"Is that so? Do you know how much we lost because of the bandits you went looking for..."
Gu Sheng turned his blade, and its sharp edge had already left a bloody mark on Qin San's face. The blade traced across Qin San's face, and the head guard of Li Manor began acting somewhat strangely.
"Ha—cough... ha—cough..."
Qin San suddenly burst into laughter. Fear had instead made him throw caution to the wind. Knowing that Gu Sheng had uncovered everything, and that his own fate probably wouldn't be a good one, he provoked Gu Sheng as if he had decided to go down fighting.
"Yes, I called those men in. You bunch of dirt-legged peasants should all die! The fact that I asked you to hand over silver to forge weapons for your grandpa was already showing you respect, yet you even dared to haggle. You must have eaten the guts of a bear and leopard..."
There was so much filth coming out of his mouth that Gu Sheng couldn't help giving him a vicious kick.
"Ugh~ ugh—mm~~ mm~~~"
Qin San's body stayed rigid, and he didn't speak for a long while. It felt as if someone had kicked the most sensitive part of his nerves with tremendous force. Even if he could still use it in the future, it had already left him with a psychological scar.
"Originally, I planned to skin you inch by inch with a blade and make you watch as you gradually turned into a skeleton. Besides, I was going to start from the place you just mentioned and let Heaven confiscate that useless tool of yours first."
Gu Sheng lowered his Jade Chill Blade and gestured with it. Qin San was so terrified that he braced his legs with all his strength, not daring to lower them.
"But..."
Gu Sheng continued, "Now that I think about it, dying like that would be letting you off too easily. Besides, I wouldn't gain anything from it. It doesn't seem worth it!"
"What do you want?"
Qin San spoke in a low voice. "Say it. We can discuss it." His words still carried a hint of charity, clearly showing that he still regarded himself as Gu Sheng's equal, or even superior. He hadn't realized—or rather, he refused to admit—that he had fallen into a disadvantageous position.
"Your manual, 'Flying Star Sword'..."
Gu Sheng made many demands. He wanted not only the Flying Star Sword manual, but also all sorts of intelligence and records from Li Manor, information about the eldest Miss Li's changes and some of her recent plans, as well as several other crucial things: Qin San's own evidence of guilt and all the incriminating material in his possession.
If all those things fell into Gu Sheng's hands, it would be no exaggeration to say that even if Qin San managed to keep his life, he would no longer dare to act arrogantly in front of Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng would only need to expose a little of it for Qin San to suffer the consequences.
Qin San's face grew darker and darker. Gu Sheng was making an outrageous demand. He wanted Qin San's inherited manual, and he wanted Qin San to hand over every weakness he possessed. This was simply... far too much!
"Impossible!"
After hearing him out, Qin San forced those three words from his mouth. He knew all too well what would happen if he confessed everything. When the time came, he would be worse off than dead. After all, he had done far too many things like grasping other people's weaknesses, threatening and persecuting them, and eventually driving them into desperate situations.
"Your demands are too excessive. There's no way I can agree to all of them."
He hadn't made things completely absolute. He hoped to negotiate terms with Gu Sheng. That way, he could not only minimize his losses, but also regain the initiative to some extent.
"Is that so? Then there's nothing to discuss!"
A trace of mockery appeared at the corner of Gu Sheng's mouth. How could he not see what Qin San was planning? Qin San simply wanted to negotiate and seize the initiative. Unfortunately, Gu Sheng had no intention of playing along with him.
Gu Sheng's icy gaze made Qin San shudder. Before he could speak again, a piece of clothing had already covered his head.
"Clang!"
Qin San felt rather puzzled. What kind of trick was this bastard playing by placing a copper basin behind him?
"Hiss~"
Suddenly, Qin San felt a searing pain in the wrists bound behind him. Both hands were warm and wet, and the smell of blood rushed into his nose. His hands had definitely been cut. The liquid splashed across them was... blood.
"Heh heh~"
Gu Sheng's laughter rang beside his ear, followed by words that chilled him to the bone. "Whether human or beast, once the bo vessel—the old term for blood vessels and arteries—is damaged, a large amount of vital essence will be lost in a short time. Excessive blood loss will lead to deficiencies in qi and blood, followed by dizziness... until death.
"This process usually lasts quite a while. I have enough time tonight, so you can consider it slowly. Don't worry. I've killed many wild beasts using this slow method of cutting flesh with a dull blade. I know exactly how far to go. With your physique, you can still hold on for a quarter of an hour—fifteen minutes."
"Ah~"
As Gu Sheng spoke, he yawned. Then he drawled, "I haven't rested today because I had to deal with you. How about this? I'll take a short nap. Wake me after a quarter of an hour."
"Bastard! Let me go! Get up, you bastard!"
Qin San cursed and ranted, but Gu Sheng had injured his throat at the very beginning. His voice was hoarse and couldn't travel outside the room at all.
With his face covered by Gu Sheng, Qin San saw nothing but blank darkness, and even breathing was difficult. Worse still, he had killed too many people and was overly familiar with the smell of blood. As a former assassin, he knew perfectly well that Gu Sheng wasn't lying. Once the bo vessel—the artery—was cut open, a person really would die.
The darkness before his eyes, his panic over the wound, and Gu Sheng's complete lack of response gradually filled him with fear. At that moment, Gu Sheng's snores rang out again, intensifying his terror.
"Bastard! Get up! Get up and let me go..."
When faced with life and death, most people would choose life. Those who could calmly face death were few and far between. Qin San was even more afraid of death, considering how much blood stained his hands.
"Bang! Bang! Bang~"
Fear began devouring Qin San's mind. He struggled desperately, stamping both feet against the floor in an attempt to break free.
Unfortunately, Gu Sheng had tied him far too securely. Even the reclining chair had been fastened firmly in place. Qin San's frenzy elicited no response except for making the "dripping" sound behind him come a little faster.
Qin San felt that both his arms had gone numb from the elbows down. Waves of weakness swept through his body. He was very familiar with this sensation.
Once, he had gone out to transport goods with his senior brother. On the way, a bandit had slashed a huge wound across his body. He had never forgotten those days spent recovering. This was exactly the same feeling: depleted qi and blood, insufficient vital essence.
Qin San's condition grew increasingly poor. His face beneath the clothing was pale, his lips bluish-purple, and cold sweat had soaked his hair. He kept shouting, but his voice had already become feeble.
The rhythmic drip, drip struck his heart. He felt that it was the sound announcing death.
"A quarter of an hour has passed. A quarter of an hour has passed. Get up, quickly!"
Qin San had actually been counting unconsciously as well. Realizing that the time was up, he struggled violently as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw. But Gu Sheng, who was asleep, showed no reaction. His snoring continued as before.
His repeated struggles left him mentally and physically exhausted, and the despair in his heart grew deeper and deeper.
"That should be enough!"
Where Qin San couldn't see, Gu Sheng had been quietly observing all his reactions while making low growls that sounded like snores from time to time. When he saw that Qin San was about to despair, he stopped the "snoring," walked over to Qin San, and removed the clothing covering his head.
Before you continue