Chapter 183: Death By A Thousand Cuts, Three Thousand Cuts!
“Drag him out.”
Cao Weida breathed on the gun muzzle and put the gun away again.
After the corpse was dragged out, Cao Weida said indifferently: “Bring in another person.”
The interrogators exchanged a glance. Damn, this guy hasn’t had enough torture yet.
So why hesitate? Just continue.
Before the interrogation even started, just seeing the bloody, spiky scene on the ground and the various torture instruments made the human trafficker’s legs go weak.
If not for the two patrolmen supporting him on either side, he would have collapsed to the ground long ago.
Cao Weida gestured with his chin toward a cage not far away. “Strip him naked and put him in.”
The human trafficker turned his head to look and was scared out of his wits. He struggled and shouted desperately: “I don’t want to! I don’t want to! Master Cao, you can’t do this to me! I’m a member of the Azure Dragon Society! If you do this to me, Master Jiang won’t let you go!”
“Oh? Master Jiang, huh? He’s quite famous. I’m so scared.” Cao Weida leaned back in the chair with a fake smile, too lazy to even respond properly. The so-called Master Jiang he mentioned had already become his prisoner!
“Hurry up. I’m in a rush.”
The smell here was terrible, mixed with sweat odor, the stench of shit from bowel and bladder incontinence from beatings, and the smells of blood water, sewage, and materials used for various tortures. It was a real test of one’s sense of smell.
Even the smoke smell could only mask it a little, not fully cover it.
He was now just thinking about finishing up early and going out for a good hot water bath.
“No, don’t~~”
The human trafficker struggled desperately, but how could he possibly break free?
In the end, he was forcibly stripped naked and stuffed into the cage.
This cage wasn’t a simple wooden chest, but an iron cage.
The cage was round, only one meter high, with sharp spikes welded on all sides, even on the bottom.
Once a person was put inside, they couldn’t stand up straight or squat down fully; they could only stay half-crouched in a fixed position, which was extremely painful.
Once they moved even slightly, the spikes from all sides would pierce the skin.
The tips of the spikes had tiny barbs. If they pierced into the skin, pulling them out would tear out strands of flesh and blood.
“I’m not going in, I’m not going in!!”
The human trafficker was terrified but ultimately couldn’t escape being forcibly stuffed inside.
As soon as he went in, he started screaming nonstop.
This torture instrument tormented a person’s willpower. No need to even shake the cage; after a little time, the person locked inside wouldn’t dare move, and their spirit would be tortured to collapse.
But Cao Weida didn’t have time to waste with him and directly ordered:
“Come here, shake it for me!”
“No! No!! Ah~~”
The screams were especially loud in the enclosed interrogation room. In just a short time, several cuts appeared on the human trafficker’s body, fresh blood gushing out like a spring, dripping down his skin to the ground, adding a splash of pigment to the black, foul-smelling floor beneath the iron cage.
Just as Cao Weida switched to another torture instrument to continue tormenting, Little Ear walked in with a man in his thirties.
Seeing the human trafficker tortured beyond recognition, he showed no pity at all, only thinking two words in his heart: Serves you right!!
“Big Brother Cao, the man has been brought back.”
“Oh? Found him so quickly?” Cao Weida was somewhat surprised. Ever since the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, the Manchu Qing Ten Great Tortures had only disappeared in name.
It had been thirty-two years now. He had thought finding an executioner descendant would take some effort.
But unexpectedly, in less than two hours, they had actually found him.
What surprised him even more was that the executioner in front of him looked too young.
Not that his age was young; he was still quite a bit older than Cao Weida.
The key was, after thirty-two years, even if they found an executioner, he should be an old man by now. How could he be someone in his thirties?
Back then, this guy had probably just been born, right?
Sure he’s not a fraud?
But that didn’t make sense either. Who would pretend to be an executioner as a scam?
This executioner had a honest face. If seen outside, the first impression would definitely be that he was an honest man.
He cupped his hands and smiled obsequiously: “You’re Master Cao, right? Greetings, Master Cao. I’m Liu Zhan, the twelfth-generation family executioner descendant. I’ve come to pay my respects to Master Cao.”
“Mm, Liu Zhan, right? Sit.” Cao Weida took out a cigarette and handed him one. “Smoke?”
“Thanks for the reward, Master Cao.” Liu Zhan took it with a fawning smile, pulled out a match to light one for Cao Weida first, then lit his own. His posture showed he was clearly an old smoker.
“My father never forbade me from smoking since I was young. He said that in our line of work, smoking can relieve the urge to vomit, especially useful for beginners.”
Hearing this, Cao Weida’s mouth twitched. Damn, as expected of a twelfth-generation family executioner.
“Your father was wise. By the way, where’s your father?”
“To answer Master Cao, my father died of tuberculosis from smoking last year.”
