TPGA - 39

Jiang Caiping chimed in, “Exactly! If we ever see Shen Yunyi, we’ll immediately inform Eldest Master so he can bring her to justice.”

Li Jiancheng looked at Yunyi with a pointed expression. “It had better be that way. Otherwise… it won’t end with just a few days in the dungeon.”

“Big Brother!” At that moment, Li Shimin’s voice rang out.

Li Jiancheng was surprised. “Second Brother, aren’t you and Third Brother searching for the assassin? Why are you here?” Then, a flicker of hope appeared in his eyes. “Have you caught the assassin?”

Li Shimin shook his head. “We haven’t found any trace of the assassin yet. However, an imperial edict has just arrived from Luoyang. Father wants you to go over immediately.”

Li Jiancheng’s face darkened. An assassination attempt had just occurred, and now an imperial edict had arrived—it couldn’t possibly be good news. He immediately said, “Alright, I’ll go right away. Keep a close watch here. If the assassin appears, capture her immediately and don’t give her any chance to escape!”

“I understand, Big Brother. You can rest assured.” Just as Li Jiancheng was about to leave, Shen Moping, who had been silent since being hung up, suddenly spoke in a weak voice, “Li Jiancheng, aren’t you very curious about where Yunyi is hiding? I can tell you.”

Li Jiancheng paused mid-step and coldly raised his head. “Trying the same old tricks again? Do you really think I’d fall for it?”

Shen Moping forced a painful smile. “You can choose not to believe me, but… don’t regret it later!”

Li Jiancheng was an extremely suspicious person. If Shen Moping had sworn an oath, claiming he would reveal Yunyi’s whereabouts, Li Jiancheng might not have believed him. But now, his vague words made Li Jiancheng unsure of their truthfulness. After pondering for a moment, he asked, “What do you want in return?”

Shen Moping glanced toward Yunyi and struggled to say, “I just want you to give me a quick death. I… I can’t take it anymore!”

After being hung up, Li Jiancheng hadn’t deprived him of food or water. In fact, when Shen Moping refused to stop eating, servants were ordered to forcibly feed him—bird’s nest, ginseng, lingzhi—all sorts of things were forced down his throat. Everything was done to keep him alive in order to lure Yunyi out.

After some thought, Li Jiancheng said, “Bring him down.”

“Big Brother, be careful—it might be a trap. And Father is waiting for you,” Li Shimin reminded him.

Li Jiancheng dismissed his concerns. “Look at him—he’s already in such a state. Do you think he’s capable of any tricks? Once I get the information on the assassin’s whereabouts, I’ll go see Father. It won’t make a difference if I’m delayed for a moment.”

Seeing this, Li Shimin didn’t press further. Instead, he turned to Duan Zhihong and whispered, “Keep a close eye on him. Don’t let him have any chance to harm Big Brother.”

“Understood.” While they were speaking, the guards had already brought Shen Moping down. He collapsed on the ground, too weak to move.

Li Jiancheng looked down at him disdainfully. “You should understand—whether you confess or not, Shen Yunyi won’t escape from this governor’s mansion. Rather than dragging this out, why not give us both a clean resolution?”

The ropes binding Shen Moping’s hands and feet were still tied, forcing him to crawl like a worm toward Li Jiancheng. When he finally reached his feet, he revealed a sorrowful smile. “You’re right. From the moment you captured me, there was no way out for me. No one can save me!”

Li Jiancheng sneered coldly. “Speak. As long as you tell me where to find Shen Yunyi, I’ll give you a quick death so you don’t have to suffer here.”

“She’s…” Shen Moping raised his eyes to look at Yunyi, his gaze filled with endless sadness and reluctance. Although Yunyi and Mei Xue looked identical, Shen Moping had been by Yunyi’s side for years and recognized at a glance that the person before him wasn’t Mei Xue—it was Yunyi. He didn’t know why she was here in Mei Xue’s identity or what had happened to the real Mei Xue. But none of that mattered now. Only one thing was important!

When Li Jiancheng saw that he wasn’t continuing, he impatiently urged, “Hurry up and speak! Where is she?”

Duan Zhihong exchanged a glance with several nearby guards. Having worked together in the governor’s mansion for years, a single look was enough to convey his meaning. They all tightened their grips on their sword hilts, ready to strike if Shen Moping showed any sign of harming Li Jiancheng.

“She’s…” Before he could say more, Shen Moping’s expression suddenly hardened. Before anyone could react, he lunged forward and sank his teeth fiercely into Li Jiancheng’s right leg, causing the latter to let out a blood-curdling scream.

Caught off guard, Li Jiancheng bled profusely and shouted in pain, “Quick! Pull him off! Pull him off!”

Li Shimin reacted the fastest. Even before Li Jiancheng finished speaking, he rushed behind Shen Moping and tried to pull him away. But Shen Moping clung on tightly, refusing to let go. The struggle only intensified Li Jiancheng’s agony.

Li Jiancheng’s right leg was already afflicted with a condition that made walking painful for him, and every step caused him discomfort. Now, with Shen Moping biting down on him, the pain was unbearable. He lifted his other foot and began stomping furiously on Shen Moping’s back. Blood flowed continuously from Shen Moping’s mouth, mixing with the blood on Li Jiancheng’s leg. Yet, even in this state, Shen Moping refused to release his grip. Meanwhile, Li Jiancheng, unable to steady himself on one foot, collapsed to the ground.

Jiang Caiping was terrified by the bloody scene and anxiously pulled Yunyi’s hand, saying, “This place is horrifying! Sister, let’s leave quickly!”

But no matter how much she pleaded or tugged, Yunyi stood motionless, staring blankly at the gruesome spectacle as if she were in a daze.

Unable to budge her and unwilling to leave her behind, Jiang Caiping stomped her feet in frustration but stayed put. She tightly shut her eyes, unable to bear looking at the horrifying sight any longer.

“Quick, find a way to pull him off!” Li Jiancheng, now collapsed on the ground, screamed in agony, his eyes revealing rare fear. As for Shen Moping, his face was covered in blood, resembling a vengeful ghost crawling out from the depths of hell!

Li Shimin snatched the sword from Duan Zhihong’s hand and swung it down fiercely, hacking into Shen Moping’s leg. Blood gushed out like a fountain. “If you don’t let go, I’ll chop your legs apart piece by piece, leaving you neither alive nor dead!”

The excruciating pain caused cold sweat to pour down Shen Moping’s face, but his jaws remained clamped tightly onto Li Jiancheng’s right leg. It wasn’t just flesh he had bitten into—it was the shinbone itself. Li Jiancheng could even feel Shen Moping’s teeth scraping against the bone beneath his skin. If the bone snapped, coupled with his existing leg ailment, walking might become impossible forever.

At this thought, Li Jiancheng screamed in panic, “Second Brother, kill him! Kill him!”

As Li Jiancheng shouted, Li Shimin delivered several more strikes with the blade, reducing Shen Moping’s legs to a bloody mess of exposed white bones. Yet, despite the unbearable torment, Shen Moping refused to release his grip. This level of resolve left even the usually resourceful Li Shimin at a loss for what to do.