OFTLHFRO C78

Chapter 78 Extracting Confessions by Torture

“Captain Huo, your arrangements are sound… but what if the West Gate falls? Wouldn’t the rebels and bandits be able to threaten the common folk directly? By the time we rush over, it would be too late.”

One man pointed at a gap on the map as he spoke.

Seeing that gap, Huo Yan said, “The terrain here is like the neck of a gourd. My spouse alone can hold it; adding more men there would be useless.”

Luo Mingchen looked over the area. If the city’s outer residents were relocated there, it would indeed be suitable for a small contingent to defend.

Yuanzhou City was large. Three thousand men sounded like a lot, but once dispersed, the number guarding each place wasn’t much.

If the rebels and bandits had superior numbers and concentrated on one point, their own forces would be spread too thin and hard to redeploy quickly.

So Huo Yan’s plan was to station three thousand men at the East, South, and North Gates, while the least likely to be attacked West Gate would have only a few men watching it.

If anyone showed up there, they were to leave the gate immediately and report.

The West Gate abutted the mountains; the terrain was complex, and without a local guide it was hard to find the paths.

Even if an assault did come, the terrain would restrict the attackers’ numbers at any one time.

Previously, opening the West Gate had been to allow the people of Yuanzhou a chance to flee if the city fell.

Thus, the houses near the West Gate were chaotic, forming a gourd-neck-like constriction, and most were stone houses.

Everyone else was stunned—just Luo Mingchen holding it alone?

Although he wasn’t short, he wasn’t among the sturdier types either. Wouldn’t two or three brawny men be enough to drop him?

But since Huo Yan was that confident and Luo Mingchen said nothing, they thought to themselves: perhaps he was a hidden expert after all.

So, doubts remained unspoken, and the group didn’t object.

After finishing the arrangements, the parties went off to prepare.

For caution’s sake, Huo Yan still inspected each location in person.

Luo Mingchen followed those evacuating the populace, going to study the terrain near the West Gate so he wouldn’t get himself turned around.

Compared to the prosperity elsewhere in Yuanzhou, the West Gate quarter was simpler—mostly stone houses, staggered neatly, with its own charm.

Most of the people brought there were dejected.

They were ordinary citizens of the city; even in crisis, they weren’t brought to the center but were dispatched to a place to be abandoned at any moment.

Who would believe that a lightly guarded area would be safe?

They were merely lives of little worth!

Even knowing this in their hearts, they still followed orders and went to the West Gate.

It was still better than the areas near the other gates, which would surely suffer the brunt once fighting started.

After familiarizing himself with the terrain, Luo Mingchen returned to find Huo Yan and was told he was in the dungeon interrogating the captured rebels.

By the time Luo Mingchen arrived, Huo Yan had questioned many already and was interrogating the rebel leader.

In the dim dungeon, Huo Yan sat in a chair, twirling a blade as thin as a cicada’s wing in his hand.

Calling it a blade wasn’t quite accurate—there was no hilt, just a rhombic sliver of razor edge fluttering through his fingers like a butterfly.

The bound man opposite wore a face of terror, not knowing what had been done to him earlier. “Truly… I’ve said everything I know. I really don’t know anything else…”

Getting nothing more, Huo Yan slipped the edge back into the special little pouch Xiao Lin had given him, stood, and told the two men beside him, “Keep him locked up.”

Having watched the whole thing, the two responded meekly, “Yes.”

When Huo Yan came out, Luo Mingchen asked curiously, “When are they going to attack?”

Seeing Luo Mingchen, Huo Yan’s expression softened a bit. “Barring surprises, they’ll come tonight.”

“If they know these men were captured, might they not dare to come to Yuanzhou?”

“No. They will definitely come.”

Seeing Luo Mingchen’s puzzled look, Huo Yan explained, “They want the rosters of all the merchant caravans in Yuanzhou and to destroy the sheepskin scroll we brought earlier.”

Luo Mingchen frowned. “They haven’t sent the sheepskin to the capital yet?”

“No. All the bandits committed suicide. This matter is of great consequence and implicates many high ministers. Without other solid evidence, sending it up won’t secure a conviction.”

Hearing this, Luo Mingchen was even more confused. “Then why go to such lengths to destroy the sheepskin?”

Catching Huo Yan’s look, Luo Mingchen suddenly understood. “A deeper investigation would still uncover things. And they want the merchant rosters… wait, why do they want those?”

“Unknown,” Huo Yan said, though he had several guesses in mind and saw no need to voice them before they were certain.

Recalling the terrified look on the man’s face in the dungeon, Luo Mingchen asked, “What did you do to him? Why is he so scared?”

“Extracting a confession by torture,” Huo Yan said calmly.

“But I didn’t see any injuries on him…”

“Some wounds don’t show on the outside,” Huo Yan told him.

Something about the way he said it made Huo Yan seem a little frightening to Luo Mingchen, and he lost interest in the details of the torture. “…Oh.”

At dusk, after dinner, Luo Mingchen took a few soldiers to the West Gate.

Before he left, Huo Yan stopped him and said, “They might feint at the West Gate first.”

The probability was small, but not zero.

“I get it. It’s fine—I’ll watch that side,” Luo Mingchen said. “If it’s ordinary men like those, even ten thousand won’t matter.”

Even if bombs were used, he could block them with a water wall.

Compared to attacking, Luo Mingchen was actually better at defense.

There was no help for it; in the early days of his ability awakening, he’d been terrified of being surrounded by zombies.

Because of that terror, while other water-ability users could desiccate people’s bodies, Luo Mingchen’s water ability could form immensely tough water walls. Later, he gradually learned how to attack, rather than tossing squishy water balls that only gave zombies a bath.

But if there were many people like Huo Yan, then it would be trouble.

Thinking of this, and about to leave, Luo Mingchen turned back and asked, “Brother, are there many experts like you?”

“Not many,” Huo Yan said with a smile.

Hearing this, Luo Mingchen was reassured. “Then I’m off. Be careful.”

“Alright.”

Only after watching Luo Mingchen go did Huo Yan withdraw his gaze and ask, “Are the sandbags ready?”

“They’re prepared,” the gate captain said.

Huo Yan nodded. “Place them exactly where I indicated. Also, put more scarecrows on the rooftops on East Street.”

Even though he didn’t understand Huo Yan’s plan, the gate captain responded at once, “Yes!”

At the West Gate, Luo Mingchen sat himself at a doorway-like spot, while those who had escorted him remained at the gate.

He took out an apple from his storage space and bit into it. Hearing sounds, he turned around to see the local people gripping sticks, watching him warily.

Luo Mingchen smiled at them. “Hello—have you eaten?”

The crowd: “…”

Given the situation, how could they possibly eat in peace?!