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墨書 Inktalez
"Everyone, don't eat. This ground is muddy. Hurry and dig a hole to bury the food."
Upon hearing Xia Muxin's words, several people looked at each other in confusion. They had already resigned themselves to their fate, believing they were doomed. After all, a full stomach would give them the strength to complain when they reached Yama's Hall. Seeing their hesitation, Xia Muxin knew that if they didn't find a place to bury the food, it would be discovered, and whether they wanted to or not, they would have to eat it. She quickly added, "Trust me, following my instructions won't lead you astray."
With that, she went to the corner and began to dig into the ground with a curved knife.
"Miss, let me help you."
After digging a couple of times, she realized that the soil was quite hard—not like ordinary mud. It was possible there were stones beneath. Just then, an Uncle pulled her back.
"My son and I were digging a well before we were captured. When we were caught, we happened to be working on it and managed to hide some small tools. They didn't search us thoroughly when we arrived here. We thought we might be able to create a passage, but this ground isn't just mud; it's rock. We've been at it for years and only managed to dig a few meters."
As he spoke, the old man lifted some thatched grass from the corner near the eastern wall, revealing a hole about a meter wide, dark inside.
Xia Muxin had come to know these people over the past few days. Unlike the newcomers who would be executed after just a few days of confinement, some of them had been imprisoned for six years. She was unsure of the purpose behind their long imprisonment.
But there was no time to waste now. "Alright, everyone, let's hurry."
With that, she began to toss the food into the hole. The others quickly followed her lead and started throwing in their portions as well.
Then, Xia Muxin swiftly fashioned a rope from thatched grass, tying one end to a dark round object and tossing it toward several nearby cells.
"Who among you has strong arms? Help me swing this around, we need to get to every cell."
After swinging for a while, they found themselves panting heavily, their arms feeling as if they belonged to someone else. They called out to the others for assistance.
Although no one knew what Xia Muxin was planning, seeing her—a young woman—fearless in front of Zhao Weiran and remaining so calm and rational at this moment, the stronger ones among them willingly helped her.
Of course, during the time they were sound asleep at night, Ming Peng had come more than once. Each time he arrived, he would press on their acupoints to keep them asleep and then bring the items Xia Muxin had instructed him to collect.
On this day, Xia Muxin used these materials to create the most basic form of a bomb.
While its power wasn't very great, these devices were enough to level the dungeon.
"Miss, you are an extraordinary person. I bow my head to you here and hope that once you escape, you can find a place for me and my child to be buried. I have wronged my family and ancestors in this life."
Suddenly, the old man Zhaoxia Muxin bowed several times and bitterly spoke. He had lost all hope for life; living in such a miserable state was only bearable because he wished to see his young son again, even if just once. Now, he could only hold onto his clothes in silent sorrow, wishing it would be better to follow his son into death.
"Old man, please don’t say that. Why don’t you leave if you can?" Xia Muxin quickly helped him up and asked with confusion.
"Because that beast named Zhao won't kill me so easily until he gets the secret formula from me."
"......"
*
Then, Xia Muxin led everyone in another act. When the guards came, they saw them looking up and licking their bowls. She had agreed with the old man that once she got out, she would send someone to rescue him. The old man had shared his so-called secret formula with her...
"Look at this group of people; they are quite perceptive. While they are still awake, let’s change their clothes and tidy their hair. We adults care deeply for those of you who are about to die."
The guards, upon seeing this, threw in clothes and combs, commanding them with an air of authority.
"Everyone, change quickly. If we get to Yama's Hall like this, maybe the King of Hell will grant us a good reincarnation."
Someone from behind sighed, and everyone reluctantly changed into the Prison Uniforms, even combing their hair before following the guards out.
As they caught their first glimpse of light, several people approached and covered their eyes. They were then pulled onto the Prison Cart, and finally, a black cloth was thrown over them, plunging them into complete darkness.
Xia Muxin immediately tore off the cloth covering her eyes and shifted toward the edge of the Prison Cart. Although the outer layer of black cloth was dark, if one looked closely, they could still vaguely see a hint of what was outside.
At that moment, she began to sprinkle powder around the Prison Cart.
