Chapter 182

Zhenwu Bureau dungeon.

"Hahahaha~"

A hysterical burst of laughter suddenly erupted.

"Chen Mu, you brat! Have the guts to kill me!"

"Move aside! Move aside… ahahaha~!"

"Mmmmmm~!"

……

Deep in the dungeon, dark and damp, the air reeked of a foul mix of blood and mold.

Xie Ning and Qiu Lie were bound separately to specially designed racks, drenched in sweat, faces pale, bodies trembling uncontrollably, gasping for breath, chests heaving.

They had just endured the Water Torture and the Sheep-Tongue Torture.

Repeated immersion in icy river water had scorched their lungs like fire.

Rough sheep tongues lapping salted skin on their soles brought unbearable, piercing itch…

These tortures left no visible wounds, yet were enough to shatter a man's will!

Chen Mu was never a rigid man.

He had not killed Xie Ning and Qiu Lie outright, precisely to force them to implicate Lin Kuan.

Yang Xue was the enforcer.

Yet Xie Ning and Qiu Lie's stubbornness had grown infuriating.

Yang Xue was the most furious.

She stood before Xie Ning and Qiu Lie, face icy, eyes cold, teeth clenched as she hissed, "Xie Ning! Qiu Lie! After all this, still resisting? Lin Kuan ordered you to commit heinous crimes—you're merely his knives!"

"If you sign and seal your confessions, naming Lin Kuan as the mastermind, you might still earn a swift death! Otherwise, these dungeon tortures are only the beginning. What follows will ensure you beg for death but cannot die!"

"Huff… huff~"

Xie Ning and Qiu Lie panted, not lifting their heads, not speaking a word.

Chen Mu stood silently in the shadows, expressionless, watching it all.

Through Lu Ziyi's account, Chen Mu realized Lin Kuan was extremely cunning; over the years he had committed countless crimes, yet rarely acted personally—Xie Ning and Qiu Lie always carried out his orders.

Especially Xie Ning!

Nine out of ten of Lin Kuan's crimes were executed by him.

This made the matter exceedingly difficult.

To topple this deeply entrenched head of the Zhenwu Bureau, iron evidence was needed—and the sworn, signed confessions of Xie Ning and Qiu Lie were the most critical link.

Yet Xie Ning and Qiu Lie were seasoned veterans; they understood everything as clearly as a mirror.

As long as they stayed silent, Lin Kuan, to protect himself, might still try to maneuver—or even rescue them, though the hope was slim.

But if they spoke and implicated him, they would cut off all escape routes; Lin Kuan would spare no effort to kill them, and they would have no chance of survival.

"Speak!"

Yang Xue barked, "Bring out the next torture…"

"Pah!"

Before Yang Xue finished, Xie Ning suddenly lifted his head and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva, grinning fiercely, "Yang Xue, you bitch! And Chen Mu! Trying to frame Lord Lin? Dream on! I know nothing!"

Qiu Lie clenched his teeth, eyes flickering, but kept his mouth shut tight, silent.

"Torture them!"

Yang Xue slashed her hand down.

Soon, Xie Ning's wild laughter rose again.

"Ahahaha~!"

……

The two sides remained locked in stalemate—torture, threats, bribes—all deployed in turn, from daylight until nightfall.

Though Xie Ning and Qiu Lie were mentally broken by the torment, their instinct for survival and lingering hope in Lin Kuan kept them clamping their jaws shut.

Until a jailer entered carrying two bowls of food and broth that looked relatively decent.

Chen Mu waved his hand, signaling Yang Xue to pause.

He stepped forward, coldly glancing at Xie Ning and Qiu Lie, then ordered the jailer, "Feed them. Watch them closely—don't let them die! I need their confessions to expose the mastermind!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The jailer responded, lifted the bowl, and moved to feed Xie Ning.

"Huu~"

Xie Ning exhaled, a flicker of relief in his eyes—he'd suffered so long, at last he could eat and regain strength.

Yet, just as the spoon neared Xie Ning's lips, Chen Mu suddenly seemed to realize something and shouted sharply.

"Wait!"

Everyone froze, turning to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu's face was solemn, his gaze sharp as he stared at the food and said grimly, "Don't feed them yet."

Then he turned to a Zhenwu Bureau guard beside him and ordered, "Go—fetch a dog immediately!"

Though puzzled, the Zhenwu Bureau guard swiftly obeyed and left.

The dungeon fell into an eerie silence; Xie Ning and Qiu Lie watched the food being carried away, eyes filled with confusion and dread.

Soon, the Zhenwu Bureau guard returned, dragging a stray mongrel.

Chen Mu gestured for the jailer to mix the food and broth together and place it on the ground for the dog.

The mongrel, clearly starving, immediately devoured it ravenously.

At first nothing seemed amiss, but before long, the mongrel suddenly stopped eating, let out a pained "whine," its body began to convulse, and black blood started seeping from its mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

It struggled a few times, then collapsed on the ground, limbs rigid, completely lifeless.

Blood from all seven orifices!

The food was poisoned!

"Ah!"

The dungeon was instantly filled with the sound of sharp intakes of breath.

The jailer who had delivered the meal was so terrified his soul nearly fled his body; with a thud, his legs went weak and he slumped to the ground.

"Seize him!"

Chen Mu barked sharply, and immediately guards of the Zhenwu Division stepped forward to pin the ashen-faced jailer down.

"M-my lord, spare me! It wasn't me, it wasn't me!"

The jailer, voice thick with sobs, was quickly dragged away.

From afar, screams could still be heard.

Before the rack, all was silent.

"What a fine move—silencing witnesses by killing."

Chen Mu spoke in a low, measured voice, slowly turning around. His gaze shot like two arrows toward Xie Ning and Qiu Lie, who stood dumbstruck, their faces pale as ghosts, his tone calm and icy.

"You see? Lin Kuan wants to silence you too! And you still want to shield him? Truly pathetic and laughable!"

"N-no… impossible… Lord Lin, he… he…" Xie Ning muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief, but the dog's wretched death and that bowl of food before his eyes hammered at his heart like a heavy mallet.

"I'll talk! I'm willing to testify! It was Lin Kuan! He ordered everything! He coveted the yuan-iron ore, he told us to silence Green Stone Village, he was afraid Zhang Heng would report him, so he had us kill Zhang Heng! It was all him!!"

Qiu Lie broke down completely. His psychological defenses utterly shattered by this ruthless silencing tactic, he wailed and screamed it out, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Xie Ning watched Qiu Lie collapse, then looked at the dead stray dog on the ground, and finally turned to Chen Mu's icy gaze. The last flicker of侥幸 in his eyes was completely extinguished, replaced by a dead-gray despair.

He let out a bitter laugh and lowered his head. "…Y-yes… it was Lin Kuan… who ordered it… I… I'm willing to testify…"

Chen Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief inside, though his face remained icy.

He glanced at Yang Xue and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Yang Xue understood at once and immediately produced the prepared confession and sealing paste.

This whole "poisoned meal" act had been secretly arranged by Chen Mu through Yang Xue.

He had anticipated Lin Kuan might act desperately; even if Lin Kuan didn't make a move, he intended to create an opportunity to彻底 sever any lingering hopes Xie Ning and Qiu Lie might have!

Judging by now, the plan had worked splendidly.

With Xie Ning and Qiu Lie broken, they could go after Lin Kuan!