In the end, Ye Jin, cornered by the questions, finally spoke up.
However, instead of answering Ning Yitao's question directly, she countered with one of her own.
"Do you know why Ye Zheng and I are twin witches?"
Seeing that Ning Yitao clearly didn't want to engage with her, Ye Jin didn't press the matter.
She answered her own question.
"Being twins means that Ye Zheng and I share the same essence. Every desire of hers is mine as well, without the slightest difference.
"Now that she's dead, I'm left to carry on with her desires. Do you know what it's like to be consumed by desires?"
"I want to be young and beautiful too. I want to spend the rest of my life with A Lai. Is that too much to ask? Why should I be forced to live out the rest of my days in Ye Zheng's aging body?"
Ning Yitao felt a headache coming on from Ye Jin's confusing outburst. It took her a moment to process what Ye Jin was saying.
It seemed that in Ye Jin's mind, Ning Yitao saving her when she was supposed to perish was now a wrong thing to do.
Zhaocai jumped up in the storage bag and complained.
"She's just too greedy for her own good. Blaming others and using twisted logic to justify herself. When Taotao helped her fight for the body with Ye Zheng, she didn't act like this. How can she just turn on us like this?"
Ning Yitao felt like she was the villain who was breaking up someone's family.
After dealing with Yin Huan, Ning Yitao realized that the Black-clothed Man was really good at brainwashing people.
No matter what the truth was, he could turn black into white and right into wrong.
As the mastermind behind all this, he was definitely qualified, and the pawns he trained were indeed obedient.
Ning Yitao didn't want to argue with Ye Jin any further.
She asked her question first.
"Ye Jin, how did you two end up here? As long as you answer my questions honestly, I won't make things difficult for you."
Indeed, everything Ye Jin was doing now was going against the natural order.
Her so-called beauty and "happiness" would surely come at a price.
But for now, she was only reveling in the short-lived joy.
Whether she could bear the consequences later was none of Ning Yitao's concern.
Ning Yitao had warned her of the risks. Now it was up to Ye Jin to decide.
Ye Jin looked at Ning Yitao hopefully and asked.
"As long as I answer your questions, will you let me go?"
"Just me? What about A Lai?"
Ning Yitao's first thought was that the Ye Jin she knew would never leave A Lai behind.
Sensing something was off, Ning Yitao went along with Ye Jin's words.
"Of course."
This time, having learned from her previous experience, Ning Yitao took Ye Jin and A Lai into Liu Qiaozǐ's illusion in advance.
She wouldn't allow what happened with Liu Yun'er and Yin Huan to happen again.
She couldn't let the Black-clothed Man interfere.
Ning Yitao knew that the Black-clothed Man must have his own concerns since he didn't show up from the start.
"All things will perish." Ning Yitao pondered and asked.
"First question: Have you ever seen the true face of the person who's been giving you advice?"
Ye Jin thought for a moment and shook her head.
"When he approached me, he was completely surrounded by black aura. I've never seen his true face."
"Second question: Did you devour Ye Zheng's soul?"
Ye Jin lowered her head. She hesitated for a moment, then mumbled under Ning Yitao's gaze.
"So what? I had no other choice. With his help, I was able to devour her soul and become like this. I'm no longer trapped in that body."
Ning Yitao nodded in understanding. Her guess was right.
She asked.
"Do you know the consequences of what you've done? Even if you die, you'll never be able to get rid of Ye Zheng's influence. And A Lai will be dragged into hell with you."
Ye Jin's face darkened. She had no idea about what Ning Yitao was saying. The Black-clothed Man would never tell her the drawbacks.
He only told her the benefits, making Ye Jin think there were no downsides.
She thought it was Ning Yitao who was deliberately punishing her and keeping her trapped in that body.
But now Ye Zheng's and Ye Jin's souls were completely fused.
Even if Ye Jin wanted to break free now, Ye Zheng's soul would hold her back.
Ye Zheng, who had been given a second chance at life, would surely hold on to it tightly.
One could still faintly see Ye Zheng's shadow in Ye Jin now, which was proof of the soul fusion.
Just like now, Ye Jin's consciousness was clearly struggling, but Ye Zheng suppressed it, making Ye Jin ignore the problem.
Zhaocai didn't understand. It had been so difficult to get Ye Zheng's soul out of that body back then.
But now, for a moment of pleasure, Ye Jin had buried regret deep in her own soul.
"Third question: What does the person behind you want you to do here?"
Ye Jin didn't hesitate this time. Then a look of confusion crossed her face as she answered.
"He just told me and A Lai to take care of the dungeon here. If he locks someone up, we're responsible for their food and drinks."
Ye Jin frowned and said puzzledly.
"But since we've been here, we've only seen one person. A very young man with an earring."
Hearing this, Ning Yitao guessed who it was.
It was Ji Wangqiu.
So Ji Wangqiu got injured here.
"Was he injured before or after he came here?"
Ning Yitao continued to ask.
Ye Jin pouted and answered indifferently.
"I don't know. I guess it was before he came. A Lai took care of him. I didn't get involved. You should ask A Lai."
Ning Yitao then looked at A Lai, who was lying on the side, covering his wound on the ground.
One could already tell something was off. The former Ye Jin would have gone after Ning Yitao regardless when she saw A Lai injured.
And the first thing she would do after breaking free would be to bandage A Lai's wound.
But now, even though A Lai was lying right next to her, with blood flowing continuously, Ye Jin didn't seem to care much.
It was more like Ye Zheng's behavior. Ye Jin was now turning into Ye Zheng.
After the two souls fused, Ye Zheng seemed to be the dominant personality.
Ning Yitao felt sorry for A Lai because of Ye Jin's changes.
The family bond A Lai had been waiting for so long was finally destroyed by his mother's selfish desires.
When Ning Yitao shifted her gaze to A Lai.
A Lai timidly covered his wound.
He had already recognized Ning Yitao when he felt the pressure she released while massacring the crows.
Indeed, in A Lai's memory, Ning Yitao had never played a good role in front of him.
Ning Yitao only remembered that she had even dismembered him.
Thinking about it, it was understandable that A Lai was afraid of her.
Ning Yitao forced a gentle smile and stopped the bleeding from A Lai's wound. She leaned closer and asked A Lai.
"A Lai, can you tell me if you saw any wounds on that brother when you delivered food to him?"
A Lai avoided Ning Yitao's gaze, but with his mother's constant urging, he still answered Ning Yitao's question.
"Brother Ji will be punished as soon as he's summoned here. No one can escape the punishment."
"Punishment?"