That night, Flower Shirong was in the midst of practicing when suddenly they felt something unusual around them.
A dark figure swooped toward them like a bird of prey.
Without thinking too much, Flower Shirong swiftly dodged to the side. There was no time to unleash the "Thunder Strike" technique.
With a swift exhale, the dark figure landed on Flower Shirong's back. Flower Shirong rolled away and quickly escaped.
But then came a loud "thud" from behind, indicating that the object had hit the wall and fallen to the ground. In the darkness, Ling Yukuan let out a pained cry.
Flower Shirong stood up cautiously, on high alert.
Ling Yukuan had fallen in Flower Shirong's practice area, motionless. If it weren't for his murmuring, Flower Shirong would have thought he was dead.
Flower Shirong understood what had happened: Ling Yukuan had taken advantage of the late night when Flower Shirong was deep in meditation to launch a surprise attack! However, Flower Shirong reacted quickly and managed to evade it.
Unfortunately, Ling Yukuan's momentum was too strong, and he couldn't stop himself, resulting in him hitting his head on the wall.
Flower Shirong secretly felt fortunate. If it weren't for the fact that they had seriously injured Ling Yukuan the day before, affecting his movements and causing a loud noise that made Flower Shirong alert, they would not have been able to dodge that attack just now.
Ling Yukuan, lying on the ground at this moment, was too ashamed to get up. How could he miss such a sneak attack? It would be embarrassing if this got out!
"Speak up, what kind of punishment do you accept?" Flower Shirong looked down coldly at Ling Yukuan, who was lying on the ground.
"If you want to hit, then hit. If you want to kill, then kill. If you frown, you're not a man," Ling Yukuan toughly replied.
When dealing with someone like him, unless you really kill him, there's no other way to handle him.
Since Flower Shirong couldn't kill him, they couldn't let him go either, otherwise, such sneak attacks would never end.
And so, a "Thunder Strike" landed on Ling Yukuan before it disappeared, and Flower Shirong charged forward.
There was no other choice. Even though Ling Yukuan, injured as he was, was much stronger than Flower Shirong, Flower Shirong could only approach him in this way.
In the dark night, agonizing screams echoed from the narrow room, sending shivers down one's spine.
After a while, Flower Shirong breathed heavily and stood up. Unfortunately, their inner strength was depleted once again.
"Starting from tomorrow, you will only be allowed to eat one steamed bun a day."
Ling Yukuan could only make whimpering sounds. He lay on the ground like a dead dog, unmoving.
Flower Shirong chose another spot to meditate.
"If you don't want to endure Old Guantou's scolding, it's best not to make a fuss at night. He's already old and doesn't sleep much. If you keep him awake, it'll be miserable."
Flower Shirong's voice always seemed calm and rational, as if detached from worldly disputes.
...
Sure enough, before dawn, Old Guantou came storming angrily, yelling loudly at the confinement rooms.
"Who was whimpering and making noise last night? You've irritated me and made it impossible for me to sleep. If you don't let me have peace, I won't let you either. Starting today, you'll go without food for three days."
As soon as they heard about the three-day food deprivation, cries of anguish erupted from the various confinement rooms. They were already only eating one meal a day, and now they had to go without food for three days. Wasn't that a death sentence?
"Whoever couldn't keep their damn desires in check last night, apologize and admit your mistake to Senior Guan!" Flower Shirong's voice rang out. "The person in the T-shaped cell, come forward and confess. Otherwise, if I go out, the first one I won't spare is you!"
Someone began seeking the original sinner.
Ling Yukuan trembled in the T-shaped cell.
"Lan Shihai from the Jia Cell, you must have heard of him, right?" Flower Shirong asked Ling Yukuan as if it were an unrelated matter.
In the darkness, Ling Yukuan's facial expression couldn't be seen clearly, but his body instinctively moved away from the iron door.
Flower Shirong walked to the side of the iron door. "Listen, Lan Shihai, according to Senior Ling, it will be another six months before you're released. By then, you'll have found yourself a ghost."
Roars and furious shouts came from the Jia Cell. "How dare you speak like that about Young Master Lan? State your name, Ling Family!"
"I am who I am, my name unchanged, renowned as the most handsome in Yishui, Ling Yukuan." Flower Shirong added fuel to the fire.
There was silence in the Jia Cell for a while. After a pause, a voice of confusion emerged, "Who is Ling Yukuan? Lan has never heard of him!"
Flower Shirong turned back and looked at Ling Yukuan, who was staring angrily. "Even he has never heard of you. You're such a failure, aren't you?"
Suddenly, Ling Yukuan roared like a wild beast and pounced towards Flower Shirong. Flower Shirong laughed and swiftly dodged to the side.
Ling Yukuan was injured, which affected his speed. How could he reach Flower Shirong, who was prepared?
However, he was still at the eighth level of the Martial Disciple realm. Despite his right hand being broken, which affected his performance, his foundation was still intact.
When Ling Yukuan saw Flower Shirong leaving the window, he stood by the iron door and shouted, "Lan Shihai, I am Ling Yukuan. Flower Shirong is spouting nonsense, don't believe his gibberish. I will teach him a lesson on your behalf."
No matter how Flower Shirong tortured him, he never yielded. But when facing Lan Shihai, his attitude and tone were completely different.
Evil begets evil, there was some truth to that.
Ling Yukuan turned around and glared at Flower Shirong, who was far away. "You don't want me to have it easy, so I won't let you off the hook either."
Flower Shirong sneered, "Are you my match?"
"You'll know once we fight."
Flower Shirong knew his disadvantage.
This body was too weak in terms of resilience and physical endurance. He was afraid that he would collapse from exhaustion after just a few exchanges.
