Chapter Fourteen: Trapped in Prison

Watching the two cult members walk away with their empty lunch boxes, Li Ju found himself deep in thought.

According to what those two cultists had said, he was now regarded by the cult as a living post for crafting poison puppets, and had already undergone the first stage of their toxic refinement.

“The poison pool I first entered when I arrived in this scenario must have been their so-called place for the initial refinement,” Li Ju pondered quietly.

“But that first refinement left me in such agony I passed out, and according to those cultists, that was only the first stage, with anesthetics administered—if the following refinements are carried out without anesthesia, and they throw me directly into the poison pool…”

Li Ju couldn’t help but shiver.

When he regained consciousness in the poison pool, he finally understood the meaning of pain that pierced to the bone. In the real world, he’d survived countless brushes with death—he thought himself someone who could be stabbed twice without even blinking. Yet, in that poison pool, he hadn’t lasted a minute.

That pain was akin to having one’s bones split open with a knife and the marrow scraped out.

And there remained two more refinements, both without any anesthetic to dull his senses, each sure to be more agonizing than the first!

“If I have to endure such torment every time, there’s a real chance I’ll die from the pain alone. No wonder the scenario’s passage requirement is simply to survive three days…”

Li Ju pressed his lips together, realizing he needed to find a way to break the cycle; he couldn’t simply follow the plot any longer, or his death by agony was all but inevitable.

“My identity in this scenario is still that of Li Ju, a former fire-tending disciple with no martial arts skills, so the cult imprisoned me as an ordinary person—which is my opportunity.”

He considered how to escape.

Though his soul had entered the scenario, the skills in his skill bar were still at his disposal. The moment he arrived, the first layer of Ghost Bat Technique had been attached to his body.

To the people here, he remained a powerless youth, but in reality he was now a martial artist at the external mastery level.

With the advantage of awareness, if he could find a chance, he stood a good chance of escaping. Once out, he could hide until the task’s time expired and clear the scenario.

“Hey, kid, which sect are you from?”

Just as Li Ju was lost in thought, a voice from the next cell interrupted him.

Li Ju looked toward the source, seeing only the wall to his right.

“Hey, kid, answer me!”

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The rough voice came again from the neighboring cell.

“I am Li Ju, a disciple of the Flying Sword Sect. May I ask who you are, senior?” Li Ju steadied himself and replied.

“Flying Sword Sect?”

“I have long-standing ties with your sect’s leader, ‘Cloud-soaring Sword’ Yang Zhao. How’s that old fellow these days?”

The voice next door suddenly grew friendlier.

“My Flying Sword Sect was destroyed by the cult. Master Yang Zhao refused to retreat and died tragically at their hands.”

Li Ju’s voice grew sombre, laden with grief and anger.

Hearing this, the neighboring voice fell silent for a while, then finally spoke in a low tone: “I recall your Flying Sword Sect was the largest martial clan in Lingnan. Who would have thought it would eventually fall to the cult? It seems in recent years, the righteous have waned while the wicked wax strong…”

“I was captured as I fled with my elder brother after the sect was annihilated. I don’t know if he managed to escape.”

Li Ju’s voice remained downcast.

“Don’t be disheartened, child. Believe in your brother’s fortune—he’ll surely escape from the cult.”

The voice next door offered comfort.

“Ah, I hope so.”

Li Ju shook his head and sighed.

Though he appeared dejected, in his heart he was certain Wang Lu had escaped. Unlike himself, a minor character, Wang Lu was the protagonist of this scenario—turning misfortune to advantage and breaking through in moments of crisis was basic for him.

Even if Wang Lu was momentarily captured, it would only be a setup for a greater breakthrough later.

Such is the protagonist’s destiny.

“We’ve talked so much, may I ask your name, senior?” Li Ju turned his thoughts from Wang Lu and asked about the identity of the neighbor.

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“My name is Du Tianyou, elder of the Autumn Blade Sect. In my day, I roamed the lands with a long blade, and cut down quite a few cult fiends!”

The voice from next door spoke with some pride.

“So you are the renowned ‘Demon-slaying Blade’ Du Tianyou!”

Drawing upon the information he’d received when entering the scenario, Li Ju immediately recognized Du Tianyou’s identity and exclaimed in surprise.

Du Tianyou, known as the ‘Demon-slaying Blade,’ had sworn to annihilate all cultists after his family was slaughtered by them. According to the tally kept by martial world gossipers, at least a hundred cultists had fallen to his blade. His prowess matched his deeds: he was a master of internal arts, counted among the strongest in the martial world. His reputation, born of strength and achievement, was universally known.

Yet this formidable figure had vanished from the martial world a year ago. Even his own Autumn Blade Sect searched in vain. For a time, everyone wondered where he’d gone, speculating endlessly, never suspecting he’d been imprisoned by the cult all along.

“All empty fame, nothing worth mentioning,” Du Tianyou replied, a hint of humility in his voice—but it was clear he appreciated Li Ju’s reaction.

“Your campaign to purge the cult with your blade was something I deeply admired, senior. All my peers in the sect took you as a model.”

Li Ju flattered him further, joy evident in his voice, as if meeting a lifelong idol.

He had good reason to be pleased—his scenario reward would be a random skill or specialty from any character in this world. The appearance of a master like Du Tianyou raised the quality of his potential reward pool.

“Hahaha…”

Du Tianyou was delighted.

“Hmph, all that boasting outside, yet here you are in the cult’s dungeon, unable to escape for life!”

Suddenly, a contemptuous snort interrupted Li Ju’s praise.

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