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墨書 Inktalez
Yin Luo did not complain. After crawling over, she directly picked up the water to drink. Finally, she took the hard and cold bread and stuffed it into her mouth. Unable to swallow, she resorted to eating while drinking water.
After finishing a bun, her stomach was not as hungry, and her body regained some strength.
The prison was very dim; she could not tell whether it was day or night. She glanced at the cell door and then cast her gaze towards the only other person in the corner who was imprisoned like her, saying, "What... crime did you commit?"
Her body was still weak. After she spoke, she realized her voice was hoarse and low. From that distance, she did not know if the person heard her.
There was no response, perhaps he could not hear her or simply did not want to acknowledge her.
Yin Luo then fell silent. After sitting for a while to gather her strength, she struggled to stand up and walked to the cell door to take a look at the lock. She reached out to pick it up and examined it from side to side, revealing a mocking smile before sitting back down.
Mu Changqing probably did not know that she was skilled at picking locks; otherwise, he would not have used such a simple lock to try to confine her.
The shackles on her feet clanked against the ground with her movements. Yin Luo changed the subject and asked the man, "How long have you been locked up?"
The man's back remained still. After waiting for a moment, Yin Luo assumed he did not want to respond. She then self-deprecatingly curled her lips and leaned against the cell wall.
"Several years? I can't remember clearly myself."
Suddenly, a hoarse voice broke the silence. Yin Luo looked up and saw the figure in the corner move slightly and turn to look at her.
The light in the cell was dim, but the girl's face was too striking; it instantly caught the man's attention as he stared at her, saying, "You..."
Yin Luo finally noticed that the person before her was an older man, around fifty or sixty years old. His face was hard to discern, but his eyes were sharp and piercing, like an eagle's, as they scrutinized her face with an intense gaze.
"Ten years have passed, and I never expected that this place would still hold people, especially a young girl."
His voice was strange, perhaps due to not having spoken for a long time.
Yin Luo raised an eyebrow, realizing he must be someone who had been imprisoned for too long; she just didn't know what crime he had committed.
While he was observing her, she was naturally observing him as well.
Suddenly, the man broke into a peculiar smile and said, "Interesting, you’re not afraid of me. Tell me, little girl, what crime did you commit to end up in this hellish prison?"
Hell... prison?
Yin Luo looked around and frowned. "You mean... this is a hellish prison?"
The man curled his lips into a strange smile. "Of course! Otherwise, why do you think there are no guards? This is a hellish prison meant for those who cannot die but need to be dead. For such people, serving them is a waste of life, and the guards can't be bothered to watch over them."
Yin Luo glanced around again and realized that this must be a basement, which explained the dim lighting and the damp, foul smell. There was only the flickering firelight; sunlight was nowhere to be seen.
"What crime did you commit to be locked up here? Why are you someone who needs to die but cannot be killed?"
The man seemed to find her question amusing and burst into laughter. "That's because he doesn't dare to kill!"
Yin Luo furrowed her brow again, looking at the man who appeared somewhat deranged. "Who are you?"
“Me?” The man suddenly brushed aside his filthy hair, revealing a face that was hard to discern. “I can barely remember who I am!”
Yin Luo looked at him in silence. The man seemed to snap back to reality and lowered his hand. “Right, you wouldn’t know me.”
In an instant, he felt an overwhelming sense of loss and slowly sat down in the cell. “Girl, what year is it now?”
“Thirteenth year of Fengying.”
“Thirteenth year of Fengying? So… it’s been ten years.” The man sat there and said slowly, “Well, after so many years, I’m just a pile of bones. In my lifetime, I may not even have the chance to live and walk out of here. It doesn’t matter if I tell you.”
As the man spoke slowly, Yin Luo didn’t know much about this world. After he finished speaking, she finally understood his identity and learned some past events related to Mu Changqing.
“I was once the invincible general of the Exiled Nation and also the nominal teacher of Prince Mu Changqing. It’s my fault for taking in someone with such wolfish ambitions because I felt pity for him, which ultimately led to a great mistake that resulted in my family’s ruin.”
When the Former Emperor passed away, he entrusted the young Mu Fengyan to him, asking him to protect the kingdom.
Liao Fan was a loyal minister and renowned general. Being entrusted with such a heavy responsibility by the Former Emperor during a time of crisis was naturally seen as a sacred order that he had to carry out.
While assisting the emperor, the Former Emperor also asked him to treat the third prince, Mu Changqing, kindly.
