An hour later, the security office of the Chang'an Automobile Factory felt more like a courtroom than a workplace.
Mi Qianhu and his twenty four n stood bound in a straight line, wrists tied behind their backs, faces stiff with forced composure. They tried to hold themselves upright, but the rope around their arms and the ring of militia surrounding them made their situation painfully clear. They were no longer hunters. They were prey.
The militia ford a tight periter, muskets ready, watching for the slightest movent.
Chief Director Gao Yiyi had arrived in person, which was rare enough to send a ripple through the workers who had gathered outside. Beside him stood Deputy Directors Qi Cheng and Bin Sheng. Even Zhu Yujian had co, his bamboo hat pulled low as he observed quietly from the side, unwilling to miss what might beco an important turning point.
The mood in the room was heavy, and everyone felt it.
Gao Yiyi spoke first, his voice calm but carrying weight.
"Bin Sheng, you believe they were sent by the Manchus to steal the manufacturing thods of our ironworks?"
Bin Sheng cupped his fists respectfully before answering.
"Yes. Based on accent, behavior, and the intelligence we intercepted, this man likely belongs to the forr Jin forces, now calling themselves the Qing Dynasty."
He coughed slightly as he corrected himself, as though the new na tasted unpleasant.
Gao Yiyi's eyes shifted toward Mi Qianhu.
Mi Qianhu let out a short laugh full of disdain.
"Rebels calling others traitors. How amusing."
Gao Yiyi did not rise to the bait. He turned back to Bin Sheng.
"Are you certain he is Wuzhen Chaoha?"
Bin Sheng hesitated.
"I cannot confirm with absolute certainty. It is an inford deduction."
Gao Yiyi fell silent for a mont.
In truth, he was not a trained interrogator. Not long ago, he had been nothing more than a village blacksmith who understood iron better than n. Only in the past decade, under the guidance and enlightennt of Dao Xuan Tianzun, had his knowledge broadened beyond the forge. Even now, when it ca to political maneuvering and psychological pressure, he relied heavily on the two n beside him.
Qi Cheng had once fought as a rebel.
Bin Sheng had once served the Jin.
Strange tis forged stranger alliances.
Qi Cheng stepped forward, his expression thoughtful rather than angry.
"Let us proceed carefully. Rushing will gain us nothing."
He unfolded a stack of confiscated papers and held them up.
"These were found on one of your n."
The papers were covered in dense writing. Observations about Xi'an's daily life, infrastructure, production lines, trade routes, agricultural organization, transport logistics, and even notes on social morale.
The depth of it was unsettling.
Qi Cheng's eyes locked onto Mi Qianhu.
"Why steal these? Planning to rebuild our system in your own territory?"
At that mont, Zhu Yujian felt a cold sweat run down his back. Those were his notes. He had thought them harmless, simple observations of a functioning society. Yet seeing them displayed like captured intelligence made him question his own assumptions. Perhaps transparency itself was strength. Perhaps openness was not weakness at all.
Mi Qianhu lifted his chin.
"You may kill . You will not extract a word."
His n echoed him almost in unison.
"We would rather die."
Bin Sheng's jaw tightened. This was exactly what he had feared. If the captives refused to speak, they would gain nothing from this operation. Worse, they might never uncover the greater network behind them.
Perhaps they had acted too early.
Qi Cheng exhaled slowly.
"Then we will have to apply pressure."
Mi Qianhu laughed.
"You think pain frightens us? We are not cowards who switch loyalties when convenient."
Bin Sheng leaned closer to Gao Yiyi and lowered his voice.
"They are hardened. Ordinary torture may not work."
Qi Cheng agreed silently. He had seen n endure shattered bones without yielding a single secret.
For a brief mont, uncertainty hung in the air.
Then Gao Yiyi smiled faintly.
"There is another thod."
Both deputies turned toward him.
"In Gao Family Village, we possess a celestial treasure bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun."
Their eyes sharpened.
"When assassins once killed four of our n during an attempt on Bai Yuan's life, Dao Xuan Tianzun granted us a ans of extracting truth. That treasure is called Cooling Oil."
Even the na caused unease.
Qi Cheng frowned slightly.
"And where would we obtain such a thing now?"
"I will return to the village and request it," Gao Yiyi began.
He never finished the sentence.
Shouts erupted outside the office.
"Sothing has appeared!"
"A huge green vat!"
"My eyes are burning!"
"Move back!"
The commotion rolled inward like a wave.
Gao Yiyi's expression shifted from surprise to delight.
"There is no need to travel. Dao Xuan Tianzun has already answered."
Outside, an empty water vat near the entrance now brimd with a viscous green liquid. Fus rose from it in shimring distortions, sharp enough to drive the crowd several ters back. Workers covered their faces, eyes watering violently.
Above it all, unseen, Li Daoxuan observed with quiet amusent. The uproar over captured spies had drawn half the factory's population, and he had noticed quickly enough to understand the situation. He had not heard every detail, but he had heard enough. When the word torture was ntioned, he had casually allowed a few drops of Cooling Oil to fall into the vat below. That was all it took.
Gao Yiyi turned toward the prisoners.
"The gift has arrived. Begin."
Mi Qianhu straightened despite the ropes binding him.
"My will is unbreakable. My loyalty is unshakable. Do not think that a re substance can—"
He did not finish.
He was lifted and thrown into the vat.
The effect was instantaneous.
The burning was not limited to skin. It invaded eyes, nose, throat, lungs, and every sensitive surface at once. It felt as though invisible needles pierced him from all directions, as though his very breath had turned into fire.
His composure shattered.
"You rebels," he scread, voice breaking. "How dare you use such thods. My ancestors have served faithfully for generations. I will not yield. I will not—"
The words dissolved into raw, animal cries.
For a few seconds that felt endless, he endured.
Then pride crumbled.
"I confess," he shouted hoarsely. "I confess. Pull out."
Silence filled the courtyard.
Two workers rushed forward, squinting through tears, dragging him out before drenching him repeatedly with clean water. They lowered him into a basin to neutralize the sting.
Mi Qianhu lay there trembling, chest heaving, every breath shaky.
"That is inhuman," he whispered. "Too brutal."
The remaining twenty four n stared at the vat.
None of them spoke about loyalty again.
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