There were five people that dug the grave together—two married couples and a man missing an arm.

The man had been a member of the Northern Army in his early years. Later, after he became disabled, he returned to civilian life. When Xiao Rong came before these people, just a single glance told him everything he needed to know.

Disease and poverty had always been breeding grounds for superstition. It was because their hearts weren’t strong enough that they desperately clung to the belief that something unseen could save them.

They looked quite terrible—no one knew how they had survived the past ten days—but one thing Xiao Rong could now confirm was that they had been fleeing for their lives alone all this time. The Qingfeng Sect hadn’t arranged any escape route for them. After squeezing out every ounce of their usefulness, the Sect simply abandoned them.

Xiao Rong pressed his lips together. This wasn’t a good sign. The Sect neither helped them escape nor killed them to silence them. That could only mean there was nothing these people knew about that the Qingfeng Sect feared being exposed. In other words, Xiao Rong was unlikely to find the true mastermind behind all this through these people.

Even so, Xiao Rong wasn’t ready to give up. He waved his hand to signal that these people should be taken to the interrogation area.

Xiao Rong didn’t leave immediately. No one knew what he was thinking. After a while, he turned around to follow, but the moment he turned, he noticed something unusual behind him.

He looked at Qu Yunmie in shock. “Who let you out?”

Qu Yunmie immediately pointed at Jian Qiao, who stood beside him. “Him.”

Jian Qiao: “…”

Xiao Rong: “…”

Xiao Rong looked at the two of them with an expression full of helplessness and said, “Forget it. Since you’re already here, Your Majesty might as well come and listen too.”

As soon as Qu Yunmie heard him relent, he immediately came to Xiao Rong’s side. The two of them walked side by side. Along the way, Qu Yunmie whispered to Xiao Rong, “Most of my strength has already recovered.”

Xiao Rong lazily replied, “No. These people are still useful. You can’t kill them yet.”

Qu Yunmie: “…”

Fair enough.

They strolled forward slowly. It wasn’t Xiao Rong accommodating Qu Yunmie’s pace—it was the other way around. Qu Yunmie was matching Xiao Rong’s speed. Xiao Rong was the one interrogating the prisoners, and if he didn’t show up, no one else dared make a move on them. Xiao Rong deliberately walked slowly to mentally torment the prisoners.

The two of them walked as if they were on a casual stroll. Jian Qiao followed behind them at a distance of about ten feet, walking slowly as well. Behind Jian Qiao were Yuan Baifu and Gongsun Yuan.

Although Jian Qiao had also sent out men, it was Yuan Baifu who had actually captured those people.

In the past, he would complete his tasks on time, but never with such initiative. This time, he had taken action only because Qu Yunmie ordered him to leave and handle it personally.

Yuan Baifu was Gongsun Yuan’s buddy. Today, Gongsun Yuan finally paid attention to something outside his own affairs. He bumped Yuan Baifu with his shoulder and praised him cheerfully. “Impressive. You really caught them! That’s a big accomplishment!”

Yuan Baifu replied with a lukewarm, “Mm.”

Gongsun Yuan looked at him in confusion. “Why that reaction after earning merit? Don’t tell me you don’t even want to be rewarded?”

Yuan Baifu gave him a small smile. “When did you become so naggy? Come on, let’s go see what’s happening.”

Gongsun Yuan gave an “Oh,” and had to quicken his steps—those ahead had already almost disappeared from sight.

…

Inside the interrogation tent, three uncooperative prisoners had already been dragged out. The two more compliant ones were locked in a separate area and being fed two meals of thin soup—just enough to keep them alive. As for what their eventual fate would be, that would be decided after everything was settled.

For the one who stubbornly refused to betray his family, Xiao Rong had no way of dealing with him. When Jian Qiao asked Xiao Rong what to do, before he could speak, Qu Yunmie sentenced the man to death.

“Kill him. Do I need to teach you that?”

The man had been executed two days ago, but the rest didn’t know that. When they were brought in, they probably couldn’t even remember what their own family members looked like. When they saw the bloodstains all over the ground, their expressions began to change.

Jian Qiao knew Xiao Rong was soft-hearted, so he proactively asked Qu Yunmie and Xiao Rong to let him handle the interrogation.

Qu Yunmie glanced at Xiao Rong. Since the latter didn’t object, Qu Yunmie nodded at Jian Qiao.

The so-called interrogation was really torture. When the screams rang out, Xiao Rong looked up at the ceiling of the tent and suddenly noticed something—the interrogation tent was much larger than his own.

…

Everyone else remained expressionless, while Xiao Rong kept looking elsewhere. Qu Yunmie wanted to ask him to step out for a bit, but on second thought, he figured Xiao Rong wouldn’t agree. He might even insist on staying longer to prove he wasn’t afraid. In the end, Qu Yunmie said nothing.

After the time it took to burn half a stick of incense, Xiao Rong raised his hand, and Jian Qiao immediately ordered the soldiers to stop. Amid the crying and wailing, Xiao Rong let out a heavy sigh.

