Chapter 493: Newlywed

Hearing the rustling sound inside the secret room, Gu Jiu Ling and Xiao Yin froze there simultaneously, looking at each other in disbelief.

Xiao Yin raised his hand to signal Gu Jiu Ling to be quiet, then moved his hand toward the Dragon Spring Sword at his waist, not expecting Gu Jiu Ling to press down on his wrist.

He turned his face away, stunned for a moment, and Gu Jiu Ling drew the Reward Diligence Dagger she wore and shoved it into Xiao Yin's hand.

Xiao Yin instantly understood; the cramped space prevented him from wielding his heavy Dragon Spring Sword, leaving him only able to use fists and feet.

He curled the corner of his mouth into a gentle smile, this little fox, truly thoughtful!

Xiao Yin raised his hand and rubbed Gu Jiu Ling's head; Gu Jiu Ling secretly rolled her eyes, feeling like she was being petted like a pet.

Xiao Yin stepped back, then kicked open the inner door; immediately after, Gu Jiu Ling struck flint and lit the torch she had prepared.

The dagger in Xiao Yin's hand had already thrust forward horizontally, but it halted just short, stopping half an inch from that person's head.

The small torch improved by Gu Jiu Ling instantly illuminated the cramped chamber before them; inside lay filth everywhere, a layer of firewood scattered on the floor, moldy, giving off an unbearable stench.

On the pile of grass sat a person, his clothes long since torn into rags, stained with dried blood, clearly having suffered severe torture.

His hair fell loose, obscuring his face; his body was skin and bones, petite, appearing to be a woman.

The woman heard the footsteps of Gu Jiu Ling and Xiao Yin and hurriedly turned around.

She lifted her head and met Gu Jiu Ling's gaze; Gu Jiu Ling instinctively stepped back, almost crying out.

Gu Jiu Ling stared fixedly at the woman before her, her face smeared with blood, even more horrifying was that her eyes had been gouged out, leaving only two empty sockets.

Apparently also frightened, she cried out in a broken voice, but when her mouth opened wide, one could see that only half of her tongue remained, the tip having been cut off.

"Who are you? How did you end up locked in here?"

Gu Jiu Ling furrowed her brows fiercely, mustering her courage to step forward, wanting to examine her wounds, but Xiao Yin blocked her.

Xiao Yin's brows knit tightly; even though he was accustomed to years of warfare on the battlefield, the sight before him still gave him a fierce start.

The woman heard the voices of Gu Jiu Ling and Xiao Yin, seeming even more frightened than they were, and, as if startled, kept backing away.

The woman seemed terrified to the extreme; her evasive motions were rather large, and the iron chains binding her struck the cold floor, producing a clattering sound.

In this cramped, foul-smelling chamber, it only made one feel a chill run down the spine.

At that moment, Gu Jiu Ling realized the woman's hands and feet were chained to the ground, and two more chains hung from the ceiling, piercing straight through her shoulder blades.

This also meant that the woman not only endured torture, but was forced to remain suspended in that position, barely able to lie down.

Moreover, judging from the smell of the room, this poor woman had likely been locked up for some time.

It is truly hard to imagine that in such a cramped space, with her hands and feet locked, her shoulder blades pierced, her eyes gouged out, and her tongue cut off, she was kept here.

Those Cao Clan people are truly beasts.

"Don't be afraid; we've come to rescue you."

"Was it Cao Maolin who locked you up here? Who are you?"

The three words "Cao Maolin" reached the woman's ears, and she suddenly let out a violent roar, a hoarse, sharp growl.

Like a beast on the verge of death from torment, she emitted her final mournful cry.

Although her eyes had been gouged out and she could not cry, the expression on her face made one feel profound grief.

Gu Jiu Ling suppressed her fear and, carefully, spoke softly to her: "Don't be afraid; we have come this time to deal with Cao Maolin."

Upon hearing those words, the woman suddenly calmed down.

Gu Jiu Ling secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the woman had not lost her sanity and could still communicate normally.

Being locked up by Cao Maolin indicates this woman holds great value; otherwise the Cao Clan would have killed her long ago—why imprison her here and subject her to such torment, slowly torturing her?

Xiao Yin handed the dagger he was holding back to Gu Jiu Ling for self-defense; who knows what sort of person is locked up in this room?

He then drew the Dragon Spring Sword from his waist; despite the cramped space, he had more than enough strength to cleave those chains.

The Dragon Spring Sword truly lives up to its reputation as a fine blade; one strike severed even the Mystic Iron Chain.

The woman immediately collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily, not knowing how long she had been hung here; this time she could not even support her own body.

Xiao Yin then cut the iron hook piercing the woman's shoulder blades on her back; the woman finally gained freedom, uttering incoherent sounds from her mouth, unsure what she was trying to express.

Xiao Yin looked at Gu Jiu Ling and said, "First let's get her out; this stench is simply unbearable."

Gu Jiu Ling turned and walked out of the secret room; Xiao Yin lifted the woman and carried her to the house where Cao Maolin lived.

Outside, the candlelight was brighter; Gu Jiu Ling used the light to take the woman's pulse, and the woman realized these two were truly here to rescue her, so she cooperated.

Gu Jiu Ling furrowed her brows severely: "The injuries are too severe, and they have certainly been present for at least half a year."

"I never expected the Cao Clan to be so ruthless; the damage is irreversible, and I can only treat a few superficial wounds, but the tendons in her hands and feet have been severed."

Xiao Yin's brows tightened; with her hand and foot tendons severed, how could we still question her?

Gu Jiu Ling tended to her wounds, and Xiao Yin brought paper and brush to the woman.

"Your hands cannot write, your mouth cannot speak; it's pitiful, but hold the brush in your mouth and write."

The woman seemed to have taken Xiao Yin's words to heart, and quickly lowered her head.

Gu Jiu Ling then brought the brush shaft to her lips, and the woman bit down on it.

She slowly lowered her head, and Xiao Yin quickly held the paper before her: "Writing larger is fine; even a few characters we can guess the meaning."

The woman nodded, then, with the ink‑loaded brush clenched in her mouth, she slowly made strokes on the white paper before her; writing with her mouth was awkward, but the general sense could still be made out.

The woman seemed to have much she wanted to tell them; the characters she wrote on the paper were somewhat messy, and she was also quite anxious.

However, seeing the young woman write each character one by one, Gu Jiu Ling's expression suddenly shifted.

"You are actually Cao Maolin's wife?"

Gu Jiu Ling was stunned.

When they had previously come to Yangzhou, they had indeed heard that Cao Maolin had just taken a wife.

Cao Maolin's new bride had entered the Cao Clan only half a year earlier; later, Gu Nanxiang became a favored concubine, and this new wife was consequently confined to the rear courtyard, ignored and forgotten.

We had thought she was merely out of favor, but never imagined she would be locked away here, and subjected to such severe punishment?

Gu Jiu Ling furrowed her brows deeply.