Chapter 52: Test Subject

Princess Shunde was not kidding when she asked to be involved with the medical experiments. And the imperial palace certainly had no lack of methods. Ji Yunhe went through them all within a month.

She began to wonder why God had allowed her to live. Was it to help push the limits of human imagination in torture? When Ji Yunhe's arm was bound to the wall and cut for the thousandth time, her wound finally healed slower and her black blood dripped down. The black demonic gas still surrounded her, but they were no longer as vibrant as they used to be. Forget about forming into nine tails, at the moment they were faint and could hardly even stay afloat.

But Ji Yunhe was still alive. She watched apathetically as the parasites sucked the blood from her arm then drilled into her flesh.

Compared to what she had gone through, this was nothing. The parasites were soon poisoned by her blood and died. Princess Shunde stood outside the cell and shook her head.

"Even the royal annelid cannot suppress you, it seems that no worm in this world can harm you. Tell them to stop sending these things, they are useless. Let her try the strange poison found overseas. If there is any reaction, note it down." Princess Shunde seemed to be lacking interest today. She ordered Ji Chengyu then turned and left. Ji Chengyu stayed quiet until the princess was gone, then he looked at Ji Yunhe with a bit of tremble in his eyes.

"Miss Ji..." Like always, Ji Yunhe only slightly opened her eyes and asked him, "Jiaoren..." She could only say one word. No need for her to say more, Ji Chengyu knew what she wanted to ask. Because she asked it everyday. No matter how cruel the torture, how much she suffered, she always asked this same question.

"The jiaoren has not yet been caught..." Ji Chengyu replied and her eyes closed again. Aside from this, she did not care about anything else in the world. And today, Ji Chengyu had more to tell her.

"But..." Ji Yunhe's gaze once again landed on him. Ji Chengyu paused for a moment, then said, "There's news from the north. Someone saw the monk, Kongming, and a man with silver hair and blue eyes in the Northlands. That man... the description of his appearance and body shape seems to be the jiaoren wanted by the court."

"Kongming... silver hair and blue eyes..." Ji Yunhe weakly murmured.

"The Northlands... why?"

The bitter cold lands of the north were far inland, over ten thousand miles from the sea. Why would Changyi be there?

She had pushed him off of the cliff and into the river below because she thought every river would eventually lead to the sea. Even if he could not swim by himself, the river current would give him a ride. But why would someone see Changyi in the Northlands? And with the monk, Kongming?

What happened to Changyi during this month?Why did he not return to the sea?What was he... thinking? And what did he want to do?

Ji Yunhe had countless questions. She took a couple of breaths and weakly asked, "How much of the news... is certain?"

"The news was reported directly to the princess, so it's unlikely to be false."

No wonder... No wonder the princess seemed careless in tormenting her today. Because she had finally received news of Changyi.

"She... what does she want to do?" After learning that Changyi did not return to the sea, but was still dwelling in this human world, Ji Yunhe grew anxious. He could be in danger again, or get captured, or lose his life...

She gathered the remaining bit of strength in her body, focused the black gas around her arm, and forcefully pulled loose the chain binding her to the wall.

"Tell her to come back!" Ji Yunhe struggled and dragged the chain to the cage bars.

"Tell that princess to use whatever tricks she can think of on me instead." Ji Chengyu sighed and looked at her terrible condition.

"Miss Ji, why do this to yourself? Just for that demon?"

"He is the only..." Ji Yunhe's struggle exhausted her. Her tattered clothes shook, revealing the wound in her neck. It had healed but the ugly scar that lingered looked like a worm with a hundred feet. A worm that crawled all over her body leaving its mark.

"He is the only..." She whispered again then fell to the ground.

She did not finish her sentence. Metallic footsteps approached and the little general, Zhu Ling, walked in aggressively. Seeing Ji Yunhe had dragged the chain to the cage bars, Zhu Ling immediately frowned at Ji Chengyu.

"Hmph, the princess knew you would be too kind, so she has sent me to supervise you. The strange poison those demon masters found, have you tried it on her yet?" Ji Chengyu was silent and looked at Ji Yunhe without answering.

Zhu Ling pushed Ji Chengyu aside and walked to the corner where the drugs and tools sat. He took a look then grabbed an arrow and opened a box.

The moment the box opened, a strange fragrance filled the prison. Zhu Ling dipped the tip of the arrow into the box.

He then loaded the arrow into his bow and aimed at Ji Yunhe, his lips curling up into a smile. "Weren't you very powerful on the cliff that night? I would like to see how much more powerful you are today!"

"Enough!" When the arrow was about to leave the string, Ji Chengyu abruptly stepped in.

He stared at Zhu Ling. "This poison was acquired for the master. He is out today and will not return until tomorrow. We should wait for him to come back and give us the order before utilizing it."

"Don't try to suppress me with the Grand Master." Zhu Ling hmphed.

"The princess gave the order, I am the princess's general, and I will only listen to her. Get out of my way!" Ji Chengyu did not move.

"Zhu Ling, she belongs to the master, not to the princess. If something goes wrong, the master will pursue the blame...

"Of all the things the princess did to her over the past month, which one wasn't worse? When has the Grand Master ever scolded her for it? Besides, have you ever seen the Grand Master get mad at the princess over anything?" Zhu Ling argued back.

"She's just a lab rat, who cares if she dies? Why are you so protective of her?" Ji Chengyu fell silent.

"Can it be that you want to be like your brother, that rebel?" This matter seemed to have touched Ji Chengyu's sore spot.

Before he had time to react, Zhu Ling took two steps forward, kicked him out of the way, and released the arrow. Ji Yunhe did not have the strength to block it at all.

The arrow instantly bypassed her black gas and struck her in the thigh. The pain from the arrow was no longer enough to make Ji Yunhe frown, but the poison from the arrowhead brought her a strange sensation.

"See, I know what I am doing. Didn't shoot her in the heart did I." Zhu Ling touched Ji Chengyu's arm.

"You don't need to pull such a long face. You get this easy job of guarding a useless piece of garbage everyday, you shouldn't be so tense..."

"Zhu Ling! That's enough!"

"What?"

The voices of Zhu Ling and Ji Chengyu arguing outside the prison cell grew muffled and distant as Ji Yunhe gradually began to lose her sight. Everything started to grow dark, and soon, she could no longer feel the ground beneath her feet as well. It was as if all five of her senses were leaving her, until only the beating of her heart remained. It beat faster and faster inside her chest, until it, too, disappeared. Ji Yunhe's world fell into darkness.