An Xin touched the keyhole on the shackles in the dark. It was a typical ancient shackle, and the key to unlock it required a long handle. She then touched the ground, but there was nothing there.
"Squeak—" A sliver of light suddenly pierced through the thick darkness. An Xin was slightly unaccustomed to the darkness and squinted her eyes.
"Take her out!" A cold voice rang out, followed by two figures dragging An Xin up and snapping the main chain of her lock. They then yanked her forward, causing her to stumble.
An Xin's heart skipped a beat; the lock turned to the left, meaning the direction to unlock it was to the left.
Then her head was covered, and she was pushed and shoved for ten steps before being forced to stop. Then the hood was taken off her head, and a basin of cold water was poured over her head.
The icy cold water, as if it had just melted, was poured down on An Xin, who felt a chill to the bone and suddenly opened her eyes with a start.
It was a torture chamber, with instruments of torture hanging all around, and sitting in front of him was a woman wearing a mask.
Although the woman was dressed as a man, An Xin only needed to glance at her to know her true identity. The mask was somewhat ferocious, but the eyes behind the mask were even more ferocious than the mask itself.
"Hit!" An Xin couldn't tell if the voice was familiar or not. Then, the maids around her suddenly swarmed forward, with whips, fire tongs, or even salt water that was used to chili water!
"Crack!" A heavy lash sent a sudden, excruciating pain through An Xin. The whip was fitted with barbs, and the iron spikes dug deep into her flesh. An Xin let out a heavy groan.
Then, with a "sizzle," a red-hot tongs was pressed against her back. An Xin was in excruciating pain and smelled a burnt odor...
Who is this woman...?
An Xin forced out a mouthful of blood, and then a basin of chili water was poured over her. An Xin subconsciously protected her eyes, but her whole body felt as if it were being burned on a raging fire. The burning pain made her lose consciousness for a moment, but she dared not open her eyes again. If the chili water got into her eyes, she was afraid that the pain would be even more unbearable.
"Don't kill her, leave her alive. I want to torment her slowly." The cold voice, though deliberately altered in tone, still sounded familiar to An Xin. However, the pain abruptly severed her thoughts, and she fainted.
The night was pitch black, like ink spilled on the ground.
Jinglan stood in the darkness, remaining silent for a long time.
Chu Feng whispered to his side, "My lord, I'm afraid Miss An won't be coming again. As for the plan she mentioned, it's best to put it on hold for now, so as not to alert her."
Jing Lan's face was hidden in the darkness, and her expression was not visible.
"grown ups……"
"Go back." Jing Lan turned and walked away with a flick of her sleeve. Chu Feng paused and looked into the distance. This girl named An Xin actually dared to let the master go without permission. She didn't know the master... Chu Feng suddenly stiffened before turning around and walking away in a hurry.
××× ×××
Yan Zhen suddenly found himself unable to sleep. He put on his clothes and got up. The night was thick, without a trace of moonlight. Chen Zhuo appeared silently and said, "It's late. Why aren't you asleep, sir?"
Yan Zhen said calmly, "It's nothing. I'm just going out for a walk."
Shen Zhuo said in a low voice, "The night is dark and deep. I will accompany you, my lord."
Yan Zhen said calmly, "No need. I'll go see the magistrate of Taicang and come back right away."
Shen Zhuo paused abruptly, and after a long while said, "Yes."
Yan Zhen vanished into the vast night in a flash.
Anfu.
Xu Ruolan sighed, "It's late, why hasn't Xin'er returned yet? Should we send someone to the Left Prime Minister's residence to inquire?"
An Youwei frowned and said, "I heard that Xin'er is with the Left Prime Minister. You know the Left Prime Minister; he is a gentleman. Xin'er will be fine with him."
Xu Ruolan said anxiously, "No matter how delicate and refined the Left Prime Minister is, he is still a man. How can Xin'er, a girl, be with a man? Besides, the Left Prime Minister is famous throughout the land. If rumors really spread, it will be Xin'er who suffers in the end!"
An Youwei's expression suddenly changed, and he stood up and said, "I'll go and find out. Don't worry, Xin'er will be fine."
Outside the door, Yan Zhen's gaze suddenly darkened. He pushed the door open, and An Youwei, who was about to leave, was startled. When he saw who it was, he was immediately horrified: "Right, Right Prime Minister!?"
Yan Zhen said calmly, "There's no need to go to the Left Prime Minister's residence. I will safely escort Xin'er back. Please rest, my lord."
An Youwei turned pale and hurriedly replied, "Your humble servant obeys!"
Yan Zhen flicked his sleeve and turned his back. His face was ashen, and he said coldly, "Find!" Immediately, several dark figures disappeared into the deep night.
Before half a cup of tea had been brewed, someone came to report: "Your Excellency, Miss An is not at the Left Prime Minister's residence."
Then someone came to report: "Sir, Miss An has disappeared after going to Duanfeng Mountain."
Then someone else reported: "A deadly dagger with a deadly poison was found at Duanfeng Mountain. There were ten sets of footprints, one of which belonged to Miss An. A net was woven in the treetops, and there was white powder under the tree. Miss An was ambushed and captured."
Another figure appeared, his voice deep and resonant: "Miss An's whereabouts have been discovered. It was the Snake Gate that struck. The Snake Gate is skilled in poison, and Miss An is currently imprisoned in the Snake Gate's cave..."
Yan Zhen's figure flashed and he suddenly disappeared from the spot.
××× ×××
When An Xin woke up, all she could see was darkness. Her body felt as cold as ice crystals, while her body was burning hot.
She lay on the ground, trying to concentrate, and pounded the ground with her hand, making a dull sound... The ground was hollow... An Xin opened her mouth slightly, but clenched her teeth tightly, trying to keep the pain from coming out of her mouth.
Perhaps because she was too badly injured, the main wire of the heavy iron shackles was not locked.
Dawn was approaching, and a new day meant a new punishment. Although this calamity had come suddenly, she could not give up hope of living. Suddenly, two footsteps approached.
"It's time to teach that woman a lesson again. She's really tough; even when we tortured her like that yesterday, she didn't utter a sound!"
"Who told her to run into our hands? Today, let her taste the pain of being devoured by ten thousand snakes. Also, the sect leader has developed the Ten Thousand Poison Needles. It is said that you need to insert eighty-one needles into various acupoints to achieve the ultimate effect!"
"That man gave instructions, saying that he would remove all of that woman's fingernails today and pierce her fingertips with needles before he would stop. The ten fingers are connected to the heart, so if there wasn't some deep-seated hatred, that man was really ruthless."
...