Chapter 38. He was begging her to kill him. ...
Su Muying had never seen Xie Linyuan like this before.
His body was a bloody mess, his hair was disheveled and covered his face, and the bloodstains all over his body looked like the horrific sight of someone being slowly sliced to death. He was unrecognizable as a human being, and his body was covered with wounds inflicted by various instruments of torture.
So subjugated, utterly powerless, devoid of arrogance, haughtiness, or pride, they resembled a wretched, caged, dying wild beast, unable to escape.
Su Muying watched as he turned his face away, and suddenly felt a little dazed.
It was as if the general who stood in the long corridor, looking down at her with an air of oppression, was a long time ago.
So long ago, she simply couldn't reconcile the image of that spirited, arrogant general with that of Xie Linyuan, lying on the rack before her, a mangled mess of flesh, barely recognizable as human.
Even her eyes showed a hint of confusion.
Is this... still Xie Linyuan?
Why doesn't he leave?
That day, he came down from the mountain and could see Wu Zizhuo's troops from afar. Why didn't he leave?
Did he not know that being captured by Wu Zizhuo would lead to this fate?
Did he not know that Wu Zizhuo hated him to the extreme, and that besides torturing him, he might also kill him?
Why doesn't he leave?
Su Muying felt confused; she couldn't understand it.
Because in her eyes, because in her past memories, Xie Linyuan would not be like this.
He won't let himself get into that situation.
He could have chosen not to do it this way.
Su Muying really couldn't understand it.
However, regardless of the circumstances, for the sake of the people of Anzhou and the defense map, she must rescue Xie Linyuan today.
Su Muying seemed stunned by Xie Linyuan's miserable state, her gaze lingering on him for a long time until Xie Linyuan's body trembled more and more violently, and the back of his neck looked as if it were about to bend. Only then did Su Muying look away.
Immediately, she composed herself, walked towards Wu Zizhuo, and bowed: "Lord Wu."
Wu Zizhuo chuckled, sat down in his high seat, and asked knowingly, "Miss Su, what brings you here so late at night..."
Upon hearing this, Su Muying frowned slightly, her face showing a look of panic as if she had nowhere to turn. A few tears welled up in her clear, bright eyes, making her look truly pitiful under the lamplight.
"Lord Wu besieged Huaihua Village. For the sake of the villagers, I had no choice but to hand over General Xie. Although I was later taken into Anzhou City, they were all loyal generals under Xie Linyuan. They believed I was the enemy who had harmed their master and made things difficult for me at every turn. Not only did they prevent me from seeing my child, but some people, and some others..."
As if she was terrified, Su Muying started sobbing and wiping her tears with a handkerchief as she spoke: "Some people even wanted to kill me, so I had no choice but to run away to save my life."
"I have nowhere else to go, so I thought of seeking refuge with you, sir. I hope you can take pity on me and take me in."
Hearing Su Muying's words, Xie Linyuan gasped for breath, struggled to lift his eyes, and looked through his blurred, blood-stained vision at Su Muying, who was covering her face and weeping, trembling.
No, no...
Inside Anzhou City, no one dared to touch Ying'er.
They must all know that if they harm Ying'er, no one will survive when he returns.
Moreover, even if others are unaware, Qingshan is present, and he knows the stakes best. He certainly wouldn't dare to let anyone harm Ying'er, so...
Xie Linyuan was suddenly startled. He didn't know what he was thinking, but because of his intense emotions, some of the wounds on his body that had scabbed over reopened and began to bleed again.
He opened his eyes wide in disbelief, his pupils dilated and trembling, with bloodshot veins spreading out horribly.
Did she come today to...save me?
Was it to save me?
But in the blink of an eye, the joy that had not yet been savored turned into pain.
In such a situation, she could die if she wasn't careful.
She will die.
Upon hearing Su Muying's crying, Wu Zizhuo stopped drinking. He put his glass on the table, narrowed his eyes, and smiled, it was unclear whether he believed her or not.
