211: Blackhorn Iron Prison

"Mmm~ ah~ mmm~"

Shang Wan Ning looked at Lin Ran, who had practically melted into a puddle, and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll stop teasing you, you shy little ghost."

Lin Ran's eyes darkened slightly.

She felt as if she had turned into a bee.

[Gathering nectar every day is a complete waste of effort!!!]

[Learning and applying it immediately is very bad.]

She felt the warmth from the hand causing trouble at her waist, transmitted through a layer of fabric.

Lin Ran looked up blankly at the lecherous Empress beside her. "I still have things to do, so I won't disturb Ling Qi while she reports her work to Your Majesty."

"Aren't you going to stay a little longer, Chief Assistant Lin?" Ling Qi stared intently at Lin Ran's lips with great interest.

Red and slightly swollen, they couldn't help but make one's imagination run wild.

In her impression, Lin Ran was very polite to her colleagues, and her bright face always carried a hint of heroic spirit.

Contradictory yet distant.

She had never seen Lin Ran show such a bashful expression. 〃∀〃

[Oh my! Oh my!]

[Definitely more than once!!!]

Lin Ran pursed her lips, instantly retracting her exposed embarrassment. She lowered her eyes. "No, the task assigned by Lady Meng Jiang hasn't been completed yet."

"Oh, I see!"

"Then go ahead and get busy, Chief Assistant Lin!"

"Mm-hmm~"

Lin Ran hurriedly left the office.

Shang Wan Ning licked her lips, still wanting more.

Tsk! No fun."

Ling Qi chuckled and teased, "Your Majesty was excessive today. I'm afraid Chief Assistant Lin will be avoiding you for a few days."

Shang Wan Ning waved her hand dismissively. "I just find her very interesting."

"You did it on purpose~" Ling Qi stepped forward, her lips close to the Empress's ear.

"Yes, I did it on purpose."

Shang Wan Ning admitted it generously, without the slightest bit of embarrassment at being caught.

"Bad habit!"

Ling Qi's spiritual energy surged, her face turning as red as a big apple, her heart filled with an indescribable sourness.

She changed the subject. "Have you eaten your fill?"

"Ah!"

Shang Wan Ning's cheek rubbed against the Secretary-General's slightly cool hands.

"What do you mean, Qi Qi?"

"If you've eaten your fill, it's time to work. Jiao Xiao has been locked up by me in the Black Horn Iron Prison. Your Majesty might as well go take a look."

"Fine! Jealous Ling."

Shang Wan Ning couldn't help herself; she tilted her head and stole a kiss on Ling Qi's fair and tender cheek.

*Mwah.*

Before the Secretary-General could react, she teleported back to the Netherworld.

Ling Qi snapped out of it and laughed coquettishly, "A Ning, your saliva is all over my face."

...Netherworld, Black Horn Iron Prison.

The Black Horn Iron Prison was a place specifically used by the Underworld to imprison dangerous Demon tribes and Ghost Kings.

So far, in a thousand years...

Jiao Xiao was likely the first from a Demon tribe to be locked in here.

The Warden leading the way politely reached out and made a gesture of invitation.

"Your Majesty, Jiao Xiao is on the third basement level of the Black Horn Iron Prison. Please follow me."

Shang Wan Ning nodded and followed him inside.

She found this place quite interesting and looked around.

The main body of the Black Horn Iron Prison seemed to be entirely built underground.

It was a bit dark inside. In the eerie corridor, there was a spiritual lamp every few yards, barely providing any light.

The light was very dim, and a cold wind whistled through.

Vaguely, one could see the cells separated by iron bars on both sides of the corridor.

The Ghost Kings were undergoing the eighteen kinds of torture from the ghost messengers—lingchi, waist-chopping, skinning, branding, castration... As soon as they reached the third basement level, wave after wave of miserable screams could be heard.

"Aaaah..."

"One thousand three hundred and twelfth cut, one thousand three hundred and thirteenth cut..."

