Chapter Thirty-One: You Really Know How to Sing Your Own Praises

Gao Zhengde’s expression shifted to panic, and he hastily protested, “Please, Immortal Master, enlighten me… there must be some misunderstanding. Surely some villain has maliciously slandered me. I have served as an official for decades, always loving the people as my own children—everyone in Lingzhou can attest to that. I am certainly not the villain you speak of!”

“If the Immortal Master doubts me, I can take you at once to obtain that immortal opportunity.”

Su Jian smiled, the pressure of his foot increasing ever so slightly as he spoke in a deep voice, “You certainly know how to gild your own reputation. The Righteous Alliance despises your kind of cunning and evil above all. Tell me about the missing children in the city, and about your own son whom you harmed. As for that Su Jian, he’s clearly a virtuous man, and yet you dare to malign him—truly despicable!”

Hearing this, Gao Zhengde was utterly stupefied, terror overwhelming him. Yet, of course, he could not admit to anything; doing so would mean certain death.

His mind raced, and in an instant, he made a connection between the man before him and the shadowy figure behind Zhang Cheng’s assignment.

The other party most likely did not know the true secret of the lake; otherwise, he would not have sent Zhang Cheng to investigate earlier.

Yet, the man had to possess some knowledge, or Gao Zhengde would not be facing these circumstances—but it couldn’t be much.

At the brink of death, Gao Zhengde’s survival instinct surged like never before. “Immortal Master, there is hidden truth behind all this, but it is not my intention…”

Su Jian had no patience for further lies. Before Gao Zhengde could finish, Su Jian stomped firmly on his mouth, cutting him off.

Calmly, he continued, “Have you heard of soul-searching magic? The method harms the natural order; for the victim, it is akin to having one’s soul torn apart, never to reincarnate. I rarely use it unless absolutely necessary. But you seem quite eager to witness its wonders.”

His patience was nearly spent; he had no interest in hearing another word of nonsense.

As he spoke, Su Jian unleashed a barely perceptible strand of spiritual power, darting down with lethal speed, puncturing Gao Zhengde’s scalp and ravaging the surface of his skull.

It happened so quickly Gao Zhengde could not react.

“Aaah!”

Gao Zhengde’s agonized scream echoed, blood seeping smoothly down his bald head.

Yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the chaos in his mind, his consciousness teetering on collapse.

Su Jian chuckled, “This is only the beginning. I’ve already gleaned part of your memories. It’s said that even a poisonous tiger won’t eat its cubs, but you, for your own ends, have not hesitated to harm your own son. Judging from your condition, you’re almost at your limit.”

He then described in detail the situation at the bottom of the lake.

With that, Gao Zhengde should have no further doubts.

Moreover, Su Jian had wasted not a moment, coming straight over—Gao Zhengde had never received any warning about the guards’ fate.

Looking down at the wretched man beneath his foot, Su Jian felt nothing.

If the man had cooperated from the start, things would never have come to this.

Gao Zhengde finally faced reality, his eyes vacant, his heart crushed.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Jian proposed, “Do you want me to continue searching your soul for memories, or will you suffer less pain and confess everything willingly?”

“Don’t hold out hope that soul-searching will cost me dearly—it merely consumes a bit of spiritual energy, which I can replenish in a few days.”

Gao Zhengde’s face twisted in bitterness. He replied weakly, “Is there any difference?”

Su Jian considered, then said, “You’ll suffer less pain and perhaps be reborn into a better life.”

Gao Zhengde sighed, “What’s the point of being human? At eight, I composed poems and played chess; by adulthood, I ranked second in the imperial exams and became Lingzhou’s governor. But even at the height of power, in the eyes of cultivators, I am nothing but an ant… I’ll never forget the first time I met a cultivator, the disdain in his eyes was unmistakable.”

“Perhaps in your eyes, we mortals no longer count as people. Since then, I secretly resolved to tread the path of immortality, to restore dignity to mortals, to cleanse these filthy times. But fate is cruel—I simply lack the aptitude for cultivation. I’ve plotted for years, only to fail at the end.”

Su Jian was about to respond.

But just then—

He heard a rush of chaotic footsteps approaching rapidly.

“Governor…”

Su Jian’s brows furrowed; he raised his hand toward the door and dealt a fatal blow. In an instant, the intruder fell silent.

Clearly, the person had come to report—likely the guards in the rear courtyard slain by Ouyang Ke had been discovered.

Su Jian smiled coolly, “Noisy fool. Can’t you see I’m discussing important matters with your governor?”

The man’s death was deserved—he’d nearly ruined Su Jian’s plan.

His scheme was about to succeed, and Gao Zhengde was on the verge of yielding.

Gao Zhengde drew in a shaky breath, his soul nearly shattered.

“My life is over!”

Su Jian spoke softly, “In truth, my visit here is not out of personal enmity—it’s all for profit. Your method for a mortal to tread the path of immortality is exactly what I need. If you hand it over, you may yet save your life. As you said, the fate of an ant means nothing to me.”

With that, Su Jian moved his foot from Gao Zhengde’s face, granting him the space to speak.

Gao Zhengde gave a bleak smile. “Very well, I may as well tell you… but your hopes are likely in vain. If I’m not mistaken, you want to use this method to devour other cultivators’ powers. But this method is severely limited. I waited decades for this day.”

“Cultivation aptitude cannot appear out of nowhere—it can only be transferred from a blood relative. At that moment, if you devour a cultivator’s power, you can skip decades or even centuries of hard work. I’m curious how you learned all this. I was meticulous in keeping it secret, and you have no connection to me—how did you discover the scheme of a mere mortal governor?”

[Mission accomplished. Infinite Summoning Player Mode permanently enabled.]

But Su Jian did not answer his question; instead, he countered, “How can you be so certain your method will work? Surely all this was told to you by the strange entity in the lake?”

That aberration beneath the water is no benevolent soul—how could it be so helpful?

As the saying goes, unusual circumstances hide monsters.

Su Jian sensed that there were deeper secrets at play, but none of them concerned him anymore. He had no interest in further investigation.

A master of prudence, he knew to avoid such matters, not seek trouble and rush headlong toward disaster.

Such a harmful endeavor—let whoever wishes pursue it.

His mission was already complete.