Chapter 1077: Small but stubborn smiles
Warning: Please note that this chapter contains graphic descriptions of torture. The author sure likes to tear things out by their roots, ahem. ( > _ >);
Rather than Bai Yanqing forcing Su Xiaoyu’s hand, it was now Su Xiaoyu screwing him over. His eyes gradually narrowed into slits. This was the first time in his long life that someone still wet behind the ears had so thoroughly made a fool of him!
Coldly he declared, “Fine, this old man would like to see how you do yourself to death!” Then he gave orders. “Someone, bring Ning Jing over for this old man!”
Hearing this, Su Xiaoyu tensed. Her hands clenched into fists even as her expression remained stubborn and uncompromising! She was afraid, but that didn’t mean she’d give up. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have lasted this long. Actually, she knew nothing about Perplexing Butterfly Illusion and was just tricking Bai Yanqing. Thus, her only form of retreat was through death!
When a person had no choice but to die, she was willing to sacrifice everything. She could be stubborn and hardheaded until the very end!
Bai Yanqing’s icy, venomous gaze pierced through the gloom straight at Su Xiaoyu, who glared back defiantly. She didn’t want to lose, even when it came to attitude.
Soon enough, Ning Jing was brought over to her cell. After a few days of separation, Ning Jing was extremely thin as if she’d just suffered through a serious illness. Her white face was pale beyond description while her eyes were bloodshot. It was unclear whether she was too exhausted or had cried too much. If Tang Li could see her now, he would definitely go mad.
The guards tossed Ning Jing into the cell, where she laid exhausted on the ground. Her sickly body didn’t seem capable of withstanding a single blow or getting back up. She looked at Su Xiaoyu, who looked back. Both of them were in a weak and sorry state, but they smiled at each other. Only those with a truly unyielding will could be brave and optimistic enough to grin at a time like this.
Su Xiaoyu had her doubts before, but Ning Jing’s bloodshot eyes and small smile gave her more determination! Either she’d die or make Bai Yanqing compromise!
“Damned girl, this old man will give you one last chance. Are you talking or not?” Bai Yanqing’s patience was limited, especially after Su Xiaoyu started mentioning Han Yunxi’s next goal after the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion. He couldn’t keep still. Back at the Medicine Forest, the Water of Ten-Thousand Poisons had already fallen into Han Yunxi’s hands. It was hard to tell whether she was looking for more of them! Although he knew all the details about Long Feiye and Han Yunxi’s dual cultivation, he had no news regarding the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion.
The Lustbite energy was capable of killing him when fully mastered, while Perplexing Butterfly Illusion held the power to break through his immortal body. Both of these were his worst fears! Yet both of them had fallen into Long Feiye and Han Yunxi’s hands.
“Old thing, do you not understand human speech? I already told you my terms! If you can’t understand me, then I have no other choice!” Su Xiaoyu replied impatiently.
Bai Yanqing was furious and could almost choke with anger.
“Someone come, pull out Ning Jing’s teeth for me, one at a time!” he roared.
He wanted to give Su Xiaoyu ten days’ time, but now realized he had to be ruthless. This stinkin’ lass really didn’t know her limitations or the difference between Heaven and Earth!
Su Xiaoyu looked at Ning Jin indifferently. Ning Jing was very calm and didn’t show any fear at Bai Yanqing’s words. Since Mu Linger had already escaped with her daughter, this was the best outcome she could hope for.
Very soon, two guards held up Ning Jing on both sides. Another brusquely propped up her chin and forced her mouth open while one more came over with pliers to find the best place to pull out her teeth.
“Ning Jing, that damned girl doesn’t know any better. Maybe you can persuade her instead,” Bai Yanqing laughed coldly.
Ning Jing ignored him and didn’t even struggle, simply closing her eyes.
“Pull out her teeth for this old man!” Bai Yanqing roared.
Although he was giving orders for Ning Jing, his eyes were on Su Xiaoyu. He assumed she’d shut her eyes, but the girl was staring straight at Ning Jing. Bai Yanqing began to feel frustrated. No matter what, he refused to believe that a little girl and a sickly woman were capable of holding out for so long.
Was there really anyone who didn’t fear death in this world?
—
Once the pliers found the first tooth, the guard gave a vicious jerk to yank it out. Ning Jing was in so much pain that her whole body shuddered in response. Her jaw instinctively closed up, but the guard was holding on so tightly to her chin that it was impossible for her to move. The other guard pulled and tugged continuously until the roots of the molar began to move. Even he was shaking with fear during the process.
Bai Yanqing was inhumanly cold-blooded. He continued to stare at Su Xiaoyu without a thought for Ning Jing. He refused to believe he couldn’t beat a little girl.
At last, a tooth was extracted from Ning Jing’s bloody mouth. Tears flowed down from her eyes, which were squeezed shut, but she still didn’t struggle or make a sound. Su Xiaoyu didn’t stir either beyond fixating her stare on Ning Jing. No one knew she had already made a vow in her heart
If…if she and Ning Jing didn’t die here today, then one day she would pay back Bai Yanqing in spades for what she saw!
Definitely!
—
When Bai Yanqing didn’t see her relent, he exploded. “Keep going!”
Thus, the guard picked up his pliers and went for Ning Jing’s second tooth. By the time he pulled it out, she had blacked out from the pain! The blood from her gums bled incessantly. At the same time, blood was trickling out a corner of Su Xiaoyu’s mouth as well. She had bitten through her tongue.
