The journey to the Phoenix Sect was a long nightmare. Han Lie was dragged like an animal, his hands and feet tied tightly, his mouth gagged with a dirty cloth. Every jolt of the horse made his wounds throb with pain that pierced to the bone.
Investigator Feng sat calmly on his horse, occasionally glancing at Han Lie being dragged behind him like a sack of rice with a look full of contempt.
"Look at him," Liu Wei said to Zhao Ming with a tone of disgust. "Yesterday he was still acting innocent, but now his true colors are showing."
"A murderer has no shame," Zhao Ming retorted, spitting in Han Lie's direction. "A disgrace to cultivators."
Every word they said was like salt poured on an open wound. Han Lie wanted to scream, to defend himself, but his mouth was tightly gagged.
[SANITY: 30 → 20]
[PHYSICAL PAIN: 70/100]
[MENTAL TRAUMA: ESCALATING]
After a journey that felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the Phoenix Sect. A magnificent building with towering pagodas, surrounded by a sturdy stone wall. A place that was supposed to be a symbol of justice and righteousness.
But for Han Lie, this place looked like hell waiting for him.
They dragged him through the large gate, past a courtyard filled with disciples who looked at him with eyes full of contempt. Whispers followed his steps:
"Is that the murderer Investigator Feng caught?"
"He looks so pathetic."
"How could trash like that kill three people?"
"Maybe he used poison or dirty tricks."
Han Lie felt every gaze was like a knife stabbing at his remaining pride. He, who once dreamed of gaining respect, was now a spectacle to be cursed.
[ARE YOU FEELING... SHAME?]
[INTERESTING]
[I THOUGHT THAT EMOTION WAS DEAD]
Shut up, Han Lie screamed inwardly at the system, which seemed amused by his suffering.
They took him to the Phoenix Sect's basement building—a place notorious as the "Confession Chamber." A cold stone room, with walls full of dry bloodstains, and in the middle of the room... the Chair of Truth.
A chair made of metal with small spikes all over its surface. Not to kill, but to inflict constant pain during interrogation.
"Put him in the chair," Feng ordered in a cold voice.
They untied him only to tie him up again in that horrible chair. The metal spikes immediately pierced Han Lie's back, arms, and legs. Not deep enough to be fatal, but enough to make every movement an act of torture.
"MMMPH!" Han Lie tried to scream through the gag in his mouth.
"Oh, now you want to make a sound?" Feng removed the gag from Han Lie's mouth with a rough pull that tore Han Lie's lips.
"Please..." Han Lie's first word was a desperate whisper. "I... I can explain..."
SLAP!
A hard slap sent Han Lie's head flying to the side, causing the spikes on the chair to scratch his cheek and neck.
"THERE'S NOTHING TO EXPLAIN!" Feng shouted with fury. "You're a murderer! The facts are clear!"
"But I... I didn't do it on purpose..." Han Lie tried the Perfect Lie once more, even in this desperate condition.
SLAP! SLAP!
Two consecutive slaps made Han Lie's vision blur. Blood came from his nose and mouth, dripping onto the stone floor.
"LYING AGAIN!" Feng grabbed Han Lie's hair and forced him to look up. "Do you think I'm stupid?! You came with a knife, trying to kill Chen Wu! THAT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT!"
[PERFECT LIE: FAILURE RATE 100%]
[TARGET IS TOO HOSTILE FOR MANIPULATION]
Han Lie felt a deeper panic. His most reliable ability was completely useless here.
"Now," Feng said, taking a metal rod that had been heated in a brazier, "we will begin the real session."
The metal rod glowed red from the heat. Han Lie could feel its heat even from a distance.
"First question," Feng brought the rod closer to Han Lie's face, "why did you kill the Zhou family?"
"I... I didn't—AAAAHHHHH!"
The hot rod touched Han Lie's cheek for only a second, but the pain was like lightning that burned his entire face. The smell of burning flesh filled the room.
"WRONG ANSWER!" Feng shouted. "Try again!"
"I... I really didn't..." Han Lie started again, but stopped when he saw the rod approaching again.
"I WAS FORCED!" he finally screamed. "Something was forcing me!"
Feng frowned. "Something?"
"A voice... a voice in my head..." Han Lie said desperately, mixing truth and a lie. "Ordering me to... to kill them..."
[YOU ARE BETRAYING ME, HOST?]
The system's voice appeared with a dangerous tone.
[THAT IS... A VERY BAD MISTAKE]
Suddenly, a pain far more terrifying than the hot rod attacked Han Lie's entire body. It was like a million fiery needles piercing every nerve ending at the same time.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Han Lie screamed with an inhuman volume, his body convulsing in the chair until the metal spikes cut his body even deeper.
"What's happening?!" Feng backed away, startled by the extreme reaction.
Han Lie couldn't answer. He could only scream and scream while the system inflicted internal punishment that made the physical torture feel like a tickle.
[FIRST LESSON: NEVER BETRAY ME]
[SECOND LESSON: MY PAIN IS MUCH MORE CREATIVE THAN THEIRS]
After what felt like an eternity, the pain stopped. Han Lie hung limply in the chair, his breathing short, his entire body covered in cold sweat.
"Interesting," Feng said, observing Han Lie with curiosity. "It seems there's some truth to your words. There's something... not normal about you."
He approached again with the reheated rod. "Tell me about this voice. In detail."
Han Lie looked at Feng with broken eyes. He was trapped between the system that would torture him from the inside if he betrayed it, and Feng who would torture him from the outside if he didn't cooperate.
[A DIFFICULT CHOICE, ISN'T IT?]
[SUFFER FROM ME OR SUFFER FROM THEM]
[EITHER WAY... YOU WILL SUFFER]
"I..." Han Lie said in a voice that was completely broken, "I don't know what to do..."
"Start from the beginning," Feng said, placing the hot rod just inches from Han Lie's eye. "And this time... don't lie."
Han Lie looked at the glowing red metal rod, knowing that no matter what he said, the pain would keep coming.
From the system if he was honest.
From Feng if he lied.
He was truly trapped in a perfect torture scenario.
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST]
[YOU ARE FINALLY FEELING TRUE HELPLESSNESS]
[THIS IS... A VALUABLE LESSON]
And Han Lie cried again, because he realized...
This was just the beginning of his real suffering.