The pain, sharp and piercing, felt like a searing brand on my neck as the person in front of me gripped it with cruel intensity. It was a feeling of impending explosion, a throbbing sensation that threatened to overwhelm me.,Just what happened in the courtyard a while ago, it filled An's head with images. Not only was Murong Qiao conspiring with the Minister of State to force her into marriage with the Crown Prince, but she also used torture on Xia Zian before his death. An could even hear Xia Zian's pleas for mercy before he died and the overwhelming scent of blood that filled the air.,Eight years as an agent honed a will of steel, gritted teeth, shouldered the shame and pain that wasn't theirs, beat by beat, fresh blood spilling from within. The back was scarred, nearly broken, with every blow.。