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墨書 Inktalez
Female Prisoner looked at Ye Xiaohan with disdain.
At that moment, Ye Xiaohan was dressed neatly and cleanly, clearly someone who had not suffered or been tortured. Although her appearance was average, her entire demeanor seemed to draw a line between herself and the others.
In this prison cell, the other Female Prisoners were all quite similar; no one had anything to boast about, and they all looked down on each other. Life passed in a muddled haze.
Now, however, it felt as if a spoonful of hot water had been poured inside, exposing the harsh reality they had deliberately ignored, reminding them that they were still trapped in this dark cell.
This was also what they could not tolerate the most. Although new arrivals came from time to time, most were gloomy and timid, bearing the marks of torture on their bodies. Everyone was the same; there was nothing worth clinging to.
But this Ye Xiaohan could not be let go! She must be made to suffer like the rest; she could not be allowed to live so comfortably alone!
Ye Xiaohan sensed the malice in their eyes and felt a chill run down her spine. She wasn't afraid of what they might do to her; after all, she was not one to submit easily.
It was just that thinking about these women—who had once bloomed like flowers under the sun—now filled with malice, made her heart ache for their fall into this dark cell covered only in moss.
When humanity breaks free from its restraints, it can indeed become terrifying.
The Female Prisoners whispered among themselves and nodded. A few tall and strong ones stepped out of the crowd and approached Ye Xiaohan. She secretly braced herself, but it was of little use as several women rushed at her all at once, grabbing her hair and tearing at her clothes until she was left in tatters.
Ye Xiaohan could defend against one side but not the other. No matter how strong she was, she couldn't escape from several people attacking her simultaneously. These women seemed experienced in bullying others and were quite skilled at fighting.
By the time they released Ye Xiaohan, her outer garment was in shambles, her hair hanging loosely, and the only silver hairpin that had held her hair up had been snatched away.
In a disadvantageous position, Ye Xiaohan had no choice but to focus on self-preservation. She wasn't trained professionally; if it came down to pure strength, she couldn't win against them. It wouldn't be impossible to deal with them all at once, but that would require using her medical skills—and doing so would be too shocking.
If Liu Yuan caught wind of this and targeted her with some scheme, she'd only find herself in an even more difficult situation.
Ye Xiaohan quickly ran her fingers through her hair. Her outer garment was no longer wearable, so she tore it off and tossed it aside. Fortunately, she managed to protect the inner clothing, which remained relatively intact.
The women who had attacked Ye Xiaohan felt they had vented their frustrations and were now examining the hairpin disdainfully. One scoffed, "I thought it was something precious; it's just a broken hairpin. What are you pretending to be? You're just as poor as we are, having grown up in the countryside!"
"Yuan, do you really think everyone is like you? Some people just love to put on airs; they're nothing more than servants pretending to be ladies!" chimed in a short and plump woman nearby.
Ye Xiaohan recognized her as one of those who had just come forward to tear at her. It was surprising that someone with such a stout figure could produce such a sharp voice.
"What's with the staring? Keep it up and I'll have your eyes gouged out!"
The woman called Yan seemed to be the 'boss' of this cell, commanding the obedience of the other women around her.
As soon as she threatened Ye Xiaohan, those nearby erupted into laughter, their disdainful gazes fixed on Ye Xiaohan as if she were nothing more than a defenseless chick.
She deserved it; who told her to act so high and mighty? Now that she was here, she was just as mired in the muck as Tanmen, unable to escape.
Ye Xiaohan replied calmly, "Aren't you afraid of being caught by the guards? Fighting in private is a serious offense in prison."
"Hahaha!" The female prisoners laughed as if they had heard the funniest joke. "That's a good one! Do you think this is your home? Let me tell you, as long as no one dies, no one will bother to take a second look. If you make too much noise, it won't even take us to deal with you; the guards will probably hang you up and whip you first!"
Just as she had thought, this damp and cold cell was rife with unspoken rules. Fortunately, she wasn't some harmless flower; if anything, she was like a lily of the valley.
If anyone got too close, every part of the lily was toxic.
This wasn't because Ye Xiaohan had a fondness for lilies; rather, she happened to carry a type of powder that had similar effects. After ingestion, those poisoned would flush red in the face, their emotions turning tense and irritable, accompanied by headaches, vomiting, stomach pains, nausea, and other symptoms.
And these were all common ailments in this prison. Just like what that female prisoner had said earlier—unless someone died, the guards wouldn't come near. So as long as Ye Xiaohan wanted to take action against these female prisoners, it would be no problem at all.
She thanked herself for always being vigilant and carrying self-defense tools. She deserved a round of applause.
She also appreciated Liu Yuan's reckless disregard for consequences that led him to skip the usual body search for prisoners. Twenty cheers for Liu Yuan's carelessness.
Ye Xiaohan glanced at the silver hairpin held by someone else. In the chaos earlier, she had already smeared the powder on it; anyone who came into contact with it had inhaled some of the powder—now all she needed was for the effects to kick in.
Those women thought Ye Xiaohan was fixated on the hairpin out of reluctance and became even more smug. They passed it around and deliberately examined it closely: "What’s wrong? Can't bear to part with it? This pin may be ugly but it's worth a few coins. Was it a gift from your lover?"
The fat woman chimed in whenever Yan spoke: "Look at her ugly face! She's just a fat woman; what kind of man would ever want her? He must be blind!"
Ye Xiaohan looked at the fat woman speechlessly; her bulk shook violently with laughter. The other female prisoners joined in, their scornful gazes directed either at Ye Xiaohan or at the fat woman—she couldn't tell which.
How pathetic.
Ye Xiaohan felt a twinge of sympathy for the Fat Woman. How empty must one’s heart be to seek even the slightest recognition in reality?
"This isn't a gift from anyone; I bought it myself at the stall. It's just a trinket, not worth much," Ye Xiaohan decided to lower her stance a bit, making it easier to navigate the situation.
A clever person like her, who understood how to adapt, would never subject herself to unnecessary suffering for trivial reasons.
Ye Xiaohan's compliance satisfied these people somewhat. Moreover, no matter how they provoked her, she remained as calm as water, gradually making them lose interest.
Only a few women still harbored resentment, especially the Fat Woman, whose gaze towards Ye Xiaohan was filled with venomous hatred. This made Ye Xiaohan wonder if she had offended her at some point or if the original owner of her body had done so.
However, Ye Xiaohan soon noticed that the Fat Woman's cold gaze was directed at other Female Prisoners as well, like a venomous snake ready to strike indiscriminately.
This person's heart had already been tainted. It was unclear whether she had been like this before being imprisoned or if her spirit had decayed during the dark days in confinement. Such severe psychological issues were beyond Ye Xiaohan's ability to handle; all she could do was sigh, feeling helpless.
Before the Fat Woman could devise a plan against Ye Xiaohan, the effects of the drug began to take hold. Many who had come into contact with the needle or had tried to tear at her were starting to show symptoms during the night.
Some complained of stomach pains, others developed rashes, and those severely affected experienced nausea and vomiting. The prison cell descended into chaos as everyone became preoccupied with their own ailments, leaving little energy for further tormenting Ye Xiaohan.
"What's all this noise! If you keep it up, each of you will get three lashes!" The guard appeared at the cell door, shouting loudly.
The whip was made of leather and was soaked in saltwater during punishment; each lash struck deep into the bones.
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