**The Dungeon**

What is the most hopeless predicament in the world?

Falling into miasma in the Yunmeng Marshes, poisoned and entangled; striking a hurricane over the floating sea, swept up by towering waves; wandering deep into the Ten-Thousand Mountains and awakening a slumbering beast—

All of the above are extremely perilous, but if one’s cultivation is profound or one possesses precious treasures, there is still a sliver of chance—a one-in-ten-thousand opportunity—to escape and survive.

They were nothing like the dungeons of Cangya Mountain.

In the verdant valleys beneath the towering peaks, there was another mystery.

A narrow corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly, with a brazier of shark-oil lamps set every five feet; the dim flames looked like beastly pupils in the dead of night.

No torture or bloodshed, no screams or wails. Only a heavy, mortal silence, darkness thick as lacquer, and the sole sound—the unceasing, echoing drip of the time-measuring drops.

Round and round, the same cycle a thousand times over.

Even the guards who changed every three watches wore expressionless faces, silent and mute.

Among the things that can drive a person to death, loneliness is one of them.

No day, no night, no cold, no heat. Emptiness and silence magnified to the utmost.

A hand that manipulates fortunes and power, a fiend who delights in murder, a brilliant young man who committed a grave mistake, an enigmatic evil cultivator with unfathomable cultivation. Now that they are here, their identities are nothing more than prisoners.

If a distinction must be made, there is a way: those who have been judged, and those who have not; those whom visitors come to see, and those whom no one comes to see.

Visitors are even less likely than seeing the sun.

Not to mention this place is a crucial stronghold of Canghai, where only the highest-ranked and most important may request entry; even more, the terrain of the Canghai Mountains is peculiar—the further down you go, the more oppressive the forces.

Wu Xiu’s bones and tendons were twisted and crushed, and Ling Xiu’s channels were blocked and her qi dulled; an ordinary cultivator under such suppression would be no different from a common person. Even the guards, who had spent years practicing methods to resist the mountain’s pressures, could at best hold out for half a day before feeling their flesh and bones ache.

This time, however, was different.

The nearly congealed air was broken; in the silent corridor, footsteps sounded—steady and strong, their breath lingering.

Unhurried and unhurried, though walking through a sunless dungeon, it felt as if traversing a broad, open avenue.

As the figure passed the tall shark-oil bronze lampstand, the leaping flame illuminated the newcomer’s face — it was, to everyone’s surprise, a woman!

Clad in russet battle attire, her black hair tied high. Sword-like brows and a straight nose, her presence exuded heroic vigor.

She carried no weapon on her person, yet the sharpness of a martial artist radiated from her.

Liu Qishuang was not as calm as she appeared on the surface.

In truth, she had no idea how to face the junior apprentice who had committed such a grave mistake. She was absorbed in cultivation, always poor at socializing and even poorer with words, yet this time she had no choice but to come.

Their Xihua lineage was not like the other peaks. Though their master enjoyed a great reputation, he spent long years traveling abroad.

When you count it up, ever since the senior apprentice brother took on disciples in the master’s stead back then, this junior disciple hasn’t even seen the master.

Besides, their peak’s disciples have dwindled, the land is vast and people few, and they usually cultivate alone, sometimes not seeing each other for half a year.

But no matter how thin their ties, they still come from the same lineage, and she didn’t want to see the other’s great path end here.

That said, her impression of this junior disciple had only ever stayed at “old beyond his years” and taciturn.

I vaguely remember that he was extremely talented; before entering the peak for cultivation, he seemed to have been the top scorer in that year’s academy graduation exams.

Her thoughts drifting, the guard leading the way ahead had already stopped. He bowed to her in silence, made a gesture of invitation, and stepped back.

She took two steps forward, standing across the Xihai obsidian grille, and in the dim light, relying on her own eyesight, she made out the person in the prison.

This was the second time she had scrutinized this junior apprentice so closely; the first had been at the apprenticeship ceremony three years ago.

Back then the boy, not yet fully grown, kept his head slightly lowered. When his name was called he looked up with a single sweeping glance—his eyes cold and dark, like a venomous snake lying in wait.

