Chapter 24: Raise the Stone, Smash It Down
Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Raise the Stone, Smash It Down
Watching Fang Xiu pick up a huge rock, Nie Tai was stunned.
’You’re not playing by the rules!’
’Shouldn’t this go, "I don’t know anything, so you’ll let me go"?’
"Yu Boyuan, this Nie Tai... is he your brother?"
Fang Xiu suddenly looked at Yu Boyuan and asked.
"He... he is!"
Yu Boyuan shook his head.
His arm was twisted like a pretzel; it probably couldn’t be fixed without a trip to the hospital.
’I’ll have to go to the hospital.’
The pain made him grit his teeth.
But he still answered Fang Xiu’s question.
"Oh, good. I’m now going to threaten you with your brother. Answer my questions honestly, or I’ll smash your brother with this," Fang Xiu said bluntly.
"Okay... okay!"
Yu Boyuan glanced at Nie Tai and nodded.
Nie Tai shot Yu Boyuan a grateful look.
Even though he felt this had nothing to do with him.
’Wouldn’t it be better to just smash Yu Boyuan directly?’
But Yu Boyuan was willing to trade what he knew to save him from being smashed. Nie Tai would remember this kindness.
’Brothers for life!’
"Alright, first question."
Fang Xiu nodded slightly and began his interrogation.
As he spoke, he gestured with the rock over Nie Tai’s head.
Nie Tai didn’t dare to move.
He was terrified of angering Fang Xiu and getting his head bashed in.
That was a rock that could smash a huge hole in the ground!
"You... go ahead," Yu Boyuan nodded.
"What were you just thinking about?" Fang Xiu asked, looking at Yu Boyuan.
Hearing this, Nie Tai breathed a sigh of relief. ’That’s not a hard question to answer, is it?’
’Judging by his reaction earlier, it could only be about that one thing. He can definitely answer that.’
But Yu Boyuan looked at the rock in Fang Xiu’s hand, then back at Nie Tai. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "I don’t know!"
"Huh?"
Nie Tai couldn’t believe his ears.
’Don’t know? How could he not know? How can you not know what you were just thinking?’
BAM!
"AHHH!!!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Xiu smashed the rock down on Nie Tai’s hand.
Nie Tai screamed in agony.
Watching Nie Tai’s tortured expression, Yu Boyuan gritted his teeth.
"Alright, I’ll ask a different question."
Fang Xiu nodded slightly.
Hearing this, Yu Boyuan finally relaxed a little. As long as it wasn’t that question, he could answer.
Then he continued, "What were you thinking about that caused you to have that... reaction?"
Yu Boyuan: ???
Nie Tai: ...
’Fuck, didn’t you say you were changing the question? How the hell is this any different from the last one?’
At that moment, Yu Boyuan looked at Nie Tai again. He gritted his teeth.
"Bro, tell him! Just hurry up and tell him!"
Nie Tai wished he could just answer for Yu Boyuan, but he didn’t know the answer!
"Uh... bro, sorry you have to go through this!"
Yu Boyuan said to Nie Tai, his voice heavy with meaning.
Nie Tai: ??
"Bro, you’re my real brother! Just tell him!"
Hearing those words, Nie Tai froze.
But Yu Boyuan didn’t hesitate. He just shook his head again. "I don’t know!"
"AHHH!!!"
Another bloodcurdling scream.
This time, the rock smashed into Nie Tai’s knee.
"Very well. I’ll change the question again," Fang Xiu said with a sigh.
Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai both sighed in relief.
’As long as it’s not that question, we can answer it! We can answer it!’
"Your reaction... what were you thinking about to cause it?" Fang Xiu asked once more.
Yu Boyuan: ...
Nie Tai: ...
’Fuck, does changing the phrasing make it a different question? What caused it? How can you even ask that?’
This time, Nie Tai didn’t even look at Yu Boyuan. He just closed his eyes in despair.
"I... I..."
Yu Boyuan hesitated for a long while before saying, "I know..."
Hearing this, Nie Tai’s eyes shot open in disbelief.
’Did I hear him right? Is he finally going to talk? Good brother. He can’t stand to see me suffer.’
"But I can’t say!"
Yu Boyuan finished.
Nie Tai’s mouth fell open. Then, he closed his eyes in utter despair.
’I never should have had any hope for you.’
"AHHH!!!"
The pain arrived right on schedule.
Fang Xiu had smashed his other hand.
Right now, all Nie Tai wanted to do was summon a rock and smash this "good brother" to death.
"Change it again?" Fang Xiu asked, looking at Yu Boyuan.
Yu Boyuan: ...
’Change it or don’t, the question’s still there. It’s not going anywhere.’
"If it’s the same question, don’t even bother changing it. I don’t know!" Yu Boyuan was resolute.
Fang Xiu was just as decisive.
"AHHH!!!"
The fourth scream echoed out.
The pain was so intense Nie Tai almost passed out, but it was the same pain that shocked him awake again.
’Now all four of my limbs are crippled. There’s nowhere left to smash, right?’
’Just kill me! Please, just kill me!’
The pain was so great Nie Tai couldn’t even speak.
He could only pray internally. He didn’t want to live anymore.
’No more torture, just kill me!’
"Well, now four of your good brother’s five limbs are gone. Only one remains. It’s up to you now."
Fang Xiu gave a faint smile.
He hefted the rock in his hand.
He hadn’t shown the slightest bit of mercy.
These two had come to kill him in the first place.
If he showed them mercy, how would that be any different from being some self-righteous do-gooder?
That’s why Fang Xiu felt no psychological pressure with each smash.
After all, at the beginning, it was this very Nie Tai who tried to use Falling Rock—a massive boulder—to crush him to death.
He just happened to miss.
And now, Fang Xiu was just using a small Rock. The difference was still huge.
Fang Xiu even felt like he was a Great Saint.
Basking in a virtuous, holy light.
"What five limbs?"
Fang Xiu’s words stunned both Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai.
Then, it dawned on them.
"Bro! I’m begging you! Tell him! Tell him everything!"
This time, Nie Tai was truly panicking.
"Don’t worry," Fang Xiu said to Nie Tai, giving him a kind smile. "After this next smash, I won’t trouble you anymore. I won’t kill you."
’That’s just cruel! If he smashes that, what’s the point of me living anymore?’
"Bro, don’t you worry. I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. Just endure this one last hit!"
Yu Boyuan looked at Nie Tai with feigned affection. He reached out with his un-twisted hand, patted Nie Tai’s shoulder, and spoke.
At that moment, Nie Tai genuinely wanted to kill Yu Boyuan.
"Well then, I suppose we’ll just have to inconvenience your brother’s ’little brother’!"
Fang Xiu nodded slightly.
He hefted the rock in his hand.
’This one’s not going to be easy to aim!’
"Sir! Wait! I know! I know what he was thinking!"
At this point, Nie Tai could no longer feel the pain in his body. He yelled out in a panic.
Fang Xiu paused. "Hm? You know what he was thinking?"
"I do! Believe me, sir, I know everything!"
Nie Tai was on the verge of tears. He could only force a calm nod.
"Then talk," Fang Xiu smiled faintly.
"He... he was definitely thinking about going to a hotel with his goddess, Lu Yu’er! Definitely!" Nie Tai said in a rush.
Hearing this, Yu Boyuan closed his eyes in despair.
As for Fang Xiu, he just smiled, raised the rock in his hand, and brought it smashing down.