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墨書 Inktalez
Autumn Maiden was thrown onto the embroidered bed by Wei Ming, and she cried out pitifully, "Don't come over! Please don't come over!" desperately trying to hide under the covers.
Wei Ming grabbed her struggling little feet and cackled, "Come here to me!"
At that moment, the door was forcefully slammed open, and Qin Xiang appeared at the entrance, panting. He took one look and shouted angrily, "Stop! Stop it right now! Autumn Maiden is mine! What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and throw this brat out!"
Wei Ming released Autumn Maiden and turned around, rolling his eyes. "Do you have a death wish for interrupting my fun?"
Qin Xiang laughed instead of getting angry, walking steadily into the fragrant chamber with his hands behind his back. He proudly declared, "You probably don't know who I am, do you? Let me tell you, it will scare you to death. I am the only son of the current Grand Master, the Duke of Qin and Wei! You should go outside and ask around; if you dare to steal my woman, you're probably tired of living."
Wei Ming laughed heartily. "So you're that unlucky Prime Minister Qin! How's it feel to be punished by the Emperor and kneel all night? How dare you come out? Weren't you hiding like a turtle in your Qin Manor, pretending to be someone important? Let me tell you, while others may value your Grand Master father, I don't give a damn."
Suddenly, he glared and lunged towards Qin Xiang, raising his fist to strike him.
The servants of Qin Manor panicked. Unexpectedly, this brute acted without regard for their Grand Master! Anger surged within them as one drew his sword and swung it at Wei Ming's back.
Wei Ming stumbled aside just in time, blood splattering everywhere as the blade struck Qin Xiang squarely on the nose.
Qin Xiang let out a loud scream, covering his nose as he crouched down. When he lifted his head again, his face was ghostly pale and smeared with blood. The blade had struck right on the bridge of his nose, cutting deep into the flesh. His once perfectly straight nose now had a wide gash that exposed bone, running from his forehead down to his lips, which were also split open. Blood gushed forth as Qin Xiang trembled in pain, unable to utter a word.
"Help! The servants of Qin Manor have killed their own Young Master!” Wei Ming clapped his hands and shouted.
Everyone was dumbfounded. The servant who had swung the blade dropped his sword with a clatter, trembling uncontrollably as he stammered in panic, "I wasn't aiming for you! I was aiming for him! It wasn't me! It was him! He must have done something!"
Unable to endure the excruciating pain any longer, Qin Xiang rolled his eyes back and collapsed, being caught by several servants who gasped in shock.
The servant bolted for the door, shouting frantically as he ran, "It's not my fault!"
Wei Ming clapped his hands mockingly. "You useless bunch. Why aren't you rushing to catch him? If the murderer escapes, your Grand Master will definitely chop off your heads."
The servants, upon hearing the reasoning, hurriedly helped the bloodied Qin Xiang onto the carriage and quickly sent a few of their number to pursue the fleeing unfortunate servant.
The Lianxiang Courtyard was in chaos, with voices rising in a clamor, shouts, and the thunderous sound of footsteps everywhere, calling out that someone had been killed. Bawer was so frightened that he hid in his room and dared not come out.
In the midst of the turmoil, no one cared about the fate of Autumn Maiden.
As Autumn Maiden was about to continue her act, she saw Wei Ming turn to her with a strange smile and suddenly reach out to grab her.
In a moment of panic, she no longer concealed herself; her soft body suddenly sprang up and darted towards the window. However, she felt a heat at her neck as a strange force penetrated her very bones, causing her body to stiffen and rendering her unable to move even an inch.
Li Hong tightly gripped Autumn Maiden's neck and coldly laughed, "You play your part well, but come with us now."
In the blink of an eye, she vanished.
When the noise subsided, Bawer hurried to Autumn Maiden's boudoir but found it in disarray. The furniture was overturned on the floor, there was a pool of blood, and Autumn Maiden was nowhere to be seen.
At that moment, as if the chaos wasn't enough, screams came from Mei Niang and Fang Niang's building:
"Mei Niang is missing!"
"Where is Fang Niang?"
********
The candlelight was dim, casting long shadows that swayed. The dungeon appeared even more sinister. Water seeped through the cracks of the thick gray-white stone walls, and a thick layer of moss covered the ground, filling the air with a rotten moldy smell that made one want to gag.
Behind steel bars as thick as a man's arm were the terrified Autumn Maiden and two other women. They were lined up in a row, firmly shackled with heavy handcuffs and leg irons attached to iron stakes. They were bound by several chains made of Dark Iron Steel, and around their waists was locked a half-foot-wide steel plate that dug deeply into their slender waists, restricting their movements entirely. Their hair was disheveled, their clothes were in disarray, and Flower Beauty had lost its luster. Their bare white feet were exposed as they had lost their shoes, making them look quite miserable.
Li Hong and Wei Ming did not touch them, but they could not help but watch the guards at this place. The three women were restrained and unable to move, and while the guards were binding them, they took the opportunity to grope them. Thinking of those filthy, dirty hands, Autumn Maiden could not help but feel nauseated.
