operandi, the fact that they've gone to such great lengths to set up this scheme is absolutely... absolutely not a good thing! Your Excellency must be careful!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin reached into his robes and retrieved the porcelain bottle containing the so-called "blood of the divine turtle" that he had previously obtained from Scarface.

He casually tossed the porcelain bottle to Mi Lanyue and said:

"Help me see if what's in this porcelain bottle is truly the blood of the divine tortoise?"

Mi Lanyue hurriedly reached out her trembling hands and caught the seemingly ordinary porcelain bottle.

When her aged fingers touched the cold porcelain bottle, a look of deep surprise and disbelief appeared on her face:

"My lord! You...you actually obtained what appears to be the blood of the divine tortoise?!"

Her voice rose with excitement:
"Could it be...could it be that the Yinxi Society and their group have actually succeeded in finding the location of the divine tortoise? And...could they even have managed to extract its blood from the divine tortoise?!"

Her eyes became somewhat fanatical, as if she had heard some kind of miracle:

"After a thousand years, the divine tortoise... the divine tortoise has really reappeared?! This... this is simply..."

It seems that in her deeply ingrained belief, being able to personally verify the blood of the divine turtle is an almost sacred and incredible thing.

Liang Jin waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to get excited and should verify it as soon as possible.

Mi Lanyue took a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions.

Her hand holding the porcelain vase trembled slightly with excitement and an almost devout focus.

Her aged face became incredibly solemn, as if what was about to take place was a sacred family mission that had been passed down for thousands of years.

She carefully brought the porcelain bottle to her nose, closed her eyes, and took a deep, slow sniff of the scent emanating from the bottle's opening. Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were trying to discern the extremely subtle differences within it.

Then, she uncorked the bottle, her movements so gentle as if afraid of disturbing what was inside.

She tilted the bottle slightly, facing the gradually brightening sky in the east, and squinted her cloudy but now gleaming old eyes, carefully observing the color, luster, and adhesion of the drop of dark golden liquid inside the bottle to the bottle wall.

She remained in that position, sometimes smelling, sometimes observing, and sometimes gently tapping the bottle with her fingers, listening intently to the faintest changes in sound... She repeated this process over and over, verifying it with utmost professionalism for a full half-incense stick's time.

All around was silent, except for the mournful sound of the Gobi morning wind blowing through the broken walls.

All eyes, including Liang Jin's, were on her.

Finally, Mi Lanyue slowly sealed the porcelain bottle.

She raised her head to meet Liang Jin's gaze. The excitement and fervor on her face had faded, replaced by a certainty born of careful judgment, and a hint of... barely perceptible disappointment.

She shook her head and said in a clear and affirmative tone:

“My lord, based on my ancestral method of identification, I can confirm that the drop of blood in this porcelain bottle contains an ancient and powerful life essence. It is definitely not ordinary beast blood, but must belong to some kind of… divine beast blood.”

Her tone suddenly shifted, becoming resolute:
"but!"

"I can also be 100% certain that this is definitely not the blood of the divine tortoise!"

(End of this chapter)