Chapter 477: I've Been Watching You

When Mi Ti Ya, Balthasar, and Gaspar, accompanied by Xi Lv Wang's attendant Fei Luo, hurried to the cell imprisoning Yu Lin, the sight inside left them stunned at once.

Yu Lin not only emerged unscathed, but could even be said to be… overly comfortable.

He sat, swaggering, on a simple wooden chair of unknown origin, his posture relaxed.

Behind him, a Roman soldier was carefully, with utmost reverence, kneading his shoulder, the pressure expertly calibrated.

Next to them, another soldier crouched half‑way, vigorously pounding his leg, his face plastered with a flattering smile.

In the center of the cell, the Soldier Captain, who should have been proud and lofty, was now solidly hung from a hastily‑assembled wooden frame, looking miserable.

On either side of him stood a soldier each wielding a leather whip.

The soldier on the left's whip looked ordinary, yet each lash added a fresh bloodstain to the Soldier Captain's body, accompanied by his suppressed groans of pain.

The soldier on the right brandished a slightly darker, peculiarly textured whip; whenever the left one finished a strike, the right immediately followed with a lash that landed precisely on the newly made wound.

Strangely, as the whip struck, the flesh‑flayed wound began to heal and scab over at a visibly rapid pace!

Lash, heal, lash again, heal again…

The whole process formed a cruel and bizarre loop, the Soldier Captain's wails and moans thus taking on a unique, unending rhythm of pain.

This incomprehensible scene made even the well‑versed Mi Ti Ya stare wide‑eyed, his face full of astonishment.

Balthasar and Gaspar couldn't help inhaling sharply, instinctively stepping back half a pace.

Attendant Fei Luo also furrowed his brows, a flicker of startled doubt flashing in his eyes.

At that moment, Yu Lin seemed only just to notice their arrival, turned his head, a smile spreading across his face, and greeted warmly:

"Ah, you're here? So fast!"

He waved his hand as if this were his own living room: "Sit, sit, make yourselves at home, treat this place like your own house."

Then his expression hardened, he glared at the soldiers still kneading shoulders and pounding legs, feigning anger:

"What are you standing around for? Didn't you see honored guests arrived? Hurry up and attend to them!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The two soldiers, as if granted a pardon or receiving a holy decree, hurriedly ceased their duties, turned, and went to fetch a chair.

"No, no!" Mi Ti Ya snapped out of his shock, waved his hand to stop them, his gaze shifting among Yu Lin, the soldiers, and the hanging Soldier Captain, his face full of confusion:

"Yu Lin, what… what is going on? Why are they… treating their superior like this? And that whip…"

He pointed at the strange whip in the right‑hand soldier's hand that could heal wounds.

Yu Lin rose from the chair, shrugged casually, and said lightly, "Nothing major, just had an easy‑going ideological exchange with them, and perhaps swayed them a bit."

He brushed it off, then changed the subject, "How are things on your side? Have you seen Xi Lv Wang?"

Mi Ti Ya suppressed his lingering doubt, nodded, and briefly explained the audience: "Yes, we have already met His Majesty Xi Lv Wang and informed him of our purpose in seeking the King of the Jews."

"However, he seemed unaware, claiming he must first consult the local Priest and Scribe, verify the ancient Prophecy, and then summon us again."

He turned slightly to indicate the oddly pale‑feeling Fei Luo beside him: "This is Lord Fei Luo, his attendant."

"Our original intention was to bring him in to rescue you. Now it seems…"

Mi Ti Ya glanced at the scene in the cell, gave a wry smile, "It seems we were redundant."

His gaze toward Yu Lin now held a few unprecedented notes of awe:

"Lord Yu Lin, you are far more formidable than we imagined…"

Balthasar couldn't help adding, "Come to think of it, crossing such a vast distance alone from the Han Empire and arriving here safely would be impossible without great power and extraordinary wisdom."

Yu Lin waved his hand, still appearing nonchalant: "Just a modest self‑preservation trick, not worth mentioning."

"Alright, now that your matter is settled, we won't linger here any longer."

"Let's go, we can talk more outside, and you can tell me in detail."

Saying that, he began to usher Mi Ti Ya and the others out of the cell.

After taking two steps, he seemed to recall something, halted, turned back toward the trembling soldiers, and his previously easygoing smile faded slightly:

"That's all for today's events. However…"

"I will keep watching you, remembering today's feeling. In the future, if I see again anyone daring to arbitrarily oppress or extort the innocent…"

"Remember, forever!"

The soldiers, including the hanging Soldier Captain, trembled all over, hastily nodding like chicks pecking grain, scrambling to assure:

"Yes, yes, yes! Sir! We've taken note! We won't dare it again!"

"Thank you for your instruction, sir! We will certainly reform our hearts!"

"Indeed, indeed! We will never offend again!"

Yu Lin finally nodded with satisfaction, said no more, turned, and left the cell together with Mi Ti Ya, Balthasar, Gaspar, and the oddly‑expressive Fei Luo.

The cell fell silent for a moment.

A soldier was the first to notice the slightly darker, wound‑healing strange whip carelessly discarded on the floor.

His eyes lit up, he hurried over, picked it up, examined it closely, and a greedy grin spread across his face:

"This… this is a treasure! That Eastern man… he actually forgot to take it!" He lowered his voice, barely containing his excitement.

"Really? It's ours now!" another soldier crowded over, eyes shining.

"Quick, quick! Let me try it out!"

The soldier who had been kneading shoulders said eagerly, lifting his pant leg to reveal an old training scar, mostly healed but still occasionally aching: "I'm feeling a bit sore here, let me test this treasure's effect!"

"Fine." The soldier holding the whip didn't hesitate, aimed at his companion's calf, and swung a lash!

Snap!

"Ow!" the struck soldier cried out in pain, instinctively pulling his leg back, but the expected cool healing never came, only a burning pain, no different from a regular whip.

The wound showed no sign of healing, not even a hint of any special reaction.

"That's not right!" he muttered, rubbing his leg, his face full of doubt:

"Why isn't it working? Did you grab the wrong one? The other one, perhaps?"

"How could it be taken wrong? It's this one! The color, the feel are exactly the same!" The soldier holding the whip was also a bit dazed, repeatedly checking.

"I don't believe it! Try another one!" The injured soldier pointed at the ordinary whip on the ground.

"Well... okay." The soldier holding the strange whip, half-believing, put it down, picked up the ordinary whip, and lashed his companion again.

"Smack!"

"Ouch! It hurts!"

"I told you we didn't take the wrong one! It's that whip that has no effect!"

The two looked at each other, then glanced at the slightly darker-colored whip on the ground, and a thought gradually emerged.

"What else could be going on?"

"It must be that sir... he never intended to leave this treasure for us to use; this whip only obeys him!"

"I'm afraid so."

The others nodded dejectedly.

The greed that had just flared up was completely doused by this bucket of cold water, leaving only a deeper fear of the mysterious Easterner's methods.

He's still going to be watching them from the shadows!

Now their days are going to be rough!!