Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 39 Interrogation of Prisoners of War
Wu Fei returned to Yongji Pass. After the soldiers and civilians inside the pass were certain that victory was in their grasp, the streets and alleys were filled with an atmosphere of "Heaven comes first, and I am second."

Soldiers and chariots patrolled the streets in triumphant formations. Although the blood had been washed away and the wooden sheaths had been replaced with wooden ones, the nicks and bends on the blades of the wooden oxen and flowing horses were still visible, marks left by battle.

On the occasional chariot that stopped, the commander was replenishing the horses' fodder, while the soldiers, like storytellers, recounted to the people surrounding the chariots how their chariots had launched a surprise attack, leaving behind a flowing river of blood. Large numbers of mountain demons and monsters abandoned their weapons and fled in disarray, many of them with injured limbs or broken arms prostrating themselves on the ground.

As if the soldiers' words were true, when the tanks drove through the reserved passage in the market, the big prisoners from southern Xinjiang who were locked in cages nearby immediately collapsed to the ground with their legs weak, causing the people to burst into laughter.

After the laughter subsided, Wu Fei's fame spread even further, and he appropriately lifted the curfew in several blocks within Yongji Pass at night.

Before the battle, Wu Fei was very modest, but after winning, he could naturally start boasting. Even if Wu Fei didn't boast, the soldiers who participated in the battle would. And the merchants who were forcibly detained and whose bets were forced to be placed on Wu Fei, in order to maximize their profits, would boast even more.

Before Wu Hanluan's truly acknowledged family letter had even been sent back, the Wu family and Southern Xinjiang had already begun to "only know Wu Yuanchang, but not..." Well, that's not quite the right way to put it. Upon returning home, Wu Fei's first words to his uncle and other family elders were: "My achievements today are all thanks to my uncle's support."

…Amidst the fluttering colorful flags, the perspective shifts to the interior of a small building. …

Inside the camp, Wu Fei interrogated Jamud, who had been locked in a dark room for six days and was going crazy.

At the table, Wu Fei, wearing a half-face mask of Sun Wukong (revealing only his mouth), asked, "Shall we have a chat?"

Jamud's face was no longer as pale as when he first arrived; instead, it was ashen. He looked up at Wu Fei, who was chewing sugarcane, and asked, "Can I have one?" Wu Fei nodded.

Wu Fei generously broke off half of his hand and handed it to him: "Tell me, who's behind this setback you've encountered here?"

Jamud: "It's me."

Wu Fei spat out a mouthful of sugarcane residue: "Who ordered you to do this?"

Jamud: "I am a dying man, who else can command me?"

Wu Fei pondered for a moment, then pulled two sugarcanes from the bucket, choosing the red one. He then asked the man, "Who controls your life and death?"

At this moment, Jamud fell silent. He had tried to resist answering the first three sentences, but Wu Fei had managed to grasp the key points in each conversation.

When Jamud began to resist, Wu Fei remained unperturbed. He removed his mask and began to introduce himself in a boastful tone: "Oh, let's talk about something else. I am the nephew of the Marquis of Da Yao Qian Su Ting. My family's title is equivalent to a hereditary one."

For Xuan Chong, who has experience with online chatting from a previous life, once one party starts bragging, the other party, especially if they are a "primary school student," will inevitably lose their temper. This tendency to compare is most pronounced around the age of twenty, and the person on the other end, well, is just a greenhorn.

Sure enough, Jamud looked at the smug victor in front of him who was boasting about his family background, and said with disdain, "Oh, the title of marquis? Just a watchdog in the south of Da Yao."

Wu Fei wasn't annoyed. He adopted the mindset of an online troll. Back in the day, he had exchanged dozens of rounds of insults with those who thought the moon was rounder in foreign countries. He had long since honed his skills in dealing with sarcastic terms like "your country."

Wu Fei retorted sarcastically, "That's right, it's the war mastiff at the south gate of Da Yao. Who told me there are so many beggars in front of Da Yao's gate! And being a beggar is being a beggar. If you kneel down and beg for food, we'll give you a couple of leftover bones. But you're not only a beggar, you also have to be a thief who breaks into walls."

Jamud's blood boiled instantly, his previously ashen face glowing red, and he launched into a retaliatory attack tenfold: "A dog is a dog. Whoever feeds you, you acknowledge as your master. Even if it's a thief who steals your property. This world of Da Yao has always belonged to my family..."

Wu Fei listened to the prisoner's rambling on with a bewildered expression. Of course, his inner thought was, "Oh, I see."

Wu Fei overheard a secret that would cost an ordinary person their life for even hearing half a word! It was a palace secret from four hundred years ago, involving the transfer of imperial lineage and the issue of legitimacy. The authorities had long since completely erased all relevant historical records. Anyone who kept it was considered to be rebelling. As for the matter of the expelled crown prince's lineage being held captive by the Li Huo Sect in the Southern Frontier, that was utterly covered up.

Wu Fei suspected that his uncle knew about this matter. Of course, he hadn't told him in the past because he was afraid that the young man would let it slip and bring trouble to the family.

