Chapter 63: Better to Die Than Submit, Heads Will Roll!

A moment later.

Inside the cellar.

The candlelight on the table was dim, and Lin Xingchao, having just learned the situation, was full of shame:

"I'm sorry, Senior Brother. Our carelessness has dragged you into this and shattered your years of peaceful life. I really am..."

"Enough, this is not the time for idle talk."

With things having reached this point, Li Junxian raised his hand to interrupt:

"There is one piece of good news. This is the Wanted Notice. It is now basically certain that Beichen is not dead and is being held within the Jingwu Division."

"Senior Brother is not dead?"

"That's great!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xingchao and Gu Yourong joyfully took the Wanted Notice, but after carefully looking at it by the candlelight, their expressions changed again:

"... To be beheaded at the Caishikou in the East City in three days!?"

"Correct."

Li Junxian sneered:

"The Jingwu Division claims that Beichen is an accomplice of Qingyike. This is using him as bait; they are luring you in, and they are also luring Qingyike."

"Those dogs and lackeys!"

Lin Xingchao's face turned livid.

Regardless of whom the Jingwu Division was trying to lure, three days was far too short.

His own injuries were far from healed, making it too strenuous for him to act; and there was nowhere near enough time to gather men from Jinjin. It could be said that he was in a dilemma.

Gu Yourong also understood Lin Xingchao's predicament; her lips trembled, and she was at a loss: "Three days, only three days, what should we do..."

"There are only two ways to save Beichen now."

Li Junxian also had a heavy expression and said grimly:

"First, at the time of the execution, we find a way to create chaos and take the opportunity to raid the execution ground to save him. However, this method is equivalent to throwing ourselves into a net. With the Jingwu Division's arrangements, without enough experts to help, the possibility of success is almost zero."

Lin Xingchao remained silent.

"Second, is to find a way to sneak into the Jingwu Division before he is beheaded and displayed in the North City, and rescue Beichen in advance."

Li Junxian continued, then unfolded a sketch:

"This is the internal structure map of the Jingwu Division. Dahu and the others gathered it from some night-soil collectors. The accuracy is very high. If nothing goes wrong, Beichen should be locked up here."

He pointed to a building in the northwest corner of the map and said slowly:

"This is the Criminal Prison of the Jingwu Division. It holds major criminals, so the defense is exceptionally strict. Besides various elite experts, there is at least a squad of dozens of soldiers with Firearm. It is extremely difficult to break in directly to save someone."

Lin Xingchao looked at the map carefully and took a deep breath:

"But this method seems to have a higher feasibility than raiding the execution ground. Since that is the case, let us use this method. Today is the first day; tomorrow night I will sneak in and see if there is an opportunity to rescue Beichen."

Li Junxian sighed and said:

"In your current condition, if you go alone, I fear you will be lost inside. Let me accompany you on this trip."

As the words fell, Xu Dahu and Xu Erhu looked anxious: "Master!?"

Although Li Junxian was Lin Xingchao's senior brother, due to internal injuries suffered in his early years, his Martial Arts cultivation had slipped, and he now only had the cultivation of the Fourth Realm, and he had not fought anyone in many years.

In this state, entering a dragon's den like the Jingwu Division's Criminal Prison, how could they, as disciples, not be worried?

"No!"

Knowing Li Junxian's situation, Lin Xingchao also said with extreme decisiveness:

"Raiding the prison is too dangerous. We have brought you so much trouble, and Senior Brother, you have already helped me so much; you must never risk your life again!"

Li Junxian said calmly:

"Although I am a bit old, my skills have not regressed much. Do you look down on your senior brother? Beichen is also my junior nephew; I cannot watch you break into the tiger's den alone, isolated and helpless."

"Still no!"

This time, Lin Xingchao was intense and resolute:

"This matter should not involve anyone else. If Senior Brother insists on going, then I would rather not save Beichen. At worst, I will stay in this Fengyang Prefecture for a year or a half, kill all those corrupt officials and lackeys involved, and avenge him!"

