My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

Chapter 155 Soul-searching Interrogation; Joyous Immortal Palace

Wei Zhi was a bit dazed by the imperial decree, his mind momentarily blank!

Until Gu Lan effortlessly cut through the crowd and approached him, handing the decree to him, "Brother Wei, I've come to interrogate the prisoner. Take me inside to have a look."

Only then did Wei Zhi react!

Staring at the decree in his hand, he hurriedly picked it up, swallowing hard and looking at Gu Lan with a shocked and unbelieving gaze.

"Brother Gu, are you... an imperial envoy?!"

"As good as real."

Gu Lan helplessly smiled. He didn't want to deal with this; after the interrogation, he still had to report back to the palace. There were a bunch of troublesome matters, delaying the time spent with his wife...

Unfortunately, he had been implicated by that female Emperor, who seemed determined to exploit him until he was thoroughly drained!

The heat from the battle in Langzhou City should have subsided by now. After the New Year, he would move back... Gu Lan thought, forget about the imperial examination and the like, just abandon it! Anyway, if it was his elder sister-in-law pulling strings for him.

In terms of the imperial examination, she couldn't do much. Wei Zhi calmed his thoughts.

Many old people around also saw the decree in Gu Lan's hand and hurriedly cried and shouted as they approached!

"Lord Envoy! Please help us. Our daughters have been missing for several days. How can their bodies endure this!"

"If my daughter doesn't come back, I have no reason to live!"

"Sir, you must help us find them. We'll kowtow to you!"

...

The girls had been missing for several days, and they knew in their hearts that the hope of survival was slim. Under extreme worry and resentment, their emotions were naturally quite agitated!

Several elderly people really came over to tug at Gu Lan's clothes, wanting to kneel down and kowtow to him!

Wei Zhi quickly led Gu Lan into the Imperial Announcements Bureau.

Letting his subordinates temporarily stop those elderly people.

...

Inside the Imperial Announcements Bureau, they passed through the hall and arrived in front of the high iron grates of the dungeon.

They couldn't hear the anxious cries from outside.

Wei Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Lan furrowed his brows, "Things are much more serious than I imagined... those abducted girls, have they all died? Did you block the news, or did you really not find them?"

"Brother Gu, it's really that we haven't found them!"

Wei Zhi knew he had misunderstood and sighed, "Although the likelihood of them being killed is very high, Her Majesty has not instructed us to deceive or block the news..."

"Now that the news has spread, if we can't get any reasonable results from the interrogation, even if Her Majesty doesn't issue a self-punishment edict, we'll still be dismissed!"

"Hmm."

Gu Lan nodded slightly.

The current situation was indeed not optimistic. The enemies were wicked and cunning!

There were also shortcomings on the part of the court, but facing powerful enemies, with an average cultivation of only Nurture Realm for the Imperial Guards... it was inevitable that there would be oversights.

However, this approach sounded quite humane to Gu Lan. The Great Jing's Emperor seemed to be reasonable!

If it were any other emperor, admitting a mistake and saving someone would be impossible!

The lightest punishment for lying and deceiving the common people was to suppress them. In history, emperors who made mistakes often reacted with anger, sending troops to suppress the unfortunate families. To turn a blind eye to such matters was commonplace.

"If she doesn't exploit me, Her Majesty would be even better..." Gu Lan sighed and said, "Take me to see the prisoner and brief me on the situation."

"Okay!" Wei Zhi nodded.

Since Gu Lan was sent as an envoy, he must have some ability. There was no room for jealousy, so he immediately shared all the information he knew with Gu Lan.

"The prisoner is very afraid of death, especially since he knows he's the only person appointed by the court who can break through the forces behind the scenes. So, he's holding onto the information tightly."

"He wants to use that piece of unique information to exchange for a chance to survive?" Gu Lan asked.

With King Realm cultivation, he already had the ability to self-destruct. If he didn't want to live, he could easily take a few Imperial Announcements Bureau members down with him!

"Yes."

Wei Zhi agreed and glanced at Gu Lan, explaining as they descended the dark and damp dungeon stairs, "This prisoner has formidable cultivation. His physical body is quite resilient, he's unyielding... But we really don't want to go easy on such scum who harm innocent families!"

"But if he doesn't talk tonight, given the circumstances, we'll have to promise him some things to tempt him into talking..."

Wei Zhi clenched his fists, speaking through gritted teeth. He harbored deep hatred for this scum, but the eager old people outside wanted to know the results. This made him torn and tormented!

"Even if you give in to his demands, what he says may not be true..." Gu Lan said lightly.

There were countless cults practicing evil arts throughout the world. Why would the prisoner tell the truth? It might just provoke the grudge of the sect behind him, increasing the danger of being assassinated later.

