Masked Saint

  Kasimir looked up at Dufan, his eyes flickering for a moment before he said in a low voice: "Didn't I say so earlier? Our Snow Fox Mercenary Corps entered the Northern Ice Field this time to make a big profit. You know that during this season, not only are magic stones expensive, but also the fur of magical beasts is very valuable. If we're lucky, we can have several years of comfort with just one trip."

  Du Fan nodded slightly, saying: "This reason is indeed sufficient, but I have a point that I don't understand. If it's just for the money, why didn't you capture the Snowy Plain Magic Wolf in the outermost area? With your strength, dealing with that magic wolf would be a bit difficult, but it's better than running around here, right? Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, even if there are magical beasts nearby, it's not something that a mercenary group of dozens like you can handle, is it?"

  Kasimir's face contorted, but he immediately forced out a smile and said: "Sir, I think you don't quite understand the situation with the northern ice plains? Although it's true that the Snowy Plain Wolves are easy to deal with, they always move in packs. With our Snow Fox Mercenary Group's strength, when we encounter a pack of Snowy Plain Wolves, we can only flee in disarray. So we had no choice but to set our sights on this place... But I didn't expect... the demonic beasts inside the ice plains would be so fierce, and one attack would almost wipe us out...... In the end, I lost my bearings and actually focused my attention on you, sir... I'm really a dead man!!"

  Du Fan looked at Kasimir with a smile that was not quite a smile, his eyes scanning him from head to toe before suddenly turning around and saying: "Ferre, I seem to recall you mentioning that before joining the Temple Knights, you also spent a few years as a mercenary. Presumably you have some understanding of certain unmentionable skills?"

  Ferré couldn't tell what the white-robed priest's expression meant, but he didn't dare to conceal anything either. He nodded and said: "I don't know about other things, but I do have some understanding of the methods used in the interrogation."

  Du Fan smiled and nodded, saying: "Alright, then I'll trouble you to give this Casimir a few moves. It's like dessert before meals. Nowadays, people are all like this - they don't cry until they see the coffin, and they won't give up until they reach the Yellow River. Each and every one of them thinks they're right, really taking me, Du Fan, for a fool?"

  Ferré responded with a sound, feeling the faint anger of Du Fan, and quickly went outside the tent to circle around, soon carrying a bucket of hot water to come in. Under Du Fan's gaze, he placed the bucket in front of Kasimier, then pulled out a cowhide whip from his bosom, dipped it in the water for a moment, and fiercely lashed at Kasimier.

  The leather whip had gotten wet in the water, becoming extremely damp, but in this weather, the water on the whip immediately froze into ice blocks. These ice blocks carried a mysterious adhesive force, and every time they struck Casimir's body, they would tear off a small piece of skin. If it were any other time, Casimir wouldn't have been able to withstand this minor torture.

  But at this moment, Kasimier's aura was completely sealed, and after years of not experiencing such suffering, he let out a miserable cry and fainted after just a few blows.

  Du Fan frowned and looked at his blood-soaked appearance, pouting: "Wake up and continue fighting."

  Ferré glanced at Casimir's appearance, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Duke Dufan, if he continues to fight, he might just die."

  Du Fan sneered and glanced at the three mercenaries lying unconscious on the ground, saying: "What are you afraid of? If they die, there will be three more to question slowly. Even if all of them end up dead and nothing can be asked, it doesn't matter."

  Ferris shuddered at the sight, and he didn't know what Kasimir had done to enrage this devout white-robed priest, causing him to become so furious.

  Ferré was not a pedantic person either, and over the years he had also understood that the so-called mercy of the Holy See was targeted at Du Fan's behavior. He didn't have much resistance to it. At this time, he whipped him again with a whip, using some clever strength and fighting spirit. The whip landed on Kasimir's face, and he let out a miserable cry before slowly coming back to consciousness.

  At this point, Ferré's whip was raised again, ready to strike, but Casimir spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted: "Lord Dufan... what do you mean by this? I've already told you everything you wanted to know... why must you treat me like this? If I offended you earlier, just kill me outright... why use such methods to torture people? Is it the will of the followers of the Light God to watch others scream in agony?"

