Chapter 80: The Magical Lie Detector

The Marquis of Loyalty and Valor also stepped to Liu Changwen’s side, speaking gravely, “Your Majesty, you see, Prince Chun now not only has the support of the people, but even the officials in court all admire him deeply. Should he ever rebel one day, wouldn’t many stand with him? Your Majesty, you must consider this carefully.” After speaking, the Marquis glanced meaningfully at Lord Protector and the others.

The Vice Minister of War grew furious, rebuking the Marquis, “Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, stop slandering people. Who is standing with Prince Chun? I am merely discussing the matter itself.”

The Marquis was unmoved by his outburst, replying coolly, “You know in your own heart whether you are truly being impartial.”

“You—” The Vice Minister of War was too angry to speak.

“Your Majesty, Prince Chun is the pillar of the state and must not be so easily cast aside. Please consider carefully.” Zhan Tianyi, having returned to court, also came forward to speak up for his son-in-law.

“Lord of the South, I hear the Princess of Chun is your daughter, so Prince Chun is your son-in-law. Naturally, you would support him,” Liu Changwen said, glancing at Zhan Tianyi with indifference.

“It is true Prince Chun is my son-in-law, but I am not being partial. I dare pledge my own head that Prince Chun would never commit treason.”

“If Prince Chun does rebel, what use would your head be then?” Liu Changwen pressed relentlessly.

“Your Majesty—”

“That’s enough. I will give your suggestions due thought. Today’s council is ended. Court is dismissed.” The Emperor cut off the ministers, unwilling to hear further argument.

“Your Majesty—”

“Hm?” Someone still wished to speak but, receiving a glare from the Emperor, quickly fell silent.

At the Prince of Chun’s residence, the rumors outside and the court’s debates naturally found their way back. Zhongli Yu, upon hearing, made no comment.

Early that morning, Zhongli Yu and Zhan Yan had retreated to the study to attend to matters. Before long, Lihun arrived to report the results of interrogating the two prisoners.

Lihun looked at Zhongli Yu and Zhan Yan with guilt and said, “Your Highness, I am incompetent. No matter what methods I used, the prisoners refused to confess.”

“Oh? They do not fear death?” Zhongli Yu raised an eyebrow.

“No, whether by torture or threat of death, they only say they know nothing.” Lihun and his men had never encountered such stubborn prisoners—utterly fearless of pain or death—he was at a loss.

Zhan Yan, seeing Lihun’s crestfallen expression, found it amusing and decided to help him. “Husband, leave this matter to me.”

Zhongli Yu looked at Zhan Yan, curious. “You have a way?”

Zhan Yan replied mysteriously, “Just wait and see.”

Lihun’s eyes lit up, curiosity brimming. “Madam, what good idea do you have? May I watch?”

Zhan Yan smiled, “Of course, but you’ll need to wait two hours. I have to find someone, and she may not arrive so soon.”

“Do you need my help finding this person?”

“Just bring Qingyun to me.” Before coming to the study, Zhan Yan had told Qingyun not to follow, so she was not waiting outside.

“Yes, Madam.”

Soon, Qingyun arrived.

“Qingyun, go and fetch Yu Linglong.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Madam, do you mean Yu Linglong, the master of Linglong Pavilion?” Lihun exclaimed in surprise. Linglong Pavilion was an organization specializing in solving difficult cases. No matter how perplexing the situation or how scarce the evidence, as long as Linglong Pavilion was involved, they would find a way. The only condition: you must speak the truth, otherwise they would see your crime doubled.

Zhan Yan smiled, “Yes, her.”

“Madam, you know Yu Linglong?” Lihun was astonished. Yu Linglong was a figure few had ever seen; most had only heard her name. Yet the Madam knew her, and from her tone, their relationship seemed far from ordinary.

“Yes, I know her.” Know her? She was my subordinate from the beginning, Zhan Yan thought. I founded Linglong Pavilion myself—but she did not say that aloud.

Zhongli Yu looked at Zhan Yan without asking. So clever a man, he had long guessed his wife’s prowess and suspected Linglong Pavilion was hers.

Two hours later, Yu Linglong indeed arrived at the Prince of Chun’s manor. By then, Zhan Yan and the others had already eaten lunch and returned to the study to await her.

Standing at the study door, Lihun saw Qingyun leading in a woman of about twenty. She wore a pale green gauze dress, delicate and ethereal in appearance, with rosy lips, white teeth, and smiling eyes—a charming beauty. She walked lightly and soon reached the study door.

At the threshold, seeing Lihun staring in a daze, a blush crept across her cheeks.

“Is Miss inside?” Qingyun asked, amused at Lihun’s stunned gaze.

“Ah, yes, inside.” Lihun hurriedly replied, giving an awkward cough to cover his embarrassment, then asked curiously, “Are you Yu Linglong?” He hadn’t expected the master of Linglong Pavilion to be so young and lovely.

