Inside the woodshed.
The man, covered in blood, was tied to a rack. His wounds were horrific, but his eyes remained clear due to medication.
Hearing the noise at the door, it instinctively shuddered, like a rat that had been living in a stinking ditch for years seeing the sunlight.
"Sir, I was really wrong, please let me go."
The bearded bandit pleaded bitterly, his voice hoarse from howling for so long.
"..."
He was met with silence.
Shen Yan hadn't changed his clothes yet; he was still wearing the same old, torn clothes, the fabric stuck to his scabbed flesh.
He walked calmly into the woodshed, his fingers casually stroking the rows of torture instruments laid out on the table.
It stopped on a sharp knife.
The bearded bandit could clearly see this scene from his perspective, and his heart sank completely.
I thought he was the luckiest person, which is why he survived. Little did I know that surviving would be the greatest torment.
Chen Yan tapped the handle of the knife with his finger, casually posing a question.
Which hand did you use to touch her?
The bearded bandit swallowed hard, and hesitated before answering, hoping to save himself.
"Left hand."
Shen Yan turned her head and stared straight at him, a chilling smile playing on her lips.
"Your knee was on her leg, wasn't it?"
"..."
The bearded bandit was so frightened he almost cried and dared not answer.
Chen Yan clicked his tongue. "I've often heard people talk about kneecap punishment, but I always thought it was too troublesome and cumbersome."
"It's a bit too complicated. Adults shouldn't use it... Ah!!!"
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yan had already walked up to him, raised his knife, and plunged it into his knee.
His kneecap was incredibly hard, but his strength had increased many times over, and the knife embedded itself in the bone.
The bearded bandit struggled and kicked in agony, but his limbs were firmly bound, and it was all in vain.
Physical pain, mental stress, and the ravages of drugs caused the bearded bandit to curse loudly.
"You pretty boy, you little bastard, what right do you have to blame me? You put your little wife in that dilapidated temple, wasn't that just so we could play with her?"
"Do you know who my superiors are? I'm warning you, let me go right now, and I can go back and put in a good word for you with our boss."
"We're about to be offered amnesty by the imperial court. Do you know who proposed it? It was the current imperial concubine, the emperor's most beloved woman, you..."
Chen Yan chuckled and pulled a token from his robes.
The bearded bandits fell silent the moment they saw it…
"Recruit me? That will happen when you meet in hell after the emperor dies."
"..."
The bearded bandit was still cursing, spitting everywhere, his eyes bulging with rage.
"You're right. It was my fault for not protecting her. I will punish myself."
"I am a sinner just like you."
Shen Yan picked up a handkerchief from the side and casually wiped his hands, as if in response to what he had just said.
The bearded bandit thought he was going to let him go, but unexpectedly the door was pushed open and two servants led in two wild dogs.
The two stray dogs, who had been starving for countless days, gleamed with excitement at the smell of blood in the air, and drool dripped to the ground.
A servant stepped forward. (The censorship has been removed; please use your imagination.)
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Soon, the sounds of a man's screams and heavy breathing came from inside the house.
…
When Meng Qingluan woke up, it was already afternoon and the sun was setting.
Opening my eyes, I saw the antique-style bed curtains and could smell a faint fragrance.
Meng Qingluan's head was still a little fuzzy. Had she transmigrated again? Meng Qingluan thought subconsciously.
My wrists are still throbbing, and my knees are also aching.
With a slow turn of the head, I saw a fluffy head, its face buried in the mattress, fast asleep, and I could hear faint snoring.
"..."
To avoid the tragedy of being killed immediately after transmigrating last time, Meng Qingluan adopted a strategy of "if the enemy doesn't move, I won't move" this time.
But... why does this guy look so much like Chen Yan?
Meng Qingluan remained silent, simply staring at him.
Perhaps because her gaze was too intense, the head was lifted up after a short while.
"..."
Damn, it really is a deep inkstone?!
The two stared at each other, only the tuft of hair on Shen Yan's forehead twitched.
Then, my eyes turned red.
Shen Yan's silly smile had barely settled on his face when a crisp slap landed on his cheek.
"..."
Meng Qingluan stretched out her right hand and landed precisely on his face; his fair and delicate skin flushed red at a visible speed.
Shen Yan was somewhat bewildered, as was Meng Qingluan.
The two blinked at each other, and Meng Qingluan tentatively spoke up.
"Chen Yan...?"
"Uh-huh."
Shen Yan nodded slightly, his head half-red, then turned his head to reveal the unaffected half of his face.
"Luanluan, this half of your face...should we hit it?"
Meng Qingluan: "...?"
A masochist?
Meng Qingluan asked in a hoarse voice, "Why do you want to hit me?"
Without saying a word, Shen Yan buried his head in her arms and tentatively raised one eye to look at her expression.
"I'm not doing anything, just hit me."
Meng Qingluan hadn't figured out how the two of them ended up there, and impatiently propped one leg up to nudge his face.
"I won't hit you, my hand hurts. Get up and we can talk later."
"I don't."
Shen Yan resorted to shamelessness, catching the key words in her words.
My hand hurts, I need to get up...
Shen Yan straightened up and, right in front of Meng Qingluan, slapped himself across the face.
"...!!!"
Meng Qingluan stared blankly, not understanding why he had started his self-harming behavior as soon as she woke up...
Did she do something to betray herself? Did she get involved with her enemy, the Jade Prince?
Chen Yan turned her face, her eyes glistening with tears, "Luan Luan, can you forgive me?"
Meng Qingluan asked, "What did you do?"
Shen Yan replied softly, "I left you alone in the temple, and you were bullied by them. It's all my fault."
“If I hadn’t left you there alone, you wouldn’t have suffered. I’m more hateful than those thieves.”
Meng Qingluan found it funny, and also found the idea ridiculous. Who was manipulating him?
I couldn't resist curling my finger and flicking his forehead.
"Who told you it was your fault? Shen Yan, stop with the victim mentality, okay? Don't push all the blame onto yourself. The truly hateful ones are those who did evil, not you."
"..."
Shen Yan remained silent.
Meng Qingluan stretched out her foot and lightly kicked his leg, "Do you understand?"
Chen Yan was jolted back to his senses by the kick, then nodded and replied, "I understand."
After explaining the situation, Meng Qingluan asked him, "So, what did you go out to do that day? And where is this? Did you awaken a cheat ability?"
Shen Yan listened as she posed a series of questions, answering them one by one.
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