Zhang Youren had no idea how long he had been in prison.
His physical condition had grown worse than before.
Every so often, someone would take him out of his cell and give him a beating in the great hall.
People joked that San Yisheng crashing into a pillar heralded King Zhou's attendance at court. Zhang Youren was no less reliable a sign.
Wounds covered Zhang Youren's body, leaving him in a wretched state. He kept his teeth clenched and never uttered a sound.
He could endure it.
Through beating after beating, he had never said a word.
He would endure, but he would not beg for mercy.
Zhang Youren silently ground down a stone. It was one of the few ways he could pass the time in prison.
After an unknown length of time, he had ground the stone into a thin shard.
He lifted his tattered clothes and examined the wound on his thigh. The flesh there had already rotted.
When his attendants had fallen ill earlier, he had studied some medicine to treat them and save their lives. Although he had failed to cure them, he had learned a few basic things. Rotten flesh could not be left in place.
The King of Yue held court that day. The Defending General had intended to take Zhang Youren to the hall to be beaten, but happened to catch him picking up a stone shard and calmly cutting the rotting flesh from his thigh.
Zhang Youren touched the Dark Phoenix Jade Pendant against his chest. Each touch brought him a little peace of mind.
Bit by bit, he scraped at his leg, removing the rotten flesh mingled with pus and blood.
The Defending General's pupils kept contracting. His scalp prickled, and his whole body shook uncontrollably.
*What the fuck