“Yes, I am Yu Linglong. Is there a problem?” Yu Linglong, seeing his foolish look, lost her shyness and asked with a smile.

“No problem. I just didn’t realize the master of Linglong Pavilion would be so young and beautiful.” Lihun blurted out, instantly wishing he could bite his tongue—how could he sound like a lecher, staring at her and then saying such things?

Yu Linglong blushed again. She was aware of her own looks, but hadn’t expected a man to praise her directly to her face.

Qingyun leaned close to Yu Linglong’s ear and whispered, “Linglong, your spring is here.”

“Qingyun!” Yu Linglong’s face turned scarlet as she pinched Qingyun’s hand in protest.

Qingyun didn’t mind the pinch, only laughed. Seeing Yu Linglong so embarrassed, she finally stopped teasing and said, “Alright, Miss has been waiting. Let’s go in.”

Yu Linglong shot Lihun a glare before following Qingyun inside, though to Lihun, it was more a playful reproach than true anger.

Qingyun opened the door and said, “Miss, Linglong is here.”

Upon seeing Zhan Yan, Yu Linglong quickly saluted, “Linglong greets Miss.”

“Linglong, it’s been so long. You’ve grown even more enchanting,” Zhan Yan said with a beaming smile. The scene at the door had not escaped her or Zhongli Yu’s notice.

“Miss, why do you always tease me?” Yu Linglong stomped her foot in protest. She dared not pinch her mistress as she did Qingyun—that would be grave disrespect.

“Ah, spring has come—how wonderful.” Lihun and Yu Linglong… hmm, they seem quite a pair, Zhan Yan mused cheerfully.

“Miss…” Yu Linglong’s face grew even redder.

Outside, Lihun heard his mistress’s words and felt his heart race wildly.

“Alright, I called you here to interrogate the prisoners. Did you bring your tools?” Zhan Yan decided to stop teasing and get to the point.

“I did.”

“Then let’s go.” Zhan Yan rose, looking up at Zhongli Yu. “Shall we?”

“Yes.” Zhongli Yu stood and took her hand.

Lihun led them to where the prisoners were held. Li Lan, Li Ying, and Li Ting guarded the door; seeing Zhongli Yu and company arrive, they followed inside. The two prisoners were already battered and bleeding but remained stubbornly silent. Upon seeing Zhan Yan and the others enter, they glanced up, then quickly lowered their heads. They knew these people had come to question them again, but they dared not speak. To talk meant death; to stay silent was also death. Better to die here in the Prince of Chun’s manor than have their brains devoured by parasitic worms. They had once seen a companion punished for betraying the cult leader—worms ate his brain, leaving his skull empty, and his screams still haunted them. Since then, none dared betray their master.

Zhan Yan turned to Yu Linglong. “Linglong, it’s up to you.”

“Yes, Miss.” The two prisoners flinched at the mention of Linglong. They’d heard of Linglong Pavilion’s reputation—no prisoner questioned by them could withhold the truth. It seemed their fate was now sealed.

Yu Linglong called out, “Qingshuang, bring in the lie detector.”

A maid entered, carrying a hefty iron contraption half the height of a man and about thirty centimeters in diameter, riddled with small holes—some slightly larger than a needle’s eye, others the size of a coin. The device must have weighed at least fifty pounds, yet the maid carried it with ease, clearly no ordinary servant.

After she set it down, she announced, “Linglong, the lie detector is here.”

Zhongli Yu observed the device in silence, while Lihun and the others eyed it with intense curiosity, eager to see what it could do. The two prisoners exchanged nervous glances, uncertain what would happen next.

Yu Linglong stepped up to the prisoners, looking down at them. “I am Yu Linglong, master of Linglong Pavilion. I trust you’ve heard of me. In my pavilion, no question goes unanswered. Have you ever wondered why? Today, I’ll satisfy your curiosity.”

The two prisoners exchanged a glance and felt a chill run down their spines.

Yu Linglong placed the lie detector before them. “This is the lie detector. No matter who you are, if you speak a falsehood before it, it will know. Inside are tens of thousands of golden needles, each tipped with a different drug. Some will make you laugh uncontrollably until you die; some will make you weep until your body’s water is spent and you become a dried husk, which, once it crumbles, will turn to dust. It takes ten days of weeping for that to happen. During that time, half your body may still be alive while the other half is already drying out. Can you imagine what that feels like? I’ve seen it myself—liars turning to dust.” Yu Linglong spoke gently, her face warm and approachable, but her words chilled the blood. The two prisoners began to tremble. They’d heard Linglong Pavilion always broke its prisoners, but never knew it was due to such a fearsome device. Who would willingly endure ten days of weeping until nothing remained but dust?

