Chapter 1 (1/2)

Farewell to the I: ore]

Plu everywhere on the ground, on the snow that was yet to lance The petals were blown around the yard leisurely by the wind

Dusk fell like a curtain, and on the eaves the moon was as cold as water

At the far back of the small courtyard, half hidden by the plu like it had been there for a long time Guarded by tell-built men steeled in are space The veranda was narrow and cra over a stone-paved path which led into a pitch-black prison The atmosphere was somber and heavy with the stench of death

The faint sly cut off by the door, unable to reach this place at all

More guards inside with various weapons stood stock still; the bars of the cells they were protecting as thick as a grownthe dark, narrow path further inside the prison would be e stone doors with uarded Behind those doors was co here had been the road to the underworld full of wronged souls, lit up by flickering lights that looked like will-o'-wisps

In the cell at the end of the prison, there was a low , followed by a short silence and ostensibly a tired sigh

Suddenly, a piercing screa the light for a split second The screaiving any huuards outside with their back towards the cell see, inexperienced expressions He could not help but shi+ver after hearing the screa deaf, standing as straight as a mountain; so he too recoot shriller and went on longer, the person kept screaave out and their breath became short, and eventually the scream became moans and sobs, further evidence of their oosebumps on his body

After about an hour1, the sound finally died down A short tied out by two people, looking half dead His arms were bare, head lolled to one side, hair sweat-soaked, lips bitten raw, blood foa at the corner of his mouth, no visible injuries save for the seven major acupuncture points on his stomach and chest, which were stabbed into by deep cri guard couldn't help but follow the man with his eyes until he disappeared behind a stone door

At that rets now, having seen that?”

He visibly shook with fear, turning back to see abehind hiuard had already knelt, so he quickly followed suit, ”My lord”

Thehirace, but there were traces of sickness on his coht, thick eyelashes see half of his face when he looked dohich was a co cold in his eyes could be seen The addition of an elegance slope of nose and a contemptuous curl of lips was a treacherous touch to his handso the honorifics, s man nodded ”Yes, my lord”

He was then patted twice on the shoulder, ”Then you must remeerain with respect ”Yes, Sir Zhou”

He nodded, waving his arms, ”You two can leave, I want souards obeyed and walked out side by side The younger one sill could not help but look back for a second to see the robedin the air but also nothing at the saht the man looked like he wanted to leave for somewhere really far away

After the first iron door was let down, the old guard beside hi seen Sir all aracious and scholarly, will you believe that he's the one who put the 'Nails of Seven Apertures for Three Autuer looked at hihed: ”There're still a lot you don't understand If you enter 'Tian Chuang' there's no way out, escape will only result in either death or being con of Da Qing, just by hearing the na' could anization of intelligence gatherers and assassins loyal only to the Emperor, there was no information of their numbers or whereabouts - no doubt their power could extend to the end of the earth Tian Chuang was for back when he was the Crown Prince, and by noas already fully structured and strictly regulated

And the first ever leader of Tian Chuang was the s: ”Sir Zhou” Zhou Zishu

There were no secrets in Tian Chuang whether it was about court business or peasant problems; therefore one of its rules was that if a person could still talk, they could not leave the organization unless they were dead or asked for the Nails themselves

The ”Nails of Seven Apertures for Three Autumns” punishment meant that the person would be stabbed by poisonous nails into the seven most important acupuncture points on their upper body by internal force2, blocking their Eight Meridians3, crippling their martial art skills and their ability to speak or move; after three years, the poison would fully spread into their viscera and they would kick the bucket

They would live their lives without purpose in those three years, and the experience made it worse than death itself

But even then, there were still so to be put in near co

Those three years for the everyone, Zhou Zishu returned to the s around in deep thoughts for a while Then he stopped at a corner of the roo out a ss carried a grim aroma not unlike plum blossoms Zhou Zishu inhaled deeply, then undid his robes

He looked relatively well-built, but once the robes were re had drained life coard fra ti almost become one with the flesh

He looked down at his body, s up a knife nearby Slightly gritting his teeth, heto the nails as if it's not flesh of his own His chest was quickly soaked in blood, but the nails looked new again

Like so onto the wall in the corner and slowly sliding down, body tre uncontrollably His lips were deathly pale, teeth still gritted; then he suddenly convulsed, eyes wide open then slowly closed right after, head twisted to one side

Blanched and covered in blood, he looked like a corpse

Only until dawn broke did the man coiled in the corner of the cell twitch His eyes then opened slowly and he tried to get up, but his weak legs gave out and he fell He so out a cloth and dipping it in water to wipe away most of the blood on his chest with care He redressed, picking up a nail to hide in his robes

Breathing in deeply, he opened the cell door and walked outside

Leaving the prison to go towards the courtyard with the blosso deep into hi the stench of blood He stood under the plu the flowers, unconsciously s, and spoke lowly, ”Anyone here?”

A person clad in black e for their orders Zhou Zishu handed them a dull-colored command token and said, ”Tell Head Butler Duan to acco His Majesty”