Chapter 316: A Tough Nut to Crack

Drip...Drip...Drip...

Drops of blood trickled down Cao Li’s mangled fingers, one drop after the other, drenching the red carpet underneath with a deeper shade of red.

Ear-piercing screeches echoed in the entire room at regular intervals as Yi Chen’s countenance began to constrict.

Watching Cao Li’s body convulse from pain each time he drove a blade from beneath her nails, Yi Chen didn’t feel any joy, as only a sense of annoyance began welling up in his heart.

Annoyance at the fact that she still refused to answer the question, and with gritted teeth, maintained her silence every time he tried to elicit a response after crippling one of her fingers.

HYAKKKK!

Another agonising screech echoed in the room as the blade pierced through her pinky finger, but the response to the question he asked a second later was still a rage-filled silence.

Yi Chen couldn’t help but clench his jaws at this scene. By now, he had realised that getting the truth out of her was going to be an enormous task.

’I don’t have the entire night...those guards...they might just return to check on her. She keeps delaying things like that...’

Yi Chen thought to himself, but not showing any of those emotions on his face, he reached for her other hand and said with narrowed eyes, "Your right hand is already done for. If you don’t want your left hand to experience the same fate, tell me the truth."

With that said, his hand reached for her index finger while making sure to maintain eye contact with her.

"t...tru....th..."

Cao Li, who had maintained her silence while enduring the agonising pain, finally opened her mouth to say something.

However, as her breathing was haggard, Yi Chen was unable to make any sense of what was said.

"What did you say?" he asked with a subtle hope returning in his eyes as he leaned closer to her.

"...tr-uth...."

"Say a little louder and more clearly now, will you?" Yi Chen asked irritably, bringing his ear right up to her face.

It was only then that he was able to clearly hear her words.

"I said..." A maniacal smile formed on Cao Li’s face the next second as she said in a whisper, "...Like hell I’ll tell you the truth, you fucker!"

The moment Yi Chen heard her curse, his eyes widened as a sense of premonition took over him.

However, by that time, it was too late, as from the periphery of his vision he saw Cao Li’s head shoving right towards his side.

With hatred evident on her face, Cao Li’s eyes locked onto Yi Chen’s ear as her jaws opened wide the next moment before slamming shut in the blink of an eye.

CLENCH!

A sharp pain ripped through Yi Chen’s entire being, originating from the side of his head and spreading throughout his being. It was so intense that even his vision blurred momentarily, almost making him lose consciousness.

’T-This...!’

He gritted his teeth in pain and anger, but before he could lash out, Cao Li forcefully jerked her head, making him feel a tearing sensation, which was soon accompanied by an unbearable pain.

ARRRRRGHHHHH!

Pulling back his head, the next second he roared in great pain while tightly clenching his wounded ear. Warm blood poured out of the side of his head as he tried to control it with all his might while breathing heavily in great pain.

The next moment, his gaze fell on Cao Li, who was on the seat a few feet ahead.

Meeting Yi Chen’s gaze, a sadistic grin formed on her face as she spat something out just a few feet away from Yi Chen.

FLAP!

A fleshy sound immediately drew Yi Chen’s attention towards it, making his eyes widen in disbelief.

’M-My ear!!’

Earlier, because of how quickly things had happened, he thought that his ear had only been severely injured.

However, it was only after seeing this sight that he realised that instead of being injured, it had been completely severed.

Meanwhile, spitting out the remnant blood in her mouth, she wiped her lips on her robes, disgust evident in her eyes.

However, the intense glee she felt after getting back at Yi Chen was enough to momentarily put that disgust aside.

Seeing Yi Chen’s face grow paler and paler after catching sight of his ear lying in front of him, Cao Li asked with a soft chuckle, "Looks like you really enjoyed the sensation."

Noticing that her words had managed to capture Yi Chen’s attention, she continued with a provoking grin, "How about it? Want me to rip apart your other ear as well? I promise to be even more gentle than before."

Witnessing her vexing grin, Yi Chen’s eyes immediately switched from shock to blinding rage, and with bloodshot eyes, his figure appeared right next to her.

HYAK!

