Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

35: Dripping Machine

Groaning in pain, Wei Wuxian tossed and turned in the cell, body aching and throbbing with all the hits his frail frame had taken. The new Clan Leader Liu, Liu Zhongli, preferred to use his prisoner as a punching bag instead of anything else. Wei Wuxian had found out they had used ice-cold water — not Liu Zhongliang's favourite boiling water technique — on Lan Xichen. But drowning Wei Wuxian in ice-cold water might empower him. There was the risk of his metamorphosis occurring so they had avoided it and resorted to two other methods Liu Zhongli loved.

Using Wei Wuxian as a punching bag.

And kneecapping. That dagger of his was beyond sharp.

Wei Wuxian bent and stretched his legs, whimpering quietly in pain as the wounds and gashes on both knees continued to bleed. With each compressing of the muscles, the gouges sent electric sparks up his spine, but he had to keep doing it in order to reduce the pain. Realising it was also increasing the blood loss, he stopped.

Tch, can't move because the bleeding speeds up, can't sit still because the pain intensifies. Liu Zhongli sure knows his torture methods.

Nie Jiuyue was never the man to physically torture another so he let things be that way, handled by Liu Zhongli, while he immersed himself in his work, figuring out the details of some task. Apparently, they had finally found the document they had been searching for and were now busy understanding the details.

I really am too curious about what they're going to do to me with that document... Wei Wuxian moaned inwardly. Oh, here comes The Torture Master, he sighed at the creak of the metal door. Oh? Not him?

"Hello, pal," Nie Jiuyue waved his hand.

He's a talkative one, like me and Xue Yang, better get something out of him while I can, Wei Wuxian nodded imperceptibly and leered at Jiuyue through the blood on his face. "Jiuyue, my good friend, how do you do?"

"Absolutely great, thank you for asking," Jiuyue chuckled as he knelt before the limp man. "And how do you feel?"

"Spec–" Wei Wuxian bit his cheek at the pain shooting from his leg again. "–tacular!"

"I can see that," Jiuyue grinned. "Zhongli's excellent when it comes to torture, don't you think?"

"Indeed, beats Xue Yang's lingchi. Did you send my brother back?"

"Of course, I did! He's lying down, safe and sound."

"Mn," Wei Wuxian nodded. "Wait, lying down?"

"Oh yes, we couldn't take the risk of going to Gusu to hand him over, so we left him in a hill quite far away from here. Don't you worry, it's too far away for them to find you here–"

"WHERE did you leave him?" Wei Wuxian glared at him, red eyes flashing bright.

"Nah! Just a grassy hill in the middle of a mountain range. Kept him near the peak, pretty cold there too. Wonder how long it'll take for them to find him. And by the way... Those scarlet eyes of yours won't last long!"

Wei Wuxian stared into his sneering eyes before he realised what was going on. "Why? Why the hell are you doing this to me?"

"Because I want power and revenge, what do you think?"

"Power? Why can't you people just sit back and live in harmony with the world? Why does everyone have to fight to rule over the others?"

"BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TREATED LIKE A DOG ALL MY LIFE!"

Wei Wuxian was taken aback by the sudden outburst, staring at Nie Jiuyue open-mouthed.

Jiuyue ran his fingers through his hair and gripped his scalp to calm himself down.