Ning Chen asked Xu Song a few more questions, and the man cooperated well enough.

From the questioning, Ning Chen learned a fair amount about this Ye Xingjue.

The man was around thirty-five, sullen and obsessive by nature.

Xu Song had been a beggar. When he was about to starve to death, Ye Xingjue had saved him, and he'd stuck with him ever since.

But according to Xu Song, Ye Xingjue was very withdrawn. He often went whole stretches without saying a word, shutting himself away to tinker with who knew what. Some days he didn't say two sentences... So Xu Song didn't know much about this master of his either.

A question suddenly occurred to Ning Chen. He looked at Xu Song. "What do you live on?"

Xu Song shook his head. "I don't know... But my master has never been short of silver."

Ning Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. "Does he do business?"

Another shake of the head. "I've never seen my master do any business."

"Then where does his silver come from?"

Xu Song's voice shook. "This... this small man really doesn't know."

Ning Chen studied him closely. From the look of him, he wasn't lying.

This Ye Xingjue didn't do business and didn't go out to work... So where did his silver come from?

Swindling and conning people?

That couldn't be it either... The man hardly spoke. You couldn't beat a fart out of him with ten sticks. How was he supposed to con anybody?

Still, from what Xu Song said, it was clear this Ye Xingjue hated this world. He was full of resentment toward it and wanted to cross back over... and he'd been searching for a way all along.

This man was very likely the one the old Heavenly Master had met before.

Clang!

Someone pushed open the iron door of the torture room from outside, jolting Ning Chen out of his thoughts.

Ning Chen looked up. It was Chen Chong.

Chen Chong said, "I've brought Miss Xiao and Miss Yudie."

Ning Chen paused. "I only needed one of them. Why did they both…