The bearded leader, commanding his troops, appeared tall and robust, suggesting a slow demeanor. However, the long spear in his hand moved with surprising speed.
With a roar of "You court death!", the spear I faced instantly transformed into a sky full of spear shadows. These shadows obscured the leader's body, and a dense wall of spears pressed down upon me.
My body shifted direction rapidly, but no matter which way I tried to escape, the spear wall advanced relentlessly, leaving me no room to break free.
I attempted to flee towards the nearby guards, hoping to divert the trouble, but they pushed me back.
"Damn it, looks like I have to fight for my life."
I cursed inwardly and charged into the spear formation.
Despite my overwhelming fear, at the critical moment, I recalled the bearded leader's words: "Bring him back alive."
In truth, I was gambling. I gambled that he wouldn't kill me, that I could survive. If I lost, my situation wouldn't be any worse than it already was.
Facing the dense array of spear shadows, I gritted my teeth and charged forward, praying to all the gods for protection.
The expected pain never came. When I opened my eyes, I saw a spear tip stopped just a centimeter from my nose.
The owner of the spear, the bearded leader, looked down at me with disdain.
"With your meager skills, you dare to challenge me? Bah..."
Being berated like this for the first time, my face flushed. But then, I ducked low, drew the small white snake from my waist, and struck at the bearded leader.
The bearded leader reacted with incredible speed. Seeing me close in, he stomped hard and retreated swiftly. His spear flickered, and the tip once again pointed at me.
This time, I saw that the spear had no intention of stopping. It was aimed directly at my shoulder.
I brandished my weapon upwards. My intention was merely to use the resilience of the small white snake to deflect the spear and then seize the opportunity to escape into the Yin Bamboo Forest.
However, I never imagined that the small white snake, which had always been as limp as a dead snake, possessed such power. When it collided with the bearded leader's spear, it not only knocked the spear aside but, to the leader's astonishment, snapped it in two.
"A great opportunity. Strike while the iron is hot."
I pushed off the ground, launching myself forward as if I had springs attached to my body, aiming to strike the bearded leader and then make my escape.
My imagination was beautiful, but reality was harsh.
The bearded leader, whose spear I had just destroyed, merely paused for a moment. Facing my aggressive pursuit, a look of contempt appeared on his face.
He took a sudden step back, narrowly dodging my attack, and then I saw him lift his right foot sharply.
"Kid, a good weapon is useless without the right wielder. With your clumsy skills, you think you can sneak attack? You truly don't know your place."
At this moment, I was suspended in mid-air. My forward momentum had ceased, and my backward momentum had not yet begun. I was a sitting duck in the air.
My mind registered his movement, but my body couldn't keep up with my reaction. I could only watch helplessly as he raised his right leg.
Fortunately, at the last moment, I threw the small white snake in my hand towards him, causing him to hesitate slightly. However, he only managed to bring his hands up to protect his chest, and his kicking leg did not retract.
This gave me the chance to bring my own arms up to shield myself.
A tremendous force surged through my arms, slamming into my chest.
I was numb.
Not only my arms, but my entire body went numb. I was once again a flying projectile. Though I tried to stop myself, the force was beyond my control.
*Thump—*
Pain.
Unbearable pain.
My arms hurt, my chest hurt, and even my backside and back ached.
I had hoped that with the enhancement of the Tian Qiao Seal on my body, I might still have a chance to escape. But now, with one kick, it was scattered. Lying on the ground, I was no better off than the small white snake I had "violently cared for" earlier.
The bearded leader strode forward and placed a foot on my chest. "Kid, you'd better be a good bargaining chip for my reward."
With a kick, he flipped me over.
"Someone grab this kid and tie him up. Take him to the mansion's prison for safekeeping until the general returns."
"Yes."
Several guards pulled me up from the ground. With long sabers pressed against me, I dared not entertain any other thoughts and was forced to walk with them.
As the prince's mansion loomed closer, I inwardly lamented, "It's over. This time, I'm completely finished."
I was shoved into the prince's mansion. The maids and servants I encountered along the way all kept their heads down, never looking at me. Only when I was being dragged into the dungeon did I see the little maid who had led me out of the mansion earlier.
But she merely glanced at me before hurrying away with her head down, as if I were a ferocious beast of floodwaters, and a single extra glance could cost her her life.
I had been fantasizing about her informing Fifth Princess of my capture if I saw her. Now, it all seemed like a pipe dream.
This was my first time entering a dungeon. It was surprisingly clean, unlike the dark, damp, and foul-smelling dungeons I had seen on television.
Aside from a certain chill, there was nothing else particularly noteworthy. The entire room was constructed from large stones, and the only window was barred by iron rods as thick as a baby's arm, extinguishing any thoughts of escape through it.
The cell was lit by an unknown source, making it somewhat dim, but I could still discern the general layout.
Furthest from the iron gate, a pile of dry grass rose over a meter high. It seemed that this would be my bed from now on.
Before I could finish examining my temporary dwelling, I felt a push from behind.
"Kid, you have plenty of time to study your new home here."
The bearded leader shoved me further inside and then locked the door.
All my belongings were confiscated. Even the Hu Kui Seal was taken by the bearded leader. When he saw the seal, his eyes gleamed with avarice. Had it not been for the presence of so many people, I suspect he would have killed me and claimed it for himself.
Helplessly, I pounded on the iron gate, shouting for them to let me out. But the only response was the piercing pain in my hands from hitting the bars.
"Hey, new guy. What are you yelling about? Can't a person sleep?"
I instinctively turned my gaze towards the pile of grass. The grass pile slowly began to rise, as if something were trying to emerge from within.
To my astonishment, a figure appeared from the grass. Had it not been for the grass clinging to him, one could barely tell he was a person.
He was tall, at least over six feet, but incredibly thin. His loose-fitting clothes hung on him as if on a clothesline.
I eyed him warily. "Who are you?"
"Who am I? I don't remember. Perhaps I knew once, but now I've long forgotten my own name. However, I am curious, why are you locked in the waiting room?"
His words startled me, and I instinctively asked, "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it means. You wait here until you die to get out."
Upon hearing this, I forgot the pain in my hands and frantically began to pound on the iron gate.
"Let me out."