Xiao Xun, driven by the belief that those not of his kind harbor ill intentions, recounted to the interrogators all the torture methods he had learned from history books and witnessed in films and television dramas.
Merely listening to Xiao Xun's description made those individuals break out in a cold sweat, thinking: This Duke is truly cruel, to be able to conceive of such tortures.
Saint Roman had three forms of capital punishment: hanging, beheading, and burning at the stake; the next most severe were flogging and waterboarding; the most lenient possibly being caning and forced labor.
As a result, Xiao Xun directly escalated the original seven forms of punishment to dozens, with all manner of torture devices custom-made by the arsenal.
Some assassins confessed just from hearing the descriptions; those who were stubborn couldn't endure beyond three.
Not a single one could withstand the 'tiger bench'; later generations would refer to Sviyena as the god of justice and the king of the dungeons.
Because these individuals 'spilled the beans,' the Imperial Guard, within a single night, located all the spies' operational bases and ambush points throughout the city, dismantling all their clandestine plans.
The Phoenix Army could now set off with peace of mind. Xiao Xun and Mu Jiahe returned to their original world.
The first thing Xiao Xun did upon opening his eyes was check his phone. His parents were still driving to meet him, having messaged that they would arrive in G City in an hour, find a hotel to rest, and asked him to come find them after daybreak.
Xiao Xun hurried to rest, but perhaps due to his preoccupation, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Mu Jiahe gently embraced him, patting his back, and finally managed to lull him to sleep.
When Xiao Xun woke, it was already nine o'clock, and there was no one beside him.
He got up in a panic, calling out Mu Jiahe's name, and began searching the bathroom of the second-floor master bedroom. Not seeing her, he felt a pang of anxiety.
It wasn't until he went downstairs that he saw his parents and an unfamiliar middle-aged man sitting on the living room sofa, eating fruit and watching television.
The middle-aged man wore a khaki jacket and appeared to be slightly older than Xiao Xun's parents.
However, Mu Jiahe was still nowhere to be seen.
"Mom, where's Mu Jiahe?"
Xiao Xun's mother clearly became displeased. "This child, not even announcing when guests are here, rushing upstairs to ask about his wife first. She wouldn't just disappear, would she?"
Xiao Xun looked at the middle-aged man sitting on the other side of the sofa. "And who is this?"
Xiao Xun's mother introduced him, "This is your third aunt's husband, the village chief."
Although Xiao Xun found it strange that he had a third aunt, he still politely greeted him, "Hello, Third Uncle."
The third uncle nodded. In truth, he was quite taken aback. People had said that the fourth son of the Xiao family had struck it rich in the big city, but he never expected him to live in such a place.
"Hasn't Yun Mei's family arrived?"
In response to Xiao Xun's question, his third uncle said, "She only has relatives like you. Her father died of illness long ago, and her mother remarried before her father's death. We can't find her at all now."
This third uncle was not Xiao Xun's biological uncle; Xiao Xun only had one maternal aunt. He was the husband of the third of his mother's four sworn sisters.
"Your uncle has come this time to accompany us to bring Yun Mei back for burial. Our custom dictates that the deceased should be buried to rest in peace. We mustn't let her remain here and be cremated for too long; she has suffered enough."
Upon hearing his mother's words, Xiao Xun nodded, turned, and went to Yun Mei's room to pack her belongings, placing them in the living room. "These are all her belongings from when she was alive. You can deal with them as you see fit!"
Xiao Xun's father stood up. "Everything else is negotiable, but we must find the murderer of Yun Mei. Our Xiao family elders are all watching. We cannot let them down."
"Dad, don't worry, I understand."
His mother said, "You also need to be careful. If necessary, hire some people. I saw on TV they have those personal bodyguards! You should hire some too. Don't be stingy with money; life is more important."
"Alright, Mom, I know."
Xiao Xun's mother said to his third uncle, "See, he finds me bothersome again."
Xiao Xun was now solely concerned with Mu Jiahe's whereabouts and asked his mother again, "Mom, where exactly did Mu Jiahe go?"
Mu Jiahe pointed outside. "She said she went out to buy something for us. I'm not sure. She'll be back shortly."
His third uncle said, "While you're asking your mother, why don't you call your wife?"
His mother quickly chimed in, "Yes, you only ask me. Why don't you call her?"
Xiao Xun was speechless. Xiao Xun's father gestured for him to speak to him privately.
Following his father to the back kitchen, seeing his father's secretive demeanor, Xiao Xun curiously asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"
"Your mother and I have discussed it at home. We plan to open a resort in our village."
Xiao Xun was stunned. "A resort..."
His father nodded. "Yes, for the past few years, your mother and I have seen how popular those rural B&Bs are, so we thought of opening a resort on the mountain. It will offer catering, bathing, accommodation, leisure, and entertainment services all in one."
Xiao Xun's face tightened. "Can that kind of thing make money? They've been showing that on television for years, and I haven't seen any resort get rich."
Then he changed the subject. "It's not easy for your son to earn money. This money is enough for you and Mom to live in luxury for several lifetimes. Can we not stir up more trouble?"
"You child, why are you so uncharitable? Have you forgotten about your herbal medicine company? It was your third uncle who helped with everything. Now that our Xiao family is making money, but other folks in the village are still poor. Your mother and I have discussed it with your third uncle, and he'll find a way to get the back mountain approved. We won't fund it all ourselves, but we'll take the lion's share. The whole village will contribute, and the state will provide subsidies. It makes sense no matter how you calculate it."
Xiao Xun listened to his father and felt he had a point. Anyway, he didn't care too much about money now. "Then how much do you plan to invest?"
"The village accountant has calculated it. The total initial investment is ten million yuan. Our family will provide six million, holding the majority stake. The state will provide three million, and the remaining one million will be shared by the village. If we want to earn more, we can distribute the six million in our hands."
"Six million isn't a lot. If it's lost, it's lost. You can proceed if you think it's good."
His father waved his hand. "It's not about the money I'm telling you about. We can afford the money, but we need someone who knows how to manage it! Such a large resort can't operate without talent."
Xiao Xun glanced at his mother, who was eating a banana. "Then who do you plan to find for management?"
"You! You are the golden phoenix that has left our village. Isn't it natural for you to return and build our hometown!" As he spoke, his father pointed to his third uncle. "Besides, your uncle said that if you return, you will take over his position as village chief."
Xiao Xun felt his throat dry. "Dad, didn't you and Mom insist that I come to the big city? Now that I'm here and finally settled, why do you want me to go back?"
His father said earnestly, "Times have changed. You see, television always talks about revitalizing the rural economy and encouraging talent to return. It's such a good thing!"
Xiao Xun suddenly thought of something and said with a sly smile, "How about this! Dad, I'll find someone for you to manage the resort. I guarantee you'll be satisfied. What do you say?"
His father looked unconvinced. "Who could you possibly find?"