Bai Yanqing couldn’t believe it, but there was the reality. He saw Su Xiaoyu sitting in the darkened cell with a frosty expression and blood seeping from her lips. It was a scarier sight than the evil child disciples of Nanzhao’s wicked witch sects.[1]
Bai Yanqing was frozen by the sight.
“Master, if we don’t stop their bleeding, they’ll die,” the guard reminded him timidly.
Only then did Bai Yanqing recover his senses and realize Su Xiaoyu was still threatening him! Although he wasn’t willing, he had to admit that he couldn’t do anything else against the girl. If she died, then he’d never get the answers to the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion.
“Bring over medicine!”
There were no doctors in this prison, so Bai Yanqing had to treat them himself. He went to Su Xiaoyu first, but she turned her head away to refuse him.
“Damned girl, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!” Bai Yanqing was about to lose his mind.
Su Xiaoyu kept her mouth clenched shut even as more blood poured from her lips. She glared at Bai Yanqing, her eyes full of provocation! Without a choice, Bai Yanqing could only stop Ning Jing’s bleeding first.[2] He ordered two clean beds with covers brought into the cell and arranged the unconscious Ning Jing to live here. Only then did Su Xiaoyu silently exhale in relief. She opened her mouth and spat out all the fresh blood pooling inside.
Although she was about to lose consciousness, she still gave Bai Yanqing a contemptuous smile. He clenched his fists so hard the knuckles cracked, wishing dearly to punch her to death. But his only choice was to help her stop the bleeding.
Bai Yanqing had never been so oppressed in his life. A vicious gleam shone in his eyes: he would teach Su Xiaoyu the true meaning of “fear” after she told him the secrets regarding the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion!
—
Afterwards, Su Xiaoyu regained consciousness first. Her tongue might have stopped bleeding, but it was swollen and in pain, making it impossible for her to open her mouth or talk. She looked at Ning Jing lying exhausted beneath her covers, her body weak enough to scatter to the four winds at any second. Scared to death, she ran over to take the woman’s hand as if this would prevent her from disappearing.
Feeling the warm temperature beneath her fingers, Su Xiaoyu sighed in relief. She had no idea what she would do if Ning Jing died. What would be the point of her heroic perseverance then? After calming down, she quickly checked the woman’s pulse. Thank goodness she had spent some time helping Gu Beiyue at Pill Fiend Pharmacy during her time under her master. Not only did her poison skills improve, but her medical knowledge too.
Her face fell as soon as she read the pulse. Ning Jing’s health was terrible. If she wasn’t nurtured quickly, more torment would only lead to her death! But Su Xiaoyu couldn’t panic. That would just give Bai Yanqing a loophole to exploit and threaten her. When both sides had the same amount of leverage in their hands, it would be composure and determination that decided the victors.
Su Xiaoyu took Ning Jing’s pulse one more time before sitting to one side to stand guard. She began to plan how to request Bai Yanqing for medicine to recover Ning Jing’s health in the shortest possible time. Meanwhile, the guards had already gone to alert Bai Yanqing as soon as they discovered Su Xiaoyu was awake. He too, rushed over without delay.
“Damned girl, this old man has already fulfilled all your terms. You should talk by now, right?” he asked.
Su Xiaoyu immediately retorted, “How did you fulfill my terms? Where are my hot meals?”[3]
Bai Yanqing took a few deep breaths to calm his temper, then ordered someone to get hot food.
“I don’t need anything except a bowl of hot millet porridge,” Su Xiaoyu added hastily.
The guard soon returned with a bowl of piping hot porridge. Bai Yanqing didn’t press, but watched Su Xiaoyu slowly down its contents. Now that it came to this, he had enough patience to wait it out. But after finishing her meal, Su Xiaoyu didn’t plan on telling him anything. She crossed her legs to sit next to Ning Jing, leaning against the wall to rest.
“Damned girl, you really want to die?” Bai Yanqing asked coldly.
“Old gramps, you haven’t fulfilled all of my terms yet. What’s the rush?” Su Xiaoyu replied calmly.
“What else do you want? Don’t reach for a yard after getting an inch!” Bai Yanqing snapped.
“I don’t want anything else. I told you to bring Ning Jing here, but you pulled out two of her teeth and left her half-dead like this. She’s even in a stupor now! You should at least convince me that she’s going to live on, right?” Su Xiaoyu’s gifted tongue glibed back.
Seeing Bai Yanqing staring at her, she went on coldly, “Let’s cut to the chase. I’ll write a prescription and you give me medicine for the next half month. Also, deliver three hot meals to us a day. If Ning Jing’s still alive by then, I’ll tell you all I know!”
When Bai Yanqing had yielded the first time, he’d already fallen to Su Xiaoyu’s paces. If he disagreed now, all of his previous efforts would have been for naught.
“Fine, half a month!” he said before adding ruthlessly, “Damned girl, you’ll need to learn there are things on this Earth that are ‘a fate worse than death!’”[4]
1. I am sure this has a real life reference as I’ve read it in other Chinese webnovels as well, but can’t find the source. Let me know if you do.
2. Is this plot armor coming into play again? She’s completely tied up in chains, why couldn’t BYQ have knocked her out first and then treat her by force? Or use some sort of numbing/stunning poison to make her motionless? I’m not complaining here, but our villains have very variable IQs at times…
3. I thought her tongue was too swollen to talk…? Maybe she’s talking through the pain.
4. BYQ really needs to stop this bad habit of letting his enemies live for weeks at a time until the protagonists come to rescue them. See: failure of Celestial Mountain takeover.
