This suffering was not a one-time occurrence. For the next two weeks, he endured such torment every night, watching helplessly as the skin bitten by the Gu worms ulcerated inch by inch.
When the wound is deep enough to expose the bone, the Gu master uses a dagger to cut it away bit by bit. Then, he applies special herbs and waits for new flesh to grow back.
From the first time he was implanted with the Gu worm until the new flesh grew back, the whole process lasted a long two months. From beginning to end, he relied entirely on his own strength to get through it, and the pain he endured was indescribable.
Even in his dream, even when Chu Huaixu was fully aware that he was dreaming, he still couldn't help but instinctively curl up, just like he had done years ago...
He felt pain, he felt cold, and he felt endless hatred and resentment.
Over these long thousands of days and nights, he, like the Prince Duan's mansion, had become unrecognizable, turning into someone he himself found unfamiliar and looked down upon.
"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Someone kissed his ear, such a warm body, yet a heart colder than anyone else's.
Chu Huaixu was still trapped in a nightmare and had not fully woken up, but his subconscious hatred for this person made him instinctively want to stay away from him.
But she couldn't succeed. Song Ting pulled him even tighter into her arms and whispered in his ear, "Sleep, I'm here, don't be afraid..."
By the time Chu Huaixu finally broke free from this dream, it was already broad daylight outside, and the person beside him had vanished without a trace.
He didn't even know when that person had sneaked into his room last night.
In a daze, he felt that it might be another dream of his. But the lingering scent of incense from Song Ting on the bed meant that the person had really been there.
Because of that dream, Chu Huaixu was in a bad mood, so much so that when Xiao Wu and Qi Zhou came in to serve him breakfast, they didn't get a good look from him.
Xiao Wu secretly gave Qi Zhou a wink, meaning, "What's going on now? Won't we get caught in the crossfire?"
Unfortunately, this little trick didn't escape Chu Huaixu's notice. He coldly snorted, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Wu's face, and said sarcastically:
"If your eyes are bad, go get them treated. Don't keep making faces at me like a fluttering moth; it's annoying to look at."
Xiao Wu: "..."
Your mouth is like it's been poisoned.
"Where are your parents?" Chu Huaixu asked again.
"For some reason, the young emperor wanted to interrogate that evil monk himself again, so the master went with him," Xiao Wu said honestly.
The captured old monk was tied up in the temple's cellar. After the young emperor calmed down, he remembered him and personally went to interrogate him.
After the high monk's mask was torn off, the Dakini was like a stray dog, crying and begging the emperor for mercy when he saw him.
"...Your Majesty, this humble subject did not wish for this! I was forced into it! I beg Your Majesty to have mercy..."
Amidst the turmoil at Baima Temple, the young emperor, to avoid suspicion, still wore the same guard uniform he had worn when he first arrived at the temple. Yet, standing with his hands behind his back, he exuded a powerful aura that made people hesitant to look him in the eye.
Kongxing lunged at his feet several times, only to be kicked back by Song Ting. In her fear, tears and snot streamed down her face.
The young emperor felt a little disgusted and silently moved away, but his face showed a profound and inscrutable expression as he lowered his eyes to examine the old monk: "Who forced you?"
“I cannot say this. My wife and children are still in that man’s hands. If I tell them, they will surely die. I cannot say this…” Kongxing shook his head frantically, his face filled with fear.
Before the young emperor arrived, he had already been interrogated by the Imperial Guards. His body was covered in wounds, and his head was broken. Blood mixed with tears made his face look particularly disheveled and terrifying.
The young emperor felt even more disgusted by this.
Zhang Bingzhi observed the situation and said sternly, "You used the pretext of witchcraft to harm the Empress Dowager and killed dozens of people in Sishui Town. Your crimes are heinous and deserve the execution of your entire family. Whether you say it or not, your wife and children have already been implicated by you."
He looked at Kongxing, his tone slow: "But if you can reveal the mastermind, His Majesty is wise and might grant you a quick death. Kongxing, you should think this through carefully..."
The old monk, who had been weeping and begging for mercy, suddenly stopped all movement. His ferocious face turned a deep liver color as he crouched on the ground, surveying the people in the cellar.
Kongxing used to be a pig butcher, but he slaughtered pigs for more than ten years. Later, he couldn't make a living and went up the mountain to become a bandit.
He had robbed rice, grain, and silver, and had also killed people. It was difficult to erase the bandit spirit from him. Even now, as a prisoner, his eyes still held a fierce glint.
After Zhang Bingzhi explained the pros and cons to him, he suddenly stopped crying and calmed down. His fierce eyes first looked at the young emperor, and then at Song Ting.
But his gaze didn't linger on the two for long; he only glanced at them before turning to Zhang Bingzhi.
The latter, along with Song Ting, stood on either side of the emperor, their cloudy eyes slightly narrowed, giving Kong Xing a deep look when their eyes met.
Kongxing received this look, his expression changed slightly, and he said in a trembling voice, "This humble subject...this humble subject is the victim..."
At this point, his pupils suddenly widened, and he clutched his stomach, vomiting a mouthful of black blood.
The commotion startled him for a moment, then, as if realizing something, he stared at Zhang Bingzhi in horror, "Sir, are you... are you trying to kick me while I'm down?"
Large gulps of blood gushed from his throat. He was writhing in agony on the ground, unwilling to die like this, and desperately lunged forward, grabbing Zhang Bingzhi's leg.
"That's not what you said back then. You...you promised me that as long as I did what you asked, you would guarantee my family's livelihood. You're going to...you're going to kill me to silence me..."
Seeing that his plan had been exposed, Zhang Bingzhi had indeed intended to sacrifice this pawn. After all, the old monk's wife and children were still in his hands, and he figured the monk wouldn't dare say anything he shouldn't.
His words were actually a warning to the other party. If he could use this opportunity to drag Song Ting or Chu Huaixu into the mess, that would be even better.
This was originally something the two had agreed upon beforehand. If things went beyond their expectations and developed in a way that was unfavorable to them, Kongxing would take the blame and frame Songting.
Zhang Bingzhi brought the person to the Empress Dowager's presence, yet he tried every means to distance himself from the matter and extricate himself from it.
But to Zhang Bingzhi's surprise, the old monk would turn around and bite him. He panicked for a moment, using anger to cover up his guilty conscience:
"Nonsense! Don't spout nonsense. When did I ever say such things to you? Don't make false accusations!"
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