Chapter 1126: Interrogation

**Chapter 1126 Interrogation**

Hearing this, Jian Changsheng and the other two had strange expressions.

"You're not going to tell me that this time, the offerings they've prepared are..."

"Unfortunately, it's us."

"..." Jian Changsheng, disbelieving, retorted, "You're not a member of the Crimson Sky Sect, so how do you know so clearly? What if it's not us?"

"They said it when we entered the village just now, didn't you hear?"

Jian Changsheng angrily grabbed at his hair, as if he wanted to pull it all out in a fit of rage. "First, the migration in the Wilderness of Sighs, then being ambushed by the Crimson Sky Sect, and now being dragged here as some damn offering... What rotten luck do I have?! Didn't they say there would be a turning point? Where is it?!"

Sun Bumian and Jiang Xiaohua, standing by, opened their mouths but didn't know how to comfort him. Finally, Jack of Diamonds spoke up: "Don't worry, there's always a way... The rituals of each Crimson Sky Sect branch have fixed intervals, and the time for each ceremony cannot be changed arbitrarily. Judging by their setup speed, it will likely be tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll find a way to get you out before then."

Jian Changsheng and the other two were all divine path users, practically useless in this place. At this moment, they had no other option but to rely on Jack of Diamonds.

In the end, Jian Changsheng could only nod dejectedly, huddling by the edge of the stone barricade, lost in thought.

Chen Ling ambled through the village, feigning a casual glance towards the bonfire. From this distance, Chen Ling could only see Jian Changsheng and the others tied in front of the bonfire, but couldn't make out the details. However, the state of Jian Changsheng's group seemed far from good... especially Jian Changsheng, whose face was gloomy, emitting a strong aura of negative energy. What's going on? Just being captured by the Crimson Sky Sect, and he's this dejected? This isn't like him...

Chen Ling felt a pang of doubt. He knew that Jian Changsheng had endured several soul-shattering interrogations back then and had survived countless near-death experiences, like an unkillable cockroach. Why did he seem so sensitive and fragile now?

Chen Ling temporarily suppressed his doubts and walked towards Zheng Ye.

At this moment, Zheng Ye had already dispersed the Crimson Sky Sect members: some were searching within the village, while others went to explore the village's periphery. Chen Ling, following previous instructions, directly joined the group leaving the village.

Chen Ling followed behind Zheng Ye and asked tentatively: "Are those people just going to be left like that?"

"They won't escape," Zheng Ye said calmly. "The ritual is scheduled for late tonight. Once the Grand Bishop performs the ceremony, they will all become offerings... This will save us a lot of the meat, fruits, and vegetables we had prepared."

That human lives were worth more than meat and vegetables was something Chen Ling had never heard before... but he realized it made sense. This Crimson Sky Sect branch was hidden deep within the Grey Realm, and it was incredibly difficult for Crimson Sky Sect members to infiltrate human territories to procure Earth's food. Meat, fruits, and vegetables were likely rare. In comparison, Jian Changsheng and his companions, who had seemingly fallen from the sky, were ideal offerings—not only were they "Earth specialties," but they also saved the trouble of disposing of bodies after the killing. As for "humans" themselves... the Crimson Sky Sect was a group of anti-human fanatics. How could they show any reverence for human life?

"Now, the biggest problem is the culprit responsible for so many disappearances," Zheng Ye said with grave concern. "If we can't resolve this issue before the ritual begins, it will be troublesome..."

A faint light flickered in Chen Ling's eyes, and he guessed that the ritual time must be fixed. Otherwise, with such a significant potential threat in the village, the Crimson Sky Sect's first reaction should have been to postpone the ritual, yet no one present had considered that.

"With the Grand Bishop here, there shouldn't be any problem," Chen Ling said, feigning casualness.

"That's true, but when the Grand Bishop is performing the ceremony, he has to channel his spiritual power into the bonfire and cannot move freely. If that thing takes the opportunity to cause trouble, it would be problematic."

"Oh."

Chen Ling's eyebrows raised slightly. Just moments ago, Chen Ling had been pondering how to deal with the Grand Bishop and this nest of Crimson Sky Sect members. Even if he wasn't affected by their power, the Grand Bishop was no pushover, and it would still be difficult for him to take on the entire village alone. However, Zheng Ye's unintentional disclosure had given him an idea.

"Is that thing really that clever? It can even choose its timing?" another accompanying Crimson Sky Sect member suddenly interjected. "Besides, perhaps those who disappeared aren't dead at all... We haven't even found any bodies, have we? Maybe they were hypnotized and left, just like those fusionists."

Zheng Ye paused, then began to think carefully: "You have a point... But even so, there must be someone instigating this behind the scenes."

As they spoke, the group reached the cliffs on the outskirts of the village, an area already beyond the reach of the bonfire's light, deep within the Grey Realm.

Zheng Ye scanned the dark, narrow cliffs. Countless rock shadows clung to both sides overhead. From here, looking up at the sky, only a faint sliver of daylight could barely be seen.

"Everyone spread out and search. If you find anything, call out immediately."

"Understood."

Once the group dispersed, Chen Ling immediately headed for the most secluded corner, pretending to search.

Chen Ling chose not to kill these Crimson Sky Sect members now. These four or five individuals were nothing to him. If this group died here and only he returned alive, it would arouse the Grand Bishop's suspicion... As a gourmet hunter, patience was paramount.

Chen Ling walked to a neglected corner of the cliff, scanned his surroundings, and after confirming no one was looking, he gently tapped the cliff face.

A moment later, a centipede's head silently emerged from a crevice in the rock.

Chen Ling's lips parted slightly, and he whispered something to the centipede. The creature's body flickered, and it disappeared back into the cliff crevice.

Afterward, Chen Ling circled the area once, then returned to rejoin Zheng Ye and the others. The other Crimson Sky Sect members, of course, found nothing, not even the remains of the missing people, and could only return to the village for now.

"Strange... There's nothing unusual inside or outside the village. How did those people disappear?" The more Zheng Ye thought about it, the more a chill ran down his spine.

"Could it really be hypnosis? Who did it?"

While everyone was puzzled, Chen Ling's gaze once again swept over the bonfire in the center of the village. A thought flashed through his mind.

Chen Ling suddenly spoke up: "How about I go interrogate those people we captured... Our people disappeared last night, and they appeared in the vicinity today. Perhaps it really is related to them."

Zheng Ye had also been thinking the same thing. He nodded directly:

"Alright, go see if you can extract anything from them."

"Yes."

Just as Chen Ling was about to leave, Zheng Ye called out to him from behind. He then went into a nearby small hut, fumbled around for a moment, pulled out a gnarled, thorny branch, and handed it to Chen Ling.

"Don't be soft-hearted. Be ruthless. They are already offerings; as long as they stay alive, nothing else matters."

Chen Ling: ...

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