Although Kuang Feifan felt utterly depleted, seeing someone being hoisted up and interrogated, he naturally couldn't just stand by, and instinctively shouted, "Stop!"

In fact, there was another reason he decided to step in: he was deeply troubled. The cries of the person suspended in the pavilion were agonizingly miserable, yet in such a large residential complex, absolutely no one had come out to investigate or even inquire. They just let the person be beaten. Even a single phone call to the police would have been sufficient, but looking at the surrounding buildings now, not a single light was on. The entire complex, save for the streetlamps, appeared deserted, as if utterly vacant.

Kuang Feifan had previously considered checking the time, but both his cell phones were dead after falling into the water. Nowadays, with phones being ubiquitous, few people bothered wearing watches, and he was one of them—after all, no one frequently carries their phone while diving into water.

He failed to realize, however, that a residential area where not a single building had a lit window was inherently abnormal, even late at night. But this couldn't entirely be blamed on him. After the confrontation underwater, his spirit and body had undergone a dual ordeal; no one's mind could be completely clear. Moreover, the moment he entered the complex and saw someone being whipped while suspended, his entire focus zeroed in on that spectacle, naturally preventing him from pondering anything else.

As his shout faded, he pushed off the ground and bolted toward the pavilion. It seemed the person inside had heard his cry and even turned his head to glance at him, but the assailant made no move to stop beating the suspended man. If anything, they seemed to strike with even greater fervor, causing the victim's pained screams to become distorted and broken.

Kuang Feifan was instantly enraged. He was a living person, and while not exactly imposing, he shouldn't have zero deterrent effect. Despite clearly signaling his intent to intervene, the figure in the pavilion appeared to disregard him completely, not only failing to halt the beating but actually seeming to enjoy it more intensely.

Anger choked Kuang Feifan’s chest, his eyes nearly spitting fire. Having nearly lost his life moments before was frustrating enough; encountering this situation now compounded everything, leaving him with a surge of uncontrollable fury he desperately needed to vent. Since this incident had conveniently presented itself, he decided to unleash all that pent-up rage upon the person in the pavilion.

Kuang Feifan was already bracing himself to charge into the pavilion and viciously pummel the torturer, but just as he reached the small garden gate and was about to step onto the stone stairs leading to the gazebo, the figure in the pavilion, who had been striking relentlessly with his back to Kuang Feifan, suddenly turned his head. Hearing Kuang Feifan’s approaching footsteps, the person spoke with an urgent tone: "Kuang Feifan, hurry up and help me whip him."

The words, though spoken quickly, were perfectly clear in Kuang Feifan’s ears. He froze. The voice was not unfamiliar, and as the person turned their face, Kuang Feifan clearly recognized the figure. He immediately slammed on the brakes, stopping his momentum just short of reaching the man. His fist, already cocked and ready to swing, hung suspended in mid-air as he exclaimed in utter astonishment, "Ji Ping, why is it you?"

However, Kuang Feifan immediately recalled Ji Ping’s behavior when he’d pulled him into the lake not long ago, and his strange actions at the bottom of the water. His guard instantly rose. Though the punch hadn't landed, he didn't lower his fist, instead maintaining a fully defensive posture as he questioned, "What the hell are you doing?"

As he spoke, he glanced sidelong at the person hanging from the central beam of the gazebo. His eyes widened instantly. He never expected that man to be Feng Tian. He lunged forward, attempting to intercept Ji Ping, yelling angrily, "Are you insane? Why are you beating Feng Tian?"

Seeing Kuang Feifan throw a punch, Ji Ping swiftly dodged to the side, though even this evasive maneuver didn't stop his hand movements. He realized that the newly arrived Kuang Feifan was completely unaware of the situation and quickly shouted, "Wait, don't touch him! He's possessed by an evil spirit. I’m trying to force the spirit out."

Kuang Feifan frowned, looking at Ji Ping with deep suspicion. At this point, Ji Ping’s credibility was practically zero. But to be safe, he stopped his attack, his gaze involuntarily falling upon the suspended Feng Tian. Only then did he notice something amiss. Since Feng Tian was hanging upside down from the beam, his face was already flushed a deep red from being inverted, but Kuang Feifan observed that Feng Tian’s eyes were unusually clear—unlike the dull, vacant look of those possessed by malevolent ghosts he had encountered before.

