Transmission of Power

Like the rest of the Dragon Court, the forbidden-zone prison camp moved with the seasons. Its facilities were therefore rudimentary, and most prisoners were subjects who had somehow displeased the Old Khan King. They could be pardoned at any moment, so security was lax. Shackles and other restraints were rarely used unless a superior specifically ordered it. Leaving a tent was easy; with the right connections, prisoners could even visit friends and relatives in other camps.

Escaping, however, was another matter. Cavalry outposts surrounded the entire prison zone, spaced ten li apart and extending thirty to fifty li beyond it. They kept fierce dogs with keen noses, and the moment a prisoner fled, a full-scale manhunt began.

By Northern Court custom, escape was a capital offense. The fugitive was simply shot.

Xu Yanwei was terrified. "The guards say no one has ever escaped from here."

Xiao Fengchai was in charge of communicating with the new leader. "Our camp is the strangest. Monks and nuns included, no one has been charged with a crime. They just send people here, and the officials never ask questions. Master Changsheng is the one who gives the orders."

Master Changsheng had come again. Queen Ju had haggled fiercely with him, but they had reached no agreement. Still, she had left him with the impression that the four women had no intention of escaping at all.

Shangguan Ru wanted to regain her martial arts, but it was proving difficult.

After hearing her describe the general effects of Indra Incense, Fa Yan shook his head repeatedly. "Your Internal Force was sealed by a drug. If I try to help recklessly, you may lose your powers forever."

But he taught Shangguan Ru a simple method of circulating energy. "It won't restore your powers or strengthen your body, but