Chapter 0020: Big Sister Lanxin

Neither Yang Wu nor Wan Lanxin had ever imagined a reunion here.

The two had been born into nobility and had been playmates at a young age, forming a close bond. Wan Lanxin had taken on the role of gang leader, dragging him along as she played with the other children. They had caused trouble wherever they went. Later, Wan Lanxin and her father had left Royal City, effectively ending all communication.

Wan Lanxin had been the most talented cultivator among their old playmates. If she had not missed Mount Emei’s recruitment, which happened once every three years, she would have joined the nation’s most powerful sect.

Despite walking away from such a fine opportunity, the girl had followed her father into the military, then to the prison. She had never stopped cultivating, becoming an Inferior Grade General at a young age. She had earned one merit after another, and due to her performance, she became an exception to the rule, earning her rank as a captain and managing a cellblock on her own.

Of course, working and living in the prison for the past years had cut her off from the happenings in Royal City. She did not know about the misfortune that had befallen the Yang Clan, nor had she been made aware of Yang Wu’s imprisonment. Seeing his face now had caught her off guard.

Naturally, Yang Wu had not expected to see her here, either, and tried to hide his face in shame.

As a viscount, he was arrogant and proud. He had a hard time lowering his head, but he did so before the woman he had played with as a child. She was one of the few people he had worshiped since his youth, and she had been his first crush.

He had not had the courage to do anything about it, though. A couple of his friends had talked about doing the things Yang Wu only fantasized about, but she had beaten them black and blue for their trouble. With such a harsh lesson so deeply engraved on his memory, he had not dared act on his feelings.

Besides, he had enjoyed far better treatment than his childhood friends. He had walked hand-in-hand with Wan Lanxin when she had dragged him along for a stroll. Yang Wu even remembered the few times she had encouraged him to venture into a brothel, joking that she wanted to take his virginity.

That kind of thing had happened numerous times, but he had been too shy to accept. Thus, she had teased him for being a ‘little virgin.’ Helpless, he had always replied with ‘old virgin’, earning his own merciless beating.

The relationship these two had had in the past was undeniable. They had even addressed each other as siblings and had been the best of friends.

Now, however, one of them was a captain and responsible for a large number of men, becoming a formidable force at such a young age. Unfortunately, the other had been imprisoned, despite his status as a hereditary viscount. Yang Wu’s social status had been stripped, and now, he was even less than a commoner. The gap between them had changed drastically.

Yang Wu’s expression twisted into a complicated combination of emotions. His tone indifferent, he replied, “It is me. I’m just a lowly prisoner now. Don’t worry, Big Sister Lanxin. But it would mean the world to me if you still remembered our past, and maybe, you could stop these people from making my life any more difficult.”

As distracted as she was, Wan Lanxin might have let the squad leader’s behavior pass, but now that Yang Wu had mentioned it, she erupted, enraged as she locked eyes with the trembling Xu Ziyang. With a loud crack, she gave the man a brutal slap.

Xu Ziyang was dumbfounded. He lost several more teeth, and his cheeks began to swell immediately, making him look somewhat like a fat pig. The other guards backed away, shuddering and afraid. Not one of them dared to utter a word.

The inmates, on the other hand, were overjoyed by the display. They all despised Xu Ziyang but lacked the strength to stand up to him. Seeing him suffer was a balm on their hearts.

Suddenly, the crowd spun as they heard several wolves howling in the distance.

Wan Lanxin was about to say something to Yang Wu only a moment before, but when she heard the howls, her brow furrowed. Turning, she snapped at the guards, “Keep an eye on my younger brother. If anything happens to him, you’ll have to answer to me!”

After a pause, she spoke to Yang Wu. “Stay here for now. I’ll be back to find you once I’ve dealt with these wolf spirits.”

With that, she hopped back into her saddle. She glanced back at the young man, deep emotions swimming in her gaze before she rushed off to cellblock 8.

Delight shone in Yang Wu’s own eyes as he watched her ride off. “It looks like Big Sister Lanxing hadn’t forgotten about me after all.”

The event had changed the way both the guards and other inmates looked at Yang Wu.

The jailers knew who Wan Lanxing was, of course. She was the warden’s daughter and their very own princess. Even if they mustered every ounce of courage they had, they would never disobey the young woman.

On the other hand, the inmates felt nothing but envy and respect for Yang Wu. Even in this miserable place, he had support from such a prominent figure. It was not likely that he would be stuck in this prison for long.

As fast as it had come, the wolf spirits’ calamity was quelled.

