With unwavering spirit, it still refused to admit to the crimes that it never committed, no matter how they tried to combine the threats with punishments . The mussel hid in its sh.e.l.ls and said nothing . They would come and interrogate it once every two hours . At first, the mussel exploded with rage due to the accusations . But gradually, it grew numb .
The Great Guardians were not expecting the mussel to be so stubborn . Hesitantly, they tried to persuade it, "You are only a majestic being . There is no need for you to take the blame for others . You only have to name the man behind this vicious plot . If you do so, I will release you immediately and feed you with good food . The air is refres.h.i.+ng out here . I am sure that the outside is more comfortable than where you are right now . "
The mussel remained silent .
It should take the blame for its own fault . Impulsively, it made the mistake of swallowing the three Senior Immortals, so the incident had nothing to do with its master . The Great Guardian in red, however, kept coercing the mussel into saying that it only acted on its master's instigation .
"Humph! It appears that you will not shed a tear until you see the coffin . It is time for you to experience the real pain then!" The mussel could tell that the man was enraged .
All of a sudden, the man started casting some spells on the bottle gourd, causing the interior of the bottle to fill with burning hot steel needles . These steel needles started to aim and fall on its sh.e.l.l like a raging storm .
The mussel's sh.e.l.ls were capable of resisting against any weapon . Normal weapons would not cause any damage to it . However, it had been tortured for two days straight in the fire and cold . It grew weaker, so it barely had the strength to close its sh.e.l.ls completely . The fine and stinging steel needles then slipped through the openings and stabbed its flesh .
A brief moment later, the mussel's soft, smooth flesh was stabbed with many needles, making it look as if a hedgehog . The steel needles were able to induce more pain than normal ones . It was unbearable .
The mussel started crying and howling in pain . Its long, mournful cry of pain was spread even to the outside of the bottle, like the continuous whistle of a train . The ground started to shake as a result of its loud cry .
"d.a.m.n it!" One of the men cursed . He quickly shut the opening of the bottle to stop the sounds from the mussel from being heard . The bottle then became a confined s.p.a.ce, magnifying the volume of its wailing sound and reaching a deafening crescendo .
In a daze, the mussel could hear someone complaining . "My third brother, what are you doing? You have kept it in the bottle long enough for the torments to take place . It should have admitted its crimes, but it still refuses to . Perhaps our direction is wrong . Maybe it is not the evil beast that we are looking for . Maybe it was all a coincidence . "
"My eldest brother, nothing is ever a coincidence . We have seen how it swallowed the majestic beings alive . It has also swallowed the three Senior Immortals . It is a crime that goes against all the heavenly laws . It deserves to die . All the majestic beings have been taught not to swallow humans or majestic beings of level six and above, but it disregarded the rules and committed the crime anyway . Obviously, it is a seasoned criminal . It is a level nine beast, so I bet that it will not be able to act so wildly without the support of its master . Its master must be the main conspirator behind the plot . "
"It is not like that! My master… has never allowed me… to eat humans! It is… It is all my fault!" The mussel continued to howl its displeasure . Its voice cracked with emotion . The pain was obviously too much for it to bear .
"Who is your master?" Tie Liu took the chance to ask the mussel .
"I am its master!" A voice could be heard coming from the top of a tree, way above the four Great Guardians .
In pain, the mussel was starting to grow dizzy; its vision blurred . Upon hearing the voice, it could not believe it at first . Then, it jumped abruptly, disregarding the steel needles on its body, and cried out loud, "Master!" Its tears started to fall like a stream of a waterfall .