For a moment, Li Junxian was speechless, and the scene seemed to reach a stalemate.

Even though Gu Yourong was extremely anxious, she dared not speak.

And at this time, Lu Yuan, who had been silent, spoke up:

"Master, Uncle-Master, in my opinion, the situation has not yet reached such a dire extent. You seem to have forgotten one person."

Li Junxian's gaze narrowed slightly:

"Are you talking about Qingyike?"

Lin Xingchao also understood the meaning, but shook his head pessimistically:

"Are you trying to say that Qingyike might take action to save Beichen? Although the Wanted Notice claims we are all accomplices of Qingyike, that is just an excuse for the government to save face. Qingyike is a total stranger to us, and having not appeared for so long before, why would he take action?"

"Uncle-Master, that is not necessarily true. This matter is now making a huge stir throughout Fengyang Prefecture; it is hard to say whether Qingyike will have a reaction."

Lu Yuan advised:

"Regardless, you must heal your injuries better. Only then will the chances of successfully rescuing Senior Brother be greater. Why not wait two days and see how the situation develops, how about it?"

Li Junxian also said: "A Yuan makes some sense. This concerns Qingyike; he may not sit idly by when he hears the news. It is not too late for us to wait until the third day to decide how to act."

With things having reached this point, there was no other way. Lin Xingchao was silent for a long time, and finally nodded slowly: "Good."

With that, the discussion ended.

It was not suitable to stay in Boxiyuan for long, so Lu Yuan and the others put on the tunnel gear again and returned to another courtyard.

And watching Lin Xingchao and Gu Yourong return to their rooms with heavy expressions.

Lu Yuan silently went to his room, opened a piece of luggage, and changed into the Night Suit pressed at the very bottom.

Then there were the Firearm, Short Blade, and ammunition.

Once fully equipped, he gave a cold chuckle, and as he channeled his Dharma Power, his entire body slowly sank into the ground and vanished from sight.

The reason he did not act yesterday upon receiving the news was that it was difficult to explain the source and motive behind Qingyike's information.

But now that the Jingwu Division had posted the Wanted Notice and caused such a huge stir, it was the perfect excuse!

At this very moment.

Inside the Jingwu Division's Criminal Chamber.

Because most of those imprisoned were major criminals and masters of Martial Arts, the Jingwu Division's prison was built three zhang underground, guarded inside and out by elites, and even rotated by retired Fourth Realm experts, so that not even a fly could fly in.

"Tell everyone outside to keep their wits about them!"

At this moment in the prison, Sagele, who had been heavily wounded, did not take men out to search the streets, but remained in the Criminal Chamber to oversee the interrogations, shouting at the guards on duty:

"Over these next few nights, there is no guarantee that thieves won't sneak in to rescue the prisoners. If anyone is negligent and lets them slip in, I will certainly report to the superior and have them skinned alive!"

"Yes!"

"Don't worry, sir!"

Two jailers nodded and bowed, one of them fawningly said: "Sir, that brat has already had his bleeding stopped and is about to wake up. Should we continue?"

Sagele revealed a ferocious smile: "Go, continue. I want to see just how tough this brat's mouth can be!"

As he spoke, he walked with a splayed gait, leading the jailers into the Criminal Chamber.

Inside, Xi Beichen was seen hanging from chains on a rack, the bandages wrapped around his body already soaked completely blood-red.

Beyond that, one could see that all the fingernails and toenails on his hands and feet had been pulled out, and one hand and one foot were a bloody mess; it seemed the tendons in his hands and feet had all been severed!

Splash!

A basin of ice water was ruthlessly poured over Xi Beichen's face, causing his eyelids to tremble as he slowly regained consciousness.

Before him, Sagele said in a measured tone:

"How about it? Have you thought it through? I have only severed the tendons of one of your feet so far. If you still won't talk, I will have no choice but to sever all the tendons in your hands and feet, leaving you a completely crippled person."

Xi Beichen stared at the other with a look of extreme terror, letting out a hoarse laugh:

"Heh heh... You Jin Clan dog are very proud? I know I certainly won't live, but the end for you, this Jin Clan dog, will be ten times more miserable than mine.

