Chapter 969: Chapter 958: Forced Confession by Water
In the pitch-black dungeon where even an outstretched hand was invisible, the sound of dripping water echoed—drip, drip. The repetitive noise was maddening, a form of torment in itself.
Time seemed to have lost all meaning here. Xu Rongfei had no idea how long she had been confined. Her mind, however, was teetering dangerously close to collapse.
Right now, Xu Rongfei dared not think of anything else. She was powerless, utterly incapable of action. Even her thoughts had been dulled by the relentless dripping.
She desperately wanted the sound to stop, but in this lightless abyss, she could see nothing. The source of the sound eluded her completely as it echoed around her.
Crack—
Suddenly, a sliver of light cut through the darkness, seeping through a crack ahead. Behind the light, a shadowy figure emerged, making every nerve in Xu Rongfei’s body tighten to its breaking point.
“Xu Rongfei, how did you sleep last night?”
The prison door creaked open, flooding the oppressive cell with bright light, illuminating Xu Rongfei’s face. Situ Qingfeng stepped closer, finally taking in the woman’s current state.
The once stunningly beautiful face now appeared haggard, her features marred by exhaustion. The dark circles under her eyes spoke volumes—she hadn’t slept a wink.
In this environment, anyone who managed to sleep would indeed seem extraordinary to Situ Qingfeng.
The incessant dripping sounds had tormented Xu Rongfei all night, leaving her in a state of unrelenting tension throughout the day.
The toll was visible. After a single night, Xu Rongfei was not only mentally shattered; she also showed telltale signs of dehydration. Her once lush and delicate lips had dried, cracking into a purplish hue. Situ Qingfeng seemed more than satisfied with her pathetic appearance.
“Situ Qingfeng, just kill me already!”
Xu Rongfei summoned the last of her strength to shout, defiance still glimmering in her voice. She tried to stand, but her frail body betrayed her. Each movement was laborious; standing was entirely out of reach.
In the next moment, as expected, she crumpled to the ground like a discarded rag.
Situ Qingfeng merely smirked. “With how pathetic you look now, what right do you have to keep that sharp tongue? Drag her out! Take her to that place!”
As soon as the words left his lips, two black-clad men emerged from behind him. They roughly seized Xu Rongfei by her arms and dragged her as if she were nothing more than a lifeless object.
The “place” Situ Qingfeng referred to was an interrogation chamber, freshly prepared overnight. Meticulously arranged for Xu Rongfei’s torment, every detail had been tailored for the purpose.
“This place was made especially for you. Satisfied?”
Situ Qingfeng patted Xu Rongfei’s cheek, the mockery in his expression unmistakable.
Xu Rongfei’s face twitched, her disdain twisting her features into something almost grotesque. Her reaction only intensified Situ Qingfeng’s perverse pleasure.
He relished seeing her powerless, utterly unable to resist. Every sign of her despair brought a twisted grin to his face.
“Take a look at what I’ve prepared for you. This is enhanced interrogation fluid.”
Situ Qingfeng held up a test tube filled with a luminous blue liquid. Crafted from a wartime formula and modified for more devastating effects, it was infamous for its potency.
“Once you drink this, I guarantee you’ll spill every last secret without reservation. But the side effects are brutal—so severe, in fact, that most victims either turn into imbeciles or succumb to brain death. I wonder if a delicate beauty like you could survive it?”
Situ Qingfeng’s grin warped into something monstrous as he grabbed Xu Rongfei’s jaw, his eyes gleaming a hellish red—as if he was already savoring the sight of her future madness.
“But don’t worry, I won’t waste this on you. Who do you think you are? Refuse to cooperate with me if you dare. Once I spread word that you’re in my clutches, do you think Ning Fan won’t come? When he does, I’ll make sure you watch how he perishes, tangled in my web. And your entire Xu Family? They’ll all join him in the grave. You all deserve it!”
Situ Qingfeng showed no pity. He felt no need to spare Xu Rongfei any cruelty. The reason he refrained from using the interrogation fluid was simple—he wanted her lucid enough to witness Ning Fan’s downfall and the Xu Family’s annihilation.
Yet despite his threats, Xu Rongfei remained wholly unmoved. Her expression was calm, her indifference almost mocking.
“Hehehe… Hahahahaha!”
Suddenly, Xu Rongfei burst into laughter. Her hoarse, rasping laugh unsettled Situ Qingfeng. Why was this woman still laughing?
“What’s so funny?” Situ Qingfeng demanded, his eyes darkening with irritation.
Shaking her head, Xu Rongfei smirked. “Do you know what you look like right now? Like an impotent fool who can only vent his frustrations on me. You’ll never defeat Ning Fan. To him, you don’t even qualify as an opponent. You’re nothing! Hahahaha…”
Smack!
A sharp slap echoed as Situ Qingfeng struck Xu Rongfei across the face. Blood trickled from her mouth, and she coughed violently, yet her laughter didn’t waver.
“Cough… cough… hahaha…”
“Stop laughing! I told you to stop laughing!”
Furious, Situ Qingfeng wrapped his hands around Xu Rongfei’s throat.
Airflow to her lungs was abruptly cut off. She gasped and choked, yet that maddening laughter lingered, driving Situ Qingfeng closer to the edge.
Even as her face turned crimson from oxygen deprivation, even as her body trembled with the effort to endure, Xu Rongfei bit her lip and kept laughing, refusing to yield.
Driven to the brink of insanity, Situ Qingfeng raised his hand high, poised to deliver a strike meant to shatter Xu Rongfei’s skull. This blow would surely end her life.
Gazing at his upraised hand, Xu Rongfei’s eyes widened. A profound sorrow surged within her, mixed with a faint sense of relief. If this was the end, at least she wouldn’t weigh Ning Fan down further…
From the moment she was captured by Situ Qingfeng, Xu Rongfei had resolved to provoke him relentlessly. If she could push him to kill her, she wouldn’t give him the chance to use her as leverage against Ning Fan.
Goodbye, Ning Fan…
Though sorrow laced her heart, there wasn’t a trace of regret.
“Master, something’s happened!”
Yet at that precise moment, a voice called out from beyond the door, dragging Situ Qingfeng back from his hysterical brink.
“What is it now?!”
Situ Qingfeng loosened his grip slightly, whirling around in a fit of rage to face the old servant.
“The Manor has been breached!”