  After being labeled as a follower of the God of Light, Du Fan's expression didn't change, but he thought to himself, "Oh... Your Excellency Casimier, are you prepared to reason with me? Well, that's good... If I don't make you convinced and obedient, these few lashes will still make you feel that I'm being tyrannical, right?"

  Kasimir stared at Dufan, saying nothing, with an expression of "it's exactly as I said".

  Du Fan smiled faintly and said indifferently, "Let's not discuss the others for now. Let's talk about the Snowy Plains Magic Wolf instead. You're saying that your Snow Fox Mercenary Group can't handle a pack of Snowy Plains Magic Wolves, right?"

  Kasimir nodded and said, "Exactly."

  Du Fan said coldly, "It's a pity... it seems that Kasimier has forgotten one thing. Although the various demon wolves on the Roland continent like to appear in groups, this Snow Wolf is accustomed to being alone and always appears alone. Although most people on the mainland don't know this, you say your Snow Fox Mercenary Group has been mixed up in the north for so many years, if you don't even know this, isn't it too exaggerated?"

  Kasimir's face changed and he couldn't help but say: "How did you know?!"

  Du Fan smiled slightly, pointing to his own forehead, saying: "Books... knowledge... this is the most precious legacy of humanity for thousands of years. In my first half life, I didn't do much, the only thing I did was to basically flip through all the books stored in the Holy See, although it can't be said that I've read a hundred books, but at least I should have some knowledge."

  Kasimier sneered and said: "So that's how it is... I didn't think you were this capable..."

  Du Fan patted his hand and said, "Alright... Since you know you've been deceived, shouldn't you also explain the purpose of your trip? And please don't think of any stupid methods to force me. I want to make one thing clear: as long as I'm willing, I can make you tell me everything at any time. However, that method is too boring and often turns the interrogated person into a fool. I rarely use it. So, think carefully about how to proceed. If you're lucky, I might even spare your life..."

  Kasimir wasn't stupid, he knew that this time he had run into the Sacred See and his life was doomed no matter what. Although he wanted to say nothing, he couldn't help but think of some rumors about the internal power struggles within the Sacred See. It was said that apart from the Knights Templar, there were even more powerful forces hidden in the shadows - the Inquisition and the Divine Prison, which had enormous potential.

  He, who had been in the mercenary world for so long, would naturally not be like an ordinary person, unaware of what the Divine Prison actually represented. He thought about Du Fan's appearance of pretending to be a pig eating a tiger, and then looked at his hypocritical and treacherous appearance, and suddenly believed that he was a person from the Divine Prison. Recalling the rumors about the Divine Prison, and thinking about Du Fan's calm words just now, Kasimier felt a chill run from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, and almost couldn't help but wet his pants.

  He seemed to have some backbone, knowing that he would die whether he spoke or not, and had made up his mind to say nothing, gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes.

  Fei Re glanced at Du Fan, for a moment he didn't know what to do.

  Du Fan sneered and said, "It seems you've made up your mind not to say anything. Alright, Ferre, you take good care of Kasimier for now, I'll be right back."

  After finishing speaking, Du Fan walked out of the tent and stood at the entrance, silent.

  In less than a moment, a series of miserable cries came out from inside the tent. It was unclear what Ferre had done, but from Casimir's increasingly weak voice, one could also hear a few hints of flavor.

  At last Casimir let out a long, shrill cry and seemed to faint.

  Fei Re opened the curtain of the tent and walked out: "Du Fan, he still doesn't say anything."

  Du Fan let out a soft "oh" and glanced inside the tent, seeing Kasimier's blood-covered body. He smiled and said: "Ferre, it seems you're still not ruthless enough, or maybe after joining the Temple Knights, you've become too soft-hearted. But I forgot, for someone like Kasimier, torturing his body doesn't have much of an effect, what really amounts to cruel punishment is tormenting his spirit."

  Fei Rei was taken aback and after a moment said: "This... how did he torture his spirit, please enlighten me, Lord Du Fan."

  Du Fan walked into the tent, looked around and finally fixed his eyes on the bucket of water that was about to freeze. He smiled and pointed at the bucket: "For now, just put his feet in the water."