Travel each day when the mist clears slightly, and rest when it thickens.
Chen Jichuan remains vigilant.
Even if he enters the Great Yann World to sleep, with only one minute passing in reality, he insists on having Chen Shaohu stay on guard.
At other times, he is in a state of alert semi-sleep.
After entering the Great Yann World, he still maintains keen awareness of reality.
But in case something happens in reality, coinciding with when he is most exhausted after a day of intense training in the Great Yann World...
There might be a mistake.
The chance is small.
But cannot be ignored.
The days in the Great Yann World are long.
As long as he escapes from the Black Prison, he has plenty of time to train in the Great Yann World, no need to rush.
Moreover, even if he trains hard in the Great Yann World, in reality, there is no opportunity to enhance his strength under the eyes of the eight Black Armor guards.
No significant use.
...
As days pass by.
The Black Armor guards remain highly vigilant.
During their rest, they take turns in pairs, always keeping two Black Armor awake to guard against any miner's escape.
In the Black Prison.
'Wusheng Sect' has constructed locations similar to 'stations' every forty to fifty miles. Each station has houses, a small amount of food, and firewood, with dedicated personnel coming over to check and replenish periodically.
This showed Chen Jichuan the importance 'Wusheng Sect' places on the Black Prison.
He feels increasingly burdened.
At night.
Chen Jichuan hides in the dark, his eyes fixed on the gate, where two Black Armor guards stand watch.
One is Weii Guan.
He is the oldest and appears to be the strongest among the eight Black Armor guards on this mission.
The other is called 'Zhou Dafeng', twenty-four years old, who has only trained the 'Wusheng Saber' to the Second Layer, and seems rather lacking in experience.
In the darkness.
Feeling drowsy, Zhou Dafeng begins conversing with Weii Guan.
Chen Jichuan, rigorously practicing the 'Golden Blade Changing Palm Technique', focusing on hand, eye, body, and step training, has quite good hearing and can hear the two speaking.
"Brother Weii, should the northern battle be over by the time we return from this trip?" Zhou Dafeng, clutching a Goose Wing Blade, inquired Weii Guan.
"By the looks of it, probably."
Weii Guan nodded, smiling, "We're catching a good time. The Black Prison may be tough and tiring, but most of these miners are cowardly and docile, with not much danger, just avoiding the big war with the 'Lishui Gang'."
"Brother Weii is so capable, if you join this battle, help the Sect Leader take down Liding County, maybe you could even be promoted to protector. If the credit were greater, it'd be even more glorious to be released as a Hall Master."
Zhou Dafeng flattered.
"Protector."
"Hall Master."
Weii Guan shook his head, "Without mastering the 'Wusheng Saber' to the Fourth Layer, becoming a protector is already tough. Being released as a Hall Master is even less likely."
Now Great Chu crumbles.
The Jianghu sects hold power over the world.
Wusheng Sect monopolizes the Shi'an County's Muhua, Yongfeng, and Lipu counties. Each Hall Master released, although incomparable to the past county magistrates, is still a significant figure whose presence can shake the county threefold.
This time, both Wusheng Sect and Golden Sun Sect are dealing with the Lishui Gang simultaneously.
The former attacks Liding.
The latter assaults Jianling.
Once seized, Wusheng Sect could produce no fewer than seven or eight Hall Masters' positions. Many skilled members in the sect are eyeing them; despite Weii Guan's decent strength, he's only trained the 'Wusheng Saber' to the Third Layer and lacks some background, how could he compete?
Better to avoid battle.
Focus on training.
Though slower, at least it's safe.
"The Fourth Layer, sigh."
"Too difficult."
"It took me three years to reach the Second Layer, who knows when I'll reach the Fourth Layer. If only I could become an 'Abnormal Person', but alas, that is even harder, there aren't many in the sect."
Everyone has their worries.
Zhou Dafeng is eager to improve yet fearful of death, inevitably leading to his self-distress.
"The Sect Leader and elders are pondering a quick method to become 'Abnormal People'. If it succeeds, everyone could become an 'Abnormal Person'." Weii Guan laughed.
"It's not that easy though."
"From what brothers in other units said, most miners sent from here out who mutated have died off by seventy to eighty percent; among the surviving twenty percent, most lose their human traits. In over a month, out of two or three hundred dead, not a single 'Abnormal Person' has emerged."
"I certainly do not want festering on the head and pus flowing under foot."
Zhou Dafeng shook his head eagerly, glancing at the miners sleeping deeply inside, disgust rising from the pungent odor.
Weii Guan also found it gross and skipped over the topic.
...
Inside the house.
