Chapter 23: Torture Luo Hu

Before my brain could fully process it, my body instinctively leaped out of the study.

The moment I landed on the soft red carpet of the hallway, the ten black-clad corpses in the study simultaneously exploded violently!

Under the shockwave of the explosion, the study, already riddled with bullet holes, collapsed instantly, sending dust flying everywhere.

It seemed that when shooting failed, the Iron-faced Man resorted to using the black-clad men's self-destruction to kill me. Fortunately, my devilish intuition had prompted me to leave the room just in time, leaving me unscathed.

"That was... close," Luo Hu said, still trembling as he lay on the ground.

I kicked him and cursed, " You're fucking lucky."

I had been holding him the whole time, naturally bringing him along when I leaped out.

But saving him wasn't a bad thing; at least I could extract more information about the Satanic cult from him.

Realizing that the explosion might have alerted others and that it was unsafe to stay, I quickly took the branch leader and left.

While driving away, I used my right hand to dig out the decayed flesh and silver bullets from my gunshot wounds, gradually regaining sensation in my left hand.

After returning to the city from Repulse Bay, Luo Hu and I checked into the hotel that Rahab and I had previously agreed upon.

Once settled, I called Zicheng to check on their situation, only to find out that they had already completed their training.

"You've finished your special training?" I asked, slightly surprised.

The training, initially scheduled for seven days, had been completed in just four.

"Yes, Zicheng's determination is much stronger than we anticipated," Rahab said calmly. "He has completed the first stage of training."

"Where are you now?" I asked.

"We're at the hotel."

"We're in room 622. Come over here," I said.

"We?" Rahab asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I brought back a captive," I said with a smile, patting Luo Hu's face.

After hanging up, a few moments passed before there was a gentle knock on the door. When I opened it, it was Zicheng and Rahab.

As they entered, I smiled and asked Zicheng, "How was the training these past few days? Did you witness Rahab's terrifying side?"

Zicheng, a bit embarrassed, said, "No, Rahab was very kind to me. The training wasn't too tough; I managed to get through it."

I turned to Rahab and asked, "Can Zicheng now summon the Devil eye at will?"

Rahab replied coldly, "Not only that, but he can also see the memories of the deceased from four hours before their death!"

I couldn't help but praise him. It had taken me a whole week to master the "Eye of Illusions," yet Zicheng, a newly turned devil, had achieved it in just four days.

At that moment, Rahab spoke to me telepathically, "Zicheng's thirst for revenge is stronger than I imagined. This is a double-edged sword; be cautious."

I kept my smile, lightly brushing my nose to indicate my understanding.

"Hey, is your left hand injured?" Zicheng asked, pointing to my bandaged left hand in surprise.

"Yes, I was hit by a silver bullet," I replied with a smile.

"Silver bullets?" Zicheng asked, puzzled. "Aren't devils supposed to have strong regenerative abilities? Why does your injury seem so severe?"

I laughed and said, "We devils fear nothing more than God and silver. I'll explain it to you later."

With that, I drew the curtains, plunging the room into darkness, creating an environment more conducive to interrogation.

At that moment, Zicheng noticed the branch leader on the floor and turned to ask, "Is this the captive you brought back?"

I nodded and said, "Yes, he is Luo Hu, the branch leader of the Satanic cult in Hong Kong."

Upon hearing that he was from the Satanic cult, Zicheng's expression changed dramatically. He angrily grabbed Luo Hu and shouted, "Are you Luo Hu?"

Luo Hu, maintaining his composure, replied, "I am."

In the Hong Kong branch of the Satanic cult, Luo Hu held a position second only to the leader, accustomed to commanding others at his whim. Even now, as a captive, he retained a hint of arrogance.

I patted Zicheng on the shoulder and smiled, "Calm down, let's take our time interrogating him."

"Our rules for captives are threefold: one, no shouting; two, no lying; and three, no bargaining," I said, placing Luo Hu back on the ground. "If you break any of these rules, I'll send you back to the Satanic cult. Understand?"

With that, I tore off Luo Hu's left ear.

Back in the study, I had already sensed his fear of the cult leader from his unusually panicked behavior.

