Dark King

Dudian looked through and said to the guard: "Open the door."

The guard hesitated but still pulled out the key and unlocked the door. The heavy iron gate opened and the crowd saw the appearance of the person. He was about one meter eighty centimeters tall. His upper body was naken and the muscles were visible. There were deep knife scars around his chest. Both sides of the scapula were punctured with spikes. But the spikes used on him was totally different to the ones used in Dudian, old man, Scar and Jin. This spike resembled claws of an animal. Moreover iron chains were barbed around the body over the spikes. In addition, two sturdy chains were fixed onto tips of the spikes and fixed on the rear wall. The chain sounds that had resounded earlier on were the result of these ones. In short pulling out the spikes was impossible.

"Unlock them!" Brawny man grinned from ear to ear. There were two incomplete rows of yellow teeth shown as the man smiled.

The guard looked rather confused. He pulled out the keys and carefully went into the cell. He unlocked the chains and with double 'bang' sound both of the chains fell to the ground.

The brawny man licked his lips. Afterwards he twisted his neck and cracking of bones echoed out. He slowly went out of his cell and looked at Dudian: "Kiddo, let's get out of here. Uncle doesn't want to stay here anymore."

"But you will have to wait a little longer." Dudian looked at the guard: "I'll have to trouble you to help me out to take the number 1."

Number 3's face slightly changed as he heard Dudian's words: "Number 1? Do you have to bail out number 1?"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Dudian looked back at him.

The brawny man was stifled. He squinted his eyes and laughed: "Of course not. Whatever you say."

Dudian recovered his eyes and looked at prison guard.

The guard locked the prison cell and walked in front of the crowd. After a corner they came to a dead end. There were two cells and he went to the one on the left: "Number one, there is someone to bail you out. Get ready."

There was no response from the cell.

The guard went to the side of the aisle and picked up an oil lamp. He went to the steel colum and checked the inside of the cell. He was relieved after he saw that there was nothing strange inside the cell. He put back the oil lamp into its original place and opened the iron gate.

Dudian saw that guard was acting very strange. He looked through the darkness. His vision was not affect so he clearly saw that there was a cross at the end of the cage. Many chains and spikes had locked a slender, slim figure to the cross. Her hair was very long and hang down to her knee. Most of the clothes on her body were torn and large pieces of skin was revealed. There were bloodstains even on her knees.

Although Dudian had expected that number one would have extraordinary 'care' but he didn't expect such a cruel treatment. Her whole body was pierced with spikes. She couldn't move or lay down.

It was no wonder that the guard dared to open the door carefree after he didn't get response from inside.

The guard was the first to enter after the heavy iron gate was opened. Dudian and the others followed after him. The old man picked the oil lamp from the wall. The crucified figure suddenly attracted the crowd's attention.

"Number one, number one!" The guard came up to stop three meters away from the cross and shouted.

The figure pierced to the cross slowly raised her head. There was afaint smile on her face as the hair scattered away. The pair of dark eyes gazed at them. Dudian felt a sense of inexplicable danger. He hadn't felt such a feeling even from other senior hunters. However he was happy. The situation was much better than his expectations.

"Someone is here to bail you out." The guard whispered.

She slowly said: "Unlock."

The guard hesitated: "I will but don't be foolish. Mr has come to bail out out if you do someone else there would be no one to bail you out ever."

The woman didn't repond instead looked at Dudian's body. It was obvious from the clothing that Dudian was not a prisoner.

Dudian also look back at her. He was able to clearly see the pair of black and white eyes full of coldness and hostility staring at himself.

The guard stepped forward to unlock the chains that were hanging over the spikes. The spikes were all over her body. They were pierced through her hands, scapula, abdomen and so on. It was hard to imagine what kind of pain had to be endured when the spikes were pierced into her body. The unbearable part was that how she could sustain and maintain such a position over the long-term. How did she eat, sleep and excrete!?

Scar and Jin were shocked as they stood behind the crowd. They thought that the spikes puncture onto their scapula were the most dangerous and despicable means of the prison guards. They didn't expect that there were tortures which were tens or hundred times worser than they had gone through.

"Hello, my name is Dean." Dudian told to her: "I know that you have quite a few enemies. I can help you with that. "

Crash!

The chains were unlocked from the cross.

The woman's body was released and restored action. But the spikes were still all around her body. Her eyes focued on Dudian: "When?" Her voice was eerily beautiful.

Dudian replied: "Not yet, but in the future."

The woman retreated her cold eyes and looked down.

Dudian didn't say anything as he turned around and left the cell. Minutes later everyone came out to the hall outside. The guards sitting in the hall were back at their originals seats after the butler Peter had left. They were eating and playing cards but the topic has changed and focused on Dudian. They were talking about the recent fame of the military crossbow.

The civilians rarely would have heard about military crossbow but the guards belonged to the military systen. Everyone had seen the article on military newspaper about the military crossbow and were aware of its existence.

The guards looked at Dudian the moment they entered the hall. Their faces changed the moment they saw old man, brawny man and the woman. They were aware of the sins commited by them. They were bound to fall into the darkness after they went out.

The warm sun shined onto the crowd. Scar and Jin took deep breath. Their eyes were full of excitement. They wouldn't even dream about seeing the sun after lapse of years. It was a scene which was forgotten in the depth of their memory.

The old man, number seven, was silent and low-key.

Brawny man, number three, looked around and seemed to be thinking about something.

The girl, number one, was walking at the end. Her face was covered with long hair and nobody knew what she was planning.

As they passed through the long aisle they saw weird fishes leaping out through the waters of the lake.

Number three whistled few times as he saw the underwater monsters.

Everyone came towards the carriage near the lake. All of them looked at the banner stuck on top of the carriage. There was a trace of surprise on number 7's face: "Ryan family?"

Dudian looked back at him: "You memory is quite good."

The old man frowned: "If I am not mistaken Ryan family is a declining noble family which belongs to Mellon consortium. They are tier-three minority shareholders of the consortium. If the power behind you is Mellon consortium then why the Ryan family have sent a carriage?"

Dudian indifferently replied: "Mellon consortium is our enemy." He set foot into the carriage. He had prepared a large carriage for this case which could accommodate five people in the compartment.

Scar and Jin took the lead but Dudian said to both of them: "Both of you go to the front and accompany the coachman."

Scar and Jin were startled but suddenly thought of something and Scar said: "I should stay here."

Dudian shook his head: "Go ahead and do what I tell you."

Both of them didn't reply and get on from the other side. They squuezed on the coachman's seat.

The old man smiled as he saw the scene. He grabbed the handle of the door and got into the compartment. He sat by the side opposite to Dudian. The number three sneered and got into the carriage. He sat opposite to old man close to Dudian.

Number one also got into the carriage. She shared the chair with number seven. The smile on number three's face faded away.