"Name?"
"Chen Feng."
"Age?"
"Just turned eighteen~"
"Hmm?"
"Ahem... Eighteen."
"Gender?"
"Walmart shopping bag."
Bang!
The interrogating Millelith soldier couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his fist on the table and roared at Chen Feng.
"If you don't cooperate, your sentence will be extended!"
"Calm down, calm down, Master Millelith!" Chen Feng immediately put on a placating smile when he saw the soldier was genuinely angry. "I was just joking!"
"Hmph! Pull another stunt like that, and I'll throw you in the Black Room for a week before letting you out!"
"Got it, got it!"
"Gender?"
"I'm all man!"
For a moment, veins bulged on the interrogating Millelith soldier's forehead, but he ultimately restrained himself.
"Speak. Why did you commit murder in the street?"
"Master Millelith, I've been framed! That person's death has nothing to do with me. I'm just an ordinary citizen. How could I have killed him?"
"Enough! Confess now, and it'll go easier on you. Resist, and you'll face the full force of the law!" The Millelith soldier glared at Chen Feng with a warning look. "I'm telling you, the cause of death is already being examined. Don't think you can get away with anything. If you confess now, we can still consider it a surrender!"
"His death really has nothing to do with me! This is a gross injustice! I'm innocent, innocent!"
"Nothing to do with you? Then explain why the man dropped dead right after you said he was about to die." The Millelith soldier didn't believe a single word of Chen Feng's excuses. "Are you going to tell me you saw his lifespan had run out, so you knew he was about to die?"
"Master Millelith, you're brilliant!"
Bang!
The Millelith soldier slammed his fist on the table again, glaring fiercely at Chen Feng.
"It seems you won't confess until you're staring at your own coffin! How dare you try to fool me with such a ridiculous excuse?!"
"You claim to be an ordinary citizen, yet you also say you can see people's remaining lifespans. Are you really taking me for a fool?!"
"As a citizen of Liyue, isn't it perfectly reasonable to have a few special abilities?"
"I'll 'reasonable' your *&^%...!"
The interrogating Millelith soldier finally snapped. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach the suspect a harsh lesson. For such a nonsensical and arrogant detainee, if he didn't show him some pain, the man would start treating Liyue Prison like a charity hall!
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open. The Millelith Captain entered, followed by Hu Tao and Zhongli.
"Captain?"
The interrogating soldier froze in embarrassment. While it was common to use a bit of force to make overly arrogant suspects cooperate, it was strictly against regulations. Usually, it was fine as long as it wasn't done openly. He couldn't believe he'd been caught red-handed today, and with outsiders present.
Fortunately, he hadn't actually laid a hand on the suspect yet. Otherwise, he'd be facing a severe reprimand at the very least.
Just as the soldier was about to say something, Hu Tao saw the scene and immediately rushed over.
"What do you think you're doing to our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's consultant?"
Hu Tao shielded Chen Feng protectively, then quickly checked him for any new injuries.
This man was the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's prized treasure! What if he got broken? Wouldn't the Parlor lose its chance to soar to new heights?
"Huh?"
The interrogating Millelith soldier was completely stunned by Hu Tao's words. He stared at Chen Feng in disbelief. Dressed like this, he's actually a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?
Then, the soldier turned his gaze to Zhongli.
Why is Consultant Zhongli dressed so impeccably? Could there be some kind of consultant-on-consultant bullying happening at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?
Zhongli: "..."
Feeling the soldier's strange stare, Zhongli cleared his throat and spoke.
"Director Hu Tao has taken a liking to his talent and wishes to recruit him into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Ah, so he's not a consultant yet!
No wonder the suspect hadn't mentioned this connection earlier. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's reputation was solid; even if Chen Feng were a suspect, the soldier would have treated him with a bit more courtesy had he known.
"Wait a minute... Consultant Zhongli, are you saying he can really see people's remaining lifespans?!"
The interrogating Millelith soldier suddenly remembered what was so special about Chen Feng that would make Hu Tao want to recruit him. It was obviously the very ability he had dismissed as a joke!
Just then, the Millelith Captain walked over. He glanced at Chen Feng with a strange expression before quickly looking away and addressing the interrogating soldier.
