Second Prince’s Manor.

After the battle in the rain, Na Yan returned to his room to change clothes.

The killing aura around him had not yet dissipated.

A maid accidentally made a mistake while tying his waist sash. He grabbed the maid’s wrist and flung her to the ground.

“Your Highness, spare my life.”

“Useless!”

“This servant… didn’t mean to.”

“Get out!”

The little maid sobbed softly, trembling as she withdrew.

After Na Yan finished dressing, he hurried to check on Song Zhi.

Song Zhi still hadn’t awakened.

However, after taking his pulse, the imperial physician seemed somewhat pleased and hastily reported: “Your Highness, Young Master Song’s pulse has gradually stabilized. It appears there’s a strong possibility he’ll awaken.”

He had clearly been on the verge of death before!

What was going on?

Na Yan had no mind to investigate this. His heart felt much more at ease, and he instructed: “Watch him carefully. As soon as he awakens, immediately send someone to inform this Prince.”

“Yes!”

Na Yan turned and left the room, departing with quick steps.

The three imperial physicians scratched their heads.

Looking at Song Zhi on the bed, whose color was gradually improving.

“How did his pulse suddenly stabilize so much?”

“Yes, this is too strange.”

“I’ve never encountered such a thing before.”

Imperial Physician Jiang couldn’t figure it out. He stroked his graying beard and said: “Perhaps this person’s fate isn’t meant to end! He saved the Second Prince. When he awakens, wealth and glory await him.”

Song Zhi could be said to have stumbled into incredible luck!

By blocking a sword for the Second Prince, he had gained a brilliant future.

Was this truly good fortune?

Or bad luck?

…

The rain poured torrentially, thunder rolling.

Such a night was tense and oppressive.

Na Yan went to the secret chamber where Lian Que was imprisoned.

Before he even entered, he heard the sound of a whip striking flesh.

Echoing in the secret chamber, it sounded eerily sinister.

At this time, Lian Que had been stripped of his upper garment and bound to a pillar. His muscular chest was covered in bloody marks.

The guard in charge of interrogation was wielding the long whip in his hand, striking him again and again.

While demanding: “Will you speak? Or won’t you speak?”

Lian Que’s body swayed precariously, his head hanging down. Fresh blood continuously overflowed from his mouth, dripping onto the ground.

Just like a corpse!

Despite being tortured severely, he still hadn’t said a single word.

As if he were mute.

When Na Yan entered, he saw this gruesome scene before his eyes, but he felt not the slightest bit of sympathy. Instead, the ruthlessness in his eyes deepened further.

The guard stopped and walked to his side to report: “Your Highness, he refuses to speak. If we continue beating him like this, I’m afraid he’ll…” Die!

Na Yan narrowed his eyes and walked before Lian Que. He immediately grabbed his chin with one hand and lifted it up, forcing him to meet his fierce gaze!

A strong smell of blood also rushed into his nose.

Lian Que was severely injured. His disheveled, dripping wet hair fell down, covering half his face and those eyes filled with bloodshot veins.

He looked at Na Yan before him.

Then let out a cold laugh.

Like something emerging from an ice-cold deep valley.

Involuntarily, the force in Na Yan’s fingers increased considerably as he demanded: “Who exactly sent you?”

Lian Que opened his blood-filled mouth, still smiling.

This severely provoked Na Yan. He gritted his teeth and said word by word: “Refusing to speak, are you? Fine, let’s see how long you can last.”

He flung his hand away, releasing it from Lian Que’s chin.

Then he sat in a grand armchair in the secret chamber and ordered: “Beat him for this Prince. Beat him severely.”

The guard received the order and struck with whip after whip.

Lian Que clenched his teeth tightly, not making any sounds of pain.

Na Yan sat there, his expression growing darker and darker.

Like a psychopath!

Quietly appreciating it.

He was very clear that if he couldn’t extract anything from this assassin’s mouth tonight, when news of the Prince’s Manor suffering an assassin attack reached King Huyi’s ears tomorrow, he would inevitably face the same situation as Na Tuo had before. So no matter what, he had to root out the person who secretly wanted to kill him.

The sound of the whip striking echoed through the secret chamber.

Lian Que’s skin was already torn and flesh exposed.

His entire body covered in blood.

Finally, he was beaten unconscious.

The guard: “Your Highness, he’s fainted!”

Na Yan said coldly: “Pour water to wake him.”

“Yes.”

Immediately, a bucket of ice-cold water was poured down over Lian Que from above.

Cold!

Bone-piercing cold!

His body suddenly shuddered. He awakened, but his vision was blurry. He only felt his mind was completely blank, and the blood vessels throughout his body seemed frozen.

The burning pain from being whipped on his chest had completely disappeared.

He only felt as if his bones were being scraped by a knife, one stroke after another.

That kind of pain was far more agonizing than torturing the flesh.

Seeing he had awakened, Na Yan said harshly: “Continue beating!”

The guard received the order and swung the whip, but his force had lightened considerably.

He seemed unable to continue.

His palms were trembling.

“Useless!” Na Yan stood up, seized that blood-stained whip, and swung it toward Lian Que’s face.

“Crack!”

This lash was heavier than any previous one.

A deep gash was opened on Lian Que’s face. Fresh blood overflowed, dripping onto the ground drop by drop.

He fainted again.

The guard quickly fetched another bucket of ice water and poured it over him.

But this time, there were no signs of awakening.

The guard reached out to check his breathing. His breath was weak.

Not dead yet!

“Your Highness, he’s not dead yet.”

Na Yan’s eyes held no mercy: “Bring the branding iron.”

The guard brought over a brazier and branding irons.

Several branding irons were heated red-hot in the fire.

Na Yan picked up one piece and without hesitation pressed it against Lian Que’s chest.

“Ugh!”

Lian Que threw his head back, letting out a weak sound of pain, but immediately bit his teeth again, desperately holding on.

His face and neck were flushed completely red.

Veins bulging!

The surroundings were filled with the smell of cooked flesh mixed with the stench of blood—pungent and nauseating.

Na Yan was satisfied as he removed the branding iron from his chest.

“If you still won’t speak, this thing won’t just be pressed against your chest next time—it’ll be much worse than that.”

A bloody brand mark was seared on Lian Que’s chest.

Sweat poured down. After a long while, he opened those eyes stained with bloody tears to look at the person before him and said: “…Kill me!”

Rather than being tortured in every way, better to die and be done with it.

But—

Na Yan laughed sinisterly: “Kill you? No, this Prince will keep you alive! For every day you don’t speak, this Prince will make you wish you were dead for that day.”

“…”

“If you speak, perhaps I’ll even release you.”

Lian Que wasn’t stupid—naturally he wouldn’t believe Na Yan’s words. His head hung down powerlessly as he repeated again and again: “Kill me… kill me!” Na Yan’s eyes blazed with fury: “Listen well. No one can come save you. Right now, the only one who can save you is yourself! If you’re willing to speak, you’ll have a chance to live. Moreover…” He drew close to Lian Que’s ear. “Up until now, no one has broken into the manor to save you. This shows you’re just a chess piece that can be discarded and crushed at any time! Since that’s the case, why don’t you serve this Prince instead? As long as you’re willing, this Prince can let you enjoy endless wealth and glory for the rest of your life.” “Ptui!” Lian Que spat in his face.