Without much thought, Chu Ge chose "Iron Will".
When he first entered this trial, he thought it was the most useless skill. But later, he realized it was the only correct choice for this trial. Of course, this was just his understanding of the game; it's possible some players could clear it without this skill, but Chu Ge couldn't imagine what kind of ultimate resilience that would require.
The moment he selected the skill, time started flowing in the trial scenario. Chu Ge felt his vision go dark, and his consciousness quickly faded.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he was finally roused by a soft voice.
"Tingji, Tingji!"
A foul stench filled his nose, and his lower body throbbed with a dull, deep pain. This pain was unique, hard to describe—not the searing, tearing kind, but it signaled a severe danger.
As his consciousness gradually returned, Chu Ge remembered he was in the Scholar's Trial. Tingji was the courtesy name of Yang Yan, the character he was playing.
Chu Ge lifted his head with difficulty and saw a tear-streaked face filled with sorrow on the other side of the prison bars.
"Tingji… how did things reach such an unmanageable state?"
A graying, elderly official, looking around fifty, clutched the bars, his face filled with grief. Chu Ge, who had already studied the Scholar's Trial extensively, recognized this man's identity right away.
This was Miao, a long-time friend and confidant of Yang Yan. Before submitting his memorial, Yang Yan had prepared a coffin for himself and entrusted his family to Miao's care.
Clearly, the timeline now was after Yang Yan had submitted his memorial and been imprisoned. He hadn't told anyone about his plans beforehand; if he had, they would have tried everything to stop him. He also didn't want to implicate anyone else or leave any opening for accusations against him.
"This will help ease the pain, Tingji. Take it, but don't let the warden see it."
Miao reached through the bars and handed him a bloody object. Despite the dim light in the dungeon, Chu Ge knew it was a snake gallbladder.
After Yang Yan received one hundred blows and was thrown into prison, family and friends had repeatedly tried to send medicine to him, but everything had been intercepted by the warden. Miao had clearly gone through great lengths to smuggle this snake gallbladder in.
Chu Ge forced a smile and shook his head. "I have my own courage; I don't need this."
"Leave quickly, before you get dragged down with me."
After Miao left, Chu Ge sighed softly and laboriously shifted his position. He wasn't trying to act tough by refusing the gallbladder—he had accepted it in previous attempts.
But he'd found that taking the snake gallbladder wasn't worth it. For one, it was hard to consume, and its pain-relieving effects were limited, only providing short-term relief while the pain persisted throughout the trial.
Additionally, even if he hid the gallbladder well, the warden would eventually find it, becoming "evidence" of having "accomplices." This could implicate Miao as well.
So Chu Ge preferred to endure the pain with the Iron Will skill.
In the dank, straw-filled dungeon crawling with rats and snakes, Chu Ge managed to find a relatively comfortable position to lean on his arms and looked down at his legs.
The first time he saw them, he was horrified. After seeing it multiple times, he still found it disturbing.
His blood-stained prison clothes were pulled tight over his swollen legs, which had grown so thick they couldn't move. A slight press on them felt like pressing wood; they had nearly lost all sensation.
Chu Ge knew the history described it like this: "Both legs swollen and stiff as wood, unable to bend."
This was the result of a hundred blows.
If he could see his upper legs, he would be even more shocked. The cudgels used for punishment weren't ordinary wooden sticks; they were made from hardened wood with iron caps. Each strike could tear flesh and make blood splatter.
Even thirty blows, even if the executioner showed mercy, would leave someone bedridden for years. Fifty or sixty blows were usually fatal; those who survived would be disabled for life.
The maximum punishment was one hundred blows, but this number was usually meaningless since most people died after seventy or eighty blows. Very few in history survived all one hundred.
Yang Yan was one of those few.
He survived partly due to his resilience and partly because the emperor didn't want him dead just yet. The emperor suspected there was someone behind Yang Yan, and wanted to keep him alive for further interrogation.
"Bring the prisoner for interrogation!"
Two jailers entered his cell and unceremoniously dragged Chu Ge outside.
His legs had lost all feeling and couldn't bend, making walking impossible. The two jailers each took an arm, hauling him to an interrogation room, where they tied him to a wooden frame.
The "interrogation room" was just a small chamber filled with torture instruments. Chu Ge would become very familiar with this place over the coming days.
The first time he was brought here, he hadn't fully understood his role and was utterly confused.
Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?
But now, having gone through this scenario multiple times, he understood his situation well and stayed calm.
In the Scholar's Trial, players had to play as Yang Yan and withstand three rounds of interrogation. They also had to find ways to survive in the dungeon. Only then would they clear the trial.
It sounded straightforward, but after trying it, he realized it was just as hard as the Warrior's Trial.
The door of the interrogation room opened with a clang.
Two figures entered, one in official robes and the other a eunuch, both taking seats behind a table. Chu Ge instantly recognized them.
The official in robes was He Xueyi, a prominent member of the cabinet, while the eunuch was a favored servant of the emperor, Eunuch Shi.
These two were Chu Ge's first significant hurdle as Yang Yan.
He Xueyi and Eunuch Shi sat behind the table, staring at him with evident hostility.
The reason was simple: Yang Yan had enraged the emperor, causing them no end of trouble!