My master will hunt you down, and even your family, and slaughter every last one of them. And you, whatever I have suffered before I die, you will suffer the same ten times over! Hahaha, hahahahaha!"

Xi Beichen's laughter was weak and full of pain.

But at this moment, both Sagele and the two jailers administering the torture felt their expressions twitch violently, their hearts turning cold.

Because they knew Xi Beichen's words were no mere threat.

The impostor who had escaped was a genuine Fifth Realm Blood Refining Martial Artist; if he truly turned ruthless and lurked to assassinate them, they really did face the possibility of their entire families being wiped out!

"You dog thief, how dare you threaten me?"

Seemingly enraged by his own momentary fear, Sagele gritted his teeth, drew his blade, and stepped forward, instantly severing the tendons of Xi Beichen's other foot:

"If we were afraid of you Han people's revenge, how could my Jin Clan sit so securely on this throne!? Your shitty master doesn't even know how much longer he can live; I want to see if he has the guts to come find me!"

Fresh blood sprayed out; with both foot tendons severed, he was now a complete cripple.

Xi Beichen, already extremely weak, let out a few painful roars before his head dropped, and he fainted once again.

"Stop his bleeding again, then wake him up for me!"

Sagele was extremely annoyed, shouting with a fierce but cowardly tone:

"I don't believe these Han people's bones are really that hard!"

The two jailers were also Han people, but hearing this, they dared not say anything, only stepping forward to simply stop the bleeding and bandage Xi Beichen's other severed foot.

And just as they finished treating the wounds and prepared to wake Xi Beichen up again.

Suddenly, a golden light flashed out of thin air.

The heads of the two jailers, and even their outstretched hands, were severed simultaneously, and then a rain of blood sprayed wildly!!

What!?

This inconceivable scene caused Sagele to be instantly terrified, the hair on his body standing on end as he retreated wildly.

Yet the next moment, another golden ray flashed urgently in the dim Criminal Chamber, and his legs were instantly severed at the knees, causing him to fall to the ground in agony!

Instantly losing sensation in his legs, with a massive amount of blood spraying out, and unable to comprehend such a terrifying phenomenon amidst the excruciating pain, the fallen Sagele let out a heaven-shaking scream:

"Ahhhhhhh—!"

And as he screamed.

There were two more *chi-chi* sounds!

The golden light flashed, as if a peerless divine weapon had slashed through, and his arms were again severed at the roots, instantly turning him into a human torso.

A powerful Great Martial Master who had reached the Fourth Realm had lost his hands and feet without any resistance; Sagele rolled on the ground in pain, his screams of extreme terror, agony, and despair echoing throughout the entire prison.

At this time, having clearly heard the commotion in the Criminal Chamber, both the guards inside the prison and the elites stationed on patrol outside were suddenly alarmed and rushed in one after another.

The first to arrive was a prison warden of the rank of Colonel, along with six armed experts.

Just as they rushed to the entrance of the Criminal Chamber, they saw only pitch-black darkness inside, and the candles on the walls had all been extinguished;

The sound of screaming and a thick, bloody stench rushed toward them. The warden looked at the darkness inside the Criminal Chamber, not daring to rush in immediately, and could only shout loudly from outside: "Commandant Sagele, what has happened inside!?"

And just as his voice fell.

*Tu-tu-tu*—

In the corridor outside the prison, rows of lanterns were suddenly extinguished one by one, plunging most of the underground prison into darkness.

Such a bizarre situation caused the head guard and his subordinates' expressions to change wildly, and they instinctively retreated repeatedly, not knowing where to point their Firearm.

Then, immediately after, a dazzling golden glow tore through the darkness, accompanied by a series of sounds of flesh being severed and blood spraying.

It was clearly the golden glow flashing past; the head guard and several experts didn't even have time to groan before they were instantly decapitated, blood spraying wildly, their heads and mangled corpses falling all over the ground!

(End of chapter)