Thousand Cuts Torture, Mastermind Behind the Scenes

After a stick of incense!

At the foot of Clear Wind Mountain, within a mountain hollow, all was deathly silent.

After Lin Changqing severed one of Whiskers's arms with a single stroke, he did not wait for the other Mountain Bandits to come to their senses before charging into their midst with the Jingzhe Saber in hand.

He unleashed the Five Elements Severing Steel Saber Technique, cutting them down as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

He slaughtered every last Mountain Bandit.

Only Whiskers, one arm severed, remained sprawled on the ground, howling miserably.

"Those who want to live, shut your mouth."

Lin Changqing did not waste words. He placed his saber directly against the man's throat, then asked in a deep voice, "Speak! Who sent you to rob our Green Mountain Village caravan...?"

"Bullshit! Do Mountain Bandits need someone to tell them to rob people? Of course we came ourselves."

Whiskers gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Lin Changqing, and growled.

"Ah..."

Before his words had even faded, Blade Light flashed from Lin Changqing's hand. Whiskers's remaining arm flew into the air.

The intense agony made Whiskers howl again.

His entire body convulsed.

"My patience is limited. I'll ask you one last time: who sent you?" Lin Changqing asked again.

His voice was icy, brimming with killing intent.

He did not believe a single word Whiskers had said.

These people were Black Mountain Bandits, yet they had come all the way to Clear Wind Mountain, one or two hundred li from their territory, to rob travelers.

Their business certainly was booming!

"Brat, if you've got the guts, kill me..."

Whiskers gritted his teeth and roared savagely.

His eyes overflowed with venom, as though he wanted to swallow Lin Changqing alive and skin him alive.

"Kill you? Heh... Don't worry, you will die. But I guarantee you won't die so quickly."

Lin Changqing sneered. "Ever heard of a torture called Thousand Cuts Torture?

"It means using a blade to carve the flesh from your body piece by piece until nothing remains but a skeleton.

"I'm telling you, this is an art.

"I've long yearned to try it, but sadly, I never had the chance.

"Perfect. Today, I'll start with you..."

As he spoke!

Lin Changqing sheathed the Jingzhe Saber behind his back, then took a dagger from Lin Hu, who was still dazed beside him.

After gesturing over Whiskers's body a few times, he brought the blade down and sliced a palm-sized chunk of bloody flesh straight from the man's thigh.

"Ah... Damn it! You damn bastard, kill me! Kill me!"

Whiskers screamed miserably.

His face twisted even further.

Lin Changqing paid him no heed. With the dagger in his hand flashing, strips of flesh were continuously sliced away.

In moments, half of the thigh was already a ghastly white bone amid a bloody mess of mangled flesh.

Whenever Whiskers hurt so badly that he was about to faint, Lin Changqing immediately used his mind power to stimulate the man's consciousness, keeping him awake the entire time.

Making him savor the agony of Thousand Cuts Torture.

"I'll talk, I'll talk... It was Liu Yantao from Divine Weapon Pavilion... He had someone deliver us the news, saying that this cart of medicinal ingredients of yours was worth at least Fifty Gold..."

Whiskers finally could not endure such torture any longer and rasped out a roar.

The torture of Thousand Cuts was too agonizing. More importantly, Lin Changqing had used mind power to keep him in his clearest state at all times.

Every slice of the blade brought a sensation that made him wish he were dead.

Now, he did not beg Lin Changqing to spare him. He only begged for a quick death.

As for whether this violated the code of the martial world.

To hell with it!

He was going to die anyway. Why should he care about the code of the martial world or its rules?

Besides, Whiskers also deeply resented Liu Yantao. If Liu Yantao had not sent someone to egg him on, he would not have ended up like this.

Moreover, Liu Yantao had never told him that Green Mountain Village had a monster like Lin Changqing.

At such a young age, he was already Martial Dao Eighth Rank.

His combat strength was even more terrifying. Even Whiskers, a Martial Dao Seventh Rank, could not block a single slash from him. It was simply horrifying.

Thus, he hated Lin Changqing, but he hated Liu Yantao even more.

If he could make Lin Changqing and Liu Yantao turn on each other, then no matter which one of them died, he would come out ahead.

"Liu Yantao of Divine Weapon Pavilion..."

