Chapter 30: The Harmless Princess of Beiyang vs. The Fratricidal Prince of Beiyang

"Ah... ah..."

Wen Ruwei’s body trembled uncontrollably, as if she had been frozen solid. She was convulsing with agony.

Wen Yurou glanced at Chunmei, who nodded and stepped forward to tend to Wen Ruwei’s wounds with the supplies in hand.

Wen Yurou had already removed Wen Ruwei’s shoes. Picking up a silver needle from the side, she drove it into the nail bed of Wen Ruwei’s toe without the slightest hesitation and squeezed down hard.

Wen Ruwei’s face turned deathly pale in an instant as a piercing, bone-deep pain radiated from her toe.

"Ah!" she shrieked in pain, her hands instinctively releasing the grip she had on her own clothes.

Wen Yurou produced a vial of liquid and sprinkled some of it over her.

Wen Ruwei’s body jolted violently. She felt a searing heat spread through her, a burning sensation that threatened to drive her mad. As the heat intensified, red rashes erupted across her skin, and an unbearable, maddening itch began to consume her.

*Itch... itch... it itches so much...*

*I want to scratch it... oh, it’s so unbearable...*

Watching her, Wen Yurou curled her lips into a twisted smile, her eyes filled with malice. She tucked the bottle away and leaned toward her.

"This is itching powder. I spent a long time perfecting it, so... enjoy it well. It will be gone by tomorrow. This is far more comfortable than the whipping you gave me, isn't it?"

Wen Ruwei was currently spiraling into a complete breakdown.

"Aunt... Aunt... save me... it itches so much... save me... Aunt... please save me... wail..."

The red rashes beneath her clothes grew, spreading and itching more intensely. The more she scratched, the worse it became; it was absolute torture.

Wen Yurou cast a cold look at her, a wicked arc forming on her lips.

Looking down at Wen Ruwei, who was writhing and rolling on the floor, she slowly stepped onto her body. She pressed down gently, grinding her heel so that Wen Ruwei’s skin rubbed painfully against her blood-stained clothes. Then, she began to twist her foot on the back of Wen Ruwei’s, indulging in a malicious and unrestrained torment.

Wen Ruwei’s body twisted in agony. She struggled frantically, trying to escape the suffocating sensation. But she soon realized that the harder she struggled, the heavier Wen Yurou’s pressure became. Eventually, Wen Yurou shifted her full weight onto her.

"What’s wrong? Do you like this feeling, or would you prefer a breeze under your feet?"

"No... no... it hurts so much..."

Wen Ruwei let out a heart-wrenching, blood-curdling scream. Tears streamed down her face in large droplets. She tried to bite her lower lip to dull the pain in her feet, but the harder she bit, the more intense the agony became, until her eyes seemed ready to bulge from their sockets.

"Mm..."

Wen Yurou ignored her. To be kind to an enemy was to be cruel to oneself, and this girl had been trying to kill her since they were children. She continued to trample her, her gaze icy, her tone like a frost that never thawed: "Does it hurt?"

"Mm... mmm..."

Seeing her like this, the stifled anger in Wen Yurou’s heart dissipated, and a triumphant smile finally bloomed on her face.

"Heh! I said I’d let you go if you begged for mercy, but... I’ve changed my mind."

As she spoke, she drew a small blade and drove it deep into the other foot—the one not pierced by the needle.

*Crack.* The sound of the blade meeting bone echoed through the room.

She knew from 027 that if the Third Concubine had arrived even a moment later, the original owner’s leg would have been lost.

"Ah—!"

Wen Ruwei screamed again in harrowing agony.

Wen Yurou stood silently, letting her wail in pain. She stood there as if admiring a perfect piece of art. Time seemed to stop; only the sounds of agony filled the space.

Wen Ruwei did not know how much time had passed; she only knew she was on the verge of fainting, her mind clouded and hazy. Through her blurred vision, she saw a figure flickering before her, laughing...

"You... go away... don't come near me..."

Wen Yurou crouched down slightly and reached out to stroke her cheek. "Do you think what you owe me is settled just like this? I haven't even sent you to the brothel yet! As for wanting to send me there, I’m afraid you won’t have that chance."

*A brothel?*

Wen Ruwei’s eyes widened in shock. How did she know about her secret plan to send her to a brothel and then have her killed in the shadows? That plan was known only to her; no one else knew!

"How do you know that?!"

Could it be that she...

At this thought, Wen Ruwei’s pupils dilated.

"You... you are not my sister!"

But she quickly reacted, looking down to see the floor covered in blood, her feet mangled beyond recognition. Yet, the person before her was indeed Wen Yurou.

"Heh... you’ve finally figured it out? But it’s too late. Wen Ruwei, the fun is only just beginning."

"I... I... what kind of demon are you! Why have you taken over my sister’s body?"

She had been wondering how Wen Yurou could have changed so drastically overnight. Though Wen Ruwei did not know where this Wen Yurou had come from or why they looked identical, one thing was certain: this was not the real Wen Yurou.

"I am Wen Yurou!"

"Hmph! Stop with the ghost stories! If it were my sister, she would never treat me like this, no matter what I did to her. She was never a vicious person. Who are you!"

Seeing this, Wen Yurou smiled dismissively.

"Tsk tsk! You truly don't shed tears until you see the coffin. Since you are so desperate to know, I’ll tell you."

Wen Yurou leaned close to Wen Ruwei’s ear. "I am the Wen Yurou you once killed!"

Hearing this, Wen Ruwei’s eyes widened in disbelief. Impossible!

"No, you must be a fake! Who are you, and why do you look exactly like my sister?"

"Why?" Wen Yurou countered, a strange glint in her eyes. Her face gradually hardened into a sinister expression. "To make you experience the same unbearable, living-hell pain I did. Otherwise, what would I need this body for? I might as well destroy it."

As she spoke, her gaze locked onto Wen Ruwei’s legs.

Wen Ruwei looked at her in sheer terror. "What are you going to do to me? Don't touch me! Stay away!"

Wen Yurou sneered. She reached out with a fair, soft hand and grabbed Wen Ruwei’s chin, a dark, malevolent glint flashing in her eyes. "I want to see... if I break your bones one by one, will you truly feel the pain?"