Chapter 969: Chapter 38: Iron-Blooded Tough Guy

Explanation? Explain what? Xiao Jie cursed internally, are you bullying me because I’m a mute and can’t speak?

This old bastard indeed came to capture me too!

Suppressing his fury, he raised his hand to point at his mouth, then waved it vigorously, indicating he couldn’t speak.

“Oh?” The old man feigned a sudden realization, smacking his forehead, “So that’s it, you’re a mute, no wonder you can’t defend yourself. How about this? I ate half a chicken of yours, so I owe you a favor. If you trust me, come with me, I’ll explain to these martial arts practitioners and clear your name?”

Xiao Jie scoffed inwardly, trust you? I trust your ghost!

He not only didn’t put down his knife, but even raised the blade, pointing it directly forward, exuding a terrifying killing intent with his entire body, indicating his stance through actions.

“Hmph! Stubborn!” The kind expression on the old man’s face disappeared in an instant, replaced by coldness and disappointment, “It seems I misjudged today! Fellow martial artists, this person is obstinate. Let’s all join forces and capture this brute!”

Before his words fell, a dozen martial men rushed forward like wolves and tigers! The flashing of swords and blades instantly drowned Xiao Jie.

Bring it on! Xiao Jie’s intent to kill arose, and he no longer held back.

Helical Slash! His body moved with the knife, sweeping in a helical pattern, clashing and clanking as he deflected all the swords, spears, and knives attacking him, and then entered the range of a gunman, ending his Helical Slash by sweeping the blade across the man’s throat.

The gunman clutched his bleeding throat and fell.

Everyone was shocked; this young man seemed to have no inner strength, yet his saber skill was so masterful, truly amazing.

Xiao Jie found a feel for life and death instantly, and indeed, killing in reality is different from a game. This is exhilarating beyond words.

One Cut, Two Pieces! Another unlucky swordsman was chopped to the ground.

The group attacked from all sides again, with knives, swords, spears, and shields alternating stabs and chops, while Xiao Jie wielded his steel knife like a bright screen of light!

The moves imprinted in his memory came easily, relying on his combat instincts far beyond ordinary and exquisite saber skill, he fought through the encirclement left and right.

Splurt! Splurt! Blood splattered, as two men charging in the front screamed and fell, one with a pierced throat, another with a slashed chest!

Yet, the enemy’s numbers were overwhelming, and some were indeed skilled. Soon Xiao Jie had several bloody marks on his body.

However, this pain spurred more ferocity in him; the feeling of this life-and-death battle made his blood boil like never before, the more he fought, the more ferocious he became.

Splurt! Another swordsman was beheaded with a single strike.

With a flick of the wrist backward, vigorously parrying three incoming steel knives, just as his old strength was exhausted and new strength hadn’t risen, the old man who had been observing coldly moved! His figure flickered, swift as a specter, the plain wooden stick in his hand seemed to come alive, bringing a sharp whistling sound!

“Woo——!”

Stick shadows descended like mountains! Xiao Jie’s pupils tightened, urgently blocking with his knife!

“Clang!” Knife and stick collided, sparks flying! A powerful force came through the knife, shocking Xiao Jie’s tiger’s mouth numb, his arm in intense pain, nearly unable to hold the knife! He was horrified: this old man’s strength is immense—no, it’s inner strength!

Before he could catch his breath, the second strike came as fast as a snake’s tongue towards the gap under his ribs! Xiao Jie gritted his teeth and twisted his body, narrowly deflecting it with the back of his knife. But the old man’s eyes gleamed, noticing that while his saber skill was extremely exquisite, it lacked a foundation of inner strength, merely a hollow shell!

“So you’re just an empty shell! Let go—for me!” The old man sneered, the third strike followed closely, no longer fancy, just a simple and direct forward thrust—the well-known “Green Dragon探海” in stick technique! The stick tip, converging substantial inner strength, precisely struck the spine of his knife!

“Buzz——!”

An unbeatable shock force erupted! Xiao Jie felt a scorching stream rush into his meridians through his arm, as if struck by lightning, his whole arm instantly losing sensation! The steel knife fell from his grip, clanging onto the rocky riverbank below. At the same time, the residual force from the stick head struck fiercely on his chest’s Danzhong acupoint!

“Splurt!” Xiao Jie’s vision went black, his vital energy and blood surging, spitting out a mouthful of reverse blood, his whole body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground, completely losing consciousness.

Could I just die like this… as the thought crossed his mind as he lost consciousness.

Who knows how long it passed, Xiao Jie was awakened by a bone-chilling cold and the heavy weight of iron chains.

He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, his vision blurred for a long time before gradually clearing.

Not dead?

He looked around, shocked and delighted, yet his heart sank all of a sudden.

At this moment, he found himself in a dark and damp stone cell, with water droplets hanging from the walls, exuding a heavy moldy and bloody smell. His wrists and ankles were securely locked by thick, cold iron chains, the other ends of which were deeply embedded into the solid stone wall.

By the flickering dim light of the torch on the wall, he saw his surroundings clearly: in the corner, there was hay scattered disorderly, emitting a putrid smell; the walls and floor were covered in deep brown stains that could not be washed away, remnants of blood crusts seeped into the stone over the years.

What was even more terrifying was the torture devices placed around: several branding irons stuck by a charcoal brazier; a whip covered in barbs soaking in saltwater; a menacing clamp and finger-squeezing tools scattered on the ground; and an iron chair covered in sharp spikes glimmering coldly in the firelight—it was evidently the interrogation room of the State Prison!

Xiao Jie felt chills straight to his heart, damn! Grass! Damn it! Isn’t this the way they intend to play me to death?

An ominous premonition rose in his mind, he knew roughly what he was going to face next.

