Jiang Lin twirled the dagger above the book, his eyes glinting with malice. "But I'm a benevolent soul. I wouldn't stoop to such cruelty. At most, I'd simply relieve you of that... useless appendage. No need to express gratitude."
As Jiang Lin lamented his own benevolence, he swiftly flung the dagger, landing it precisely between the Fourth Prince's legs.
Whether from actual injury or sheer terror, the prince let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Jiang Lin retrieved the dagger. "Check if everything’s still there. If it is, I’ll try again, this time... I’ll make it quick."
Between screams, the prince cursed him. "Jiang Lin! If you touch me, I’ll make sure you die horribly!"
"Same old threats. How boring. But since I’m such a good person, I’ll give you a quick end."
With a swift yank, Jiang Lin dragged the prince off the bed and used his foot to toss a robe over the man's lower half, sparing himself the unpleasant sight.
The dagger spun twice between his fingers before slicing the prince’s wrists, once on each hand.
Then severed the tendons in his feet. "This is payback for what your dog-emperor father did to my Su Qiao."
But Jiang Lin wasn’t done. The dagger moved to the prince’s head, shaving it bald. "Since you’re staying at a nunnery, you should follow the rules. A bald head suits you better."
The prince attempted to struggle, but his efforts were futile, incapacitated and consumed by fear, he was paralyzed by the thought that Jiang Lin might "accidentally" slash open his skull.
The dagger danced across the prince's face, leaving a trail of terror in its wake. "I've heard you harbor ambitions of becoming emperor," Jiang Lin sneered. "But disfigured cripples are the first to be cast aside. So... your dreams are shattered." With a deliberate stroke, the blade drew blood, etching a permanent scar. "This mark will never fade."
Finally, the dagger rested at the prince’s throat. Sensing death, his fury turned to raw fear, his words stumbling. "J-Jiang Lin… If you hurt me… my father won’t spare you!"
Jiang Lin's lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile. "Who would suspect me? Besides... the damage is already done."
A precise, shallow cut across the neck, deep enough to draw blood but carefully avoiding a fatal wound.
"Your Highness is too noble for me to kill. Instead, I’ll let the refugees you manipulated settle this debt."
"They’ll be handed to the authorities tomorrow, their lives forfeit. I’m sure they’ll thank you properly once they learn who used them."
The prince's eyes bulged in terror, but before he could utter a word, Jiang Lin struck him, sending him crashing into unconsciousness.
"Since you planned this, you should die as intended," Jiang Lin declared, his voice devoid of emotion.
His gaze shifted to the bed, where a quivering figure cowered in the corner. Jiang Lin nodded to Chu Ba, who pulled back the blankets, revealing Jiang Rou.
The moment Jiang Rou laid eyes on Chu Ba's face, identical to Jiang Jinyue's, she let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Ghost!" Trembling violently, Jiang Rou seemed ready to shrink into nothingness.
"Sister Rou," Chu Ba cooed in Jiang Jinyue’s voice.
Jiang Rou flailed. "Go away! You’re dead! I didn’t steal it from you! Don’t haunt me!"
She was paralyzed with fear, her forehead slick with cold sweat, as if her terror might consume her at any moment.
Jiang Lin caught her words clearly and signaled Chu Ba to stop. Instead, he called her name himself.
Jiang Rou’s fear of him rivaled her fear of "Jiang Jinyue’s ghost", likely traumatized by his treatment of the prince.
"Are you so scared? But I remember you were quite bold when you poisoned, and planted curses. How’d you become so timid in half a year?"
Jiang Lin studied her closely, something felt off.
"Was someone, or something telling you to play it scared to make it through tonight?"
Jiang Rou’s head jerked up, her fleeting surprise not escaping Jiang Lin’s notice.
He grinned. "I knew it. There's something in your head, something that used to belong to Jiang Jinyue. That's why you said 'I didn't steal from her'."
"Exactly, you didn't steal it. It came to you. Jiang Rou, let's make a deal. Ask it why it so determined to have someone kill Wei Yunzhao and me. If I like the answer, I'll let you live."
He tapped the dagger against her cheek. "You know I could kill you easily. And you’re not as ‘noble’ as the prince. I’m not afraid of your father’s revenge."
Jiang Rou’s fear slowly gave way to hesitation. "How… how do you know there’s something in my head?"
Jiang Lin smirked. "I’ve seen a lot."
"So? Do we have a deal? If not… well, I’ll just have to kill you."
His gentle tone was almost coaxing, but the cold steel at her throat made Jiang Rou shudder.
She wanted to live. There was only one choice.
"I agree. I’ll ask it now."
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