Since following the Empress, when had she ever suffered such torment? Filled with anger, Autumn Maiden glared at Li Hong behind the thick steel bars. Her eyes, which once seemed gentle like water, now resembled those of an Evil Spirit, emitting a faint yet menacing Black Light.
Li Hong sneered, "Finally stopped pretending, huh?"
Wei Ming's expression was clear; there was no trace of urgency or lust. She was merely playing along with Li Hong for show. Since stepping into Lianxiang Courtyard, every move of the three demonesses had been closely observed by everyone. They were merely cooperating with Autumn Maiden's act while giving Qin Xiang a little show as well.
It was laughable that Autumn Maiden still thought she could charm herself. Wei Ming pulled out a slender object from her sleeve, tightly wrapped in silk cloth, releasing a faint and strange fragrance through the fabric. It was that peculiar golden hairpin.
She smiled and said, "The tricks of the Demon Sect are nothing but low-tier artifacts; it's pathetic that demonesses treat them as treasures. However, this thing is quite useful to mortals. I suppose Qin Xiang fell for this demoness because of it."
Chuxuan walked down from the dungeon and glanced at Autumn Maiden and the others. "That maid named Xiaocui is also one of their group. Although she lacks skills, her hands and feet are nimble enough to sneak off to that teahouse to report."
"Let her go; it would be best if she lured out the main character. I don't believe Li Xiaolou won't show up," Li Hong said leisurely.
The three spoke openly in front of Autumn Maiden without any reservations.
Li Xiaolou! Autumn Maiden trembled suddenly, almost unable to believe her ears as waves of turmoil surged within her heart.
Li Hong took out a key from her pocket, unlocked the door, and walked into the cell. Standing before Autumn Maiden, she coldly said, "You are merely mortals; why do you willingly serve as dogs for the Demon Sect? Speak up, or don’t blame me for making you suffer."
Autumn Maiden bit her silver teeth and spat at Li Hong.
Li Hong remained unmoved. In an instant, a strange flame suddenly erupted from her body, causing Autumn Maiden's spit to miss entirely.
Li Hong casually shook her wide sleeves and slowly said in response to Autumn Maiden's shocked gaze, "Do you think your master is an immortal? You are mistaken; she is truly a Demon. We are their sworn enemies. I won’t hesitate to tell you that we have never shown mercy towards your kind. If you refuse to speak, that’s fine too. I have never feared doing ruthless things. I believe you know that I can easily extinguish you with just a flick of my little finger."
Li Hong snorted heavily, "I'll give you half an hour. If you still don't say anything after that, I'll make you talk, and it won't be so easy then. You decide what to do!"
With a flash of movement, he exited the dungeon, locking the heavy steel bars behind him and placing the key in his pocket. He walked out with Chuxuan and Wei Ming.
Outside was an interrogation room, cluttered with various torture devices piled in the corner, while a table and chairs in the center were relatively clean.
The group pulled out chairs and sat down. Chuxuan frowned and said, "I can't believe there's such a place in the palace. It seems my Uncle Emperor has also engaged in private interrogations."
"Nothing new under the sun. It's said that Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty loved to set up private interrogations to coerce officials. This place looks like it hasn't been used much since it was built; the torture devices are all rusty. In that sense, your Uncle Emperor is still better," Wei Ming chuckled.
Li Hong replied, "We'll wait for them for half an hour. If they don't talk, we'll use harsher methods. However, I fear there might be consequences afterward; these three women might end up ruined. I feel a bit reluctant."
Chuxuan coldly said, "Why should we care about their lives? Senior Brother, you're too soft-hearted! I say just take action directly to save us the trouble of talking."
Wei Ming grinned mischievously and said, "If they end up ruined, that's fine too. It would be best if they turned into fools instead of going mad. We could sell them to a brothel and still make a few hundred silver coins; I could use that to help the poor on the streets! All three are good-looking; we mustn't waste them."
"If they confess, we can give them a way out and let them go; after all, they're just small fries, so it doesn't matter to us. If they don't confess, Senior Brother, just use your soul-searching technique directly; if they end up ruined, so be it—there will just be three more idiots in the world. Then you can handle it as you wish, selling them to a low-end brothel would be their fate," Chuxuan said casually.
The conversation of the three flowed seamlessly through the winding passageway into the ears of Autumn Maiden and her companions. Sweat began to bead on Autumn Maiden's forehead as Mei Niang and Fang Niang started to tremble involuntarily.
Soul-searching technique! Turning into fools! Selling to brothels! Each word struck like a heavy hammer on their hearts.
Despite being known as courtesans, their lives weren't bad at all; Lianxiang Courtyard treated them quite well. To put it bluntly, leaving would only require a simple pat on the back. But if they turned into fools and were sold to a low-end brothel, that would truly be worse than death.
Mei Niang trembled all over, cold sweat pouring down as she whispered to Autumn Maiden, "Let's confess; they even know the name of our lady. We probably can't hide it."
Fang Niang hurriedly agreed, "We actually don't know much; perhaps what we know is already known by them. Let's just confess everything to avoid suffering."
