Hearing the word "Guangning", Ge Zhong was struck by lightning. The changes in his expression at that moment were comparable to the changes of the four seasons. First he was shocked, then angry, then afraid, and finally, guilty. Yan Sikong saw it all.

Yan Sikong slowly clenched his fists to control his trembling body. He took a step closer to the cell, just to not miss every trace of fear in Ge Zhong's eyes. He whispered, "It seems that Lord Ge still remembers."

Ge Zhonghun shuddered and stared at Yan Sikong's face. Long-lost memories flew out of the gray dust. The already blurry picture gradually became clear in front of his eyes. Yan Sikong's handsome and cold face slowly overlapped with another face, and then overlapped again, and finally merged into one. It was the face of a young boy distorted by tears and hatred, and his loud accusations echoed in his ears like thunder.

"It's you..." Ge Zhong stepped back step by step, his voice was very weak and he had no confidence at all, "It's you..."

"Yes, it's me." Yan Sikong showed a sly smile, "The son of Guangning Guard garrison commander Yuan Mao who was wrongly killed by you - Yuan Sikong!"

Ge Zhong retreated to the bed, with no way to retreat, and sat down on the bed with a bang. His eyes rolled around, and his expression was terrified, almost crazy. He opened his mouth: "You...you are not..."

"Shouldn't I be dead already, right?" Yan Sikong said grimly, "My brother was exiled in my place to save me. Ge Zhong, you wrongly killed my father, you killed my brother..." Yan Sikong grabbed the iron bars, veins bulging on his forehead, staring at the man in the cage with bloodthirsty eyes, and roared, "You destroyed my family!"

Ge Zhong curled up his body slightly, as if there was a man-eating beast outside the iron fence. He whispered in defense: "Yuan Mao... Yuan Mao plotted to murder Lord Li, the evidence is conclusive..."

"Yes." Yan Sikong said slyly, "The evidence is as solid as your treason!"

Ge Zhong raised his voice: "I didn't... I didn't wrongly kill your father. It wasn't me, it was... it was Xie Zhongren and Han Zhaoxing!"

"But you chose to be a slave to a bastard." Yan Sikong said softly, "For your promotion and wealth, for your glory and wealth, you wrongly killed a hero who was loyal to his country. You convicted him with just a forged letter and three days of interrogation..." Yan Sikong's voice trembled more and more, "You let him bear the stigma, and chopped off his...head in front of the 40,000 people and his son who he risked his life to protect."

After saying this, Yan Sikong's voice was choked with sobs, as if something was being forcibly pulled out of his body. His legs went limp in pain and his eyes almost popped out of blood. Even the sight of Ge Zhong cowering in fear could not ease the hatred in his heart or heal his fatal wounds.

Ge Zhong no longer had the aura of a provincial governor. He was defeated and terrified like a stray dog. He spoke incoherently, "You, you have already started planning... What do you want to do..."

"What do I want?" Yan Sikong opened his arms slightly, smiling cruelly and coldly, "I want to do it like this now, in the same way, to send you to the guillotine, to make you bear the charges that do not belong to you, to make you unable to defend yourself, to have no way to appeal, to let you die with hatred, to make you unable to close your eyes forever, to make your family destroyed, to make you infamous in history, to make you despised by generations!"

Ge Zhong yelled like a madman: "It's not me, go find Xie Zhongren, go find Han Zhaoxing, it's not me, it's not me!"

"Don't worry." Yan Sikong laughed a few times, "I will go find them. I want their fate to be worse than yours. It's a pity that you won't be able to see it."

Ge Zhong said angrily: "You, you have been hiding for ten years and entered the court just for revenge... You told me all this, aren't you afraid that I will tell Zhao Fuyi and His Majesty?"

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes slightly. "You also know that I have been lurking for ten years, taking every step carefully. Since I dare to tell you, I am not afraid that you will know." His eyes were as vicious as a snake. "Your Majesty is kind and will probably not implicate your family. But if you say one more word, I can put the letter in your study, or burn your whole family to death and let you reunite in the underworld. How about that?"

"You..." Ge Zhong pointed at Yan Sikong, his body shaking like a sieve, his pupils constricted, and suddenly he let out a "wow" and spat out a mouthful of blood. He crawled on the couch, as weak as a dying man.

The smile on Yan Sikong's face deepened. He moved his face closer to the iron fence. His handsome face flickered in the light of the fire, captivating people like a ghost. "Ge Zhong, you are shameless and have killed loyal people. You deserve to die. Why don't you leave a way out for your family?"

Ge Zhong slowly turned his face, and under his disheveled hair, his eyes were full of death.

"Xie Zhongren has given up on you. He was afraid of being implicated by you. You colluded with him and did all kinds of dirty things for him. At the critical moment of life and death, he kicked you away like a dog." Yan Sikong persuaded, "Your current situation is all due to him."

Ge Zhong said in a hoarse voice: "What do you want to do?"

Yan Sikong bent down, picked up the confession, and completely unfolded the last part of the scroll: "I have prepared two indictments for you. One is your self-statement, detailing how you wrongfully killed Guangning garrison commander Yuan Mao under the instructions of Xie Zhongren and Han Zhaoxing. I want you to sign it with blood. The other is the indictment for this crime. If you sign it, the general and the chief secretary will give your son a lighter sentence, and I will also let your family go."

Ge Zhongming laughed twice: "Do you think you can overthrow Xie Zhongren with this?"

"I'm not in a hurry. If that bastard has a grandson, I'm younger than him." Yan Sikong said coldly, "Sooner or later, I will take away everything from him, force him into a desperate situation, and make him die a miserable death. At that time, this letter of indictment will be the evidence for me to clear my father's name."

