The iron gate creaked open, and Dai Mubai followed the hunched old man into the room.
Before me was a spacious room, with dozens of wooden tables neatly arranged inside.
At each table sat two or three people dressed in gray cloth, heads bowed, needles, thread, and fabric in their hands, quietly sewing clothes.
The room was brightly lit, filled with the distinctive scent of fabric, and occasionally the sounds of scissors cutting cloth and needles being threaded could be heard.
Dai Mubai was stunned.
This was completely different from the prison he had imagined—there were no gloomy and terrifying instruments of torture, no prisoners screaming in pain, and no damp, musty smell...
"Come over."
The old man led Dai Mubai to an empty table in the corner of the room.
Needles, thread, scissors, and several stacks of light gray fabric were neatly arranged on the table.
Dai Mubai sat down on the wooden bench, feeling somewhat at ease.
It seems that this "reform through labor" is not as dangerous as imagined. At least the scene before us is much milder than the dungeons in the Douluo Continent where serious criminals are imprisoned.
The old man sat down opposite him, picked up a needle casually, squinted at the light, and threaded the needle with practiced ease.
"The guard doesn't know what crime you committed, nor how long you'll be sentenced to labor reform, so he's having you come here with me for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai's curiosity intensified. "Senior, what exactly are we supposed to do in this labor camp?"
The old man finished threading the needle, glanced up at him, and uttered three words:
"Making clothes."
"Make... make clothes?"
Dai Mubai's eyes widened, and his voice unconsciously rose eight octaves.
"What, is there a problem?"
The old man raised an eyebrow, his needle and thread already on the fabric, beginning to sew.
Dai Mubai opened his mouth, his face turning pale and then red.
Making clothes?
He, the dignified Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger Dai Mubai, and the leader of the Shrek Seven Devils, is actually sitting here like a woman making clothes?
Utter disgrace!
This is an utter disgrace!
Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy.
"Pfft, hahaha--"
Ma Hongjun was the first to burst out laughing, nearly dropping the half-eaten chicken leg he was holding.
" Boss Dai! Boss Dai wants to make clothes! My god, I'm dying of laughter! That hand of his, which is usually used for beating people up or hugging girls, is now going to be used for embroidery needles? Hahahaha!"
Oscar clutched his stomach, his shoulders shrugging. "Fatty, stop talking, I... I can already picture it in my head..."
" Boss Dai was frowning, looking utterly miserable as he sewed the clothes, holding the needle upside down..."
"You two, stop making fun of Boss Dai like that."
Xiao Wu shook her head helplessly, but couldn't help but smile.
Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents. "Actually, there's nothing wrong with making clothes. If our team uniforms get torn in the future, we can ask Boss Dai to help us mend them."
"I just don't know if the clothes that Boss Dai will be presentable enough to wear in public."
Tang San remained silent, simply watching Dai Mubai's aggrieved yet daring-to-vent expression in the Heavenly Screen, his gaze complex.
Once the Boss Dai, the third prince of the Star Luo Empire, he has now been reduced to doing needlework in the Shrouding the Heavens World...
A strange feeling welled up inside him, a mixture of amusement and frustration.
If I were to go to the Shrouding the Heavens World," would I do the same thing?
Flender frowned and said in a deep voice:
"This labor camp... is it really making prisoners do such trivial tasks? What on earth is that Heavenly Emperor Hao thinking?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "I don't know for now. Maybe we'll find out as we keep watching."
"That's the only way." Flender nodded.
Inside the prison workshop of the Shrouding the Heavens World ".
At this moment, Dai Mubai still couldn't accept it. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he stared at the pile of needles, thread, and fabric on the table, his eyes almost spitting fire, feeling incredibly frustrated.
His fiancée had to serve him, and he himself had to make clothes for their Heavenly Court...
What a humiliation!
The old man, still sewing the cloth in his hands, didn't even look up, his voice flat. "What, you're not happy?"
Dai Mubai forced out a few words through gritted teeth. "I'm a man, not a tailor!"
"Ha," the old man chuckled, his needle and thread still moving, "What's wrong with being a man? Here, you're a prisoner."
"And you, kid, don't take your good fortune for granted."
"When I first came here, I was sent to work in a mine. I worked there for thirty years before I was transferred to this tailor shop because of my 'good rehabilitation'."
He paused, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of fear:
"The mines are dark and gloomy, with a complex network of tunnels where you can occasionally unearth some sleeping 'ancient creatures'."
"Some of those things would eat people as soon as they woke up, and some could turn you into pus with just a breath of air. I was there for thirty years and saw at least eight or ten thousand prisoners die with my own eyes."
You want to go?
At this point, the old man gave a half-smile, "If you really feel that making clothes is beneath you, I'll go and apply to the guard right now to have you transferred to the mine."
"But don't blame me for not warning you..."
"With your paltry cultivation level, you'd be lucky to survive three days there."
"Well..."
Dai Mubai's throat moved, and the angry expression on his face gradually stiffened.
Mines, ancient creatures, death...
His clenched fist slowly loosened.
Making clothes is frustrating and embarrassing, but... better to live a miserable life than to die.
If Dai Mubai truly had the courage to face death, he wouldn't have fled from the Star Luo Empire to the Heaven Dou Empire, abandoning even his fiancée Zhu Zhuqing.
"I... I'll do it."
Dai Mubai lowered his head, his voice hoarse, and reached out to pick up a needle.
After a long silence, Dai Mubai finally finished threading the needle, but looking at the gray fabric in front of him, he didn't know where to start.
He, a prince of the Star Luo Empire Kingdom, had never learned needlework.
"That..."
He hesitated before asking, "Senior, who are these clothes for?"
Who else could it be?
The old man didn't even look up. "Of course, it's those ordinary people."
Dai Mubai was taken aback. "Mortals? The Heavenly Court even provides clothes to mortals?"
"Otherwise what?"
The old man's needle and thread never stopped, his voice calm, "The clothes we prisoners make are all ordered by His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor Hao to be unconditionally distributed to the poor mortals and homeless orphans."
"Every year before winter arrives, winter clothes are distributed to people in various places according to their household registration, and some of them come from this prison."
At this point, the old man sighed softly, his eyes filled with admiration:
"Although I am imprisoned by His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor, I cannot help but admire him..."
"As powerful as he is, even though he could do whatever he wants, he still retains a sliver of compassion for these ordinary mortals. He truly deserves the title of Heavenly Emperor!"
Dai Mubai was stunned.
Unconditionally? Given to mortals?
In the Douluo Continent, Soul Master are high above, while mortals are like ants.
Which sect or empire would care whether mortals have clothes to wear in winter?
Not exploiting them or sucking their blood is already considered "merciful".