Autumn Maiden sneered, "Two useless trash! If we surrender, will the Empress spare us? Either way, we're dead. The Empress has looked upon us favorably; we should at least repay her kindness! These stinking men are all worthless. Everyone has a nasty attitude! If they have the guts, let them come and use that soul-searching technique on me. I don't believe such a thing exists in this world!" She knew that Li Hong and the others were listening, so she spoke loudly, but her heart was racing, and her lips trembled.
Li Hong and the others were deliberately speaking harshly to gauge her reaction. Upon hearing her words, Wei Ming frowned and communicated through thought, "These little girls have tough mouths! Why not just use your soul-searching technique?"
Li Hong smiled wryly and replied through thought, "I was just trying to scare them; there’s no such thing as a soul-searching technique!"
However, this statement was not entirely true. Earlier, Li Hong had considered using the Beast Taming Technique or the Summoning Technique, modifying the incantation to employ Divine Consciousness on these three demonesses to extract some information. But he feared that Wei Ming, who belonged to the Zhao Zhen Sect, might notice something amiss. If he guessed that Li Hong was practicing a technique from the same lineage as Heavenly Danzi, then the secrets of the Six Spirit Salty Ritual and Yue Que would be exposed, leading to significant trouble.
One must be cautious even among allies. Thinking of this, Li Hong touched the elder's crown on his head, which still had the forehead band concealing his Upper Dantian. His cultivation level was higher than Wei Ming, but if he used techniques like the Beast Taming Technique or those from the Six Spirit Salty Ritual, it would definitely raise suspicions.
Wei Ming had no idea about Li Hong's concerns. He frowned and communicated through thought, "What should we do? These three little girls are stubborn as ducks. How about…?" Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "I've got an idea! It’s just a bit underhanded."
"Underhanded?" Chuxuan and Li Hong exchanged glances.
After hearing Wei Ming, Chuxuan laughed, "Indeed underhanded! But it's a good plan."
Yet Li Hong hesitated, "This might not be good. We are from the prestigious Immortal Sect, renowned in the Cultivation World. Using such unscrupulous methods against three women from a lowly Demon Sect who don’t even have mid-stage cultivation would surely harm our reputation if it got out."
"That's true," Chuxuan agreed. "It's not good. We should think of something else."
Wei Ming blinked, "Isn't there still that Emperor's Son? Let him send someone; what if he refuses to listen?"
The three exchanged glances, their eyes darting elsewhere while their shaking shoulders betrayed their amusement. They could hardly contain their laughter.
*******
Upon hearing that spies from the Jin Kingdom had been captured, Zhao Gou was immediately filled with rage and declared fiercely, "Good! I will summon the Chief of the Dali Temple right away and have them dispatch a team of seasoned constables over. Those people—" Suddenly realizing something, he quickly changed his wording, "Even the King of Heaven wouldn't last half an hour under their command."
Chuxuan shook his head. "Uncle Emperor, those three women are experts by the side of the National Guardian Master of the Jin Kingdom. Their skills are quite formidable. Even the seasoned Constable might not be able to handle them."
"Oh? They are women? Then I must see for myself what kind of bold women dare to come to our Song Dynasty Lin'an as spies," Zhao Gou said, intrigued.
Li Hong silently cursed the situation. Zhao Gou was no match for these three beauties trained by the Demon Sect. If he were to soften his heart and be dazzled by their charm, it would be disastrous. With this thought, he stepped forward and said seriously, "Your Majesty, these three women are extremely dangerous. If Your Majesty is enchanted by them, your fate will be the same as that of Filial Piety and Benevolence, the Holy Emperor. I must make it clear to you that if you choose to let the tiger return to the mountain, then we Celestial Masters will no longer intervene. You can just wait to be assassinated by them."
After hearing this, cold sweat dripped down Zhao Gou's forehead as he repeatedly said, "I understand! Celestial Master, you can rest assured. I will summon the Chief of the Dali Temple. He indeed has skilled subordinates who excel in torture and interrogation. Even iron-willed men cannot withstand half an hour under their hands."
Only then did Li Hong feel satisfied, but unexpectedly, Zhao Gou continued, "I still want to witness this for myself and see what kind of bold women dare to cause trouble in my Lin'an!"
Chuxuan grew impatient and was about to retort when he noticed Li Hong subtly shaking his head at him.
Li Hong clasped his hands and said, "Very well, let His Majesty observe. However, one of those women is said to be the forbidden concubine of Qin Hui's only son, Qin Xiang. When we stormed that brothel where the spies from the Jin Kingdom were hiding, Qin Xiang suddenly barged in, insisting on taking away a spy. Your Majesty, you should weigh this matter carefully."
Zhao Gou was furious. "How could Qin Xiang associate with spies! I will summon the Chief of the Dali Temple immediately and order him to investigate this matter thoroughly." After issuing a stern decree, his expression suddenly changed as he grinned at Li Hong: "Let’s go! We’ll interrogate the female spies."
With a flourish of his Dragon Robe, he adopted a majestic demeanor and strode out of the palace towards the dungeon without further ado.
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