Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 233 Crushing Dignity Completely (10,000 words, seeking subscriptions)

Sun Demao's body jolted violently, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

When he saw the person's face clearly, his turbid eyes instantly flashed with endless resentment and hatred.

"It's you!" Sun Demao's voice was hoarse. "You treacherous villain who deceives His Majesty through opportunism, do you even deserve to interrogate me?"

As he spoke, the disdain on his face became even more pronounced, and he even spat on the ground to show his contempt.

In his eyes, Chen Ye was nothing more than a spoiled brat who rose to power through Chen Wan'er's connections and sheer luck.

It is an utter disgrace to have been defeated by him.

Faced with Sun Demao's insults, Chen Ye was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled slightly, a smile full of mockery.

"That's still better than a hypocrite like you who is all sanctimonious on the surface but secretly engages in immoral acts."

After saying that, Chen Ye slowly walked up to Sun Demao, squatted down, and looked him in the eye.

A faint, pleasant fragrance emanated from Chen Ye, a stark contrast to the stench emanating from the prison cell, which made Sun Demao feel inexplicably irritated.

"Lord Sun," Chen Ye said in a very low voice, in a volume only the two of them could hear, "don't you want to know at all how I obtained so much evidence against you?"

These words were like a needle, precisely piercing the biggest question in Sun Demao's mind.

His expression changed instantly.

Indeed, this was his biggest question.

The secret of Yuni Temple was known only to him, the abbot, and his wife, Zhou Yuru.

The abbot is his man, and they are in the same boat; there is no way he would betray him.

So where exactly does the problem lie?

What kind of unpredictable methods did Chen Ye use to expose his deeply hidden secrets?

Seeing Sun Demao's surprised and uncertain expression, Chen Ye's smile deepened. He then slowly leaned close to Sun Demao's ear and said, word by word, "The reason I was able to obtain so much evidence is because your wife, that noblewoman from the Zhou family, who is of noble birth and like a golden branch and jade leaf, has already sided with me, and even..."

Chen Ye paused deliberately, pleased to see Sun Demao's pupils contract rapidly, before uttering the words that would utterly destroy all of Sun Demao's pride and reason.

"...even to the point of recognizing me as their master."

boom!
These words were like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploding in Sun Demao's mind!

His eyes widened instantly, filled with shock and disbelief.

Do not!
impossible!
This is absolutely impossible!

How could Zhou Yuru, a woman as proud as a swan who has always looked down on herself, possibly side with this young man in front of her?
They still acknowledge him as their master?
How absurd! How ridiculous!
Sun Demao was screaming wildly in his heart; he refused to believe it was true.

But the harsh reality is right in front of us.

If Zhou Yuru, the most crucial insider, hadn't leaked the information, how could Chen Ye have known the secrets of Yuni Temple? How could he have so accurately found the secret letters hidden in the vase?
One inexplicable question after another struck his heart like heavy hammers, shattering his self-deceiving rhetoric.

A terrible truth, one that he could not accept, gradually surfaced.

That means Zhou Yuru really betrayed him!

And in a way that he could neither imagine nor tolerate!
Looking at Sun Demao's face, contorted with extreme shock, Chen Ye sneered inwardly.

He knew he had succeeded in the first step, but that wasn't enough.

To completely destroy a person's will, you must attack their most vulnerable and sensitive points.

For Sun Demao, his biggest worry was his wife, Zhou Yuru.

Sun Demao came from a humble background and climbed his way to his current position through the imperial examinations, while Zhou Yuru was the eldest daughter of the Zhou family, a top aristocratic family in Yunzhou, and the apple of the eye of Grand Tutor Zhou Xuanqing.

Their union was a purely political marriage from the very beginning.

Sun Demao needed the Zhou family's influence as a stepping stone to climb the social ladder, while Grand Tutor Zhou also recognized his talent as a top scholar and his future potential.

Throughout this marriage, Sun Demao remained in a state of extreme inferiority.

Zhou Yuru's beauty and family background were like thorns, deeply embedded in Sun Demao's heart.

The more he wanted to conquer this woman, the more powerless he felt.

For many years after their marriage, Zhou Yuru remained indifferent to him, and the couple were estranged in spirit, even consummating their marriage very few times.

Outside, he was a powerful and respected Imperial Censor, revered by all.

But when he got home and faced Zhou Yuru's cold eyes, Sun Demao felt like a clown begging for mercy.

Therefore, he treated Zhou Yuru like a goddess, fulfilling all her requests, just to earn a smile from her.

But now this woman, whom he cherished like a treasure and treated with utmost care even when touching her, has been easily captured by another man, and has even humbly acknowledged him as her master.

This feeling was more painful than being stabbed ten thousand times.

At the same time, Chen Ye's smile deepened as he looked at Sun Demao's dejected appearance.

He deliberately stood up, patted off non-existent dust from his robes, and then spoke in a deliberately complacent tone.

"Sigh, I have to say..."

