The moon shrouded in faintness, the stars sparse. The night unfolded like a dense ink, impenetrable and desolate. The prisoners, bearing their shackles under the scorching sun, traversed the entire day on foot, their bodies and spirits pushed to their limits. In such desolation, even a small, moldy, and foul-smelling piece of bread became a delicacy of earthly proportions.
Having finished their meager meal, they lay upon the ground, soon succumbing to the symphony of snores that filled the air, occasionally punctuated by the crackling of the bonfire. The overseers gathered around the flames, producing flasks of wine to accompany their conversation. The dried meat, now softened in the clay pots and seasoned with spices, emitted an irresistibly rich and dominant aroma. To the prisoners, weakened from prolonged deprivation, it held a near-lethal allure.
Shen Tang's keen ears caught the sound of others swallowing saliva with a rumble in their throats, as well as the grumbling of their empty stomachs akin to the thunderous roar of a tempest within. Lowering her head, she reached a hand to touch her own emaciated abdomen, her gaze darkened with a sigh—she too, was hungry.
"Would you like some?" One of the overseers ladled a bowl of soup from the clay pot, blowing gently to cool it before taking a sip. With a peripheral glance, he noticed the eager, yet restrained gazes around him. His eyes narrowed, and a mischievous smile crept onto his lips. "This broth is quite precious. If you desire it, you'll need to offer something in exchange."
Instantly, silence fell among the prisoners. Shen Tang lifted her eyelids at the remark, her lips pursing slightly, a flicker of displeasure passing through her darkened gaze. Devoid of memory though she may be, she was no fool. She understood the implications behind the man's words. Among this group of uncertain futures, soon to be ensnared in the courtesan quarters, their possessions stripped bare, what could they possibly offer in exchange for the meaty soup? The answer was painfully clear.
Upon finishing his statement, the overseer cast a frivolous glance over the assembly of female convicts, as if relishing their expressions of hesitation or indignation. Another overseer chuckled, giving him a playful pat on the back of his head. "You better take a good look at yourself before considering if you're worthy to even lay eyes on their beds. These are all 'distinguished guests' of the Gong family."
He deliberately elongated the term "distinguished guests."
"Distinguished guests? What kind of distinguished guests are they?" The overseer rubbed the back of his head, purposefully raising his voice. "Are you talking about those who serve in the courtesan quarters?"
"Exactly!" chimed in a third overseer, joining the banter under the influence of alcohol. "Isn't the courtesan quarters a place where only those with silver can indulge? We can afford it, can't we, brothers? If one can't afford it alone, we can pool our resources. If one can't afford a full night, then half a night it is. You burn half an incense stick, I'll burn the other half..."
"Brother, are you looking down on someone? Whoever burns half an incense stick is the loser!"
"We'll open sooner or later. What difference does it make whether we open here or in the courtesan quarters? It's all the same, isn't it?"
Faced with such shame and humiliation, the male prisoners dared not voice their anger, while the female prisoners, especially those with some semblance of beauty, trembled with fear, their faces drained of color.
Seeing the conversation descending into indecency, the lead overseer intervened. "All of you, simmer down! This conversation is becoming indecent! Once our duty here is done, you can go to whichever courtesan quarter you please for entertainment. There's no need to fixate on these few individuals. Stay alert and keep an eye on them! It's been ordered from above: if any one of them escapes, we'll all be held accountable!"
The group of overseers abruptly fell silent, until one of them muttered under his breath. "With their spirits shattered and their courage broken, what do they have to escape with?"
"Shattered spirits? Broken courage?" Shen Tang keenly caught onto these two phrases. Without warning, a sharp and undeniable pang of pain pierced through her mind. She then heard the same overseer whispering flatteringly to the lead overseer, "These prisoners from the Gong family, no matter how illustrious they may have been in the past, that's all in the past. Although we brothers are just minor officials, you, sir, are a third-rank official."
Other overseers chimed in, "Exactly, boss. These prisoners are either fallen women or discarded nobles. How could they possibly escape?"