While his daughter had been distracted, Wan Tianlong had mobilized a contingent of three thousand bowmen armed with scarlet steel crossbows. One after another, the invading wolf spirits had fallen under the rain of bolts.

After suffering a strike from Wan Tianlong’s sword, Lang Cha had been no match for the warden. The wounds left it no choice but to retreat with the pack’s survivors. Despite the loss, the General wolf spirit only parted after snarling a final threat, declaring he would return with a true Wolf King and deal with Wan Tianlong.

Three to four thousand wolf spirits had died, with less than a thousand escaping the fray.

The mountain prison had suffered significant losses as well. During the battle, more than a thousand guards and three thousand prisoners had perished. Maimed bodies and torn limbs littered the ground, painting a terrifying scene.

Wan Tianlong ordered his men to return to their posts and keep their eyes opened in case the wolf spirits launched another attack. He also led Zhao Changdao and Lie Feng back into block 8 in preparation to excavate the buried secret. He would use it to bolster his strength.

Along the way, his daughter interrupted, pulling him to the side. She asked, “What happened to Uncle Yang’s family? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bewildered, Wan Tianlong replied, “Which Uncle Yang?”

“Uncle Yang Zhennan!” Wan Lanxin demanded.

“So, you saw the brat?” the older man asked, frowning.

Wan Lanxin nodded. “I did! He’s in terrible shape!”

The warden’s answer was disdainful. “Worse than terrible. The Yang Clan is finished. Don’t bother with him and let nature take its course. He refused a life of glory and wealth, and as punishment for his obstinance, his entire clan was annihilated. How stupid!” He then turned away from his daughter, leading a thousand men to the deep pit waiting within cellblock 8

Wan Lanxing grumbled, unsatisfied with her father’s explanation, “If you don’t want to tell me, then I’ll ask him myself. I can’t believe Yang Wu is capable of such an unforgivable mistake!” Determined, she mounted her leopard and returned to block 68.

——

Back in block 68, Yang Wu instructed Xiaoman to tend to Skinny Monkey’s wounds in the stone hut.

Xu Ziyang had beaten the young man so badly that he suffered internal bleeding. If he had not already begun cultivating, the wounds would have been enough to kill him.

Yang Wu even offered another nibble of the blood ginseng, in addition to the juice from a wild snow pear he had received from Xiaoman. He refused to let Skinny Monkey die on his behalf.

Worried, Xiaoman asked, “Is Big Brother Monkey going to be alright, Young Master?”

“Nothing will happen to him!” Yang Wu’s answer was firm. He recalled Xu Ziyang’s face as he worked, silently swearing to himself, You will die, regardless of who might try to protect you.

Xu Ziyang had made it onto Yang Wu’s kill list. The young man rarely felt such hate for another, with the exception of the individual responsible for his clan’s destruction.

While Skinny Monkey rested, Yang Wu approached Sooty, who lay in front of the hut. He squatted down, asking seriously, “Sooty, if the ginseng and the pear aren’t enough, will you save him? Please?”

The pup blinked up at him, its green eyes serene and intelligent. Wagging its tail, it stood and barked twice in response.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Yang Wu sighed in relief. He then returned to the hut, sitting and crossing his legs as he began to treat his own injuries.

He was covered in wounds, and blood stained the majority of his body. He looked so frightening that Xiaoman’s heart ached when she looked at him.

She twisted a torn scrap of cloth in her hands before carefully bandaging his wounds. Unable to stop the tears from streaming down her face, she cried, “Y-young Master … you are seriously injured, too ….”

Yang Wu’s smile was faint as he replied, “This is nothing. Everything will be alright soon.”

He focused on circulating the Supreme Nine Profound Art, sending Profound Energy to flow from his dantain to his meridians and back, nourishing every part of his body and relieving the pain. Even the bone-deep lacerations began to knit close. Such an extraordinary recovery speed would make one nearly indestructible!

Yang Wu had experienced something like this before. After swallowing the mysterious peach pit, his crippled dantain and broken hand had recovered instantly. Granted, he had been unconscious at the time, so it had not felt real. This felt different, though. He could feel the Profound Energy flow through his body with a natural healing effect.

Xiaoman was shocked as she watched her master’s wounds close. “You … your injuries, Young Master!”

“Are they reopening?” He asked, unable to look himself.

“N-no! You … you’re growing new flesh! They’re healing so quickly!” she stuttered, covering her mouth with her hands

“Hah! This young master really is indestructible!” Yang Wu exclaimed, bursting with laughter. “Who in the world can harm me now?!”

“You’re just as shameless as always, Little Brother Wu,” a delicate voice interrupted from just outside the hut.

——