With a sharp "crack," Chu Ge smashed the broken porcelain bowl in the corner.
"Bring me a light; it's too dark in here," he said to the guard outside.
The guard looked at Chu Ge, a hint of pity in his eyes, as though he were looking at a dead man. But a small oil lamp was easy to provide, so he casually grabbed one from nearby and brought it over.
The guard didn't understand why Yang Yan needed a light. After all, the prison was dank and damp, with no books to read.
Then, he witnessed something that shocked him.
Yang Yan strained to move his swollen, immobilized legs. Under the dim lamplight, he carefully examined several festering, swollen wounds on his legs. Then, using the sharp edge of the broken porcelain, he pierced into one of the wounds!
With forceful pressure, pus and blood oozed out, releasing a foul stench.
In the gloomy dungeon, this smell was almost trivial, yet the process itself was unimaginable. What kind of pain was Yang Yan enduring?
Finally, he finished draining one abscess.
Chu Ge moved to another sore, piercing it with the porcelain shard and squeezing out more pus. He had done this several times before and was now somewhat accustomed to it.
Under the effect of the "Steel Will" trait, his pain tolerance and endurance were greatly enhanced. Furthermore, his legs had already lost much of their sensation, so the pain was not overwhelming. The greater challenge was the sight itself.
Piercing his own festering wounds with a broken bowl, draining the pus from his own legs—repeating this over and over was more horrifying than any scene in a horror game. Only someone with extraordinary mental strength could endure it!
And this was just the beginning. Even grislier challenges lay ahead.
Chu Ge didn't stop; he knew his time was limited.
The game only allowed him a certain amount of time to pierce every sore and drain all the pus if he wanted to survive.
Otherwise, the infection from the wounds would claim his life.
The flickering light of the oil lamp shook slightly, a sign that even the guard holding it was disturbed by what he saw, his hands trembling.
Finally, Chu Ge finished draining the wounds and collapsed weakly onto the straw bedding.
"Thank you," he murmured.
The guard left, his gaze carrying a newfound respect.
This man was tough.
As a guard, he had seen many prisoners come and go, but he had never met someone as resilient as this. And this wasn't some hardened criminal, robber, or fierce general. This was a scholar.
Chu Ge felt his consciousness fading, but since there was no notification of failure, he knew he had successfully completed the first stage.
…
In the darkness, footsteps echoed outside the cell.
Chu Ge knew the second stage of the trial was about to begin.
But this time, the guards didn't enter to drag him to the interrogation room. Instead, they silently stepped back.
The visitor remained hidden in the shadows, unlike the grand presence of He Xueyi and Eunuch Shi.
With the guards dismissed, the room grew colder and more ominous.
An older man with a white beard and a sharp, hawk-like gaze emerged from the darkness.
Though he wore no official robes and looked rather understated, Chu Ge knew exactly who he was—the most powerful minister in Wei, second only to the Emperor himself: Wang Chong.
Wang Chong looked over the battered Yang Yan, a hint of surprise in his voice. "You don't seem surprised to see me."
Chu Ge remained indifferent. "Lord Wang, you and I are like fire and water. Since you've already decided to eliminate me, why go through this pretense?"
Though he spoke calmly now, Chu Ge remembered being shocked the first time he saw Wang Chong here. He hadn't expected Wang Chong to personally come to the prison!
This meeting was not recorded in official history, so the first time he encountered Wang Chong in the game, he was completely unprepared and had failed the trial.
This time, he was ready.
Wang Chong seated himself at a table brought by the guards, producing a small wine flask and two cups. Pouring the wine silently, he placed one cup near Chu Ge's side of the bars.
"Ting Ji, although you hate me and see us as sworn enemies, I consider you different from the likes of He Xueyi. Only you could truly be my kindred spirit.
"In all of Wei, there is no one else who could truly be called a 'hero' alongside me…except you."
Chu Ge sneered. "You're jesting, Lord Wang. How can virtue and vice be spoken of in the same breath? When I die and meet the sages, if they knew of your words, they'd surely rise from their graves in outrage."
Wang Chong sipped his own wine, unfazed. "It matters not. You are virtuous, I am corrupt; you claim all righteousness, and I bear all the blame."
The most powerful man in Wei drank alone, watching as Yang Yan refused to touch his cup. He continued speaking, undeterred.
"Ting Ji, I am a few years your senior and entered the court before you. But I must admit, you are the only man in all of Wei I truly respect.
"You may think I came here to interrogate you, like He Xueyi, to break you down.
"But no.
"The Emperor has not yet ordered your execution, which means our match is not yet over. You've staked your life on this memorial, prepared your own coffin. If I thought I could change your mind with mere threats and promises, I'd be the fool here.
"I came not to demand or threaten, but simply to share a few words that only you would understand."
Chu Ge hesitated briefly. "Very well. I, too, have some questions to ask Lord Wang."
The first time he encountered this stage, Chu Ge had been shocked by Wang Chong's attitude.
His understanding of Wang Chong had been as a ruthless minister, infamous for consolidating power, corruption, and crushing opponents with an iron hand. This villainous figure, personally coming to offer wine and converse with a condemned man?
It had caught him completely off guard.
But after several failed attempts, Chu Ge understood Wang Chong's motives and was now fully prepared to engage.
Wang Chong continued, "I've read your memorial, Ting Ji. It's as sharp as a blade, each word striking the heart.
"I won't comment on your criticisms of the Emperor, but your remarks about me certainly left an impact.
"Especially your words about last winter's famine. How you condemned certain officials in the so-called 'Wang faction' for substituting relief grains with fodder and chaff—those lines, dripping with blood, were truly moving."
Wang Chong paused, giving Chu Ge an opportunity to respond.
"What, Lord Wang, do you finally feel shame for the suffering of the starving?"
Wang Chong shook his head. "No, I am filled with pride.
"Ting Ji, have you ever considered that a pound of grain could be exchanged for three pounds of fodder? This means the food that would save one life could save three instead.
"Do you even know what 'Guanyin soil' is? Have you seen endless plains stripped of every last piece of bark?
"Do you truly understand what those historical records mean by 'famine and cannibalism'? Have you witnessed the horrors behind those simple words?
"The relief grain we send is never enough. Without creative solutions, you wouldn't find survivors in the disaster zones—only a sea of bones.
"You've read a few books, clinging to their rigid principles. But do you really believe that the words of your sages can save the people?"