Chapter 36 Bad Seed, I Have a Thousand Ways to Make You Submit

In the grand hall, all the officials stood in attendance. Xiao Yinshi waved his hand, and the eunuch beside him, who was holding a writing brush, understood and announced the end of the court session.

Xiao Yinshi, dressed in a black dragon robe with gold thread outlining dragon patterns and clouds that shimmered in the morning light, slowly descended from the high platform amidst the floating golden light and shadow throughout the hall, and summoned Zhu Qi into the hall.

In the magnificent and solemn imperial court, Xiao Yinshi's face was shrouded in the rising smoke from the gilded beast-head incense burner, blurring the restrained and profound aura that had surrounded him for seven years as emperor. "Xiao Songyun is dying?"

This morning, the guards in charge of daily executions at the Imperial Prison came to report that Xiao Songyun's broken limbs were repeatedly inflamed and oozing pus, and even maggots had infested some areas. He had been running a fever all day long. If we were to treat him according to His Majesty's wishes and then torture him again, it would require a lot of good medicine. Therefore, the Imperial Guards were sent to inquire about the palace's opinion.

Should we heal him and continue to torment him, or let him be eaten by maggots and be done with it?

Xiao Yinshi had been on the throne for seven years, and after slaughtering the traitors of that time, he had become increasingly unfathomable. The emperor's heart was as deep as the sea, and Zhu Qi gradually dared not joke around him anymore, replying with a composed expression, "Your Majesty, he is dying soon. Would Your Majesty like to visit him in prison?"

Standing in the high hall, Xiao Yinshi looked down over the vast land, his dark eyes slightly lowered, and said, "Seven years have passed, it's time to go and see my...uncle."

The Great Hua Imperial Prison was gloomy and cold. Xiao Songyun was imprisoned in a dark room with no windows on any side. All four of his limbs had been cut off, and he was made into a human pig and placed in a jar half the height of a person. When Xiao Yinshi arrived, he was twisting his body to drive away the rats that were eating maggots into his severed arms.

Zhu Qi handed the lantern to Xiao Yinshi, bowed, and withdrew.

Xiao Songyun killed Xiao Chuoyi's entire family for the throne, sparing only Xiao Yinshi and his mother. Seven years ago, Xiao Yinshi returned to the court from Dahuang and used his power, which he had cultivated at some unknown time, to defeat him like a drowning dog, and the power of the Hua Dynasty fell back into Xiao Yinshi's hands.

He hated himself for keeping the mother and child alive for the sake of his reputation; he had underestimated Xiao Yinshi's cunning and perseverance. For over a decade, Xiao Yinshi had endured hardship and bided his time in Dahuang, rising from a commoner to a high-ranking official in the cabinet. During this time, he also managed to turn against his former allies in Huachao. Once Xiao Yinshi returned to Huachao, rebellions erupted across the land, catching him completely off guard.

So what?

Xiao Songyun wore a mocking smile. He was inside the altar, only his eyes and mouth able to move, staring intently at Xiao Yinshi, his sarcasm blatantly obvious. "Xiao Yinshi, you're quite pleased with yourself now, aren't you? Happy to have reclaimed the position that rightfully belonged to you? Ah, I bet your mother is happy too, having spent years spreading her legs to please others, her son has finally lived up to expectations..."

In previous lives, whenever Xiao Yinshi heard these words, even though he knew that Xiao Songyun was trying to provoke him into killing him and giving him a final end, he couldn't control his violent emotions and would always split open Xiao Songyun's skull with a sword.

Ban Huayun, Xiao Yinshi's mother, was the legitimate daughter of a marquis. After marrying Xiao Zhuoyi, she and her husband lived in harmony. On the day the rebel army stormed the palace, she watched helplessly as Xiao Zhuoyi's head was chopped off. Xiao Songyun sneered in her ear, and thereafter she and her son were kept by Xiao Songyun's side. After all, Xiao Songyun was plotting a rebellion, which was illegitimate. In order to convince the people, he forced her to read the imperial edict in front of the palace. For her son's life, she endured the humiliation and condemnation of the people.

How could anyone covet the throne? Xiao Songyun couldn't simply kill Xiao Yinshi, as that would incite the officials and common people to rise up against him. He claimed to have sent the Crown Prince to the mountains to cultivate himself and understand reason, but in reality, he sent Xiao Yinshi to the enemy state of Dahuang. To make the most of this mother and son, he used Ban Huayun to reward the ministers and Xiao Yinshi to gather intelligence.

How did Xiao Yinshi get through those years? He probably just foolishly studied hard and practiced martial arts, thinking that he could save his mother's life.

Xiao Songyun sneered inwardly, waiting for Xiao Yinshi to lose his temper and draw his sword to end him.

Xiao Yinshi made no move, his calm eyes fixed on Xiao Songyun, a bloodthirsty smile playing on his lips. His imperial demeanor shattered Xiao Songyun's defenses like a hot knife through butter. "I have reincarnated nine times, and each time I failed to save my mother. I watched her die before my very eyes. Ha, it's clear how kind Heaven has been to you."

Xiao Songyun's eyes widened, thinking that Xiao Yinshi had gone mad. How could a person be reincarnated nine times?