Wei Zhi paused, helplessly shaking his head.

"That's indeed the case! However, it's an unavoidable method. Now it's difficult to get him to talk, and the authenticity of the information can only be verified later."

"Too troublesome!"

Gu Lan stopped in his tracks. In the front of the dungeon, there was a battered King Realm evil cultivator, presumably the prisoner.

Gu Lan glanced at the prisoner, the corner of his lips curling into a harmless smile.

"Brother Wei, go outside and block for a while. Don't worry about me... I'll be down after an incense stick burns, and we'll know the result."

"Brother Gu, are you serious?!"

Wei Zhi tilted his head back, looking at Gu Lan with a doubtful expression.

After a moment, he slowly nodded and muttered to himself, "It seems that Brother Gu's appointment as an imperial envoy is indeed backed by some means... and yes, being the top scholar, he's highly trusted by Her Majesty. How could he lack intelligence?"

Wei Zhi subconsciously felt that Gu Lan might use some sophisticated and persuasive methods to make the prisoner regret and speak up.

Gu Lan smiled without saying a word, neither confirming nor denying.

Persuasion?

Indeed, I can, but for scum like this, there's no need at all!

As Wei Zhi left, the iron door creaked with an annoying sound, and the dungeon once again became dim.

Gu Lan walked towards the cell.

"A mere scholar thinks he can extract secrets from my mouth? Hehe, you seem to think too highly of yourself..."

The prisoner was bound to an iron frame. Seeing Gu Lan in his green Confucian robe, he disdainfully sneered!

His gloomy eyes glanced around, and there was even a hint of a sinister plan in his mind. With Wei Zhi gone and the guards being weak, could he take advantage of this opportunity to break free from the chains and abduct this scholar? Perhaps then he could escape!

At this moment, Gu Lan raised his eyes, profound as ink, and his clear voice echoed in the musty-smelling cell: "I heard that you prefer to yield to soft rather than hard."

The prisoner locked eyes with him and laughed, "Yes! Are you the imperial envoy sent by the court to negotiate with me? Let me tell you, I have only one request. Provide me with the silver coins and release me. Oh, right! Also, healing medicine.

These days, your tortures..."

As he spoke, his words suddenly stopped. This was because a strange gleam gathered in Gu Lan's eyes, a spark that directly penetrated his vulnerable sea of consciousness!

Soul Searching Technique!

The prisoner grunted, his face blank. His soul instinctively resisted, but against a King Realm in the Emperor Realm, the difference was like night and day.

Gu Lan completely ignored his resistance and let his soul wander outside his body, watching as Gu Lan read his memories.

"After the soul search, you may become mentally numb, but that's too easy for you. I will personally help you restore your five senses, allowing you to live a long life in this cell..."

Gu Lan said coldly.

Using the Soul Searching Technique, he gradually extracted all the wicked deeds this scum had committed throughout his life.

When he saw how the prisoner had assisted in tyranny, helped the evil cultivator from the Joyful Immortal Palace in abducting young boys and girls, causing countless families to break apart, a surge of anger from the depths of people's hearts spewed out like a flame!

The killing intent of the Emperor Realm almost materialized in the cell, causing the prisoner's soul to tremble in the void incessantly!

"No, don't! What kind of sorcery is this? You shouldn't see that; those are my memories. How can you possibly see them?"

The prisoner's soul was imprisoned in place, his eyes filled with horror. His voice was sharp, and he looked at Gu Lan reading his memories with a calm and methodical expression. There was a deep fear from the soul.

Gu Lan now knew the secrets he relied on for negotiation!

He had no bargaining chips to survive!

And according to Gu Lan's words, he wouldn't let him die so easily. He would live in this cell... a fate worse than death!

"Don't look anymore, I'll say everything! I'm willing to say anything! Spare me... let me die happily. I have no other requests!"

The prisoner's soul pleaded.

Unfortunately, Gu Lan paid no attention.

The prisoner, who had initially entertained the foolish idea of abducting Gu Lan, was now a King Realm.

He had a relatively strong perception. In an empty cell, with Gu Lan's cultivation not concealed, he felt an oppressive force that was more terrifying than the aura of the Grand Palace Lord in the Immortal Palace—not to mention that the Immortal Palace was not a local force in this world!

In front of Gu Lan, he didn't even have a chance to commit suicide. He could only beg for death like this!

Gu Lan remained indifferent, his eyes bright.

These memories of sin were easy to influence a person's mind. If it were an ordinary cultivator, they might be contaminated and fall into the evil path. However, Gu Lan's Indestructible Buddha's Heart played a significant role at this moment!

The sacred Buddha light illuminated, pure and translucent, making his spiritual consciousness clear.

He silently observed the Joyful Immortal Palace located in a corner of the northern desert, noting down the useful information from the prisoner's memories.

