Chapter 117, the 117th day...
Several more days passed like this. Shen Mi went to work like a zombie every day. Even when she saw Huan Long right in front of her, she felt no emotion at all.
This surprised the sensitive Huanlong. Just a few days ago, she had felt an emotion closely following her in this place, but now it was gone.
This made her wonder if she was overthinking things, since her disguise had fooled everyone.
Shen Mi also submitted his application to visit Bai Xuan to Qing Cu.
Qingcu had just finished eating and returned to her office when she saw an application form prominently displayed on her desk. She put down her water glass, examined it carefully, and then looked up at Shen Mi: "Shen Mi, are you going to the Prison of Darkness to visit Bai Xuan?"
Shen Mi nodded and said the excuse he had already considered a hundred times: "After all, there is a bond between master and disciple. I want to see him one last time in his final days."
Qingcu frowned slightly, looking at the application with some difficulty: "It's not that I don't want to approve it, it's just that this case has just been closed. The Ten Kings' Division has extremely strict control over the prisoners they've already detained. I need to submit your application to the General first and have him approve it..."
She paused, then asked, "By the way, why didn't you just go to the general and ask him to approve it?"
Shen Mi lowered her eyes. Too much had happened recently. Just thinking about Dan Heng's departing figure that night made her deeply doubt herself. She wasn't sure if she still had the ability to continue interacting with them. If it weren't for the fact that she already had enough points and had pushed the progress to a critical point... if there was a button to exit the game, she probably would have pressed it without hesitation.
Shen Mi looked troubled: "Actually, I haven't had a good time with the general lately... I made him angry, and I don't dare to bother him."
“Alright,” Qingcu looked at her, his tone softening, “How about this, you go back and fill out the form, then send it to me. I’ll help you organize the application first, so that after I explain the situation to the general, there will at least be some buffer time. As long as the reasons for the application are reasonable and legitimate, there shouldn’t be too much of a problem in getting it approved.”
Shen Mi looked up at Qing Cu, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes: "Thank you... Qing Cu."
Qingcu smiled and patted her on the shoulder: "You should talk to the general about it as soon as possible."
Shen Mi clenched his fist and gave a wry smile: "I'll try my best."
As Qingcu expected, the application was approved quickly.
Shen Mi lowered his head and sent Jing Yuan a short message: "Thank you."
After sending the message, she pressed the screen-off button, not thinking about whether he would reply, nor intending to wait any longer. Even if Jing Yuan did reply, she didn't know what to say.
Actually, it's not surprising that they dislike her—after all, she herself is quite disappointed in herself.
She sighed softly, turned and went to Chang Le Tian, where she bought a box of Jiu Sheng cakes. She specifically instructed the clerk to pack them in a heat-resistant box. Who could say for sure that ordinary packaging would melt in the scorching heat of the prison?
After confirming everything was in order, Shen Mi picked up the snacks and headed towards the prison.
This time, it was still the judge in white who brought her in. However, unlike last time, she didn't accompany Shen Mi into the depths of the cell. Instead, she stood quietly at a distance, her expression detached, yet clearly following some instruction. Shen Mi understood that this must have been specifically instructed by Jing Yuan to give them ample space.
The oppressive atmosphere inside the Scorching Prison remained palpable. Shen Mi bumped into a patrol team, the last of whom was the "drunkard" she had seen that night. Now, the man walked past her without looking to either side, dressed in a neat uniform. Their eyes briefly met, and Shen Mi could feel him pause, but after that brief pause, he pretended not to see anything and continued his patrol.
Shen Mi took a deep breath and continued forward. The air deep within the scorching prison burned her skin, the heatwave seeming to shatter even her thoughts. She walked to the place she had visited a few days ago, that dim and scorching cell—everything was exactly the same as she remembered, only the air was drier and the heat was even stronger.
Bai Xuan sat in the same spot, looking even thinner than that day, her back view exuding a frail and unsteady air.
