The Eldest Daughter Returns with Power

Ministry of Justice prison...

Deep within the Ministry of Justice's prison lay an endless expanse of darkness and dampness. Heavy iron chains and grotesque instruments of torture hung densely packed on the walls, each exuding a chilling, sinister aura that sent shivers down one's spine. Scattered haphazardly on the floor were withered yellow straw and mottled bloodstains, now dried and congealed into dark patches.

The air was thick with the pungent stench of decay and blood, permeating every corner and creating an oppressive, suffocating atmosphere. The prisoners' agonizing groans and desperate cries echoed through the cramped cells, sounds like mournful calls from the depths of hell, sending chills down one's spine. In the corners of the cells, swarms of enormous rats and cockroaches scurried about in the shadows, their repulsive forms appearing and disappearing intermittently.

In an exceptionally dark and damp interrogation room, the walls were constructed of thick bluestone slabs, covered with mottled bloodstains and deep scratches left by time, as if telling countless tragic stories that had once taken place here. The floor was paved with cold stone slabs, emanating a pungent, putrid stench that seemed to seep into one's very bones.

In the center of the interrogation room sat a dark black wooden table, upon which lay a jumble of chilling interrogation tools: red-hot branding irons, barbed whips, sharp pliers, and more. A single glance was enough to send shivers down one's spine. In one corner of the room, a small stove burned a roaring ember, its intense heat used to heat the branding irons and other instruments of torture. A narrow skylight pierced the ceiling, its dim, gray light a faint glimmer of hope in this dark world, yet so insignificant and powerless, adding to the terrifying atmosphere of the interrogation room.

The Crown Prince led Gongsun You and Gongsun Lin slowly into the last interrogation room and said in a deep voice to the people inside, "Bring them up."

Before long, several burly jailers escorted in a ragged, battered prisoner. The prisoner's head was bowed, and his breath was extremely weak, as if endless torture had worn away all his vitality, leaving only a walking corpse.

The Crown Prince sat firmly in the chair behind the wooden table, his gaze as cold and stern as he stared at the prisoner. He said in a stern voice, "Speak, what does your Shadow Cult intend to do?" The prisoner raised his head with difficulty, his eyes filled with endless resentment and deep unwillingness. His voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows as he weakly replied, "Your Highness, do you think capturing us is enough?"

The prince sneered, his face full of disdain: "Still being stubborn even when death is imminent! If you don't talk, the torture instruments in this interrogation room won't be idle." The prisoner suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, his laughter filled with despair and madness: "How could the Shadow Cult's great cause be thwarted because of us? You just wait and see!"

Gongsun You stepped forward, his eyes wide with anger, and shouted, "Insolence! How dare you spout such nonsense!" Gongsun Lin, on the other hand, keenly observed the prisoner's expression, his brows furrowed, as if he were racking his brains to think of something.

The crown prince frowned, his face grim. He waved his hand and said coldly, "Torture him and see how long he can keep up his stubbornness!"

The jailers immediately understood, picked up their whips, and lashed the prisoner mercilessly. The prisoner let out a painful scream, a sound so pitiful it was almost unbearable, but he gritted his teeth and refused to utter a single word.

Just then, Gongsun Lin spoke up, "Your Highness, this man is determined, and such severe torture may not be effective." The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, his gaze deep, and said, "Then what is your idea?" Gongsun Lin carefully leaned close to the Crown Prince's ear and whispered a few words.

The prince nodded slightly, his expression softening, and gestured for the jailers to stop. "I'll give you one last chance. If you confess truthfully, you might be spared," the prince said gently. The prisoner gasped for breath, sweat pouring down his face, but remained silent, his lips tightly pressed together.

Seeing this, Gongsun You was extremely anxious and said urgently, "Your Highness, this man is stubborn and unyielding, perhaps..." Before he could finish speaking, the prisoner suddenly burst out with astonishing strength, broke free from the jailer's restraints, and rushed towards the wall, crashing headfirst into it...