Lin Changqing's gaze was like a blade, his killing intent surging.

That Bastard. It seemed he had gone too easy on him last time.

However!

Liu Yantao was a member of Divine Weapon Pavilion. He did not know whether this had been Liu Yantao's own idea, or whether Chen San had a hand in it behind the scenes.

It seemed he would have to pay Divine Weapon Pavilion a visit.

Slash!

The dagger in Lin Changqing's hand swept out, slashing across Whiskers's throat. After ending his suffering, he rose and looked toward Lin Hu and the others.

By now, Lin Hu and the others had recovered from their shock.

The way they looked at Lin Changqing had changed.

Amid their astonishment was a trace of awe.

The sight of Lin Changqing alone, one saber in hand, killing Mountain Bandits as though chopping melons and vegetables had left them Astonished.

"Uncle Yongteng, Hu Zi, hurry and clean things up. I'll take you back now."

Lin Changqing ignored Lin Hu and the others' shock and spoke in a deep voice.

Then, together with Lin Hu and the others, he gathered the bodies of the dead Caravan Members before heading straight toward Green Mountain Village.

Along the way!

No one spoke. First, Lin Hu and the others were all injured and looked terribly pale.

Second, eight Caravan Members had died this time.

Everyone was heavy-hearted.

Lin Changqing was also filled with self-reproach. If he had not asked Lin Hu to help buy medicinal ingredients, these people would not have died.

The journey was not very long, yet it took them nearly over an hour.

Only then did the group finally return to Green Mountain Village.

Very soon.

The entire village was stirred. Eight people had died at once—this was no small matter. Men, women, old, and young from the whole village gathered at the drying ground.

Before long, piercing cries of grief rang through the night sky and spread across all of Green Mountain Village.

Lin Changqing did not remain at the drying ground for long.

Heavy-hearted, he took the medicinal ingredients Lin Hu and the others had helped purchase and returned home.

Then, carrying Fifty Taels of Gold, he went to the home of village chief Lin Yuntang.

At this time!

The remaining seven members of the caravan were all there having medicine applied to their wounds.

As for the eight who had died, under Lin Yuntang's arrangements, their bodies had been gathered and placed in the Ancestral Hall.

"Hu Zi, how are your injuries?"

Lin Changqing came to Lin Hu's side after his wounds had been treated and bandaged, and asked in a deep voice.

"I'm fine, just flesh wounds. I'll be better after ten days or half a month."

Lin Hu grinned as he spoke.

He accidentally tugged at his wound and immediately bared his teeth in pain.

Lin Changqing's expression darkened further, his heart incomparably heavy. "This time, I dragged you into it. If I hadn't asked you to help purchase medicinal ingredients.

"Divine Weapon Pavilion would not have set its sights on you, and you would not have run into Mountain Bandits..."

"Changqing, this has nothing to do with you."

Before Lin Hu could speak, Lin Yongteng beside him said in a deep voice, "The people of Divine Weapon Pavilion wanted to harm us. It would have been the same whether we bought medicinal ingredients for you or not.

"Besides, you paid us for buying the medicine.

"Ten taels of silver per person—you already gave us plenty."

"That's right, Changqing. You can't be blamed for this. If anyone is to blame, it's those damned Mountain Bandits and the people from Divine Weapon Pavilion."

"We won't let Liu Yantao from Divine Weapon Pavilion get away with this debt."

"Sigh... What can we do? The Chen Family stands behind them."

The other caravan members also cursed through gritted teeth.

Yet not a single one blamed Lin Changqing, which made him feel even worse.

He knew very well that today's incident had begun because of him.

Liu Yantao of Divine Weapon Pavilion had plotted against Green Mountain Village's caravan, clearly in retaliation for what had happened last time.

When all was said and done, it was still connected to him.

"Don't worry. Those who deserve to die will not live."

Killing intent flashed sharply in Lin Changqing's eyes as he said in a deep voice, "I will personally collect this debt for you."

As he spoke!

Lin Changqing took out the Fifty Taels of Gold and handed them to Lin Hu. "Hu Zi, this is Fifty Taels of Gold, compensation for you all.

"The Eight Uncles who died will receive Five Taels of Gold each.

"The rest of you will receive one tael of gold each.

"What remains will be used to bury the Eight Uncles. Give them a proper send-off..."