Dark Moon Era

Chapter 196: Intelligence (2 in 1)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

It was a dark and humid room. Judging from the puddle in the room, it must be deep underground. Even though the room was dark and humid, it was not exactly filthy. There was even a clean table and two chairs in a corner.

Tang Ling’s hands were cuffed, and on his abdomen was a special device that would electrocute him whenever he tried to exert strength or gather his energy, numbing him thoroughly. It was impossible for him to break out of this jail. With the device on him, Tang Ling was no better than a normal person.

What then? Nothing. All his things, like his weapons, equipment, and other miscellaneous things were taken away. Even his little shred of vicious beast meat had been confiscated, but he was not concerned.

He had memorized everything about the Addendum, then destroyed it. The seed was hidden within his body and his good wood core had been completely consumed as he had eaten the last piece together with Orston back in the forest.

The only thing that he missed was the vicious beast meat. Su Yao had spent a fortune to get him that. Fortunately, he still had a little left.

Drip, drip, drip.

One of the cracks on the walls had water dripping, the drips would sound from time to time and it had become Tang Ling’s only entertainment. He had counted to the 423 drips.

However, ‘it’ still had not arrived, so he had to wait longer.

There were many fully armed people scattered all over Safety Sector No. 17, waiting for the final order to move out.

The night was silent. The terrifying things that had happened that day frightened the people of the safety sector, sending them back home earlier than usual. The noisy streets were quiet while the usual happy hour was shortened. Even the inner city was rather empty.

The damned drizzle had not stopped since the early morning. Was this kind of rainy weather normal? Since when would the storm end in a drizzle?

Wearing a black mantle, Aber came down from the wagon, welcoming the rainy breeze of the night as he walked into a secluded alley.

An attentive person in a blue and white uniform, who was holding an oil lamp, was showing Aber the way.

“How are the criminals? Are they behaving themselves?” Aber casually asked. What else could the criminals do? The prison in Safety Sector No. 17 was always heavily guarded, and this time around, the powerful force behind the Agnes family had sent extra manpower to take control of the prison just to prevent the safety sector from falling into chaos after the purge.

It went without a doubt that a heavily guarded prison was of utmost importance.

Truth be told, Aber was not used to the quiet night. He was a night owl, and in the current situation, where should get entertainment at night?

“Grandfather has decided to impose a curfew. I really don’t understand that old man’s thoughts,” Aber was grumbling as he stepped into the prison. He did not go to the cell area. Instead, he headed to the office.

The office was the most heavily guarded place. Even Aber did not know what was the powerful force behind his family had set up here. All he knew was that there was a hidden underground passage somewhere in the office that would lead to the cells holding the important criminals.

Aber walked down for almost 30 meters and finally saw a dark and depressing little alley filled with moss. On both sides of the alley were ten completed sealed doors.

Tang Ling was imprisoned in the deepest cell, and there was even a guard, who was as strong as an elite warrior, on duty outside his cell.

Aber walked into the cell and the prison warden who led Aber here stepped away wisely.

“You don’t seem surprised.” Aber looked at Tang Ling whose hands were cuffed. Then, his gaze went to his abdomen that had the special device. He sounded casual as he removed his black mantle and put it on a chair.

Tang Ling looked up and chuckled but did not say anything.

Aber was an arrogant and proud man who would hold a grudge against anyone with the slightest grievance. So, it was expected that he would be the first to appear before Tang Ling.

Su Yao had once described Aber as a venomous snake that would bite in the dark.

So, is Aber here to bite me?

Tang Ling lowered his head and continued counting the noise of the water dripping. 471.

His blase attitude seemed to have angered Aber who smirked as he walked around the cell, seemingly sizing it up. Suddenly, he appeared beside Tang Ling and gave him a punch in the abdomen.

Thud!

Tang Ling’s stomach shrunk in pain as if he had been hammered by a sledgehammer. His stomach had digested everything he ate, so all he spat out was some gastric juice.

