Chapter 44 The Prisoner [Second Update] "Let you taste all the cruelty of the Celestial Clan..."

...

"Are you sure there are no survivors left at Abandoned Tomb?"

"Sure."

"Thank you for your hard work, General Xuantian. Take a good rest after you've finished cleaning up the battlefield." Mu Luo closed the report in her hand.

"Yes, does Your Highness have any other instructions?"

Mu Luo waved her hand, "That's all, you may leave."

Since the incident with Mu Qingheng, things have been chaotic these past two days. She has been handling many affairs of the Heavenly Clan on her behalf, with Mu Meng assisting her.

While tidying up the papers, Mu Meng listened to her sister and General Xuan Tian's conversation. After listening for a while, she began to ponder.

The vast majority of the demons in the desolate tomb were killed by her and Mu Qingheng; the remaining ones should have been wiped out by Brother Sheng and his men. He is a meticulous and cautious person and would never make any mistakes.

But even if Brother Sheng and his subordinates combined their spiritual power, it might not be higher than that of Feng Xixue. Could it be that he was also killed?

Just then, a gentle voice was heard: "Your Highness, how have you been lately?"

It turned out that Sheng Yuanting had finished talking with his sister and then took the time to ask her. Mu Meng put down what she was holding and replied with a smile, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Brother Sheng."

Sheng Yuanting looked at Mu Meng carefully. Although his gaze was concerned, it was very polite. However, he looked at her for a while, and Mu Luo had already glanced at him twice.

With his sister still there, he naturally dared not look any longer. Seeing that Mu Meng was safe and sound and looked quite well, he felt relieved.

However, what she experienced cannot be forgotten in just two days of rest. The wounds in her heart may not be showing, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care.

Sheng Yuanting thought for a moment, hesitated, and then stammered out a word of comfort: "Your Highness, don't be too sad. The Princess is safe and sound and will surely have many blessings in the future. As for other things, don't worry about them and torment yourself. You must learn to let go of them."

Although he only said the most ordinary words of comfort, Mu Meng knew Sheng Yuanting's personality; he was not one to use flowery language. These words were comforting to her. "I know, don't worry."

"By the way, Brother Sheng," she thought for a moment and decided to ask, "when you went to the desolate tomb to clean up the battlefield, did you see a... a demon with a full head of silver hair?"

"Silver hair?" It was a very conspicuous feature. Sheng Yuanting shook his head firmly without thinking. "I didn't see it. If someone with such eye-catching silver hair were seen, I would never forget it."

He frowned, somewhat uneasy. "So, one demon escaped alive."

Mu Luo frowned slightly, her expression turning serious. Her sister had specifically mentioned this person; he must be someone extraordinary.

She gently took Mu Meng's hand: "Mengmeng, who exactly is this person? This person escaped from Sheng Yuanting's clutches, so he must be quite capable. Have you seen him? Did he bully you?"

Bully?

Mu Meng recalled Feng Xixue's half-mad, half-crazy state—when he was lucid, he was fine, even quite polite and modest. Although he looked a bit frightening when he went mad, he was actually gripping his own wrist without any real strength.

If Mu Qingheng hadn't arrived, he probably would have knelt down before her the next moment.

Mu Meng smiled reassuringly at Mu Luo, shook his head and said no, then turned to Sheng Yuanting and instructed, "Brother Sheng, this person's spiritual power is extremely strong, far surpassing mine, yet he didn't harm me, which is a favor to me. But he is a demon after all, so we still need to investigate him carefully. He generally shouldn't hurt people, but you should still be careful. Also, he... has some mental issues. If we really catch him, it's best not to kill him yet."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."

Sheng Yuanting accepted the order and left. As soon as Mu Meng turned around, she met Mu Luo's loving and doting eyes.

"Sister, why are you looking at me like that again? Don't always worry about me, I'm really fine. I don't know that person very well, so I can't say whether he's good or bad, but he didn't fight and he certainly didn't hurt me." Mu Meng smiled easily, hugged her sister's arm, and snuggled up to it like a kitten.

Mu Luo smiled, gently pinching Mengmeng's cheek, her heart filled with boundless affection.

How could she not feel heartbroken? Her younger sister had been pampered and cared for since childhood, but she encountered a silver-haired demon alone in the demon's lair. At that time, how could she not be by her side to protect her?

Mu Luo sighed and asked in a low voice, "Since you say so, let's just leave the silver-haired man alone. Are you really not going to pursue your maid Lingwei?"

Mu Meng smiled and said, "No need. Although Lingwei is an undercover agent by my side, she is not entirely heartless. She once risked her life to help me, and I should remember her kindness. Now that she has run away, let her go."

