At that moment, the archer's expression finally turned terrified. He wasn't afraid of death, but of suffering endless torment, unable to live or die. He hadn't expected that despite his meticulous preparations, his opponent would be a step ahead.
The shadow of what had just happened left the Fifth Prince, who had intended to go out on business, with no mood to leave. Furthermore, the person he had just captured was eager to reveal the mastermind. He immediately returned to his mansion, escorting the captive to another secret base for thorough interrogation.
Without a word, the guards began to apply torture. The Fifth Prince, watching the captive's pained expression, tried to find a flaw on his face.
Since the man from the north had come willingly to face death, he clearly wasn't afraid of the Fifth Prince. Knowing that he wouldn't speak unless shown a demonstration of power, the Fifth Prince saw that the captive remained silent even when beaten half to death. With disdain, he said, "When you're ready to tell me who's behind this, just nod."
The archer snorted and turned his head away, refusing to respond.
"We all have people we care about in this world. Even if you're an orphan, you must have playmates you grew up with, or a woman you admire. Tell me, if your master knew you were in my hands, what would he do?" the Fifth Prince asked playfully, his words laced with cruelty.
But the captive still didn't reply. The Fifth Prince immediately ordered his personal guards, "Spread the word that the Fifth Prince was attacked at his mansion gate today and was unharmed. The assailant, however, was captured and, under the Fifth Prince's severe interrogation, finally confessed, implicating one of the princes. We will escort him to the Emperor to seek justice."
As soon as he finished speaking, the usually calm archer finally showed a hateful expression. He struggled to lunge at the Fifth Prince, but his efforts were in vain, leaving him exhausted and still in the same spot.
"What do you think your master sees you as now? Loyal subordinate, or traitor? Believe it or not, your master might even send someone tonight to silence you." The Fifth Prince watched him with schadenfreude.
Even with his jaw dislocated, making his speech unclear, the Fifth Prince could discern from his lip movements that he was calling him despicable.
He couldn't help but laugh out loud, pointing at himself, and exclaimed, "Me, despicable? I'm not as despicable as sending someone to assassinate your master. For the sake of ascending that throne, your master sent you to assassinate me. If you had succeeded today, and I were a corpse, would you have celebrated? Or perhaps, let's switch roles. I believe your master is far more despicable than I am."
The archer remained silent, for he knew the Fifth Prince spoke the truth. Yet, he didn't believe his master was wrong. After all, who wouldn't want to ascend that position? Who wouldn't desire the merit of assisting in the rise to power? As long as his master succeeded, his sacrifice would be meaningful, and his family would be well taken care of.
"Do you still think your sacrifice is worthwhile? Do you believe that by sacrificing yourself, your family will gain immense honor? But have you considered that those who reach the highest positions never reveal their past struggles or their unscrupulous methods? Believe me, if you sacrifice yourself for your organization, your family will not only receive no support but may even be suppressed by your master, perhaps even meeting a tragic end?"
Seeing the archer's clear disbelief, the Fifth Prince couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "That's the brilliance of your master. He makes you loyal to him to the death. But only us princes, who are most familiar with the minds of those in power, understand this. It's fine if you don't believe me. After all, you're already a fish on the chopping block, and I intend to use this small fish to lure out the person behind you."
Although the archer outwardly appeared unfazed by the Fifth Prince's words, his heart was in turmoil. He considered his master's style of operation, and it was indeed possible that he would discard him once he was no longer useful. But he had already boarded this ill-fated ship and couldn't get off, or his family might not see tomorrow's sun.
He was filled with anxiety, praying that his master would believe him and not fall into the Fifth Prince's trap, endangering himself. Unfortunately, his prayers went unanswered. As he heard the sounds of fighting outside in the dead of night, he couldn't help but close his eyes.
After an unknown period, the sounds of fighting finally subsided, and footsteps were heard. Soon, familiar faces appeared on the pillar beside him. He knew it was all over. Even if he grit his teeth, he doubted these men could all survive.
The captured men, seeing the archer's miserable state, felt no sympathy. Instead, they looked at him with hatred, blaming him. If he hadn't betrayed their master, how could they have been captured because of him?
Knowing they misunderstood, the archer, with his dislocated jaw, couldn't speak. He looked at them anxiously, but they completely ignored him.
This was precisely the situation the Fifth Prince desired. He didn't mind deepening their misunderstanding and calmly said, "Looking at your fierce demeanor, you've come to deal with him, haven't you?"
The archer glanced from one to another. Although he had prepared himself mentally, when the event actually unfolded before him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. He had faced fire and water for his master, and now, instead of the master showing him favor, he had sent people to kill him. He had more dealings with these individuals than the others, but they didn't answer the Fifth Prince's question. However, their expressions clearly indicated that this was indeed the case.
As if relishing the chaos, the Fifth Prince slowly said, "I heard your master killed someone this afternoon. Tsk, tsk, he really didn't hold back, did he? What a tragedy for you. To follow such a master would lead you anywhere. Why don't you consider pledging allegiance to me?"
"Bah! Our lives were saved by our master. How could we possibly join you? Besides, isn't it only right that our master ordered the execution of his family? He's a traitor, and he deserves this fate," one of the men spat, disdainfully.
The Fifth Prince immediately looked at the archer's expression. As expected, he stared blankly before his expression contorted into tears. He had never imagined that his family, with whom he had shared laughter just last night, would be separated by death in less than a day.
"I was merely testing the waters, and you revealed the truth. Your master is truly heartless. He gave his all for him, only to have his entire family murdered in the blink of an eye." This time, the Fifth Prince felt genuine pity for him.
After a while, the archer seemed to remember something and nodded frantically. The Fifth Prince immediately understood his meaning; he was about to say something. He gestured to a guard beside him, who immediately nodded and approached the archer, resetting his jaw.