"Minor officials? Third-rank official?" What are these?
Shen Tang's brows furrowed, her jaw clenched tightly. Enduring a wave of intense pain followed by a moment of respite, she unconsciously broke out in a cold sweat, her face turning pale with a tinge of green. Though she exerted great restraint, the subtle trembling of her body did not go unnoticed by the prisoners nearby. A woman lifted her eyelids to glance at Shen Tang. Seeing her hand pressed against her forehead, a picture of agonizing distress, the woman snorted softly, then turned away. "Madwoman..."
It was unclear how much time passed. Suddenly, as if crossing a threshold, the pain surged forth with a thunderous roar before receding like a retreating tide. Shen Tang breathed out heavily as if granted a reprieve, her gaze dazed and disoriented, as if granted a reprieve.
As her mind gradually regained clarity, she found herself piecing together fragments of unfamiliar memories. With closed eyes, she sifted through the remnants.
Two hundred years ago, when the fate of the world hung in the balance, the night sky rained down stars. Among them, a rogue star stood out, emitting an eerie and dazzling purple light that bathed the entire heavens. This meteor shower not only altered the course of the war, causing the once-dominant ruler to taste bitter defeat, but it also swiftly transformed the world. With the overthrow of the central authority, warlords and feudal lords across the land amassed their own armies, plunging the realm back into chaos. Thus began an era of strife, with the splintering of a hundred kingdoms and endless warfare. Amidst the turmoil, some discovered a miraculous change within their bodies.
By cultivating both literary arts and martial prowess, individuals could harness the essence of heaven and earth, gathering it within their dantian to refine themselves. The dantian, divided into the literary and martial, could crystallize the essence of heaven and earth into "Wenxin" and "Wudan," each possessing its own unique virtues. As these individuals delved deeper into their exploration, a systematic classification gradually emerged.
The "Wenxin" is divided into nine grades, capable of turning imagination into reality, conjuring something out of nothing, and deciding the outcome of battles with ease. Meanwhile, the "Wudan" consists of twenty levels, with the highest level being the "Chieftain" at the twentieth rank. Since the descent of the rogue star, there have been only three individuals with the "Chieftain" level of Wudan, each a peerless hero capable of single-handedly defending a nation!
As Shen Tang sorted through these unfamiliar memories, her expression gradually turned speechless. She had just begun to speculate on her own grade of Wenxin or rank of Wudan, hoping that even if she had been incapacitated, her physical constitution might still be better than that of an ordinary person, perhaps allowing her a chance to escape.
However, as soon as this thought arose, a small piece of information emerged in her mind, shattering her hopes—she was female. In this world, the female body was like a broken vessel, capable of sensing the essence of heaven and earth but unable to gather it within the dantian, thus lacking the so-called Wenxin and Wudan.
Shen Tang muttered under her breath, "...Damnation!"
Does that blasted meteorite discriminate based on gender too???
Just as she finished cursing inwardly, Shen Tang heard the head overseer speaking sternly to his subordinates. "What do you fools understand?" The head overseer was enjoying the flattery from his subordinate, but he didn't lose himself in it. "The Gong family's residence was raided, but not everyone was captured. I've heard there's still a "Five Grandmasters" on the run. If we happen to encounter..." He trailed off with a snort.
The third-rank officials could easily overpower this group of minor officials. The "Five Grandmasters," belonging to the ninth rank, could easily subdue the third-rank officials. If that "Five Grandmasters" were to attack, they might not even have time to escape... Of course, this possibility was slim.
Everyone understood the unspoken implications. Because of this little incident, they had to suppress their desires and not act rashly. The surroundings fell silent, save for the chirping of insects. Shen Tang, feeling despondent, keenly sensed movement around her waist, followed by the rolling sound of a small stone being thrown.
The overseer who heard the commotion approached. He issued a low warning, "What's going on here?" The woman who had snatched Shen Tang's bread during the day licked her lips and asked, "Is there any meat soup left, sir?" Shen Tang, pretending to be asleep, felt a twitch at the corner of her eyebrow.