Su Xi had learned many methods for interrogating disobedient prisoners when she was a mercenary in the interstellar era.
Some of her interrogation techniques could make people wish they were dead, regretting ever being born rather than telling the truth.
However, those methods were used on interstellar beings before; this was the first time she was applying them to someone from the current cultivation world, making it highly innovative.
If she had the patience, she could have recorded detailed research and published a paper.
Su Xi’s mind raced with thoughts as she reached for her toolbox. While her mind wandered, the task at hand still needed to be done properly.
Opening the toolbox revealed various bizarre-looking tools, emitting an unsettling gleam.
Tian Gang Zhenren looked at the strange tools and asked with confusion, "Can these tools really make people tell the truth?"
There was no discernible energy fluctuation from the tools before him. He couldn't fathom what methods Su Xi possessed to make a cultivator speak.
Su Xi smiled, not offering much explanation. Instead, she took out a syringe as thick as an arm from the toolbox, added some liquid, and mixed it.
"What do you want to do?" Zheng Yuan had never seen anything so peculiar and didn't know what Su Xi intended. But as a cultivator, he possessed a keen sense for unknown dangers.
Su Xi looked at Zheng Yuan and smiled, her expression odd. "Of course, I want you to experience what 'love and peace' is all about."
With that, Su Xi unhesitatingly raised the syringe and thrust it into Zheng Yuan's body.
"Ah!" Zheng Yuan let out a scream akin to a pig being slaughtered, immediately feeling his entire body stiffen and his breathing become labored.
The spiritual energy within his body was utterly incapable of preventing the agony that surged through him.
On the contrary, the presence of spiritual energy in his body made the pain even more acutely felt.
Observing Zheng Yuan's reaction, Su Xi patted his head. "This is muscle rigidity. With every breath you take, a part of your body will stiffen completely. If it reaches your head, even an immortal couldn't save you."
Su Xi withheld a crucial detail: the stiffening process would be accompanied by heart-wrenching agony, and this pain would exponentially increase with each stiffening part, multiplying geometrically.
To prevent Zheng Yuan from succumbing to the pain, Su Xi had also thoughtfully prepared a generous supply of stimulants to enhance his nerve sensitivity.
Hearing Su Xi's words, Zheng Yuan gritted his teeth and persisted, unwilling to tell the truth.
Despite the excruciating pain, it paled in comparison to the consequences of revealing the truth. He merely wished for a swift and painless death, not this torment.
Su Xi read Zheng Yuan's expression, understanding his thoughts, and felt she had been too lenient, leading to his delusion.
She then took out another bottle of medicine from the toolbox, pondered for a moment, and added several more vials and bottles to the syringe.
Since he was being stubborn, she would add more medicine. She hadn't used many of these substances before, so this was a perfect opportunity.
A normal person would confess after a single dose. Zheng Yuan was not normal, so she would add more.
All these medications injected into Zheng Yuan's body instantly contorted his face, and he then collapsed onto the ground.
His fingers curled, his body convulsed uncontrollably, and drool dripped from his mouth. He resembled someone suffering from epilepsy, seemingly having ingested a considerable amount of dirt.
Su Xi had directly altered Zheng Yuan's genes, rendering all his previous resistance futile.
Zheng Yuan felt the changes in his body but was powerless to do anything. He couldn't even move his fingers. Moreover, what he was exhibiting was only half of his suffering; the other half was yet to manifest.
The physical torment intensified geometrically, his screams becoming more piercing.
His cries were so tragic, as if he had suffered the greatest injustice in the world. Even Meng Jiang Nü, who is said to have cried down the Great Wall, would have been outdone.
The escalating pain made him feel as though he were on the verge of becoming an immortal. He had never felt so close to immortality.
His previously defiant words instantly turned into pleas for mercy. "I was wrong, I'll tell you everything. Just give me a quick end."
He didn't want to endure this pain; he only wanted to die soon.
He missed his mother.
Hearing Zheng Yuan's pleas, Su Xi seized the opportunity and asked, "What conspiracy are you plotting?"
"We."
Just as Zheng Yuan was about to speak, Su Xi interrupted him. "Wait a moment."
She hadn't forgotten the fate of others before, so she was concerned that Zheng Yuan might also be under a restriction, which would remotely kill him the moment he spoke, rendering her efforts futile.
"Wait for me."
She didn't want her efforts to go to waste, only to find out nothing from Zheng Yuan in the end.
Su Xi retrieved some jammers from her person and placed them around Zheng Yuan. Simultaneously, she activated the supercomputer in the room, creating a special magnetic field around Zheng Yuan.
This magnetic field effectively formed a unique micro-world. As long as the field remained intact, no one could use spiritual energy to interfere with her questioning.
The application of spiritual energy was akin to altering a magnetic field. Therefore, a new magnetic field could disrupt the normal operation of another.
"You can speak now." Su Xi said only after ensuring there were no loopholes.
Hearing Su Xi's words, Zheng Yuan could no longer bear it. He poured out everything he wanted to say, speaking each word clearly and cooperatively.
After he finished speaking in one breath, Zheng Yuan looked at Su Xi and pleaded in agony, "Please, kill me quickly. I can't take it anymore."
The rigidity had reached his chest, and the pain he endured was nearing its maximum. Blood flowed from all his orifices, and he was teetering on the brink of madness.
If he didn't speak soon, he might never be able to again.
Su Xi observed this scene and knew he was beyond saving.
Without further delay, she released her seal.
As the seal was broken, the Heavenly Dao once again enveloped Zheng Yuan. An intense oppressive force instantly reduced him to a pulp, vanishing from the world.
This happened very quickly. The surrounding mortals who witnessed it could hardly believe their eyes.
They had just seen Su Xi, with a mere wave of her hand, kill a high-ranking official who could summon wind and rain.
As Su Xi approached, everyone involuntarily took a step back, fearing they might offend her and invite unnecessary trouble.
Su Xi paid no mind to what the bystanders were doing and turned her attention to Da Mao.
According to Zheng Yuan, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had calculated that a sacred artifact from the Five Great Immortal Mountains had fallen into this village and possessed one of its inhabitants.
However, killing someone without cause would cause the sacred artifact to become waste by accumulating resentment.
Therefore, they had to find an excuse to detain everyone and then execute them under fabricated charges to uncover the artifact's whereabouts.
Their plan was nearing success when Su Xi appeared.
"Who are you?" Su Xi grabbed Da Mao, beginning to assess his condition.
The events of the previous night had convinced her that Da Mao was somehow different from ordinary people.
Seeing Su Xi grasp Da Mao's arm, the old man instantly tensed and rushed towards Su Xi.
No matter what, he would not allow his beloved grandson to be harmed.
Su Xi didn't even look up. The old man couldn't advance a single step, only displaying his anxiousness.
After taking his pulse, Su Xi was certain that Da Mao was no ordinary person, revealing a smile of "just as expected."