Jiang Wan found people with such an attitude rather unappealing, but the energy radiating from him was too tempting.
So, she shamelessly stood by his side, then reached out and grabbed his sleeve, just as she had done years ago.
Gu Chenzhou froze for a moment, intending to distance himself from her. However, Jiang Wan held onto his sleeve, refusing to let go.
Energy! So much energy!
Gu Chenzhou's energy was even greater than seven years ago. Standing beside him, Jiang Wan felt enveloped by a tidal wave of energy. Other than absorbing it frantically, she had no other thoughts.
Gu Chenzhou said with a cold face, "Miss Jiang, have some self-respect."
Jiang Wan, distracted, replied, "Gu Chenzhou, you're quite adept at burning bridges after crossing the river, aren't you?"
Gu Chenzhou responded, "That is not my intention. Miss Jiang is no longer a child, and you are of marriageable age. It is inconvenient for me to be too close to you."
If he hadn't brought it up, Jiang Wan wouldn't have thought of it. But now that he had, Jiang Wan immediately said, "I remember we were engaged! What? If I get close to you, you'll despise me?"
A slight crack appeared in Gu Chenzhou's icy demeanor. "Miss Jiang, what happened back then was merely a temporary measure. We were not engaged."
Jiang Wan chuckled, "If there was no engagement, how did your family heirloom jade pendant end up in my hands? That was our token of betrothal!"
She had already decided to seize this opportunity to level up her abilities, otherwise, it would have been a wasted trip.
Gu Chenzhou's lips twitched. "The jade pendant was something you insisted I leave with you back then."
Jiang Wan's eyes curved into a smile. "But when I asked for it, wasn't it under the pretense of it being a betrothal gift? You gave it to me, which means you acknowledged our engagement. What, do you want to break it off now? Gu Chenzhou, one shouldn't act so unrighteously. I cured your illness, and now that you're strong, you want to turn your back on our agreement?"
Gu Chenzhou felt it was impossible to reason with her. This girl was as troublesome as she was seven years ago!
He wanted to shake off Jiang Wan, but this girl's martial arts had improved significantly since seven years ago, and her strength had increased. Gu Chenzhou didn't want to cause a scene by pulling and tugging with her in the military camp, so he decisively drew his sword, his personal weapon, and cleanly sliced off his own sleeve.
Jiang Wan stared daggers at him, clutching the piece of fabric in her hand.
"Gu Chenzhou, are you sick?!"
Gu Chenzhou turned around and said, "You'd best start with the task the General assigned you, or I will report to the General that you are deliberately delaying."
Jiang Wan was successfully provoked.
What kind of person was this!
She had actually worried about him from time to time over the years, and this was how he turned out?
Jiang Wan had never encountered a bone she couldn't gnaw through!
Discarding the fabric in her hand, Jiang Wan turned and walked in another direction. "I'm going this way!"
Was she going to go wherever he told her to? What a joke!
Gu Chenzhou turned and followed Jiang Wan without a word.
Despite her anger, Jiang Wan's mood for absorbing energy was unaffected.
Directly absorbing from him was no longer feasible. He was acting like a guard, even going so far as to cut his robe. It would be too undignified to force herself upon him again.
So, she tried to use her abilities to create a bridge, hoping to draw his energy over.
A faint stream of energy was sent out, invisibly connecting the two. Jiang Wan tried to "suck" with her abilities, and the energy actually flowed over the invisible bridge.
She had absorbed energy again!
Jiang Wan let out a triumphant laugh.
Hmph, she had plenty of ways if she wanted them!
The fastest way to find the spies planted by the Zhao family rebels was to interrogate the captured spies.
Jiang Wan glanced back at Gu Chenzhou. "Where are those who were captured held? I want to see them first."
Gu Chenzhou turned and walked in another direction without a word, moving so quickly that he nearly broke the energy bridge.
Jiang Wan quickly followed, extending the length of the energy bridge and making the extra parts loop in the air. This way, even if Gu Chenzhou was twenty or thirty meters away, it wouldn't affect her absorption of energy.
The place where the spies were held was not far. After walking for a while, they arrived.
It was a cave, heavily guarded at the entrance.
Gu Chenzhou showed his token to the guards at the gate. The guards moved aside and opened the sturdy prison door.
The cave was pitch black, with only scattered torches visible in the narrow passage.
Jiang Wan followed Gu Chenzhou into the cave. As soon as they entered, the prison door behind them was closed, further reducing the light. They had to rely on the light from the few torches to move forward.
After walking for about two or three minutes, they passed through the passage and reached the place where the prisoners were held.
At this moment, the prisoners were being interrogated. Several burly soldiers were whipping them.
However, the spies refused to confess.
The soldiers, tired from whipping, cursed, "Damn it, they're so stubborn!"
Gu Chenzhou asked, "Still no confession?"
A jailer-like figure stepped forward and said, "Reporting to Deputy General Gu, no. My subordinates are thinking of ways, and we will surely break their silence."
Gu Chenzhou waved his hand, signaling them to step aside.
He stepped forward a few paces, picked up a red-hot iron poker from the charcoal basin, and pressed it firmly onto one of the spies.
Sizzle—
The high temperature of the poker scorched the flesh, emitting white smoke. The spy let out a piercing scream, "Ah—Gu Chenzhou, kill me, I won't confess!"
Gu Chenzhou expressionlessly held the poker on him for a moment, then threw it back into the charcoal basin, casually stirring the glowing charcoal with the poker.
"You can choose not to speak, but I have plenty of ways to torment you."
Saying that, he picked up the re-heated poker and pressed it onto the spy's body again.
"Ah—"
The inhuman torture caused the spy to faint from the pain.
Gu Chenzhou snorted, "Splash him awake."
Immediately, a soldier brought water and splashed it on the spy. The spy let out an even more piercing scream, "Ah—ah—"
The water was not ordinary water; it contained salt. Splashing it on the wounds was more painful than being cut with a knife.
"King Yama Gu, kill me, just kill me!"
Gu Chenzhou smiled faintly. "It's not that easy to die, unless you're willing to cooperate. Otherwise, I'll show you what a living Yama is."
With that, he was about to use the poker again.
"Wait!"
Jiang Wan couldn't bear to watch any longer. Had this guy become so twisted in just a few years? Good heavens, luckily she was a person who had seen the world, otherwise, she would have been scared into nightmares by him.
Gu Chenzhou turned his head and looked at her calmly. "Miss Jiang, what are your esteemed opinions?"