Chapter 37 Bone Piercing

Chapter 37: Bone-Piercing Nails

A woman may be weak by nature, but love makes her strong.

Cong Shuang had been by Qin Jiao's side for over a decade, watching him grow up. Qin Jiao was like a brother etched into her very bones, and she couldn't stand it!

That felt so good!

Luo Yue glared hatefully at the two men on the ground. If the timing were better, he'd have applauded Cong Shuang. Meanwhile, Xiao Nianzhang and Xiao Yue looked somewhat awkward and incredulous, likely never expecting a young girl like Cong Shuang to strike so ruthlessly.

After the beating, the two assassins exuded even more murderous intent, but they were held down and unable to fight back, so they began to curse:

"So you're only capable of this—sending a woman to torture us—who are you trying to insult? The legendary Prince of Lingnan is nothing special!

Let me tell you straight: someone has our backs. If we die here today, that Qin Jiao will be buried alive with us! We may have worthless lives, but that young master is delicate and tender... Ah!"

The words "What a pity" were choked in his throat as the assassin suddenly screamed.

It was Xie Nai, who had thrown a short dagger from his sleeve, slicing the man's throat.

He Zhao was furious. "Your Highness, what are you waiting for? Are you just going to let them spout nonsense?"

The young man's expression was icy cold, his gaze sharp as a blade, as if he wanted to peel the flesh from the men before him inch by inch. "You lowly scum—how dare you utter his name?"

Xie Nai was enraged.

Without needing further orders, Luo Bei strode forward, holding two items: a fist-sized hammer and over a dozen five-inch iron chisels.

The chisels resembled long nails, their tips sharp, about as thick as a woman's thumb, covered in mottled reddish stains. Xiao Nianzhang dared not look closely, unsure if they were rust or fresh blood.

Luo Bei handed the items to the soldiers restraining the assassins, his voice mocking: "Running your mouth comes at a price. Let's see which is tougher: your bones or your miserable lives."

The assassins froze, not understanding Luo Bei's meaning, but the bone-crushing agony in their knees soon made everything clear.

The soldiers forced the two assassins down like dogs, pressing them to the ground. Two soldiers aimed the chisels at their kneecaps and hammered them in fiercely. The hammer pounded the chisels relentlessly, inch by inch, as the iron snakes burrowed like venomous snakes into bone and flesh.

The long chisels pierced flesh and bone, blood spread over their contorted faces. The grating sounds of chisels splitting bone and hammers pounding echoed through the silent night.

"Ah... help! It hurts... help!"

Since human bones are not like walls, driving the chisels in was no simple task. Where it simply wouldn't go through, the soldiers twisted, gouged, dug, and scraped them sideways, then struck again with the hammer—over and over in a vicious cycle.

"Stop it, damn it! Help!"

The two screamed heartbreakingly, writhing like madmen. The unbearable pain threw them into spasms, yet the soldiers continued without pause.

Blow after blow, the once-hard bones were pounded to pulp by the chisels, inch by inch.

Bone-piercing nails—a fate worse than death.

The assassins' howls were too piercing. Fearing they might disturb Xie Nai, the soldiers tore cloth strips to gag them. Even so, muffled cries still escaped.

As the soldier raised the hammer for a final, forceful blow, the long, rust-stained chisel punched clean through both kneecaps. Blood dripped from the exposed end, flesh and bone flying in a gruesome spectacle.

Cong Shuang couldn't bear it. Dry-heaving, she fled the tent. He Zhao, worried, rushed after her.

Luo Bei and Luo Yue watched the nearly unconscious assassins with cold indifference and mockery.

Xiao Nianzhang and Xiao Yue retreated several steps. Xiao Nianzhang was so terrified he could barely stand, drenched in cold sweat. Only Xiao Yue's support kept him from falling.

The iron chisels had pierced through the assassins' kneecaps, effectively crippling one leg each. Yet the soldiers continued coldly, picking up more chisels.

At first, the two were still stubborn, trying to curse through their gags. But when the second chisel sank into bone, they could no longer hold out.

The tall, thin assassin broke first. He thrashed wildly, eyes as wide as copper bells, staring at Xie Nai with desperate pleading.

"Your Highness, they seem ready to talk," Luo Bei said respectfully.

Xie Nai's eyes showed not a hint of disturbance at the grisly scene.

"Continue."

"Mm! Ah!!—"

The moment Xie Nai spoke, the soldier's hammer came down with full force!

The two assassins let out hoarse, desperate roars, their eyes filled with terror. In agony, they bit through their own tongues; the gags turned red, threads of blood slowly seeped from the corners of their mouths.

"Mm... help... mm... save me... mm."

The smell of blood grew thicker, almost nauseating.

Half an hour later, Xie Nai finally called a halt.

By now, the two assassins were more dead than alive, barely breathing. Their knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists had all been skewered through with chisels—eight per man, each one brutally piercing through sinew and bone. Flesh and shattered bone littered the ground, a horrifying sight.

When the gags were removed, the two collapsed like mud, howling wretchedly and gasping for breath.

"I'll ask one last time: what price was put on Qin Jiao's life, and who ordered you to assassinate him?" Xie Nai's voice was soft, but to the assassins' ears, it was utterly chilling and terrifying.

After what they had just endured, the hardest bones were shattered, the hardest mouths were pried open. The ugly, fat assassin, slightly more conscious, trembled as he spoke:

"Cough... for the first assassination, we received five hundred taels of gold. This time, ten thousand."

The pain of shattered bones and torn flesh was unbearable, a tearing sensation in his chest. He had to pause to gasp for air.

"Ten thousand taels to buy his life? Ha..."

For a moment, Luo Yue thought Xie Nai would kill them on the spot, because his expression was terrifying—bloodshot eyes, a mocking smile, like a dark god, sending chills down one's spine.

"Our employer said that Qin Jiao is nothing but an abandoned pawn. No one cares if he lives or dies. Even if we were caught after killing him, the employer would get us out of death row and protect us from death."

Desperate to live, the assassin spilled everything.

"Who is your employer?"

"It's... Lin Wen."

The moment the name left the assassin's lips, the tent fell into a deathly silence. Xiao Nianzhang collapsed to the ground in terror, his face unable to hide his sheer terror.

"What? Lin Wen?"

At that moment, He Zhao re-entered, supporting Cong Shuang, who looked utterly shocked.

He Zhao frowned and asked again, "Are you referring to Prime Minister Lin Wen?"

Though far from the imperial court, He Zhao knew who the current prime minister was. Combined with the assassin's claim that he could get them out of death row even after murder, He Zhao found it hard to convince himself this was a case of mistaken identity.

"Yes, it's him."

The silence grew even deeper.

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