Chapter 545: Chapter 545. Revenge For Father
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation | Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Zeyu also knew that the big killing machine was a secret the soldiers couldn’t know about, just like how he and Su Qing were cautious when making the mortar, not letting anyone know about the production process.
Since these soldiers didn’t know the details, Xiao Zeyu kept his promise and let them leave. Some of them wanted to stay in the Xiao Family Army, but considering the danger of doing so, Xiao Zeyu disagreed. They were in Cao Cao’s camp, but their hearts were in Han, and if they cooperated with the Wan Family Army, Luo City would be in danger.
He gave each of these soldiers a tael of silver for travel expenses, and another person gave ten dry rations. He confiscated their weapons and only left them a dagger for self-defense. These surrendered soldiers all thanked him profuselv and left.
As for how many of these people had retired, it was unknown. Perhaps they had surrendered just to survive and would return to the Wan Clan Army after leaving Luo City.
However, he could only give them one chance. If they met again on the battlefield, it would be their death.
After sending off these surrendered soldiers, Zhang Jinglin led the soldiers and the commoners who had volunteered to help consolidate the city. Xiao Zeyu and Su Qing ordered people to escort Wan Qingzhi to the main tent of the central army. It was time to settle the score with the Wan family.
Wan Qingzhi was taken off his armor and escorted into the main tent. The guards were all elders of the Xiao Family Army who hated the Wan Family to the core. Hence, they were very harsh when they pushed him. They pushed his injured shoulders with all their might. Wan Qingzhi’s face turned pale from the pain. He gritted his teeth and endured it. Large drops of cold sweat dripped down his forehead. The corners of his eyes were about to crack.
After entering the main tent, he saw Xiao Zeyu sitting on a chair covered in tiger skin. He was dressed in battle robes, and his eyes were bright. He looked down at him with a dignified expression, like an emperor looking down at his prisoners.
Wan Qingzhi gritted his teeth and cursed,
“Xiao family’s child, give grandpa a quick death. Don’t do despicable things.”
Xiao Zeyu laughed coldly. How could it be as he wished? His voice was deep and cold, like the whistling of the cold wind. He said to Wan Qingzhi word by word, “Everyone else can do it, but you can’t. A debt of blood must be repaid in blood. Everything your Wan Clan did to my father back then, you must taste it today. Let’s try skinning first!”
Xiao Zeyu thought of the cruel scene his foster father had told him about. His father had his tendons cut off, and his skin peeled off from his back. Just thinking about that scene made him feel so angry that his organs were burning.
Today, he could finally avenge his father. This had always been his wish.
“You dare?”
When Wan Qingzhi heard that Xiao Zeyu would skin him alive, he could no longer pretend to be calm. His voice cracked as he bared his fangs and brandished his claws at Xiao Zeyu, thinking this would scare him.
“Drag him away and find someone who can skin him well. I want to use his skin to make a human skin lantern and send it to Wan Yulin.”
Xiao Zeyu’s eyes were as cold as ice and contained a hint of cruelty. He wanted Wan Yulin to suffer this heart-wrenching pain and let him know that there was retribution in this world.
“You dare? Do you dare?”
Wan Qingzhi was pulled out of the tent by two guards. His eyes were filled with fear. Flaying people alive was a punishment he liked very much. It was his pleasure. Watching those who offended him being skinned alive, listening to their screams, and then having their hearts thrown to his dogs to eat, he was as happy as he was at that time, but now he was as afraid. He only liked to skin others, and he did not want to suffer such inhuman torture.
Xiao Zeyu looked on expressionlessly as Wan Qingzhi was dragged out. His heart had been trained to be as hard as steel. When he heard that his father had been skinned alive by the Wan family, he had used his whip to whip the rocks in a frenzy. He had whipped them for an entire night, but the boiling hatred in his heart had not disappeared at all.
Therefore, the anxiety he felt when he looked at Wan Qingzhi now was like seeing his father’s helplessness back then. His eyes were red with hatred as he clenched his fists tightly.
The ones they wanted to kill the most and also the ones who deserved to be killed the most were Wan Shengchang and the dead dog emperor. It would be too good for them if they died, so they would let their descendants pay for them.
Wan Qingzhi’s scream came from outside the tent. It didn’t sound like it came from a human. It sounded like a wolf crying. In the beginning, he was still cursing, but later on, he began to beg for mercy. He had completely lost his previous tyranny and arrogance.
Xiao Zeyu only asked the soldiers to peel off the skin on his back. After peeling off the skin, they would pull out the tendons in his hands and feet and drag him out to be torn apart by horses, just like how the Wan family had treated their father.
Su Qing saw Xiao Zeyu clenching his fists and his body trembling slightly. His eyes were red, filled with hatred and longing for his father. She placed her hand on Xiao Zeyu’s hand and called out his name in a soft voice,
“Shuisheng.”
“I’m fine.”
Xiao Zeyu held Su Qing’s hand and kissed it gently. The hatred in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by tenderness. He looked at Su Qing with bright eyes and said,
“Don’t worry, I’ve taken revenge. I’m happy.”
As long as you’re happy. Send an urgent message back to Mo City. I suspect it’s Qin Tie.”
Su Qing saw that Xiao Zeyu had already left his painful memories, so she told him her thoughts.
“Could it be him?”
Xiao Zeyu was somewhat hesitant. He and Qing’er were Qin Tie’s saviors. They had helped him take revenge and even gave him official positions, a residence, maids, and servants. They had even arranged for a team of Xiao Family soldiers to protect him. Yet, Qin Tie was willing to betray them. He was genuinely starting to doubt humanity.
“There is no telling what is in a person’s heart. They don’t betray because they don’t have enough temptation. When the temptation is enough, betrayal is a logical thing.”
Su Qing saw it clearly and did not think that Qin Tie would not betray them just because he was grateful.
“That’s true. I’ll order people to return to Mo City now.”
Xiao Zeyu nodded. Although he didn’t want Qin Tie to betray him, he understood that Su Qing was right. It was just like Qiu Yongkang, a childhood friend of his, but so what? When it was time to betray, he betrayed him more thoroughly than anyone else.
“Do you think it may be Yongkang?”
Xiao Zeyu asked Su Qing hesitantly. Although Qiu Yongkang had never seen the manufacturing process of the mortar, he was brilliant. Perhaps he could also develop a mortar.
“He’s already dead.”
Su Qing casually told Xiao Zeyu what she had never told him because she feared he would be sad.
“Dead?”
Xiao Zeyu fell silent after hearing this. Their friendship of nearly twenty years had just vanished like smoke.
“Yes, he’s no longer a concern. Let’s investigate who gave the mortars to the imperial court first!”
Su Qing didn’t want to talk about Qiu Yongkang anymore, so she changed the topic.
“Alright.”
Xiao Zeyu nodded and immediately wrote an urgent letter, sealed it with a lead seal, and sent two people to Mo City to deliver it.
Outside the door, Wan Qingzhi had already been punished for being skinned. How could he still look like the high-spirited First Prince? Dragged into the tent like a mangy dog, he no longer had the strength to get up. He just lay on the ground, his limbs limp. At this moment, he no longer dared to clamor. His eyes were humble as he looked at Xiao Zeyu, begging for mercy. His voice was weak and powerless,
“Give me a quick death, please!”
“If you want to die a quick death, you can. But you have to answer a question of mine.. Who handed the great killing weapon to the Imperial Court?”