Prisoner's Dilemma! Interrogation

Xue Huai stood up and flicked open his folding fan with a grin.

"A mere junior officer dares to stir up trouble here? Aren't you afraid of losing your job? Let me tell you—my father is a general of the White Feather Guards. Offend me, and you're done for!"

Yun Shuiyao's eyes showed a hint of worry.

From the fifth-floor railing of Drunken Immortal Tavern, Qingxuan and Ma Qiang watched anxiously. They had long wanted to come down and cut down Xue Huai, but their master, Yun Shuiyao, kept signaling them to hold back—after all, their identity as transmigrators made it necessary to stay as low-profile as possible.

"You really don't know what's good for you, little officer. Have you never heard of General Xue Pan of the White Feather Guards?"

Qin Ming smiled calmly. "Never heard of him."

"Of course you haven't—you're just a nobody. Why would you know the name of a general? Men! Grab this brat and beat him to death!"

Just as the thugs prepared to act, Qin Ming shouted toward the tavern entrance:

"Men!"

In an instant, nearly a hundred Demon Suppression Guards stormed in with weapons drawn, each exuding strong spiritual power and an imposing aura.

Xue Huai, who was arrogant just moments ago, immediately turned pale with fear. He squinted at the embroidery on Qin Ming's sleeve.

"He... he's got cloud patterns on his sleeve! He's... he's a Captain of the Demon Suppression Guards!"

The room fell into stunned silence. Yun Shuiyao at the front desk, and Qingxuan and Ma Qiang on the fifth floor, were all shocked beyond words.

Just days ago, Qin Ming was still a eunuch—how had he already become a Captain of the Demon Suppression Guards?

In the Demon Suppression Guards, aside from the Grand Princess, the highest-ranking officers were captains. This rank was no small feat.

Xue Huai realized he had kicked a hornet's nest—but he still refused to back down. His father was a general, and while he couldn't go toe-to-toe with the Demon Suppression Guards, he still wanted to save face.

"Since you're a captain, this is all just a misunderstanding. Let's not make a big deal out of it."

"Misunderstanding? No, I think this is quite intentional."

Qin Ming turned cold, raising his voice:

"Demon Suppression Guards, hear my order! This man openly tried to incite conflict between the Demon Suppression and White Feather Guards. His goal: to create division between Her Majesty and the Grand Princess. Such treasonous behavior warrants immediate execution!"

"Clang, clang, clang—"

Swords were drawn as the Demon Suppression Guards surged forward.

Xue Huai screamed in terror—

And a sickening crack followed as his head was cleaved off.

In less than ten breaths, all eight troublemakers were beheaded.

Everyone in the tavern watched in silent horror.

Qin Ming calmly returned to the counter. His tone softened.

"Shopkeeper, three jars of Drunken Immortal Brew, please."

Feigning panic, Yun Shuiyao brought out the wine for her disciple.

"This wine is on the house—for the soldiers."

"Running a business is hard work. How could I not pay?"

Qin Ming left three taels of silver on the counter, picked up the wine, and left.

The Demon Suppression Guards followed closely behind.

Once outside, he tossed one jar each to Mengtu and Meiyang.

Mengtu exclaimed, "Xiao Qinzi! You were so cool just now—you really have a commanding presence!"

Meiyang took a sip and teased, "Not even a real man, yet you've got more swagger than most men I know!"

Qin Ming rolled his eyes. One day, I'll show you what real swagger looks like!

——

Qingxuan and Ma Qiang rushed down from the upper floor, stopping behind their master.

"Master! How did Qin Ming become a captain of the Demon Suppression Guards?"

"Yeah! He was just a eunuch a few days ago!"

Qingxuan frowned and hugged his black-gold saber.

"But now that he's got power... will he still remember us? What if he pretends he doesn't know us later?"

Yun Shuiyao waved her sleeve.

"Don't talk nonsense. A teacher for one day is a teacher for life. He is my disciple—and always will be!"

"You're right, Master. I'm sure Qin Ming only killed those men because they insulted you!"

Yun Shuiyao nodded, collecting the silver he left behind.

She picked up one of the taels and noticed something strange.

There's something engraved on this...

She flipped it over.

It read: "Save Uncle-Master at the Mass Grave."

Her heart trembled.

Is Qin Ming planning to rescue Uncle-Master Mu Sizhe?

And he wants them to wait at the Mass Grave in advance?!

That's way too risky.

So many Demon Suppression Guards, plus those two female captains—

Even if she wished to save her junior brother, how could they possibly break someone out of the Demon Suppression Tower?

——

Upon reaching the Demon Suppression Tower.

Qin Ming said to Mengtu and Meiyang,

"Sisters, take a rest and enjoy the wine. We'll begin the interrogation deep into the night—when they're most exhausted."

Then he headed straight to the archive where books written by transmigrators were kept.

He planned to use the Prisoner's Dilemma tonight.

But to avoid suspicion, he preemptively searched for a notebook titled "Police Notes" written by a transmigrator who had been a police officer in his previous life.

While no one was looking, he imitated the author's handwriting and added a short entry about the Prisoner's Dilemma.

This way, if the Grand Princess or anyone else asked later, he'd have a plausible explanation.

Qin Ming then made his way to the depths of the prison.

He instructed Mengtu and Meiyang to interrogate the Ghost Elder, while he would handle the Greedy Daoist.

He led the Greedy Daoist to an isolated interrogation chamber—not far from Mu Sizhe's cell.

The Greedy Daoist was already on the brink of collapse.

His eyes had been gouged out by the Grand Princess, and blood still trickled from the empty sockets.

Qin Ming sat across from him.

Greedy Daoist sneered coldly.

"Kill me or torture me, do as you please. I'm not talking. This is pointless."

Qin Ming sipped his tea and deliberately rasped his voice with a grin.

"No problem. I'm just going through the motions. You don't want to talk, don't talk. But Ghost Elder will."

"You think he'd trust you natives?!"

"Maybe not—but he trusts you even less."

Greedy Daoist's brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"Because this is about explosives, Her Majesty made a deal:

You and the Ghost Elder will be interrogated separately.

Whoever gives up the location of the explosives gets released.

The other... will be executed slowly, piece by piece.

If neither of you talk, you'll both rot in here until you die."

He sat back in the chair.

This was the heart of the Prisoner's Dilemma: psychological warfare.

"You done talking?" the Greedy Daoist snapped.

"You think I'll believe you? Never!"

"No big deal. Just hope Ghost Elder doesn't throw you under the bus.

If he talks and you don't—he walks free, and you're the one getting carved alive."

The Greedy Daoist clenched his jaw.

"I don't believe Her Majesty is so soft-hearted as to release us."

"Then let's wait and see."

A quarter-hour passed. Then another. Then another.

Suddenly—

"Bring the Ghost Elder pen and paper!" Mengtu's soldiers shouted loudly outside.

"Understood!" a voice echoed back.

It was loud—intentionally so. Both Qin Ming and the Greedy Daoist heard it clearly.

The Greedy Daoist's head rose slightly, his blind eyes still bleeding.

"You heard that, right? Ghost Elder's getting a pen and paper.

Time's almost up, Greedy Daoist."

Qin Ming stood, brushing off his sleeves.

"If you don't talk now, you'll be abandoned.

Get ready for the slowest, most painful death imaginable."