The jailer looked innocent. Damn, he’d never heard of such a strange and obscure surname in his life. Was it his fault?
But he only dared to think these words in his heart. If he spoke them aloud, he’d likely have his throat slit on the spot.
“Yes, yes, Lord Mo Qi, I’ll move aside.”
“However, a giant monster has appeared outside. I beg Lord Mo Qi to leave here as soon as possible!”
Monsters only existed in legends; no one had ever truly seen one. So Mo Qi Xie’s first reaction upon hearing this was that the jailer was lying.
He glanced at Yue Fei, who was bound to the torture rack, then at the jailer. He instantly formed a suspicion, kicked over the table, and cursed the jailer, pointing at his nose.
“Good, I was wondering why I couldn’t get Yue Fei’s confession. So it was you causing trouble from within!”
“Now, to interrupt my interrogation, you’ve pulled out the story of a monster to fool me. You must be Yue Fei’s accomplice!”
“Guards, seize him and interrogate him strictly!”
“I want to see, in the Dali Temple, besides Xue Renfu and Li Ruopu, how many others are Yue Fei’s cronies!”
After cursing the jailer, he turned to Yue Fei and reprimanded him.
“You are merely a mere brute, yet you have gathered Dali Temple officials. What is this if not plotting rebellion?!”
“I warn you, don’t be foolish. Sign and seal the confession book quickly, and you’ll suffer less physical pain!”
Yue Fei’s hands and feet were bound to the wooden frame, rendering him immobile. His eyes spewed rage as he stared intently at Mo Qi Xie.
After a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahahahahahaha~~”
“I dare to swear to the heavens, I will never betray my country or my lord in this life!”
“Do you dare?!”
“You hold the power of justice, yet you slander a loyal minister. You dare not!”
“Since I have fallen into the hands of the traitor Qin Hui, I know all is lost. But if you want me to sign and seal that baseless accusation, you’ll have to wait until the next life!”
“Heaven’s justice is bright! Heaven’s justice is bright! Hahahahahahaha~~”
His voice was cold and filled with killing intent, yet it evoked a strange sense of sorrow. After a burst of laughter, he fell silent.
“Smash!”
Mo Qi Xie slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pointing at Yue Fei and shouting, “Guards, beat him!”
“Once inside Dali Temple, no matter how tough you are, you’ll have to listen to me obediently!”
Just then, a thunderous roar came from outside, and the entire prison building trembled.
Mo Qi Xie’s face instantly turned pale: “Earth dragon turning over?”
He could no longer bother with forcing a confession from Yue Fei and bolted towards the exit of the prison.
As for Yue Fei and the jailers, he wished they would all die, so he wouldn’t have to return to question them.
However, as he rushed out of the prison, he saw a colossal object standing in the courtyard of Dali Temple.
The previously solid courtyard wall had a huge gap blasted through its center, and the vermilion wooden gate of Dali Temple had been crushed into dust by a Caterpillar.
Innumerable officers, armed with weapons, surrounded the truck, but none dared to stand directly in front of its hood.
The scene just now had left the officers trembling with lingering fear. It was too terrifying!
They had only seen the behemoth emit a puff of black smoke and then charge in. The heavy gate and courtyard wall were no match for it, as if they were made of paper.
Mo Qi Xie stood there dumbfounded, and only at this moment did he believe what the jailer had said earlier.
What else could such a massive thing be if not a monster?
“Lord Mo, what should we do now?!”
An officer, who accidentally saw him emerge from the prison, quickly ran over to seek his instructions.
“I’ll say it again! My surname is Mo Qi! Not Mo!”
With the enemy at the gates, Mo Qi Xie still could not tolerate others mispronouncing his surname. He grabbed the officer’s ear and shouted close to his mouth.
“Yes, Lord Mo Qi, this subordinate remembers!”
The officer obsequiously apologized, but a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.
Mo Qi Xie released his ear, clasped his hands behind his back, and said with feigned composure, “Such a colossal object must have a fatal weakness!”
“Perhaps water, perhaps fire, perhaps a needle, or~~”
“In any case, we absolutely cannot allow this monster to wreak havoc in the imperial city!”
The officer replied with a苦涩 face, “Lord Mo Qi, we’ve tried all the things you mentioned, but they couldn’t harm this monster at all!”
Mo Qi Xie’s old face darkened, “You can’t even do this small thing properly. What’s the use of the court keeping you?!”
“I will return to the palace immediately and report all of you to the Emperor!”
With that, the man turned and walked towards the back gate of Dali Temple without looking back.
Inside the Caterpillar’s cabin, Fang Er recognized the official uniform on the man and knew he wasn’t from Dali Temple.
He extended his AK out of the window and fired a shot at his side.
“Bang!”
Mo Qi Xie was startled and instinctively halted his forward step, turning to look towards the truck.
Only then did he realize that there were people hidden inside that monster!
The unknown was terrifying. If there were people inside this thing, it meant it wasn’t a monster at all. It was likely a mechanical puppet created by someone who had mastered the Mohist school’s craft!
Thinking this, his anxious heart relaxed. People were nothing to fear. With Yue Fei, who was skilled in battle, locked up in prison, what could these people in front of him amount to?
He suddenly smiled, a wild, triumphant smile.
“Hahahahaha~~~”
“I thought it was some monster, but it turns out to be a mechanically controlled puppet!”
“You must be remnants of Yue Fei. How perfect! I was worried Yue Fei wouldn’t sign the confession, and your arrival here will perfectly confirm his rebellion!”
“Guards, quickly notify the Left Guard Army to come and apprehend these rebels plotting treason!”
Just now, Fang Er couldn’t be sure if this man was from the peace faction or the war faction. Now, after hearing his words, he instantly understood his identity.
After Yue Fei was imprisoned, Qin Hui ordered the Censor Zhongcheng, He Zhu, to be the chief interrogator and force a confession.
He Zhu saw Yue Fei’s righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor and observed the four characters “尽忠报国” (Loyalty to the Country) tattooed on his back, deeply engraved into his skin.
He Zhu was shocked and, sensing the injustice, revealed this to Qin Hui.
Qin Hui was displeased and said, “This is the Emperor’s will,” claiming it was the Emperor’s decree.
He Zhu reasoned with him, replying, “Does He Zhu merely care about one Yue Fei? With the enemy not yet destroyed, to needlessly execute a great general would alienate the soldiers and harm the nation’s long-term plan.”
Qin Hui was momentarily speechless, so he replaced He Zhu with Mo Qi Xie to interrogate Yue Fei. Furthermore, He Zhu was accused of being Yue Fei’s accomplice, dismissed from office, and removed from his post.
And this man before him, who could brazenly speak of Yue Fei’s accomplices, did not fit He Zhu’s character at all.
Therefore, his identity was already very clear.
He was undoubtedly Qin Hui’s top lackey, Mo Qi Xie!