Beast Empress Sovereign

5. Interrogation and Intimidation

The morning mist was still thick, clinging to the damp stones of the Outer Sect’s southern training field. Lin Ardent felt the cold through his thin, tattered shoes as he was led by two of Han’s cronies. He could feel the small weight of Nila, now in her serpent form, coiled tightly around his bicep under his sleeve.

"Keep moving, Ardent. Senior Brother Han doesn't like to be kept waiting in the cold," one of the disciples growled, giving Lin a rough shove.

"I’m moving as fast as I can," Lin replied, pitching his voice to sound weak and out of breath. "My chest... it still hurts from yesterday."

"Complaining again? You’re lucky to have a chest left to hurt," the other laughed. "If it were up to me, you'd be back in that ravine being chewed on by carrion beetles."

They reached the center of the field, where a tall silhouette stood perfectly still. Han didn't even turn around as they approached. His white robes seemed to repel the mist, and the sheer pressure of his Qi made the surrounding air feel heavy, as if it were turning into water.

"Leave us," Han commanded.

"But Senior Han, shouldn't we stay in case the trash tries to—"

"I said, leave," Han’s voice was like a blade being drawn. "If I cannot handle a level three Qi Condensation cripple alone, I should be the one living in a shack."

The disciples bowed frantically and hurried away, leaving Lin standing ten paces behind Han.

"Come closer, Ardent," Han said, finally turning. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was a mask of frigid, barely suppressed rage.

Lin took a few slow, hesitant steps forward, keeping his head bowed. "Senior Han... why am I here? I’ve told everything I know to the Elders."

"The Elders seek facts, Ardent. I seek the truth," Han replied, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Facts are cold, dead things. But the truth... the truth has a scent. And right now, you smell like a charnel house."

"I was at the center of an explosion!" Lin cried out, looking up with watery eyes. "Of course I smell like death! I saw my brothers turn into ash!"

"Don't call them your brothers," Han spat, his hand twitching toward the hilt of his sword. "They were your betters. They were the future of this sect. You were just the tool they used to carry their bags."

"I know that, Senior! I never forgot my place!"

"Then explain this to me," Han said, suddenly stepping forward so fast that Lin didn't have time to blink. He grabbed Lin’s jaw, forcing him to look directly into his eyes. "I went back to the ravine last night, Ardent. I looked at the 'dust' you described."

"And?" Lin stammered.

"Spirit beasts do not leave metallic shards when they explode from a relic backfire. Iron-Claw Eagles melt their marrow when they die in such a blast," Han hissed, his face inches from Lin’s. "But there was no marrow. There was only... nothing. As if the very essence of the eagle was eaten by something even hungrier than a void-relic."

"I... I don't know the science of explosions, Senior! I was screaming for my life!"

"Quiet!" Han roared, releasing Lin’s jaw so abruptly he nearly fell. "And your 'snake'. Where is it? Why does she smell of ancient depths every time she’s near you? A common Shadow Serpent should be hibernating after such a trauma."

Master... may I bite his jugular? Nila’s voice echoed like a cold bell in Lin's mind. He is breathing on your face. His sweat smells of arrogance and fear. One drop of my toxin will turn his heart into a stone.

Not yet, Nila, Lin replied through their bond, trying to steady his heartbeat. Use the resonance. I need the Sovereign's Breath to withstand his pressure.

Very well. Synchronize your lungs with mine, Sovereign. Breathe the void, and let his petty Qi bounce off you like pebbles against a mountain.

Lin closed his eyes for a split second, visualizing the black scroll's text. He drew a long, silent breath, feeling Nila’s cold energy circulating through his meridian points. Suddenly, the crushing weight of Han’s Foundation Establishment aura seemed to lift. The air didn't feel heavy anymore; it felt thin and irrelevant.

"Why are you closing your eyes, trash?" Han sneered, oblivious to the shift. "Are you praying? Praying to the gods who forgot you existed?"

