Chapter 84: Turmoil in the Imperial Court (Part 2)

Inside the prison, the light was dim, permeated by a scent of decay and dampness. Occasionally, water droplets seeped from the stone walls, making a "drip, drip" sound.

Bai Fan was firmly chained to the wall by thick iron chains, having not consumed a single grain of food for days.

What was worse was that his Golden Core was formed using Void Power and required the Void Heaven-Swallowing Art to be activated.

He had forgotten his own memories completely, which of course included the Void Heaven-Swallowing Art, and without Golden Core cultivation, he could not abstain from food.

His once upright frame was now as thin as a withered leaf in the wind, and even his lips, usually slightly pursed, were cracked and dry.

At this moment, he was pale, his eyes sunken, and he looked like a dying man about to draw his last breath.

"Speak! Where are your accomplices hiding?"

The lead jailer stared fiercely at Bai Fan, his heavy whip raised high before crashing down hard onto Bai Fan's body.

"Crack!"

A bloody welt instantly appeared. Bai Fan's body shuddered violently, but then slumped down powerlessly again.

He struggled to lift his eyelids and replied with a hoarse voice: "I have no accomplices… I… I am a successor of Medicine God Valley…"

The jailer sneered, a flash of cruelty in his eyes: "Still being stubborn!"

He raised his hand and brought the whip down, striking Bai Fan's body violently once more.

Each lash tore through Bai Fan's fragile skin like a venomous snake, casting patches of blood across the dim cell.

"Boss! Stop, if you keep hitting him, he'll really die!"

A jailer nearby couldn't help but rush forward, hurriedly grabbing the lead jailer's arm and anxiously advising him.

"Hmph!" The lead jailer swept a cold, fierce gaze over the jailer. "Do you also want to harbor this traitor?"

"Boss… I wouldn't dare, it's just… he's already on his last breath. If you keep hitting him, I'm afraid we really won't be able to report back."

The jailer explained tremblingly, fearing that one wrong move would provoke the lead jailer's wrath.

"What a buzzkill!"

The lead jailer glared at Bai Fan resentfully, tossed the whip aside with clear reluctance, and huffed heavily:

"Hang him up for me! He doesn't get to come down and eat until he confesses!"

Several jailers moved in response, binding Bai Fan's arms behind his back and hoisting him into the air.

The rough iron chains and leather ropes dug into his shoulders, causing bone-deep pain, but he no longer had the strength to struggle.

"Hmph! Do you think you can escape this by playing dead?" The lead jailer sneered, waved his hand, and led his men out of the cell.

Bai Fan hung in the air, his body swaying. He gasped slightly, his cracked lips moving a few times, but ultimately, no sound came out.

The power of the Golden Core within him could have helped him recover, but with his memory lost, he had long forgotten how to use it.

It was as if everything had been drained from him, leaving only a dying shell.

"Is this… really where I'm going to die?" he thought self-deprecatingly, his vision gradually blurring…

"I must hold on… I cannot die here… I have to go back, Bai Youyou is still waiting for me."

In the depths of this dim, deserted cell, Bai Fan's figure appeared lonely and helpless.

"Tap… tap… tap…"

A soft sound of footsteps echoed through the deathly silent prison.

Accompanied by the dripping water in the corridor, a petite figure approached rapidly.

The figure was wearing a jailer's uniform, the oversized clothing seemingly concealing her true identity.

She walked quickly to Bai Fan, and the person who came into view was none other than the young woman who had been bowing her head and reading poetry in the Brothel.

Dressed as a jailer, she kept her head deliberately lowered, trying to use her sleeves to cover the rise and fall of her chest, making herself look more like an ordinary jailer.

However, her curvaceous figure could not be hidden; her slender waist and shapely hips outlined graceful curves that still quietly betrayed her.

"Clang—" With a soft sound, she quickly released Bai Fan's chains, her hands trembling as she supported his haggard body, her eyes filled with heartache and guilt.

"I'm sorry for making you suffer…" she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

She took a small porcelain bottle from her bosom and poured the water inside onto Bai Fan's cracked lips. The water droplets slid across his pale cheeks, bringing a touch of moisture and warmth.

"In a few more days, it will be fine. You must hold on!"

She held up the water bottle and continued softly, "Drink, moisten your throat. Right now, this is all I can do for you…"

Bai Fan opened his eyes slightly and saw the familiar face before him. If not for her secret help over these past few days, he would likely have already perished.

Bai Fan's throat moved. "You…" Before the sound could come out, she gently pressed her slender finger against his lips.

"Shh… don't speak, it's not safe here." She looked around, her eyes full of vigilance.

Afterward, she lowered her voice, leaned close to Bai Fan's ear, and whispered: "As long as you can make it through this period, I will definitely keep you safe."

Suddenly, a strange laugh came from a dark corner, the voice filled with thick mockery and ridicule:

"Hahaha! I was wondering how this kid managed to go so many days without eating or drinking and still not die. So it was you playing tricks!"

The young woman who had been bowing her head and reading poetry in the Brothel was startled. She immediately turned to leave, wanting to escape quickly, but was grabbed by the wrist by a burly jailer.

She struggled with all her might, but could not break free from the jailer's grip.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

She tried her best to shake off the other person's restraint. As her body swayed, her jailer's cap and headscarf fell off simultaneously.

Her soft, black hair cascaded down, draping over her shoulders and revealing her beautiful face and panicked expression.

"Oh! And a great beauty at that!"

The jailer was stunned for a moment, then a lewd smile spread across his face.

He glanced at the young woman's curvaceous figure, licked his lips, and shouted excitedly to his accomplices behind him:

"Boss, we've struck gold!"

Another jailer hurriedly stepped forward, holding thick chains in his hand, and firmly locked the young woman's hands, fearing she might have any chance to escape again.

The young woman was full of anger and unwillingness, struggling hard and shouting sharply:

"Let me go! You bunch of dog slaves! I am Princess Zhaoyang; if you dare to touch me, you will all lose your heads!"

"Princess Zhaoyang? Hahaha! What a fool who doesn't know life from death!" The lead jailer walked over, laughing.

He stood with one hand on his hip and raised a thick whip in the other, his eyes filled with coldness and contempt. He flicked the whip.

It made a crisp "crack" sound, flaunting the power in his hands.

"I was wondering why I could never find Bai Fan's accomplices. So it was Princess Zhaoyang's lineage behind it, manipulating things in the dark!"

The jailer sneered, his eyes scanning Princess Zhaoyang's figure up and down.

He continued sinisterly: "However, now that you've fallen into my hands, don't think you'll be leaving easily! Hold her down and tie her up tight for me!"

"Let me go! I am Princess Zhaoyang! My Royal Father will definitely…" Before Princess Zhaoyang could finish her sentence, a jailer beside her covered her mouth.

The jailer pressed her to the ground and ruthlessly twisted her arms behind her back, the rope cutting into her wrists and causing sharp pain.

"Princess Zhaoyang? What a grand status! Unfortunately, in this dim dungeon, even if you were the King of Heaven himself, no one could save you!"