The dim light illuminated the surroundings, making it look like a ghost town.
The torture chamber behind the county government of Tongshan County was not big. Under the flickering light of the oil lamp, the desk of the head of the torture chamber shrank into a small corner. In the middle of the room was a bench for the killing stick, a rack for sitting on a tiger, and two torture racks for tying people up. Lu Wenke occupied one of them. The wood of the other rack and the surrounding ground were covered with black spots of coagulated blood, which was frightening to look at.
There were all kinds of torture tools hanging on the surrounding walls. There were finger clamps, all kinds of iron drills, and strangely shaped knives. They glowed eerily on the damp green wall. It made one wonder why there were so many torture tools in such a small town. There were also some torture instruments piled on the ground at one side of the room. Although the room was cold, the charcoal basin was not burning, and there was a soldering iron in the charcoal basin.
Perhaps it was because it was close to the yamen's toilet, the heavy musty smell, the smell of the previous prisoner's vomit, the smell of defecation, and the smell of blood mixed together.
Lu Wenke had once seen these things and smelled them in the yamen of Hongzhou. At that time, he felt that there was a reason for these things to exist. But at this moment, a sense of fear accompanied by physical pain surged out from the depths of his bones like a cold wave.
He had already shouted himself hoarse.
This was the last glimmer of hope in his heart.
When the county magistrate arrived, he was already dizzy from being tied to the torture rack. Just now, when the killing stick was used, he had taken off his pants, so he wore nothing under his robe. God knew how much blood had flowed from his buttocks and thighs. This was the most humiliating moment of his life.
The county magistrate of Tongshan County was surnamed Huang, and his name was Wendao. He was about 30 years old and thin. After coming in, he frowned and covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. He was quite angry about someone shouting in the backyard of the yamen, but he didn't know anything about it. After coming in, he cursed a few words and moved a stool to sit down. At this time, two yamen runners who had eaten dinner outside also rushed in and explained to Huang Wendao how vicious the people on the torture rack were. Lu Wenke also shouted that he was wronged and began to introduce himself.
"Shut up —"
Amidst the noise, Magistrate Huang shouted, pointed at the two runners, and then said to Lu Wenke, "You speak." Seeing that the two bailiffs did not dare to speak again, the flame in Lu Wenke's heart burned a little brighter. He hurriedly began to talk about the series of events that had happened since he arrived in Tongshan County.
Although the Central Plains had fallen into enemy hands and the world was in chaos for more than ten years during the Jurchen invasion of the south, he still read the books of the sages and received a good education. His father and elders often told him about the decline of the world, but they also constantly told him that there were always male and female in the world, Yin and Yang embracing each other, and black and white depending on each other. Even in the best of times, it was inevitable that there would be filth in people's hearts. No matter how bad the world was, there would always be those who were unwilling to be part of it and would stand out to protect the light.
On this long journey, he had gone to the most dangerous southwest, and then he had come out again. However, everything he had seen was still mostly good people. Now that he had arrived at Mount Tongshan, experienced all this filth, and seen everything that had happened to Wang Xiuniang, he was so ashamed that he couldn't even look her in the eye. At this time, the only thing that could save him was this faint glimmer of hope.
He finished telling everything in detail, and the sobbing in his mouth had already disappeared. He saw that County Magistrate Huang was sitting quietly and listening. His serious gaze made the two bailiffs want to move several times, but they didn't dare to move. After saying this, County Magistrate Huang asked a few simple questions, and he answered them one by one. The torture chamber quieted down. Huang Wendao thought about all of this. Such an oppressive atmosphere passed for a long time.
…
"Is there still … law!?"
Lu Wenke, who was tied to the torture rack, heard the county magistrate slowly and deeply say these words. He looked at the two bailiffs.
"A mere Li family really thinks that they can cover the sky with one hand in Mount Tongshan!?"
"Whose people are you? Do you think that my position as county magistrate was given to me by the Li family!? "
County Magistrate Huang pointed at the two bailiffs and cursed deafeningly. Tears almost fell from Lu Wenke's eyes.
The two bailiffs hurriedly explained that this was the prisoner's side of the story. County Magistrate Huang waved his hand. "It can be said clearly! You — put him down for me! "
The two bailiffs hesitated for a moment, then finally came over and untied the rope that bound Lu Wenke. Lu Wenke's feet fell to the ground. The pain from his legs to his buttocks almost didn't feel like his own body, but he had just escaped a great disaster and his blood was boiling in his heart. Finally, he stood up shakily, pulled at the lower end of his robe, and said, "Student, student's pants …"
County Magistrate Huang glanced at him. "Go out first. I'll have someone bring it to you later."