"Uh, go check if their medicine is working. We can't delay the master's business. Over there is the Grandson of the Concubine from the Lord of the Prefecture; if anything goes wrong, our heads won't be enough to pay for it."
Hearing their conversation as she edged along the Prison Cart, Xia Muxin quickly covered her eyes with the black cloth again and slid inward like a puppet. A small beam of light slipped in for a moment before darkness returned.
"It's fine; they're all like living dead now."
In an instant, one guard remarked.
Living dead...
This inevitably reminded Xia Muxin of the venomous snakes and living dead from her time in the kiln. Did this have something to do with the Zhao Family?
If so, then their enmity had long been established.
Of course, they were unaware that she had sprinkled medicine in the water that these villagers would eventually drink; otherwise, there might have been unforeseen complications along the way.
Time passed without her noticing how long it had been. Xia Muxin leaned against the edge of the Prison Cart, listening intently to the sounds outside. Ming Peng had informed her of the route to Meridian Gate and instructed her to ignite the explosives at the corner. Today was the day the new emperor would visit Buddha Light Temple to see his mother, Consort Jingyi. They would take this path, and as for why they chose this route, that was Ming Peng's concern.
Suddenly, a person on horseback approached from ahead. The dozens of guards escorting the Prison Cart knelt down upon seeing him. Xia Muxin pressed her ear closer, straining to listen:
"There are reports of disaster victims gambling in the market today. The emperor has decided to take this detour to Buddha Light Temple. You must move this Prison Cart aside and wait for the Royal Team to pass before coming out."
Xia Muxin heard every word clearly. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, and she instinctively leaned back into the Prison Cart. Moments later, she felt the black cloth being lifted, and something struck her back unexpectedly, causing a sharp pain that startled her completely. If she hadn't been facing away from that person, she might have been exposed.
After a brief moment, she heard a command followed by the sound of hooves galloping away.
Xia Muxin was drenched in cold sweat, gasping in pain, but she sat up straight as the Prison Cart began to move again.
"Alright, this place is secluded enough. We haven't seen this Royal Carriage on its journey before; only we can see them while they cannot see us."
The Prison Cart suddenly came to a halt. Xia Muxin knew they had found a hidden spot. Then someone spoke loudly again.
Following that, there was a series of agreements and disagreements before everything fell silent once more, but the Prison Cart did not move again.
Xia Muxin sprinkled the explosives along the walls of the cart and closed her eyes for a moment of rest.
"Hey, they're coming! Look!"
Another hushed voice broke through the silence. Xia Muxin boldly lifted a corner of the black cloth and saw that the guards were leaning in closely, staring at something. She glanced over and saw a large procession adorned in gold; there was no doubt it was the Royal Carriage.
In an instant, she pulled out a fire starter and ignited it against the wall of the Prison Cart.
Within moments, flames erupted, and she quickly retrieved a bottle, opened it, and let its fragrant contents disperse into the air. Seeing some unconscious villagers begin to stir, she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Help! The corrupt officials are harming the people! Help me..."
Her voice pierced through the air, instantly sending a chill down the spines of the dozens of guards. The entire prison cart was already engulfed in flames, and the fire was spreading rapidly.
Xia Muxin seized the opportunity to pull out a dozen small fireballs, each about the size of her thumb, and hurled them into the forest. As soon as they landed, the fireballs exploded, and within moments, the surrounding woods were ablaze.
Ming Peng had mentioned that the Northern Desert had suddenly launched an attack, and their uncle had gone to provide assistance. Whether he could return in time was still uncertain; they could only rely on themselves.
Though he had gathered his brothers from the capital, the Zhao Family was powerful, and the mastermind behind it all remained unknown. Without their uncle around, it was entirely possible for the Zhao Family to turn against her. Moreover, with the emperor just having ascended to the throne and the court still unstable, it was not out of the question that he might sacrifice them for his own position. Therefore, all she needed to do now was to escalate the situation. With Ming Peng covering her retreat, once they managed to rescue her, she could take her time settling scores later.
Seeing this unfold, others joined Xia Muxin in shouting loudly.
But after shouting for a long time, there was still no response from that direction.
Xia Muxin gritted her teeth in hatred for this emperor and then shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Your Majesty, save Jiao Jiao! Jiao Jiao doesn't want to die..."
- End of Chapter -
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