Aber was indeed a Purple Moon Warrior. Although it was just a simple punch, the pain he inflicted on the weakened Tang Ling was immense. As a result, Tang Ling seemed a lot paler, and sweat was forming on his forehead due to the pain.

“Do I have to beat you up to shut your irritating chuckles up? What? Do you really think being in prison is easy? Do you really think you’re just going to be cuffed here without any punishment?” With a handkerchief in his hand, Aber wiped his fist that punched Tang Ling as if he resented even touching him.

Then, he snapped his fingers. Footsteps outside the door scurried further away before coming back quickly.

“I’m a gentleman, so I’ll just tell you what am I doing here. To torture you and teach you not to speak without consequences, you’ll have to pay for what you said.” Aber put his hands in his pocket and stared down at Tang Ling with a superior demeanor.

“Hmph.” Tang Ling chuckled again before he spat the sour gastric juice out and looked at Aber. “But are you doing to kill me? Do you even have the balls to do it? No, you dared not! You are just an *sshole who follows orders!”

Aber reacted sourly to Tang Ling’s words. He was very sensitive to the word ‘*sshole’ because Tang Ling had called him that a few times in front of thousands of people in the afternoon.

Most importantly, Tang Ling had even declared that Andrew was better than him. He had actually told everyone that the bastard of a maiden was better than the elegant him!

To top it off, everyone had believed it!

The prison warden pushed the door open. He brought in a whip made out of thin iron chains and cow leather strips.

Many criminals in this era were strong, hence the whip from the old civilization was too merciful for them since it would only tickle them.

On the other hand, this whip was made with grade E alloy material. It was forged into thin strips covered in little thorny leather notches. Even a Purple Moon Warrior might not be strong enough to endure the pain from such a cruel whip.

“Go get me some saltwater.” Aber was fond of the whip he held. He checked it carefully and lashed it in the air, creating a mini bang and even producing sparks. It was a decent whip indeed.

“Afraid?” Aber turned around with a malicious gaze although his voice was soft. He wanted to know how Tang Ling planned to act tough when he executed his punishment.

“Of course, I’m afraid to die, but as long as I’m alive, a little pain is nothing,” Tang Ling said calmly. He paused and added, “You don’t dare to kill me anyway.”

“Do you really think I don’t dare to take your meaningless life?” Aber was upset by his nonchalance. However, he really did not dare kill this brat because his grandfather had told him that the force behind their family wanted Tang Ling alive.

Otherwise, given Aber’s personality, he would have tortured Tang Ling first before killing him just to vent his emotions.

“Of course, you don’t! If you can kill me, why would you wait until now? When I was brought back from the crowd, you could’ve killed me at any time. Am I right, my respectful Lord Aber?” Tang Ling was full of sarcasm.

“Hmph!” Aber was rendered speechless.

The attentive prison warden had come back with a bucket of saltwater. There were also two more guards who brought a pail of burning coals and an iron rod.

The officers’ ability to suck up to the higher-ups were really something. It perfectly explained why they were able to secure their positions.

Aber was very satisfied with all the tools provided. The officer waved his hand and sent his subordinate out before he stepped out with a smile full of flattery. He carefully closed the door when he went out.

Aber stretched his neck. After cracking his bones, he looked at Tang Ling in satisfaction. Then, without a word or a sign, he lashed Tang Ling with the whip.

The iron whip flew out with a bang, landing on Tang Ling’s upper torso which was only covered by a singlet.

Pak!

It was loud and irritating. Aber looked at Tang Ling in delight as he noticed that his singlet and his skin were torn. Even the muscle under his skin was heavily injured, leaving him with a bloody wound.

“Grrrrr...” Tang Ling grunted heavily. This bloody whip is really something. It’s like countless iron-tail scorpions stinging my body together. The burning sensation and the pain of my muscles tearing apart is really goddamned fun!

Aber did not say anything as he soaked the whip in the bucket of saltwater. “So what if I can’t kill you? I still can torture you until your last breath.”