“Okay, I’ll listen to you, sister,” Mu Luo said after a moment of silence.

Her gaze fell tenderly on Mu Meng, and she felt more and more pity for her. She touched her hair and said, "Alright, it's getting late. Go to sleep." She thought for a moment and then added, "I'll stay with you."

Mu Meng's eyes crinkled into a smile, and she immediately smiled happily. Then, she blinked and remembered something: "By the way, sister, I heard people outside this morning say that Brother Zhong came to see you, but you didn't see him and even sent him away?"

"Well, I was only with him before to help you out. Now there are so many things to do, I haven't thought about the future yet. He only lasted a few days before he came to the Celestial Clan. I don't want to see him, he's so annoying."

It's nothing. Mu Meng thought that as long as her sister was happy, that was all that mattered. She was easygoing and easygoing. Although she had driven Brother Zhong away, she didn't seem to be wallowing in old wounds.

Mu Meng smiled, her eyes narrowing: "Whatever you say, it's up to you, sister."

Back in the bedroom, Mu Luo watched over Mu Meng as she fell asleep. She wasn't sleepy, so she sat to the side and watched her younger sister.

As I looked at it, I couldn't help but think of Mu Qingheng.

Ever since the Heavenly Emperor visited the Heavenly Prison that day, he drew a spirit array to lock the prison door. It seemed to be to prevent Mu Qingheng from escaping, but in reality, it was just to prevent her from entering.

Because he knew very well that if he went in, he would surely take Mu Qingheng's life.

Mu Luo still couldn't understand why the Heavenly Emperor was acting this way, clearly protecting Mu Qingheng. What was it about Mu Qingheng that made him worthy of his protection? Weren't the things he had done enough to warrant his death ten thousand times over?

Out of respect for the fact that the man was the Heavenly Emperor, who was also her father, she waited for his execution for two days, but it has still not been handed down.

I don't want to wait any longer.

Seeing that Mu Meng was sleeping soundly, Mu Luo quietly got out of bed. Just as she put on her shoes, she thought for a moment, then turned back and quietly gazed at Mu Meng's sleeping face.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally reached out and placed her hand on Mu Meng's smooth forehead.

The things she learned from Mengmeng that day were cruel enough. She was filled with anger towards Mu Qingheng, but even more so with heartache for her younger sister. Out of pity and compassion, she refrained from asking the more crucial questions.

It wasn't just that she couldn't bear to part with her; Mengmeng felt so sorry for her and was afraid she would be sad, so she probably wouldn't tell even if asked.

She overheard. She learned Mu Qingheng's identity, the truth about how he harmed her back then, and that he wanted to cut out her heart to extract her elixir.

But why would you eavesdrop?

Mengmeng wouldn't eavesdrop on her conversations, nor would she eavesdrop on the Heavenly Emperor. Eavesdropping would mean that trust has vanished, and it couldn't have been done without a reason.

Mu Luo felt that it must be a truth even more cruel than all those things combined.

It's better if she doesn't say anything; saying anything would only cause secondary harm, and she'll find out in her own way. Thinking this, Mu Luo slightly moved the hand resting on her sister's forehead.

Unexpectedly, this movement woke Mengmeng up.

Unexpectedly, Mengmeng is a light sleeper. Mu Luo's hand stiffened for a moment as she watched Mengmeng half-open her eyes, not fully awake yet. She seemed to know that her older sister was next to her, so she was at ease and didn't react much. She smiled at her a little sillyly and then closed her eyes again.

He mumbled a couple of things in a daze, then quickly fell asleep again.

She looked very tired. Mu Luo even had the illusion that Mengmeng hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

She looked both pitiful and adorable, and Mu Luo's heart softened. She couldn't help but smile and touch her fair cheek.

She placed her palm on Mu Meng's forehead again, gently closed her eyes, and her palm emitted a faint halo. As the spiritual energy emanated, the memories in Mu Meng's mind gradually unfolded before her eyes.

Before long, Mu Luosu's fair hands began to tremble slightly.

She slowly bit her lower lip, and a trace of blood seeped out from the force.

Vast stretches of memories flooded my mind—those dark, painful, and desperate events, each one a sharp blade, stabbing my heart with each cut.

If I hadn't investigated it myself, I would never have imagined that these things would fall on my beloved younger sister.

When Mu Luo opened her eyes again, her eyes were bloodshot.

She didn't want to wake her sister, but no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, she couldn't control the trembling all over her body, and Mu Meng finally woke up.

She patted Mu Luo haphazardly, only to find that her sister had sat up at some point: "Sister, what's wrong?"

Mu Meng looked over sleepily, but froze for a moment before scrambling to her feet. "Sister, why are you crying?"