Tightly clamping his hand around her throat, he lifted Cao Li up in the air as her face turned redder and redder with each passing second.

"Y-You-"

"Why aren’t you smiling anymore, you bitch? Is it not fun anymore, huh? Scared that with just a little more force that neck of yours will snap?"

Yi Chen asked with a hateful voice while feeling the blood trickling down his face.

With all his being, he wanted to kill her right at this moment.

However, knowing well that she was her only chance for collecting evidence, he forcefully controlled himself at the last moment.

Unfortunately, his hesitation was clearly perceived by Cao Li, who, with a forceful grin, said the next second.

"D-Do it...Kill me then."

"???"

Seeing the blank look on Yi Chen’s face, her grin only widened as she tried to further provoke him.

"What? You can’t?...Doesn’t that mean you got no other evidence to prove your words and have no choice but to depend on my confession?"

Sensing that the grip around her neck was loosening, Cao Li’s confidence further increased as she started laughing like crazy.

"Hahahah! Why aren’t you killing me? Was I right? Then doesn’t it mean you have no other way of getting the confession out of me now?!

Maybe try torturing me more? At least that’s the only thing you can do now...how pitiable."

Cao Li clicked her tongue while feigning sympathy for Yi Chen.

’This bitch!’

Tightly clenching his teeth, Yi Chen slammed her figure into the chair the next second.

SLAM!

Unable to bear the force, the chair collapsed, and Cao Li’s figure fell down with it

Although he didn’t show it on his face, he was completely shaken inside.

’Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! What now? Just how will I be able to get the truth out of her?!’

Just like she had said, torture was the only option that was left, but already having mangled her right hand, he knew that even in that option, the chances of success were very low.

’At this rate... Won’t I fail to provide proof to Bai Tianhe?’ he thought as the consequences of failing the mission forced him to think of a solution no matter what.

"Ah! That hurt, you know? What if I had lost consciousness? You wouldn’t be able to gather the proof you need then, right?"

She chuckled while on the floor, her eyes continuously moving around as if looking for something.

"Oh, how about this then? I’ll give you the information you need, and in return you’ll give me your head. Fair trade, right? Once you’ve given me your head, I promise to say all that you want in front of that Video Captu-"

"Shut up or I’ll really kill you!" Yi Chen roared in annoyance.

He was trying hard to think of a way to get the truth out of her, so constantly being pestered by her had only fanned his anger towards her.

"I’m so scared of you-" Cao Li feigned a frightened expression but stopped the moment her eyes locked onto something.

However, not wanting to alert Yi Chen, she continued the very next moment while her eyes were focused on the object, "I have thought of another suitable offer just now. How about you...die?"

Cao Li’s playful tone turned frigid the moment she pronounced the last word, and a chill ran down Yi Chen’s spine that very moment.

Having just experienced this strange sense of premonition a few moments ago, he immediately poured a large amount of Qi on his feet and jumped high into the air.

SWOOOOOOSH!

Just at the moment, Yu Ding’s sword, which was coated with spiritual energy, zipped past the spot he was standing on.

"!!!"

’I let my guard down!’ Yi Chen immediately realised the great blunder he had made by letting that sword remain lying next to Yu Ding’s figure.

Seeing Yi Chen’s figure up in the air like a sitting duck, a gleeful expression formed on Cao Li’s face, and in the next second she exclaimed with a sinister smile, "Try dodging it again!"

Yi Chen immediately noticed the sword swiftly changing its direction midair and hurtling towards him from below.

BURST!

Using the Bursting Fire Steps, he managed to barely dodge the strike, but the relief was short-lived as, changing its direction again, the sword once again dashed towards him.

’...You aren’t the only one who can use spiritual energy!’

Yi Chen’s eyes glimmered with white light as the very next instant Cao Li felt her control over the sword waning before being completely seized.

"How?!"

An expression of disbelief completely overtook her face the moment this happened.

Even without her limbs, she was confident in dealing with him using her spiritual energy and had been looking for a chance all this time.

However, never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Yi Chen could use spiritual energy as well.

’A Meridian Refinement Stage brat who not only could use spiritual energy but could also overpower me with it...a Ninth Qi Absorption Stage cultivator?!’

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.