Chapter 019: The Eunuch

The more these jailers applied torture, the more alarmed they became.

In the past, prisoners who fell into their hands would cry out for their parents after just a light beating, but now they had truly met a tough one.

Even the sharp instruments of torture could not pierce this man's skin, nor even dislodge a single hair.

This was simply inconceivable.

Could it be that the person before them had an indestructible body?

So much so that in the end, these jailers looked at each other, no longer daring to step forward and torture Wang Bo.

Every scene was witnessed by Zhang Zhicheng, and the more he watched, the more alarmed he became, the more his heart grew cold.

This absolutely cannot be explained by hard-style martial arts. No matter how formidable hard-style martial arts may be, one is still human, but the ability Wang Bo has displayed—this heart-pounding, seemingly steel-like defense—is definitely not hard-style martial arts.

Could it be that this person has long hidden the demonic pearl on his person, hence such a divine expression?

If that were truly the case, wouldn't it mean the other party has been feigning madness and playing the fool all along!!

Zhang Zhicheng glanced nervously at Wang Bo, afraid that the other might erupt in madness, break free from his restraints, and slaughter everyone here without leaving a single survivor.

"Zhang Zhicheng, tell me, what exactly is going on with this demonic pearl? Why do you all think I'm connected to it, and why do you want me to account for its whereabouts?"

Wang Bo saw that everyone was too frightened by him to come forward, and couldn't help asking.

Zhang Zhicheng couldn't help but be taken aback. If this person possessed the demonic pearl, why would he ask this? Could it be that he truly didn't know what the demonic pearl was?

No, perhaps this is just a pretense on their part.

Zhang Zhicheng clasped his hands behind his back and gestured to his subordinates, but said, "You truly know nothing of the Demon Pearl?"

Wang Bo nodded, snapped the rope, dropped from the height, and landed on the ground. "I truly know nothing of the Demon Pearl; I have not even heard of it. Why don't you tell me about it?"

Zhang Zhicheng grew increasingly uncertain and astonished, and could only stall for time as much as possible, waiting for Lord Yuchi to send reinforcements.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Actually, I don't know much about this matter; most of it I heard from Lord Yuchi."

Wang Bo didn't mind the other's little gesture and said, "Then tell me what you know."

Zhang Zhicheng had no choice but to say, "I only know that half a year ago, a demonic pearl appeared in the imperial palace, turning it upside down. The current emperor was also injured by this demonic pearl and fell gravely ill, unable to rise, so much so that all state affairs were handed over to the Empress."

"And then?" Wang Bo asked.

Zhang Zhicheng shook his head and said, "I don't know what happened after that. I only heard that after the demon bead injured His Majesty, it was sealed in the imperial palace by several Daoists. But for some reason, just a few days later, the demon bead was suddenly stolen. For a time, the Empress was furious, had many people beheaded, and ordered the Court of Judicial Review to find the demon bead."

In Luoyang city today, undercurrents have long been stirring. On the surface, it seems peaceful and prosperous, but everywhere there are people from our Court of Judicial Review, as well as from other military units, searching day and night for the demonic pearl.

But from beginning to end, we never found the whereabouts of the demonic pearl.

Wang Bo seemed to suddenly understand, but still asked in confusion, "Then why did you arrest me?"

Zhang Zhicheng said, "That, I'm not too clear about. You'll have to ask Lord Yuchi."

"Very well, I'll just wait for him here."

Wang Bo found a stool and sat down. He had just seen a few people sneak out, obviously to fetch reinforcements. He believed it wouldn't be long before Yuchi Zhenjin would arrive.

But the facts somewhat exceeded Wang Bo's expectations.

Because the first to arrive was not Yuchi Zhenjin, but a eunuch.

Only after that did Yuchi Zhenjin arrive.

Behind Yuchi Zhenjin, there was also a mass of dark imperial guards! These imperial guards surrounded the entire Dali Temple prison so tightly that not even a fly could fly in.

After Yuchi Zhenjin and a sinister-looking eunuch entered, the imperial guards unshouldered their longbows, drew them, and aimed at Wang Bo.

One after another, coldly gleaming arrowheads locked onto Wang Bo's body, awaiting only a single command to unleash a volley of ten thousand arrows.

Wang Bo didn't even glance at the bows and arrows; to him, such toys couldn't harm his body in the slightest.

Wang Bo's gaze fell upon the effeminate eunuch.

The eunuch was about forty-some years old, yet his build was very burly; he should have been a dignified and upright man, but his face was effeminate, giving a very strange feeling.

This reminded Wang Bo of Nezha from One Hundred Thousand Bad Jokes.

But it was not that severe.

At least within the range acceptable to normal people.

Wang Bo glanced at the other party a few times, withdrew his gaze, turned his head and asked, "Yuchi Zhenjin, I have something to ask you."

Zhang Zhicheng stepped forward and recounted in full detail what had just happened to Yuchi Zhenjin.

Yuchi Zhenjin's brow twitched several times. He asked, "Are you truly unconnected to the demon pearl?"

Wang Bo asked, "That's exactly what I wanted to ask you. Why did you conclude that I'm connected to the demon pearl?"

Yuchi Zhenjin remained silent.

The eunuch beside him said, "Since Lord Yuchi is unwilling to speak, allow me to explain. Young master, the demonic pearl that Lord Yuchi mentioned appeared half a year ago, yet it possesses all manner of strange abilities. Not only can it bewitch people's hearts, but anyone who holds the demonic pearl will gain tremendous power."

Wang Bo couldn't help but be taken aback. "You mean, whoever holds the demonic pearl will gain immense power."

"Exactly so," said the eunuch.

“And what if one loses the demonic pearl?”

"If one loses the demonic pearl, one's power will decline somewhat, but it will not vanish entirely," the eunuch said.

Wang Bo said, "So then, the demon pearl is a treasure after all. No wonder you're all so anxious about it."

Wang Bo then understood why Yuchi Zhenjin had set his sights on him as soon as he suddenly displayed martial arts—it turned out he thought he might have obtained the demon pearl.

But what exactly is this demonic pearl?

Wang Bo recalled that, whether it was Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon, or The Four Heavenly Kings, or even the final Detective Dee: The Phantom Flame, it seemed that the Demon Pearl never appeared.

Whether this thing is an exotic species or something native is not explained in the storyline.

Even in the plot, there is simply no such thing as the Demon Pearl.

But this is not a rare occurrence.

After all, whether it is The Dragon King of the Divine Capital, The Four Heavenly Kings, or The Empire of Heaven, what they narrate is merely a segment of the story from Di Renjie's world.

The map involved is also limited to the city of Luoyang.

For a real and vast world, it can only be considered a drop in the bucket.

It is utterly insufficient to represent the entire world.

Moreover, there was still some time before the story began; perhaps the matter of the Demon Pearl had already been settled before the plot even started, so by the time Di Renjie arrived in Luoyang, there was simply nothing about the Demon Pearl at all.