In the dim light, Mu Luo's eyes were red-rimmed, several clear marks were visible on her face, and a tear was about to fall on her chin.

Mu Meng was heartbroken: "Sister, what happened? Don't scare me, why are you crying all of a sudden?" She knew how strong her sister was; although she was a girl, she never cried even when she bled or was injured. Even when she was seriously injured and brought back from the East Sea by the Celestial Clan, she didn't shed a single tear in front of her.

From childhood to adulthood, my older sister has never shown her emotions. If she sheds a single tear, she must be suffering immense pain and torment inside.

Because of Zhong Liwei? That doesn't seem likely.

Because she felt sorry for herself? But my sister has been feeling much better these past two days.

Mu Meng knew something big must have happened, but she had been sleeping soundly and couldn't think of what it was for the moment, so she stretched out her slender arms and hugged Mu Luo tightly.

She awkwardly whispered to comfort her, "Sister, don't cry. Tell me what's wrong. I'm scared when you cry."

She didn't know what had happened, but seeing her sister cry made her want to cry too.

Mu Luo took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pulled Mu Meng into her arms, tightening her grip.

After a pause, she said in a deep voice, "I had a dream in which Mu Qingheng hit you. But I was just a wisp of spirit and could only watch helplessly. No matter how hard I tried to stop him, I couldn't. That's why I cried."

Is that so? Mu Meng blinked.

Sister... would someone cry because of a nightmare? Mu Meng couldn't quite believe it no matter how she thought about it: "Sister, don't try to comfort me. If you're upset about something, tell me. I'm not that weak now. I've already taken on a demon single-handedly. No matter how powerful someone is, I know what I'm capable of handling."

"I know you're amazing," Mu Luo forced a smile, released Mu Meng, cupped her cheeks in her hands and gently pinched them, "Don't ask anymore, you go to sleep, I have some things to do."

"What do you need...?"

Before Mu Meng could finish speaking, Mu Luo suddenly reached out, her fingers touching the edge of Mu Meng's slender white neck, while her other hand gently supported her sleeping sister and softly placed her on the pillow.

He then gently stroked her head, a faint light flashing in his hand, erasing that fleeting memory from her mind.

She knew in her heart that Mengmeng would not easily forget about her tears and would find out the truth no matter what. And if she said she had something to do at this time, Mengmeng would ask even more questions. If she didn't tell her, she would definitely insist on going with her.

But she couldn't take her with her.

Fortunately, Mengmeng was completely unguarded, which allowed him to take her down unexpectedly.

Mu Luo gently pinched her sister's ear, telling her to forget the tears she had just shed and remember that she had slept peacefully.

As for what she's going to do... to hell with the spirit array and spirit lock, she should have torn that beast Mu Qingheng to pieces long ago.

...

Inside the dimly lit prison.

"I must say, this Crown Prince is truly extraordinary, a real tough nut to crack. He's been in the Heavenly Prison for so long, his collarbones were pierced by the Heavenly Spirit Rope, and he hasn't uttered a single sound... Ouch—why did you hit me?"

"I'm going to slap your rotten mouth. What Crown Prince? Bah! He's a heartless demon."

"This... isn't it just that he has demon blood? Even with what happened with the princess, he's not entirely without merit... so it can't be considered utterly heinous..."

"You're such an idiot. You should only say this to me. I won't tell anyone else. If your master heard this, he'd slap you twenty times. Is the matter of the Princess a small matter? Besides, what kind of people are the Demons? They're a bunch of heartless bastards. 'Completely devoid of conscience' is an understatement; they're worse than animals. The Demons gave this thing to my Celestial Clan. They must be here to exact revenge for the massacre of their race a thousand years ago. What good could they possibly have?"

"That's true... However, the demons have been completely wiped out. Alas, he's just a stray dog; what trouble can he possibly cause? We can only await His Majesty's judgment..."

"Those who do many evil deeds will surely perish. He can only pray now that His Majesty will grant him a quick death out of consideration for their past relationship as father and son."

The rustling conversations came and went, sometimes near, sometimes far. They seemed to know that there was no turning back, and they didn't try to lower their voices. They could be heard clearly in the cell.

Mu Qingheng's hands were still suspended by iron chains. After the Heavenly Emperor left that day, he also ordered someone to pierce his collarbone with a pair of Heavenly Spirit Ropes.

From then on, his spiritual power could no longer circulate throughout his body, nor could it gather. It would only slowly leak out through the holes created by the Heavenly Spirit Rope. It probably wouldn't be long before his spiritual power was exhausted.

Mu Qingheng was clear-headed, but his face remained expressionless. He was unmoved by the jailer's sarcasm or the gradual loss of his spiritual energy.

