Chapter 390 This means that I have no bottom line today!

In the official residence of Xuan Ge Si Jianling, the smell of old wood and ink sticks was suddenly mixed with the overbearing smell of blood, which was so stuffy that it was suffocating.

Li E pushed the limp Cao Cheng'an roughly against the wall.

The latter's tendons in his hands and feet were all broken, and he could only slide down to the ground against the wall, like a pool of rotten flesh without bones.

Li E squatted down and his eyes were level with Cao Chengan.

The foot-long short knife in his hand shone with a cold light, and the tip of the knife gently rested on Cao Chengan's bloodstained crimson official robe.

The sharp touch penetrated the thin fabric, causing Cao Chengan's broken body to tremble slightly.

"General Cao," Li E's voice was low and hoarse, like the friction of gravel, "I don't have time to reminisce with you."

His eyes were as sharp as torches, locking onto Cao Chengan's cloudy eyes. Every word he spoke was like a cold iron nail hammering into his eardrums:

"In the autumn of the sixth year of Taiwei, General Zhao Polu was ordered to lead 1,200 elite cavalrymen under his command to carry out routine border patrol duties.

In the Black Wind Gorge area, we were suddenly ambushed by three thousand elite light cavalry from the Shuofeng Dynasty."

The speech speed was not fast, but each word carried a heavy weight, hitting the dead silent air.

"After an hour of bloody fighting, the reinforcements still haven't arrived.

Our army... was completely annihilated, with no survivors."

He paused, then applied a little force with the tip of the knife, piercing through the official robe and touching the skin. A trickle of blood slowly oozed out.

The body leans forward, feeling full of pressure.

"General Cao, please explain this to me.

At that time, the two countries had already signed a peace treaty and the border was temporarily peaceful.

Did Shuofeng's three thousand light cavalrymen grow wings and fly over my border checkpoints, or did they dig three feet deep into the ground to emerge?

How could they have so precisely ambushed us in Black Wind Gorge, using their overwhelming superiority to encircle and annihilate a small detachment of our troops on a routine patrol?!"

Blood continued to flow from the corners of Cao Chengan's mouth, mixed with heavy breathing.

From the moment he recognized Li E, he knew that he had risked his life to break into Xuan Gesi just to settle this old score.

When he heard Zhao Bolu's name, he actually laughed softly.

The laughter was broken and hoarse, and there was a strange, almost mocking pity in his eyes.

"Heh...heh...Zhao Polu...as expected..."

“Chi!”

Before the laughter died down, Li E suddenly sank his wrist.

The dagger pierced Cao Chengan's right chest without hesitation.

It deliberately avoided the vital points, but it was deep enough and painful enough!

"Cough! Cough cough cough..."

Cao Cheng'an's body began to spasm violently, his eyeballs bulged out, and he burst into a heart-wrenching cough.

Large mouthfuls of blood gushed out of his mouth, staining his chin and front of his clothes red.

Li E watched him struggle in pain expressionlessly, then slowly pulled out the knife, bringing out a stream of warm blood.

We can't let him die so easily. He hasn't heard the answer yet and the truth hasn't been revealed yet.

"I don't have time to waste with you, Cao Cheng'an." Li E's voice was so cold that ice chips fell off.

"You framed and murdered my most respected brother, and killed more than 1,200 of my brothers who had lived and died with me.

This means that today I can do anything I want, understand?"

Cao Chengan was sweating profusely from the pain. After catching his breath a little, he hoarsely said, "You...what do you want?!"

"What do you want?" Li E sneered.

With his other empty hand, he took out a folded piece of paper from his arms, shook it open and slapped it into the pool of blood in front of Cao Cheng'an.

It was covered with densely written words.

"General Cao's residence, the third house on the east side of Huaishu Lane in Yongxingfang, Fengjing. It has five courtyards and is guarded... It looks ordinary."

Li E began to read, his tone calm as if he was stating a fact.

"The eldest son, Cao Rui, is currently serving as the Captain of the Northern Black Tortoise Army's Cavalry Battalion, stationed in Broken Snow City."

"My second son, Cao Ming, was sent to the Southern Xinjiang Pacification Division as a military officer, while his family remained in the capital."

"Eldest Sun Cao Bin, just turned sixteen this year, is studying at the Imperial College. His academic performance seems mediocre, and often gives the doctor a headache."

"The second grandson, Cao Sheng, is fourteen years old and frail. He rarely goes out and mostly recuperates at home."

"The eldest granddaughter, Cao Ying, is married. Her husband is... Oh, a young master who is in charge of the Wanmin Division."

"My second granddaughter, Cao Shan, is only twelve years old and still in her boudoir. I heard she's very smart and lovely."

"My young granddaughter, Cao Ye, is still in her infancy."

With every sentence he read, Cao Cheng'an's face turned paler and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

It wasn't pain, but fear from the depths of the soul.

"You...how could you..." His voice trembled and he could hardly speak.

"How do I know so much?"

Li E finished for him, leaning down, almost close to Cao Chengan's ear, his voice as low as a devil's whisper,

"You killed all my family, Cao Cheng'an. Why are you still hoping for the best? Do you think that death will put an end to everything?"

He paused, letting the fear spread and ferment thoroughly in the other person's heart, and then continued slowly, each word quenched with cold murderous intent:

"This is the last choice I give you."

“If you tell the truth, the truth will be revealed, and death will end with you.

Although I, Li E, hate you to the core, I will not bring disaster to my family. I still have this bottom line."

"If you don't tell me, or if you dare to tell me a lie..." Li E's eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying murderous light:

"I promise!

Everyone in the Cao family, from sons to grandsons, from married daughters to babies in swaddling clothes, everyone who has your blood, Cao Chengan, will soon go down to accompany you.

I will make the Cao family extinct and their lineage cease to exist!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the cold and sticky blade of the dagger once again hit Cao Chengan's heart.

This time, he aimed at the vital point.

"Last chance." Li E's voice was firm and unwavering, leaving no room for doubt. "Speak!"

The shadow of death and the huge fear of his family's extinction were like two invisible hands, tightly strangling Cao Cheng'an's throat.

All the toughness and luck were completely crushed at this moment.

He leaned dejectedly against the wall, his eyes unfocused, as if all his energy had been drained out in an instant.

He stared at Li E intently, as if he wanted to carve him into his soul.

After a long moment, he managed to squeeze out a faint sound from the depths of his throat, so weak that it was almost inaudible: "You... promise?"

Li E did not hesitate, his voice was sonorous.

"I swear by the spirit of General Zhao Polu in heaven!"

"If you tell me the truth, if I, Li E, touch anyone in your Cao family, I will be punished by heaven and will never be able to escape rebirth!"

Hearing this oath, Cao Chengan seemed to have lost all his strength.

He coughed up blood and actually laughed softly.

That laughter was uglier than crying, full of endless mockery and sadness.