"Uuu... uuu..." Qian Jin, pinned down by the guards, let out a low, animal-like whimper. He looked toward Princess Serenity, eyes full of bleakness and silent pleading.
He was nothing but a pawn. A piece on the board that didn’t matter.
So...
No one cared whether he lived or died.
To these nobles, pawns were made to be sacrificed.
The iron shears snapped open with a sharp click. Serena Feng’s heart skipped a beat—she sucked in a heavy breath and stared, unblinking...
Serena Feng understood—if Ninth Royal Uncle hadn’t come today, she would have been the one whipped and had her tongue cut.
"Kacha..." The officer squeezed the iron shears shut with force.
Blood sprayed from Qian Jin’s mouth. Even strapped to the torture rack, he writhed in agony, making the frame shake as he let out muffled, desperate cries...
Mm... Serena Feng quickly clapped a hand over her own mouth.
She’d always thought herself brave—dead bodies, living people, none of it fazed her. But...
This scene of punishment was just too brutal. She felt a chill run through her whole body.
In contrast, Ninth Royal Uncle was utterly indifferent, while Princess Serenity was only furious.
Serena Feng took a deep breath and told herself: see it a few more times, you’ll get used to it—even if that’s not a good thing.
Hoo... hoo... Serena calmed herself, and when she looked at Qian Jin, her face was once again serene.
At that moment, the Bloodcloak officers were staunching Qian Jin’s wound. Only then did Serena notice—the shears hadn’t cut out his tongue, just split the tip into two flaps, like a snake’s.
She missed the flash of admiration in Ninth Royal Uncle’s calm eyes.
His tongue was snipped, not ripped out—Qian Jin could still speak. But every word brought stabbing, heart-piercing pain.
Lucan Lu asked again: Who ordered him to assassinate Serena Feng?
Qian Jin hesitated, then howled Serena Feng’s name. The hatred in his eyes was enough to kill her a thousand times over.
Serena Feng gave a cold laugh and said nothing—there was no place for her voice here.
Just as expected, Nolan Dongling spoke again: "Master Lu, I’ve heard that the Bloodcloak executioners are experts in lingchi—slow slicing. Even after removing all the flesh from a prisoner’s body, they can keep him alive for a single breath. Is that true?"
"To answer Your Highness, yes," Lucan Lu replied instantly. "I was just about to apply lingchi to Qian Jin. The executioner will be here soon."
"Excellent suggestion, Master Lu," Nolan Dongling nodded, full of praise.
If you wanted a definition of 'black-bellied' or 'shameless,' this was it.
Serena Feng was honestly impressed.
Ninth Royal Uncle’s methods really were...
"Ninth Royal Uncle..." Princess Serenity spoke up hesitantly, clearly disapproving.
Ninth Royal Uncle really didn’t give her mother any face. He knew full well Serena Feng was her mother’s target, yet still shielded her—how infuriating.
Nolan Dongling glanced at Serenity and said, "What’s wrong? Are you scared now, Serenity? Don’t worry, Ninth Royal Uncle is here."
"Serenity... Serenity..." Princess Serenity was at a loss for words.
What was she afraid of, really? Yet it was this exact excuse she’d used to stay.
Nolan Dongling blinked lightly and changed the subject: "Serenity, I heard you brought century-old ginseng and the imperial physician?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Princess Serenity replied, a sense of foreboding washing over her. Ninth Royal Uncle was targeting her now.
"Smart girl, Serenity. In that case, have the imperial physician bring the ginseng in—so Qian Jin doesn’t die and leave us without a witness." Nolan Dongling waved at the eunuch beside him to handle it personally.
There was no way for Princess Serenity to refuse.
The handkerchief in Princess Serenity’s grip was twisted into a rope.
Crack—a fingernail snapped.
"Don’t be afraid, Serenity. If you’re squeamish about blood, I’ll have them use branding irons—after each strip of flesh is cut, they’ll sear it immediately. That way, you won’t see any blood." Nolan Dongling spoke calmly, describing a punishment even crueler than lingchi.
Lingchi combined with branding—double the suffering for the prisoner.
"Rest assured, Your Highness, everything is ready." Lucan Lu quickly flattered him, taking on the task himself.
Serena Feng couldn’t help but admire him.
Truly, it takes a villain to handle another villain—fight violence with violence, that’s the real way.
Of course, only Ninth Royal Uncle could get away with saying things like this. If Serena Feng tried, no one would pay her any mind.
Soon, the executioner and branding irons were ready, and the imperial physician entered as well. Both knelt cautiously before Nolan Dongling.
Nolan Dongling spoke calmly, "Just don’t let the prisoner die. He’s the main culprit in the princess’s assassination attempt—if he dies, I’ll hold you responsible."
"Yes, yes, yes!" The physician and executioner kowtowed repeatedly.
Qian Jin was scared out of his wits, frantically shaking his head. The villainous look had vanished, replaced by pitiful terror. Enduring stabbing pain, he mumbled, "I confess, I confess, it was the prin—"
Princess Serenity, tense and ready to intervene, was about to shout—when Nolan Dongling beat her to it.
Smack—a teapot lid flew over and hit Qian Jin right in the mouth.
Serena Feng was close enough to hear the sound of Qian Jin’s teeth being knocked out. The teapot lid jammed perfectly in his mouth—stuck, neither in nor out.
"Start the punishment. I don’t want to hear anything yet," Nolan Dongling ordered.
Princess Serenity breathed a sigh of relief. She’d lost all interest in punishing Serena Feng—now, she only cared about escaping unscathed.
If Qian Jin blurted out her or her mother’s name, given Ninth Royal Uncle’s temperament, things would get ugly.
Serena Feng stayed silent, forcing herself to watch the punishment.
She and Qian Jin were the same—their fates held in others’ hands.
The executioner expertly laid out a row of blades on the table—large and small, long and short, thin and wide.
Looking at those blades, Serena Feng couldn’t help but admire the skill involved—even slow slicing had its technical demands. In modern times, this person would make an excellent surgeon.
As a surgeon, Serena Feng knew every anatomical position and blood vessel, but she wasn’t confident she could strip all the flesh from a person and still keep them alive.
Lingchi was no simple task!
The executioner started with Qian Jin’s arm. One knife stroke, and a translucent strip of flesh was sliced off.
Serena Feng forced herself to breathe in and out, over and over.
She couldn’t vomit. She couldn’t faint.
She was a doctor—she’d dissected corpses herself without flinching. This was nothing, right?
Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, Serena Feng—just pretend the person on the rack is already dead.
But... would a dead person twist in agony? Would a dead person keep screaming?
Even with a corpse, you wouldn’t be this cruel, would you?
In her mind, a righteous little voice accused her: "Serena Feng, you’re a doctor. You’re just going to watch this trampling of human life and do nothing?"
"Serena Feng, they’re trampling human rights. You can’t just sit and watch. This is torture, this is perverse."
But another voice in her head scoffed: "Serena Feng, remember what era you’re in. You have to follow the rules here. Don’t think you can challenge royal authority alone. Have you forgotten why you ended up like this?"
"Serena Feng, that man framed you. If he’s not punished, you’ll be punished in his place. Are you really so noble you’d sacrifice yourself for your enemy?"
No, she wasn’t that noble.
Serena Feng clenched her fists, telling herself not to feel guilty, not to blame herself, not to be sad. As she struggled to convince herself, Nolan Dongling spoke again...