Xiao Yinshi bent down and looked directly at the person in the altar, his eyes burning with dark fire like those of a demon from hell. "Since Heaven has been so kind to you, I cannot let you down, can I? From this day forward, I grant you permission to receive the worship of the people before the city walls every day. For anything that brings you pleasure, you will be rewarded with one string of coins, whether it is pain or pleasure..."

Xiao Songyun stammered, "Xiao Yinshi, what... what do you mean?"

Does Xiao Yinshi want everyone to see him in this wretched, pathetic state? Does he even want those lowly people to torment him?!

Xiao Yinshi smiled but did not answer his question. Instead, he said, "Don't think about biting his tongue to commit suicide. Zhu Qi, cut off his tongue."

Xiao Songyun trembled with fear. "Xiao Yinshi, you're a devil! You'll go to hell!"

Xiao Yinshi turned around and opened the cell door. "Enjoy yourself, my uncle."

As for going to hell... he's already in hell.

The sea of ​​hellfire scorches one's lungs and heart; copper snakes and iron dogs with fangs gnaw at the flesh and blood of the living; evil spirits and demons open their mouths and spew forth karmic fire; Yama, the King of Hell, lightly waves his vermilion pen, determining the fate of those who live and die in the Book of Life and Death.

Xiao Yinshi was submerged in the sea of ​​fire, with mournful cries and howls shaking the heavens and the earth. He was suffocating and could not bear it. He was reborn in every life and was cooked in the flames. His eyes glanced at the Book of Life and Death. Yama's vermilion pen fell and he wrote the word "death" without hesitation.

Another hopeless lifetime. He always walked alone, indifferent to anyone rescuing him from the flames. Life is full of fear, his life as precarious as morning dew. From love arises sorrow, from love arises fear; if one is free from love, there is neither sorrow nor fear.

He had nowhere to turn for refuge.

As the vermilion brush touched the paper, Yama deftly turned it downwards. But someone else, beaming with smiles, arrived with a radiant glow, snatched Yama's vermilion brush, and added the word "not" after the three characters "Xiao Yinshi".

Xiao Yinshi did not die.

When the person looked down at Xiao Yin, who was in the inferno, he extended a delicate white hand, indicating that he should return to the world of the living.

It seems there was a scene where someone swam with him all night to the other side, and after they reached the shore, they fed him breaths of life, mouthful by mouthful.

He kissed those lips; they were sweet and soft, carrying an alluring feminine fragrance.

At that moment, the red lips he saw gradually overlapped with the lips of the person who was bowing and looking down in the sea of ​​fire and purgatory. Xiao Yinshi's pupils trembled, and then he looked at the boy's handsome face. He slowly grasped the boy's palm, which had been waiting for a long time, and then pulled him hard, dragging the boy into the purgatory.

He held the boy as they floated and tumbled in the purgatory, the surging heat lingering on. The flames burned the boy's robes, saving him the trouble of tearing them off. He kissed the boy's eyebrows and eyes inch by inch, then moved downwards, looking at the red lips he had longed for. He held the boy's struggling head tightly and kissed him forcefully.

Like a traveler who has been thirsty for too long in a parched desert, Xiao Yinshi pinched the boy's chin and forced him to open his mouth. As their saliva mingled, he deeply licked and swallowed down every cry of pain, determined to fight the boy to the death.

This wasn't a fiery inferno; this was Xiao Yinshi's paradise of pleasure. No one had ever saved him before, but now that he had, he would save him to the end. He used chains to bind the boy's hands and feet, treating him with the utmost malice.

Didn't you save me? Didn't you compare yourself to the Buddha? The Buddha cut off his own flesh to save people, and you feed me with your body... Whether you are male or female, I can feel pleasure in you.

Do you think what you've seen is all the bad in me? No, that's far from enough.

It's alright if you provoke me; I have a thousand ways to make you submit. Didn't you ask me what I'm taking refuge in? I don't take refuge in anything; right now, I only take refuge in you.

My madness and darkness, my decay and malice, I pour them all out to you, drop by drop...

I've been holding back for a long time. Are you afraid of me? Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. The chains may bind your freedom, but you'll get used to it eventually.

Xiao Yinshi took advantage of the tight, warm flesh, completely disregarding the boy's life or death, and watched with fascination as the pain and pleasure on the face of the person in his arms rose.

How could he be so happy? The raging fire had overwhelmed him, and the person in his arms was exhausted. Xiao Yinshi killed Yama with his sword and pressed the person down in the Book of Life and Death to continue indulging in pleasure.

Yama, Yama... I am Yama.

Sweat dripped onto the boy's body. The boy gathered his strength and pleaded with affection in his eyes, "Let go, let go, let me do it."

He released the restraint as instructed, and the person in his arms flipped onto him. Before they could fully immerse themselves in the sensation, a sharp longsword appeared first.

The longsword pierced Xiao Yinshi's chest. The young man rose from the lush greenery, wiping his sweat and cursing, "Damn it! Why isn't he awake yet? I haven't been promoted yet!"

Xiao Yinshi opened his eyes.