She didn’t understand why the Senior Brother suddenly took disciples on behalf of the Master. But Senior Brother always had his reasons.

She had tried to show concern as a senior sister, but the youth seemed not to need it. The boy had never encountered any obstruction in his cultivation, nor did he mingle with anyone.

Over time, fewer and fewer people were willing to speak to him.

The man in the cell had been sitting cross-legged; now, as if sensing something, he slowly rose to his feet.

His frame was gaunt, his face pale, and the chains bound to his hands and feet jingled.

He stepped forward two paces and inclined his head slightly to her.

“Second Senior Sister.”

Then he fell silent and spoke no more.

Liu Qishuang suddenly realized that he was only a slightly older boy, not yet twenty; there was still a trace of youth in his features.

To Yu Xiu, it was far from adulthood in the span of his long life.

Even by worldly standards, he was still at the age when academy boys were driven to rise early for their studies, preferring play and pleasure.

But now, he stood inside the most unbearable prison in the world.

She suddenly didn’t know how to begin, so she resorted to the prepared lines and said,

“The sect leader says that in the Zixiao Secret Realm you plotted to kill Luo Mingchuan and the other thirty-two disciples— is that true?”

The young man suddenly looked up, his eyes a mix of unbelieving shock and bone-deep grief, an intensity like a blazing fire.

And then, like a candle flame in the wind, it quickly died out.

Moments later, the young man lowered his eyes, his voice hoarse as he murmured,

“Yes, it’s me.”

It seemed there was still a faint, barely audible sigh echoing through the dungeon. The person before me was wrapped in profound desolation, as if an invisible high wall had been erected, isolating them within.

The boy refused to explain; he didn’t think anyone could help him.

She was deeply shaken.

A surge of immense doubt and bitterness welled up in her heart — could there be more to this matter than met the eye?

But the sect leader was not an insincere person either…

It turned out that a woman’s maternal instinct was a terrifying thing. No matter how advanced Liu Qishuang’s cultivation was, she was still a woman.

Before she could sort out her thoughts, the words slipped out of her mouth uncontrollably,

“Junior brother, if you have any grievances, just tell me. Even though our master isn’t here, the disciples of our peak aren’t ones to be bullied at will! Even if I can’t protect you, there’s still the senior brother—he will surely see justice done for you!”

The youth’s bloodless lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but whatever he thought of shifted his tone, and the words took another turn.

“To this day, it is all my own doing; no one else is to blame.”

He turned and walked toward the depths of the dark cell, the clinking of chains sounding especially harsh in the silence.

“Second Senior Sister, please go back.”

Liu Qishuang called out unwillingly,

“Junior Brother!”

The guard bearing a halberd and lantern had returned and made a ‘please’ gesture toward her. A silent urging: time was up.

The Cangyae prison had its own rules. Even someone of her status and cultivation could not break them.

Liu Qishuang gave one last, deep look at the person in the cell. The figure’s back was lean and upright, as if no darkness could bend it even a fraction.

***********First meeting, I am the Paper family’s single fool divider*********

The villain looked at the silhouette at the end of the corridor as it gradually faded away and let out a long breath.

No, now you should call her Yin Biyue.

Cang Ya Shan’s fourth disciple of Hua Feng, Yin Biyue.

He had just awakened in this pitch-black place. Before he could sort things out, his head was filled with a chaotic clamor of clanging noises, so maddening he wanted to throw his brain out.

“Welcome to our service: genuine items from the counter, inspection allowed, but no returns…”

“Inspection complete. Conditions met. The halo can be activated…”

“Are you sure you want to download the genuine Halo installation package?”

“The installation package is downloading… please wait patiently.”

Fortunately, the moment he saw the newcomer, the original body’s memory gave the reaction “Second Senior Sister.”

The fleeting memory fragment left him extremely satisfied.

No mistake! A textbook golden villain setup!

Look at that temperament: “sullen and brooding, narrow-minded”!

Look at that build—prime material for a demon cultivator!

A thousand-year daughter-in-law finally becomes the mother-in-law!

Will never be a bit part with three lines of dialogue and one paragraph of stage time again!!