"Why should I trust you?"

"I swear by my father, if you sign the pledge, I will let your family go."

Ge Zhong laughed softly and nodded: "Okay, okay, I'll draw it, I'll draw it."

Yan Sikong threw the indictment into the iron fence.

Ge Zhong trembled as he picked up the affidavit and read every word on it, which accused him of the crime he had committed eleven years ago. He was stiff for a long time before he bit his fingertips and signed his name.

Yan Sikong took a deep breath, his eyes were sore and he almost cried.

Dad, did you see it? If you are still alive in heaven, can you see it?

Ge Zhong threw the confession back and said in a deep voice, "I will only sign the charges if Zhao Fuyi promises personally to give my son a lighter sentence."

"Okay, I will report back to General Zhao." Yan Sikong picked up the letter of accusation, rolled it up carefully, and put it into his sleeve. Then, he once again focused on his defeated opponent.

It has been eleven years, and everything before his eyes seems like a dream. All the pain and humiliation he has endured was just to drag these beasts into hell.

Ge Zhong was also watching him from the cell, his eyes were dark and his thoughts were unrecognizable, as if his soul had been drained out.

Yan Sikong said softly: "Ge Zhong, have you ever regretted it?"

Ge Zhong didn't move or react at all.

"I regret that year..." Yan Sikong suddenly grinned, "You didn't kill me?"

Ge Zhong gritted his teeth and said viciously: "Yes, I regret not killing you on the spot that year, to eliminate the root of the problem!"

Yan Sikong laughed out loud and stepped back, as if he was reluctant to let Ge Zhonglang wait for death out of his sight. He only turned around and walked up the stone stairs when he reached them.

"Yan Sikong--" Ge Zhong suddenly had a flash of energy and rushed to the iron railing. He grabbed the iron railing with both hands and shook it hard. "What's the difference between you and me now? You are more vicious, more sinister, and more shameless than me! When you taste power, you will become me, Han Zhaoxing, and Xie Zhongren!" He screamed frantically, "You are waiting for your end in the underground, and I am waiting for your end!"

Yan Sikong slowly turned his head. He was tall and handsome, but his eyes were as sinister as a ghost. He smiled and said, "You are right, but I will win."

He turned and walked away.

He walked out of the cell quickly, holding the scroll in his sleeve tightly, as if it was more important than his life. It was not until he turned into a dark alley that he gasped for breath, his knees weakened, and his body slid down the wall and sat on the ground.

The evening breeze blew through the alley, and he suddenly felt his face getting cold. He reached out his hand and wiped it, and it was already covered with tears.

He took out the scroll tremblingly, and put it to his heart, tears pouring out.

Dad... wait a little longer, Kong'er, wait a little longer, I will definitely clear your name and restore your innocence.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Yan Sikong asked sharply, "Who?"

A simple-looking man walked out of the shadows.

Yan Sikong took a deep breath and said, "She Zhun, why are you still in Jingzhou?"

She Jun reached out and tore off the human skin mask, half-knelt in front of him, looked at the tear marks on his face, restrained his usual intimacy and ridicule, and said in a deep voice: "I am worried about you."

Yan Sikong wiped away his tears and shook the scroll in his hand: "I got Ge Zhong's indictment. With it, one day I can vindicate my father."

"very good."

Yan Sikong looked at She Jun and the bruises on his face that had not yet faded: "She Jun, thank you. Without you, this would not have been so smooth."

"No need, I am also seeking revenge. I believe that only you can destroy the eunuch party."

Yan Sikong nodded: "This is my lifelong ambition."

She Jun asked, "Did the young master give you any trouble?"

"I have already suspected me. I fooled you this time. Later..." Yan Sikong said, "Let's talk about it later. How are you? Are you injured?"

She Jun shook his head: "No big deal. This man is extremely gifted. Despite his young age, his martial arts skills are so strong that I almost couldn't escape from his hands."

"He is indeed gifted. Haven't you heard the rumors?"

"I thought it was all exaggerated."

"We are leaving for Beijing tomorrow. What are your plans?"

"I still have some unfinished business. After I finish it, I will return to the capital. However, I can only disguise myself when I am in the capital."

"Well, just to be on the safe side." Yan Sikong leaned against the wall and tried to stand up, but his legs were weak.

She Jun held his arm and helped him up from the ground.

Yan Sikong took a breath and said, "She Zhun, before you return to Beijing, please go visit my mother and my brothers and sisters on my behalf and try to leave some money for them."

"Okay, leave it to me."

"Be careful. After you return to Beijing, we won't meet for the time being. If you have any questions, contact Ali."

She Zhun nodded and stared at Yan Sikong without blinking. Suddenly, he reached out and touched Yan Sikong's face.

Yan Sikong was startled: "What's wrong?"

She Jun woke up from a dream, his hand froze in mid-air, then he took it back and said softly, "Your face is full of tears, wipe it clean before you go back."

Yan Sikong wiped it twice more vigorously: "Okay."

"It's the first time I saw you cry..." She Jun said, "I mean, real tears."

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly and did not answer.

She Jun took two steps back: "I'm leaving, Nanyu, take care."

Yan Sikong clasped his fists tightly and said, "Take care."

After watching She Jun's nimble figure disappear into the night, Yan Sikong wiped his face, tidied his appearance, and walked towards the inn.

Tomorrow, the army will march back to the capital. Not only will they return in triumph, but they will also put Ge Zhong to death and obtain a confession signed by him personally.

Yan Sikong had a premonition that more blood and gore were waiting for him ahead, but he was fearless and moved forward courageously.

Volume 4: Hidden Dragon in the Deep