Chapter Text
Liu Qingge stared at Shen Jiu coldly, his hand wrapped around the criminals neck, Shen Jiu barely hanging against the edge of the platform holding both of them up. He could feel the heat of the water underneath his feet.
"Do you know of your crimes?"
Shen Jiu felt shivers running up his spine as his gaze met with cold phoenix eyes.
Shen Jiu glared at Liu Qingge back, causing him to receive a hard slap against his face. The brute tightening his hold around his neck
"Speak, you disgusting scum!"
"..."
How funny, Shen Jiu thought. Even if he truly wanted to speak, he really couldn't. Not with his tongue cut off.
"Wait, This one has one last thing to say to A-Jiu."
A voice from the entrance of the water prison could be heard, the voice echoing throughout the prison.
Shen Jiu promptly turned his head towards the direction of the voice. There he sees his brother, his oh so sweet saint of a brother who had been victimized, hurt and assaulted by the scum villain,
Shen Yuan.
And to add salt to the wounds, by his side was someone whom he once greatly cared for,
Yue Qingyuan.
Shen Yuan smiled gently at him, his eyes wet with tears.
"A-Jiu, I'm sorry... If not for me this wouldn't have happened.." Shen Yuan burst into tears and fell to his knees.
Yue Qingyuan knelt down and comforted Shen Yuan. Sending a dark glare towards Shen Jiu.
Shen Jiu knew this was merely a performance Shen Yuan prepared for the audience. And of course, it worked.
Liu Qingge let go of his hold against his neck, dropping him harshly down the cold, hard floor dirtied with his blood and feces. He immediately rushed into Shen Yuan's side, taking his hand as he helped him get up.
"It's dirty" The stupid brute muttered as he took off his outer robe and covered Shen Yuan with it. You can see the obvious blush on the brute's face despite the room being dimly lit.
Shen Jiu wanted to let out a laugh and then sneer at them in utter disgust as he watched the two peak lords fuss over their dearly beloved Shen Yuan.
He instead acted apathetic towards everything, no hint of fear or anything in his expression. The audience, of course, didn't take this lightly.
He focused intently on their expressions. Specifically at Yue Qingyuan's. His face had the same stupid apologetic expression he'd use whenever he faces Shen Jiu, only now it wasn't directed to him but to his brother. This filled him with mixed emotions, it was hilarious that Yue Qingyuan thought of Shen Yuan as his replacement but that fact also made him feel bitter.
He soon heard footsteps approaching them, the footsteps loud and heavy.
He recognized that it was that beast, Luo Binghe.
The beast had always greatly enjoyed his pain. Forcefully feeding him his blood and making him go through painful torture.
"This disciple is just repaying everything Shizun had done." Luo Binghe would say, smiling at him sadistically.
Luo Binghe eventually stepped out of the dark, the demonic presence overwhelming him and alarming the three peak lords inside the room of his presence.
Luo Binghe, that demonic brat, had always liked to torture and torment him using his demonic blood. It felt like his insides were being rearranged. But he still held on, biting on his left arm to muffle out his groans.
He could feel their watchful gazes, all probably smiling happily while watching him be tortured.
Though eventually, the pain became unbearable. Shen Jiu fell into fours and started coughing up blood.
Shen Yuan rushed to his side, helping him get up. His brother wiped his blood stained mouth with his sleeves.
"Binghe.. stop..!" Shen Yuan ordered, the beast doing as he was told like an obedient dog.
Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan just stood behind Shen Yuan,both not moving an inch as they watched with fascination. The two are no doubt jealous of the attention Shen Yuan is giving him.
Shen Yuan leans into Shen Jiu's ear and whispered, "To think you were stupid enough to fall for my tricks and manipulation. You're really dumb, you know?"
His brother flipped open his fan, covering up the obvious smirk in his face.
Shen Yuan turned away from him, facing the three other cultivators in the room with tear rimmed eyes as he wrapped the War God's robes around himself even tighter.
Seeing this, Luo Binghe had intensified the pain even more.
Shen Jiu's body spasmed, every inch of his body felt as if it was burning.
The four eventually leave the water prison, all feeling satisfied.
His current situation couldn't help but remind him his days as a slave, his arms and legs binded by chains as he was whipped til he passed out.
Everything he worked hard for was taken away from him, until he was left with nothing.
They took away his title, his peak, his disciples, the only people whom he sees as family, and then his cultivation.
No.
He never had anything in the first place.
Not even his life.
If I'm gonna die then I'll die by my own hands, Shen Jiu decided.
If I can't have my life then I atleast can have control over my death.
He used the chains tied around his arms as a makeshift noose, the hard metal wrapped around his neck.
The cold metal brushing against the skin of his neck made him shiver, he held his arms up, causing the shackles to wrap tighter around his neck.
He couldn't breathe.
Good.
After a few seconds, he felt his head feeling lighter, he mustered up what remained of his strength to tighten the chains around his neck. His neck was probably already bruising quite badly.
His eyes wandered towards the hourglass lying on the floor. The beast often uses it in his sick plays and tortures.
The hourglass looked as if it was glowing, as if it were reaching towards him. The warmth of the light enveloped him, allowing him to feel at peace.
He could barely contain his consciousness, and at his final moments he thought,
I wish I could go back.. go back and leave. leave those who did nothing but bring me suffering.. turn everything back.. just like an hourglass.
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Shen Jiu was supposed to be dead.
He instead found himself lying on a soft mattress, the familiar scent of bamboo greeted him, overwhelming his senses.
Where was he?
The feeling of metal wrapped tightly around his neck is still there, his breathing still unsteady.
As he attempted to open his eyes, a light shined brightly, and almost blindingly in front of him.
Once he was able to focus his eyes the light eventually dispersed, leaving a translucent blue screen.
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