Bai Shi was also quite surprised after hearing Patches's story.
Of course, it wasn't about Morgott.
Bai Shi knew far more about Morgott than most people in the Lands Between.
The things Patches didn't even dare to guess, Bai Shi had known all along.
But he couldn't possibly reveal any of this.
However, for that fellow who dealt with the Omen Bairns to have personally witnessed the escape of the two brothers, Morgott and Mohg, was tantamount to witnessing history.
What truly surprised Bai Shi was House Xiehaide.
If Bai Shi remembered correctly, this was a family from the game's cut content.
The head of the family, Xiehaide, belonged to a house that took pride in the rule of Leyndell, Royal Capital, and the Golden Tree.
They were practically true-blue loyalists of Leyndell.To think they actually existed in this world, and were even a family that specialized in dealing with Omen Bairns.
This also matched the cut content, as Xiehaide despised the Omen Bairns.
The appearance of a family from the cut content was a very important development.
It meant Bai Shi might have a chance to obtain more things through them that weren't in the game.
Special items, information about unknown regions, secrets of history.
These figures from the cut content brought with them unknown possibilities.
Bai Shi pondered for a moment before looking at Patches.
"Is that fellow still alive?"
"Also, did he say anything else about House Xiehaide?"
Patches shook his head.
"The fellow is already dead, and we couldn't get anything else out of him."
"Tsk, what a pity."
Bai Shi wanted to ask more about House Xiehaide, but if the man was dead, there was nothing to be done. He would have to explore it later when he reached the Royal Capital.
Patches then took the opportunity to pitch some of his other goods to Bai Shi.
Bai Shi looked them over, but they were mostly just odds and ends, nothing particularly useful.
In the end, Bai Shi spent a few more Runes to buy the Stonesword Keys and some Fan Daggers from Patches.
Patches even threw in a few Gold-Pickled Fowl Feet as snacks. How thoughtful of him.
Patches also mentioned that he planned to wash his hands of his old ways, since his line of work was too risky.
He might become a full-time merchant in the future, open a proper shop, and asked Bai Shi to give him plenty of business then.
Afterward, Patches saw Bai Shi to the cave entrance, with no intention of going any further.
"Farewell, my best customer. I wish you success in defeating the Fell Omen."
"Goodbye. I hope your business thrives and you open branches all over the place."
After bidding farewell to Patches, Bai Shi rode Torrent back to where he had encountered Nerijus.
Arnogo was still mounted on his small donkey, watching Yura, who was now sitting on Nerijus's body.
Not only that, Nerijus's hands were stacked and pinned to the ground, pierced through by Yura's katana.
Nerijus was continuously cursing Yura, occasionally arching his body to try and throw Yura off him.
But it was useless; Yura remained seated firmly on top of him.
It seemed Nerijus had woken up once, only to be subdued by Yura again.
Seeing Bai Shi return, Yura stood up from Nerijus's body and walked over to greet him.
Bai Shi dismounted and pointed at Nerijus on the ground.
"He woke up?"
Yura nodded.
"He woke up and tried to flee, so I crippled his hands with my sword." Bai Shi walked over and crouched in front of Nerijus.
Nerijus was conscious now, and he glared at Bai Shi with hatred.
Unmoved, Bai Shi asked him coldly:
"Why did you become a Bloody Finger? And who brought you into the Mohgwyn Dynasty?"
Nerijus began to laugh, a hysterical, crazed laughter.
"Hahahaha! Because I want it! The blood, the pain!"
"Only when I'm slowly torturing weak Tarnished to death can I truly feel my own power!"
Bai Shi frowned. This wasn't what he wanted to hear; he needed intelligence.
Bai Shi grabbed Nerijus's head and slammed it hard into the ground, but Nerijus showed no sign of talking.
This level of violence might work for interrogating an ordinary person, but it was ineffective against a Bloody Finger, someone inherently brutal who reveled in cursed blood and torture.
Nerijus admitted the man before him was strong, but he was too soft. He wouldn't even torture a mass murderer like himself. Such a person's thirst for blood was far too weak.
Yura walked up and twisted the hilt of his sword back and forth. The blade embedded in Nerijus's palms rotated, slowly mangling them.
"Aaargh—oohh!"
"Hah, is that all you've got?"
Yura took out a small knife and patted Bai Shi's shoulder.
"What comes next is a bit cruel. I don't think you'll want to watch."
"Tell me what you want to ask, and I'll conduct the interrogation for you."
Bai Shi looked at the small knife. It wasn't sharp; on the contrary, it looked quite dull. He didn't know what Yura was planning to do.
But he could predict it would be bloody and brutal.
"I'll leave it to you, then. My two questions are all I have. If you have anything you want to ask, feel free."
Bai Shi turned his head away, not wanting to watch the interaction between Yura and Nerijus.
Yura nodded. Once Bai Shi had turned away, he slowly brought the knife towards Nerijus's eyelid.
"What are you doing?! No... Aaaargh!"
Nerijus struggled frantically, but Yura's hand held his face firmly in place like a steel vise.
Nerijus's screams made even Bai Shi uncomfortable just listening, but Yura was completely unaffected.
The Bloody Finger Hunters had learned long ago that against the brutal Bloody Fingers, simply being defensive could not protect their brethren.
Only by becoming more brutal than the Bloody Fingers themselves could they fight them.
When Bloody Finger Hunters caught a Bloody Finger, they would use any means necessary to interrogate them, trying to learn the whereabouts of other Bloody Fingers.
They did this to hunt down those Bloody Fingers before they could kill more Tarnished.
As a Bloody Finger Hunter, Yura had long since cast aside his heart. No matter how cruel the methods, if they could lead to hunting Bloody Fingers and protecting his brethren, they were nothing to him.
Using the torture and interrogation he himself loathed could save the lives of his brethren. There was nothing to hesitate about.
Besides, the targets were the depraved Bloody Fingers. It was simply a case of them getting their just desserts.
Nerijus couldn't hold out for long and began to beg for mercy.
"Stop! Don't continue, just kill me! Aaah! Guh, kill me!"
Yura was unmoved. He wanted answers, not pleas.
A short while later, Nerijus completely broke down.
The infamous Nerijus, known for torturing weak Tarnished, was now crying like a helpless infant, tears and saliva streaming down his face.
"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything, just please stop!"
Yura finally stopped. Nerijus gasped for breath, his eyes vacant.
Yura pressed the small knife against Nerijus's face and asked:
"Why did you become a Bloody Finger, and who introduced you to the Mohgwyn Dynasty."
"Also, the whereabouts of other Bloody Fingers, especially Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger. Tell me everything."