Shameless, of course, shameless, but that wasn't the only shameless aspect.
Qin Tianlin had only one son, Qin Shaoyang, and he was born late in life. As a result, he doted on the boy to an outrageous degree. As for torture, sometimes the pain of the body was not as severe as the torment of the soul. It was unclear if Qin Tianlin could truly harden his heart and ignore his son's suffering.
Nan Shiying brought up Qin Shaoyang in front of Qin Tianlin. It was then that Qin Tianlin finally noticed that his son's eyes had been gouged out.
"Yang'er, Yang'er!"
Qin Tianlin's voice was shrill. His gaze towards Nan Shiying was so full of hatred that he wished he could flay her alive and cut her into a thousand pieces. His killing intent surged: "Who are you, to dare provoke my Qin family? Even when hitting a dog, you must consider its owner. Are you not afraid of being hunted by the Ghost Fiend Gate?"
"Not afraid!"
A hint of disdainful amusement flickered in Nan Shiying's lowered eyes. She scoffed at Qin Tianlin's threat. Her voice was light and dismissive, utterly fearless, not even a ripple of emotion disturbing its calm. The words "Ghost Fiend Gate" meant as little to her as some stray cat or dog.
Qin Tianlin's heart tightened, and a sense of unease spread through him.
Her face showed no trace of bluster. When he mentioned the Ghost Fiend Gate, she hadn't even been surprised, clearly knowing of his Qin family's connection to them. If she knew and still dared to intrude, it meant she hadn't taken the Ghost Fiend Gate seriously from the start.
Qin Tianlin’s gaze fell upon his son, who was breathing out more than he was inhaling. What had this damned creature gotten himself into?
While Qin Tianlin was still contemplating, Nan Shiying produced a silver needle and, without preamble, thrust it into the Baihui acupoint on Qin Shaoyang's head.
"Ah!"
A soul-piercing scream tore through the air. The common folk gathered outside the Qin residence shuddered violently upon hearing it.
Who was screaming like that?
Qin Tianlin was jolted back to his senses by Qin Shaoyang's agonizing cry. Blood flowed from the empty sockets where Qin Shaoyang's eyes once were. His face, covered in a crimson mask, was contorted to an extreme degree. His screams grew louder and louder, chilling everyone to the bone.
"Father, save me, Father!"
Qin Shaoyang pleaded repeatedly.
The resentment in Qin Tianlin's eyes was so thick it was almost tangible. He gritted his teeth, the bulging veins on his neck resembling grotesque vines. Yet, in response to Qin Shaoyang's pleas, he remained silent.
Nan Shiying, holding Qin Shaoyang, who was writhing violently and trembling with pain, looked at Qin Tianlin with a smile and asked, "Now, are you willing to speak about what you have done?"
Qin Tianlin's eyes widened in disbelief. He had never imagined that the torture she spoke of would be inflicted upon Yang'er. This person was a veritable demon!
However, Qin Tianlin understood that some things could not be said. He didn't believe she would truly dare to kill his entire family. This was Xiling Commandery, the Xiling Commandery of Lin Yuan. Unprovoked murder and extermination of a clan were capital offenses. What did it matter if they were martial artists? If the court was provoked, they could still dispatch armies to attack sects.
Seeing Qin Tianlin's bloodshot eyes and his continued silence, Nan Shiying sighed softly.
"If your father won't speak, what about you?"
Nan Shiying withdrew the silver needle from Qin Shaoyang's Baihui acupoint. As the explosive pain in his head subsided, Qin Shaoyang collapsed onto the ground like a puddle of mud. He vaguely heard her voice.
"I'll speak, I'll speak!"
He managed to say, his voice a mere thread of air.
"You ungrateful son, shut your mouth!" Qin Tianlin roared in fury.
Nan Shiying merely chuckled lightly. "You see, this is a father. If you are obedient and docile, you are his beloved son. If you are rebellious and resist, you are a disobedient, ungrateful son."
"But ah, he hears your wails, sees your suffering, and not only does he not rescue you from your torment, but he curses you for trying to save yourself. For such a person, why should you continue to cover for him? Tell me everything you know, and I promise to give you a quick end, how about that?"
Her voice reached Qin Shaoyang's ears, sometimes near, sometimes far, drifting like mist. His thoughts, growing hazy from blood loss, fell into the trap, grasping the devil's tendrils from the abyss.
He suddenly harbored resentment towards his father.
Seeing his agony, why had his father not come to his aid?
"Alright, I'll speak. I'll tell you everything!"
...
Cao Zhiwei had barely settled into his seat when the news reported by a yamen runner startled him so much that he almost fell off.
Who could this Qin family have offended to provoke such a malevolent force!
This was tantamount to seeking death!
"My lord, that person stormed towards the Qin residence with great勢. I fear trouble will arise!"
The yamen runner awaited Cao Zhiwei's orders. Seeing Cao Zhiwei remain silent for a long time, he couldn't help but remind him. Cao Zhiwei naturally knew trouble would arise, but it depended on who was provoking it. The Qin family, ahem. The mere thought of Qin Tianlin's expression when he took office made Cao Zhiwei wish for Feng Luan, that malevolent force, to annihilate the entire Qin family.
Issue orders?
What orders to issue!
Cao Zhiwei cleared his throat and said, "It is merely a matter of the martial world. Since it is a matter of the martial world, let the martial folk resolve it themselves."
Everyone was slightly taken aback.
Is his lordship deciding to do nothing?
"But my lord, that is the Qin family. If..."
The one speaking was the county assistant promoted by the previous county governor. He had only been in office for a short time and did not have many capable subordinates, so he had not rashly dismissed the previous governor's staff.
The county assistant hesitated to speak, but Cao Zhiwei understood his meaning. If the Qin family was unharmed, then so be it. But if something happened, and their yamen did nothing, the Ghost Fiend Gate would likely not let the matter rest.
"Wait for an hour."
Cao Zhiwei tapped his fingers on the table. After some thought, he decided to wait.
Give that malevolent force a little more time.
What if there was a surprise?
...
Nan Shiying dragged Qin Shaoyang out of the Qin residence and dumped him in the open space outside.
In front of the assembled citizens of Xiling Commandery, Qin Shaoyang confessed his crimes one by one. Hearing that the missing young men and women in the city had been abducted by him for defilement and insult, and then killed and thrown into the river, the crowd gathered outside the residence erupted in outrage.
A beast, this damned beast!
Qin Shaoyang treated the common people as ants. And for years, Qin Tianlin, for the sake of the Ghost Fiend Gate, had stolen many children. They sent these children to the Ghost Fiend Gate. Those with good aptitudes were taken into the sect, while those with poorer aptitudes became mere piles of dry bones.
This Qin family, compared to the county magistrate of Wucheng, was truly worse, not better. The matters alone spoken from Qin Shaoyang's mouth were enough to warrant the execution of his entire clan.
But these were merely the tip of the iceberg of their wicked deeds. How many secrets could Qin Shaoyang possibly know?
Xuan Yi recorded Qin Shaoyang's crimes one by one and then had him sign and thumbprint them.