As he spoke, he gazed with a wistful look at the darkness above the cell, saying, "Although your wife is a bit older, she is very well-preserved, still charming and quite voluptuous."

Every word of those words was like a poisoned dagger, piercing Sun Demao's heart.

Plump!

This word couldn't be more fitting for Zhou Yuru.

Although she was in her early thirties, her mature and full figure and her fair and delicate skin exuded amazing charm.

That was the beautiful thing that Sun Demao had always dreamed of, but could never fully possess.

But now this beautiful thing is being commented on so casually by this young man in front of me.

The thought of Zhou Yuru possibly displaying a charming and coquettish demeanor he had never seen before in front of Chen Ye made Sun Demao feel as if a boulder was blocking his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"what--!"

An indescribable sense of humiliation and despair instantly overwhelmed all his reason.

Sun Demao suddenly sprang up from the ground, his eyes bloodshot, looking like a mad tiger, struggling desperately as he tried to pounce on Chen Ye.

"You...you beast! I'm going to kill you! Kill you!"

The chains binding him rattled as he struggled, and his hoarse roars echoed through the empty cell, filled with endless madness and hatred.

Few men could withstand such extreme humiliation, especially someone like Sun Demao who was already extremely insecure and sensitive.

Therefore, Chen Ye's words precisely hit his most painful spot, and even ruthlessly crushed it.

Sun Demao could accept his downfall and his death, but he could not accept that his wife, whom he had always been proud of and who was a symbol of his status, had become a spoils of war for others to flaunt in such a humiliating way.

The thought of those horrible images made Sun Demao feel as if his internal organs were on fire, and his eyes were about to burst.

However, faced with his crazy appearance, Chen Ye simply stood still, with that calm and composed smile on his face.

He didn't even bother to move, simply watching Sun Demao's impotent rage with a theatrical gaze.

"Kill me?" Chen Ye chuckled and shook his head.

"Just you?"

That contemptuous tone wounded Sun Demao's already battered pride more than any vicious curse.

He roared again, and with all his might, dragging the heavy shackles, he rammed into Chen Ye.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: to perish together with the man who had destroyed everything for him!

Faced with Sun Demao's frenzied charge, Chen Ye remained completely unfazed.

He didn't even move his feet an inch; he only casually raised his foot and gave a light kick just as Sun Demao was about to bump into him.

boom!
Sun Demao was kicked to the ground and unable to move.

"Cough...cough..."

Sun Demao lay on the ground, coughing violently. With each cough, he felt a heart-wrenching pain in his chest.

But he couldn't care less about that. He still struggled to get up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Chen Ye, filled with irreconcilable hatred.

However, what truly plunged him into utter despair was Chen Ye's next sentence.

Chen Ye slowly walked up to him, looked down at him with a playful smile on his face, as if admiring an interesting toy.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you." Chen Ye's voice was unhurried, and every word clearly reached Sun Demao's ears. "Besides your wife, there was another young lady who also helped me a lot."

Sun Demao's body stiffened, and an even more ominous premonition rose in his heart.

Chen Ye continued, "Do you still remember Bai Jie, the young lady from Cui Liu Lane?"

Bai Jie!

Upon hearing this name, Sun Demao's pupils constricted sharply.

“It seems Lord Sun has remembered.” Chen Ye smiled, his expression becoming increasingly playful. “That Miss Bai is truly a wonderful woman. Although she is not as plump and full as your wife, she has the advantage of being young, with a slender figure and skin so tender that you could squeeze water out of it.”

"Moreover, she is willing to tell me anything, she can be said to be open and honest about everything she knows."

"Otherwise, I might not have been able to pinpoint Yuni Temple so quickly and find those crucial pieces of evidence."

"no no……!"

Upon hearing Bai Jie's name and Chen Ye's explicit descriptions, Sun Demao's psychological defenses finally crumbled.

Zhou Yuru's betrayal trampled on his dignity, while Bai Jie's betrayal completely destroyed his last remaining pitiful desire for control.

If Zhou Yuru was a goddess he worshipped, then Bai Jie was a pet he kept.

One is something he can never have, and the other is something he can control at will.

But now both of them have fallen into the arms of the same man, and together they have pushed him into an abyss of no return.

A beastly roar, inhuman in sound, escaped Sun Demao's throat.

His reason completely collapsed at this moment, his eyes were filled with blood, and he suddenly leaped up from the ground, using the last bit of strength to pounce on Chen Ye again.

This time, he didn't shout or curse; he simply opened his mouth, revealing his gleaming white teeth, wanting to tear his enemy apart in the most primal way.

But all this is in vain.

Chen Ye didn't even bother to look at him, but kicked him to the ground again, and then stepped on Sun Demao's face, rendering him unable to move.

"Lord Sun." Chen Ye looked down at him, his voice full of amusement and mockery.

"I know you're furious right now, wishing you could tear me to pieces and grind my bones to dust."

