Chapter 9: One Thought of Life and Death

Chapter 9: One Thought of Life and Death

Seeing Shangguan Jiannan's hesitation, the old man said in a more dignified voice, "Speak! Do you want to speak or not?"

Shangguan Jiannan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Her suffering should not be used as a tool for me to expose her. My fate is indeed critical, but I will never use the suffering of innocent people to exchange for my own safety."

The old man in front of him, his face engraved with the vicissitudes of life and brutality, was looking at him coldly.

The burly men around were like ferocious beasts in the dark, ready to pounce on their prey at any time.

He couldn't help thinking, if he died because of a momentary impulse, wouldn't that be the injustice of heaven? He suddenly took a deep breath and sighed, with a detached and resolute look in his eyes.

Then he looked up at the old man, shook his head, and said slowly and firmly: "Please deal with me according to the peak rules. I don't want to say another word."

When the old man heard this, the corner of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a cold smile: "Don't want to say it? Humph, now you don't have the final say!"

Shangguan Jiannan caught a glimpse of gratitude in the young woman's eyes. This gratitude flowed through his heart like a warm current, causing him to feel an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

His face revealed a sense of pride in saving two lives. This sense of pride gave him immense courage and made him almost completely ignore the old man's threats.

He glanced at the old man, snorted coldly, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "What if you don't say it? At most, you will die! Is there anything more terrifying than death in this world?"

After hearing this, the old man's face turned red and he was almost angry. He widened his eyes and said through gritted teeth: "Boy, just try it!"

The old man waved his hand, and one of the four burly men immediately strode forward, looking ready to take action at any time.

Seeing this, the young woman's face instantly turned into horror, and she frequently cast a silent look of help to Shangguan Jiannan, as if to say, "Child, don't be so stubborn, try to soften your words. As long as you can ease the situation, I will do my best to help you find a way out."

Shangguan Jiannan looked at the old man coldly. He had already made up his mind that he didn't want the young woman's difficulties to be exposed by him.

The burly man walked up to Shangguan Jiannan with a bad look on his face. The old man waved his hand and said coldly, "This kid is just a mortal. Don't kill him so easily."

The big man nodded, and then grabbed Shangguan Jiannan's left hand, holding it tightly like five iron hooks. Shangguan Jiannan knew that there was no way out at this moment, and the only thought in his mind was to try to gain some advantage before dying. He suppressed his fear, took advantage of the moment when the man relaxed a little, suddenly turned up his right hand, and stabbed the big man's throat with one finger.

Unexpectedly, the big man was not prepared. After being stabbed, he swayed slightly, and two red finger marks quickly appeared on his neck.

Shangguan Jiannan felt a small victory over his enemy, and a sense of pleasure inexplicably welled up in his heart.

The old man snorted coldly, and the burly man became even more angry. He wanted to beat Shangguan Jiannan up to vent his anger.

He grabbed Shangguan Jiannan's left hand and held it tightly as if he were grabbing a piece of iron.

Then, he stretched out the index and middle fingers of his right hand and poked Shangguan Jiannan hard on the side of his waist. Shangguan Jiannan immediately let out a painful roar and rolled on the ground in agony.

Shangguan Jiannan rolled on the ground, sweat and tears mixed together and splashed out with his violent movements.

He gritted his teeth, endured it with all his might, and refused to utter a word to beg for mercy.

His face turned from white to yellow, the rolling of his body gradually became slower, and finally he fainted from the pain.

A few minutes later, he regained consciousness and opened his eyes to find himself still lying where he had just been.

The old man looked at him with a grim smile. The young woman's eyes were filled with tears and she was obviously very heartbroken.

The old man pointed at Shangguan Jiannan with a gloomy face and said coldly: "Are you still going to say it now?"

Shangguan Jiannan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly shook his head: "I won't say it."

The old man's face became even gloomier, as if there were dark clouds pressing down on him and he was burning with anger.

He stared at Shangguan Jiannan as if he wanted to devour him whole. At this moment, the young woman stood aside, with a hint of hesitation and pain in her eyes.

The old man stared at Shangguan Jiannan coldly, with a hint of a cruel smile on his lips: "You are such a stubborn guy. It seems that you still refuse to speak, so let's continue to see how long you can hold on."

At this moment, his body was almost numb and he could not feel his limbs. The whole world seemed to have fallen into deep darkness.

The horrific scene was still before him—the old man's grim face was still before him, his eyes flashing with unmistakable threat.

"Peak Master, what else do you want me to say?" Shangguan Jiannan's voice was so weak that he almost had no strength left.

He said intermittently, "With your status and position, you tortured a young master like me like this. Don't you feel your ears burning and your heart beating? If I can live again, I will definitely remember what happened tonight for the rest of my life. You'd better kill me quickly, so that you won't regret it later!"

There was a hint of sarcasm and helplessness in his words, as if he was using his last bit of courage to try to provoke the old man and make him make a decision.

The old man's face was as cold as ice, and he was not shaken by Shangguan Jiannan's words. There was a cold light in his eyes, and it was obvious that he was not going to let him go.

Seeing this, the young woman quickly interrupted and said, "Old man, did you hear that? This guy is really smart. He used provocation. What he said was just empty talk. He just wanted you to let him go for the sake of our peak's innocence."

The old man smiled coldly and turned his gaze to the young woman: "You are right, but I don't believe his empty words. He has already provoked me, how can I let him leave alive?"

The young woman shook her head, seeming a little impatient: "Old man, you have been tired these days, why don't you go upstairs and rest early. Why do you have to be so serious about such a small matter?"

The old man's eyes flickered slightly, as if he was weighing something: "So, in your opinion, how should we deal with this kid?"

The young woman raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a hint of sarcasm: "What's the big deal about letting him go? What's the big deal about killing him?"

The old man's expression relaxed a little, but still looked gloomy: "Killing people is not a big deal, but it depends on who you kill. For a child as young as this one, you killed him downstairs. I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep well in the future."

The young woman pretended to be angry and said, "Old man, what you said is a bit unfair! Why do you have to use a child like me to make trouble? You are really stupid. Besides, he is not a warrior and he is only so young, so what can he do?"

"But," the young woman's face suddenly turned serious, "after listening to the nonsense he just said, how can you let him go? Are you afraid that he will go out and tell nonsense?"

The old man frowned slightly, obviously thinking: "No, I can't let this kid leave the village."

The young woman seemed a little anxious and asked, "Old man! What is the nine-story underground tower in the back mountain of Hanying Peak used for?"