Su Yujiao watched as more nails pierced through the soles of his feet, her face turning deathly pale. She wanted to stop it, but there was nothing she could do.
"Go away, don't come any closer!"
"Ashina, I can cure smallpox. I will heal you. Please let him go."
Ashina was taken aback and suddenly looked at the woman in the cage. Could she cure smallpox?
Now the plague is raging in their camp, and he is forced to kill many infected soldiers every day, otherwise the entire camp will suffer.
He dreamed of bringing the plague under control as soon as possible!
"Can you really cure it?"
"Jiaojiao, don't talk big. How could a woman like you know medicine?"
"I know you want to save me. Don't be afraid, I can handle these minor injuries."
Su Yujiao screamed in despair, "Shut up!"
“I really do know medicine. I am... I am Doctor Mo’s apprentice. I can really cure smallpox.”
Ashina hesitated, wondering whether he should believe her.
"Your Highness, perhaps..."
Batur was having a great time and didn't want to give up halfway, so he interrupted him fiercely.
You actually believe that?
"So what if she's Doctor Mo's apprentice?"
"Even Doctor Mo couldn't cure smallpox, how could she, as an apprentice, possibly cure it?"
Ashina hesitated for a moment. A few years ago, the Jin Kingdom experienced a smallpox outbreak. It just so happened that Doctor Mo was traveling in the Jin Kingdom, so the emperor invited Doctor Mo to control the plague, but Doctor Mo was also helpless.
"It's too noisy, tell her to shut up."
One of the bodyguards made a move and used a dart to silence Su Yujiao.
"Ugh... Waaah..."
She made muffled noises in her anxiety, but couldn't speak.
By this time, Lu Ziqian had walked across a board of nails, and his feet were no longer recognizable, leaving a trail of bloody footprints.
Su Yujiao cried out in desperation, struggling angrily but unable to stop it all.
Those bright red feet seemed to sting her eyes, and her heart felt as if it had been ripped open, the pain making it hard for her to breathe.
What exactly is this man doing?
What was his purpose in doing this?
He clearly doesn't love her, so why did he go to such lengths?
Why is it that just when she's determined to give up, he always puts on a show of deep affection to deceive her, making her unable to tell whether he's sincere or just pretending?
But every time he got her, he would revert to his true colors and discard her like trash...
After walking across the three nail boards, Lu Ziqian was in so much pain that he couldn't straighten up. He was trembling all over, his arms braced against his knees, gasping for breath.
Ashina couldn't bear to watch this bloody and cruel scene.
He turned his face away, only to see Batur's bloodthirsty and excited smile.
Ashina's heart skipped a beat. Was such a cruel and inhumane crown prince really suitable to be the next ruler of their Jin Kingdom?
Is the fall of the Jin Dynasty a blessing or a curse for him?
"Your Highness, that's enough. If you cripple someone, the result will be the same, or even worse."
Batur laughed and said, "Alright, as long as he kneels down before me and crawls between the legs of every soldier here, I'll let him go."
Ashina was furious, his face turning ashen. This was clearly an insult.
Lu Ziqian gave Batur a deep look, veins bulging on his forehead, an invisible pressure forcing him to stop laughing.
After catching his breath, Lu Ziqian laboriously pulled his foot out of the nail and stepped onto the red-hot coals.
This time, even with his strong willpower, he couldn't bear the intense pain and let out a muffled groan.
Su Yujiao was in tears. She closed her eyes, unable to bear looking anymore. For a moment, she even thought that she would wish to die right now.
He wouldn't have to endure humiliation and suffering here anymore.
Lu Ziqian's gaze never left her. He saw her struggling violently, even unconsciously relaxing her legs. Several times, the wolves had already touched her shoes.
He was afraid that she would break the already precarious rope due to her violent struggle.
She was also afraid that the wolf would bite off her foot.
"Jiaojiao, don't move."
"I'll be there soon... very soon."
He was bent over, panting heavily, his legs trembling: "Give me a little more time."
After saying this, he took a few steps forward, but due to the intense pain, he lost his footing and fell into the fire.
"Ah...uh..." Su Yujiao watched him fall, so frightened that she stopped breathing, but could only make "ah ah" sounds.
Ashina couldn't bear to see a general like him being mocked and tormented like this.
He thought of himself and couldn't help but feel sad. They risked their lives for the country, dying on the battlefield. Even if they didn't expect to be remembered for eternity or admired by the world, they didn't want such a tragic end.
How would he react if he were treated like that in the future?
It's best not to let him live, otherwise he'll definitely retaliate tenfold, skinning him alive, tearing him apart, and even that won't be enough to satisfy his rage!
Ashina stepped forward, pulled the man out of the fire, and used his clothes to extinguish the embers on his body.
"Your Highness, stop!"
"The gods are watching from heaven, and the wicked will eventually be punished."
"One should not be too malicious."
Batur stood up and punched Ashina hard in the stomach.
Ashina was in so much pain that he couldn't straighten up. His fists were clenched, but he dared not fight back and could only endure the pain.
Batur laughed loudly: "General Lu, can you still stand up?"
"You don't have much time left."
As he spoke, Batur pointed to the candles not far away. The rope was burning thinner and thinner, and it seemed it wouldn't last much longer.
"How about this, my previous suggestion still stands."
"Seeing how kind and righteous you are, I will give in. You don't need to crawl between their legs. Just crawl between my legs and I will let you go."
Lu Ziqian struggled to his feet, glanced back at him, and looked at him as if he were a dead man.
He walked back to the spot where he had just collapsed, and this time Su Yujiao even smelled the aroma of barbecue.
The woman closed her eyes in despair; how could she ever repay such a favor?
Lu Ziqian, did I owe you something in my past life?
I'm determined to fight you to the bitter end.
Lu Ziqian collapsed again, this time without Ashina's help, because he had been taken control of by Batur's men.
The man used almost all his strength to stand up again, brushed off the sparks and smoke from his clothes, and continued walking forward.
Finally, with only a few steps left, he fell again and struggled for a long time without being able to get up.
Batur had him dragged out and stomped on Lu Ziqian's face, making him watch the rope burn bit by bit.
He suddenly felt a sense of conquest. So what if he was a war god general? He still had to kneel at his feet for a woman.
He not only made him lie down, but also made him kneel.
“If you refuse to kneel and don’t have the strength to walk, then just watch your woman be devoured by wolves.”
The rope grew thinner and thinner, and Lu Ziqian's eyes turned bloodshot. He roared in hatred, but he couldn't get up no matter what he did.
"Don't you love her very much?"
"It seems he didn't love her that much."
"So, your love is worthless in the face of your dignity."
Suddenly, with a "poof," the rope, which had just been emitting black smoke, burst into flames, and it would burn through in no time.
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