"Gaaack! Glug-glug-"
The toddler-stage slop bucket's storage capacity was clearly insufficient. She braced both hands under her chin, terrified she might spill a drop.
Chen Kuang, amused, withdrew the bowl, only to find the bottom completely empty.
That appetite...
She had survived five days in prison without starving, that was an absolutely incredible feat.
Lady Liang crouched down and lovingly wiped her little princess's chin.
The child puffed out her cheeks and looked up at her mother with round, jet-black eyes. She proudly pointed at her own mouth, then at Lady Liang's.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Lady Liang hesitated. "What is she trying to say...?"
Chen Kuang twitched at the corner of his mouth.
"She probably wants to... spit the food back out for you to eat."
Lady Liang froze, mentally picturing the scene.
Her face drained of color.
Smack!
She gave the little princess a light slap, causing the girl to spit her food all over the ground.
"Blegh-wahhhh!"
The child burst into tears, sobbing loudly.
She was clearly heartbroken. Her pure-hearted filial piety, brilliantly extracting thin gruel from the neighboring blind man to feed her mother, had been met not with gratitude, but a slap.
Lady Liang, torn between laughter and tears, tried to console her daughter.
"There, there... It's my fault. But sweetie, you mustn't give people the food from your mouth."
"Why not? Father always lets the flute-playing lady feed him grapes with her mouth."
Lady Liang's expression dimmed instantly.
The little slop bucket seemed to realize she'd upset her mother. She quickly offered comfort:
"It's okay! Daddy has the pretty lady to feed him, and Mommy has me!"
She beamed with confidence. "That blind guy next door is super easy to fool! I'll go again later!"
Lady Liang: "..."
Chen Kuang: "..."
Lady Liang pressed her lips together. Her beautiful eyes shifted from the mess on the ground to Chen Kuang, her playful smile giving way to concern.
"Mister Chen... if you're from Zhou, there's no need to act anymore."
"Zhou men are cold-blooded. If you haven't gotten useful information by now, they'll likely cut you loose."
She hesitated, then added softly:
"If you really... really need something to report, I do know a secret few others are aware of. I can share it with you.. It's the least I can do to repay your kindness."
Chen Kuang shook his head.
"I've said before, there's no such thing as repaying kindness with kindness. We're even. You don't owe me anything."
After gaining the Fasting Body passive ability, the rice gruel no longer had any real value to him.
To Lady Liang, this seemed like a second selfless sacrifice but to Chen Kuang, it wasn't about generosity or even manipulation.
When dealing with a kind-hearted woman like her, retreating was the best advance.
He shrugged and said with some mock regret:
"Besides, I'm not a spy. Even if I took your secret to claim credit, Zhou would still kill me. After today... I just hope you take care of yourself."
Lady Liang was stunned. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
She... had kind of hoped Chen Kuang was a Zhou spy.
At least that way, he'd have a way to survive.
They'd only known each other for a day, but in her darkest moment, Chen Kuang had given her hope and care.
Even if it might've been false...
Now that the execution meal had arrived, Chen Kuang likely had only a few days left.
The Zhou punishments were merciless. Of those taken away, none but Huo Hengxuan had survived past three days.
Of course, she had no idea that Chen Kuang, now a living Elixir of Immortality, would be discovered immediately upon being interrogated, and his fate could be thousands of times worse.
Which was why he had chosen to take a risk, divert the eyes watching him and create value for himself.
His openness and calm however struck a deep chord in Lady Liang.
She realized... she'd misunderstood him.
Remembering how he had sacrificed a life-saving bun just to repay a kindness she herself didn't even remember, she lowered her head in shame.
"I'm no longer a 'Lady' of anything," she murmured. "If Mister Chen doesn't mind, my real name is Chu Wenruo. I have an older brother. You can call me Zhongniang."
Meng, Zhong, Shu, Ji, traditional naming titles based on sibling birth order. As the second-born, Wenruo referred to herself as Zhongniang.
Chen Kuang smiled and nodded, "Zhongniang."
It had been a long time since Chu Wenruo had heard that name. For a moment, she felt disoriented and then as if some invisible chain had broken. A strange sense of relief filled her chest.
She forced a smile.
"Mister Chen, you weren't supposed to get an execution meal. I'm the one who implicated you."
"This secret might not be what Zhou wants, but it could still buy you your life. Even if you don't need it... take it as a story to pass the time."
Chen Kuang's gaze flicked instinctively to the faint white halo still lingering around her body.
He really did want to know what it meant.
Chu Wenruo lowered her voice
"The secret... is the Heavenly Prison itself."
Hmm?
Chen Kuang raised his brows. It wasn't what he expected, but perhaps it was even more important.
"The Liang Kingdom emphasized scholarship. Our military was weak and the cultivators of Lingtai Mountain stayed hidden from the world. Our survival for so many years wasn't just due to General Huo's bravery."
"There was another reason, a legend, really. It was said that two mighty cultivators passed away here long ago, and their bodies merged with the land, creating rich soil, lush rivers, and an indestructible barrier that protected the capital for decades."
"But... the legend is real."
"They sat in death here not to cultivate the land, but to seal away an ancient demonic creature of boundless power."
She pointed downward.
"Beneath this Heavenly Prison is another prison, called the Demon Suppression Vault."
Chen Kuang felt a chill. "That demon... is it still alive?"
Things were turning out far more complex than he imagined. Could this be Zhou's real goal? Was it related to the Elixir of Immortality?
Chu Wenruo blinked and nodded.
"Mhm. It's still alive."
She glanced at the empty cell beside her.
"When Zhou launched its invasion, General Huo was being impeached by court officials. He was forced to surrender the Tiger Tally and couldn't mobilize troops but even without an army, the barrier alone could've held the capital."
She sighed.
"Even so, General Huo defied orders and gathered a thousand loyal soldiers. He stood at the gates, took a hundred arrows, and raised the Liang Dragon Banner high, forcing the enemy back ten whole zhang!"
"With that momentum, we could've launched a counterattack and saved the capital using the city's barrier."
"But..."
Chen Kuang narrowed his eyes. "There was a traitor?"
Chu Wenruo didn't answer, she just nodded.
Huo Hengxuan had held the line, but behind him, cowardly officials had opened the city gates.
So that's what had happened..
No wonder the old man was so bitter, so cynical.
Anyone would be broken after betrayal like that.
Yet from what Chen Kuang had seen, Huo Hengxuan hadn't seemed truly insane.
Then why had he suddenly snapped when taken away earlier?
Wait.
When the old man had been dragged out, he had grabbed the bars and screamed. The night before, he'd spent a long time rubbing his back on that very same bar like a monkey.
Could he have left something there?
Chen Kuang said nothing and slowly backed up to the shared bars between his cell and the one beside it.
He slumped down, pretending to rest.
His fingers however brushed along the metal.
Then froze.
He felt writing.
A lot of it.