Chapter 116 The Generation of Pirates 3 The so-called final test.
The dungeon is a place that is feared throughout Penoma.
They dug a cell deeper than the dungeon, then connected it to the sea and pumped seawater into it.
The water is never replaced or cleaned, only seawater is constantly added in. Serious criminals are brought in one after another, and those who can't hold on die. After death, they will remain soaked here for an unknown amount of time, so you can imagine how many dirty things are breeding in the water.
Moreover, a water dungeon is only used to detain one prisoner. The prisoner's eyes are blindfolded. In the extremely quiet environment, the prisoner can only hear the water drops dripping from the stone wall and merging into the water drop by drop. The extreme loneliness and fear are enough to kill a person.
No matter how unruly a serious criminal is, he will eventually beg for mercy once he is locked up.
Jian Ziyan has been locked up in the water dungeon for seven days.
During this time, some people would throw food down, but they didn't care whether the person wanted to eat the blackened bread that fell into the water. They also didn't care whether the person wanted to reach the bread since he was already tied up.
The water dungeon is one of Penorma's most effective means of torturing prisoners. Putting them in there is to wear down their will. The sooner they surrender, the better for the kingdom.
Every time a new prisoner was thrown into the water dungeon, the jailer would smile and offer bets on how many hours he could hold out before crying.
However, after the young pirate was locked up, the jailers fell silent.
According to the old tradition, they also speculated and opened the market for Jian Ziyan.
Although Jian Ziyan had a notorious reputation, when the jailers actually saw him, they were shocked to find that he was just a young and handsome boy. Therefore, none of them had any confidence in how long he could last.
Some people said that he would be lucky if he could hold on for three hours, but some people laughed and retorted that three hours? Thirty minutes at most, and this delicate and beautiful boy would be unable to bear it and beg for mercy.
But the actual situation was beyond all their expectations.
For seven whole days, Jian Ziyan didn't even utter a sound, let alone begging for mercy.
If the jailers had not occasionally leaned over from above the cell door to look in, they would have thought he had died quietly.
No one in history has ever been able to survive in a water dungeon for seven days without begging for mercy and maintaining a clear mind.
This inhuman endurance and perseverance changed the way the jailers looked at Jian Ziyan. They might not necessarily feel admiration, but they would definitely feel a sense of fear as if they were facing a dormant beast.
They also became cautious when talking about Jian Ziyan.
"Do you think he will beg for mercy today?"
"I guess not."
"It's already the eighth day. Is he really still awake?"
"It's hard to say. We can't open the door without orders..."
"I have never seen such a person before. He is so terrifying. No wonder he can threaten the status of the Pirate King at such a young age..."
A baritone voice suddenly appeared in their conversation.
"He still hasn't made any sound?"
The jailers were startled, and when they realized who the person was, they saluted nervously, "Admiral Alva!"
Lunn nodded, his dark brown eyes piercing through the dim and mixed light and falling on the figure in the deep water dungeon.
The boy was still wearing the clothes that he had cut at that time. He was tied tightly to the stone pillar in the middle of the dungeon. The colorless sea water had soaked up to his chest. He was blindfolded and did not struggle or make any sound. Only by the very shallow ripples of water around him could one tell that he was still faintly alive.
Lunn asked, "It's been seven days, and he hasn't made any sound?"
"No, sir," replied a guard.
"No, there is still a little bit," said another jailer. "He will try to reach the bread thrown down, and then there will be a little sound of water."
Lun's eyes became deep, and he looked into the depths of the dungeon, with an inexplicable thought flowing through his mind.
Of course he knew that Jian Ziyan had not begged for mercy for seven whole days. He had been waiting for him to speak, but he didn't wait.
He also knew how serious Jian Ziyan's previous injuries were, and with those new cuts on him, how could he endure staying in this dirty water, preferring to eat moldy bread rather than say a word of softness to him?
Lunn couldn't figure out the complicated emotions in his heart, but he knew that he didn't want to wait any longer.
"All of you go out." He said, "No one is allowed to come in without my order."
The jailers were somewhat surprised, but no one dared to resist his orders.
Lunn stood on the lift, and with the hand-cranked mechanism, he slowly descended into the water dungeon and stayed above the water.
As soon as he squatted down, he could touch Jian Ziyan's cheek.
He thought so and did so.
As soon as his fingertips touched Jian Ziyan, Jian Ziyan raised his head abruptly. Although his eyes were covered, Lun subconsciously felt a shudder, like the danger warning of being stared at by a wild beast.
Lun's fingertips slowly traced the contours of Jian Ziyan's eyes through the blindfold.
Jian Ziyan tilted his head back, but he was tied up tightly and there was limited space for him to move. He could only let the cold fingertips touch his face with a look of extreme disgust.
