Dungeon Change

When he was first tricked into the dungeon, Xue Yan didn't panic much.

As a noble of Chang'an, destined to become a pillar of the court managing state affairs, he naturally wasn't intimidated by this group of monks. He devised many plans in his mind, waiting for the opportunity to break out of Anguo Temple, to let his parents, uncles, and aunts know that he was already twelve years old and no longer a child.

When he first learned that the monks intended to starve them, Xue Yan was a bit disdainful. Except for being punished by his parents for being naughty when he was young, Xue Yan had never experienced hunger. He thought that even if he was hungry, it would only be a little craving. He was already a twelve-year-old man, and he could certainly endure this level of craving!

But after more than a day without food, his mind was filled only with memories of delicious food.

At first, he became increasingly hungry, so hungry that he couldn't bear it and even wanted to bite his own fingers.

Slowly, just when Xue Yan felt he could get used to hunger, the Martial Monks would eat outside the prison cell. Not to mention biting into a chicken leg, even if they ate a peanut, the crisp sound and the rhythm of the nut dancing between their teeth could make Xue Yan recall countless times the wonderful experience of eating peanuts in the past. Desperate hunger was like a small knife slowly torturing his soul.

At this time, he could only force himself to listen to the nonsense of the newly arrived girl next to him.

Among this group of Chang'an second-generation people who liked to threaten others with their family background, this girl was undoubtedly one of the better ones at remembering things. Xue Yan not only knew that she was the Yang Third Miss, but also knew who her grandfather was, who her father was, who her uncles were, how many relatives she had, and what official positions they held. In the end, Xue Yan was not only hungry but also forced to understand the Yang Third Miss's family information—he didn't even know his own family this well!

In a daze, Xue Yan occasionally recalled the thin and emaciated corpses he had seen outside Chang'an, recalled the starving people snatching (snatching/scrambling for) porridge when his family distributed it, recalled the children on the roadside with straws stuck in their heads as a sign of being sold, recalled the kneeling men, the women selling themselves...

He had never understood or been interested in understanding the suffering of these lower-class people. He felt that they were like weeds, flourishing because of good weather and withering because of thunder, frost, and snow. So what if the weeds withered? Who would feel sad because of the withering of weeds? Anyway, they would grow again next year. There was never a shortage of weeds on the earth.

It wasn't until he lay in this dirty dungeon filled with the stench of excrement that he realized he was no more noble than a weed.

He would bow his head like a weed, sell himself like a weed, and eventually wither like a weed.

The world has abandoned me, and heaven has abandoned me.

If one day the roles are reversed, I will let them know what cruelty is!

Just as this twelve-year-old boy thought he understood the truth of the world, a pair of twin brothers descended from the sky and broke into the prison cell, interrupting his brewing of dark enlightenment.

Although these brothers had also tricked the Charity House's Ben Zhi Monk, who was an accomplice, into the cell, Xue Yan still thought they were foolish.

Knowing that this is a trap, why come in?

Although reporting to the authorities may not be useful, if An Liu could make a big fuss, he might be able to force Anguo Temple to release them.

Not to mention that they actually wanted to block the prison door to starve Ben Zhi to death—even if they really blocked the prison door and Ben Zhi really starved to death, what good would it do? Wouldn't they still be trapped here?

Which is more worthwhile, one person being unlucky, or two people + one enemy being unlucky? No matter how Xue Yan thought about it, he felt that An Liu should abandon An Wu instead of coming to share life and death together.

Do these commoners take their lives so lightly?

Moreover, An Wu and An Liu blocking the prison door not only offended the bald donkeys of Anguo Temple but also offended the people in the prison cell.

Not everyone was so tough, and even Xue Yan himself had given up. Before An Wu and An Liu came, some people had begged the Martial Monks for some food, willing to obey, but Anguo Temple seemed to have a set procedure, requiring people to be starved for a certain number of days before proceeding to the next step.

After An Wu and An Liu blocked the door, not only could Ben Zhi not get out, but these victims couldn't get out either. After a day, the Martial Monks saw that An Wu and An Liu were not sleeping and still blocking the door, so they ate good wine and good food outside the prison cell, saying that you would starve to death because An Wu and An Liu blocked the door when Xue Yan and the others were starving.

This trick was very effective. Although Xue Yan didn't speak, the others began to complain about An Wu and An Liu.

Seeing that An Wu and An Liu didn't respond, the complaints turned into insults, and the insults led to resentment. In the end, they even felt that they were starving because An Wu and An Liu blocked the door, scolding them to quickly move aside and stop blocking the door. At this moment, the perpetrators and the victims became united against their common enemy.

However, An Wu and An Liu still did not respond.

Xue Yan really wanted to know what they were feeling. Emotionally, they had tricked Ben Zhi Monk down, which was equivalent to avenging Xue Yan and the others to some extent; rationally, they blocked the door, which was actually protecting Xue Yan and the others from being captured by the Martial Monks.

However, no one was grateful to them at all. Everyone hated them for causing trouble.

Outside the prison cell was the enemy's mockery and abuse, and inside the prison cell was the insults and resentment of their own people.

But they were like two reefs, silently enduring the tide of all malice.

Let the wind and waves rage, I remain unmoved.

Xue Yan's gaze towards them changed from initial contempt to incomprehensible curiosity.

What exactly were they persisting in?

What exactly were they waiting for?

What exactly... were they?

By the third day, everyone was exhausted, and everyone was waiting for the moment An Wu and An Liu would fall. Everyone knew that moment wouldn't be long—three days without food, drink, or sleep, even the Heralds couldn't withstand it.

Xue Yan lay on the dirty straw. Having not eaten anything for six consecutive days, only drinking water, even staying awake was a luxury for him now.

I'm going to die, Xue Yan thought.

That's fine too. He could die with a clear conscience, without disgracing the Xue family name.

In the next life... I hope to live in a world where no one starves to death...

In a daze, he seemed to see someone walk up to him, then a pill mixed with water was stuffed into his mouth. The pill melted in his mouth, with a strong medicinal taste, but not bitter.

Thump.

His heart was beating strongly.

The hunger in his stomach quickly subsided, his listless mind gradually cleared, and even his body, which had not eaten anything for days, was recovering strength at an unimaginable speed!

Xue Yan opened his eyes and got up, seeing An Liu giving water and pills to the people lying on the ground. One by one, the people who had taken the medicine got up. Although they were thin and pale, their energy and spirit visibly recovered!

"I'm not hungry anymore, I'm not hungry anymore!"

"Give me another one, I feel so much better after eating it!"

"What kind of miraculous medicine is this?"

"Blood Replenishment Pill!" Compared to the ignorant masses, the well-informed Xue Yan revealed the truth in one sentence: "This is an elixir produced only in the Secret Realm, how can you have so many!"

The commotion on the prison side naturally attracted the attention of the Martial Monks. Seeing the people who had been hungry for days getting up one after another, and hearing Xue Yan's voice, they immediately realized something was wrong and planned to act separately, one watching the prison and one going up to notify the others.

And just at this moment—

Whoosh.

With the sound of breathing like a long river of Vitality, An Wu's body muscles suddenly swelled, veins popping out. Although his appearance was still that of a thin young man, his majestic Vitality was enough to make anyone unable to ignore his existence!

Any Herald would definitely recognize what change had occurred in An Wu!

"You actually changed class!?" The Martial Monk couldn't believe it, "In this place, at this time, how is it possible—"

Clang!

A White Iron Straight Blade suddenly appeared in An Wu's hand, and he swung out two Moon Ring blade lights, instantly cutting off the iron bars of the prison!