Taken Away

But, the family celebrating mood was soon interrupted by loud shouts outside, "On the command of the Third Prince," A loud voice echoed throughout the estate which soon was responded with every Cheng Family taking everyone that wasn't known by royals into the spiritual realm. Completely erasing their existence. Both Fangsu and her grandpa soon exited out of the house but they were surrounded by many soldiers under the Third Prince, "The Chen Family has been charged for murdering citizens by witnesses that wish to remain anonymous," The eunuch spoke as he read the list before rolling the scroll back and tucking it under his armpit.

Fangsu's grandpa took his stance as he stood in front them protecting both Fangsu and the rest of the people that were hiding in the estate in the spiritual realm. There was a small amount of spiritual energy flowing around the Third Prince's people meaning that they could easily investigate their location and the rest of them could be charge with treason for deceiving the royal family of declaring that they were the only members of them family. But, Fangsu took the position over as she blocked her grandpa especially Xiao Cheng from the view of everyone, "Your Highness, your witness speaks of the Chen family murdering citizen, " Standing tall in front of her family protecting them despite being outnumbered by many trained soldiers who could easily take her on, "Yet, beside those witness which claim to say we are murderers you have no other evidence." Fangsu was someone who was weak but she knew how to state the facts that were glaringly obvious to both parties.

The Third Prince smirked at Fangsu who was immediately taken aback as someone who wore foreign clothes, carrying a corpse before down in on the floor before Fangsu, "This corpse though lay dead has no trace of physical wounds or poisoning but it has traces of spiritual energy." His mannerisms were strange to say the least as he would touch the corpse affectionately and giggle weirdly at random when they were nothing humorous at the situation. But, The demented man sprung at Fangsu where they could feel each other's breathe before he held a lock of Fangsu's hair before rubbing it to reveal her ash grey hair, "Your spiritual energy lead us to you Chen Fangsu or should I said Ghost Songstress?" Whispering the last part to Fangsu as he chuckled to himself as he twirled her hair around his finger before grabbing it and pulling her. The momentum of being pulled caused Fangsu to fall on the ground.

Fangsu was immediately taken away by the lackeys who were affiliated with the Third Prince, "I will be okay!" Fangsu beamed as she smiled at her family, "Just look after each other while I'm gone," But, behind the smile was the broken-hearted Fangsu who couldn't bear leaving her family behind. The lackeys immediately tied a rope around Fangsu's wrist to prevent her from running away but Wen Cheng was against such treatment placed on her. However, Fangsu shocked her head knowing that if Wen Cheng were to boldly lash out at a royal member it would bring about dangerous consequences especially to the young Xiao Ming who was still very vulnerable. Fangsu would gladly be the shield to protect her family.

As Fangsu was dragged across the streets like a slave, Fangsu continued to maintain an indifferent composure. Everyone on the streets stared at the pitiful Fangsu being dragged around like cattle but they couldn't oppose someone from a station above them.

Day in and day out, Fangsu was being experimented on as she was forced to practice cultivation methods which would enable someone with no innate spiritual potential to be able to harness spiritual energy. She was continuous fed medicinal herb to test whether it could allow for someone to be able to harness spiritual energy without any need for bloodline or be pure luck. This result on many occasions where the combination of certain herb clashing inside of her and she had no way to relieve the pain from the black lash. After the experiments were done, Fangsu's body was physically drained from energy and a crimson droplet fell on the stone floor. Blood began pouring from her nose from the constant backlash. This was her limit.

She had to persist and continue with the horrendous experiment otherwise her grandpa or worst Xiao Ming would have to be forced to suffer what she had gone through. Fangsu wiped the blood with her sleeve staining it completely. Her vision began faltering, "Wow! I'm surprised you're still alive for so long," A demented man who a sloppy manner of dressing laughed as he was complimenting Fangsu who remained indifferent to the treatment her body had to suffer under, "I hope you will live enough until I am satisfied," He smiled at Fangsu who began nodding off as her energy seeped out of her body. The aftermath of the experiment were taking a severe toll on her body.

Fangsu's bloody lips curved up at the demented man, "Long enough that you won't be able to touch my family," Her eyes had become hazy as she stared at the demented man to feign stubbornness despite having a damaged body that would have serious repercussions in the future, "Put me in whatever you want but know this, I will not die," A chuckle erupted from her lips as she swallowed the blood that had built up in her mouth. The demented man, Chao Dong, was delighted that Fangsu was willing to undergo whatever experiment he wanted.

After Fangsu was given the minimal amount of recovery time before she was immediately chained to a platform which was slowly submerged into water that reached her waist. Electric fish had been placed into the water which were supposed to bring her to a state of near insanity to be able to maximise her spiritual powers. The electric current rushed through her body as the water conducted the electricity, Fangsu's body could only seize at the electric shock. It was excruciatingly painful but Fangsu never showed the pain that courses through her body as she laughed at the pain. Obviously, the people who were over watching the experiment were extremely unnerved by her resilience to the supposedly most painful experiment that no human could handle.

After the experiment was done and the eels were taken care of. The platform Fangsu remained on was lifted from the water leaving the girl to be completely drenched. The chains of her restraints rubbed against her wrist, turning them to a raw pink. There were signs that infection would soon follow. Fangsu tried numerous times to make herself comfortable in her prison but to her avail no position was comfortable.