Anyone who could be locked up in a place like this must absolutely be a hugely successful Big BOSS!

When he saw Liu Qishuang, that installation package began downloading; he kept his words few and his behavior restrained, fearing any sign might give him away. Only after the people left did he calm down and carefully sort out his thoughts.

This is a xuanhuan world.

The general situation under heaven can be roughly divided into “one mountain with three sects, two temples of Buddhism, and twelve palaces of the Demon Cult.”

The one mountain is the Cangya he belongs to. Undisputedly the number one in the world.

As for the original body, he was imprisoned here for “harming fellow disciples and having corrupt intentions,” and a public trial had been scheduled.

His true essence had been sealed, yet he was obsessed with breaking out of prison. He forcefully unsealed himself and acted against all rules. He should have successfully exploded his seed, but a plane fluctuation occurred; something went wrong and he was transmigrated elsewhere — fortunately arriving at the very moment he did.

When Liu Qishuang revealed “designing to kill Luo Mingchuan and the other thirty-two disciples,” a tide of related memories washed over him, catching him off guard for a moment—he wasn’t sure whether any unreasonable change in his expression had been noticed.

Now he understood: this time he was playing the role of the “talented villain who gets counterattacked and humiliated.”

This villain had excellent talent, but after being overthrown he harbored resentment and attempted to murder the protagonist and his companions. Yet the protagonist, supported by a powerful ally, led everyone out of danger. The murders failed, and instead the villain dug his own pit.

This kind of cliché script—one glance was enough; he already knew how the next chapter would be written.

Yin Bi recalled the white-clothed youth he had seen on the light screen before transmigrating; yes, that must be the protagonist—no mistake.

It’s time to do something big!

…Wait, wait, the magical technique the original host used to escape, he doesn’t know it.

In other words, the original host could successfully leave, but he can’t.

Can only sit and wait to be abused.

“Ding—Download complete! Congratulations, esteemed customer! Please enjoy your time-space journey!”

…What good is this kind of situational halo, damn it!!

Yin Bi swallowed a mouthful of old blood. Cruelty toward fellow disciples is a grave crime — expulsion from the sect would be bad enough; better to go and cultivate demonic arts outright. But now the problem was: how to successfully avoid having her cultivation annulled?!

Cultivation ruined = becoming a mortal = breaking free of the plot = the villain’s path to ruin!

As for whether it’s possible to break down and then rebuild, to have some strange encounter and start cultivating anew? Not the protagonist! I wouldn’t bet on that!!

According to the original owner’s memories, there were only five of them in the peak faction counting him—hardly enough to even play a round of Three Kingdoms Kill.

Except for Third Senior Brother, who was traveling, everyone else had come to visit him and had been driven off by his stubborn passive resistance. Liu Qishuang was the last one to see him.

Sister, wait, give me one more chance!

I will turn around for you!! (Erkang hands)

Yin Bi went over her memories carefully—who else would come to see him?

…With the original body’s popularity, it’s already lucky people don’t come to kill him.

Heh, as if we should hope the protagonist is some brainless saint who’ll visit this architect of disaster?! Listen to his made-up stories and excuses?!

With that “ferocious aura,” the chances of exoneration are even smaller.

If it stays inactive it’s fine, but once it activates it instantly maxes out every creature’s hatred.

Moreover, upon careful recollection, I found only scattered fragments of the original person’s memories; for some reason, the part about “harming fellow disciples” was the most hazy.

That meant I couldn’t blurt things out during the trial. I had to maintain a gloomy demeanor, lest anyone notice anything off.

What a rotten hand! Don’t talk about playing Dou Dizhu; even drawing the joker wouldn’t win!!!

No — I mustn’t act recklessly.

He calmed down quickly. There had to be something overlooked, there had to be another chance…

Yes, the protagonist Luo Mingchuan! He did seem rather saintly.

Yin Bi Yue crouched by the base of the wall, thinking carefully.

At the same time, on the 24th floor of Rebirth Company, an angry shout rang out,

“Liu Xiaodai, come out!! Where is the white! light! halo! I just tuned?!”

**Author’s note:** Bug caught~~