"You clearly know what to do to make yourself feel more comfortable, why do you have to be so stubborn?"
The water dungeon was very deep and the surroundings were very quiet. Without much effort, Lun could fill the entire water dungeon with his voice, tightly wrapping Jian Ziyan.
This oppressive feeling of being controlled must be a mental torture for someone like Jian Ziyan who is used to controlling everything.
He guessed correctly, Jian Ziyan was indeed feeling very unwell now.
After staying in such a place for seven consecutive days, he himself didn't know how he survived.
In such extreme silence, he held his breath, not only to maintain his physical strength to the maximum, but also because if he made a louder sound, it would cause great torture to his spirit. Even the sound of water waves and his own chewing made him feel painful.
Now Lunn speaking at a normal volume was like a hundred drums beating in his ears at the same time, putting a huge strain on his heart.
His face became even paler, and in the dim light, he looked like a weak ghost.
Lun En didn't get a response, but he didn't care. He looked at Jian Ziyan and wondered how he could look so clean.
Even though he was in a dirty environment, even though his hands were covered in blood, he still looked so handsome, so... pitiful.
Lun suddenly wanted to see those black eyes, so he untied Jian Ziyan's blindfold.
Jian Ziyan did not open his eyes immediately. He felt someone lifting his chin and a gaze that made him extremely uncomfortable fell on his face. Then he suddenly opened his eyes.
It's just that he hadn't seen the light for a long time, and even the weakest light could give his eyes a strong stimulation. As soon as Jian Ziyan opened his eyes, physiological sour tears flowed out and dripped onto Lun's fingers.
Lun En was stunned, but Jian Ziyan didn't care. His voice was terribly low and hoarse: "Let go."
Lun looked at him steadily. No matter how many excuses he made, he couldn't hide it anymore.
He was moved.
He developed feelings for this notorious pirate who had nearly killed him several times.
Lun En let go of Jian Ziyan, looked at his red eyes, and said, "Beg me, boy, as long as you beg me, I will let you go."
Be it abuse of power or breaking trust with the people, now that he has climbed to this position, can't he even protect the people he wants to protect?
As long as he could take the boy as his own, it would only be a matter of time before he could figure out how to tame this beautiful young beast.
Jian Ziyan glanced at him, and perhaps because he had no strength left, he didn't even show much expression.
"Dream on." He whispered.
"Don't you want freedom? You have been used to sailing freely on the sea since you were a child, like a free seabird." Lunn persuaded him, "I can forgive all your crimes as long as you submit to me. Even with the greed of pirates, this is a good deal."
Jian Ziyan asked: "You want me to surrender? Just like you instigated Qiao to rebel, you want me to become your subordinate and pass on the news of the pirates to you?"
This was the best deal for Lunn that he could come up with.
Seeing that the boy had misunderstood, Lun En did not refute, but just smiled: "How about it, do you agree?"
Jian Ziyan had no expression on his face and repeated his words in a hoarse voice.
"dream."
Lunn was not angry. Like a gentle and generous elder, he patiently asked, "Why not? Just like Joe, do you know how much he told me? Do you know how well he is doing now? I helped him get rid of his pirate identity and even got him a military rank. As long as he works hard, he can marry a noble lady in the future. His fate has completely changed, just because he surrendered to me, you don't move at all.
Heart?"
"You're comparing me with a traitor?" If Jian Ziyan hadn't run out of strength, he would have spit on his face. "You make me sick, Alva."
"I don't understand. Are you keeping your chastity for the pirates? Are you rejecting me because you don't want to betray the pirate community?" Lunn said, "If that's the reason, then I can only say that you are in the wrong relationship."
Jian Ziyan originally didn't want to pay attention to it. He was thinking about how much Qiao had told Lun En, but he heard an unusual implication in this sentence and immediately raised his eyes: "What do you mean?"
"My poor little leopard, have you never thought about it? If I had only bribed your second mate, how could so many forces besiege you at the same time that day?" Lun En looked at Jian Ziyan with pity and almost couldn't bear to tell him the rest of the words.
But he knew that if he wanted to tame the beast, he must first destroy its will, and then reshape it into another friendly, non-aggressive character.
"You already had enough strength to compete for the position of Pirate King, but you gave up. Why?"
"No reason." Jian Ziyan said, "I don't care."
This is what he really thinks.
He hated Penorma and had no good feelings towards his so-called fellow pirates, let alone wanting to sit on the supreme position among pirates.
He developed his strength not for the purpose of competing for anything, but to protect what he had and prevent the tragedy he witnessed in his childhood from happening again.
"But other pirates don't think so." Lunn said with a smile, "My dear, as a king, you never allow others to sleep soundly beside your bed. Our king is like this, and your pirate king is also like this."
Jian Ziyan's expression was blank for a moment.
