Chapter 128: More Terrifying Than Yama, Lord of Hell

Chapter 128: More Terrifying Than Yama, Lord of Hell

Interrogation is often a psychological battle. The interrogated tries to gauge the interrogator's mindset, speculating how much they know and whether it's safe to speak or how much to reveal. On the other hand, the interrogator aims for the psychological breakdown of the interrogated, to make them answer every question.

Xiao Yuming was naturally oblivious to such psychological tactics; he had but one thought: to beat them. As long as they didn't die, under unbearable pain, they would eventually confess.

The whip cracked sharply, leaving Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan drenched in blood, their agonized screams filling the air, yet they showed no sign of yielding. Xiao Yuchen stood there, his brows furrowed deeply.

Xiao Yuming, pointing at a pair of pliers, said: "Start with this, test each one on them. I've never witnessed such a scene; it seems quite amusing."

Niu Hongliang, heeding his words, ceased his whipping. Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan, enduring their pain, gasped for air. They too heard Xiao Yuming's words and turned to see the torture device he indicated, only to find Niu Hongliang already approaching it, explaining its usage to Xiao Yuming.

"These pliers are used for pulling out fingernails. Just clamp the nail and yank it hard, and it'll rip out from the flesh. The blood will flow down the fingers, and, paired with their screams, it's indescribably exhilarating."

Xiao Yuming's eyes gleamed as he weighed the pliers in his hand, then walked towards Qiu Yunshan and Qiu Yunxiu, asking, "Didn't you say to douse them with saltwater after whipping? Have you done it?"

"Oh, I forgot," Niu Hongliang slapped his forehead and then gestured. Two guards approached, each carrying a bucket of saltwater, and without a word, doused the two women.

"Ah..."

"Ah..."

Qiu Yunshan and Qiu Yunxiu felt a piercing pain in their wounds, torturing both their nerves and souls. But before the pain could subside even slightly, their hands were suddenly seized, and they heard Niu Hongliang say, "Second Young Master, which one would you like to start with?"

"Her," Xiao Yuming said casually as he walked over to Qiu Yunxiu. Without looking at her face, his eyes fixed on her hand for a moment, and then he reached out, clamping her fingernail with the pliers, and pulled...

"Ah..."

Qiu Yunxiu let out a heart-wrenching scream, and Niu Hongliang, watching the bloodied nail on the pliers in Xiao Yuming's hand, thought to himself that the Second Young Master was extraordinarily cruel. With such ruthlessness, his future would not be simple.

At that moment, he heard the "ruthless Second Young Master" say, "Did I pull it out too quickly? The pain is less this way, isn't it? If I do it slowly, it should hurt more, right?"

Niu Hongliang snapped out of his thoughts and replied, "Yes, pulling it slowly would be more painful."

Xiao Yuming hummed in acknowledgment, shifted to the side, approached Qiu Yunshan, and said, "This time, I'll pull it out slowly."

Hearing his words, Qiu Yunshan trembled uncontrollably, her hand instinctively retracting, but a guard held it firmly, leaving her unable to move an inch.

"No... please, no," Qiu Yunshan pleaded in a trembling voice. Niu Hongliang listened, tempted to question her about the defense layout, but at that moment, Xiao Yuming said, "Master Niu, after we've tried all these devices on them today, could you teach me how to slice the flesh?"

"Alright," Niu Hongliang said. He wasn't sure if the Second Young Master was just intimidating the women or genuinely found it amusing.

But Qiu Yunshan was already so terrified that she was on the verge of fainting. She hastily said, "I'll talk, I'll talk. I'll tell you everything."

Xiao Yuming seemed not to hear her, his hand positioning the pliers on her index finger's nail, then slowly starting to apply pressure.

"Ah..." Qiu Yunshan screamed in pain, then cried out loudly, "Second Young Master, I'll talk, I'll tell you!"

"Tell what? I already know everything about you two, no need to speak." His grip didn't weaken as he glared at Qiu Yunshan, whose face was contorted with agony, "Don't interrupt my fun, or I'll have to use every one of these instruments on you twice over."