Then his voice, full of helplessness, rang out inside the tent. “I don’t expect you to tell me who planned all this. Honestly, I don’t even care. It’s just the Qingfeng Sect anyway. Getting rid of them is hard, but not impossible. Once the Sect leader and Elders are all captured and executed, whoever devised this venomous scheme will die with them, and I won’t have to lose sleep over them anymore.”

Qu Yunmie turned to look at Xiao Rong, who now wore a look of pity toward those people.

“You’ve suffered all your life—fallen down, gotten injured, survived sickness, snowstorms, even war—and yet you’re going to die horribly. Just because you were too stupid. For the sake of a vague, meaningless doctrine, you gave up your own conscience.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it felt like a blade slashing across their faces. After he finished speaking, one of the women suddenly burst into loud sobs. She kept begging for mercy, saying she had no idea what they wanted the bones for. She didn’t know they meant to defile the parents of the King of North. She really didn’t know.

Jian Qiao became furious again. He wanted to kick her, but before he could act, Qu Yunmie asked, “Then what did you think they wanted them for?”

Everyone froze and looked toward Qu Yunmie, who hadn’t spoken until now. Qu Yunmie simply stared calmly at the tortured prisoners, and that alone scared them into silence.

Qu Yunmie said, “Speak. What did you think they wanted my parents bones for? If not to defile them, then for what?”

The woman opened and closed her mouth but couldn’t make a sound. She stared at Qu Yunmie in terror. His patience had run out.

Suddenly, Qu Yunmie grabbed an oil lamp from the doorway and hurled it. The oil had already splashed midair, and the lamp struck the woman’s face directly. The heat burned her eyes, and she screamed in agony.

Qu Yunmie’s voice, filled with rage, echoed around them. “SPEAK!!!!”

Xiao Rong lowered his head and frowned but didn’t stop him.

The woman seemed completely terrified. She blurted out, “Magic—ritual! I thought they wanted the bones for a ritual, a curse—”

At that moment, she came to her senses and couldn’t finish the sentence.

Everyone present was nearly furious to death. A curse? As if that were better than exposing the corpses on a watchtower. There were indeed dark rituals, and they were extremely sinister and disgusting. Did she think confessing this would save her life?

The other four sank into even deeper despair. At this point, they didn’t even dare think of defending themselves.

Xiao Rong looked at them silently, then softly said to Qu Yunmie, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It seems we can’t get anything more from them. You’re still injured—perhaps you should rest now.”

Qu Yunmie clenched his fists, turned, and left. Xiao Rong followed, motioning for Gongsun Yuan and Yuan Baifu to come too.

The two exchanged glances and followed him out.

Back in the royal tent, Qu Yunmie sat down to calm himself. Xiao Rong opened a cabinet, took out two bottles of medicine, and said to the two behind him, “Thank you, General Yuan. You brought them back so quickly—no wonder you’ve always been the King’s right-hand man. Tonight, ask General Jian to interrogate them again. Tomorrow, General Gongsun, please take them with five thousand troops to the front lines. Get as close to the Xianbei army as possible, without starting a fight.”

Gongsun Yuan took a moment to react, then understood. “Sir, are you asking me to execute them publicly?”

Xiao Rong nodded and added, “The most severe punishment.”

Gongsun Yuan smiled. Against such wicked traitors, no punishment was too harsh. He even felt it would be too merciful to kill them so quickly. “As you wish. What kind of execution do you prefer—dismemberment by chariots? Roasting? Disembowelment?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

You really know a lot.

Xiao Rong shook his head. “None of those. I want lingchi.”

Gongsun Yuan had never heard of that punishment. He looked at Yuan Baifu, who also looked confused.

Xiao Rong smiled slightly. “It’s simple. Tie them to a pillar and slice off their flesh piece by piece. A skilled hand can make three thousand six hundred cuts before the person dies. A less skilled one might kill them after just a few hundred. During the execution tomorrow, find meticulous men to do it. Don’t kill all five at once—do it one by one. Build a tall platform so everyone can witness their fate.”

Gongsun Yuan: “…”

His eyes bulged like copper bells—not only because he’d never heard of such a punishment, but because the words came out of Xiao Rong’s mouth.

You scholars really are vicious.

Yuan Baifu immediately objected. “No! That punishment is too cruel. If it’s done in front of the whole army, word will spread. The Northern Army’s reputation—”

Xiao Rong interrupted, “From the moment the Xianbei used such a poisonous scheme, the Northern Army’s name was already ruined! Even a child from Chenliu who hears of this will cheer for those people’s downfall. General Yuan, are you showing mercy in the wrong place? They tried to curse His Majesty—why are you still pleading for them?”

Yuan Baifu nearly choked. “When did I plead for them? I just think this punishment is too cruel. No one has done such a thing before. If we do it now, who knows how the scholars will slander His Majesty!”

Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes. “The victor becomes king, the loser becomes the villain. As long as His Majesty stands strong, the slander of scholars won’t shake him. Besides, how can you be so sure they’ll slander him? Filial piety is the foremost virtue. His Majesty is avenging his parents—no punishment is too harsh.”

Yuan Baifu said, “His Majesty has never wanted to torture his enemies with such extreme punishments. Xiao Rong, this is clearly your own insistence!”

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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