"I didn't expect you to be so stubborn," Zhan Ming said, his gaze cold and menacing as he looked at Lu Hao. "You've been tortured for so long, yet you still grit your teeth. The more you resist, the more curious I become about where the true Saintly Physician is, and who they are. Could this person be in the capital?"
He wanted to know what he wanted to know, and no one could hide anything from him!
He lifted his foot and forcefully stomped on Lu Hao's hand.
With a crisp snap, Lu Hao's hand bone was broken.
The concubine, who had been standing by nervously, was so terrified that she wet herself.
Lu Hao, who had always been afraid of pain and timid, held firm this time. He clenched his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot from the pain, and he had bitten his lip so hard it was bleeding. Yet, despite the excruciating agony, he did not cry out.
Seeing Lu Hao's stubbornness, the bloodthirsty glint in Zhan Ming's eyes intensified. He sneered, "I'll see how long you can remain so defiant!"
He then raised his foot, intending to break Lu Hao's other hand as well.
Lu Hao's eyes widened in terror, his body trembling, unsure if it was from the cold or fear. "Prince Zhan, I truly don't know who the Saintly Physician is. If I had known the Saintly Physician was a woman, why would I have impersonated her?"
If he had known this would happen, he should have just deceived them and fled.
He shouldn't have stayed by the Regent's side; it was a gamble with his life!
He had been trapped here for so long, almost losing his life, and his master had no idea!
He began to strategize. "Regent, after all, I've saved you many times. If I don't have merit, I at least have tried. Even if I'm not the true Saintly Physician, my medical skills are not fake! You can't just abandon me after I've served my purpose just because I lied about being the Saintly Physician, can you?"
"The Saintly Physician has always been elusive. The number of people in this world who can find the Saintly Physician can be counted on one hand. If you torture me to death, it will be of no benefit to you!"
His words sounded reasonable.
But Zhan Ming was known for his ungrateful nature.
Now that his hidden ailment was cured, did a quack doctor who had deceived him think he could threaten him?
He let out a cold laugh, lifted his foot, and forcefully stomped on Lu Hao's other hand, breaking it!
Crack, crack!
Lu Hao could no longer bear it and cried out in agony, "Ah! Regent, you will regret this! You will definitely regret this!"
He couldn't say it. He absolutely could not tell the Regent anything about his master.
He wasn't a fool. If the Regent was ungrateful and didn't acknowledge his efforts, betraying his master would lead to him being silenced by the Regent. It was better to keep his mouth shut. Even if he died, perhaps his master would be able to retrieve his body afterwards.
"I never do anything I regret. Lu Hao, you've been staying in the Regent's mansion for many days. You should have heard that I have a snake pit where I keep many man-eating snakes. I'll give you one last chance. If you don't tell me where the Saintly Physician is, I will immediately throw you into the snake pit," Zhan Ming threatened.
The threat made Lu Hao tremble all over. His face turned even paler, and he fearfully insisted, "I'm not afraid!"
Suddenly.
An idea struck him.
He let out a cold laugh. "Regent, kill me now if you dare! As soon as I die, the Regent won't live much longer either! Does the Regent think his hidden ailment is completely healed? Does the Regent remember what I said before? That you were too eager to cure your hidden ailment, and there might be unforeseen consequences. I think those consequences have now arrived! If I die, even the Saintly Physician won't be able to save you!"
He silently thought, "I'm sorry, Master. To make the Regent believe me now, I have to lie."
As expected, the ever-suspicious Zhan Ming narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Lu Hao, as if weighing whether his words were true.
Lu Hao took a breath.
His hands felt numb.
He could no longer feel the pain.
A sense of dread he had never experienced before spread through his chest.
Without his hands, he wouldn't be able to take pulses anymore. He might not be able to be a doctor in the future.
Could it be…
He could only be a swindler from now on?
An overwhelming sorrow filled Lu Hao, fueling his hatred for Zhan Ming.
If he had known this would happen, he should have found a chance to poison Zhan Ming these past two days! A poison that would cause his whole body to rot and break out in sores! A poison far more terrifying than snake venom!
"Lu Hao, I underestimated you," Zhan Ming said with a cold laugh.
As he finished speaking, he raised his foot again.
Lu Hao curled into a ball.
At this moment.
No one noticed a figure appear in the shadows, moving like a phantom, making it impossible to detect.
Upon seeing the scene not far away, Yun Shu's brow furrowed slightly.
Lu Hao had been tortured severely, with no good places on his body. It seemed both his hands had been crippled by Zhan Ming.
If he continued to be tortured like this, Lu Hao would eventually lose his life.
"When dealing with the Regent, one must always be cautious," Lu Hao said stubbornly, gritting his teeth.
Zhan Ming gave a sinister laugh. "Speak, what did you do to my medicine?"
Lu Hao tried to move but found his body completely devoid of strength, unable to even get up.
Suddenly.
His eyes lit up.
Without anyone noticing, his acupoints on his back were struck by a pebble flying through the air!
Such precise acupoint striking could not be accidental.
It was deliberate!
Master!
Master was here!
Suddenly, Lu Hao felt a sting in his nose, and tears welled up in his eyes uncontrollably. He desperately suppressed them, but they still overflowed, blurring his vision.
Zhan Ming, unaware of the reason, twitched the corner of his mouth. "Are you crying from excitement because you know I won't kill you for now? Lu Hao, I truly overestimated you."
Such a timid person, and yet he could cry so profusely. Could it be that he truly didn't know where the true Saintly Physician was?
For a moment, Zhan Ming doubted himself.
Lu Hao raised his arm to wipe his tears and suddenly felt a surge of courage. "If the Regent lets me go now, I will tell you how to detoxify yourself."
Master was here, so there was nothing to fear!
As for his hands…
His master's medical skills were so profound, perhaps she could find a way.
They were crippled anyway. At worst, he would be a wandering swindler, and he wouldn't starve.
The next moment.
Zhan Ming lifted his foot and stomped on Lu Hao's hand again.
Lu Hao gritted his teeth in pain, instinctively trying to hold back a scream.
But then he remembered his master was here, watching him from the shadows.
He immediately opened his mouth wide and let out a piercing cry towards the sky, "Ah! It hurts so much! It's killing me! My hands! Regent, you are ungrateful! Ahhhhhh!"
His screams could almost be heard throughout the entire Regent's mansion.
Zhan Ming looked at Lu Hao with a strange expression. He had held back his screams before, so why was he crying out in pain now?
However.
The next moment, before he could ponder further, the distant flickering firelight sent the entire Regent's mansion into a frenzy.