Chapter 32 What Makes You an Exception?
The candlelight flickered in the dim corridor without any wind, casting eerie reflections on the walls. A strong, pungent smell of decaying blood filled her nostrils, causing her stomach to churn uncontrollably.
The eerie air enveloped her entire body, seeping into her bones and blood beneath her clothes, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.
The girl lying on the straw-covered bed was pale, her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, her eyes were closed, and her hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to her skin in strands.
He hugged himself tightly, as if he were trapped in a nightmare and could not wake up for a long time.
Suddenly, a shrill scream jolted the girl awake from her nightmare as if she were sitting up in a nightmare on her deathbed, and she abruptly opened her eyes.
Tao Tao looked around in alarm. Seeing the furnishings and feeling the cold wind, she realized that she was covered in a cold sweat before she came to her senses.
Another terrified scream assaulted her eardrums, causing her to instinctively reach out and cover her ears.
She felt that the Privy Council's prison was much more terrifying than the Dali Temple's; even sleeping there could leave her with nightmares.
Of course, it could also be because he was being chased before.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead, looked up at the small square window above her, and saw soft moonlight shining in and illuminating the dirty, messy floor.
It's not even dawn yet, how can this night be so long...?
She couldn't help but think about it.
In the torture chamber, separated by two cells, a man dressed in a black falcon-patterned uniform sat imposingly on a huanghuali wood armchair in front of him, while Zhao Yinchen, bound to a wooden frame, was being tortured.
Zhao Yinchen looked at Duan Gan, who didn't even glance at him, and felt the humiliation of being despised outweighed the physical pain in his heart for a moment. Suddenly, he broke down and cursed loudly.
"Duan Gan, you androgynous monster! Lackey! I'd rather die than tell you everything you want to hear, and you'll just die... Ah!"
Chen Jinghe's face was cold and stern. Without hesitation, he branded the man's chest, which was covered in whip marks and dripping with blood. In an instant, a shrill scream echoed through the prison.
The prisoners were so terrified by what they heard that they didn't dare to sleep. Their scalps tingled with fear, and it was extremely chilling.
Duan Gan's lips curled slightly as he looked at the man's battered and bruised appearance with great interest, his voice laced with a mocking laugh.
"I heard that Yao Liqian, the prefect of Luzhou, is pregnant before his marriage. Despite such a scandal, Yao Liqian not only did not go to find the adulterer, but also took good care of his beloved daughter and waited for her to give birth. For several days, he was radiant with health and happiness. He was not ashamed but proud. It is really hard to understand."
He looked up at the man before him, whose emotions were revealed, and saw a captivating smile that sent chills down one's spine, as if one were in a dark, desolate underworld.
Zhao Yinchen's face was ashen, his eyes flickered slightly, and he was breathing heavily, feigning ignorance and looking completely bewildered.
"What...what are you talking about?"
Zhang Cheng behind him sneered: "Zhao Yinchen, what's the use of you being so stubborn? Since our Fourth Master knows about Prefect Yao Liqian, he must also know about your affair with his daughter."
"Everything you're trying to hide is a joke. Even if you don't tell, the Privy Council has plenty of ways to find out."
"You! Cough cough..."
He glared angrily, as if to say, if you know everything, why torture me to extract information?
Chen Jinghe saw through his meaning and smiled: "You seem very puzzled. Naturally, it's so that you can try out this new torture instrument made by the Privy Council and become the first person to use it. How about it? Don't you feel honored?"
A cruel glint appeared in his eyes as he smiled, holding an iron headband filled with countless steel needles.
The tighter it is wrapped around the head, the deeper the steel needles pierce the flesh, causing excruciating pain without being fatal.
It hurts a thousand times, even more than the golden headband on the monkey; the headache is so intense it feels like your brains are about to burst.
Screams echoed continuously in this horrifying prison.
A cracking sound suddenly rang out behind them. Chen Jinghe and Zhang Cheng turned around at the same time, their eyes flashing with a hint of killing intent.
Meanwhile, the prison guards in the torture chamber drew their knives and rushed out, surrounding the stunned girl.
Tao Tao's face paled slightly, and her gaze fell on the person covered in blood, a hint of fear suddenly appearing on her face.
Noticing everyone's gaze, she hurriedly squatted down to pick up the shards of the teapot. Just as she reached out to pick them up, a black boot inlaid with silver patterns stepped on the back of her fair hand.
Just as my fingertip was pinching the sharp edge of the shard, someone suddenly stepped on it hard, and a sharp pain shot through me.
The pain made her cry out, and she tried to pull her hand back but couldn't pry it open.
She looked up, her almond-shaped eyes slightly red, shimmering with tears. Her delicate brows furrowed, and her pretty, gentle face revealed a look of pain and heartbreak. Her appearance was so striking that it was impossible not to feel pity for her.
But Duan Gan was no ordinary man; his temperament was colder than ice and harder than stone.
He doesn't care about people, whether they're related or not; he won't even lift an eyelid.
But in Tao Tao's eyes, her expression at this moment was fierce and threatening, with her baring teeth and snarling like a cat with its fur standing on end trying to scare away an enemy.
The man tilted his head slightly, looking down at her condescendingly. His thin lips moved slightly, uttering two words: "Tao, Tao?"
Her cold eyes held a hint of doubt, as if asking why she was there.
Chen Jinghe hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and briefly recounted what had happened.
The charter also echoed this sentiment.
"Those who get into this prison usually go in upright and come out horizontally, so why are you an exception?"
He completely ignored their words, his eyes cold and filled with contempt for her, his tone indifferent, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the bloody and dark scene he had just witnessed.
A sinister and eerie aura swept over us, even more terrifying than the fiery prison itself.
Chen Jinghe was extremely anxious and was about to plead for mercy when Zhang Cheng stopped him and gave him a wink.
Tao Tao's breath caught in her throat, her heart leaped into her throat, pounding in her ears, leaving her momentarily blank.
She was oversimplifying things.
Having just escaped the wolf's den, he has now put himself back in the tiger's mouth.
That's wonderful.
She never knew she wanted to die so badly.
Suddenly, she seemed to see something familiar in his slightly open collar—a corner of a white paper effigy with brown and black spots.
Suddenly, her eyes reddened, and then a crystal-clear tear rolled down, landing on his dark shoe and leaving a dark stain.
Duan Gan looked down, his face seemingly dazed.
"The former envoy's funeral is in three days. I believe Lord Duan will not allow the deceased to be disturbed even in death."
With tears welling up in her eyes, she suppressed the dryness in her throat and spoke in one breath.
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