"I’m just... I’m tired of being accused," Lin said, his voice regaining a subtle, iron-clad steadiness.

"Tired?" Han laughed, a harsh, jagged sound. "You don't get to be tired. You were the only survivor. That makes you the prime suspect in the eyes of my family. My father, the Grand Elder of the Southern Hall, will be arriving by midday. If I don't have a confession for him, he will soul-scour you. Do you know what that feels like, Ardent? Having your memories ripped out like weeds from a garden?"

"The Elders already verified my story!"

"The Elders are old and easily distracted by the loss of a relic! I am not!" Han’s Qi flared, turning into a visible white shroud around his body. He slammed his palm against Lin’s chest, not to kill, but to intimidate. "Tell me! Did you find a forbidden weapon in that forest? Did you trade your soul for a strike that took them down while their backs were turned?"

Lin stood his ground. Han’s palm hit his chest with enough force to break ribs, but Lin didn't budge. He felt the impact absorbed by the shadow-energy circulating beneath his skin.

"I have nothing but a wounded serpent and the clothes on my back," Lin said, staring straight into Han’s eyes now. "If you want to kill me to satisfy your grief, do it. But don't expect a lie to satisfy your father."

Han’s brow furrowed. "Your heart... it’s not racing. Your breathing... it’s as calm as a frozen pond. How is a Qi Condensation level 3 insect resisting my Foundation pressure?"

"I've died once already in that forest," Lin replied coldly. "Fear doesn't work on me anymore."

"Lies! You're using some hidden treasure to hide your cultivation!" Han reached out to rip Lin’s sleeve, aiming for the brand he caught a glimpse of the night before.

Enough, Nila whispered in the darkness of Lin’s soul. Show him a taste of the abyss.

At that moment, Lin didn't move. But his shadow did.

Behind Lin, on the mist-covered grass, his shadow elongated and thickened. It rose up like a dark wall, taking the silhouette of a tall, statuesque woman with hair like waving serpents and eyes like burning emeralds.

Han froze. He looked past Lin’s shoulder at the monstrosity emerging from the ground. The mist around them began to turn purple, and a localized chill swept over the field, frosting the stones instantly.

"What... what is that?" Han’s voice shook, his hand dropping away from Lin’s sleeve. "Ardent, your shadow... it has a face!"

Lin didn't turn around. He knew what Nila was doing. "I don't see anything, Senior. Are you sure your grief isn't making you hallucinate? I hear trauma can do that to the mind."

"Hallucinate? It’s staring at me!" Han screamed, stumbling backward. "That... that thing! Its eyes! It feels like my soul is being frozen!"

The shadow-figure leaned forward, though its feet remained attached to Lin’s heels. It didn't speak with a mouth, but Han heard a voice that felt like a freezing lake being poured into his ears:

"Little human... touch my Master again, and I shall pull the light from your eyes until you scream for a darkness that will never end."

Han fell onto his backside, his white robes getting stained with mud. His prideful aura collapsed like a house of cards. He scrambled back on his hands and knees, his breath hitching in panicked gasps.

"Monster... you're a monster!" Han shrieked. "I knew it! You’ve brought something back from the abyss!"

The shadow-figure vanished instantly, snapping back into a regular, inanimate shadow under the morning sun. Lin let out a long sigh, looking down at Han with a gaze that held more pity than fear.

"I think you should go rest, Senior Han," Lin said, his voice echoing in the silent field. "You look unwell. Perhaps you shouldn't interrogate people until the physician looks at your head."

Han looked at Lin, then at the shadow on the grass, then back at Lin. The terror in his eyes was absolute. A mid-tier Foundation Disciple had been brought to his knees by a feeling he couldn't even name.

"You... you’re a devil," Han whispered, his hands shaking as he gripped his sword hilt for support.

"I’m just a trash disciple who survived," Lin said, turning his back on Han. "I’ll be at my shack if the Grand Elder actually wishes to see me. But I’d suggest telling him to bring someone with a stronger heart than yours."

