The Sovereign – Chapter 110

Volume Six: A Cold Rainy Night Buries the Famous Flower

Thousand Wounds Hundred Holes

Already covered in wounds, just a few more injuries won’t matter

The dungeon of the He Mansion had not admitted people for a long time, giving off a sour and rotten smell. The prison door was rusty, dark and damp, with rats and cockroaches passing by occasionally. In the ice-cold dungeon, there was only one cold iron door, allowing Qin Junlan and Liu Qianxun to gaze at each other.

The prison door was made of several thick iron bars, with a corridor separating the two people. Liu Qianxun could see Qin Junlan but couldn’t reach her. Qin Junlan was unconscious due to poison attacks and internal injuries from strikes, while Liu Qianxun gripped the iron door with both hands, repeatedly calling her name softly.

“Yan’er, Yan’er…” again and again, but only empty echoes responded to her.

“Cough cough… cough cough cough cough…” Liu Qianxun’s face was dim, with only a ray of light from the window reflecting her weak eyes.

The poisonous herb was extremely potent, she shouldn’t have used it, and forcing the meridian points not only triggered the poison inside her body but also damaged her heart vessels. She sat on the ground cross-legged, trying to regulate her qi, wanting to calm herself, but couldn’t fully concentrate. She worried about Qin Junlan’s injuries, and also feared that Ling Yu had more tricks up her sleeve. The situation she most dreaded had still occurred.

Ling Yu and Qin Junlan were in a life-or-death battle, war broke out between two countries, and she, born as a Yu Kingdom person who fell in love with Qin Junlan, was caught in between, struggling to find balance. She had wanted to live in seclusion in Shennong Valley with her mother, but couldn’t escape fate’s arrangements.

“Yan’er, wake up…” Liu Qianxun called out weakly. Internal injuries caused her qi and blood to surge, the poison’s backlash had spread to her five organs and six viscera, she could even feel her inner strength becoming uncontrollable, her true qi running wild, with a sweet metallic taste constantly rising in her throat.

Not knowing how long she had called out, or how long they had been imprisoned, Liu Qianxun never stopped calling to her. Her voice gradually faded, becoming hoarse and weak, and her body grew increasingly frail. She leaned powerlessly against the door, near where Qin Junlan’s lips would be, wanting to wake her up. Even if her voice was so low only she could hear it, she didn’t give up.

Qin Junlan lay on the dirty ground. In her unconscious state, she seemed to hear a faint voice constantly calling her – it was Liu Qianxun’s voice. Was it in a dream? It didn’t seem so. Was she dead? Why couldn’t she feel any sensation in her body? She felt as if trapped in a nightmare, being squeezed by a thick wall, nearly suffocating. She struggled desperately to wake up but had no strength at all.

“Xun’er…” she called out with all her might, but her throat couldn’t produce any sound.

“Yan’er? Are you awake?” Liu Qianxun seemed to hear her faint call.

“Xun’er…” Qin Junlan called softly again, her fingertips moving slightly, her eyes opening slightly.

In her blurry vision, there were only several black iron bars, and that familiar figure was still calling to her from not far away. Qin Junlan opened her eyes, moved toward the prison door, using the iron bars for support to move her body to the door’s edge.

“Yan’er, how are you?” Liu Qianxun worriedly reached her hand through the bars, trying to touch Qin Junlan.

Qin Junlan looked at Liu Qianxun with breath as thin as a thread [meaning: extremely weak], reaching her hand out through the prison door, trying to grab her. Two heartless iron doors separated them forcefully, both hands suspended in the air, desperately pressing their bodies forward, but why were their arms so short? Just a little more, every time just a little bit more and they would touch, yet they still grasped at empty air. The two prison doors were too far apart; even with all their might, they couldn’t join hands.

Finally, Qin Junlan collapsed powerlessly. She steadied her breathing, enduring her body’s severe pain, and forced a slight smile while looking at Liu Qianxun, “Xun’er, can you forgive me?”

“I never blamed you, so what is there to forgive?” Liu Qianxun’s voice was no longer clear as before, carrying a deep hoarseness and weakness.

“When I first saw Ling Yu’s iris tattoo, then discovered you had tampered with my military deployment maps, followed by Xi’er’s death, this series of events made me unable to trust you. I blamed all crimes on you, thought your heart belonged to Ling Yu, thought you were only using me, thought your feelings for me were all fake.” Qin Junlan was so weak she could only speak with breath.

