Xiang Yu leaned back against his chair with an imposing presence. His aura was suffocating, like a thick fog that pressed down on everything nearby. But Peng Xiu, shackled before him, was unyielding. She met his gaze, defiance sparking in her eyes.
"I am curious," Xiang Yu said, his voice steady, "what is your obsession with Han Xin?" The question hung between them, heavy with implications. He wanted to understand the depths of Peng Xiu’s fixation, the dark roots it had in their past. Yet, when she didn’t respond, he let out a frustrated sigh. "Why bother asking when I already know the answer?"
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Look at him. Who wouldn’t be obsessed with him?"
Peng Xiu gritted her teeth, refusing to speak, her silence a canvas for the battles raging within her. Xiang Yu leaned closer, watching her struggle. "I almost want you to live long enough to see me marry him," he taunted lightly. "But unfortunately for you, I can’t let you live any longer than you have."
Suddenly, Peng Xiu snapped. Rage ignited in her, and she began to struggle against her restraints, electricity crackling through her body. She fought against the pain, her screams echoing off the cold metal walls. "Xiang Yu, you bastard!" she howled foam gathering at the corners of her mouth like a rabid dog. "I will kill you!"
Xiang Yu turned his head slightly, calling over his shoulder, "Lian, Mei! How should we deal with her this time?"
Lian, emboldened by the presence of her master, stepped forward. "A thousand cuts," she suggested, her voice steady and resolute.
Mei clenched her fist, conviction filling her eyes. "I want her to suffer."
A sinister smile curled on Xiang Yu’s lips. "Good." He reached into his storage and pulled out a dagger, its blade glinting in the dim light. He spun it between his fingers, observing its beauty and the agony it would soon cause. He passed the dagger to Mei, who hesitated, her heart racing.
But then, the memory of the night in the forest when Peng Xiu had attacked them without cause flooded back into her mind. The memory of her shadowy figure emerging from the darkness made her heart tremble.
The fear that rose in Mei’s throat turned to resolve. She gripped the dagger tightly, emboldened by her master’s presence and the desire for revenge.
"I can do it," Lian offered, but Mei shook her head.
"No," she insisted, determination solidifying her posture. With purpose, she unsheathed the dagger, the sound sharp and final.
Mei stepped towards Peng Xiu, each footfall echoing her resolve. The air thickened with tension. She recalled the horror of seeing Lian’s lifeless body, of witnessing Xiang Yu’s torture, and how they had all suffered at this woman’s hands.
With a swift motion, Mei made the first cut, slicing through the skin with a precision born of rage. The punishment was a cruel form of execution, designed to inflict numerous small, gradual cuts over time. Each cut was meant to send pain stabbing through the condemned, leading to a slow, torturous death.
As the dagger pierced Peng Xiu’s flesh, a scream erupted from her lips, raw and desperate. Xiang Yu watched, satisfaction flickering in his eyes.
Peng Xiu, with her head hung low and breath coming in heavy gasps, suddenly sprang to life. With a wildness in her eyes, she lunged her chained body toward Mei, a desperate act of fury.
Lian instinctively moved forward, ready to intervene, but Xiang Yu held her back. "Let her handle this," he said softly, his gaze fixed on Mei.
Surprisingly, Mei did not flinch. Instead, she stood her ground, fierce determination hardening her features. She kicked Peng Xiu hard in the chin, the impact echoing in the cell, almost breaking her jaw. "You asked for this!" Mei yelled, her voice ringing with pent-up emotion. "What did we ever do to you, huh?"
But Peng Xiu was too blinded by rage and the relentless jolt of electricity coursing through her body to comprehend Mei’s words. In a moment of clarity, Mei slashed the dagger across Peng Xiu’s cheek. Blood trickled down, a stark contrast against her pale skin.
Mei watched the crimson drop fall with a cold detachment. "All we wanted was to live our lives," she said, her voice trembling with hurt. "But you came from who knows where and hurt us!"
The intensity of the moment swelled as Mei’s emotional turmoil transformed into a relentless storm. She cut at Peng Xiu’s skin again and again, unleashing her frustration and pain without hesitation. Each slice brought with it a sense of revenge and a taste of freedom.
Xiang Yu and Lian lost count of the number of cuts Mei inflicted, each gash met with shrieks from Peng Xiu, who writhed on the ground like a crazed maniac. The sound hung heavy in the air, mixing with the charged atmosphere.
After what felt like an eternity, Mei stepped back, her breath coming in quick, jagged bursts. Her hands, stained with blood, trembled slightly as she took a step away from her.
Xiang Yu moved forward, his touch gentle as he held her hand and quietly took the dagger away. "Do you feel better?" he asked, concern etched across his features.
Mei’s face was a little ashen, with a small bloodstain on her cheek. She nodded, a fragile smile breaking through her turmoil. "I am okay."
With that, Xiang Yu smiled, looking every bit like a worried father coaxing comfort from a child after a nightmare. "Do you want to go and get some fresh air?"
Mei nodded, relief cascading over her as she turned to walk out. As the door slid closed behind her, Xiang Yu turned to Lian. "You don’t have to do this," he said, his voice low and steady.
Lian’s expression hardened, though. "She killed me once, and for that, I still hold a grudge," she replied, her voice resolute.
Xiang Yu handed her the dagger, its bloodstained blade glinting ominously under the harsh light. He gestured for her to go ahead.
She stepped forward, her boots squelching as they pressed into the pool of blood at her feet. The sight fueled the intensity of her aura, ramping up the terror that radiated from her, far more potent than Mei’s. Hatred burned in her eyes, a dark flame igniting memories that refused to fade.