nyslfriends Chapter 26 Turning Point
Chapter 26 Turning Point
"I can't say." Chen Ye glanced at the Feng family's private soldier guarding the cell outside and lowered his voice to Zuo Dongxi, "But if she comes, we can live."
Zuo Dongxi's gaze swept over him from head to toe, as if he were re-examining a stranger.
He hadn't expected that an unassuming escort could be so calm, almost abnormally so.
"What if she doesn't come?"
"If she were a smart person, she would definitely come once she got the news."
Zuo Dongxi was completely bewildered and had no clue what to do.
Chen Ye's unwavering tone was like a lifeline suddenly thrown to him, giving him a glimmer of hope amidst his despair.
"There's something we must insist on right now." Chen Ye's expression suddenly turned serious as he said earnestly, "No matter what torture we use, we absolutely cannot back down. We must insist that we know nothing."
Zuo Dongxi said, "Don't worry, I can definitely hold on."
With a loud clang.
The iron lid of the prison door was suddenly flung open.
A steward from the Feng family, accompanied by several private soldiers, escorted a middle-aged man into the dungeon.
The middle-aged man was wearing a crescent-colored silk shirt. He was not tall and even looked somewhat thin. His temples were already more than half gray.
He exuded an aura of superiority, commanding respect without anger.
He didn't look at anyone when he came in; his gaze fell on an oil lamp on the wall, and he didn't look away until he sat down.
"Let's begin!" the middle-aged man said calmly, his tone revealing no emotion whatsoever.
"Yes."
The first to be interrogated was Feng Yanwu's personal bodyguard.
There was no expected punishment, just routine questioning, asking them to recount what they had seen along the way.
Su Guang, one of Young Master Feng's personal guards, was soon summoned as well.
Upon seeing the middle-aged man, his eyes remained calm and composed as he bowed respectfully, saying, "Master!"
"Tell me, what did you see and experience along the way?" the head of the Feng family asked in a calm tone.
"Yes."
Su Guang then recounted the entire day's events in great detail, including details such as Feng Yanwu getting out of the car to brew tea and everyone testing for poison.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered the teacup Chen Ye had mentioned, glanced at the head of the family, and then, as the words were about to come out, he suddenly remembered Chen Ye's instructions.
He was careful and changed his words, swallowing back the matter of the teacup.
After Su Guang finished speaking, the head of the Feng family waved his hand, signaling for a change of personnel.
Zuo Dongxi was a man of the martial arts world, not one for many schemes. He simply cried out that he was innocent, starting with the story of how the Feng family steward asked him to move the carriage. His account was similar to that of others.
The head of the Feng family was impatient from the moment he saw him, and waved him away before he could finish speaking.
Chen Ye was interrogated last.
This arrangement was made solely because his status was the lowest among everyone, so low that he had neither the motivation nor the ability to do so.
Even if they are suspected, at most they are just accomplices.
Chen Ye's retelling was largely the same as everyone else's. The Feng family patriarch, having heard most of it, interrupted, "I heard you checked the carriages and horses at the end; did you find anything amiss?"
Chen Ye bowed his head and replied, "My lord, this matter involves a carriage and horse trading company. I only examined the carriages and horses. I know nothing about the rest and can't see anything... I just feel..."
"What do you think?"
"The young master's death was...extremely gruesome."
A slight ripple finally crossed the calm face of the Feng family patriarch, and his gaze, which had been fixed on the wall, shifted to Chen Ye.
He suddenly lost interest, waved his hand, and ordered someone to take Chen Ye back to the prison.
After the interrogation, the head of the Feng family stood up, unwilling to linger in this gloomy place.
Before leaving, he calmly instructed his attendant, "Give me an answer as soon as possible."
The servant saw the master off, returned to the dungeon, sat down on the same bench, and said coldly, "Use the torture!"
Eager to get the results he wanted, the servants resorted to brutal interrogation methods.
Inside the dungeon, screams erupted, sending chills down one's spine.
A muffled sob could be faintly heard in the darkness, along with various words of injustice.
But the servant showed no mercy and turned a deaf ear to these sophistry, only increasing the punishment.
Some people couldn't hold on and died on the spot.
"One died. Drag him out and feed him to the dogs."
"continue!"
Su Guang, who served as Su Guang's personal bodyguard, was also subjected to the torture of finger-crushing.
His ten fingers were almost completely useless. When he was dragged back to the cell, he subconsciously glanced at Chen Ye, but still didn't mention the teacup.
Zuo Dongxi insisted that he was innocent, but the result was naturally not good.
He was covered in blood when he was dragged back to the prison.
Zuo Dongxi leaned against the wall, his face covered in dried scabs, and said weakly to Chen Ye, "The Feng family won't let outsiders leave alive... If you have any backup plans, use them quickly. Any later... it might be too late."
"When will your men arrive?" Chen Ye asked.
"It should be... soon..." Zuo Dongxi's tone was uncertain.
The Feng family's punishments were much harsher than expected, and even martial arts masters found them difficult to withstand.
But after a day of interrogation, and after most of the people in the cell had been tortured, the servants had not obtained any useful information.
Therefore, he had no choice but to escalate his methods.
For a time, screams and wails filled the dungeon.
Around midnight, after the servant left temporarily, a figure in crimson robes walked in gracefully.
She was a beautiful woman, dressed in a crimson dress, with a full bust and a curvaceous waist and hips, a stark contrast to the cold, gloomy prison cell.
She whispered a few words to the private guards guarding the prison, and was then led to a cell.
Seeing Zuo Dongxi collapsed on the ground, the woman's eyes welled up with pity, and she called out softly, "Dong-ge'er, Dong-ge'er."
Zuo Dongxi heard the woman's voice, raised his head, revealing a blood-stained face: "Xing'er... it's you..."
"Why did you have to get involved in the Feng family's affairs... Now you're stuck here, I'm afraid..." The beautiful woman's voice choked with sobs as she quietly wiped away her tears.
"Xing'er, I need you to do something for me." Zuo Dongxi looked at Chen Ye, remembered his instructions, and struggled to move to the cell door.
"Don't expect me to save you... I don't have that ability. The patriarch is personally overseeing this matter; no one can escape it."
"No, no, it's not to save me, just to pass on a message for me."
"What did you say?"
Zuo Dongxi glanced around and beckoned her to come closer.
The woman understood and leaned closer.
Zuo Dongxi whispered in her ear, "Go find the Third Young Master's widow and tell her... tell her that I know who the murderer is."
The woman trembled: "You wouldn't...?"
"Shh! Just relay the exact words, don't ask any other questions."
The woman's eyes were filled with suspicion and uncertainty. Coming to this dungeon today was already risky, and to deliver his message would be even more dangerous.
But she knew this was a big deal, so after thinking for a moment, she nodded and agreed.
The two spoke in hushed tones for a while, their grief becoming increasingly overwhelming.
The woman wiped away her tears and said, "I can't stay any longer... I have to go..."
After saying that, she turned and left without hesitation.
Only Zuo Dongxi let out a long sigh in the prison.
Chen Ye looked out at the empty cell door and asked curiously, "Who is this woman?"
"The concubine of the Gao family patriarch," Zuo Dongxi closed his eyes, "my ex-wife..."