He just kept his head down, seemingly enduring something silently.

His face was as pale as paper, but his lips were an eerie purplish-black. The bloodstains on his chin had dried and congealed, and blood froth dripped down with each slight tremor.

After enduring it for a long time, Mu Qingheng finally couldn't hold back and pursed his lips tightly.

The second attack of the Nine Poisons Devouring Bones was even more ferocious than the first.

Every inch of flesh and bone in his body seemed to be constantly cracking and rebuilding. The nine most poisonous substances in the world were combined and deeply rooted in his lungs, heart, tendons, and joints. This kind of pain could not be described by the words "skin peeled off and bones shattered."

Cold sweat poured down his face. Mu Qingheng gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.

"Your Highness, how...how did you get in? His Majesty..."

Mu Qingheng suddenly opened his eyes, his large, bright phoenix eyes filled with hope, appearing radiant and compelling in the dimly lit cell.

It was like a stray dog ​​that had been drenched in rain for a long time, finally waiting for its owner.

He crawled two steps on his knees, trembling, the chains on his wrists and collarbones clanging. Especially at the two collarbones, in addition to the leaking spiritual energy, a lot of flesh and blood were pulled out.

But he seemed oblivious to the pain, still pulling hard on the iron chain, his long neck straining to see the source of the sound, looking utterly pathetic, like a dying crane.

"Stop talking nonsense, where is Mu Qingheng being held?"

The sound of the chains abruptly stopped.

Mu Qingheng stopped moving all at once. He mechanically lowered his eyes little by little, his long eyelashes covering his deep phoenix eyes, and even the strands of hair hanging down his forehead carried a sense of desolation.

This was the scene that Mu Luo saw when she stepped into the prison.

She stared at Mu Qingheng for a long time before finally speaking slowly and deliberately: "I didn't understand the Heavenly Emperor before, and I didn't understand why he didn't kill you. However, looking at you now, I understand a little. He may not want to save your life, but just doesn't want you to die too easily."

Her voice was chillingly cold: "Indeed, how could you deserve to die so easily? You deserve to live a life where you can neither live nor die."

As soon as Mu Luo finished speaking, a sharp dagger gleaming with cold light suddenly appeared from her wide, flowing sleeves. She took two steps forward and swiftly plunged it into Mu Qingheng's heart.

To stab in, to pull out.

Insert again, then pull out.

This continued repeatedly, and for a time, only the chilling atmosphere and the sounds of flesh being torn apart filled the prison.

Mu Qingheng did not dodge, but slightly parted his lips, and a trace of blood slowly slid down from the corner of his lips.

Finally, Mu Luo stopped.

"I know that as a demon, your heart is different from ours from birth. It doesn't matter how many times it's stabbed, because it doesn't constitute a fatal wound for you."

Mu Luo slowly squatted down, her gaze colder than the blood-stained tip of the knife in her hand. "But don't think that I'm helpless. I've already explored all of Mengmeng's memories, so I naturally know how to deal with you, how to deal with your heart."

She suddenly stood up, expressionless, and grabbed Mu Qingheng's chin, forcing him to look up, while her other hand held a white pill.

Mu Qingheng saw it clearly, his eyes flashed with anger, and he actually retreated as if to dodge.

Despite having already lost an unknown amount of spiritual energy and being severely injured and weak, he suddenly resisted, and Mu Luo was unable to capture him immediately.

"You know your stuff!" Mu Luo wasn't about to give him a chance to dodge. Her spiritual power surged, instantly reaching its peak, suppressing Mu Qingheng's resistance in an instant. Seizing the opportunity, she forcefully shoved the pill into his mouth.

Without any hesitation, she lifted his neck, and the pill slid down his throat.

Mu Luo smiled slightly, her expression filled with hatred bordering on madness: "Mu Qingheng, the torment I inflict on you is different from that of others. I am Mengmeng's older sister, and just looking at you—"

With one hand, she unceremoniously picked up the two iron chains and shook them, watching them tear at Mu Qingheng's body. "That's it? This is the Heavenly Emperor's doing, just this little bit of painless punishment. Even if he made you taste all the cruel tortures of the Heavenly Clan, be torn apart by a thousand cuts, be ripped apart by five horses, and cut you to pieces one by one, it would still be far from enough for me."

"I won't kill you. If you die, it will be over and done with, and you'll be comfortable. That would be too easy for you. I want you to live, to live a very long time."

Mu Luo bent down slightly, her smile like a ghost. Because of extreme hatred, her voice sounded charming and eerie: "You have always been fearless of pain and death, and you have always been able to do things with ease. You have never shown the slightest fear. But you actually dodged just now? It seems that you know very well what I fed you."