Ji Yao wasn't messing around as he wield his weapon stepping on the man. He didn't like being tricked and this man that lay underneath his feet was the only person who had the balls to pull such a stunt in front of him.
In all his years, this man was the only one who had dared to directly enter the wolf pack as a distraction so his accomplice could swipe their prey. Even Ji Yao had to admit this man was an outright cunning fox but he would never say that aloud.
Seething in anger a rush of seraphic energy transferred to his leg that was stepping on the man's face. At this rate, he was surely going to crack this man's skull like a nutcracker.
Screams of anguish and the sound of bones slowly succumbing to the pressure pierced the air.
Dong Jie felt like his head was being squeezed like a melon and it would shatter into millions of pieces with a little more force.
The excruciating pain was akin to that of millions of ants devouring one's heart or his bones being broken by someone before being quickly put together again. The veins on top of his forehead were throbbing and his eyes bloodshot as he endured through it with gritted teeth.
That's when Ji Yao pressed down with his foot even more causing the man to cry out in pain even louder. White foam was coming out of his mouth as he breathed heavily with copious amounts of blood streaming down his face like a flooded river.
"Is he worth dying for?" asked Ji Yao as a sizzling sound came from the whip-like sword in his hand.
Dong Jie knew Emperor Rui wasn't worth dying for but he was just stalling for time. He was hoping his sister would show up any minute now and save him.
He feared that if he speaks early Ji Yao wouldn't feel the need to keep him alive so he could only endure the pain and stall for time. Unfortunately, his life was slowly and painfully being squeezed out of him that by the time his sister reachs him he would be a crushed melon.
Feeling the soles of his feet running cold he finally spoke through gritted teeth, "I, I will tell you... just, just please AAAAAAHHHHHH!" He hadn't even finished his sentence when Ji Yao pressed down further this time sending a lethal current into his body. A thousand sparks traversed through his skin before invading his aetherial veins.
The foreign energy was like a cruel double edge sword cutting through the walls of his aetherial veins weakening them. With just a little more force they would burst and he would be rendered useless.
With that invasive force taking a hold of him he couldn't bear it anymore. It seemed Ji Yao had seen through his bullshit earlier when he said he would talk and this was his warning that if he doesn't speak then he is a dead man.
Ji Yao's threat worked because right after that Dong Jie was chirping like a bird. "It, it was emperor Rui who sent me. He offered us lots of treasures to get a man named Qilin Kai off this ship," he said as he broke down into tears crying.
All that resilience from before had completely vanished at the threat of his aetherial veins getting damaged and him becoming a waste.
It wasn't worth losing his precious power over that shitty emperor so he broke down into an emotional mess and he confessed everything.
"What does he want with him?" asked Ji Yao with his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his sword as though if he detected any signs of deceit he would strike him down where he lay and directly end his life.
The man who had lost his shit a long time ago kept crying like he had lost his entire family hazed with grief. Wailing with an ugly expression he didn't even hear Ji Yao's question.
This annoying cry made Ji Yao's ears hurt so he could only adopt the cruellest method to make him shut up. Another round of torture began with sizzling aggressive sparks spreading through Dong Jie's aetherial veins and this time some of them reached as far as his aether.
Like a gentle yet lethal flame dancing at the end of a lit match stick, Ji Yao's lightning sparks gently massaged Dong Jie's aether while sending painful stings shocking his core.
"I, I don't know... please stop..... I just-just took the money and that's it, please. I don't know anything," he said all that arrogance he had before all but gone. He was so relieved when Ji Yao finally took his boot of his face ending his anguish.
The rest of the fleet had already been freed after being immobilized for about ten minutes. Ji Yao called over Big Hei who picked up Dong Jie by the back of his collar and threw him harshly on the floor of the quarterdeck.
Ji Yao took Rui Fei's wrist and pulled him to the side making the two siblings feel left out especially Rui Yewan. He wanted in on the action too but he couldn't just go over there without an invitation.
"When do you think they will start including us in their secret meetings?" asked Rui Yewan watching the two secretly conversing like a couple having a serious discussion in public.
Rui Li pulled on her pigtails before slumping to the ground like a lifeless doll. She lay her head down with her limbs sprawled in all directions. Flapping her arms like she was making snow angels she said, "I don't know. I don't care for the secret discussion. I just want to be there so I can eat some dog food... argh I want more dog food."
"Oh god," muttered Rui Yewan before taking a few steps further away from her. If he kept hanging around her her newfound lingo might rub off on him. While he was running away from this drama queen throwing a tantrum on the ground, a familiar large ship with a figurehead of a female warrior charging into battle sailed alongside them.
It was Lady Ching Sei's ship renamed Nightshade with white sails embellished with a beautiful azure flower that only showed its true beauty underneath the moonlight. Right by the railing of the ship, two drunk figures showed themselves hand in hand as they pointed at the man lying on the floor.
"Hey, hey...wh-what is, is tha, that? Did he break into, into the ship and robbed ou-our king... huh?" stammered the tipsy Zhang Li while holding Lady Ching Sei's hand.
"Oh boy," replied Rui Yewan not certain how to handle drunkards.
Rui Li on the other hand hurriedly sat up straight, turned to look at the pair with blushed cheeks and watery eyes like they had been binge drinking all day.