"We've completed a detailed examination of the body. The deceased had a chronic heart condition that suddenly flared up."
"This attack was far more severe than previous ones, leaving no time for medical intervention."
The interrogating soldier's mind exploded.
Holy crap! he thought, utterly stunned. He really didn't do it?!
This meant that unless it was a complete coincidence, the eighteen-year-old man he'd been interrogating could actually see people's remaining lifespans!
As for whether this was just a coincidence, just look at Hu Tao now—she's treating him like a precious treasure! Isn't that proof enough?!
Hiss...
The Millelith soldier in charge of the interrogation took a sharp, cold breath. His gaze toward Chen Feng now held a hint of fear.
In his eyes, Chen Feng was no ordinary person—he was a living, breathing King of Hell!
The soldier recalled his earlier tone, which had been a bit too forceful. He won't hold a grudge and retaliate later, will he?
The thought sent a wave of panic through him.
Who wouldn't be terrified? This was the King of Hell himself!
"My young friend," the soldier said, snapping back to reality. He immediately turned to Chen Feng and asked in a soft, gentle voice, "We've been talking for so long. You must be thirsty. Let me get you a glass of water!"
"Now that you mention it, I am a little thirsty."
Hearing this, the soldier hurried to pour a glass of water and placed it respectfully before Chen Feng.
"Hmm, not bad. You're quick on your feet," Chen Feng remarked after taking a sip, glancing at the soldier with a smug expression.
"But I have to say, I preferred your defiant attitude from before."
Though the words stung, the soldier didn't dare show any displeasure. He was terrified of getting on this living King of Hell's bad side.
The Millelith Captain's mouth twitched as he watched the scene unfold. The interrogating soldier was being more deferential to Chen Feng than he'd ever been to his own captain. Still, the captain understood the soldier's anxiety.
If Hu Tao weren't here, it would be fine, he thought. But now that even she's trying to recruit him, even I'm starting to panic. He quickly reviewed his own actions, trying to recall if he had done anything too excessive when bringing Chen Feng to the Liyue Prison.
After a moment of careful reflection, he confirmed that he had acted impartially and followed procedure. Feeling slightly relieved, the captain addressed Chen Feng.
"Your suspicion has been cleared. With Director Hu Tao vouching for you, you are free to leave."
"As for the men who attacked you on the street, they have been imprisoned to reflect on their actions. Since they held back and didn't cause serious harm, they will likely be released in a few days."
"If you have any objections to the Millelith's decision, you may file an appeal."
"No objections, no objections at all!" Chen Feng exclaimed. "The Millelith Masters are impartial, perceptive, and fair! I have absolutely no complaints!"
He then pointed at the interrogating soldier. "Especially this Millelith Master! Such a commanding presence, and so well-spoken! I truly admire him!"
The soldier's heart sank. It's over, he thought, his blood running cold. The King of Hell has marked me after all!
"How about this?" Chen Feng offered with a grin. "As a way of repaying your kindness, I'll calculate the death dates for you two Millelith Masters. What do you say?"
"!!!"
Is that repaying a kindness or taking revenge?! the soldiers screamed internally.
"No need!" the Millelith Captain snapped, recovering from his shock. He immediately turned to Hu Tao. "Director Hu, please take your consultant and go!"
Hu Tao's eyes lit up. "Of course, of course! I'll take him right away!"
She grabbed Chen Feng's arm and began dragging him out of the Liyue Prison. Chen Feng, of course, put up a struggle.
"Wait, I don't want to leave!"
"On second thought, prison doesn't seem so bad! Free food and lodging, right?"
"Hey, hey, lady, don't drag me! I don't even know you!"
The Millelith Captain's scalp tingled with dread at the thought of the "Living King of Hell" wanting to stay. He waited until Zhongli had also exited, then slammed the door shut and finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"Captain," the interrogating soldier asked, his voice trembling, "do you think an ability that absurd could really exist?"
The captain shot him an annoyed look.
"How should I know?"
"But judging by Director Hu Tao's reaction, it's better to believe it than not."
