Chapter Forty-Nine: It Is Philosophy...
“Ah...” In a small thatched hut, hastily erected less than an hour ago, three disciples of the Solitary Demon Sect were bound to chairs with tortoise-shell ropes, their cries of agony echoing through the air.
Playing on the neighboring Spirit Bird Peak, little Nian Nian heard the screams and tilted her adorable head, tugging gently at the feathers of the owl sister beside her. Her wide eyes brimmed with worry.
“Owl Sister, will Daddy be alright?”
“Don’t worry, Nian Nian. Anyone else might get hurt, but that rascal Jiang Lin never will.” The owl demon named Owl Sister softly stroked Nian Nian’s little head. She was helping watch the child because Fang Ruo had urgent business.
“What is Daddy doing?... Why did he send Nian Nian out? Does Daddy not like Nian Nian anymore?”
“Nian Nian is so cute! Jiang Lin cherishes you more than anything—how could he dislike you? He sent you out to protect you.”
“Protect me?”
“Mm-hmm.” She nuzzled the cheek of the little dragon girl, full of youthful glow, then glanced toward the twin peaks where the screams rang out without pause. “Your father said he’s discussing philosophy...”
...
“Jiang the flower thief, even if you kill us, we won’t speak!”
“That’s right! We’re principled villains!”
“You’ll never make us betray the Solitary Demon Sect!”
...
Inside the hut, Jiang Lin sat somewhat speechlessly on the crooked wooden stool he had fashioned himself, carefully balancing. To his left stood Diao Da and Bald Wu Ke; to his right, Jiji Bo and Fang Chaoqun.
“I haven’t even started yet, why are you screaming?” Jiang Lin poured himself a cup of tea, his voice calm. “Relax. We of the Sun-Moon Sect never use torture. We treat hostages with utmost decency, don’t we?”
“Exactly. We never resort to torture.”
“Yes, we’re respectable members of the Demon Sect.”
Jiji Bo and Fang Chaoqun echoed from the other side.
“You’re fooling no one! What are those things in your hands?”
The scene shifted: at Jiang Lin’s feet lay a butcher’s knife, spiked club, branding iron, nail clippers, rubber bands—an array of torture implements.
Lower still, “Finger Clamp of Ten Connections” rested on his thigh, while Diao Da and Fang Chaoqun wielded bone needles and pipa skewers...
“Ahem, these are just old items discarded by the Sun-Moon Sect’s punishment hall. Long out of use.”
Jiang Lin tossed aside the finger clamp on his knee.
“Diao Da, tell them—what does Jiang Lin, sole heir of the Twin Pearl Peak, usually use?”
Diao Da pulled out a feather from his body. “This is the finest feather from me—soft and intricate, with many hairs in one. Perfect for tickling feet...”
He snapped his fingers. “Jiji Bo, what do I use?”
Jiji Bo produced two bowls of tofu pudding. “Some like it sweet, some salty. Which do you prefer?”
“Salty.”
“Me too.”
“I like sweet.”
“Excellent.” Jiji Bo hauled out two large vats of tofu pudding from his storage pouch. “Those who like salty, I feed them sweet. Those who like sweet, I feed them salty. We’ll keep going until you confess.”
Suddenly, faced with the two massive vats, the three captives’ faces changed dramatically, thrashing in their chairs, saliva flying.
“Jiang Lin! You shameless fiend!”
“Jiang Lin! If you have guts, kill me!”
“You really are a Demon Sect scoundrel! Kill me if you dare!”
“Jiang Lin! @#$%^ (profanities)!”
Watching the three Solitary Demon Sect cultivators rage impotently, Jiang Lin quickly grabbed Diao Da’s wing to shield himself from their flying spittle.
A flash of icy sword energy sealed their mouths with their own frozen saliva.
“I haven’t even told you the next step. Why are you so eager?” Jiang Lin stood up, straightened his sleeves, and whispered before them.
“I’ve just recalled a method. I’ll throw each of you into a cramped room, just big enough for one person. There’ll be nothing inside—no window, no sound, not a ray of sunlight, only endless darkness. You’ll sit there, forgetting time, forgetting the light, not even a rat for company...”
As his words fell, imagining that room sent tears streaming down their faces, bodies trembling.
He snapped his fingers, and their voices returned.
The one in the middle looked at Jiang Lin, trembling. “Jiang Lin! You’re a devil!”
“No...” Jiang Lin bent down, gazing at them. “Call me... Viper... a venomous, venomous snake... Snake~~~”
“I’ll give you one night to consider. Tomorrow, I’ll return. Oh, and before I leave, I’ve prepared a little gift for you.” With that, Jiang Lin turned to go. Diao Da and Fang Chaoqun glanced at them with deep sympathy and followed.
“Brother Jiang~~~”
Outside the Twin Pearl Peak, Jiang Lin and his companions had just left the hut when a burly, muscular man, his face adorned with makeup and speaking in a gentle tone, approached.
“Brother Jiabaoli, please go easy on them.”
“Oh, Brother Jiang, you’re too modest.” The man called Jiabaoli handed Jiang Lin three medium-grade spirit stones, bumping his shoulder lightly. “To be honest, I much prefer Brother Jiang~~~ How about a high-grade spirit stone?”
“Uh... I have urgent business. Farewell, Brother Jiabaoli!” Jiang Lin hurriedly bid goodbye, heading to Spirit Bird Peak to fetch little Nian Nian.
“Daddy...”
Seeing her father coming for her, Nian Nian leapt from Owl Sister’s embrace, arms wide, little legs pumping as she ran to him.
“Did Nian Nian miss Daddy?” Jiang Lin lifted her up, joy on his face.
“Mm!” Nian Nian kissed her father, her chubby little tail wagging happily. But recalling something unhappy, her head drooped, and her tiny fingers poked each other.
“Daddy, I’m sorry. I overslept this morning... I didn’t go out with you...”
“It’s alright, Nian Nian. You’re not to blame.”
Hearing his “daughter’s” warm words, Jiang Lin felt his heart melt.
“Come, Daddy earned lots today. We’ll go eat something delicious.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Jiang Lin ruffled her hair, placed her atop a horse formed of spiritual energy, and hurriedly sped toward the Sun-Moon Sect’s town.
...
“No! Stay away from me!”
“Oh! Yes!”
Not long after leaving Spirit Bird Peak, strange sounds drifted from behind.
“Daddy, what was that sound just now?” Little Nian Nian lifted her head, gazing innocently at Jiang Lin.
“Well...” Jiang Lin thought for a moment, stroking her silvery hair. “That was philosophy...”