The two soldiers in black armor were probably from the Xuanjia Army. The little girl they had brought in was likely a Host Spirit Girl—one of the women condemned as Suzai.
Su Jin watched the darkness.
She was so small, yet they had put a cangue on her. What rotten luck.
If Xuanjia soldiers took over the prison tomorrow, his escape would be much harder.
He had to leave tonight, without a mistake.
First, he needed food and energy.
Su Jin reached into the hidden pocket of his underwear and took out a bottle of espresso.
As he drank, he sometimes took out a snack and ate it in secret.
More than twenty minutes later, there was movement in the prison again.
The head jailer appeared with two guards and two well-dressed young men.
He opened Su Jin’s cell with a fawning smile. "Young Master Du, please. It isn’t much, but this is one of our roomier, cleaner cells."
Su Jin’s heart sank.
Damn.
His private cell now had a second occupant. That could complicate his plan.
The first young man had straight brows and bright eyes and was dressed like a wandering swordsman.
He entered without expression and sat cross-legged.
After a moment he looked at the other young man. "Lu Mingxuan, did you come just to laugh at me?"
Lu Mingxuan was handsome, with a pair of flirtatious eyes.
At Du Wenyan’s words, those eyes curved into a smile that made him look a little sleazy.
"You drank and made a scene in public. Everyone else avoids you, but I brought you here. Is that any way to speak to me?" he teased.
Du Wenyan closed his eyes without answering.
"Brother Du, drinking is hardly a serious matter. Beg me, and I can take you out. What do you say?" Lu Mingxuan smiled.
"Brother Lu, we’ve never gotten along, but do you have to kick me while I’m down? What have I done to you? Say it plainly instead of acting like a petty man," Du Wenyan said.
Lu Mingxuan’s expression cooled. "I actually admire you. There’s no great feud between us."
"But I hear you’ve been belittling me in private. You said I can’t compare with Shen Yufeng. Did you say it?"
"I did. Among our generation, Shen Yufeng ranks first in the Xuanjia Army, and you rank first at Tanyu Temple. But to me, you fall far short of him."
"He’s a steady, honorable man. You use your talent to chase hawks and hounds and spend your time at banquets."
The jailer and guards looked nervously from one man to the other.
"Ha! Well said!" Lu Mingxuan laughed, though anger showed on his face.
He rushed into the cell and kicked Su Jin in the backside.
What did that have to do with him? Su Jin clutched his backside.
Nothing had gone right for him today.
He had been lying there quietly and still got kicked.
"You!" Lu Mingxuan glared at him. "How do I compare with Shen Yufeng?"
"Shen Yufeng is nothing beside you, Young Master Lu," Su Jin said with a fawning smile. "I’ve admired you for years—ow!"
Another kick sent him rolling across the floor.
"Bootlicker! You think I don’t know what Shen Yufeng is worth?" Lu Mingxuan cursed.
Su Jin fell silent and lay still.
"Enough," Du Wenyan said. "What sort of man takes his anger out on an ordinary person?"
"You’ve never fought Shen Yufeng, have you? At least you’re wise enough to avoid him."
"Avoid him?" Lu Mingxuan turned back. "Insult me if you like. I’m broad-minded. I don’t care."
Su Jin could not help shuddering where he lay.
"But I represent Tanyu Temple. Insulting me is insulting the Temple. You’re unlucky to have fallen into my hands today."
Lu Mingxuan sneered. "Who do you think you are? You have no strength and no family standing. The nobles invite you because you have some literary talent. They treat you as a plaything."
"Let’s see who dares invite you after you offend Tanyu Temple!" He left the cell and told the jailer, "Du Wenyan stays for every day of his sentence. He eats what everyone else eats, and he finishes every bite. Understood?"
"Understood!" the jailer said, standing straight.
"Take good care of him. I’ll come back to check."
The cell door was locked, and the prison fell quiet again.
Su Jin and Du Wenyan sat on opposite sides without speaking.
Su Jin stole a few looks at his new cellmate and sighed inwardly.
What awful luck. He had not even eaten properly, and he had already taken a beating.
He would have to knock Du Wenyan out before making his move.
...
At about eleven that night, two guards appeared.
They pushed a battered wooden cart down the corridor.
It carried two wooden buckets and several stacks of bowls caked in black grime.
When a lid came off, a thick, sour stench struck Su Jin’s sensitive nose.
It was not simply spoiled food. It smelled like yesterday’s vomit reheated and mixed with moldy water, urine, foot odor, and rotting vegetables.
Before it reached him, the smell clawed at his throat like a hand fresh from a drain.
The guards began serving the cells.
The other prisoners seemed used to it. They slurped from their bowls, letting yellow-green liquid dribble from their mouths to the floor.
Two battered bowls were thrown through the bars into Su Jin’s cell.
A wooden ladle followed, dropping a mound of thick, indescribable food into each.
Su Jin held his nose and looked. He went dizzy.
It looked like mung bean soup someone had swallowed, partly digested, and vomited back up.
There was plenty in the bowl.
Blackened split beans floated among swollen grains of rice that resembled maggots. Green clumps clung to the side like wet mucus.
Soft purple fragments lay in the sludge, like pieces of shed intestinal tissue.
Su Jin had never seen a meal like it. The sight alone shook him.
Even dissecting a corpse had not disgusted him this much.
If nothing else, the food was reason enough to escape.
"Is this meant for people to eat?" he asked, pinching his nose.
"First time? This is what happens when food gets wasted," a guard said. "Eat or don’t. It’s your only meal today. Starve if you want."
Su Jin muttered a curse and backed away.
Du Wenyan opened his eyes, uncrossed his legs, took his bowl, and sat down again.
To Su Jin’s astonishment, Du Wenyan frowned and gulped down the strange sludge.
After a few mouthfuls, he pointed to the other bowl. "Are you eating that? If not, give it to me."
"You must be hungry. Go ahead..." Su Jin gave him a thumbs-up, deeply impressed.
The man really could swallow anything. Su Jin conceded that he was the tougher of the two.