In the underground dark room of the Linjiang Palace, dim candlelight flickered on the wall, providing a ray of light for this gloomy and dark torture chamber.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, making one nauseous. On the rack, Shopkeeper Liu lay dying, his face covered in blood, a shadow of his former glory.

The person who tortured him was none other than Jing An, the spy chief whom he had bribed with money before. At this moment, he was holding a whip dripping with blood in his hand.

Jing An raised the whip again and lashed at Manager Liu fiercely.

At this time, Manager Liu no longer had the strength to wail, and could only make faint gurgling sounds in his throat.

"Mr. Yan has thoroughly checked all the fire consumption ledgers of the private mines in Ganzhou," Jing An said coldly, "and found that 20,000 taels of silver are missing. Of course, this amount of money is nothing to the prince, but what he cannot tolerate is that you actually tampered with it under his nose."

"You have violated the prince's great taboo."

Jing An's eyes swept over Shopkeeper Liu, taking in every piece of good meat on his body. He couldn't help but smack his lips and snort in contempt.

This person had actually tried to win him over before, doing some shameful things in private, and simply treated him, Jing An, as an ignorant fool.

Prince Linjiang Li Longjing is a very cunning man. For those who fail to perform their duties, he may only give them a slight punishment, such as some physical pain.

However, if there is even a hint of betrayal, then death without a complete body is the lightest punishment.

These spies were the death squads personally trained by the old prince. If they didn't even understand this little bit, they would have died hundreds of times already.

Outside the torture chamber, the sound of slow and steady footsteps gradually approached. Yan Boxi appeared at the door with a folding fan in his hand and a calm demeanor.

His gaze passed through the dim torture chamber and fell on the dying Manager Liu, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"Mr. Yan, this place is dirty, please don't get your shoes dirty." Jing An stepped forward, his tone full of flattery.

Yan Boxi gently shook the folding fan in his hand and said calmly, "It's okay."

He walked slowly into the torture room, not caring about the bloodstains on the ground. He walked straight to the torture rack, gently lifted the bloodstained chin of Manager Liu with his folding fan, and examined the other's miserable face.

"The victims in the south of the city have received the antidote. The royal palace's treasury is filled with rare treasures, and the golden thread lotus is of top quality, enough to save all the victims."

Yan Boxi had a smile on his face, and there was a hint of provocation in his tone. He turned to Jing An again, with a knowing smile on his face.

"It's thanks to Chief Jing's wit that he spotted Manager Liu's plot in time. Zhao Si's act of poisoning was truly shameless. Fortunately, you silenced him in time. Otherwise, if this matter had spread, it would have greatly damaged the prince's reputation."

Jing An nodded and bowed, as if surrendering to Yan Boxi: "It's all Mr. Yan's brilliant plan. I am just following orders."

At this moment, Shopkeeper Liu on the rack suddenly roared, "Shameless!"

However, before he could finish his words, Yan Boxi quickly slapped his mouth with his folding fan.

With a crisp "pop" sound, blood immediately oozes from the corner of Shopkeeper Liu's mouth.

Yan Boxi stared at him coldly and scolded him, "To seek credit and reward, you didn't hesitate to murder innocent victims. Your behavior is outrageous, and you still have the nerve to roar here!"

Shopkeeper Liu suddenly let out a creepy laugh, blood mingling in his mouth. His voice was muffled and mocking, "Are you seeking revenge for the victims, or are you seeking revenge for yourself to vent your hatred?"

Yan Boxi's lips curled up into a faint smile, as if the other party's question was insignificant.

"You're right. I'm doing this for myself. I told the prince that I'd make you suffer a fate worse than death, only then can I vent my anger!"

"The prince actually agreed?" Shopkeeper Liu glared with disbelief.

He never expected that the weak scholar he had chosen at random would become so sinister and cruel, like a ghost from hell.

What shocked him even more was that Yan Boxi did not rely on shady means to frame him, but openly made a request to Li Longjing, directly asking for his life.

Shopkeeper Liu's eyes were filled with hatred. He tried to break free from his restraints, but his body was extremely weak and he could only struggle feebly.

He gnashed his teeth and said, "Yan Boxi, you are such a despicable villain! Why don't you die in the imperial prison?"

Yan Boxi chuckled and said disapprovingly, "Despicable? It's really ridiculous to hear this word coming out of your mouth. How many innocent lives have you taken? And you still have the nerve to complain?"

After saying that, Yan Boxi sneered, turned around and walked out of the torture room, while signaling Jing An to follow.

Jing An glanced at the dying Shopkeeper Liu and couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

As a loyal soldier under the prince's command, helping his master achieve his grand ambitions and hegemony inevitably leads to being involved in many shady things.

However, Manager Liu's actions often go beyond the limit. He implicates innocent people, and every action he takes is cruel and ruthless, taking people's lives.

Now, it is difficult to tell whether he is loyal to the prince or indulging in the twisted pleasure of being superior to others.

Yan Boxi slowly stepped out of the dimly lit chamber, suddenly feeling a glare from the sunlight. Then, a maid, as graceful as a willow in the wind, approached, bowing gently. Her voice was like a gentle spring breeze, "Mr. Yan, the prince invites you to visit Bishuiyunju for a chat."

"Okay, I'll be there right away." Yan Boxi nodded in response.

Inside Bishuiyunju, there was a hint of tension amidst the silence.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!