The Ghost Messenger performing the execution was still muttering to himself.

"Yikes!"

"With this cut, the thin slice of skin is a millimeter thicker."

Black Seven, can you do it or not? If not, let me take over. You're so slow; it's been four hours and you've only done a thousand cuts."

Beside him was Black Five, holding a Ghost-Head Blade, with various tools for lingchi laid out next to him.

Shang Wan Ning lowered her eyes and took the initiative to approach.

Her phoenix robe carved a beautiful arc in the air, light and airy, carrying a hint of cold fragrance.

As soon as Black Five looked up and saw Shang Wan Ning, he immediately bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

The other Ghost Messengers also stopped their actions one after another and knelt to pay their respects.

Shang Wan Ning waved her hand. "Rise. Has there been anything unusual with Jiao Xiao today?"

Black Five replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Jiao Xiao is extremely stubborn. Even though she is undergoing the 'Insect Torture,' she hasn't begged for mercy once."

Shang Wan Ning raised an eyebrow and walked toward the cell where Jiao Xiao was held.

Jiao Xiao was covered in blood, and her scales were damaged in many places.

Almost at the same time the Warden looked over, Jiao Xiao opened her eyes.

Thick, foul-smelling black water flowed from her eyes, and dense swarms of insects crawled out one after another.

Jiao Xiao stared at the Warden, a moment of confusion in her eyes, then she suddenly screamed.

"You bastards, what kind of torture do you want to use now?"

"If This Old Lady so much as groans, I'll stop using the name 'Jiao'!"

Her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like a sudden burst of static.

Shang Wan Ning's fingertips trembled slightly as she saw more and more black insects in her eyes.

The small black insects that crawled out actually covered her entire body in an instant, biting incessantly.

The Warden observed her expression and asked carefully, "Does Your Majesty wish to add more?"

"Enough, stop!"

Shang Wan Ning glanced coldly at the Warden.

"As you command, Your Majesty."

The Warden stepped forward, took a small bottle from his robe, and pinched his fingers to guide the small black insects into the bottle.

Shang Wan Ning approached Jiao Xiao and crouched down to carefully examine her injuries.

Jiao Xiao stared with scarlet eyes and lifted her head.

"Jiao Xiao, I don't want to waste words. Submit or die."

Shang Wan Ning spoke calmly.

Jiao Xiao gave a miserable laugh. "Your Majesty, didn't this little woman submit long ago?"

"I even told the Secretary-General all the secrets from a thousand years ago, without a single lie."

"You didn't tell any lies, but you did hide some secrets."

"What, do you think I, the successor of this Underworld, am an eyesore? So you're just going through the motions?"

"What does Your Majesty mean?"

Jiao Xiao was startled upon hearing this.

"Humph! If I hadn't gone to the Library to investigate thoroughly, I'm afraid I would have been easily deceived by you."

"The Yin Jiao Clan used to be under the jurisdiction of the Underworld, but later they betrayed that trust."

"Therefore, like a fence-sitter trying to please both sides, you ended up pleasing neither. A thousand years ago, you became outcasts, reduced to being the gate-keeping Flood Dragons for the Demon Realm's passage."

Jiao Xiao struggled to break free from the chains and lowered her head slightly.

"Your Majesty, the matter of betrayal is an ancient tale; it has no direct connection to me, a junior!"

"Though there is no direct connection, the blood of the Yin Jiao Clan flows within you. Being suspicious and fickle, and following the wind—these two points will ultimately make me feel disgusted."

Shang Wan Ning stood up, her expression cold.

"To use a vicious dog, one must first discipline it strictly."

"Only then can the master feel at ease."

"The same principle applies to the Yin Jiao Clan."

A flash of desolation crossed Jiao Xiao's eyes.

"Jiao Xiao can lead the Underworld to open the Demon Realm's passage."

"The previous resistance was entirely my own doing; it has nothing to do with my clansmen."