The bizarre dream faded away, and when he looked up, he saw Meng Henabul earnestly inserting needles into his chest. The stinging sensation extinguished the fierce flames, and he suppressed all the dark undercurrents, disguising himself as a normal person again.

When Menghenabul saw that he was awake, he said to Feng Tan, who was sitting by the boat window eating melon seeds, "All done."

Sun Cheng looked at Meng Henabul with gratitude, bowed and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Meng!"

He turned to Xiao Yinshi and said, "Master, you almost suffered a qi deviation while you were adjusting your breathing today. I noticed that you were not in good condition, so I asked Brother Meng to come and administer acupuncture. How are you feeling now?"

Xiao Yinshi recalled the beautiful dream he had just had, his expression inscrutable.

Feng Tan handed Meng Henabuer a handkerchief and said, "Uncle Meng, wipe your sweat and wait for me outside."

Sun Cheng led Meng Henaboul out, Feng Tan turned around and closed the door, glancing back at Xiao Yinguang's bare upper body before unconsciously looking away.

The man had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with well-proportioned and firm muscles, clearly defined abdominal muscles, powerful arms with slightly bulging veins, and a thin layer of sweat on his taut back. His dark eyes held a strange light. He stared at her without moving.

Feng Tan coughed lightly, first feigning concern about how much his inner strength had recovered, before revealing his true purpose: "My lord, after returning to the capital, I will be promoted to the fifth-rank position of Principal of the Ministry of Justice within two days at most."

This mission took more than three months. Feng Tan still has a year to go. She needs to use her position as a senior official in the Ministry of Justice to exonerate her husband from his wrongful conviction years ago.

The room was silent except for the gentle lapping of the deck against the waves. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a golden glow on Feng Tan's face, gradually overlapping with the image of the beautiful woman in his dream.

Xiao Yinshi rose from his bed, his gaze falling on Feng Tan with a deep and calm intensity. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, “When His Majesty performed the Fengshan ceremony at Jingshan, I introduced you to him.”

Feng Tan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, returned to its place, and her eyes shone with a bright smile. "Then I will trouble Lord Xiao."

“Feng Tan,” Xiao Yinshi crouched down to carefully observe this cunning, lying, and aloof face. His high nose bridge was a finger’s distance from Feng Tan’s cheek, and his palm slowly gripped Feng Tan’s wrist. “Where did you come from?”

A sea breeze rippled through the cabin, and the man's crisp, woody scent filled the air. Feng Tan was momentarily captivated, and before she could reply, he pressed his lips against hers.

"I'm from Qingning County, born into a farming family. My parents passed away when I was five, and I was subsequently adopted by my uncle." Xiao Yinshi felt the soft touch beneath his fingertips, his eyes darkening slightly before he asked, "What I mean is, who exactly are you?"

He wanted to hear the truth from Feng Tan, but Feng Tan would never reveal his life to him. He pulled the finger from his lips and said, "Lord Xiao possesses the wisdom of a national hero. Why don't you try to guess for yourself?"

Xiao Yinshi looked at Feng Tan and connected the suspicious points of these days: "She risked her life to save Lin Wanzhou, had close ties with Ren Pingsheng of Hongxiu Pavilion, received a calligraphy inscription from Grand Tutor Feng, a veteran of three dynasties, and had superb lightness skills, possessed unparalleled weapons, and could command the commander of the Imperial Dragon Camp... All of these are related to the Feng family."

Xiao Yinshi made the final decision, and Feng Tan's heart, which had just calmed down, started pounding again.

"Your heart is beating so fast, it seems I guessed right," Xiao Yinshi said, his voice deep and husky as they stood so close that he could hear her heartbeat. He placed his palm over her chest and said, "You're in love with Lin Wanzhou? You're a womanizer, leaving your mark everywhere. You saved her not because you love her, but because of other feelings, feelings related to the Feng family. Someone like you who craves freedom, what makes you want to come to this place of constant constraints..."

Xiao Yinshi's voice continued, and Feng Tan's heart was pounding faster and faster. He sighed as his palms pounded like thunder, his laughter wicked, "Looks like I guessed everything right. Don't be afraid..."

"If you were a woman, I would definitely think you were Feng Hengdao's granddaughter, the noble and unparalleled legitimate princess of Dahuang. But since you are a man, I can only guess that you are an old member of the Feng family."

At this moment, Feng Tan wanted to kowtow 108 times to the treasure made by Meng Henabul. Her heartbeat returned to normal a little. She looked up at Xiao Yinshi, who had just made a feint, and gently pried his palm off her chest. "Lord Xiao, can we put our hands down first?"

Xiao Yinshi's features were sharp and cold in the dim light, and his voice was languid and deep, with a hint of sarcasm, "Not a single word that Lord Feng says is true. It's better to check his heartbeat."

Feng Tan: "......"

Xiao Yinshi said, "Now we won't say who you are, I'll try to guess your purpose."

As the thin light refracted inch by inch into the cabin, it fell into Xiao Yinshi's dark eyes. He connected these threads, and, holding his increasingly rapid heartbeat, affirmed, "All of this is for Feng Youming."

Feng's heart rate is off the charts today!