Li Hongling responded with a noncommittal snort.
These two before her were, naturally, the so-called "Immortal Masters" the jailer had whispered about.
But only the middle-aged man, Wei Su, was truly one of their own.
Wei Su was the son of the Sect Master of Three Calamities Sect, the most powerful sect in Great Zhou. He had brought his fellow disciples to support Zhou's military conquest.
As for the woman, Shen Xingzhu; she was the Dao Child of the Mysterious Divine Path Sect, personal disciple of the Earth Spirit Lord, Master Qingpingzi.
The Mysterious Divine Path Sect did not belong to any country. It controlled its own province, Fuli, with seventy thousand disciples, essentially functioning as an independent nation.
The sect prided itself on absolute neutrality, worshipping the Celestial Virtue Sovereign. Its disciples often traveled the world, lobbying warring states in hopes of halting the chaos engulfing the continent.
The war between Zhou and Liang had reached a scale that affected all.
That Shen Xingzhu appeared here was not unexpected.
But to Li Hongling and the Three Calamities Sect, she was a major obstacle.
"Looking around is no issue," Li Hongling said coolly, "Let's just hope Immortal Master Shen is truly just looking."
"You don't seem to trust me, General Li."
"Heh... How could I not trust a sect as renowned as the Mysterious Divine Path Sect?"
"My sect does not participate in worldly conflicts. As long as a war's cause is just and no acts against the Heavenly Dao are committed, we do not interfere."
Behind her green veil, Shen Xingzhu's gaze remained calm and serene.
Li Hongling narrowed her eyes.
"Of course. If not for Su Yu's repeated provocations, insulting the ancestors of Great Zhou, we wouldn't have been forced to respond. This war... could've been avoided. A real shame."
She waved to her adjutant. "An Immortal Master makes a request, how could we dare be negligent?"
The adjutant stepped forward at once. "Immortal Master Shen, please. I'll escort you to the interrogation chamber."
Only after Shen Xingzhu had left did Li Hongling speak again, her tone full of irritation.
"Immortal Master Wei, didn't you swear you'd be able to lure her away?"
"If she picks up anything during interrogation, and catches wind of our true intentions, surely you haven't forgotten what kind of lunatics the Mysterious Divine Path Sect are?"
Wei Su sighed and flipped his folding fan. Ink marks appeared across its surface, forming three words:
Eternal Life Lock.
"No need to worry," he said calmly. "I've already made all preparations. In a few moments, the concept of 'Eternal Life Lock' will temporarily overwrite reality within this city. No matter what anyone says, it simply won't register in her mind."
Li Hongling's eyes lit up.
"I've long heard of your 'Stealing Heaven, Swapping Sun' technique. So it really is that mystical?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"What did you replace it with?"
Wei Su smiled faintly.
"Secrets are not passed to a third ear... Please, General, lend me yours."
...
Fifty thousand men?
One steamed bun saved fifty thousand lives?
Why?
How?
Chen Kuang had been jolted awake by the new passive ability on his status screen in the middle of the night. He'd been stewing on it ever since, unable to make sense of it.
Compared to that, even the new passive ability "Fasting Body" felt secondary.
The Liang royal capital was already nearly emptied of actual Liang citizens. Those fifty thousand, obviously referred to the Zhou soldiers stationed here.
And all he had done was... give a bun to Lady Liang.
How could that possibly lead to saving all of them?
Was there something wrong with Lady Liang?
Could it be... she was the real "hidden in plain sight" threat?
Chen Kuang even began to suspect that Lady Liang was the real Zhou spy, sent to extract information from him.
"No... That's not right. If they suspected me, if there was even the slightest doubt, I'd already be dead."
He muttered to himself.
He glanced suspiciously at Lady Liang, who was curled up in the corner, sleeping like a child and hugging the little princess in her arms like a plush toy.
Dawn was just beginning to break, and the eerie starlight had finally faded.
But as Chen Kuang focused his gaze on Lady Liang, he noticed something strange.
The beautiful woman's skin was glowing.
At first, he thought it was just her fair complexion paired with the lighting contrast at night.
But now it was broad daylight, yet a faint white radiance still enveloped her form, giving her a sacred, untouchable aura.
What was this?
Chen Kuang narrowed his eyes.
His passive ability "Piercing Insight" allowed him to see through all illusion and falsehood.
Which meant... this was her real state.
But he had no idea what this halo actually signified.
The jailers delivering food that morning were a new batch, faces tense, clearly last night's battle had been intense.
Zhou's forces hadn't secured an overwhelming advantage, that was good news at least.
Chen Kuang groped his way toward the bars. He heard the telltale clinking of chains as Huo Hengxuan was dragged out once again.
He caught a glance from the old general, then the man suddenly clutched a pillar like a madman, screaming hoarsely and struggling wildly.
"I am the Grand General! My martial prowess is unmatched! You dogs, dare you face me in single combat?!"
It took several guards an enormous effort to subdue him and drag him away.
"You, blindly move it! Over here! Hurry up!"
"Management's feeling generous today, we're improving your food!"
Chen Kuang lowered his gaze and saw the guard's outstretched bowl, not a cold bun, but a steaming bowl of vegetable rice soaked in greasy broth.
His heart sank.
An Execution meal.
But something was off. A nobody like him, barely a background character, should've been marked for labor, meant to make up numbers for the Zhou army.
Unless... someone had suddenly made a decision about his fate.
A quick glance confirmed his suspicion, only a handful of prisoners had the hot rice bowl. The rest still had cold buns.
And every one of those few had loudly proclaimed their loyalty to Liang last night when the Ancestor appeared, including that scholar who had shouted first. All of them were now pale-faced.
Chen Kuang understood instantly.
Someone was monitoring this prison block.
Not a person, there was no one present. It had to be a cultivator's method, some kind of spiritual surveillance. Probably like watching a mute security feed.
One prisoner who had only mouthed a few rebellious lines, without making a fuss, had been spared.
And Chen Kuang, why had he been flagged?
Maybe... just because of that one bun he gave to Lady Liang.
Still, Huo Hengxuan had already been taken. That meant it wasn't his turn yet.
The next interrogation could very well be his execution deadline.
Based on previous patterns, prisoners were taken in the morning and returned at night.
That left him with just twelve hours.
He had been unsure before, but now, there was no time to hesitate.
Someone else had already made the choice for him.
Chen Kuang sighed, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the jailer in front of him.
The guard was young and startled. He instinctively opened his mouth to shout.
But the blind musician whispered urgently, "Sir... am I going to die? I don't care about myself, but I have an old mother and a young child at home. Could I beg you... just one small favor?"
The jailer growled in irritation. "Let go! What are you trying to pull? We've got rules, you know-"
"Can you walk freely through the royal city?"
The blind man asked sincerely and quickly: "When I was a court musician, Emperor Liang once rewarded me with a solid gold cup. I also had two hundred taels of savings. It's all stashed in my home in the capital. Please, sir, could you send part of it to my family?"
The jailer paused.
"Dong Da! What's taking you so long?"
A colleague's voice called over: "We're done handing out meals! Hurry up before the squad leader gets mad!"
"Coming!"
The jailer turned back, instantly changing his expression:
"Get lost! I'm busy! Who's got time for your nonsense?"
"I also know other musicians had hidden treasures, especially the Chief Musician. He was close to the Emperor. He had a square glass box, one foot wide-"
"...Where is it?"