After a while, Gu Lan saw the scenes of the prisoner following Elder Sun to the capital.

"The purpose of coming here is to gather enough Yin sources and then have the elders feed them back to the three palace masters..."

Seeing the appearance of Elder Sun in the images, a chill ran down Gu Lan's spine. He thought to himself that those three palace masters were truly heartless!

Then, Gu Lan's eyes suddenly brightened!

He saw the final destination of those women in the hellish Residence.

"They weren't killed; instead, they were hidden in the cellar outside the city... perhaps they plan to take them away when they return to the Northern Desert..."

Gu Lan squinted, finding some comfort in this discovery. Fortunately, he came to perform the Soul Searching Technique today; otherwise, these unfortunate girls in the cellar might not have survived the night.

However, before Gu Lan could rejoice for too long, he witnessed a scene that sank his heart, and his brows furrowed suddenly.

"Tonight, I'll go to Dongzhi Street to find that Lin Tan'er. You stay at the Residence and make sure these girls don't run away!"

"Yes, Elder!"

"..."

This old devil was going to find Tan'er!?

But Tan'er didn't see anything that day, or perhaps she encountered something and didn't tell him? With her cultivation at the peak of King Realm, if something happened, she wouldn't be a match for this old devil! No, no, if the old devil succeeded, how could he himself still be alive...

Gu Lan's thoughts were in disarray, feeling like he had missed something in the sequence of events. Discover more content at empire

As his thoughts became chaotic, the terrifying pressure of the Emperor Realm permeated the entire dungeon.

Gu Lan was deeply concerned about Lin Tan'er. Moreover, with her personality, she might keep silent about any trouble she encountered afterward.

After spending so much time together, although she was a maid, she was also like family, and there was the promise he made to Lin Lu to take care of her.

The soul of the prisoner emitted a muffled groan, and his bones instantly cracked, releasing a pool of black blood. The entire Imperial Announcements Bureau shook!

The guards outside didn't know the source of this aura and were afraid that something might have happened to the esteemed envoy inside. They quickly attempted to open the door, but it seemed as if the iron door had been welded shut; no matter how much force they applied, it wouldn't budge!

The two guards panicked.

"You continue to guard here; I'll go inform Lord Wei!"

"Alright! Hurry!"

In the dungeon!

The prisoner, almost crushed by the oppressive force, looked terrified. He exerted all his strength and emitted a "hehe" sound from his throat.

Gu Lan instantly snapped back to awareness. With a wave of his hand, he virtually held the soul's neck in his palm, ready to snap it at any moment, as if holding a little chick.

Gu Lan's eyes were cold and stern as he asked, "On that day, did that Elder Sun return to the Residence, and did he succeed!?"

The soul roughly understood the source of Gu Lan's anger. He glanced at his memory's images and quickly trembled, saying, "This... Lin Tan'er, definitely didn't encounter Elder Sun!"

"Because Elder Sun, he was killed shortly after leaving. Soldiers came to the Residence to search just after less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn... In that short time, he had barely reached Dongzhi Street!"

The soul's memories unfolded before Gu Lan's eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then glanced back at the timeline. Indeed, what he said was true.

"If he didn't succeed, then how did he die? On the way to Dongzhi Street during that time, what did this old devil encounter?"

Gu Lan breathed a sigh of relief, muttering inexplicably. Finally, his hand relaxed.

The soul lay prostrate on the ground, gasping desperately. He had just experienced what it felt like to walk on the edge of death.

"Being alive is still good, even if it's inside a prison..." The prisoner rolled his eyes, his mouth twitching madly, and finally, he fainted in front of Gu Lan!

Gu Lan glanced at him and shook his head. With a slight movement of his fingers, he returned the soul, like rotten mud, back into the body.

At the same time, outside the dungeon door.

Wei Zhi hurried over, his face even more anxious than before.

"Gu... Is the esteemed envoy still inside? How can you not even watch the cell? If something happens to the esteemed envoy inside, you'll all lose your heads!"

Wei Zhi glared at the bloodshot-eyed guards, angrily shouting at them. He genuinely worried about Gu Lan's safety.

He regretted listening to Gu Lan's words and going upstairs. As a powerless scholar, he could easily be manipulated by that evil cultivator. How could he leave him alone downstairs? It was truly regrettable!

The two guards felt even more guilty, unable to retort. They could only pray silently in their hearts that Gu Lan wouldn't meet any mishap.

"Get out of the way, I'll try to see if I can break this mysterious iron door and rescue Brother Gu!"

Thinking of the frightening commotion just now, Wei Zhi couldn't stay put. He pulled out a heavy waist knife with both hands, panting heavily. He concentrated his entire strength on the thick iron grating...