I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

Bai Zhou was also very curious about this arrogant "organization" that dared to attack the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty.

but……

If we don't hurry back, the master will surely throw him into the painting and play a trick on him.

"Sir, I'm back!"

Thirty years have passed since I returned.

"...Is it past 1 PM?"

"It's already afternoon."

After checking the time on the clock, Lu Boyun rubbed his eyes and got up from the table.

"Haa—!"

After stretching comfortably, Lu Boyun picked up the official business he hadn't finished at noon and continued working on it.

"Old Lu, have you seen Brother Bai?"

Meng Li came in from outside, holding a stack of reports, and asked him a question.

"Brother Bai?"

Lu Boyun shook his head.

"Didn't he come?"

"Yeah, Lao Du and I waited outside for half an hour but we still didn't see Brother Bai."

Meng Li placed the documents on Lu Boyun's desk and then shared her conjecture:

"...Perhaps, that gentleman wouldn't let him out?"

"That makes sense. No family would allow such a child to suffer with us."

The two exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.

"Has Qiu Hu woken up?"

Setting aside the daytime matters for the moment, Lu Boyun turned his attention to Qiu Hu.

"Oh, the doctor said he should wake up soon. I came to ask you to come and see him."

"Then hurry up."

After saying that, the two got up and went to the prison together, ready to interrogate Qiu Hu and find out about the organization behind him.

"Lord Bai Yi. Old Du."

Upon arriving at the prison, the two saw Bai Yi and Du Heng waiting for them.

"Has Brother Bai not arrived yet?"

Du Heng did not see Bai Zhou's figure.

"It's better that he didn't come. It wouldn't be good for a child to see this scene."

Bai Yi seemed quite satisfied with this.

After all, the process of interrogating criminals is very brutal, and it's far too much for a child...

Upon hearing Bai Yi's words, Lu Boyun and the other two exchanged strange glances, then tacitly refrained from saying anything further.

"Then, let's begin the interrogation."

At Bai Yi's command, Lu Boyun ordered two soldiers to carry the unconscious Qiu Hu to a chair and restrain his limbs and torso.

The shackles that could restrict Originium Arts were used to bind Qiu Hu, and the others returned to their respective positions.

"Chou Hu, wake up! This is not a place for you to sleep!"

Meng Li, acting as the interrogator, stepped forward and slapped Qiu Hu twice across the face, waking him up.

"cough--"

Lu Boyun coughed and was about to ask a question when Qiu Hu spoke up.

"I didn't kill him."

"Ha, of course we know that."

Meng Li slapped him twice more.

"You think you can kill your mentor unscathed? Why don't you take a piss and see how stupid you are?"

"..."

After being slapped a few times, Qiu Hu realized that the other party was deliberately messing with him, and that he would be beaten no matter what he said.

but……

Suddenly, Qiu Hu threw his head back and burst into laughter.

"You laugh at my horse!"

Meng Li raised her hand, ready to teach him a lesson.

"I laugh at the strategist's lack of strategy, and at Boyun's lack of wisdom!"

Qiu Hu shouted loudly.

Then he got beaten up again.

"Ha. Ignorant child."

Qiu Hu only stared at Bai Yi, ignoring everyone else. Even though Meng Li had provoked and insulted him so much, he didn't take Meng Li seriously.

"..."

Bai Yi stood with his hands clasped to his chest, staring at Qiu Hu.

"You know to arrest me first, hoping to find out who killed Lu Yun through me."

Qiu Hu laughed disdainfully, but that disdain was directed at himself.

"You don't understand what it is at all."

"You have no idea what kind of power that is."

"To it, I am not even a chess piece. I am nothing but a speck of dust."

Why do you obey its commands?

Bai Yi spoke up.

His eyes widened in fury, his imposing presence like the falling of the heavens.

"Because... I want to live. I want to live with dignity and peace! Not as an infected person, suffering terribly every day, barely clinging to life in a wretched state!"

This idea is both simple and greedy.

Once he became infected, his peaceful life was gone, and he was tormented by pain for the rest of his life.

Qiu Hu stared at Bai Yi.

"If it can keep me alive, I'll help it."

"...Is that so?"

Bai Yi nodded slightly, without a trace of contempt in his expression.

Who doesn't want to live?

"I also want to live a good life, rise higher and higher in rank, and have more and more salary."

"But I will not betray my brothers who have been through thick and thin with me, nor will I betray the land I have protected, just to survive."

"Who the hell wants to betray the Great Yan!"

Like a dog whose tail has been stepped on, he roared viciously at Bai Yi's humiliation.

"I just want to cure this damn illness!"

"That old bastard Lu Yun went there on his own! His death has nothing to do with me! I'm only responsible for helping him find people!"

"..."

So! Who exactly is that person?!

Lu Boyun slammed his fist on the table and shouted at Qiu Hu.

He's had enough of this mess.

All he wants to know now is who killed his father, and then he wants to avenge him.

"Don't be anxious, Bo Yun."

Bai Yi raised his hand and pressed Lu Boyun's shoulder, pushing him back into his seat.

He turned his head, slowly stood up, and looked at Qiu Hu.

Where is it?

"I do not know."

Qiu Hu shook his head.

"It said it would come to me after it was done, but it hasn't come yet."

"Perhaps it's already gone."

"..."

Qiu Hu tilted his head and glanced at the group, then grinned.

"Are you missing someone?"

"...You know him?"

Bai Yi was looked down upon by Qiu Hu with a disdainful gaze.

"His demeanor is that of an ordinary person."

"Who? Little Brother Bai?"