Manager Qiao erupted amidst the raging storms, then fell silent after his outburst, and finally lay there listlessly, motionless.
"We’ve reached this point, and you still wish to say nothing?"
Li Wenli felt somewhat helpless, "What kind of magic potion has Yuwen Jun fed you that even as a prisoner at my feet, you refuse to betray him?"
"However, I’ve thought about it carefully. Yuwen Jun, despite his talents, shouldn’t be someone a master like you would look up to, so it must not be Yuwen Jun whom you truly fear. There’s someone else behind you, right?"
Li Wenli’s gaze was intense as he stared at Manager Qiao.
Manager Qiao’s eyes flickered but he didn’t speak.
Li Wenli gently tapped on the table, "Tell me, what is your relationship with Witch Ancestor Mountain? In this turmoil, what role exactly is Witch Ancestor Mountain playing? What does it seek to achieve?"
Manager Qiao hadn’t expected Li Wenli to suddenly shift the question to Witch Ancestor Mountain, and his calm face finally showed cracks.
"You... how did you..."
"Your Lifebound Gu, and the Store Manager’s Threadworm... These things can only come from Witch Ancestor Mountain; I can’t think of anywhere else that produces them.
However, I hadn’t expected Witch Ancestor Mountain, which claimed neutrality, to have installed so many spies in the Imperial Capital, to the extent that even the Prime Minister is one of Witch Ancestor Mountain’s people. What unknown secrets lie behind them; how many belong to Witch Ancestor Mountain?
Claiming a disdain for fame and a tranquil life, why say one thing and do another? What exactly is its purpose?"
"Witch Ancestor Mountain is the State Religion, the people worship the Witch God, and request to join the religion to rear Gu insects. What’s wrong with that? Just as Buddhism once dominated the era and had many lay disciples, it is not surprising that disciples of Witch Ancestor Mountain are spread across the world."
Manager Qiao finally spoke the longest sentence of the night, yet in Li Wenli’s eyes, it was tantamount to a self-indictment of his identity.
"By your words, Manager Qiao, you indeed belong to Witch Ancestor Mountain, correct?"
"Even if it is so, what does this have to do with the struggles at the Imperial Court?"
"Not necessarily so," Li Wenli tapped the table, "If Witch Ancestor Mountain had no intentions regarding the court, it would not have become entangled with Yuwen Jun; moreover, I suspect not just Yuwen Jun, but all powers under heaven likely have secret dealings with Witch Ancestor Mountain. It seems Witch Ancestor Mountain truly excels at playing all sides."
Manager Qiao looked at Li Wenli with a displeased expression, "Do not spout nonsense."
Although he wasn’t sure what ’playing all sides’ meant, anything coming from this young man’s mouth was surely not meant kindly.
Unlike other powers, Witch Ancestor Mountain’s spies are everywhere, even in uninhabited areas where insects become its eyes and ears.
If they continued to slander Witch Ancestor Mountain so openly, it was bound to reach Witch Ancestor Mountain’s ears eventually.
Witch Ancestor Mountain was no ordinary place; it would not dismiss those who disrespected it lightly.
"Furthermore, the Gu insects you possess are not something a disciple from a maternal family could have."
"I won’t tell you, might as well give up."
Li Wenli hadn’t expected Manager Qiao to be such a tough nut to crack, unwilling to reveal any information, and on top of that, lecturing them not to speak ill of Witch Ancestor Mountain.
He scratched his head in frustration; he simply wanted to know some insider information. Why was it so difficult?
"Are you truly not afraid of dying?"
"I have long since passed the age of knowing fate; what is there to fear in death?"
Manager Qiao sighed and closed his eyes, "I know you are very powerful, torturing a mere prisoner is easy for you, especially since my Lifebound Gu has been killed by you, rendering me helpless like a disabled person."