Chapter 52
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The hand gripping the sword was rough, and Fu Nian could clearly feel that hand moving through his hair, as if petting a small animal.
Enduring the unusual sensation on his head, Fu Nian lifted his left hand to push the other person’s hand away. However, before his hand could make contact with the one on his head, he was forcefully pressed down on the ground again.
“!” The sensation of his face hitting the stone floor wasn’t pleasant, but Fu Nian gritted his teeth and held back from making any noise.
“Be good,” Fu Zhen said softly. One hand firmly held onto Fu Nian’s left shoulder, immobilizing him on the ground, while the other hand gently caressed and comforted him, stroking his hair.
Fu Nian attempted to lift his shoulder but was met with a searing, excruciating pain. He didn’t dare to move further and could only allow himself to be pinned down, subjected to the touch.
“Your hair isn’t as silky as it used to be. Life must have been tough since leaving the Distant Moon Sect, right? You’ve been through so much…” Fu Zhen mused to himself as he continued to stroke Fu Nian’s hair. “Just relax a little. When you were younger, you used to love it when others touched your head. You would even nuzzle their hands. It’s only been a few years since you left, so why act so unfamiliar?”
Fu Nian naturally refused to respond.
After a brief silence, suddenly, Fu Nian felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, as if a needle had pierced him.
“Don’t move!” Fu Zhen’s voice grew somewhat stern. “It’ll help you sleep well. You seem very tired. You’ve forgotten that when you used to return from missions and couldn’t relax your nerves, you loved using these calming incense. It’s the same principle; don’t worry, it’s not a medicinal needle piercing your body. Relax.”
Don’t worry?
Fu Nian couldn’t help but retort in his mind. Was this something a sane person could say?
But ultimately, based on past experiences, he suppressed his anger and tried to remain calm, observing the situation.
The medicinal needle took effect quickly. Fu Nian could feel his brain gradually stopping its thoughts. He could only use his fingernails to constantly pinch his palm, stubbornly keeping himself awake.
“Is it because you find this place too gloomy that you refuse to sleep? It’s okay; we’ll leave this bloody place soon. Now that you’re back, this place is of no use. If you don’t like it, we can set it on fire later,” Fu Zhen said with a sigh as he saw Fu Nian resisting the sedative and struggling to stay awake. He then took out a slender silver needle and quickly stabbed it into the exposed skin at the back of Fu Nian’s neck.
This time, Fu Nian clearly felt the drug’s effects intensify.
No matter how he resisted, his vision gradually blurred, and his consciousness started to become chaotic.
“This is my obedient Ah Nian, good…”
Before falling into slumber, this was the last sentence Fu Nian heard.
The daylight seeped in from outside, and Fu Nian’s eyelids trembled.
It’s been a long time since he slept so soundly…
He opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar environment, one he hadn’t seen in a long time.
It was the traditional kang-style bed he often slept on during his time in the sect, and even the blanket felt like the one he remembered. However, the room was unusually quiet, with only him in it.
Just as Fu Nian was about to confirm if this was a dream, a familiar face came into view.
“Awake? Do you want to sleep a bit more?”
…Hearing this voice, Fu Nian immediately snapped to attention. The gruesome images of bloodshed from his recent slumber flooded back into his mind.
Especially the image of his senior brother lying in a coffin.
He tried to get up, but he felt a numbness in his limbs, and they wouldn’t obey him.
“The effects of the drug haven’t worn off yet,” Fu Zhen said, seeing him continuously attempt to struggle. He reminded him at the right moment, “But don’t worry. Your body… I cherish it more than you do. While you were asleep just now, I cleaned your body, changed the dirty clothes you were wearing from the palace, removed that inferior leg prosthesis, and tended to the wounds.”
Upon hearing this, Fu Nian tried to lift his gaze and looked at the clothes he was wearing. Indeed, they had been changed. The spot where his artificial limb should have been was empty.
He attempted to clench his fist, but his hand wouldn’t obey him. In the end, he could only lie there, feeling powerless.
“Why did you bring me here? What about those people—?”
Fu Zhen didn’t let him finish and interrupted, “Let bygones be bygones. You’re back now, no need to mention those stumbling blocks.”
“What did you bring me here for?” Fu Nian didn’t want to anger this man and repeated the first half of his question.
“Of course, to let you rest properly. You can only sleep soundly in a familiar environment. This is the result of training you to remain vigilant over the years, but it’s also the only downside.”
“I’m asking about your intentions. Are you planning to poison me again? Or are you going to make me like senior brother, a dead body left intact? Or are you going to continue your spree of killings—”
“Fu Nian, I never taught you to use such rude language.” This time, Fu Zhen was considerably stern, and he slapped the wooden board of the kang bed to emphasize his point. “This place was built following the design of the old Distant Moon Sect, so that one day, when you returned, you could have a peaceful sleeping environment. Those stumbling blocks, or Fu Nineteen… I didn’t willingly do all this, but fortunately, the end result was a success. You’ve finally returned. I don’t expect you to understand my efforts immediately…” Fu Zhen’s expression turned joyous, and his happiness was evident on his face.
Fu Nian probably understood now.
It was impossible to reason with this madman using normal logic. In Fu Zhen’s mind, he was still rejoicing over the successful use of living beings as drug ingredients, even thinking those who died needlessly was right. But as for why he was so fixated on him… Fu Nian couldn’t figure it out for the time being.
