Chapter 273: Relax, Dizziness Is Normal

In the deepest part of the Dali Temple Prison, Li Junxian, clad in armor and brandishing a sword, looked at the surrounding overcrowded cells with a gaze devoid of any emotion.

In the cell directly before him, at its center, a disheveled Taoist sat quietly on the ground, eyes closed, his face showing no hint of panic.

The other Taoists and Tianzhu monks in the cell kept a distance from this Taoist, even though it made the space more cramped, and no one approached.

It was clear that the others greatly respected this Taoist.

And he was the leader of the group—Yunyangzi.

A native Taoist of the Tang Dynasty, rumored to be 123 years old yet looking no older than forty‑five, which is one reason Li Shimin trusted him.

"You're remarkably calm."

Seeing Yunyangzi already locked in the cell, still showing no sign of panic, with an air of confidence as he sat in composed meditation as if everything around him were irrelevant, Li Junxian sneered.

"You probably don't realize that your scheme has already been uncovered, and a great disaster is about to befall you."

Yunyangzi shook his head slightly, keeping his eyes closed: "When I was young, I was ambushed by horse bandits; their long sabers almost sliced my throat, but at the critical moment I was rescued by the Mountain Lord and escaped death."

"At nineteen, I went to harvest a medicinal herb and fell off a cliff; a tree broke my fall, saving my life but breaking both legs. Then I encountered several highly intelligent monkeys, survived on the wild fruit they gave me, and later found an untitled medical text at the cliff's base, which I used to heal my legs and stand again."

"At twenty‑seven… thirty‑two…"

Yunyangzi gave Li Junxian examples piece by piece, recounting the perils he had faced throughout his life.

At first Li Junxian did not understand, but later he grasped the meaning.

"You mean that you have encountered countless dangers in this life, yet each time you turn peril into safety and even gain something from it?"

Yunyangzi remained silent, his eyes still unopened.

"Your attitude is admirable; I hope you can stay composed later," Li Junxian said without anger, though a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

He had no reason to be angry with someone destined to die.

At that moment, a middle‑aged man of about fifty or sixty, with a rugged face that exuded uprightness, entered.

He carried a sizable wooden crate, its contents unknown.

Seeing the newcomer, Li Junxian quickly bowed, "Lord Liu, what brings you here?"

The man's name was Liu Dewei, who had served as Dali Prefect and Minister of the Ministry of Justice, renowned for his legal strictness and ruthless methods; most criminals who fell into his hands could neither live nor die.

However, Liu Dewei was already advanced in age, and at his own request, Li Shimin had assigned him a sinecure, allowing him to enjoy his twilight years.

Little did he expect that tonight, he would be summoned here in the dead of night.

On Liu Dewei's stiff face a faint smile appeared: "Commander Li, I am here by His Majesty's order to extract something from these prisoners; I hope you can do me a favor and open the cell."

"No problem!" Li Junxian replied without hesitation.

Then he ordered the doors opened, and a squad of imperial guards rushed in, subduing everyone.

The entire Dali Temple Prison erupted into chaos at once.

Most people still didn't understand what was happening; some even threatened the imperial guards to release them quickly.

Only a few who knew the inside story immediately begged for mercy.

Liu Dewei lifted the crate and walked slowly into the cell, standing before Yunyangzi: "It seems you are their leader. Hmm, I think you must be a hard‑hearted one, after all you're in this predicament yet remain completely unflustered."

"But that's fine; I've seen many people like you, and in the end they all begged me to kill them."

"You may not believe it, but it's okay—I have a few tricks, so please have a look."

He spoke to himself, completely ignoring Yunyangzi's increasingly grim expression and his body that began to tremble.

"Come, could this young brother bring over that clean‑clothed junior Daoist and bind him for me?"

Liu Dewei said something to one of the imperial guards holding a junior Taoist, then, in front of Yunyangzi, opened his crate.

Inside were neatly arranged various instruments of torture, many never seen before, some appearing to have been stained by blood for so long that they were coated in an irredeemable black hue.

The sight of these items made everyone shiver.

Even Li Junxian couldn't help but silently swallow.

"No, no, no!" the junior Taoist cried, terrified to the point of his liver and gallbladder bursting, struggling fiercely, refusing to be dragged by the imperial guard.

But a junior Taoist could not resist the well‑trained imperial guards; he was quickly bound tightly and fell between Liu Dewei and Yunyangzi.

Liu Dewei's fingers brushed lightly over each tool, a hint of sentiment flashing in his eyes.

Then he took out ten long needles, resembling medical needles but much thicker.

"I have never liked punishments that sound cruel—such as staff punishment, beating, shackling, or flogging. I find them far too mild, too merciful to you," Liu Dewei said, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe a silver needle, not even glancing at the junior Taoist on the ground, and addressed Yunyangzi:

"Do you know what ten‑finger heart pain is?"

"I'll give you a chance: if you reveal the formula of that immortal pill, I can, albeit reluctantly, spare my old comrades, for I am old and sometimes prefer not to wage war."

"What do you think?"

Yunyangzi's lips turned pale, yet his eyes remained closed, for he knew that revealing the formula would still condemn them to a fate worse than death.

"Excellent, it seems I still have a chance to demonstrate," Liu Dewei said, unsurprised by Yunyangzi's choice.

He had seen far too many prisoners like this!

So many that he could no longer count them.

"No! Master, save me, I beg you, save me!"

Seeing Liu Dewei about to act, the junior Taoist sobbed, "Master, please, for the sake of our past bond, save me. I… I don't want to be tortured!!!"

Liu Dewei was somewhat surprised; the junior Taoist he had randomly chosen turned out to be Yunyangzi's disciple.

Indeed, he grew even more excited.

"Aaaah!!!!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

The piercing screams instantly echoed through the cell, and merely hearing them made one's scalp tingle and the spine grow cold.

"Master!!!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

At this moment, even Li Junxian turned away, unwilling to keep watching.

Time passed second by second, the wailing had been sounding for an unknown length of time; the young Taoist priest kept fainting repeatedly, then waking from the pain. By now he was foaming at the mouth, looking on the brink of death.

Liu Dewei felt a bit disappointed, took out a sharp knife again, and said softly, "Relax, the dizziness is normal."

Wuu...... uh......

After the young Taoist priest died, Liu Dewei smiled at Yunyangzi, and what he said utterly broke everyone.

"Next one!"

"......"