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere, and the prisoner died on the spot.

The crown prince slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage and shouted, "Outrageous!"

Gongsun You and Gongsun Lin also wore solemn expressions.

Gongsun Lin spoke up, saying, "Your Highness, this person is so resolute and determined. It seems that the matter of the Shadow Cult is no ordinary matter and must be of great importance."

The prince's face was ashen. He said, "This matter needs careful consideration. We should clean this place up completely before bringing people over. I refuse to believe that not a single member of the Shadow Cult is willing to open their mouth and tell the truth."

Upon hearing this, the jailers acted swiftly, carrying the body out and carefully cleaning the scene. Soon after, another prisoner was brought to the interrogation room. The prince stared intently at the new prisoner, coldly saying, "The last one proved his innocence with his death. What about you? Are you willing to reveal the Shadow Cult's plans? If you confess truthfully, I can bestow upon you a generous reward."

The prisoner remained silent, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

A flash of anger crossed the prince's eyes. He pointed at one of the prisoners and decisively ordered, "Torture him!" The torture began again, but the prisoner remained remarkably resilient, refusing to yield even at the cost of his life.

Gongsun Lin thought to himself that these people must have received extremely rigorous training, and ordinary punishments probably wouldn't be able to force them to submit.

Gongsun Lin leaned close to the Crown Prince's ear and whispered, "Your Highness, I have a plan. We can spread the word that we have obtained important information about the Shadow Cult, while releasing some false clues. In this way, the Shadow Cult will mistakenly believe that we really know their plans, and will naturally send people to rescue us or silence us. At that time, we can follow this clue to find out the real mastermind behind it all."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This plan is excellent. Brother Lin, I entrust this matter to you. Be sure to act with utmost care and caution, and absolutely do not let a word of it leak out."

After receiving the order, Gongsun Lin hurriedly left to begin meticulously arranging everything.

Time flies like an arrow, and several days have passed in the blink of an eye. The news has been circulating for quite some time now.

On this very day, the third day of the eleventh month, a mysterious figure with elusive movements quietly infiltrated the bustling capital city. He was dressed in jet-black robes, his face completely hidden in deep shadows, and his movements were as swift as a swift gust of wind.

The mysterious man quietly arrived at a dark and secluded alley and successfully met up with a waiting contact. "How did things go?" the contact asked in a low, urgent voice.

The mysterious man also lowered his voice and replied, "Everything is proceeding according to plan. We have successfully diverted the Crown Prince's spies from the Ministry of Justice prison, and now is the perfect time to make our move."

The contact nodded slightly, then handed the mysterious man a sharp short sword. "Make sure to eliminate the target completely, leaving absolutely no trace."

The mysterious man steadily caught the short sword, his figure flashing like lightning, instantly disappearing into the deep darkness of the night. With his unparalleled agility, he easily evaded the numerous guards and successfully reached the prison cells.

However, as he approached the location of his target, he was astonished to find the cell completely empty. A sudden chill ran through him, and he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Just at this critical moment, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps approached from afar. The mysterious man had no time to think; he leaped nimbly onto the roof beam and disappeared into the endless darkness.

A group of well-equipped guards surged into the cell like a tide, led by Gongsun Lin. He looked around warily, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What happened? Where is he?" Gongsun Lin muttered to himself.

The mysterious man secretly rejoiced that he hadn't acted rashly earlier. After some thought, he decided to temporarily abandon the operation and patiently wait for a more suitable opportunity.

Just as he was about to leave quietly, he suddenly heard a panicked cry from afar: "Fire! Fire!" The prison was instantly thrown into chaos, and the guards rushed to the fire.

The mysterious man took the opportunity to sneak out of the cell and meet up with his waiting accomplice outside.

"The plan has failed. We must leave this place as quickly as possible," the mysterious man said gravely. Without the slightest hesitation, the two vanished into the darkness. Thus, a meticulously planned assassination attempt against the Shadow Cult members within the Ministry of Justice prison was tragically aborted.

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