“.”
Cao Weida was speechless. He looked at the cigarette in his hand, tempted to throw it away.
Damn it, your father died of tuberculosis from smoking, and you’re still smoking so vigorously.
“Ahem… Your family truly passes it down in order. Anyway, Liu Zhan, have you ever practiced your family craft before?”
Liu Zhan was full of regret. “To tell you the truth, Master Cao, ever since the Qing Dynasty fell, the executioner trade was banned. Now they all prefer execution by firing squad at the execution ground.”
“Only my father had the fortune to practice it twice. By my generation, I’ve lived thirty-five years in vain without a chance. It’s truly a regret.”
The surrounding patrolmen twitched their cheeks. Good grief, he looks so honest, but turns out you’re a living king of hell!
Regretting not having personally practiced it yourself? You’re really something!
Cao Weida was also somewhat amused and couldn’t help asking curiously: “Since everyone knew executioners were banned, why did your father still want you to learn this craft? And why did you want to learn it?”
Hearing this, Liu Zhan suddenly looked up, his eyes shining: “Of course to pass down this craft! I firmly believe there are many evil people in the world, and plenty who deserve a thousand deaths!”
“For those unpardonable villains, ending their lives with one bullet is such a regret!”
“Our family’s craft will always come in handy! Only by passing it down and putting it to real use can it better deter those petty villains!!”
Cao Weida listened until his teeth ached. My god, what kind of spirit is this!
Truly astounding!
Liu Zhan suddenly turned his gaze to Cao Weida, eyes gleaming. “Now, the opportunity has come! I knew this craft would definitely be useful! There are always those with discerning eyes!!”
Fine, fine, fine. You’ve praised it so much, what more can I say?
In Cao Weida’s heart, he actually agreed with this view.
Although in later generations, such punishments seemed too inhumane.
But Cao Weida still felt that this kind of inhumanity was necessary.
After all, no matter how inhumane, so what? These punishments weren’t for humans anyway!
They were for beasts!
“Alright then, we’ll be troubling you from now on. We have over ten beasts here waiting to experience your craft. You’ll have plenty of chances to practice your family craft slowly.”
“Come here, bring the person up.”
The next moment, a person covered in wounds, already limp and collapsed, was carried over.
Cao Weida couldn’t help covering his nose. This human trafficker, from torture beyond human limits, had long shat and pissed everywhere. The smell was truly nauseating.
Covering his nose, he said: “Liu Zhan, it’s yours now. This is a human trafficker who caused the deaths of five children and lifelong disability to eight children. His crimes are unpardonable!”
“Got it, Master Cao. I absolutely won’t disappoint you! I hate human traffickers the most in my life!” Seeing the human trafficker in this state, Liu Zhan showed no fear or timidity; instead, his eyes sparkled with excitement, like looking at a rare treasure.
With an excited heart and trembling hands, he opened the wooden box he carried.
As the box opened, the things inside came into view.
Inside, there were already several knives of different styles. He introduced them enthusiastically:
“Master Cao, let me introduce them to you.”
Picking up a small knife about three or four inches long: “This is called the fine blade curved knife, also known as the lip knife. It’s the most commonly used main knife.”
“The blade is as thin as paper, the body 3.5 inches, with a gentle curve, specialized for cutting surface skin and flesh. It can precisely cut meat pieces the size of a fingernail cover, avoiding damage to deep blood vessels and muscle. It’s the key tool for controlling the number of cuts in lingchi!”
“Look at this one!” He picked up a one-inch-wide short knife: “This is the wide blade short knife, also called the cleaver. The blade is about one inch wide, thick-backed, mainly for cutting deeper muscles and fascia, like the muscle groups on arms and thighs.”
“When cutting, be careful not to sever the major blood vessels in the legs, or else it won’t last to 3000 cuts!”
Lingchi has the saying of ‘three thousand cuts without dying.’
Meaning, before 3000 cuts, the person must still be alive, and only on the exact 3000th cut can they die.
If not a professional, it’s truly impossible. It requires precise control, coordination of various knives, special medicine assistance, and professional technique.
“Burp~~”
The human trafficker being held down shook like a sieve upon hearing this, rolled his eyes, and fainted from sheer terror.
Cao Weida could understand this well. Forget the one to be executed; even he felt itchy all over, scalp numb, just from listening.
He truly hated human traffickers to the bone and really wanted to give them lingchi, skin them thin and mow the grass, but thinking it was one thing; having it introduced in such detail was another.
And moreover
Watching Liu Zhan pick up another small knife excitedly, preparing to continue the introduction, he felt oddly amused. Damn it, I told you to get to work, and you’re this thrilled?
As expected of twelve generations of heritage! The lingchi punishment is carved into your ancestors’ genes, huh?