“I indeed…”

“Don’t speak, let me finish…” Qin Junlan interrupted her, taking a deep breath before continuing slowly, “I only saw my own pain, only saw the surface facts, but ignored your feelings. If your feelings for me were fake, how could you risk your life to save me, how could you try every way to protect me, and how could you let so many opportunities to poison me pass without doing anything? You are from Yu Kingdom, and loyal to the Shura Sect, Ling Yu showed you great kindness – even if you were truly carrying out a mission, what of it?”

“Yan’er…” Liu Qianxun’s eyes reddened, biting her lower lip, unable to speak.

“If you were truly heartless, that would be one thing, but you were caught in the middle, torn between both sides. Perhaps my every kindness to you became a burden, only adding to your pain and confusion. I’ve thought about those days in the imperial palace – they must have been the most torturous times of your life. Xun’er, countless times I wished you could be honest with me. If you had just told me, I could have forgiven you anything, but you kept enduring silently. Now whenever I think of it, I feel guilty, regretful, and heartbroken. So, I’m here to ask for your forgiveness, please…”

“Don’t say anymore, please don’t…” Two streams of hot tears burst from Liu Qianxun’s eyes, as if the grievances suppressed in her heart for so long were slowly being released.

Every word from Qin Junlan warmed her heart yet made her more sorrowful – what virtue did she have to deserve this? To receive such care from her, an emperor no less. If not for seeking her out, how could things have fallen to such a miserable state?

“Xun’er, though the dungeon is cold and dark, having you here makes me happier than those days in the deep palace.” Qin Junlan’s pale smiling face remained gentle while looking at Liu Qianxun.

The admiration of ten thousand people is not worth holding her hand; a lifetime of high position cannot compare to her single smile.

Just gazing at her made Qin Junlan forget all pain in her heart. She surpasses the beauty of a hundred flowers, she exceeds ten thousand splendors. Only where Liu Qianxun was present could she find the warmth she desired.

“I thought you would never want to see me again in this life, I thought…”

“Fool, remember this – you are mine, and will be mine for this lifetime. What I promised you, I will definitely accomplish, as long as I live.”

“I won’t let you die…” Liu Qianxun suddenly gathered her qi to use internal martial arts [neigong], gripping two iron bars, trying to force them apart.

If she had her normal inner strength, such prison doors couldn’t have contained her, but now she was severely injured and poisoned, her inner power reduced by more than half.

“Xun’er, don’t do this, you’ll hurt yourself.” Qin Junlan tried to raise herself slightly to stop her but could only collapse again.

Liu Qianxun remained silent, her hands never letting go of the bars, her palms bleeding, staining the rusty prison door. She couldn’t feel the pain, or perhaps was already numb from pain. She had only one belief: to save Qin Junlan and get her out. As for herself – Yu Kingdom was invaded, she had betrayed Ling Yu, she was willing to stay and atone for her sins.

What else could she do now?

“Don’t waste your energy.” Suddenly a sharp voice rang out as Lin Wuming’s tall figure appeared, followed by several subordinates. His delicate fingers brushed his temple hair, his refined features no less beautiful than a woman’s, his yellow robe emphasizing his tall, straight figure.

“Lin Wuming?”

“The Empress is awake, then please come, the Crown Princess requests your presence.” Lin Wuming held a square handkerchief covering his face, looking at Liu Qianxun with cold eyes. He sneered mockingly: “Bring the Tower Master along too, we can’t separate this pair of ill-fated lovers.” As he spoke, his clear laughter echoed in the dark dungeon.

The deepest part of the dungeon was the torture chamber, containing eighteen different types of torture devices. After Qin Junlan was brought to the torture chamber, her hands were chained to a wooden frame.

“Lin Wuming, what are you planning to do?” Liu Qianxun was held by two people, locked opposite the torture chamber, able to clearly see Qin Junlan’s figure.

“What am I doing? Coming to exact revenge for our country’s six thousand lives!” Lin Wuming glared at Qin Junlan angrily, giving a light snort, “Which torture device should we use on our Empress? She’s quite the tough one.”

“Lin Wuming, if you dare touch her, I’ll make sure you die a horrible death!” Liu Qianxun began to feel fear, as terror surrounded them. Would Ling Yu really torture Qin Junlan until she wished for death?

“Tower Master, you speak without considering your position. How pitiful – you who were once proud and noble are now just a prisoner, with your martial arts half-crippled. You still want to protect the Empress? Heh heh heh… You’d better pray for your own fortune.”

“Xun’er, don’t worry about me, and don’t beg for mercy. The weak rely on weakness, the strong rely on themselves. This is all Ling Yu is capable of, heh heh heh… What do I have to fear?” Though Qin Junlan was severely injured, she showed no weakness. Even reduced to a prisoner, she wouldn’t lose her dignity.

