Nan woke up in the middle of the night feeling unusually cold. She reached for the blanket, but only grabbed a handful of... dry grass. What was going on?

The bed was rock hard, making her bones ache. This shabby inn was in terrible condition.

She opened her eyes groggily, and something seemed wrong. The scene before her startled her. Where was she? Her first thought was that the Fourth Master had caught her.

Oh my god, help!

Zheng Yong didn't even save her; that's really disloyal.

That Fourth Uncle is too cruel. Did he really have to lock her up in a dark room and not even provide her with a blanket?

"You're awake." A gentle voice sounded beside me. "You were sleeping so soundly."

"who?"

“Me,” Zheng Yong said, “drinking leads to trouble, and we’ll both get caught.”

He still had a vague memory of what happened yesterday. It seemed that he had hit someone, and then an argument ensued. In a fit of anger, Nan Yi injured that person.

After that, they were brought to this place while they were asleep.

"Duan?" Nan Yi got up from the cold ground and carefully looked around before realizing that he was in the legendary dungeon.

The iron bars, as thick as an adult's arm, and the iron chains, as thick as a bowl, were used to fasten the door. In the cells opposite, one could vaguely see many prisoners living there.

Through the iron bars, a few oil lamps were lit in the passageway. The huge dungeon was dimly lit, gloomy, and eerie.

She too will one day end up in an ancient dungeon; fate has been kind to her.

"No wonder I feel cold, ouch~ so cold." Nan Yi huddled up close to Zheng Yong, trying to absorb his warmth.

Zheng Yong simply put his arms around her.

He considered himself a eunuch, and gender had become blurred for him, while Nan Yi treated him like a brother.

"Was it done by the guy I hit yesterday?"

"almost."

"How long have you been awake? Why didn't you wake me up?"

Zheng Yong chuckled, "I'm helping you gain experience in the world of martial arts. Carelessness has led to our current predicament." He urged her to drink heavily, offering one toast after another. In their excitement, they soon got quite drunk.

This was out of consideration for Nan. He never drank alcohol while on official business, for fear of messing things up. For ten years, he never made a mistake on his mission, but he capsized because of Nan.

"Come on, I don't need it... *yawn*" Nan Yi sneezed, rubbed her nose, and asked him, "When can we go out? It's so cold."

Zheng Yong pulled her closer, his voice still calm and unhurried, "How did you know we could get out?"

"You're sitting here as calmly as if it were your backyard." She grabbed Zheng Yong's hand and wrapped it around her own to warm it, saying, "What are you up to? Hurry up and figure out how to get us out of here. You're seriously injured, and if you catch a cold, it's no joke."

"I can't go out for now, there's something I need to take care of," Zheng Yong said in a low voice. When he woke up, he glanced around and saw someone who should never be there.

That's so bizarre, and he was seriously injured.

I wonder if the other person recognized him.

"Being so secretive, at least it'll make the cell a little warmer." Nan Yi pursed her lips, not pressing for details. Everyone has their secrets, and Zheng Yong, being one of Kangxi's men, had even more.

Zheng Yong also appreciated this about Nan Yi; she wasn't very curious and never asked questions she shouldn't.

What I admire even more is his composure and calmness in the face of adversity, just like him.

"I can't do that. They've searched everything on me, including the jade Pixiu you gave me."

"What?" Nan Yi quickly reached into his sleeve pocket, only to find it empty. The silver notes and purse inside were gone.

Damn it, not only did they arrest her, they even took the money from her.

She pursed her lips. She didn't have many silver notes outside, only a few hundred taels. She had her own place to store the rest of her money and valuables.

After that dream, a blue lotus mark the size of a soybean appeared on the inside of her arm. It was connected to her soul, and she was as familiar with it as she was with herself.

Its origin is unclear; it seems as if it was meant to be there, and its appearance is like a part of myself that I had lost and then regained.

Nan Yi pretended to pat herself down and pulled out a twenty-tael silver note. She smiled and handed it to Zheng Yong, "Is it okay now?"

Zheng Yong took it and nodded repeatedly. Without saying a word, he stood up and shook the door, the iron chains on the iron bars clanging loudly.

The silent prison cell was disturbed by his shaking of the door, which woke the prisoners. They cursed and swore, but Zheng Yong paid no attention. He persisted until the constables came.

The constables arrived late, their expressions fierce. They banged on the iron gate with the hilts of their knives and shouted, "What's all the noise about in the middle of the night? Do you want me to beat you up before you shut up?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yong's expression turned cold. He glanced at the constable and slowly handed the silver note in his hand to him. "Two quilts and a pot of strong liquor."

The constable's eyes widened suddenly, gleaming with a sharp light. He grabbed the silver note and nodded vigorously. In this small place called Shicheng, there was very little money to be made. Let alone twenty taels of silver notes, even a two-tael reward was rare.

Two quilts are all you need, you can get them for two taels of silver, a pot of strong liquor costs a dozen or so coins, and the rest is yours.

There was money to be made, so the constables acted quickly, bringing in two quilts, along with not only liquor but also two chicken legs as a bonus.

Nan Yi huddled in the corner, clutching his blanket. Zheng Yong had put the chicken leg away; he still wanted to use it for something.

"Here, have a sip of wine to warm yourself up." Zheng Yong handed the liquor to Nan Yi.

Nan Yi shook her head to avoid it, looking disgusted. "The culprit, take it as far away as possible, I hate seeing it."

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