Tang Ling inhaled deeply and looked at Aber. “Just one last breath will be enough. I’m not those petty peasants of the settlement, am I? Killing all of them won’t burden you or whatsoever.”

Aber reacted in shock. The settlement? That incident had taken place a long time ago. Even he had almost forgotten about it, yet Tang Ling brought it up all of a sudden.

Although it was not a big secret, Aber did not answer. He lifted the whip from the saltwater and lashed Tang Ling once more.

As expected of a Purple Moon Warrior, the second whip was precisely aimed at the first wound. The already burning and bleeding wound was further ripped apart, sending the pain deep into his bones.

The extra burn from the saltwater entered his wound and made Tang Ling want to scream out loud, but he held it back. He clenched his fists and tightened his body while the veins popped from his neck as he endured the saltwater lash. He breathed heavily like a wounded and exhausted beast.

The little pain was not enough to delight Aber who frowned slightly. He dipped his whip into the saltwater again and continuously lash Tang Ling seven to eight times.

Tang Ling was shaking violently, but he would never scream in pain. Why would he? What use would there be in screaming? To increase Aber’s enjoyment?

No, he would never scream! This was just the start of the confrontation, and Tang Ling would never want to lose to this *sshole. Even though the pain would only grow from here, pain had always been insignificant throughout his life.

“Very good.” Aber felt rather upset, and his breath quickened after the continuous lashing.

How did this bastard endure all that? There might only be three whip wounds on him, but the deepest one revealed his bones. Plus the saltwater’s mild disinfection effect, how did he endure all that?

“Why? Can’t kill me, so it pisses you off?” Tang Ling said in a hoarse voice. He added, “If I live to make it out of here, I might have a chance to get away alive. I won’t be locked up here for long either.”

Aber raised a brow. He really hated Tang Ling. This bloody kid acts like he knows everything. Who the hell is leaking information to him?

Aber did not want to admit that Tang Ling’s intelligence scared him, but he knew deep in his heart, no one would tell him anything such as Shadow leading an elite squad to the safety sector tomorrow and transferring Tang Ling elsewhere.

Only he and his grandfather knew this.

Tang Ling ignored Aber and continued, “Where will I be transferred to? Well, no matter the place, I’m still valuable and people with value tend to live longer, don’t they?”

Aber reacted sourly. Damn it. Live longer? You are the sparkling diamond of the Horror Lullaby list. How the hell can you live longer?

But what if he was not? If Tang Ling switched sides and pledged his loyalty, he might just live...

Aber suddenly felt uncomfortable while holding the whip in his hand. He was infuriated by Tang Ling’s words. Am I really that dumb? It has all boiled down to this, yet I feel threatened by this bastard in prison?

With that thought in mind, Aber’s face turned gloomy. He picked up the red iron rod from the burning coals and walked to Tang Ling.

“I’m so scared because you’re going to live, eh? So should I make it up to you then? Look at you. Your wounds are so scary. Let’s stop the bleeding, shall we?” As he spoke, Aber mercilessly pressed the red hot rod to the deepest wound.

Tsssssss! The rod sizzled loudly. When the red hot rod touched Tang Ling’s skin, smoke rose and his flesh burned.

“Uggggggh!” Tang Ling almost crushed his own teeth by clenching them down too hard. Grunting heavily was the best he could do. He never wanted to let Aber have his way with torturing him just so the *sshole could vent his emotions.

“Aber, I...said...I...will...live.” Tang Ling adjusted his breath while staying strong in the face of torture and his gaze showed a profound meaning as he continued, “because you and I are...old enemies.”

“What old enemies?” Aber decided to move at Tang Ling’s pace. He calmly put the iron rod back into the coals and picked up his whip.

“My, my, my, is your intelligence network that slow? Did no one tell you that I grew up in the settlement of Safety Sector No. 17?” Tang Ling stared straight into Aber’s eyes.

Aber was stunned once again. The whip even fell from his hand as he asked in disbelief, “Did you say you are from the settlement? The settlement of Safety Sector No. 17?”