"But you should have thought this day would come when you secretly colluded with the Sand Domain Demon Sect and chose us, the Chen siblings, as stepping stones for your advancement."

As he spoke, Chen Ye pressed his toe hard against Sun Demao's cheek, distorting his thin face.

"You framed my sister to curry favor with the Demonic Sect, intending to kill her."

"In order to eliminate dissidents and install cronies, you have not hesitated to disregard human life, sell official positions and titles, and turned the entire court into a mess."

"When you did these things, did you ever think that you would one day become a prisoner, at the mercy of others?"

Chen Ye's voice grew colder and colder, each word like a heavy hammer blow striking Sun Demao's heart.

"So your current predicament is entirely your own fault, and you have no one else to blame but yourself."

Sun Demao lay on the cold ground, listening to Chen Ye's rant. His eyes, which were originally full of hatred, gradually became empty.

yes……

He only has himself to blame...

Perhaps his fate was sealed the moment he first bowed to the Demonic Sect for power and immortality.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

They sink deeper and deeper into the mire of desire, until there is no turning back.

Seeing his utterly despondent expression, Chen Ye knew the time was right, so he slowly withdrew his foot.

"Lord Sun, I don't like wasting time."

Chen Ye squatted down and said coldly, "Next, I hope you can honestly explain all the issues, tell me the whole story of your collusion with the Demonic Sect, and give a detailed account of all the accomplices you know."

"That way, you'll be happy, I'll be happy, and I can let you die a little more quickly."

Sun Demao's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't make a sound.

Seeing this, Chen Ye chuckled and said, "Of course, you can also choose to remain stubborn and say nothing."

“However…” Chen Ye’s tone suddenly changed, becoming sinister and full of threat.

"In that case, I might have to personally send someone to the Jade Mud Temple to invite your wife to the Xuanjing Division prison."

Upon hearing this, Sun Demao's body trembled violently.

Chen Ye's devilish voice continued to ring in his ears: "Imagine that scene."

"Your high and mighty, revered lady, dressed in prison clothes and shackled, has been brought to this filthy cell."

"Then, in front of you, I'll grovel and beg for your mercy..."

"She even had to do things to please me in order to get you to talk."

Chen Ye's voice was full of hints; every word was like a red-hot branding iron, searing into Sun Demao's heart.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to witness your pure and innocent wife stammering in front of me, would you?"

"You...you devil!!" Sun Demao finally couldn't withstand this final mental blow and roared out with his last bit of strength.

At the same time, two streams of tears, a mixture of humiliation, despair, and pain, rolled down his cheeks.

He can die.

But he couldn't bear to watch the woman he loved most mingle with his greatest enemy right in front of him.

That would be a thousand times more painful for him than killing him!
So Chen Ye isn't human! He's a complete devil!
He precisely grasped all his weaknesses, and then used the most cruel method to crush his dignity and will bit by bit until they were completely destroyed!
Seeing Sun Demao's completely broken state, Chen Ye finally revealed a satisfied smile.

He stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "It seems Lord Sun has come to his senses."

So he walked to the cell door and ordered the jailer waiting outside, "Bring me paper and pen."

"Yes, Lord Chen!"

The jailer dared not delay in the slightest and immediately jogged away.

Soon the writing implements were brought in.

"Alright, Lord Sun, we don't have much time, let's begin now."

"I ask, you answer."

"I hope you can cooperate properly and not make any futile struggles, otherwise you know the consequences."

Sun Demao trembled, a glimmer of light returning to his vacant eyes. Then, resigned, he lowered his head and said in a barely audible voice:

"Go ahead and ask."

Chen Ye nodded in satisfaction.

"My first question is, when and through what channels did you connect with the Sand Domain Demon Sect?"

Sun Demao's body stiffened again, then he remained silent for a moment, seemingly making a final struggle.

But when he saw Chen Ye's eyes gradually turning cold, his last line of defense completely collapsed.

"It was five years ago... I met someone by chance in a dilapidated temple outside the city..."

Sun Demao began to narrate intermittently, while Chen Ye wrote furiously, constantly taking notes.

As Sun Demao confessed, a vast and terrifying black network hidden beneath the imperial court gradually revealed its hideous fullness to Chen Ye.

This mysterious organization, which calls itself the Holy Sect, has a depth of infiltration and a breadth of influence that far exceeds Chen Ye's imagination.

The spies they planted in the court were not just Sun Demao and Li Chengfeng.

From the six central ministries to local prefectures, from civil servants to military generals, they had people in almost every sector.

Some of these people were bought off with benefits, some were threatened with their secrets, and others, like Sun Demao, actively sought to join them in order to gain power and benefits and seek opportunities to rise in rank.

They formed a huge, intricate network of interests, colluding with each other and constantly eroding the foundation of Da Chen.

In Sun Demao's confession, the sudden appearance of a name shocked Chen Ye.

That was none other than Wu Daofu, the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty!

(End of this chapter)