Fu Nian didn’t attempt to speculate further on the madman’s thoughts.
In any case, he needed to get away from this lunatic.
After lying still for a while, he saw Fu Zhen stand up and walk outside.
However, his respite was short-lived. After a while, Fu Nian saw the man return, holding a food tray with various dishes emitting enticing aromas.
Fu Zhen stopped in front of him, placed the tray down, sat on the kang, and picked up a bowl of osmanthus lotus root powder. He gently blew on it and tested the temperature on his hand.
Feeling the spoon being brought to his mouth, Fu Nian clenched his teeth even harder.
“I remember you used to love sugar osmanthus lotus root powder with almonds when you were a child,” Fu Zhen said strangely, taking the spoon back after reconsidering for a moment. “I understand now. You still hate me for poisoning you, right? You might hate me for these things, but there’s no need to harm your own body. You’ve slept for twelve hours. You should eat; these are all things you used to enjoy.”
Fu Nian still didn’t speak.
Indeed, when he was a child, what he looked forward to the most was his master cooking for him, and the food was a hundred times better than what the kitchen staff made.
Back then, he could never have imagined that he would one day feel such revulsion toward these dishes.
“Eat. Fu Nian, be obedient.”
Fu Nian still didn’t say anything and tried to raise his left hand.
The effects of the drug seemed to have faded slightly, allowing his left hand to move an inch.
With the help of his weak and feeble left hand, Fu Nian struggled to sit up.
After managing to sit up straight with great difficulty, the spoon once again approached his lips.
Without a second word, Fu Nian knocked it over, saying, “I don’t have time to play this game of reminiscing with you.” After dropping this remark, he tried to stand up with one foot, but suddenly, a strong force pulled him back.
His back slammed forcefully against the kang, and Fu Nian gasped a cold breath.
Fu Zhen’s expression instantly turned icy, and he asked impatiently, “Where do you want to go? Back to the palace to find Chu Zhaoyi? He’s the one who left you to rot in the wilderness. I’m the one who saved you!”
“It’s none of your business where I go.” Fu Nian attempted to climb up again.
“I saved you. I didn’t save you so you could continue acting like a foolish dog. Anyway, heal your injuries here for now. We have a lot of time in the future.”
Fu Nian didn’t respond and slowly stood up.
This time he successfully escaped from the room. However, as soon as he exited, he was pressed down to the ground, and a hand gripped his throat.
“What are you doing?”
He never expected Fu Zhen to go mad and try to strangle him. His voice was distorted in an instant.
“Did you not hear me? You are not allowed to go anywhere, did you hear that?”
Listening to Fu Zhen’s calm voice and the relentless grip, Fu Nian couldn’t speak.
He hadn’t found the benefactor who implanted the heart-connecting gu for him yet, he couldn’t die. Now, there was another pressing matter to deal with – his master. He absolutely couldn’t die, not under any circumstances.
When he was on the verge of suffocation, Fu Nian felt the grip around his throat loosen slightly.
He gasped for air desperately.
But just as he managed to take a few breaths, that hand clamped down again.
Years of wielding a sword had made Fu Zhen’s grip strong.
Fu Nian attempted to resist several times.
But as Fu Zhen had said, all the skills he possessed were taught to him by this man, and he was a novice trying to challenge a master.
“Nowhere, got it?”
In the moments when he was on the brink of suffocation, he could take a few breaths, only to be plunged back into the suffocating cycle.
Suffering while fully conscious was worse than death.
“Nowhere, do you hear me?”
“I… hear… I hear…” After a prolonged standoff, Fu Nian’s will finally crumbled, and he weakly acquiesced.
This torment, unlike any he had ever experienced, was more unbearable than any form of punishment.
“Will you address me as your master now?”
Fu Zhen’s sinister voice continued to hover over Fu Nian’s head.
Master… this ruthless killer didn’t deserve to be called his master.
“You’re not even worthy of being called a human, let alone my master. Last lifetime, I was blind…”
“Is that so? How about now?”
Fu Nian wanted to remain silent.
However, staying silent would make the grip on his neck even tighter. It seemed that Fu Zhen had a firm grasp of the force—enough to keep him from suffocating to death but not enough to let him breathe comfortably.
“Still unwilling?”
The torturous sensation of being deprived of breath was nearly unbearable.
At first, Fu Nian had been defiant, but as time passed, and his strength waned, his mind grew increasingly hazy.
Each moment felt like an eternity, and Fu Nian couldn’t even tell how long this torment had lasted. Eventually, he weakly muttered, “Mas… Master…”
As soon as he uttered the word “Master,” Fu Nian felt the grip around his throat loosen.
The sensation of suffocation left behind an indelible emptiness.
Suddenly, he felt a spoon approaching his lips, carrying the aroma of sweet osmanthus and lotus root starch. “Are you hungry? Eat something.”
Even though he had just regained some clarity, Fu Nian didn’t hesitate to open his mouth to eat.
The next moment, he felt a slight pressure on his neck. It was gentle and didn’t affect his breathing. “Fu Nian.”
Fu Nian immediately became tense, as if the feeling of suffocation had returned, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous.
“Eat the food.” Fu Zhen’s voice returned to its as gentle as possible state, and his hand continued to rest lightly on Fu Nian’s neck without applying any pressure, just gently resting there.
Fu Nian didn’t hesitate or even think. He reflexively opened his mouth, eager to swallow down the spoonful of food.
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