Although he was only in his teens at that time, the third prince had already begun to show his talents. At such a young age, he had achieved remarkable military accomplishments and was wise and intelligent—an ideal candidate for the heir apparent. However, just before the Former Emperor's passing, he lost his chance at the throne due to his appearance.
He remembered the Former Emperor's words and sought out Mu Changqing after he missed his chance at the throne. He told him that aside from the throne, he could teach him how to become someone great as long as he promised to always assist the new emperor and prioritize the people of the Exiled Nation throughout his life.
After agreeing, he took him into battle. In the blink of an eye, several years passed; he fought without defeat and gradually became revered by the people as the War King, even showing signs of potentially replacing his position.
He was not only capable of standing alone but also brave and skilled in warfare, using military tactics like a god. With the new generation pushing forward, he planned to hand everything over to him and retreat behind the scenes.
However, he feared that he would not assist the new emperor in the future, so he divided his military power into two parts: one for him and one returned to the emperor. This way, there would be no single dominant figure in the court; the emperor could keep him in check, instilling a sense of caution in him, allowing him to wholeheartedly support the new emperor.
Unexpectedly, after learning of his arrangement, before he could implement it, he was deceived by a woman who served as bait. His military power was taken from him, and he was permanently imprisoned here. In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.
Inside the prison, he learned that less than a year after his departure, the court had fallen under his control. Except for the throne itself, his status was no different from that of a king. The emperor, who should have held the power of life and death over the world, had been rendered powerless, becoming a mere puppet.
He felt heartbroken over his misjudgment while simultaneously hating this ungrateful student. On the other hand, he regretted his own weakness for women and how he had been seduced, thus betraying the trust of the Former Emperor.
He felt ashamed to continue living but still harbored a glimmer of hope, wishing for an opportunity to rectify his mistakes during his lifetime and fulfill the Former Emperor's wishes by assisting the new emperor in reclaiming power.
Yin Luo listened to him speak and looked at him for a long time before saying, "In ten years' time, the outside world has changed completely. Even if you were to go out now, it would be impossible to change anything."
Upon hearing this, Liao Fan revealed a pained expression as he gazed at the dim prison cell. "Yes, even if I were to go out, I might not be able to help the emperor. That person is neither human nor ghost; he has already harmed my subordinates. Now, the entire world is in his hands; it cannot be shaken."
He sat there with a desolate expression. It was all due to his ignorance of political schemes and not realizing that this ambitious wolf had never given up on that throne. For so many years, he had not rebelled merely because he did not want to bear the label of fratricide; rebellion was only a matter of time—he just lacked a legitimate reason.
Liao Fan sat alone for a long time before suddenly looking up at Yin Luo and asking, "What about you? You’re just a young girl; what did you do to offend him that got you locked up here?"
Yin Luo smiled slightly and replied, "If I said I am his princess, would you believe me?"
Liao Fan was taken aback and scrutinized Yin Luo for a long time before suddenly laughing and saying, "With such a beautiful face that brings disaster, it indeed fits his style."
Yin Luo looked at him without getting angry and responded, "Yes, I was once a princess of the Moon Cherry Dynasty. Because of this face, my entire country almost faced destruction."
Liao Fan was once again taken aback, then he said with deep sorrow, "I never expected him to be so arrogant, doing whatever he wants, willing to destroy a country for the sake of a woman!"
Yin Luo looked at him but did not speak. Liao Fan soon regained his composure and turned to Yin Luo, asking, "Since he married you, why did he lock you up here?"
"Ye Qing Ge—I don't know if General Liao has heard of this name—is his cousin. Because of me, I have repeatedly harmed the woman he cherishes most, which is why I ended up here."
"Ye Qing Ge?" Liao Fan tried hard to recall and suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, that little girl! I know her; he has always cared for her deeply since they were young. I didn't expect that he still has some humanity in this matter."
Yin Luo said nothing and looked around, asking, "Is there really no way out of this dungeon?"
Liao Fan glanced at her and waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don't think about it. If there were a way out, would I still be here? This is a death row; anyone locked up here can only enter but cannot leave."
Yin Luo remained silent, lost in thought as she gazed around. Liao Fan observed her and remarked, "You must have some skills if you can harm those close to him."
Yin Luo turned back, curling one side of her lips into a smirk as she leaned against the iron wall, her gaze turning cold. "I don't know about my skills, but I do believe in settling scores. I wonder if she's dead or alive now; if she's still alive, it would truly be a waste of my bullets!"
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