“You tyrannical ruler! Return our people’s lives!” Just as Lin Wuming raised his hand, Ling Yu’s voice was heard: “Stop.”

Several people slightly bowed to Ling Yu, whose expression was cold, with a slight smile at her lips, and a frightening sharpness in her eyes. She walked directly to the torture devices, inspected them, and pulled out a long whip.

She wasn’t stopping Lin Wuming from hurting Qin Junlan, but rather wanted to torture her personally to vent the hatred in her heart and avenge the six thousand lives.

“I heard Xun’er once received whipping at the Execution Bureau, does the Empress remember?” Ling Yu dragged up the long whip, holding it up. The darkness in her eyes carried a suppressed air. How could she let Qin Junlan have an easy time, or let her die easily?

“Do you think the leather whip at Execution Bureau was longer, or is this dungeon’s whip longer?”

“Ling Yu, the whipping has nothing to do with her!” Cold sweat broke out in Liu Qianxun’s palms. She knew the pain of whipping, that feeling of skin splitting and flesh tearing – it was still unforgettable.

“Nothing to do with her?” Ling Yu sneered, “Do you think only things she did with her own hands have anything to do with her? Or do you think the massacre of Luo County’s people has no connection to her?” Her anger was provoked, and as she spoke, a whistling whip sound rang out, lashing viciously at Qin Junlan’s waist.

“Mmph…” Qin Junlan gave a muffled groan, a blood-red wound tearing through her clothes. Liu Qianxun felt her heart wrench painfully, every breath pulling at her nerves.

“Qin Junlan, how does it feel?” Ling Yu laughed lightly. Qin Junlan endured the severe pain while looking at Ling Yu, her eyebrows still raised proudly as she spat, “I really overestimated you. I once considered you an opponent, but now it seems you’re nothing special? You don’t even qualify to be my opponent.”

“Heh… I will let you know that all your pride and spirit will be crushed here!” She angrily swung the whip, striking Qin Junlan’s shoulder. A new wound appeared across her arm and collarbone, crimson staining her blue robe, but she didn’t make a single cry of pain.

Perhaps because she had endured the pain of the mother-child gu, her tolerance for these whip wounds was beyond imagination. It was just a broken body being tortured a few more times.

“Ling Yu!”

Each whip struck Liu Qianxun’s heart. When the whip sound rang out, her heart convulsed once, as if she too was being whipped – more painful than when it had struck her own body before.

She held onto the prison door, shaking it frantically. The iron door made clanging sounds like despairing moans. She even struck out with her palm trying to break the door, but it had no effect. How useless she was! She punched the iron door, lowered her head, not daring to look anymore, not willing to listen anymore.

Ling Yu was torturing her by deliberately making her watch Qin Junlan suffer. The hatred from the city massacre filled her heart – her hatred for Qin Junlan was so strong, why not just kill her?

No, Liu Qianxun felt she should be the one to die. She was a red-faced disaster water [a beautiful woman who brings disaster], having hurt Qin Junlan and betrayed Ling Yu – she should be the one severely punished. Her legs went limp, despair overtaking her entire body. She curled up, hugging herself, trembling as she watched Qin Junlan, who has thousand wounds hundred holes [covered in wounds], just as Liu Qianxun’s heart was.

“I should stab you six thousand times. It’s hateful that Bai Yifei only got a dozen cuts from me – he got off too easily.” Ling Yu threw away the whip in her hand, turned to look at Liu Qianxun who had her eyes tightly closed, silent grief making her look utterly weak.

Ling Yu felt reluctant, but still suppressed this feeling. She pointed at Liu Qianxun, “Bring her here.”

“Whatever… you want to do… come at me…” Qin Junlan was nearly at her last breath, shocking wounds slowly seeping blood. She feared Ling Yu would go mad and harm Liu Qianxun.

Liu Qianxun was brought to the side, her arms held by people, her already unsteady legs constantly trembling. Seeing Qin Junlan tortured like this, she wanted to do something, but her body shamefully collapsed.

“I’ve seen tough ones before, but few like you.” As Ling Yu spoke, she walked to a burning furnace, picked up a red-hot branding iron, and approached Qin Junlan.

“Ling Yu, what are you going to do?” Liu Qianxun looked at Ling Yu in terror, her body starting to struggle. She couldn’t imagine what Ling Yu would do next – she dared not think about it!

Ling Yu held the branding iron, passing it across Qin Junlan’s face, the scorching heat spreading like gunsmoke, the burning air just inches from Qin Junlan’s face. “They say the Empress is one of the great beauties in the Ji Kingdom. Such exceptional beauty – wouldn’t it be a shame if her face was ruined?”

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