If it weren't for launching the "Thunderbolt Technique" right at the beginning yesterday, he would probably be the one crying for mercy.
Now, as Ling Yukuan approached him, Flower Shirong didn't dodge, meeting his gaze with cold eyes.
He silently recited the incantation for the "Thunderbolt Technique" in his mind, quickly forming hand seals, preparing for the confrontation.
Ling Yukuan's right hand was already broken, affecting his movements.
Although his left hand still had considerable strength, it wasn't as proficient as his right hand. Furthermore, Flower Shirong had given him a severe beating yesterday, leaving him heavily injured. Walking aggravated his wounds, intensifying the pain.
Even so, the potential he unleashed was not something Flower Shirong could withstand.
Flower Shirong stared at the rapidly approaching fist, the speed was too fast, he couldn't dodge it.
With a sigh, Flower Shirong released the "Thunderbolt Technique."
Having observed Flower Shirong's movements early on, Ling Yukuan tried to dodge, but how could he avoid an invisible spell like the "Thunderbolt Technique"?
The "Thunderbolt Technique" struck Ling Yukuan, and bright blue electric arcs flashed.
Ling Yukuan involuntarily trembled inside the room, and the gathered internal energy instantly dissipated.
Flower Shirong closed in, and yesterday's scene replayed itself, with screams of agony echoing once again.
At that moment, the small window was opened, revealing the face of Old Guantou, who glanced into the confinement room before coldly closing the window and leaving expressionlessly.
Flower Shirong finally stopped, exhausted and panting.
Ling Yukuan had long ceased his howling, protecting his head with his left hand. He knew that no matter how loudly he cried out, Flower Shirong would never show mercy and stop.
Thus, a strange sight emerged: one silently delivering a beating, the other silently enduring.
Flower Shirong caught his breath and walked to the edge of the small window, shouting, "Lan Shihai, my boss, Ling Yukuan, says if you have the guts, come to the 'ding' room. Don't talk about leaving, as nobody can currently get out."
An angry roar immediately came from the 'jia' room, "Ling Baokuan, just you wait! As a member of the Ling family, if I get out, I'll beat up anyone I see."
At that moment, voices emerged from other rooms.
"Lan Shihai, who do you think you are? You dare insult the Ling family? I, Ling Yuhai, swear here and now that the descendants of the Ling family will confront the descendants of the Lan family until the end."
Another voice shouted, "I, Ling Yubing, swear here and now that the descendants of the Ling family will confront the descendants of the Lan family until the end!"
"I, Ling Yujiang, swear here and now that the descendants of the Ling family will confront the descendants of the Lan family until the end!"
Lan Shihai had provoked all the descendants of the Ling family.
Flower Shirong looked back at the cowering Ling Yukuan and sighed, "Today has truly been the most eventful day in the confinement room! All the descendants of the Ling family have sworn their allegiance. Don't you want to make an oath?"
"Flower Shirong, don't get too complacent. Think about your life after leaving the confinement room. I won't say it will be exquisite and colorful, but it will certainly be dazzling."
Flower Shirong took out a small knife from his pocket and lightly waved it, saying, "For someone who has already died once, being alive again is a gain. And if, before I die, I can take along a few of you Ling family descendants, it would be even better."
Flower Shirong approached Ling Yukuan and tapped his forehead lightly with the small knife, whispering, "Who knows, when I'm in a good mood, I might start with you. You say you won't see the sun tomorrow, yet you still fantasize about my life outside the confinement room?"
Ling Yukuan was horrified, "What are you planning to do?"
"I just wanted to let you know why the flowers are so red."
Ling Yukuan muttered to himself, "Why are the flowers... so red? What does it mean?"
He suddenly looked at the small knife in Flower Shirong's hand, fear evident on his face.
After the entire confinement room fell silent, a horrified scream came from the 'ding' room, "Flower Shirong, you deserve a wretched death!"
This scream pierced through the darkness like a beam of light, instantly terrifying the night. It was like a thunderclap in a clear sky, suddenly halting the flow of time. It was as if a stone had been thrown into a calm water surface, shattering its tranquility, rippling and stirring hearts.
Though it seemed like a scream of horror, it carried a sinister undertone.
Even Old Guantou, who was standing near the entrance of the confinement room, heard it and couldn't help but tense up.
But Flower Shirong simply unleashed all her strength in a sudden attack, violently breaking Ling Yukuan's other arm.
With both arms severed, Ling Yukuan posed no threat to Flower Shirong anymore.
Flower Shirong calmly sat down, then sighed lightly, "What a mistake! I should have broken your legs. Otherwise, I would have to feed you even when you eat. If I can't even take care of myself, how can I serve Young Master Ling properly?"
As Flower Shirong spoke, she stood up and walked toward Ling Yukuan.
At that moment, everyone in the confinement room area heard another even more chilling and piercing voice, "No!"
The voice abruptly stopped, carrying an inexplicable sense of eeriness.
No one knew what had happened in the 'ding' room. After a moment of bone-chilling silence, sudden roars erupted from other confinement rooms, "Flower Shirong, if anything happens to Ling Yukuan, I, Ling Yuhai, swear to dismember your body into pieces!"
"Flower Shirong, if anything befalls Ling Yukuan, I, Ling Yubing, swear to avenge him."
"Flower Shirong, the day Ling Yukuan walks out of the confinement room will be the day of your demise."
Flower Shirong had only intended to approach Ling Yukuan, but she didn't anticipate his excessively terrified reaction. It seemed that he had been frightened by Flower Shirong's brutal methods.
It was understandable. A fourteen-year-old child had never witnessed such cruelty and bloodshed, especially when it was happening to him.
Flower Shirong sighed inwardly, hoping that her actions hadn't left a psychological shadow on this immature child.