The twilight falls

Opening my tired eyes

Tonight is a starless night

I wish I could awaken

From this terrifying nightmare

Only to see nothing but that

Red Blood Burns My Eyes

Living is hard

I wish to see you again

The magnolias fall to rest upon our palms

But now fighting against the pain

Which is trapped inside my tears

The night is not over

Leaving me to steer the boat alone

Passing by the Bridge of Departure

Seeing your face

The only reason I'm alive

Is that I stepped on your dead body

Playing your tune

Till the night ends

To comfort herself, Fangsu sang to distract herself from the pain. As she began nodding off from exhaustion but a sudden ache beside pulsing through her body, her illness was starting to act out in her. Fangsu could only laugh at her own misfortune seeing that she must have committed the most devious crimes in her past life to receive such a punishment, but she was relieved that not of her siblings would have to endure any of her pains. The pain came in waves, each time was more excruciatingly more painful than the previous. There was only so much pain Fangsu could tolerate before she screamed.

Howls of pain echoed within the experiment facility that was hidden in the mountains but the location was someone where it was isolated. The people who resided in the facility were spooked by the howls and began to investigate. Chao Dong began to worry that his only living experiment was going to die. His experiment was concluding in unnatural angles, screeching and screaming in pain, "Quickly restrain her!" He began rummaging through his equipment a needle like contraption and filling it with a clear fluid, "I can't have her dying! Not now! I still need her alive!" He hysterically ordered the people around him, violently thrashing the tools and scientific reports in the surrounding area.

Fangsu was quickly restrained to a marble table, wrapped in cloth to prevent her from harming herself. Chao Dong stabbed the needle contraption into Fangsu's shoulder causing intense pain which was following by intense relief as she faded in darkness.

—————

A female assistant that had sworn secrecy to work in this experiment facility only to see the inhumane surgeries that no normal human could survive being afflicted on a poor girl in order to create spiritual energy more accessible to people. She felt guilty towards the young girl who underwent such pains for her family. If the girl was not being experimented on or was allowed to heal she would remain in the water prison, chained up. Once the assistant found an opportunity where there would be no security surveillance, she slipped into the experiment facilities to see the girl chained up in a water prison.

Unpacking a small medicinal box filled with medicine to relieve some pain, a basket filled with medicinal broth and a key. She unlocked the chains that held the girl and carried the unconscious girl from the wet platform onto the dry ground, covering her in blankets. The female assistant took out a small box that was filled with a thick salve, applying on the skin on the girl's wrist that was rubbed raw to the point of bleeding. The girl's eyes fluttered up only to reveal the lifelessness in her eyes, remaining motionless on the ground unbothered to move from the uncomfortable position.

The assistant moved the girl in a more comfort laying position and wrapped the blankets around her body to warm her up. The silence between the two was unnerving to the female assistant since the girl remained still like a corpse. Bring out a box filled with medicinal soup to help nourish the girl, "Eat," She scooped the soup in the spoon, "You need to eat," Blowing on the hot soup to cool it before placing it on the lips.

The girl sipped at the medicinal broth, finishing the spoonful before the assistant went to bring out more soup, carefully feeding the fragile girl. The feeding process had taken the majority of the day since the girl only dipped at the broth, "Why?" A weak croaking voice trembled from the girls lips.

The assistant paused as she was packing the soup back into her basket, "I can't help but want to help you even if it is something small like this," She clenched her fist in frustration, "To treat another human being like this is wrong!" Contempt filled her being towards the demented man named Chao Dong who was obsessed with spiritual energy.

The girl placed her thin willowy hands that signified how malnourished the girl was, which only caused the assistant to feel more helpless, "But, you still work for them" The girl only gave a gentle smile as she gave her arms for the assistant to place her back into the prison. As she was being put back into the water, "What's your name?" Her question stunned the assistant as she had never been called by her own name in this facility.

After cleaning up the place from evidence that she was here, "Suyin, that's my name." As she rushed out to the exit of the experiment facilities, Chao Dong's shadow was seen by the assistant, "Tch! That annoying king is getting on my bloody nerves!" Ducking into a dark space of the cave. Suyin hear her own heart pulsates in her ears as adrenaline rushes throughout her entire body, "I need a new specimen! The one we have currently isn't reacting much to any of the experiments recently," Chao Dong began grinding his teeth as he lacked the number of subjects to perform all the experiments he wanted.

The servant beside him sighed at the demented man behaviour of disposing human like waste, "Sir, there are barely enough people that can withstand the pain," Pausing in his footsteps as they reached the heavy metallic door that close the world from such a horrodous sight, "Especially since previous subjects have never lasted as long as the one we have currently but if you are in desperate need of a new specimen then I suggest the youngest of the Chen Family," Open the door to reveal their precious specimens that remain motionless in its dungeon.

Chao Dong walked over to Fangsu, lifting up her chin to see her expression, only to be unsatisfied as she blankly stared at him. A slight herbal scent was being emitted from his specimen. A greenish salve was applied on the specimens wrist, "Some little rat has been here before us," Chao Dong stared at the entrance with excitement, "There will finally be some entertainment," He licked his dry lips as he felt the excitement causing his body to shiver.

Suyin ran out of the facilities as fast as her legs could take her, fear and adrenaline pulsated through her body as the thought of being caught scared her to death. However, the assistant feared that the girl's body was deemed useless then she would be killed shortly after. Contemplating her decision to aid to help the poor girl in captive, "Blossoming Fragrance is used to be known as an intel agency maybe they can help me find her identity," The assistant nodded to herself as she ran to the establishment where Blossoming Fragrance stood proudly at. The towering building was quite intimidating but nevertheless many female customers rushed to get the beautifying products which were revolutionary within the country unaware of the true workings of the famous building. Walking into the crowded building, Suyin was overwhelmed by the frantic craze of women grabbing all the possible products off the shelves.