Chapter 126 Green Mountains and Clear Waters
In the eastern corner of the princess's residence, there is a small courtyard where a female doctor named Fu Lao lives. Fu Lao is always alone, and apart from the old woman who brings her meals three times a day, very few people set foot in her place.
Tonight is an exception.
Old Fu lit candles early and waited at the door until Guan Yi'an brought Number Nineteen under the cover of night. Only then did she nod, turn around and lead the way.
After navigating a narrow, uneven path, the three of them arrived at the basement level of the courtyard.
This floor is only the size of one room, with two iron racks embedded in the wall. On one side are various knives and medicine bottles, and the air is filled with a foul smell of blood.
Old Fu walked to the knives, picked up a sharp knife, stroked the blade with his fingers, and gave a cold order.
"Tie him up, then you go hang him on another rack, and I'll tie him up for you."
Old Fu's face was covered in wrinkles, and her eyes were sharp. Her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like the sound of a wild dog gnawing on a bone.
Upon hearing this, Guan Yi'an tied Number 19 to the iron frame on the left, while he himself stood with his arms and legs spread out in front of the iron frame on the right.
Old Fu remained expressionless, grabbed a chain from the side, and quickly bound Guan Yi'an to the iron frame, rendering him unable to move.
Then he reinforced the chain on number nineteen again, and then swept his venomous eyes toward Guan Yi'an, "Skin him alive or skin him dead?"
Guan Yi'an calmly asked, "What's the difference?"
Mr. Fu responded calmly.
"Live peeling is peeling the skin directly without any drugs. Dead peeling is when drugs are used to induce a state of suspended animation, and the skin and bones are peeled off within twelve hours without the person waking up. Live peeling preserves the skin better, while dead peeling can reduce some of the pain."
Guan Yi'an said almost without hesitation, "He'll peel it alive, I'll peel it to death."
Although he was not afraid of pain, he would certainly not refuse any opportunity to suffer less. His face would soon be useless, so there was no need to preserve it intact.
Number 19 is different; it's his new face, and it must be intact.
Since Number Nineteen won't live past tomorrow morning anyway, the pain will only last for one night. He can just endure it and his life will pass.
Number 19, perched on a nearby iron frame, heard Old Fu and Guan Yi'an talking in a way he couldn't understand and anxiously asked Guan Yi'an for help.
"My benefactor, what do you mean by skinning alive or dead? Why hasn't the princess arrived yet? Who else is here? The chains are really uncomfortable; could you loosen them a bit?"
Guan Yi'an's expression was cold. "I'm locked up just like you. Just bear with it for now. It'll be over soon..."
Old Fu took out a pill from his dark sleeve and put it into Guan Yi'an's mouth. Guan Yi'an felt his breathing become rapid, and after a few breaths, his neck tilted to the side and he became unresponsive.
Number nineteen on the left, hearing that he had fallen silent, cried out anxiously, "My benefactor, my benefactor, how are you? Where is this place? Where is the princess? Princess, save me! My benefactor, save me..."
Old Fu sneered, picked up the trembling dagger, and slowly walked towards number nineteen...
Number 19's mouth was gagged, and the blindfold was torn off.
Before he could react, the sharp knife had already pierced his skin, slowly cutting and separating it in an extremely cruel manner.
Number 19 couldn't even scream. Her hands and feet were tightly bound, and her desperate struggles only made her flesh ache more.
Because of the extreme pain, he was unable to think at all. If he could speak, what he would most want to say is to die, no matter who it is or how it is done. As long as he can die immediately and be freed, he would be willing to do anything.
Unfortunately, no, his mouth remained blocked, and the pain continued.
...
Guan Yi'an woke up at 9:00 AM the next day.
Before he even opened his eyes, he felt an itch and pain on his face, as if every nerve on his face was being roasted by fire.
He instinctively reached out to rub it, but a hoarse voice rang out first: "Don't touch it! The new skin has just been attached, and even the slightest contact will affect the results. For the rest of the day, your face cannot move in any way except blinking and speaking. You cannot eat, drink, or scratch or touch it."
Guan Yi'an recognized Fu Lao's voice, immediately stopped what he was doing, and slowly opened his eyes.
He and Number Nineteen had been taken down from the iron frame. Two thick, black cloths were laid on the ground, and he and Number Nineteen lay down on them respectively.
The stench of blood in the air was even stronger, and there was bright red blood everywhere on his and Number Nineteen's clothes and on the ground.
Old Fu looked tired as he carefully wiped the blood off the dagger.
Guan Yi'an stood up and looked at Number Nineteen, who was lying on the ground unresponsive; his face was now covered by his own skin.
"Did it succeed?"
Old Fu raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said disdainfully, "Nothing I've ever failed at has ever been done."
Guan Yi'an trembled with pain, but upon hearing this, he felt a surge of excitement and pointed at Number Nineteen, asking, "Is he dead?"
After wiping the knife, Old Fu began to tidy up the medicinal powder next to it.
"As the princess instructed, I gave him the medicine. He should still be clinging to life. If you touch his face lightly, he will wake up in pain."
Guan Yi'an hesitated. He couldn't touch his new face now. If he woke up on the 19th and got too excited and hurt him, all his efforts would be in vain.
Old Fu saw through his thoughts and sneered, "The pain he suffered last night was ten times that of you now, and he was in pain all night long. All his strength has been exhausted. In addition, with the medicine I fed him, the only thing he can still move now is his mouth."
Guan Yi'an was relieved and gently touched the face that had belonged to him yesterday. Number 19 slowly opened his eyes.
"My benefactor..."
It's especially ironic to shout those two words now.
But the number 19 seemed to be calling out with genuine sincerity.
Yesterday, he personally witnessed Old Fu cutting off his and Guan Yi'an's faces, slightly processing them, and then having someone else put them back on.
He didn't know if Guan Yi'an was forced. This person was clearly more handsome than him, and the pain of having his skin cut off was worse than any torture in the world. He couldn't understand why anyone could endure such excruciating pain just to have their face changed.
But none of that mattered; he knew his time was running out.
Such suffering makes death a release.
But there was still someone he couldn't let go of, so he could only turn to the person in front of him who had taken his face for help.
If Guan Yi'an was forced into it, then let's consider that they were in the same boat; if Guan Yi'an planned it himself, then let's consider that he gave him face.
His last wishes should be fulfilled.
“My benefactor, I have a white jade gourd on my left wrist with the words ‘Green Mountain’ written on it. This gourd was originally a pair; the other one, with the words ‘Green Water’ written on it, is with my sister. ‘Green Mountain’ and ‘Green Water’ are the names of my brother and me. My sister was sold into a brothel five years ago, somewhere in the Jiangnan region. If you happen to meet her, please give her this white jade gourd. If possible, please redeem her.”
He voluntarily entered the princess's residence, hoping to earn enough money as soon as possible to redeem his younger sister, Lushui. But he was utterly useless; he neither earned enough money nor found his sister, and instead lost his own life.
Number 19 was completely unable to move, except for his eyes, which were fixed intently on Guan Yi'an.
Guan Yi'an nodded in response. A hint of relief appeared in his eyes, and he closed them completely.
Guan Yi'an tore open the sleeve of No. 19's left hand, pulled off the white jade gourd engraved with the words "Qingshan" and hung it on his own hand.
Those captivating peach blossom eyes radiated the joy of being reborn.
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