But whether she believes it or not doesn't matter; what matters is... whether she can give him what he wants.
"General Xie is, after all, their backbone, so it's understandable that he might take his anger out on Miss Su." Wu Zizhuo said politely, but he couldn't suppress his longing for the defense map. He gripped the cup tightly in one hand, and the desire for the defense map in his eyes was almost tangible.
It can't be hidden at all.
Su Muying, who was still wiping away tears, glanced at Wu Zizhuo and felt somewhat relieved.
If he desires something enough, he will surely lose his mind and reveal his weaknesses, making things much easier.
“Miss Su said she has something I want… Since Miss Su wants to rely on me, she should show her sincerity.” Wu Zizhuo said this, leaning forward eagerly.
Upon hearing this, Su Muying took off the handkerchief she had used to wipe her tears. A few glistening teardrops still clung to her curled eyelashes. She blinked, and the teardrops wobbled and fell to the ground. When she looked at people, her jade-like face was stained with tear stains, and her eyes were deep and shimmering, full of spring water, making her appear even more delicate and beautiful. It was as if one wanted to give one's life to her.
“Anzhou has been under siege for a long time without being captured. I know what you want, sir. I escaped from Anzhou and have nowhere to go. Since I want to seek refuge with Lord Wu, I also know the principle of playing to his desires. So I took this opportunity to steal the defense map. If you can help me get my child back…”
As she spoke, Su Muying took out a rolled-up parchment from her long sleeves.
Upon seeing this, Wu Zizhuo's eyes lit up instantly, almost as if they were shining, but after a moment, he calmed down, took a sip of wine, and said leisurely, "Miss Su said this is a defense map, is this the defense map?"
"This matter is of utmost importance, and this general must take precautions..." Wu Zizhuo's gaze slowly moved from the blueprint in Su Muying's hand to her face, his fox-like eyes narrowing slightly, still smiling. "I would like to ask, how does Miss Su intend to prove... the authenticity of this defense map?"
Su Muying had long known that Wu Zizhuo would not believe her so easily.
She lifted the sleeve that was covering her arm and reached out her hand.
Under the lamplight inside the tent, a bloody welt was visible on the woman's flawless, white jade-like arm.
The arm was originally fair and flawless, like white jade, but the bloodstain across it made it even more shocking.
She cut herself with a knife; it hurts a little, but it's not unbearable.
She knew that to make Wu Zizhuo believe her, acting alone wasn't enough; she also had to draw blood.
After showing Wu Zizhuo the wound on her arm, Su Muying murmured and cried, "This is the injury I sustained while stealing. Besides, I hate the Xie family and Xie Linyuan to the extreme."
"Xie Linyuan tortured me in every way, and it was you, sir, who helped me escape back then. I remember your kindness. Now the Xie family has taken my child, saying that he is their Xie family bloodline and must be returned to them. They say I am not worthy to raise this child... I hate them so much, but I have no one to rely on in Anzhou. I can only turn to you, sir, and hope that you can give me a way out and help me get my child back. He is the child I carried for ten months and raised to this age. How dare they take my child away? Waaah..."
When the topic turned to her child, Su Muying burst into tears again, sobbing uncontrollably, utterly helpless.
Her body was already slender and delicate. She lowered her head and wept, her body trembling slightly. She looked like a willow branch that could easily break in the wind, which made her cries even more pitiful. People would unconsciously believe her words, sympathize with her, and pity her.
Although Wu Zizhuo did indeed desperately desire the defense map, which was his only way to break the deadlock, Su Muying's tearful plea was not enough to convince him.
What she says isn't important; what matters is what she does.
After Su Muying finished her tearful plea, Wu Zizhuo pondered for a while before getting up.
He walked around the desk to Su Muying and threw a short dagger in front of her with a crisp clang.
