Dali Temple
In the dim and damp cell, a candle flickered on and off. Chu Mo dragged her bloodied body forward with difficulty. Her cracked lips trembled as she tried to drink a sip of water from the broken bowl.
The Crown Prince and his entourage had just subjected Chu Mo to a full hour of torture, using more than ten horrifying instruments of torture from the Dali Temple, but they still couldn't pry open Chu Mo's mouth.
Chu Mo could barely reach the broken bowl, drank a mouthful of filthy water, her eyes drooping slightly. She looked like a broken rag doll, and her once handsome, ethereal pupils now radiated only dejection and fearlessness.
Not long after, Chu Mo closed his eyes to rest. Suddenly, he heard the sound of chains clanging outside the cell. The jailer took out a key and opened the heavy iron door. The King of Chu, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, entered the cell.
This place is where prisoners who have committed serious crimes in the State of Chu are held. It is an impregnable fortress, and this is the first time that the King of Chu has personally come to such a filthy place.
The foul, rotten smell made the King of Chu frown. He covered his mouth and nose, looked down at the dying Chu Mo on the ground, and his face was somewhat gloomy.
The old eunuch behind him hurriedly ordered someone to bring over a chair, and the King of Chu lifted his robe and sat down.
He stared intently at Chu Mo, who remained silent, his eyes filled with a chilling intensity.
After a while, the King of Chu cleared his throat and ordered the old eunuch to put a bowl of clean water and a snow-white steamed bun into Chu Mo's mouth.
"Mo'er...why did you do this?"
The King of Chu's voice was filled with disbelief. This was the first time he had addressed Chu Mo in this way. Just yesterday, Chu Mo had repeatedly said that she would share his burdens, and she had clearly protected the jade pendant he had been given as a gift like a treasure.
How come everything changed after just a few hours?
Today, he had intended to discuss the plan to attack Daqi with his trusted confidants, but for some reason, he suddenly remembered the defense map.
The King of Chu did not fight unprepared battles, so everything had to be in place to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of any openings.
Who would have thought that when they entered the secret chamber, they would find it completely empty, with nothing left inside.
That was a defense map that concerned the fate of the Chu state; it was the very foundation of the nation, and yet it had vanished without a trace.
King Chu was furious and immediately ordered a thorough search of the entire palace. The search led them to Chu Mo and a strange palace maid.
He never expected that his own flesh and blood would commit such a treacherous act of collusion with the enemy, so in a fit of anger he quickly threw the man into prison.
If it weren't for the need to extract the location of the defense map and the whereabouts of the thieves from her, given the tyrannical nature of the King of Chu, he probably would have already beheaded Chu Mo and displayed his head to the public.
The King of Chu sighed deeply, looking at Chu Mo, who remained silent on the ground, his ruthlessness becoming even more pronounced.
"You know that once you enter here, there's no way out. But don't forget, it doesn't matter if you die, you still have your brother and mother, and even your lover!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Mo's expression changed noticeably. She was somewhat surprised. How did this damned emperor know that his mother was not dead, and how did he know about Qing'er's affairs?
The King of Chu chuckled softly as he looked at Chu Mo's nervous expression.
"I am the emperor of a nation, not a fool who can be easily deceived. The tricks of the Prince of the South cannot escape my eyes. As for that Qing'er, she is currently in the Great Qi Imperial Palace. And the one who stole the defense map is the Crown Prince of Great Qi, Xiao Xuan, right?"
The King of Chu's sinister and sharp eyes revealed a sense of certainty, as if everything was under his control.
"Hehehe, my good father, as the ruler of a country, do you rely on guesswork for everything?"
Chu Mo laughed wildly, her previous near-death appearance replaced by arrogant and fearless laughter. She used her strength to support herself as she stood up and slowly took two steps forward.
Chu Mo wore an unusually smug smile, along with sarcasm and ridicule towards the man in front of him.
"The fate of Chu is about to change. You're not really stupid enough to think that fool Shen Yun can wipe out Qi for you, are you? Hahaha..."
As he laughed, Chu Mo suddenly raised his eyes, his sharp gaze like a blade piercing straight at the King of Chu. When the King of Chu met Chu Mo's gaze, he felt a sudden chill in his heart, but it was quickly replaced by anger and murderous intent.
Even if he felt a little bit guilty towards Chu Mo, that feeling had completely vanished by now.
"Chu Mo, I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me where the Crown Prince of Daqi is, and I'll grant you a proper burial."
"otherwise..."
"Otherwise what? Do you think I care? I'm going to die either way. Besides, you can't threaten me!"
"Stubborn to the end, then don't blame me for disregarding our father-daughter relationship. Issue my decree: in three days, Chu Mo will be executed by being torn apart by five horses at the Meridian Gate!"
The King of Chu spoke coldly, then turned and left without looking back.
In his eyes, useful people can enjoy wealth and glory, while those who are both rebellious and useless should die in agony.
Ning Yin and Xiao Xuan's group were already near the border of Chu. The King of Chu's orders had not yet reached them. They rode their horses at breakneck speed and soon arrived at the pass.
At this time, there were caravans and civilians coming and going at the checkpoint. The guards would arbitrarily check their travel documents and then let them pass.
Xiao Xuan did not intend to take Ning Yin through the closed gate to avoid any accidents, so the group came to a secluded spot near the city gate and prepared to use their lightness skills to leave the city.
Just as he was about to help Ning Yin down from the carriage, he heard the scouts come to report that there seemed to be a group of Chu troops outside the city wall, and if he used his lightness skill, he might be noticed by them.
Xiao Xuan thought about it and realized he had no choice but to go through the checkpoint. He was now disguised as a woman and had already obtained the necessary travel documents, so getting out wouldn't be difficult.
And so, Xiao Xuan led Ning Yin toward the city gate, joining the line of people behind them.
Soon, it was time to check their documents. Xiao Xuan handed over the documents, and the guard glanced at them and waved his hand, indicating that Xiao Xuan and the others could leave.
However, just as the horse took two steps, everyone suddenly heard a rapid sound of hooves coming from behind them.
The man on horseback shouted loudly at the guards at the city gate. Xiao Xuan immediately sensed something was wrong and lashed his horse with his whip. The horse galloped away like lightning.
The man behind them quickly caught up, shouting, "Stop them!"
"Ah Ning, hold on tight to the handrail!"
Xiao Xuan gave a warning and whipped his horse hard again. Only then did the guards at the gate realize that something was wrong and hurriedly ran towards Xiao Xuan and his group.
Soon, a group of soldiers outside the city gate also noticed the abnormality and caught up with Xiao Xuan's horse.
"Useless trash! Didn't you hear me telling you to stop people?"
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