"Yes, yes …"
Lu Wenke nodded. He tried to move forward with difficulty, but in the end, he still stepped out step by step. When he was about to pass by County Magistrate Huang, he hesitated and didn't dare to take another step. However, County Magistrate Huang stared at the two bailiffs and spread out his hands. "Go."
Lu Wenke clenched his teeth and walked out of the torture chamber.
After a few steps, he put his hand on the door frame and stepped out of the threshold of the torture chamber. Outside the torture chamber was a small yard behind the yamen. There was a square sky over the yard. The sky was dim, with only vague stars. But the slightly fresh air of the night had spread over, and it was completely different from the musty and gloomy smell in the torture chamber.
He thought of Wang Xiuniang. After this incident, he finally didn't feel guilty to her …
Bang —
What came from his back was a sudden sharp pain …
…
Lu Wenke didn't react in time.
Almost all of his body didn't have the slightest stress reaction. His body fell forward, and because his hands were still holding onto the hem of his robe, his face directly hit the ground. What came next was not pain, but an indescribable physical impact. There was a buzzing sound in his head, and the world in front of him turned black, then white, then black again, and this repeated a few times …
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz …
The sound spread for a long time.
There was a rustling sound in his mouth, and there was a horrible, horrible sweet taste. His mouth had been broken, and a small part of his teeth seemed to fall off, mixed with the flesh and blood in his mouth.
"You …"
There seemed to be someone speaking behind him. It sounded like the just and upright old man just now.
Lu Wenke's body swayed. He tried hard to turn his head to see the situation behind him, but there was only a field of butterflies in his eyes. Like his broken soul, countless butterflies were flying in all directions.
"You … still … haven't … answered … my question …"
After an unknown period of time, he finally understood the complete meaning of this sentence with great difficulty.
What question …
Who asked me a question …
He couldn't understand it. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, he couldn't speak, only blood swirling in his mouth.
"I … asked you just now, do you think … the Emperor is about to be gone, who gave me the county magistrate position …"
"I asked you just now … Can the mere Li family really cover the sky with one hand in Mount Tongshan …"
"I asked you …"
"… Is there still law …"
The county magistrate with the surname Huang was holding a stick. After saying this, he swung it hard at Lu Wenke's leg.
"I've treated you so well, but you don't even answer my question and want to leave. Are you looking down on me? Ah!? "
His rod fell down, and so did his eyes. Lu Wenke turned around with difficulty on the ground. At this moment, he finally saw the face of County Magistrate Huang clearly. There was a sarcastic sneer on the corner of his mouth. His pitch-black eye sockets, which were sunken due to excessive indulgence, were flashing with a devouring fire, which was as dark as the night sky in all directions.
The county magistrate was laughing, the two bailiffs were also laughing, and the sky behind them was also laughing.
"… After leaving, you still dare to come back and cry injustice … and even report your name and family background … Traveling the world, what are you traveling for? Do you think you can still walk out of Mount Tongshan alive … Disgraceful! Tie him up for me. When Constable Xu comes, we'll take good care of him … "
Two bailiffs dragged him back to the torture chamber and tied him up on the rack. Then, they slapped him in the face and humiliated him by the rack for not wearing pants. Lu Wenke was tied up and hung there, his eyes filled with tears. After crying for a while, he wanted to open his mouth and beg for mercy, but before he could say anything, he was slapped again. "It's useless to shout. You still don't fucking understand! If you call me again, I'll beat you to death! "
The other bailiff said, "You won't live past tonight. When the constable comes, heh, you'll have a good time."
He then said, "If you had known this would happen, you would have obediently delivered the girl here and none of this would have happened …"
Lu Wenke's heart was filled with a mixture of fear and remorse. He opened his mouth, which was missing half of his teeth, and couldn't stop crying. He wanted to kneel down and kowtow to them, begging them to spare him, but because he was tied up here, he couldn't move.
After an unknown period of time, there was a small commotion outside. The two bailiffs also went out for a while. When they came back, they put Lu Wenke down from the rack. Lu Wenke tried to struggle, but it was useless. After being beaten a few more times, he was tied up and put into a sack.