Having led the Hong Kong branch to a crushing defeat, returning would surely subject him to unspeakable torture.

As expected, Luo Hu nodded repeatedly upon hearing my words. Whether it was his resilience or fear of me, he merely winced as I tore off his ear, not uttering a sound.

I patted his head in approval, laughing, "That's more like a real man!" Luo Hu could only manage a dry laugh.

Zicheng crouched down, glaring at him, and asked sternly, "Speak! Did you order the killing of my entire family?"

Luo Hu nodded slightly, then quickly shook his head, saying, "I did give that order, but I was merely conveying the cult leader's wishes."

"Why did you give that order? Why did you tear my family apart?" Zicheng shouted angrily.

Luo Hu, feeling somewhat aggrieved, said, "If I hadn't conveyed it, I would have been the one to die!"

"And that justifies sacrificing my wife and child?" Zicheng roared. "I'll kill you right now!"

With that, he punched Luo Hu in the face.

Zicheng's fury was palpable. Luo Hu tried to dodge but didn't dare, enduring the punches and kicks.

After letting Zicheng vent for a while, I pulled him away and comforted him, "Alright, let me handle this. We will find the culprit."

Zicheng continued to glare at Luo Hu with rage. I glanced at Rahab, who then said, "Zicheng, come sit down."

Hearing Rahab's words, Zicheng finally moved to sit on the bed, though his anger remained, his eyes still filled with hatred for Luo Hu.

I crouched down and asked with a smile, "You said the order came from your cult leader. Why did he want them dead?"

Luo Hu shook his head, "I don't know."

"Don't know?" I smiled, taking his right hand and forcefully prying off his thumbnail.

Luo Hu wanted to scream in pain but remembered my warning and could only cover his mouth with his other hand.

"How dare you cover your mouth while I'm asking you questions?" I laughed, pulling his other hand over and prying off another thumbnail. "Still don't know?"

"I really don't know... Ah!" Luo Hu screamed as his left index finger's nail was torn off.

Only after prying off all his fingernails, leaving his hands bloody, did I turn to Zicheng and say, "It seems he truly doesn't know the cult leader's intentions."

Zicheng nodded, his anger dissipating, and said with a hint of compassion, "Then let him go. Don't torture him any further."

I chuckled inwardly, surprised by Zicheng's kindness.

"Alright, I'll stop for now. But if you lie, I'll know," I said to Luo Hu with a smile.

Luo Hu, pale and terrified, replied, "Y-yes!"

"Do you know who killed the pregnant woman?" I asked.

"I do..." Luo Hu hesitated for a moment before continuing, "His name is Li Hongwei."

"Li Hongwei?" I frowned. "Describe his appearance."

"He is one of our Lightbringers, with a large scar running from his left forehead to the corner of his mouth."

Upon hearing the description of the murderer, I noticed that Zicheng didn't react much.

Just as I was feeling puzzled, Rahab's voice echoed in my mind, "Zicheng had previously visited the morgue and used the ' Eye of Reminiscence ' to see his wife's last memories. He already knows the murderer's appearance but nothing else."

I wiped my nose upon hearing this.

"Do you know where this Li Hongwei is?" I asked. At this question, Zicheng's interest piqued.

"Due to his outstanding performance, the cult leader favored him. A week after completing this mission, he, along with three other Lightbringers, went to the branch to see the cult leader," Luo Hu said hesitantly, clearly unwilling to reveal the branch's location.

"You are really not forthcoming," I said, frowning as I twisted all the fingers on his right hand backward. "Speak! Which branch did he go to?"

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" Luo Hu cried out, tears streaming down his face. "I-Italy! Li Hongwei went to our branch in Florence, Italy!"

I released his hand and turned to Zicheng, smiling, "Looks like you'll need to ask your superior for some time off."

Zicheng nodded, his emotions getting the better of him as he began to sob quietly, clearly overwhelmed by the knowledge of his wife's murderer's whereabouts.

Just as I was about to continue interrogating Luo Hu, my phone, hidden in my pocket, suddenly rang.

Answering the call, a sweet yet frantic voice came through.

"Big brother, my mom has been kidnapped by the Satanic cult!"

Yan'er cried loudly on the other end of the line.