106: Chapter 106 A Little Understanding of the Kingdom

Thirty-two thousand new recruits were methodically cleaning up the battlefield, searching for valuable spoils of war.

In the center of the battlefield, Minotaur Chief Kulu lay slumped like a pile of mud.

The power of Lin Yin's arrow was too terrifying; the Lunar Energy continued to rage within his body, constantly eroding his life force and causing persistent agony.

His ornate chief's leather armor was in tatters, revealing gruesome wounds beneath that were mangled, partially charred, and partially covered in white frost.

Every breath pulled at his wounds, causing him to make a wheezing sound like a broken bellows, stripped of all the ferocity he had shown when rallying his troops and the greed he had felt when facing a "small group of humans."

However, as Lin Tian strolled up to him, escorted by several Golden Armored Spearmans, a final flicker of spite and blustering ferocity suddenly erupted in Chief Kulu's bovine eyes, which were clouded with pain.

Struggling to lift the half of his head that was still somewhat intact, he glared fiercely at the seemingly young human lord before him who possessed such terrifying power. In a hoarse, wheezing voice, he painstakingly squeezed out the Common Tongue:

"Hu... humans... you... dared to kill a kingdom tribal chief... do you... do you want to provoke... a full-scale war between the human race and my Minotaur race?"

Lin Tian looked down at him with an expressionless face. Upon hearing this, he merely raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of faint mockery:

"Full-scale war? Can you represent the entire Minotaur Kingdom?"

Squatting down to meet Chief Kulu's bloodshot eyes, he asked unhurriedly, "You say war, and it's war? Does your 'great' Minotaur King know you're here acting as an Experience Pack for me?"

"You!" Chief Kulu was enraged by this contemptuous attitude, which aggravated his wounds, causing another bout of violent coughing as he spat out mouthfuls of black blood.

Gasping for air, the spite in his eyes deepened as he hissed, "Th-this is the territory of my Minotaur Kingdom! My Kamo Tribe is officially registered with the kingdom! If I die and my Soul Mark dissipates, the Kingdom's Hall of Priests will surely sense it! When that time comes... and the army descends, none of you... you ambushers... will escape! You will all die!"

"Whether I die or not is a matter for the future." Lin Tian remained unmoved, even offering a smile that felt bone-chillingly cold to Chief Kulu.

"But if you can't answer my questions properly right now, I guarantee you won't die easily. We humans are sometimes quite good at making the stubborn talk, especially... when it comes to other races."

Hearing this, Chief Kulu didn't show fear. Instead, as if he had heard a massive joke, he let out a series of hoarse, intermittent laughs, filled with mockery and an inexplicable confidence:

"Ha... Hahaha! So what if you kill me? Minotaur warriors... do not fear death! Now that I'm in your hands, do as you wish! Even with your army of tens of thousands, though they look decent... compared to the foundation of my Minotaur Kingdom... they are but ants trying to shake a tree! The kingdom's wrath is not something an ignorant human like you can withstand!"

"Oh?" Lin Tian feigned curiosity and followed his lead, asking, "If even a 'minor chief' like you has become my prisoner, how strong can your kingdom really be?"

He deliberately belittled the other's status, attempting to goad him into revealing more information.

"Minor chief?!" As expected, Chief Kulu was provoked. Even with his fading breath, he struggled to roar:

"Ignorant human! I... I am merely one of the tribes sent out to expand the territory!"

"The kingdom's true power... the Core Legions... you know absolutely nothing! You and that foolish superior behind you—which general of the Purple Moon Dynasty is it? Sending you here for a sneak attack is simply seeking death!"

"Purple Moon Dynasty? General?" Lin Tian shook his head, a playful, almost pitying smile appearing on his face.

"Who told you I'm from the Purple Moon Dynasty?" He paused, seemingly talking to himself yet also stating a fact.

"I've only been in this world for seven days, and I already have these armies. By the time your kingdom realizes your outpost tribe is gone, perhaps... my grand army will have already marched into your so-called kingdom's heartland, or even taken a stroll through the core regions."

"Sev... seven days? An army of tens of thousands?" Chief Kulu was stunned at first. Then, as if struck by lightning, his clouded bovine eyes widened to their limit, filled with extreme shock and disbelief!

"Seven days! An army appearing out of thin air! Th-these characteristics... the kingdom's alert that the Lord Envoy personally came to deliver not long ago mentioned those strange beings appearing all over the continent called 'Otherworld Lords'?"

"Im... impossible!" Chief Kulu roared, his voice cracking as he stared intently at Lin Tian, as if trying to see through him.

"You... you are... an Otherworld Lord? But... the envoy clearly said those Otherworld Lords are currently weak and pathetic, with at most a few hundred ragtag soldiers, living in constant fear like stray dogs... How could there be someone like you? An army of tens of thousands! And so elite!"

His worldview seemed to collapse at that moment. If all Otherworld Lords started like this, then what was the kingdom thinking with those capture bounties? They should be retracting their defenses instead!

Lin Tian didn't answer his question directly. He simply watched the mixture of horror, confusion, and a hint of despair from finally recognizing reality on Chief Kulu's face, knowing his identity and partial strength had already dealt a massive psychological blow.

This was the perfect time for interrogation.

"Now, can you answer my questions properly?"

Lin Tian's tone was flat, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

"About the Minotaur Kingdom's power distribution, troop composition, knowledge of 'Otherworld Lords,' and... your relationship with the Purple Moon Dynasty, as well as more detailed information about this region. If your answers satisfy me, perhaps I can give you a quick death."

However, as Chief Kulu recovered from his initial extreme shock, his gaze was quickly replaced by a twisted hatred, spite, and fanaticism.

Knowing Lin Tian's "true identity" didn't make him submit; instead, it seemed to ignite an extreme hostility and a conviction that "though I die, the kingdom will surely avenge me."

"Pah!" He used all his strength to spit at Lin Tian, but unfortunately, it was only bloody froth.

"Otherworld Lord... filthy invader, don't dream of getting any useful information from me! The kingdom... already knows of your existence! You think killing me is the end of it? Hahaha! You won't escape! I'll be waiting for you... in hell! Waiting to see you crushed by the kingdom's army!"

He roared, acting like a madman, foul blood continuously pouring from his mouth. His eyes were frighteningly bright, fixed on Lin Tian as if trying to brand this curse into his soul.

Lin Tian frowned. It seemed that although this bull was reckless, his core loyalty to the kingdom far exceeded his estimates.

Torture would likely have limited effect on such a fellow, and given his severe injuries, he wouldn't last much longer anyway.

He tried asking a few more key questions, such as the direction of the kingdom's core region, information on other known lords, or whether there were powerful magical beasts or resource points nearby. Chief Kulu either cursed loudly or closed his eyes and feigned death, merely whispering repeated curses like "you're dead" and "the kingdom will know."