Chapter 1040: Why Is It Them?

Chapter 1040: Chapter 1040: Why Is It Them?

Chen Rui’s eyes sparkled with the light of confidence, waiting confidently for Jiang Qi’s praise and reward.

At this moment, the palace door was gently pushed open, and a fierce figure slowly walked in.

She was wearing a dark purple long robe, her black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, with an air of innate authority on her face.

It was none other than Elder Li.

As soon as Elder Li entered, her brow furrowed sharply, seemingly discomforted by the foul stench that assaulted her senses.

A trace of disdain flashed in her eyes as she coldly scanned the room, her gaze finally settling on those two foul-smelling sacks, unable to restrain herself from frowning and asking, "What is this? Why is it so filthy?"

Her voice, though gentle, carried an invisible pressure that instilled awe in others.

Upon seeing Elder Li appear, Jiang Qi immediately suppressed his previous arrogance and dissatisfaction, instead showing a respectful demeanor. He quickly stepped forward and answered respectfully with his head bowed, "Elder Li, Ye Qingchen is tied up inside these bags."

Hearing this, a trace of doubt flashed in Elder Li’s eyes, followed by a look of surprise.

She turned her head slightly to examine the two sacks in front of her and asked incredulously, "Ye Qingchen has been found?"

Seeing Elder Li’s surprise, Jiang Qi nodded even more cautiously, secretly pleased but still showing great respect on the surface. "Yes, Elder Li, it was Chen Rui who accomplished this. He captured Ye Qingchen and his accomplice just last night. They are the ones in these sacks."

Elder Li slightly narrowed her eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of suspicion and alertness. She subtly moved a step closer, her brow remaining furrowed as if contemplating something.

She did not speak immediately but quietly stared at the foul-smelling sacks, as if weighing the possibilities within.

Elder Li’s gaze was as sharp as a knife. She approached the two stench-filled sacks, her eyes lingering on them for a moment, her brow furrowing tighter. She slowly turned around, her eyes filled with deep suspicion, coldly asking, "Are Ye Qingchen and his accomplice really inside?"

Her tone was filled with mistrust, the coldness in her voice seemed to pierce to the bone. She knew Ye Qingchen’s capabilities and understood that capturing him was no easy task.

The two dirty sacks before her hardly looked as if they contained such a formidable figure.

Seeing Elder Li’s suspicion, Chen Rui’s heart tightened, but he quickly regained his confidence, immediately straightening his back, raising his right hand, and solemnly swearing, "Elder Li, I can stake my life that Ye Qingchen and his female accomplice are definitely in there! I went through great lengths to capture them."

His face bore an extremely earnest expression, his eyes revealing a sense of determination and pride, as if he had indeed experienced a thrilling battle. "To capture them, I pursued for three days and nights, even using the Secret Technique of Filthy Pigs to succeed! Look at their current state; it’s because they were tortured to near-death by those Filthy Pigs."

As Chen Rui spoke, he exaggerated his contributions to the greatest extent, as if he had paid a great price for this capture.

He secretly calculated that as long as Elder Li believed his words, the credit for this would surely not escape his grasp.

Even Jiang Qi dared not underestimate such a significant achievement.

Elder Li stood aside, her arms crossed, coldly watching the servants busy themselves. Although she said nothing more, the atmosphere of suspicion grew increasingly intense.

Jiang Qi slightly frowned, feeling somewhat impatient, but still waved his hand to order, "Open the sacks."

At the command, several servants quickly stepped forward, cautiously untying the knots at the sack openings.

The foul stench immediately spread, causing everyone to wrinkle their noses and cover their faces.

The servants restrained their nausea as much as possible, slowly pulling open the sacks. As the sacks gradually unfolded, they revealed the "captives" inside—

However, when the sacks were fully opened, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence.

Jiang Qi’s gaze suddenly froze, and Elder Li’s eyes widened abruptly, her expression changing from surprise to displeasure.

Chen Rui, who had been so confident, found his expression instantly stiffening on his face.

The people inside the sacks were not Ye Qingchen and Xiao Xiao, but the barely alive Da Hei and Old Liu.

Their appearance was unbearable to look at, their clothing long since tattered, mixed with pig pen filth and bloodstains, almost unrecognizable.

Their faces were so swollen out of shape, bruises covered their bodies, as if they had been brutally tortured.

Blood trickled from the corner of Da Hei’s mouth, his eyes vacant and unfocused, clearly in a muddled state of consciousness, while Old Liu’s arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, indicating a fracture.

Their stench was worse than the sacks earlier, causing the servants present to involuntarily step back a few paces, their faces full of shock and revulsion.

"How... how is this possible?" Chen Rui was utterly stunned, the triumph in his eyes replaced by panic in an instant, unable to believe the sight before him. How could these two barely alive individuals be Da Hei and Old Liu?

His mind went blank, nearly unable to remain standing.

"You said this was Ye Qingchen?" Elder Li’s cold voice echoed in the hall, like an Ice Blade piercing Chen Rui’s ears.

Jiang Qi’s expression grew more and more unsightly, restraining his anger, his gaze coldly sweeping over Chen Rui with barely suppressed disgust and disappointment.

At that moment, the atmosphere within the hall was as still as death, with no one daring to make a sound, all eyes focused on the two unrecognizable individuals inside the sacks.

In that instant, Chen Rui completely lost his composure, rushing forward desperately towards the two barely alive bodies.

His face was ashen, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He bent down, his hands trembling as he forcefully parted the tattered clothing covered in filth, inspecting their faces carefully.

"No way, absolutely no way..." Chen Rui’s lips trembled, his voice hoarse, filled with a near-maniacal obsession.

He stared at their faces relentlessly, his eyes filled with urgency and confusion.

He rubbed his eyes vigorously, once again scrutinizing those familiar faces.

However, no matter how many times he looked, the two deformed people were still his subordinates, Da Hei and Old Liu.

"Impossible! This is impossible!" Chen Rui shook his head abruptly, as if trying to fling the truth out of his mind. He hit their faces uncontrollably, "Wake up! Tell me this isn’t real!"

He struck heavily, each slap carrying impatience and panic. Da Hei and Old Liu, already on the verge of death, let out weak moans under this fierce beating, blood slowly seeping from the corners of their mouths, their faces growing paler.

Yet, they still had no way to respond to Chen Rui’s questioning, left to his frantic handling in their semi-conscious state.

"Absolutely impossible... impossible..."

Chen Rui’s voice gradually carried a hint of despair, his face becoming ever paler, completely unable to accept the reality before him.

He had thought all of this was his perfectly orchestrated plan, yet now, the brutal truth was like a bucket of cold water extinguishing his confidence and pride.