Qiu Yunshan: "..."

So, confessing is not an option?

"Yuming," Xiao Yuxin spoke up then, his face showing reluctance, "Mother taught us to be kind to others, you shouldn't be so cruel."

Xiao Yuming snorted, pulled the nail out forcefully, then moved over to Qiu Yunxiu with a look of displeasure, "She said no torture upon confession, so this should be fine, right?"

Xiao Yuxin didn't respond, and Xiao Yuming immediately clamped the pliers onto Qiu Yunxiu's nail, poised to exert force.

"I'll confess, I'll confess too," Qiu Yunxiu said immediately. She wasn't foolish; if Qiu Yunshan was going to confess, her resistance would be pointless.

But Xiao Yuming was displeased. He glared at them both, "Such a killjoy. Can't even have a proper play. Between the two of you, whoever says less will receive my special attention."

"I'll talk, I'll talk," Qiu Yunshan quickly said.

………

What followed was smooth. To avoid further torture from Xiao Yuming, Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunshan tripped over themselves to spill everything they knew. Half an hour later, they had said all that needed to be said.

Xiao Yuming looked at them with a murderous air, and they huddled together in fear. In their eyes, this Second Young Master was more terrifying than the King of Hell himself.

"Yuming, let's go."

Xiao Yuxin's voice rose, and Xiao Yuming cast a deep glance at the two women before turning to leave the dungeon with Xiao Yuxin. They walked side by side toward Shi An Yuan, both burdened with heavy hearts. It was very possible that their father had been genuinely harmed by someone.

They arrived at Shi An Yuan in silence, met with Tang Shuyi, and recounted the confessions of Qiu Yunshan and Qiu Yunxiu.

The nation bordering the Great Qian Dynasty to the northwest is called Rouli Kingdom. The Rouli people are fierce and warlike, frequently clashing along the border. Furthermore, a few years ago, a new king ascended to the Rouli throne. This new king was ambitious and set on annexing the Great Qian. Hence, since his coronation, the border conflicts have intensified.

"From ancient times to the present, warfare between nations has never been merely a matter of swords and spears on the surface, but also involves much covert contention. Sending spies to the other side is one of the most commonly used tactics. Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunzhan are the family-born children of General Lv from the Rouli Kingdom, trained from a young age.

More than two years ago, they were sent by General Lv to a farm near the border of the two countries, where only an elderly couple lived. Posing as the couple's granddaughters, they stayed there for two months. Then, unexpectedly, the old couple fell seriously ill and died. To bury their 'grandparents,' the girls sold themselves into servitude and were coincidentally bought by Cheng Yuquan, who brought them back.

Cheng Yuquan was a valiant commander under Xiao Huai. Once, while visiting Xiao Huai's home in the northwest for a drink, he admired a horse in his stable. Seeing this, Xiao Huai rewarded him with the horse. Feeling somewhat ashamed of accepting such a gift, Cheng Yuquan was egged on by others to reciprocate with the two beauties he had recently acquired, as a trade for the horse.

After some deliberation, Cheng Yuquan thought this a good idea and presented Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunzhan to Xiao Huai. Although Xiao Huai declined repeatedly, he eventually accepted them, but placed them under strict supervision in the rear courtyard.

By that time, Qiu Yunxiu and Qiu Yunzhan knew they had been exposed. Their mission was to get close to Xiao Huai and steal the defense plans.

Despite being closely watched, the sisters never lost heart, having been trained as spies from a young age. With the help of an old woman who brought their meals, they disguised themselves and sneaked into Xiao Huai's study, stealing the defense plans.

However, just as they were about to smuggle out the plans, Dagan and Rouli suddenly went to war, and Xiao Huai perished in the battle. Subsequently, the sisters were sent back to the capital as Xiao Huai's concubines by Su Bingcang.

Once in the capital, they received no further instructions and didn't know what to do next. They lived quietly in the backyard of the Yongning Marquis residence, never expecting their identities to be revealed.