Chen Jichuan listened closely, feeling a surge of joy.
It's not the news of the war between Wusheng Sect and Lishui Gang that delighted him.
In fact.
For the past few days, he has frequently eavesdropped and learned quite a bit about the outside situation.
Wusheng Sect.
Lishui Gang.
Golden Sun Sect.
And entanglements, grievances among the three sects, he's heard various bits and pieces. For Chen Jichuan, only a little part of this chat between Weii Guan and Zhou Dafeng holds valuable insights.
What truly delights him is—
"Mutated miners sent outside from here!"
"Here..."
"Outside..."
This place is the Black Prison, outside must be referring to beyond the Black Prison!
"The mutated miners are being sent outside."
"So Wusheng Sect confines five hundred miners on a mine with Spirit Stone radiation. Turns out it's for studying... studying the secret of 'Abnormal People'."
Chen Jichuan's thoughts flickered.
Reassurance settled in him.
No matter what Wusheng Sect intends.
As long as they are being transported out of the Black Prison, Chen Jichuan is content.
In that case, many alternatives in the second step can be abandoned, without hurrying to kill and escape. Simply follow the Black Armor guards, leaving the Black Prison first is enough!
...
Continue traveling.
Along the way.
Eighteen miners quietly died two more are beheaded by 'Zhou Dafeng' and 'Chuu Mingrui' among the eight Black Armor guards, with a Goose Wing Blade, the heads hung at their waists.
Zhou Dafeng appears timid and afraid of death.
Yet he is adept at beheading, even processing them with lime.
Such actions completely sever any thoughts of feigning death for escape.
The group travels forty miles a day.
By the thirty-first day.
The scenery suddenly opened up—
...
Three mountains surround.
In the middle, a solid platform rises, with a city gate approximately three or more zhangs high, and seven to eight zhangs wide. On either side of the gate, twenty Black Armor guards stand watch.
The city gate's interior is hollow.
Both sides allow passage. It's puzzling why a city gate like this stands in the middle of a plaza.
Sunx Fei, Shen Liang, and other miners saw this with curiosity on their faces.
"Finally arrived."
"At last, we can leave this damn place."
"I wonder if Liding County has been captured yet."
Escorting them along the way, Weii Guan, Zhou Dafeng, and others smile, their voices light with relief.
"Once out, I'll treat everyone at Yongfeng Tongqing Building!"
Weii Guan, the most respected among the eight, laughed and announced the treat.
"Thank you, Brother Weii."
Hearing this, the atmosphere lifted even more.
The Black Prison environment is extremely poor, no one wants to stay in there any longer than necessary. Successfully escorting this batch of mutated miners out, they won't need to serve in the Black Prison again for five years, thus feeling joyful in their hearts.
"Out?"
"Can we go out too?"
After the arduous journey, sixteen fatigued miners, upon hearing the words of the Black Armor guards, felt as if injected with adrenaline, suddenly bursting with excitement.
"Out!"
"I can get out!"
Sunx Fei, bald with a shiny head, laughed wildly, slightly crazed.
"Screw!"
"Stay honest!"
Zhou Dafeng, annoyed by the noise, lifted the Goose Wing Blade and smacked it onto Sunx Fei's back. Sunx Fei staggered and fell but did not care a bit; instead, he clung to Zhou Dafeng's leg, excitedly pleading, "Sir, take me out, take me out!"
With Sunx Fei taking the lead.
The other suffering miners present began to tremble, kneeling together, crying, and begging. It was heart-wrenching to see and hear.
"What is the meaning of this!"
Chen Jichuan wryly smiled inside.
Gently nudged Chen Shaohu beside him, the brothers, in great harmony, fell to their knees like toppling golden and jade pillars, pleading fervently.
"Out of the way!"
As Chen Jichuan expected, Weii Guan, Zhou Dafeng, and others, stone-hearted, were unmoved. Not only insensitive, but from the weariness of constant travel, combined with inherent disregard for Black Prison miners' lives and dignity, anger boiled over, lashing out with fists and kicks.
Bam bam bam!
A round of beatings left all the miners sprawled on the ground, wailing incessantly.
Chen Jichuan also received a kick.
Right on the face.
Leaving a large shoe print, falling face down on the ground.
With this,
The miners finally quieted down.
Only then did Weii Guan and others order them to rise and head toward the city gate.
Under the gate's arch, after checking the roster and documents.
Four Black Armor in front.
Four Black Armor behind.
Chen Jichuan, Chen Shaohu, and others were sandwiched in the middle, passing through the gate.
Behind the gate lay the Black Prison.
Outside the gate lay the light.
Stepping out——
...