He grew up in a wild way. No one taught him anything except sailing and killing people. There was no stable environment for him to read and study. Although he was smart, he didn't know how to think about things he had never been exposed to.
But now with the clue, he quickly connected everything together.
"Pirate King..." Jian Ziyan swallowed, his voice becoming drier, "...want to kill me?"
"You are very smart." Lun En was pleased that Jian Ziyan understood what he meant so quickly.
"But I haven't even met him..." Jian Ziyan murmured. He suddenly thought of something and looked at Lun En in surprise, "You and the Pirate King...?"
"Yes, I have been in contact with the Pirate King for a long time." Lunn admitted frankly, "He cleans up the disobedient pirates for me and passes messages for me. I guarantee that he will become the Pirate King forever. This is a fair deal."
Jian Ziyan wanted to laugh, but a tingling sensation surged into his throat, but he only tasted the sweet fishy taste of blood.
He felt a huge sense of irony enveloping him, tighter than the ropes tied around him, suffocating him.
He asked hoarsely, "Does anyone else know about this?"
"My only direct contact is the Pirate King. As for whether he has told anyone else, I don't know." Lunn said, "But given his suspicious personality, I guess he hasn't told anyone else."
What a great irony! The pirates who thought they were advocating freedom and were unwilling to be bound by Penorma had already been trapped in a jar. A sharp sickle was hung on everyone's head. As long as the man in front of them gave the order, all their heads would fall to the ground.
Jian Ziyan closed his eyes and said, "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid that I will spread the news?"
Once this news spreads, not only will Lunn be criticized by Penorma, but the terrified pirates will also be forced to rise up in order to survive, and a fierce naval battle will surely break out.
Lunn laughed when he heard the threat: "Before you spread the news, you have to make sure you stay alive."
Jian Ziyan looked at him and said sarcastically, "What you mean by staying alive is to submit to you?"
Lun's eyes were deep. He maintained a half-kneeling posture and leaned closer to Jian Ziyan's face.
“Maybe you can get more than you think now.”
Jian Ziyan looked into his eyes which were so close to him, and suddenly understood a certain desire in his eyes.
He flew into a rage, a strong feeling of nausea rose up in his throat, and he immediately vomited.
But he had hardly eaten anything these days, and even when he vomited heart-wrenchingly, only a few drops of bitter bile came out, and he couldn't vomit anything.
He said viciously: "Then I might as well die."
The smile on Len's face disappeared.
Even though he had guessed that Jian Ziyan would refuse, he had to admit that he was stung by Jian Ziyan's reaction.
"Do you regret that you didn't kill me in the countless opportunities before?"
"Yes, this is the thing I regret most in my life."
Jian Ziyan's eyes, which had turned red from vomiting, stared straight at him. The light was dim and his pupils were very dark, so Lun En could not see the expression in his eyes.
"If I were given the choice again... I would definitely kill you."
These words hurt Lun deeply.
Lunn stood up and looked down at Jian Ziyan, his voice returning to the coldness of a superior.
"Very good. Since you are determined, just hold on like this. I want to see how long you can hold on."
As the lift left, silence returned to the dungeon.
…
【Jian Ziyan: "Everything is going so smoothly, I can hardly believe it."
419: "Are you referring to the fact that you successfully seduced the protagonist again?"
Jian Ziyan: "...Don't talk nonsense, I'm not interested in Lun En. In this world, only Felix is my destined lover."
419: Indifference.
Jian Ziyan coughed dryly and said, "Don't tell me, I really planned to sleep with the Mermaid King and run away, but I didn't expect that he would care about me to this extent."
He looked at the surveillance screen on the other side. That was the sea outside his water prison. Several mermaids were guarding there, whispering something.
The translation tool was ineffective as they were separated by surveillance footage. Jian Ziyan couldn't understand what they were saying, but he thought it must be Felix's order.
Jian Ziyan: "Although I have a way to get out, the current situation is not worth it for me to suffer for two more days."
419's nerves had been trained to be very sharp: "What are you waiting for?"
Jian Ziyan: "Wait for an opportunity to continue our past relationship."]
Jian Ziyan could no longer distinguish the concept of time.
His body had already reached its limit. The freezing cold sea water kept penetrating into his wounds and seeping into his bones. All the new and old wounds seemed to have come alive, and each one of them seemed to have been inflicted just now, emitting intense pain.
Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had to face the reality that he couldn't hold on any longer.
He couldn't see that a ray of dazzling golden light flowed in through the pipe leading to the sea, but as the waves swayed, a person emerged from the water, which did not cause any reaction from him.
The mermaid king emerged from the water and looked quietly at the tied boy.
His eye mask was put back on and his head hung heavily, as if he was asleep.
The mermaid king maintained a calm appearance; only his slightly trembling hand as he reached out to smell the boy's breath revealed his true panic.
