The four figures stood before her, barely dressed in cloth sufficient to cover their private parts, with their muscular forms exposed. Each held instruments in their hands, and as they entered, a faint scent of spices and holy oils wafted in.
Even without any action taken, it was clear they were four elite interrogators.
Just as they drew near to the Eldar Maiden, who was eyeing them with terror, Zhang Ge leisurely stepped out from behind the door.
He gestured for the four, who were now licking their lips and faces, to halt their advance. Then, he approached them, moving past the group and leaned forward, lowering his body to whisper into one of their ears at a volume only they could hear:
"Your alien comrades have already told us everything. For instance, beings like you spend your lives battling your own emotions to resist the influence of that entity known as the 'Lady of Avarice.' You strive to avoid any excessive feelings. Moreover, to suppress emotions, different aliens will invest their energies into honing certain skills, which they refer to as their 'path.'"
After observing the expression that surfaced on the Eldar Maiden's face following his statement, Zhang Ge continued:
"So, I can't help but wonder how long you can endure being like this. Of course, remember to hold out a bit longer. After all, your comrades have told me how, for survival, your souls are stored in soulstones after death, so I have already taken yours."
Only after Zhang Ge finished speaking did the Eldar Maiden finally drop her facade. The expression of fear she had affected to show for submissiveness melted away like ripples on a lake, replaced by an emotionless calm.
Path, soulstone.
Even for the upper echelons of the Monkey Nobility, these facts were absolute secrets. They typically regarded these as merely tools for enhancing weapons or rare alien collectibles, completely unaware of their true purpose.
Now, these secrets had spilled from the mouth of this lower-class monkey... it seemed his comrades hadn't escaped the fate of capture either.
She recalled the shape rushing toward her before she lost consciousness and felt little surprise at this outcome. Though she had always looked down on these lowly beings, facing that figure had made her admit that even if ten times the number of people had come, no one would have escaped the pursuit of that thing.
"Why didn't you kill us? What are your intentions, monkey... outsider? Speak."
Just as expected.
Zhang Ge's facial expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he thought.
While Perveti had only found her at the scene, this Eldar likely held a significant status based on her abilities and equipment. After issuing threats, she would most likely manage to rally others to her side.
But why hadn't they discovered her earlier?
It was improbable that Perveti simply couldn't find her; a more rational explanation is that her comrades had sold her out in advance—Eldar sharing a prophecy can interpret it vastly differently at different times, let alone across different Eldar factions.
If they dragged in others under the pretext of a "prophecy," they would inevitably face the unpredictable risks associated with Eldar prophecies, and quietly selling out a teammate was already a fortunate situation.
With these thoughts, Zhang Ge continued:
"It appears you aliens still have the ability to communicate in a comprehensible manner. I had thought it would take more time to achieve this... Let's not waste time on unnecessary words; you must know the so-called 'Komorragh.'"
"That is the most terrifying place you can imagine, outsider. I advise you not to entertain any notions of going there, or at least not to take my soulstone with you."
For the average person, perhaps, but I know of an even more terrifying place: the Golden Throne.
"I don't need your advice; I only require your answer. Lead me to the way to Komorragh, and I will release you and your kin, returning your soulstones."
"I will not sell out more of my kin for the sake of a few others."
"Even when your Dark Kin betray other races... never mind, reasoning with an alien like you is futile."
"Every Eldar life is a thousand times more precious than your lowly existence."
Zhang Ge ignored her last remark and made no attempts to step into her thought process to persuade her.
"Perveti."
Standing upright, he called out to the door, and then Perveti, hunched over, squeezed into the spacious entrance that was still wide enough for both of them.
At that moment, she had wrapped herself in an inconspicuous robe that concealed her armor, revealing only her head.
Once Perveti entered, Zhang Ge turned back to the Eldar Maiden and continued:
"It's said that your kin regard soulstones with utmost importance. Coincidentally, I'm merely a trivial star sector colonel. If we disregard her presence, I'm sure your kin wouldn't hesitate to send more people to rescue you. In the meantime... I only need some alien pets, be it you or those who enjoy playing with twisted art. What's the difference, right?"
"You! Shameful outsider, fine, I agree to your demands, but I want you to swear under the god you believe in that you will keep your promise of releasing us."
"You have no right to make demands of me. The time I wasted with you is merely out of my amusement; it has nothing to do with you personally. I hope you can realize this, alien."
Seeing her finally kneel, Zhang Ge satisfactorily accepted a plain leather collar from an interrogator and, much to her disbelief, fastened it around her neck, loosening her bonds.
"Until you lead me to Komorragh, you can only move about by my side as an alien pet."
Zhang Ge extended his hand and took a long knife from Perveti's grip, the same blade that this Eldar Maiden had wielded earlier. After passing the knife back to her, he withdrew a plaque from his pocket and said:
"Out of my dark humor and having inferred that you value your kin more than yourself, I, along with this collar, will not restrict your actions. What you do after becoming a pet must be entirely by your own volition."
With a gradually rising smile, Zhang Ge pinched the edge of the plaque, watching her expression change as he added:
"So, you now have two options. First, attempt to resist; you already have a weapon in your hand. Second, carve your true name and various body information onto this plaque with that knife—afterward, I will confirm with your subservient kin. If I discover you lied about such trivial matters, I won't hesitate to consider it a breach of our agreement."
In the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, the Eldar Maiden raised her long knife, bringing the blade toward Zhang Ge, but ultimately, it only grazed the plaque as she marked down what he requested, her slender arms trembling slightly.