The heavy cell door was pushed open with a “clang,” and a few burly, mean-faced jailers walked in, reeking of strong alcohol and sweat. The lead jailer, whose face was full of flesh, approached Xiao Jie, who was barely standing while being hung by iron chains, and smirked as he slapped his face.

“Kid, awake? Doesn’t feel good, does it?” He leaned in, exhaling foul-smelling alcohol, “Be honest and say! You’re that Demon Shadow Swordsman ‘Jiu Jianxian,’ aren’t you?”

Xiao Jie lifted his head with difficulty, watching the other’s performance with a blank expression.

Another lanky jailer sinisterly chimed in, his voice like a night owl’s: “You better understand, whether you’re ‘Jiu Jianxian’ or not actually doesn’t matter at all. What matters is those 3,000 taels of sparkling reward silver!

If you know what’s good for you, quickly admit and sign, we’ll be kind and give you a quick end, one cut to settle the account! Otherwise…” He dragged out his tone, weighing a whip stained with dark red blood in his hand, “this is just the appetizer, there’s more for you later!”

Xiao Jie felt a chill, followed by a surge of absurd anger and helplessness. So it was, just as expected…

Such framed and falsely accused misfortune would only increase in the future. Damn system!

“Say it or not! Say it or not!” Seeing him silent, the burly jailer suddenly punched Xiao Jie hard in the abdomen!

“Ugh!” Xiao Jie’s body arched violently, the intense pain made his vision darken, his stomach churn, but he bit his lip fiercely without making a sound, only a suppressed hoarse sound came from his throat.

“Damn, quite tough bones!” The jailer shook his aching hand, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. Another jailer couldn’t help but give a thumbs up, his tone slightly fake in admiration, “Not bad! Rare tough guy with grit! I’ve been in prison for years and seldom see someone who can take a beating like you!”

Then, his face instantly turned ferocious like an evil ghost ready to devour: “Let’s see how long you can endure with such tough bones!” With that, he turned and walked toward the blazing charcoal brazier, picking up a branding iron whose tip was burnt white and sizzling!

Damn it!

Xiao Jie cursed wildly in his heart, branding iron already? Shouldn’t it be gradual, from light to heavy? Start with a whip or something, let me get familiar first, then slowly escalate.

Seeing the branding iron getting closer and emanating a deadly high temperature and burnt smell, Xiao Jie’s pupils contracted in extreme fear! He desperately twisted his body, causing the iron chains to clatter, but he couldn’t break free at all!

He desperately leaned his body backward, but was tightly pulled by the chains, until—

“Sizzle——!!!”

Accompanied by a teeth-grinding sound of sizzling flesh and a cloud of acrid white smoke, an indescribable, piercing and bone-eroding pain exploded from his left shoulder blade! It was as if molten iron had been poured into his bone marrow! Xiao Jie’s body instantly stretched straight as a bow, neck veins bulging, eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets! He opened his mouth wide, yet due to being mute and the extreme pain, he could only make silent, tearing roars! Sweat, tears, and snot instantly covered his face distorted by pain.

But this was only the beginning.

The whip came down like a venomous snake again and again, each time taking away a piece of skin, leaving deep bone-revealing blood marks, proving the existence of whipping, yet not light at all.

Next came the stick punishment, heavy sticks rained on his limb joints; saltwater splashed on his mangled wounds, bringing a new round of penetrating bone sting… Every bout of fainting was forcibly awakened by even more intense pain, consciousness floated in a boundless sea of agony, time lost its meaning, only infernal torment remained.

“Say it or not, say it or not!” The jailers seemed to be in a frenzy, sneering, cursing, and the sounds of torture tools clashing mingled together.

Xiao Jie gritted his teeth tightly, his lips already bitten bloody, blood flowed down his mouth mixed with sweat dripping to the ground. In his hardly remaining consciousness was only endless cursing to the damned system and a stubbornness not willing to yield. Damn system! Do you have to be so realistic?!

Can’t say! Can’t say! I’ll never say it!

Time unknowingly passed, when a bucket of cold and filthy water once again brought him out of short unconsciousness, welcoming him was yet another round of torture, Xiao Jie’s remaining will was finally completely crushed. Amid a whirlwind of severe pain and engulfing darkness, his head tilted and he completely lost all consciousness, hanging like a heap of mud on the cold iron chains.

Unknown time passed again, consciousness like fragments sunk in deep sea, piecing together and floating up bit by bit, Xiao Jie woke up again dimly.

The first things he felt were the cold hard ground beneath him and the scratchy touch of straw, along with the thick, suffocating stench of decay, blood, and excrement lingering in the air. He found himself no longer hung, but lying in a slightly larger ordinary cell that was equally dark and damp, underneath him was a shabby and dirty straw mat. He ached all over, especially the branded left shoulder and back, each weak breath dragged a tearing pain.

He turned his eyeballs with difficulty as his blurred vision gradually focused. A few equally dirty, withered, and scarred faces surrounded him, their eyes complex, some indifferent, some curious, but more… a kind of almost reverent observation.

One prisoner with a scar on his face, seeming to be a seasoned inmate, seeing him open his eyes, grinned revealing a toothless smile, his voice hoarse: “Brother, awake? Tsk tsk, surviving those ‘Ghostly Sorrow’ bastards and pulling through silent… Steely! Hell, you’re a real tough guy!” Several other prisoners nodded, their cloudy eyes showing almost instinctive admiration for the tough strong.

Listening to this “praise,” Xiao Jie felt nothing but bitterness in his heart, wanting to roll his eyes. Tough guy? I don’t want to be this tough guy! I just want to live well, it’s you bastards and that damn system that forced me into this! He closed his eyes wearily, barely having the strength to complain, with only endless fatigue and pain remaining.