Deep within the Shackling Prison, the light was dim—so dim it felt like it carried a kind of cold that didn't belong to temperature alone.
Walking through the corridors, you could clearly feel the pressure from layer upon layer of formations and restrictions. No ordinary Luofu civilian would ever willingly step anywhere near this place.
Bai Heng walked in front. Her steps weren't as light as they'd been outside. Every so often she glanced back at Wei Qing and Liu Ying, her expression complicated and hard to read.
To be fair, the Luofu's upper ranks had suspected these Annihilation Gang prisoners might have been sent by Wei Qing.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have treated a bunch of captured thugs with this level of attention.
But once these inmates were thrown into prison, no matter what methods they used, they couldn't probe a single scrap of memory from them.
Even bringing in two geniuses from the Genius Society produced the same result.
According to Ruan Mei's speculation, there had to be an Emanator-level hand behind this—someone had done something to these people.
And at this point in time, if an Emanator chose to reach into the Luofu, the first name they'd suspect was the Destruction Lord: Qingzhou.
But from Bai Heng's perspective…
It didn't quite add up.
Watching Wei Qing now, she couldn't help thinking:
He can't be fooling me, can he?
Wei Qing, meanwhile, looked perfectly at ease. He even had the leisure to examine the prison's internal structure like he was on a sightseeing tour.
Liu Ying stayed close at his side, one hand kept behind her back—firmly gripping the SAM activator.
She could feel it: this place's alert level, the pulsing energy fluctuations, the oppressive tightness in the air. She walked like she was stepping onto thin ice, every muscle ready to spring.
Jing Yuan didn't come personally, but the order was clearly in place.
Along the way, guards saw Bai Heng's token, saluted in silence, and let them pass. Their eyes, however, lingered on Wei Qing and Liu Ying—full of scrutiny and confusion.
The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.
"We're almost there," Bai Heng said, stopping before an enormous black stone door. "The ones locked up here are the recently captured Annihilation Gang core members. Every last one of them is stubborn as iron. We've tried everything. Nothing works."
She looked at Wei Qing, the last trace of doubt in her eyes slipping out in words. "Dot-Dao… do you think their appearance has anything to do with Qingzhou?"
Wei Qing halted as well.
"Why would you think that?" he countered calmly. "As far as I know, those Annihilation Gang rabble worship Nanook, but Nanook has never cared about them."
"And I'd imagine the Destruction Lords feel the same."
That was the widely accepted truth across the galaxy.
Nanook's Destruction was pure—unmixed with petty desire. Destruction as cosmic law. Destruction as the inevitable road to renewal.
But the Annihilation Gang's so-called "Destruction" was warped: selfish, crude, and obsessed with spectacle. They weren't truly walking the Path, and they'd never earned Nanook's recognition.
"…Fair," Bai Heng muttered, as if she'd finally persuaded herself. Then she drew a breath and pushed the heavy door open.
The chamber beyond felt even more suffocating than the corridor.
Specialized cells were embedded into the walls, each sealed by a transparent energy barrier. Inside, you could make out hunched or motionless silhouettes.
Most were injured. Yet their eyes were hollow and numb, like their souls had been scooped out—leaving only empty shells behind.
Liu Ying's brows knit tightly. Instinctively, she stepped even closer to Wei Qing. Something about this atmosphere made her skin crawl.
Wei Qing, on the other hand, didn't look particularly bothered—until his gaze swept across the prisoners and sharpened slightly.
Their condition was even stranger than he'd expected.
He couldn't tell whether they'd arrived like this, or whether the Luofu's "special interrogation" had reduced them to this state.
Either way, it wasn't his problem. With the Annihilation Gang, sympathy wasn't exactly a necessary emotion. If you ended up like this, it was usually because you'd earned it.
Still…
Wei Qing suddenly had a thought that made him pause.
If I ever get flipped and caught by the Luofu one day… am I going to end up like this too?
"Dot-Dao," Bai Heng said, stepping aside and gesturing. "Go ahead."
She signaled the guards. A small access channel opened in one of the energy barriers.
Wei Qing walked to the first cell and activated his skill immediately.
Pure Beauty Knight's Sincere Invitation — Activated
"Hey, sis," he said casually. "How about we chat?"
"Maybe about why you came to the Luofu… or the 'big shot' who sent you here."
The woman's eyes turned—painfully slowly. A tiny ripple appeared in that void-like gaze… and then vanished.
Dead again.
Wei Qing's face didn't change, but internally he clicked his tongue.
So that's what '50% higher chance' looks like. Totally reliable.
He moved to the cell next door and used the skill again.
Pure Beauty Knight's Sincere Invitation — Activated
"Sis," he said, voice oddly warm, "tell me the real reason you came. Or… who ordered you to."
Same response.
A sluggish eye movement. A flicker. Then emptiness.
Wei Qing's brow twitched.
At this point, it wasn't "bad luck." It was starting to look like the system's probability was a scam.
Just as he turned toward the third woman, Bai Heng couldn't help herself.
"Dot-Dao… your 'chatting' style doesn't seem to be doing much," she said, skepticism obvious. "You sure this works?"
Wei Qing ignored her and fixed his gaze on the third prisoner.
Pure Beauty Knight's Sincere Invitation — Activated
"Sis," he asked a third time, steady as ever, "let's talk. Yeah?"
This time—
A miracle.
The woman's eyes focused. Truly focused.
"…Talk?" she rasped.
Wei Qing's expression remained composed. "Tell me. Why are you here? Who's behind you?"
For a brief moment, her gaze seemed to struggle—like something inside her was fighting to claw its way upward. Her lips trembled, forcing out a few slurred, indistinct syllables—
And then the light in her eyes went out.
Her body jerked violently once.
Her head tilted to the side.
She collapsed into unconsciousness.
Silence swallowed the cell again.
Wei Qing stared.
"…Right," he muttered under his breath.
Whose mechanism is this toxic?
Even my concept-level skill can't punch through it.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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