Ning Ze shook his head resolutely. He didn’t want to do this job.
Let alone chopping off people’s fingers, just the thought of it made his hand ache.
Fen Ling looked at him with disdain, "You can’t handle such a minor task, yet you beg my sister to take you to Nanchu. What can you do?"
Ning Ze fell silent.
Fen Ling clicked his tongue, "With such a faint heart and lack of ruthlessness, you might as well not follow us to Nanchu. I fear you’d be devoured without trace once we step into the wolf’s den."
Upon hearing this, Ning Ze immediately gritted his teeth and said, "I’m going."
What’s so terrible about chopping off fingers? Maybe when he chops off someone else’s, his own might stop hurting.
Seeing that Ning Ze still has some potential and isn’t a hopeless case, Fen Ling waved his hand at him, "Then just go!"
Ning Ze glanced at the stewed goose in the pot, feeling a little reluctant, "I just want to eat a few more bites."
Fen Ling: "..."
Fine then!
Ning Ze isn’t like Fen Ling. He simply wanted to satiate his cravings. After gobbling down half a bowl of goose, he laid down his chopsticks and said to Fen Ling, "I am really going, ok?"
"Go."
"Are you sure you trust me to go alone?" Ning Ze felt a little uncertain.
Fen Ling rolled his eyes, "What’s there not to trust? Didn’t my sister already take you in? You’re one of us. You need to be confident in your identity, just like me."
At these words, Ning Ze felt a surge of happiness - the kind of happiness that comes from being acknowledged and confirmed by others. He rubbed his hands together and asked, "So what should I seek to find out?"
"Question him about why he came to Nanping, how many secret troops does the Pingxi General of Jibei really have? What are Zhang Ping’s plans to kill my sister after he received half of the Nangong Family’s fortune from Nanchu? And where are the secret agents hidden?" Ning Ze rattled off a long list casually, "There is so much you could extract from him, you’re not a three-year-old who knows nothing, you should know what information is most valuable."
Upon hearing this, Ning Ze nodded. He now had a clear idea of what to do and went off.
In the dungeon, Zhang Mao was tied to a pillar, filled with regret.
He regretted underestimating Zhou Gu. He had received news in the Capital City that Zhou Gu had arrived at Nanping. Wanting to kill Zhou Gu in Nanping and use him as a rallying point, as well as instigate the Jibei Army to lash out against the Marquis Nanping Residence. Thus, striking the first blow against the Imperial Court.
He had secretly infiltrated the Eighteen Camps, and the only ones who knew of his whereabouts were few trusted followers of the Thirteenth Camp Leader, which included the secret agent he had planted in the Eighteen Camps long ago. He believed that the leakage of his presence was next to impossible, that he would not face Zhou Gu directly until everything was settled. Even if they did meet face to face, it would be he who captured Zhou Gu, using him as a rallying point for the first bullet against Daliang.
However, he never imagined in his wildest dreams that it would actually be Zhou Gu and Ning Chi who, in a short period of time, mobilized thirty thousand troops and discovered the secret passageway to the Eighteen Camps and attacked them.
Although thirty thousand troops weren’t much, they were enough to attack the Eighteen Camps while his reinforcement, the Jibei Army, hadn’t arrived yet.
Clearly, Zhou Gu had intended to peacefully win them over. He wasn’t in a haste, hoping to make the Eighteen Camps surrender to the Imperial Court without shedding any blood. But in such a short time, he had a change of heart. It must’ve been that Chen Qi leaked the news of him being in the Eighteen Camps.
Zhang Mao closed his eyes. The dungeon was dim. He figured that Zhou Gu didn’t kill him because he wanted to use him as a hostage against his father. But he knew his father well - a man who had harbored ambitions for over a decade. Would he really stop everything because of his son? Would he allow himself to be threatened?
Impossible!
Indeed, he was his authentic eldest son. However, he wasn’t his father’s only son.
He has been fully aware all along that he was not important enough for his father to spare no expense.
He needed to find a way out, but could he?
Could he escape from Zhou Gu and Su Rong?
He was probably unable to.
No matter how he tried to think, the only path ahead was a road to the afterworld.
While he was deep in thought, the door of the dungeon suddenly opened, allowing the dazzling light to pour in, forcing him to open his eyes. He looked into the direction of the entrance.
The person who entered was Ning Ze, whom he recognized.
After Ning Ze entered, he closed the dungeon door again, and the light in the dungeon dimmed almost instantly.
Ning Ze walked up to Zhang Mao and stared at him intently for a while without saying a word.
Zhang Mao also watched Ning Ze, his attention was immediately drawn towards Ning Ze’s hands - the one that’s missing three fingers as he did not attempt to hide it under his sleeve, it was clearly visible.
After staring at Ning Ze’s hand for a while, he looked up to Ning Ze’s face.
Honestly, he had never thought that Ning Ze could come into this dungeon at the present moment. Although this dungeon was part of the Marquis Nanping Residence, it had long been clear that Ning Ze wouldn’t be able to compete with Ning Chi for control. Furthermore, he was destined to be unconnected with the Marquis Residence in the future. Since he couldn’t compete, since he was disassociated, hence logically, he shouldn’t have the right to enter this dungeon since he, Zhang Mao, was imprisoned here.
But there he was, standing inside the dungeon, alone.
He definitely did not believe that the security of this dungeon was so lax that anyone could enter. The only explanation was that he had been allowed to enter.
Unaware of Ning Ze’s intentions, he waited for Ning Ze to speak.
Ning Ze’s gaze fell on Zhang Mao’s hand. Unlike him, Zhang Mao was well-rounded in both literature and martial arts as the most outstanding legitimate son of the Pingxi General’s Residence. His hand was capable of both writing and drawing, but also bore calluses from practicing martial arts.
He extended his own hand, the missing fingers reminded him of the excruciating pain he once endured. Seeing Zhang Ping’s gaze fall onto his hand, he finally said, "Zhang Mao, you know how I lost my fingers, right?"
The message from the Capital City, he thought, could not have escaped Pingxi General’s Residence.
Zhang Mao nodded, "I know."
"So, confess. Whatever you can confess, just confess, if you do not want to end up like me - losing your fingers." Ning Ze looked at him seriously, "If you don’t confess, we’re going to chop off all ten of your fingers, then your toes once you run out of fingers. After your toes, there are your ears. In any case, all the forms of torture you can imagine, I can subject you to each one. Don’t think I’ll be soft just because I’m physically weak."
Zhang Mao remained silent.
Ning Ze sighed, "Do you think you’re tougher than I am? Don’t bet on me not having the guts to do it."
As he spoke, he pulled out a dagger from his sleeve. As he looked at Zhang Mao who was tightly bound, he began to consider which finger to start with.
Of course, Zhang Mao didn’t think Ning Ze was joking with him. He could tell the difference between whether a person was joking or being serious.
Seeing Ning Ze’s dagger moving closer, starting with his right thumb, he suddenly opened his mouth to ask, "Why?"
Ning Ze was confused, "What do you mean, ’why’?"
Zhang Mao asked, "Why has it come to you?"
Ning Ze casually replied. "Oh," he said, "This is the task assigned to me."
"But why is it you?"
"Why can’t it be me?" Ning Ze frowned, "You talk too much, and none of it is useful. Are you trying to delay time, waiting for someone to come and rescue you? Let me tell you, it’s impossible. The secret agents in the city have all been removed by Lady Su Qi and Master Feng. No one’s coming to save you."
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