Now, as the Southern General of Da Yao and a "fatherly" father to the Southern Frontier, Prince Wu Fei feels that he is qualified and necessary to understand what kind of mess Da Yao made in the Southern Frontier four hundred years ago.

After unleashing his attacks, Jiamude was very satisfied with Wu Fei's expression.

However, Wu Fei immediately followed up with a display of skepticism and disdain: "You say you're a descendant of the Great Yao Emperor? Hah, your life and death are controlled by others? How could the Great Yao bloodline produce such a cowardly bastard?"

Like an oil lamp whose wick has been removed and now burns brightly again, Jamud erupted once more, and this time, Wu Fei obtained even more crucial information.

The Li Huo Sect south of Hengjiang was indeed founded by the heir of the Great Yao Emperor. The disciples he took in were all of the family bloodline, but Jia Mude was the direct descendant and had extraordinary spiritual roots, so he was favored by the ancestor!

As for controlling life and death, that is related to mastering the "Ember Flowing Pill." The orthodox cultivation methods of prestigious sects follow the path of refining essence into qi and refining qi into spirit.

The cultivation methods of the inner disciples in the Li Huo Sect are the opposite of those of the orthodox disciples.

The cultivation path of the so-called "inner disciples" within the Li Huo Sect is: replenish "spirit" to nourish "qi," and then replenish "essence." However, Jia Mude, as the closed disciple, did not use incense-based elixirs like "Jinliu Dan" for reverse cultivation, but instead followed the orthodox path.

Upon hearing the cultivation information, Wu Fei was no longer sleepy. After inquiring carefully, he connected it with his previous life's system and came to the following understanding: the orthodox path is equivalent to "natural development," while the reverse cultivation path is "artificial maintenance of balance."

Shen (神) = computing power, Qi (气) = circulating matter, and Jing (精) = the elements that can maintain stability within the system.

Let's start with reverse engineering, taking a man-made object like a space station as an example. This is a standard system that requires externally input algorithms to maintain.

The software that utilizes computing power in a computer belongs to "God," while the "water cycle," "carbon cycle," and "nitrogen cycle," which are controlled by the computer software, belong to "Air." The "astronauts" on standby in the space station, responding to unforeseen malfunctions, belong to "Spirit."

To maintain the entire system of this space station, the most important factor is the "negative entropy" injected from the outside. This is achieved by the maintenance personnel of the space agency below using software to calculate how to operate the entire space station based on the material cycle.

Apart from the space station, all human regulation of the operation of "self-created engineering systems" is done externally through "computational systems." In other words, it's about grasping the "spirit" to control the "energy" and cultivating the "essence."

As for "natural development," people usually eat on their own when they are hungry. This starts from swallowing air, rather than relying on external "commands" to control what they eat and drink every day.

It is abnormal for a person to not know what to eat and rely entirely on external instructions, such as timed injections and electrical stimulation, for example, to lie in a "hospital facility" and rely on external devices to sustain life.

At this point, "Jinliudan" can be defined as an "external software" regulation, similar to maintaining bodily stability by relying on data that is beyond one's control and unknown.

Those misguided cultivators of the Li Huo Sect can only maintain the flow of "qi" in their internal endocrine system and thus preserve the "essence" of their self-awareness by periodically absorbing this "external computing power".

Wu Fei looked at Jiamude again and understood. The inner disciples in their sect were all "bio-engineered humans" who needed external regulation. A look of pity appeared on Wu Fei's face, and he thought to himself: Drug-fueled cultivation, they're all evil sects.

Wu Fei is not interested in heretical martial arts techniques now. He is already on the "military" path and there is no need for him to be controlled by others for the sake of some need.

…Having already traveled through time, why envy immortality…

Wu Fei and Jiamude bickered for a whole afternoon, extracting a considerable amount of intelligence, such as the conflicts between various tribes south of the Lingjiang River. Wu Fei deliberately mocked Jiamude, saying he was completely incapable of leading troops: "Even a dog can herd a flock of geese into a line, and you? You'd be better off herding a pig!"

Jamud immediately retorted, "There has never been any cooperation between the various races in Lingjiang. The Horned People and the Clawed People are not of the same race, and they refuse to cooperate when climbing the city walls."

During Jamud's rebuttal, Wu Fei gleaned the first crucial piece of information: the "Claw People" and "Horn People" possessed musket troops. This meant that four hundred years ago, when the commander of the Southern Frontier was not from the Wu family but another general, a musket unit of the "Horn People" and "Claw People" had been formed. As for that general's fate? Because he happened to be aligned with Jamud's ancestor, he became a rebel. Later, the Southern Frontier Pacification Zone was lost.

Wu Fei sighed deeply: "That general is really stupid. If it were me, I would have taken the heads of your ancestors and sent them to the capital."

Jamud looked at Wu Fei sarcastically: "Your Wu family is nothing but nouveau riche! No one in the capital has ever arranged a marriage between you and your family in all these years."

Later, Wu Fei learned that the general's daughter had married Jiamude's ancestor as a concubine. Oh, that's not surprising. As for that concubine? Well, she was the person (corpse) in the bronze coffin. After Wu Fei took her, he gave her directly to his third aunt.