They carried the sack onto the carriage, and then there was a bumpy ride. It was unknown where they were going. Lu Wenke lived in great fear for a period of time. When he was released from the sack, he was already in a hall that was brightly lit with torches and lights. Many people were looking at him from top to bottom.
He felt dizzy and vomited for a while. Someone cleaned up the blood in his mouth, and then someone kicked him to the ground and questioned him sternly. The questioning lasted for a long time. Lu Wenke subconsciously told them everything he knew. He talked about the people who had traveled with him along the way, Wang Jiang, Wang Xiuniang, and the precious things he had seen along the way. In the end, when the other party stopped asking, he subconsciously knelt down and wanted to beg them to let him go.
Someone had already pulled him up.
They dragged him forward, all the way underground. They passed through the dark and damp corridors. Underground was a huge prison. He heard someone say, "Let me tell you, this is the Black Dungeon of the Li family. Once you go in, don't even think about coming out. There's no one in here …"
Someone held a torch and carried him through the corridors of the cells. Lu Wenke looked around. In the cells next to him, there were strange people with broken limbs and disheveled hair. Some of them had no hands, some of them had no feet. Some of them were kowtowing on the ground, and their mouths were making muffled sounds. There were also some women who were completely naked and looked insane.
"These are all people who have offended our Li family …"
He recalled the rumors of the Li family eliminating dissidents in Mount Tongshan …
With a bang, he was thrown into a cell. The person holding the torch locked the cell door. He turned his head and saw a strange black figure curled up in the corner of the cell. He did not even know if it was considered a human.
"Ah …"
Lu Wenke grabbed the railing of the cell and tried to shake it.
"Save me …"
No one paid attention to him. He shook faster and faster, and his words gradually turned into wails and louder. The Li family member who had brought him here held a torch and turned to leave.
"Ah ah ah ah ah …"
Lu Wenke wailed crazily and shook the pillars of the Black Prison. However, the light of the fire had gone far away, and the wails gradually turned into more wails. Darkness swept over from every direction, cutting off all paths of life.
Amidst the tragic wails, it was unknown how many people had fallen into a hell of despair …
…
Those despairing wails could not pass through the ground.
In a place a layer of soil and stone away from the Black Prison, in the brightly lit main hall of the Li family's Castle Wu, people gradually pieced together the outline of what had happened and also knew the possible name of the youth who had committed the crime. At this moment, the Li family's farmers had already organized on a large scale. They brought fishing nets, lime, bows, arrows, knives, spears, and all sorts of other things. They began to deal with the strong enemy and make the first round of preparations to capture and kill the evil thief.
After passing through this layer of ground and moving upwards, there were only faint sparks in the dark sky. When the sparks fell to the ground, they only brought insignificant and pitiful light.
After being beaten and scolded by his wife for a day, Chief Constable Xu Dong found an opportunity to rush out of the house and went to the yamen to ask about the situation. Then, he brought his long and short weapons and mounted a fine horse with four of his comrades from the yamen, preparing to go to Li Jiawu Castle to help.
County Magistrate Huang Wendao chased after him, "I heard that the strong man is very fierce."
"It's good that he's fierce. I have a bellyful of anger that I haven't vented yet! F * ck! "
He was tall, riding on a war horse and holding a long saber in his hand. He looked mighty and domineering. In reality, he was still thinking about the hero gathering at Li family's Castle Wu. As a son-in-law who was attached to the Li family, Xu Dong had always been proud of his martial arts skills and wanted to make a name for himself like Li Yanfeng. This time, when the Li family and the Yan family met, if it wasn't for the previous incident, he would have attended as a representative of the main family.
Now, this matter was ruined by those unappreciative scholars. Now, there was even the one who walked into the trap and was sent to the Li family. It wasn't easy for him to return to his home at this time. He couldn't even vent the anger that he had been suppressing.
'Miaodao' Shi Shuifang's martial arts were admittedly not bad, but compared to Xu Dong, he wasn't that much stronger. Moreover, Shi Shuifang was a foreign honored guest after all, while Xu Dong was a true local tyrant. He was well aware of the surrounding environment and situation. As long as he went to the Li family's Castle Wu, organized a defense, and even took down that murderer, he would be in the limelight in front of the Yan family. Xu Dong's reputation would also spread, and as for the problems in his family, they would naturally be easily solved.
In the misty night, he and his companions, a group of five, armed to the teeth, rushed out of Tongshan County's city gate.
At this moment, there was a rustling wind and cold water surging and rampaging.
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