Lin began to walk away, his pace steady and unhurried.

Master, that was exhilarating, Nila chuckled in his mind. Did you see how he crumbled? Like dry clay. I could have turned his brain to slush if I had just a moment more.

You overdid it, Nila, Lin thought, though a small, satisfied smirk played on his lips. Now he’s certain I have something. But he’s also too terrified to touch me himself.

Terror is a much more effective guard than a wall, Sovereign, she replied. He will spend his nights checking his own shadow. Every flickering candle will be a threat to his sanity. That is the justice of the Empress.

"I’ll get you for this!" Han’s voice echoed from behind, though it lacked its usual fire. "I’ll report this to the Sect Protector! You’re harboring a demonic spirit! You won't last until the Autumn Tournament!"

Lin didn't even slow down. "He’s still barking," he muttered.

Master, a barking dog only needs to be shown the collar once, Nila said, her voice becoming intimate. But you were impressive today. To withstand his strike without flinching... your body is adapting to my essence. Our dual cultivation has truly begun.

If this is only the beginning, I dread to see the middle, Lin thought.

"Lin Ardent!"

Lin stopped near the edge of the market stalls. Standing there was a small, frantic girl with pigtails. It was Meilin, the assistant to the Outer Sect’s librarian.

"Meilin? What’s wrong?"

"The library!" she wheezed, doubling over to catch her breath. "Elder Lu... he’s there! He’s looking through the old registers! He asked for your name, Lin! Your family lineage and your beast-contract history!"

Lin’s stomach did a slow roll. Elder Lu was much more dangerous than a hot-head like Han. Lu was smart, patient, and had seen a thousand "geniuses" and "devils" come and go.

"Did he find anything?" Lin asked.

"He found the entry about your Shadow Serpent," Meilin whispered, looking around nervously. "The one where it says she was born with a defective core. He... he smiled when he read it, Lin. It wasn't a nice smile. He said... 'A defect is often just a mask for an anomaly.'"

An anomaly? Lin’s hand tightened into a fist.

Lord, shall I go and incinerate the library? Nila suggested cheerfully. A good fire usually hides the truth quite well.

No more incinerating things today, Nila, Lin commanded. If Lu is interested, then we have to be more than a 'luck' case. We have to be a puzzle he can't solve yet.

Lin looked at Meilin. "Thank you for telling me. Go back to your duties before they miss you."

"Be careful, Lin! Han is one thing, but Elder Lu... people who attract his attention usually end up in the 'Meditation Caves' and they never come back the same!"

Meilin ran off, leaving Lin in the growing light of the morning.

"Interrogation, intimidation, and now... investigation," Lin murmured to himself.

They are all just stages of the hunt, Master, Nila’s voice slithered into his consciousness. And remember... even when you are being hunted, I am in their shadows. They aren't just looking for you. They are stepping right into our web.

"Let’s go see what Elder Lu wants," Lin said, adjusting his vest. "If he wants to look into the mask, we might as well give him a show."

As Lin walked toward the Great Library, he felt the brand on his arm heat up. The star representing Nila was glowing faintly, and for the first time in his life, Lin Ardent didn't feel like trash. He felt like the fuse of a bomb that was just beginning to burn.

"The hunt has shifted," he whispered.

Behind him, in the shadows cast by the morning sun, a pair of emerald eyes flickered into existence for a split second, and then were gone.

"I’ll see you at the library, Master," the Empress whispered. "I hope they have some interesting books. I’m quite curious about the taste of an Elder’s Qi."

Status Update:

Lin Ardent: Resisted a Foundation-level interrogation. Cultivation: Qi Condensation 3 (Ascending rapidly due to Nila's resonance).

Nila: Demonstrated 'Shadow Intimidation'. Bound even more tightly to Lin.

Senior Han: Mentally shaken. Trauma-bond with his own fear initiated.

Elder Lu: Has begun an official investigation into Lin's anomalies.