"I'll report this to my superiors later, and then... I'm going to see Dr. Baizhu for a check-up."
"Captain, I want to go too..."
-
Fontaine, Palais Mermonia.
Neuvillette frowned as he reviewed the case report.
The individuals who had turned themselves in had received their due punishment. However, the vast majority of the Cult of the Dragon's members had committed only minor offenses and would be released after a few days' detention.
This incident had made his reputation in Fontaine even more formidable.
After all, even with Furina and Focalors working together, they had been powerless against the Cult of the Dragon. They had even deliberately leaked the fact that Neuvillette was not at the Fortress of Meropide, essentially a concession from the Fontaine authorities.
Yet, the moment Neuvillette returned, a single word from him had prompted every member of the Cult to surrender. Even those who had committed heinous crimes seemed to throw their lives away, using their own surrender to bolster Neuvillette's fame. How could his reputation not skyrocket?
Neuvillette had already begun to grasp the new faction's operational logic: they supported him blindly. Their mass surrender was based on this very principle.
However, this was not a good thing. The Cult of the Dragon's methods were far too extreme, and Neuvillette feared that one day the faction would cause a massive incident.
When that time came, even if he hadn't ordered it, the blame would almost certainly fall on him. Who could he possibly turn to for justice then?
Neuvillette had tried to officially incorporate the Cult of the Dragon into Fontaine's structure but had met with significant resistance.
Although the members would likely commit mass suicide without hesitation if he asked, they refused to be absorbed by the Fontaine authorities and wouldn't disclose their operational plans to him.
With no other options, Neuvillette could only assign agents to closely monitor the organization's every move. After all, he couldn't actually order them to kill themselves, and since they hadn't caused any major trouble yet, he couldn't justify rounding them all up and imprisoning them indefinitely just to prevent potential future incidents.
Yet, this surveillance did yield some results.
An informant reported that a significant number of Cult members had already left Fontaine. Some appeared to be heading to Sumeru, while the final destinations of the others were still under investigation.
What are they planning?!
Upon hearing this news, Neuvillette's mood grew heavy.
Neuvillette certainly didn't believe the Cult of the Dragon members had left Fontaine just to tour other nations. They were obviously planning to cause trouble!
"Thankfully, Clorinde is still in Sumeru. I'll have her monitor their movements."
Few within the Cult of the Dragon possessed Visions; most were ordinary people. Logically, he shouldn't be this tense, yet Neuvillette couldn't shake the unease in his heart.
After sending the message to Clorinde, Neuvillette shook his head.
Worrying now was useless. He could only hope Clorinde would be able to stop their actions in time.
Neuvillette rose from his seat, intending to find Rene to discuss some matters.
He had finished all the less urgent but still important tasks. All that remained were minor, trivial matters, which he planned to dump on Furina and Focalors for practice.
He'd heard they had been competing to get themselves imprisoned. Unexpectedly, Ron had anticipated their plan and preemptively added several special regulations to Fontaine Law specifically to counter such situations.
Though he hadn't witnessed it himself, Neuvillette was certain the expressions on Furina and Focalors' faces when they heard the verdict must have been priceless
Thinking of this, Neuvillette's mood relaxed slightly.
This time, Neuvillette was going to find Rene primarily to discuss the collaboration with Sumeru and to commission him to create a body for Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
As for continuing to serve his sentence in the Fortress of Meropide, Neuvillette didn't dare.
He was truly afraid of the Cult of the Dragon's fanatical followers. He worried that if he remained imprisoned, they would organize another prison break that would shock all of Fontaine.
He had no choice. To prevent such a scenario, Neuvillette had to indefinitely postpone his sentence. What a shame—his vacation time was gone...
-
While Neuvillette was heading to the land-based Fortress of Meropide, Furina and Focalors, who had been lounging on their five-meter-wide bed, were abruptly woken up and handed a massive pile of work.
"My ladies, it's time to work!"
"Monsieur Neuvillette specifically instructed that he hopes you two can finish this overtime as soon as possible!"
"???"
Forced to hold a mountain of paperwork while still groggy from sleep, Furina and Focalors froze completely. It wasn't until the door clicked shut that two long, mournful wails echoed through the room.