After sensing that faint breath, he fell into an unprecedented struggle.
Ever since the boy appeared, he always felt that this must be a conspiracy of humans. The royal family of Penorma has always wanted to explore the location of the mermaid land.
He thought that he just had some affection for the boy, and was far from caring about his life or death. He let him go just to see what humans wanted to do next.
But he saw the boy being imprisoned and tortured.
He held on, wanting to wait for humanity's next move, but his subjects came to tell him that the boy was about to die.
He couldn't bear it any longer.
So he came here, originally wanting to put an end to it once and for all, either killing the boy completely or taking him away, but he still hesitated.
After returning, he investigated the naval battle and the news about the boy's mother, but it happened too long ago and the mermaids could not recall an ordinary human woman who fell into the water.
A merman told the truth. Although they couldn't remember it, all humans who fell into the water had only two fates - either they were buried at the bottom of the sea or they were eaten by mermaids.
Therefore, the boy's mother was most likely killed by the mermaid's mouth.
This made Felix feel inexplicably insecure about his identity for the first time since he was born.
He didn't know how the boy would look at him after knowing his true identity.
While hesitating, Jian Ziyan suddenly shuddered and started coughing.
Felix immediately took off the boy's eye mask without thinking about anything else, and subconsciously changed his tail into legs.
Jian Ziyan coughed and forced himself to open his eyes, but was stunned when he saw the figure in front of him.
Felix's whole body stiffened, a rare hint of nervousness appeared in his eyes, and his mind was spinning rapidly, thinking about how to explain to the boy why he suddenly appeared here.
However, Jian Ziyan looked at him steadily for a few seconds, and suddenly revealed a gentle smile, with his pale cheeks and ears slightly red.
"Is this the hallucination before death? It's great, Felix, I can see you one more time before I die."
Still a naked Felix.
Hearing his words, Felix was literally frozen in place.
"That's great..." Jian Ziyan still didn't realize that the person in front of him was real. He just looked at Felix's face greedily, "I'm sorry, my dear, I can't keep our promise."
"I really want to go back to Crescent Bay and grow fruits, trees, and fish with you... but I'm about to die." Jian Ziyan gasped, his voice getting weaker, "... I wanted to find your family and ask them to take you away from there, but I didn't find them either, Felix, I'm sorry, I'm useless."
Felix stared at him, watching his eyelids gradually fall back and his voice fade into nothingness.
His hand, which was originally intended to reach for the boy's neck, instead reached for the rope behind him.
At this time, there was some movement above the dungeon, as if the cell door was opened and someone was about to come down.
Felix looked up, and a fierce struggle flashed in his eyes for a moment, but he still withdrew his hand.
He took a deep breath, quickly kissed Jian Ziyan's lips, passed the breath to him, then restored everything to normal and his figure quickly disappeared.
This is the final test, boy. He said in his heart. If you really have nothing to do with those people, then he will definitely take him under his wing, so that no one can hurt or touch him anymore.
…
Jian Ziyan couldn't tell how long he had slept. When he woke up again, he was surprised to find that he had an inexplicable amount of strength in his body.
There was ecstasy in his eyes, but he immediately calmed down, looked up carefully, and then in a very twisted posture, he moved the dagger hidden in his boot up little by little.
How to escape?
He knew that this place was connected to the sea, but he was too weak. Even if he escaped by chance, he would not be able to swim to the shore alive.
And since Lunn came last time, a soldier would come down every day to ask him a few questions to confirm whether he was dead or not. This would be his only chance to escape.
Jian Ziyan quietly cut his rope and pretended to be in the same state as usual. When the soldier came down to investigate again, he suddenly jumped up and knocked him unconscious with a palm.
Then he was tied back to the stone pillar.
The water dungeon is very deep. The sound from above cannot be transmitted down, and the sound from inside cannot be transmitted up. Jian Ziyan feels relieved.
He climbed up the lift platform with great effort, took two breaths, and then pressed the lifting device.
Fortunately, there seemed to be only two people guarding his cell today. He rose up and met the dull gaze of another soldier.
A wicked smile appeared at the corner of his lips, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Surprise."
…
Jian Ziyan carefully hid his body as he walked through the dim dungeon corridor. Just as he was about to come out, his eyes suddenly widened and he immediately hid behind the stone wall.
In front, Lun was walking towards this side, as if he was going to enter the dungeon.
And behind him, the figure that turned into ashes and that Jian Ziyan could not forget and that made him hate him to the core was none other than his former second mate, Qiao.
Jian Ziyan took a deep breath and suppressed the violent anger in his heart. As the two approached, he
Gradually, I could hear the sound of their conversation.
Qiao said, "Please, Admiral, let me go in and take a look, just a look..."
*
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