The blade reflected a bright light, which swept across Su Muying's eyes.
The light was blinding, and she squinted instinctively. When she realized why Wu Zizhuo had thrown the blade in front of her, Su Muying was suddenly stunned, her pupils dilated for a moment, and she trembled.
But a moment later, she clenched her hands tightly under her sleeves, and when she looked up at Wu Zizhuo, her expression was the same as before, except that she frowned slightly and looked a little confused.
"Lord Wu... what does this mean?" she asked him, her eyes still glistening with tears, her question perfectly timed.
“Hating someone isn’t something you can just say casually… Miss Su, you said you hate General Xie to the core…”
"Then prove it to me, otherwise, Miss Su's words are really hard to believe."
Wu Zizhuo glanced at Xie Linyuan, who was lying on the rack, his body mangled and his head hanging down like a dog. The anger that Xie Linyuan had provoked him earlier was replaced by pleasure at this moment.
He gestured for her to pass, stepped aside to make way for her, and said with a smile:
"Please, Miss Su."
The tent was deathly silent, with only Xie Linyuan's incessant panting as the only sound. He sounded like a dying beast.
Su Muying lowered her eyes and stared at the blade on the ground for a moment.
But only for a moment.
The next moment, she reached out, picked up the blade from the ground, stood up, and walked towards Xie Linyuan, who was tied to the rack.
Blood pooled on the ground. Su Muying walked over, her skirt sweeping across the ground, and the hem of her plain dress was stained deep red with his blood.
When Su Muying reached Xie Linyuan, she stopped and looked up at the person in front of her.
At this moment, she was only half a step away from him, and the wounds on his body were reflected even more clearly in her eyes.
The red ribbon that bound his hair had long since fallen into the pool of blood on the ground, and his scattered black hair obscured his face, making it impossible to see his expression. Only the bulging veins on his neck, which throbbed along with the whip marks, indicated that he was still alive.
But living like this is worse than death.
Blood was slowly flowing out, and the pain in the wound was gradually increasing. Su Muying stared at the blood that kept gushing from his wound, stared at those wounds that were almost to the bone and made her stomach churn, and suddenly wondered... how much longer could he live?
In just half a day, he has become like this. Should she be happy?
She should be happy.
She should be happy.
Su Muying could feel Wu Zizhuo's burning gaze from not far away. He had been watching them the whole time, and if she hesitated even a little longer, neither of them would be able to leave this place today...
Su Muying lowered her eyes, then raised the hand holding the dagger, slowly and forcefully suppressing the trembling in her hand, and stabbed at him.
But when the dagger's tip was only millimeters away from his chest, Su Muying's hand suddenly trembled violently, and she could barely hold onto the hilt.
She has never killed anyone, she really has never killed anyone, and she didn't want to kill anyone...
Su Muying's feigned composure crumbled the moment the blade was about to pierce Xie Linyuan's chest. However, the next moment, just when she thought the blade would slip from her hand and fall to the ground, she suddenly heard the splattering sound of the blade piercing flesh.
Blood flowed down the hilt of the knife into her palm, leaving it sticky. The strong smell of blood seemed to seep into her bones through her skin.
Just as the blade was about to slip from her hand, Xie Linyuan suddenly stepped forward and plunged the blade into her own hand.
Su Muying's mind exploded with a bang, and the blood on her palm burned her skin like a ball of fire.
Just as she was stunned, her consciousness momentarily fading, Xie Linyuan slightly turned his head, and from an angle that Wu Zizhuo couldn't see, he smiled softly and said to her:
"Don't hesitate, kill me, Ying'er."
"Kill me now! Otherwise, you'll die..."
A moment later, while Su Muying was still stunned, the smile on his lips twisted into pain.
He pleaded with her in a bloodshot, extremely hoarse voice, with an unprecedented humility:
"Please."
"Please..."
"Kill me now..."
He was begging her to kill him.
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