Tang Ling did not reply Aber. Instead, he said, “That’s why I said we are old enemies! Do you really think I don’t know? That night when the zombies flooded the settlement, was the Agnes family behind it? Did your family work in collusion with some other party? You are finished, Aber. You are done!”

Aber’s face twitched when he heard all that. Things were not looking good for Tang Ling, yet he was still acting like a rascal, calling Aber out.

Aber did not know everything that Tang Ling just said was mere speculation and Tang Ling viewed Aber’s visit to torture him as a chance, a chance to verify his thoughts.

Once verified, his wrath would burn the entire Agnes family to cinders.

After the provocation, Aber lost his calm after some provocation. He sneered angrily, “Yeah, I’m finished, but the settlement was gone before me! Let me guess. Did your family survive? I guess not!”

Tang Ling suppressed the icy cold wrath in his eyes, not reacting to Aber’s provocation.

Aber laughed arrogantly as he looked at Tang Ling and continued, “I’m really lucky, isolating you as a poor little bastard. Yes, that night, it was us, the Agnes family who started the whole thing with the safety sector’s help. Does it hurt when you find out about the truth? Tsk tsk tsk...”

“The poor little bastard should be the Agnes family. The whole family has to suck up to a guy who can control the zombies just so you can get the chance to rise in the ranks. Actually, you should kneel before me because I’m the one who gave you the chance to rise.

“If I weren’t from the settlement, the zombies wouldn’t have wiped it out and your family wouldn’t have gotten the chance to be lap dogs, sucking up to people. So, yeah, you should really kneel down before me.” Tang Ling’s wrath was on the verge of erupting, but he gave his all to suppress it down and did not show a tinge of anger on his face.

This whole thing was no longer as simple as taking revenge for Vian. His grandmother and sister had been involved. The whole Agnes family must be erased, and their souls would be offered as a tribute to his deceased family.

Once again, Aber told himself to not fall for the instigation, but the words condemning his family drove him mad. He shouted and whipped Tang Ling over a dozen times without pause.

Tang Ling glared at him coldly from the start till the end. He chuckled and instructed loudly, “Kneel, you *sshole, kneel!”

“Are you being overconfident? Do you really think the zombies wiped out the settlement just because of you, a guy who’s suspected to be on the Horror Lullaby list? You aren’t even worth it!

“Do you really think your Genetic Chain caused the Star Searcher to quake? You are goddamned dreaming! You piece of three-star garbage!” Anger got the best of Aber, making him spew many secrets in one go.

Tang Ling captured all the key points and said, “Why are you giving excuses? Kneel, you dumb f*ck! Stop giving excuses!”

“You are going to die! The twelfth young master has already identified the reason for the tremble of the Star Searcher. It’s the Cala...” Aber suddenly stopped, realizing that he had spilled many huge secrets due to his sudden surge of emotions.

Thankfully, Tang Ling did not pay attention to what he said since that bastard kept asking him to kneel.

Aber was mentally exhausted. Why did he go over to Tang Ling’s cell tonight? Everything that he did seemed to anger him even more.

“I’m from the settlement and the settlement exists because of me. How can you not know about this, you dumb sh*t?!” Tang Ling continued scolding Aber on purpose. Deep in his heart, he was utterly shaken by what Aber revealed, and he no longer wanted to continue the conversation.

Aber was really not as good as Andrew. Tang Ling purposely used his blabbering to remind Aber about one thing—his intelligence. Go and report to your master, dog. I’m from the settlement, remember? Get the hell out of my face!

Thankfully, Aber was not all that stupid. A strange smile appeared on his face as he dumped the whip on the floor.

Yeah, no one knows Tang Ling came from the settlement yet. Did the Star Searcher really move because of him? But it’s impossible. How can a settlement have two...?

He really thought he had obtained an important piece of information, so he no longer wanted to stay as he wanted to report it to his grandfather.

The Goddess of Luck always favored him. He might have lost a chance, but the next would always be just around the corner, would it not?