At that moment, on the edge of the Huangfu Family Ancestral Land.
Near the rear mountain, inside a cold, damp cellar beside a hidden underground palace.
Dozens of ragged, sallow, emaciated children curled up on the icy dirt floor.
The entire space was dark and wet, reeking strongly of mold and decay, but they seemed not to notice, their eyes numb.
In a corner.
A girl in red lay there with a faint breath. It was Hong Ling.
Her face was as pale as paper, her lips cracked, making her look like a completely different person from how she had appeared in Deep Space before.
A skinny little boy who looked only eight or nine years old quietly shifted to Hong Ling's side and touched her forehead.
"Sister Hong Ling, you have a fever!"
He warily glanced toward the cellar entrance, then carefully fished a small piece of dried, hardened steamed bun from the lining of his tattered clothes, secretly stuffed it into Hong Ling's hand, and whispered.
"This... eat it!"
Hong Ling's weak expression trembled.
"Xiao Shitóu, where did you get this?"
The ones locked up here were all children who had recently been deemed "unqualified" or "disobedient" while gathering herbs.
They were imprisoned here and forbidden from eating until the next herb-gathering mission arrived, when they would be given a chance to "redeem themselves through service."
By all rights, no food at all should have been seen in this cellar. How had Xiao Shitóu gotten a steamed bun?
Xiao Shitóu's voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz.
"Last time, when Steward Wu sent someone down here, he casually tossed this to the little dog next to him!"
"The little dog didn't eat it, so I secretly hid it away! Hehe!"
There was a bit of relief and