Chapter 752: Chapter 752 Execution
Although the man had never endured such a punishment, just hearing Xu Ke describe it was enough to know it was a cruel penalty.
If it were a real iron comb, he might still grit his teeth and endure it, but with such a small fork to torture himself bit by bit, he couldn’t guarantee he could withstand the mental pressure and might lose control, revealing things he shouldn’t.
Xu Ke seemed oblivious to the terror on the man’s face. He looked at the fork in his hand, played with it in front of the man, and then said, "Yes, I’m using this. What else could I use? I can’t just use my hands, that would be too crude."
The man’s lips trembled, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Xu Ke. His eyelids quivered slightly, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitched uncontrollably, making him look like a patient. However, his pitiful appearance failed to evoke any sympathy from Xu Ke.
Xu Ke poured water into the lake right before the man’s eyes, then switched it on, also right in front of him.
The man had never found time to be so torturous. Despite his utmost restraint, his eyes couldn’t help but keep glancing in the direction of the kettle.
Actually, not just the man, but everyone in this secret room, except for Xu Ke, couldn’t take their eyes off the kettle.
The man kept praying internally, hoping that the kettle would break or some other reason would arise to keep it from being placed in front of him again.
But as if God had played a huge joke on him, shortly after he finished praying, the kettle began to make noise.
"I didn’t expect this kettle to be of such good quality. It saved us quite a bit of boiling time, and I think the effect will be even better," Xu Ke said, his eyes gleaming at the kettle.
In stark contrast to Xu Ke’s excitement, the man’s expression grew much more melancholic.
But his turn had come, and he couldn’t escape. No matter how much he prayed, Xu Ke walked up to him with the kettle.
"I’m going to start now, please prepare yourself. This is my first time doing this, so the result might not be ideal. I hope you won’t mind," Xu Ke said as he lifted the kettle in his hand, and without warning, poured the hot water over the man.
The sudden pain made the man’s eyes widen instantly, followed by a wail. His cries caused the others caged to shudder, too afraid to look at his fate.
But Xu Ke’s actions did not stop because of his cries. After pouring scalding hot water on the man’s legs, Xu Ke scraped the burnt area hard with the silver fork.
It was as if he were slicing through a rotten apple, easily peeling away the flesh, leaving slender cuts on the man’s leg. Blood gushed from the wounds.
"Turns out the fork is quite handy. It’s just a bit small, which makes scraping inefficient. But fortunately, if there’s one thing I don’t lack, it’s patience."
Xu Ke continued pouring hot water onto the man’s wounds. The scorched water contacted the injured wounds again, and the air seemed filled with the smell of cooked meat.
This odor was nauseating.
The man’s screams echoed incessantly in the chamber, while Xu Ke seemed as if he wore earplugs, indifferent to the cries, even humming a tune. The cheerful melody mixed with the man’s screams, causing those caged to shiver. Some, overwhelmed by the psychological pressure, even urinated, adding a stench to the air.
Xu Ke wrinkled his nose, looking toward the cage behind him.
"We’re all adults here; let’s not do anything so disgusting. From now on, anyone who indiscriminately urinates or defecates will be dealt with immediately with the most cruel torture." Xu Ke’s gaze swept over the crowd, and everyone he looked at froze like a piece of wood.
Xu Ke continued his actions leisurely as if engaging in some form of art. The caged individuals were forced to listen to the man’s wretched screams, and it felt like a saw was constantly cutting through the nerves in their minds.
The man’s agony plagued them as well.
It’s unclear how much time passed, but the man’s screams gradually weakened, only Xu Ke’s singing remained as cheerful as ever.
"Mission accomplished. It seems I have quite a talent. My first creation turned out well. Don’t you want to take a look at my work? To get a feel for my skills, so when it’s your turn, you won’t be too scared, right?"
Admiring the man’s right leg, snow-white bones revealed below the knee, Xu Ke wore a satisfied smile.
The man tortured by Xu Ke hung his head low, his entire face shrouded in shadow, making his expression invisible. Even unseen, one could guess how pale he must be, or to speculate boldly, whether he was dead or alive at that moment was uncertain.
"Passed out already?" Xu Ke tapped the man’s face with the fork, saw no response, and turned his gaze to the cage.
"One down; who’s next? This punishment isn’t fun at all. I think I’ll switch to skinning. Who wants to be my test subject, the first one?" Xu Ke’s gaze burned into those in the cage, as if he were looking at his most beloved treasure, successfully terrifying them.
The blood mixed with scalding water and a pile of scraped flesh remained on the ground, and the meaty and bloody odor lingered in the air. In such a backdrop, Xu Ke’s demeanor was hard not to fear.
Everyone curled into themselves, not wanting to be the first to step up.
"Is no one volunteering? If not, I’ll choose someone myself." Xu Ke found the sight of them wishing to disappear into the ground amusing but couldn’t help harboring a hint of perversion.
He scanned them one by one before settling on a man closest to the cage door.
"I found someone, it’s you, come out." Xu Ke opened the cage door, unlocked the man’s shackles, intending to pull him out.
However, already frightened to death, the man wouldn’t be easily led by Xu Ke. Seizing the only chance, with his hands free, he attempted to subdue Xu Ke and escape. But as soon as he began, Xu Ke, as if anticipating his plan, struck a spot on his arm, causing his arms to go numb and useless.