Lihun and his fellows were wide-eyed at the revelation, yet Zhongli Yu’s expression remained composed. Zhan Yan listened calmly—after all, she was the one who had invented the lie detector.

“Well? Have you made up your minds?” Yu Linglong’s voice broke the silence.

The prisoners did not answer, their bodies shivering. They knew brain-eating worms killed quickly, but to cry yourself to death over ten days—that was too horrific.

“Oh, I forgot to mention: silence is also considered lying by the detector,” Yu Linglong added sweetly, watching their inner turmoil with satisfaction.

The two men stared at her in terror.

“Still can’t decide? Perhaps I should show you. Otherwise, you might think I’m bluffing.” Yu Linglong turned to Qingshuang, “Go fetch the dog we bought last night.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Soon enough, Qingshuang led in a large yellow dog. Yu Linglong had the dog stand before the lie detector and gently asked, “Dog, tell me, how many bones did you eat last night?”

The dog gazed at the device, then barked three times. The golden needles inside the machine rattled but did not fire.

“Qingshuang, how many bones did you feed the dog last night?”

“Three in total, Linglong.”

“So the dog did not lie,” Yu Linglong remarked. She then asked, “Dog, who fed you the bones?”

The dog barked but could not answer, at which point the detector emitted a furious clatter, and several golden needles shot into the dog's body.

At once, the dog’s eyes streamed with tears, and it whimpered in pain—a sound wretched to hear.

Yu Linglong looked at the two prisoners. “See? The dog always barks three times, so three bones was a correct answer. But it couldn’t say who fed it, so the detector judged it a lie.”

Watching the dog weep incessantly, the prisoners’ faces turned ashen. What choice did they have now? They nodded and said, “Miss Linglong, we’ll talk. We’ll talk.”

Yu Linglong smiled. “Good. You know what’s best. Let’s begin.” She pushed the detector closer. “But think before you speak. If you lie, not even the gods can save you.”

“We will tell the truth, we swear.” They glanced nervously at the still-crying dog, whose piteous howls left them terrified, and nodded repeatedly in submission.

The interrogation went smoothly. The two revealed everything they knew: Mo Qing had used the ‘Obedience Gu’ to control them. If they disobeyed his commands, they would not receive the antidote, and the worms would devour their brains. Like Liu Changwen, they were all under Mo Qing’s control.

When they finished, the two tried to kill themselves but were stopped. Zhongli Yu asked, “You have confessed; I will not kill you. Why do you still seek death?”

“Even if Prince Chun spares us, we cannot live. We have betrayed our master—he will not give us the antidote, and soon the worms will eat our brains. Rather than die in agony, we’d rather die quickly now,” one of the men said despondently.

Zhan Yan, seeing their pitiful state, said, “Divine Physician Meng is at the Prince’s manor. I shall have him examine you and see if the poison can be cured.”

At the mention of the Divine Physician, the two men’s eyes brightened. “Does the Princess speak the truth?”

“Of course. Qingyun, please fetch Grandpa Meng.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Before long, the old doctor arrived, announcing himself before he entered. “Girl, you called for me?”

Zhan Yan pointed to the prisoners. “Grandpa Meng, please examine them. What poison have they been given?”

Meng Tao stepped forward and took their pulses, frowning deeper as time passed, his head shaking. At last, he said with disappointment, “Girl, the Gu worm remains in their brains. It must be fed each month, or it will consume their brains.”

Zhan Yan shuddered—what a terrifying parasite. “Grandpa, do you know what it must be fed?”

Meng Tao shook his head. “These worms must have been raised on some specific substance. Once conditioned, if deprived, they turn to the brain as food.”

“Grandpa, could the person raising these worms have fed them human brains?” The thought made Zhan Yan’s skin crawl; it was too dreadful.

Meng Tao considered, then nodded. “It’s not impossible. But to be sure, we’d need to find the one who raised them.”

Zhan Yan fell silent. In modern times, such a worm could be surgically removed, but in this backward era, there was nothing to be done.

“Your Highness, please show us mercy and let us die,” the prisoners begged, despairing after even the Divine Physician could offer no hope.

Zhongli Yu asked, “How long since your last antidote? How many days remain?”

“Twenty days, Your Highness.”

“Then why rush to die? Stay with Divine Physician Meng, and see if he can find a way to control the poison.”

Meng Tao eagerly agreed. As a healer, he relished a medical challenge. To have these two as subjects for study was ideal.

The two men, hearing both Zhongli Yu and Meng Tao’s words, felt a faint hope rekindled.

Meng Tao asked for their names.

“I am Wang Hanwen.”

“I am Ma Minggui.”

“Very well, Hanwen, Minggui. I will be staying at the Prince’s manor for now. You will remain here, and I will do my best to help you.”

“Thank you, Divine Physician. Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, Princess.” The two knelt, kowtowing in gratitude.