This made him doubt the claim that an evil spirit had possessed Feng Tian even more. Just as he prepared to challenge Ji Ping again, he noticed Feng Tian struggling to lift his head toward his chest. Kuang Feifan initially thought Feng Tian was signaling for help and was about to disregard Ji Ping’s words and release him, but then a thought flashed through his mind. He realized Feng Tian’s movement was actually a nod, which appeared as an upward lift only because he was hanging upside down.

Could Feng Tian’s consciousness be clear?

To confirm this, Kuang Feifan stared at Feng Tian and loudly asked, "Is what Ji Ping says true?"

Feng Tian let out another miserable scream and performed the movement that looked like a nod.

Kuang Feifan, still uneasy, asked again, "Is Ji Ping not crazy?"

This time, Feng Tian’s head began to shake from side to side.

Kuang Feifan now confirmed Ji Ping’s earlier statement: there was indeed something wrong with Feng Tian. However, judging by his appearance, even if possessed, he seemed fully lucid. It was the piercing screams that were peculiar. Now that his mind had settled, the anger that had clouded his judgment cleared, and as he took in the scene, he finally noticed Feng Tian’s oddity. Based on his eyes and facial expression, the incessant screaming sounded utterly disconnected from the man himself, as if it originated from somewhere else.

Having confirmed Ji Ping was not at fault, Kuang Feifan turned back to him and asked, puzzled, "What exactly is going on? He looked fine when I was at the bottom of the water, yet you were having trouble."

Ji Ping didn't pause his 'work' upon hearing the question. Kuang Feifan found this strange. Although he believed this frantic beating was intended to exorcise the spirit, he wondered if this 'brutal method'—whipping Feng Tian nearly to death—was something Feng Tian had instructed, or just a crude remedy Ji Ping had concocted himself.

Fortunately, while his hands were busy, his mouth was free to speak. Ji Ping understood that Kuang Feifan had still harbored doubts, so he hadn't offered a lengthy explanation earlier. Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up thanks to Feng Tian’s silent confirmation, he spoke: "Can you help me whip him? We can talk as we work."

He then gestured with his eyes toward a long piece of wood resting between the pillars of the pavilion.

Kuang Feifan had no choice but to walk over, only then noticing several lengths of rope laid out on the wooden plank. Upon closer inspection, he realized these weren't ordinary ropes; they were woven from several long willow branches twisted together, looking as if they had been recently made.

"We use these to whip him?" Kuang Feifan was riddled with questions. Hearing the agonizing screams earlier, he had suspected the person might be subjected to something terrible—at the very least, a whip dipped in saltwater to cause such pain. Yet, what he saw now was this incredibly simple rope made of woven twigs.

He hesitantly picked up one piece, walked up to the inverted Feng Tian, looked at him, then looked at the willow rope in his hand, and asked, "We just whip him like this? Are there any special instructions?"

Ji Ping shook his head, appearing somewhat tired, his breathing ragged. He wiped sweat from his brow but didn't stop striking. "Just whip his body. Don't use too much force, and try not to break them. I wove them in a rush, so they aren't strong. If one breaks, switch to another. Also, the pauses between strikes can't be too long."

Kuang Feifan shrugged, raised the willow branch in his hand, and imitating Ji Ping, began striking Feng Tian’s body. After a moment of silence, he asked again, "Tell me now, what exactly is happening? By the way, with all this commotion, aren't you afraid someone in this complex will hear and call the police?"

Ji Ping shot him a look and countered, "Didn't you notice? This place was just finished. With property prices this high, over ninety percent of the buyers in newly completed complexes like this are property speculators. Very few individuals actually move in. So even if someone bought a unit, seeing that the area is largely unoccupied, they wouldn't relocate here right now. That’s why these buildings are completely empty."

Only then did Kuang Feifan take notice. The buildings not far outside indeed looked newly constructed, but in the darkness, even new buildings resembled haunted structures.

This, however, explained the nagging question he’d had earlier: it wasn't that no one came forward—it was simply that no one was there.

Kuang Feifan was about to ask how long this torment would need to continue until they succeeded, but before the question left his lips, the body of the suspended Feng Tian suddenly began to writhe violently without any warning. Simultaneously, the sound coming from him transformed from a scream into a harsh roar. Kuang Feifan was certain this sound could not possibly originate from Feng Tian; though the roar wasn't loud, it vibrated directly against his eardrums, causing a faint, sharp pain in his ears.