As it grew late, Wu Fei handed Jamud a chicken leg and swaggered away.

…the next day…

Jamud's cell door opened again. Seeing Xiaoqing enter, Jamud asked in surprise, "Where is that person? Where did he go?"

Xiaoqing looked at Jiamude, swayed her hips, picked up a bucket of water and immediately splashed cold water on his face, then said leisurely, "General, you had time yesterday, so you chatted with me. Today, it's my turn. If you behave well, I'll be your companion from now on. If you resist—"

Xiaoqing pointed to the instruments of torture on the wall: "I don't know how to use any of these, so I'll have to ask someone else to entertain you."

Xiaoqing touched Jiamude's face with her hand: "You have delicate skin, I don't want to hurt you."

…an unspeakable torment…

Wu Fei quickly obtained the recipe for the Jinliu Pill. The recipe was simple, but it required a supply of fresh blood, preferably from virgin boys and girls. If virgin boys and girls were unavailable, a large number of fetuses would be needed. Wu Fei tossed the pill to his third aunt and then laid down three rules with her.

Before the alchemy furnace, monkeys trembled as they watched the red flames inside the bronze coffin. Their kind, after entering the flames, became emaciated in no time.

Third Aunt handled everything with great skill; in her words, you could understand it after seeing it once. — Wu Fei, however, always suspected that she might have known it beforehand.

Wu Fei asked his third aunt to conduct a cautious experiment, and to try to prepare it for the old monkeys using monkey fetuses.

Using a microscope he had painstakingly assembled, he observed that within the blood flames, the young monkey's cells were rapidly dividing and aging. Meanwhile, the older monkey that had taken the elixir was reversing this process, beginning to rejuvenate.

Since his own system couldn't provide answers to "biological content," Wu Fei deduced that the "computing power" inputted by the Jinliu Pill from outside the user required at least a certain number of cell divisions. —Any negative entropy needs another negative entropy system to supply it.

After three rounds of experiments, Wu Fei sealed the experiments.

Third Aunt retrieved the bronze coffin and, before Wu Fei could warn her, said in advance, "Young Master, rest assured, I will not refine such things again without your request. After all, it is against the natural order, isn't it?"

After his aunt left, Wu Fei took a deep breath and fell into thought.

Without a doubt, "Jinliu Dan" is utterly depraved. It's no wonder that Jiamude's ancestral lineage lost its imperial aura! And the force he's now opposing, the Li Huo Sect, maintains its massive organization through such heinous means. He can't use spies against such a "dark" force, because any attempt to bribe them would be a joke within their system.

Wu Fei couldn't help but wonder: If his own men were ever to face the temptations offered by the Li Huo Sect, could they resist? After all, it was about immortality.

…A dividing line indicating frustration…

Unbeknownst to Wu Fei, he had returned to Jamud's cell, intending to have a heart-to-heart talk. However, as he approached the cell, he heard Jamud's anxious and panicked voice: "You, you, you mustn't!"

Wu Fei's curiosity was piqued. He put a "Concealing Breath Talisman" on himself and tiptoed toward the cell. However, before he got too close, he noticed a snake's tail as thick as a bucket swaying at the cell door.

Xiaoqing: "Daoist Master, I just want to have an honest chat with you."

Jamud exclaimed in fear, "I've already told you the entire formula!"

Xiaoqing's snake braids swayed gently as she spoke in a pitiful voice, "Waaah, waaah, but I want to know more! Otherwise, I'll keep bothering you and won't let go!"

Through the cell bars, Wu Fei saw that Xiao Qing had transformed into a giant snake with a human body. Half of her torso stood beside Jia Mude, while her enormous snake body tightly wrapped around Jia Mude, leaving only a human head. As for her upper body, well, it needs to be blurred out. To avoid damaging her clothes, she had stripped them off before transforming.

Wu Fei was slightly taken aback. He had seen Xiao Qing transform before. She could expand into a monster-level form in a few seconds, her hair would thicken and become scale-like, she would grow fangs, and her tongue would become thin and long!

If Wu Fei hadn't activated the "Restoration Gem," this mutation would have been irreversible. However, after the Restoration Gem's transformation, a "Primordial Inner Core" appeared within her body. Each time she transformed, she could revert to human form after three hours by activating the Primordial Inner Core.

In the chase a few days ago, Xiaoqing's madness after transforming into a snake woman was evident to all. Taking advantage of her large size, she used a five-zhang-long whip with metal spikes. When she swung the whip, the bones could be seen directly in the wounds of the large monsters she attacked. The more pain the victims were in, the stronger she became.

Wu Fei was suddenly surprised because he noticed that Xiao Qing seemed to be much larger than her initial snake-woman form when she transformed last time, and now she seemed to have grown even larger. It seemed that with each episode of madness, her snake-woman form's combat power was increasing.

"Wait a minute!" Wu Fei had a "bold idea".

…purple scales rubbing against the iron fence…

After Wu Fei appeared, Xiao Qing quickly released Jia Mude and began to look pitiful. However, given her enormous size, she was hardly pitiful at all.

Wu Fei gave Xiao Qing the order: "After you turn back, come to me."

(End of this chapter)