"Master Bai Xuan".
Shen Mi called out softly.
The man in the cell looked up blankly. Sweat had already formed fine salt marks on his face, burning red where it seeped into his eyes. His skin was a purplish-red from the heat, and his wounds, due to prolonged exposure, were repeatedly inflamed, even beginning to ulcerate in some places.
It was a slow and painful destruction, more cruel than whipping and more chilling than silence.
"who?"
"It's me, Chen Mi."
Perhaps not expecting to see her again in this place, Bai Xuan's face showed a moment of surprise, followed by a hint of joy.
However, this joy lasted only a few seconds. He quickly closed his eyes, his voice hoarse and weary: "Why did you suddenly come to see me?...Where's that kid Jingyuan?"
Before he could finish speaking, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, his laughter tinged with dryness and bitterness.
"Yes, I was overthinking it. Given my current status, let alone him coming to see me, I'd probably avoid him like the plague."
Shen Mi pursed her lips as she listened.
He paused, as if he had suddenly realized something, and then slowly added, "However, the fact that you came—perhaps that already says everything."
Shen Mi listened, her heart tightening slightly. She sighed, lowered her head, and stepped forward, gently placing the box in her hand on the ground. It was the Nine-Life Cake she had brought along the way; the packaging still retained a trace of warmth.
“Master Bai Xuan,” she said softly, “if you had known that things would end this way, would you still have done it?”
Bai Xuan was silent for a moment, the silence seeming to freeze the air itself. He raised his head, his gaze lingering on her face, his tone slow and cautious: "Are you asking me as a member of the Shence Palace, or... as Chen Mi?"
Shen Mi's lips twitched, but he finally answered, "As Shen Mi."
She spoke those two words in a very soft voice, yet with an unwavering determination.
Bai Xuan smiled, a smile she had already anticipated. The smile was faint, yet more painful than tears.
"Yes," he answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
“Some things,” he paused, his voice hoarse and strained from being dry, “the moment you do them, there’s no option to ‘regret.’ What good is knowing the outcome? If you don’t even fight for what you should fight for, what’s the point of living?”
He chuckled softly, as if mocking himself, or perhaps resigned to his fate.
"Anyway, my lifespan is coming to an end soon. Even if I do nothing then, my final fate will still be the Ten Kings."
He raised his eyes, which were grayish-white from sweat and grime, and looked at Chen Mi, his tone surprisingly calm: "You see, the outcome is the same for the Ten Kings' Division anyway—so why shouldn't I do it?"
Shen Mi stared at him blankly, her throat feeling as if it were blocked by scorching air, unable to utter a single word. The heat waves of the scorching prison surged endlessly, and the air was filled with the smell of rust and dampness. She could almost hear the sound of her own heartbeat, which sounded exceptionally clear in this silent prison.
Bai Xuan suddenly sniffed the air, narrowed her eyes, and revealed a long-lost smile: "I think... I smell something fragrant."
A moment later, he looked up, his voice almost more intense than the heatwave: "You brought Nine-Life Cakes?"
"yes."
Bai Xuan paused, and a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in her eyes, which had long been clouded by the high temperature and exhaustion.
"Thank you for bringing this to me." He murmured, a smile playing on his lips, but he couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice. "There must be a long line... I wonder if anyone will still buy it in the future."
Shen Mi understood the meaning behind his words. His case had just concluded and hadn't been publicly announced yet, but once the news spread—once the world learned of what he had done—he would be subjected to scorn and abuse. At that time, everyone would be ashamed of him, and the jokes Bai Heng had played in his name would come to a complete end with the final verdict.
He tried to reach for the box, but his movements were extremely slow. The iron chain on his wrist dragged on the ground with a soft clatter, making Chen Mi's heart tighten. She quickly stepped forward and gently placed the Nine-Life Cake within his reach.
“It’s still hot,” she whispered.
Bai Xuan's fingertips trembled slightly, as if afraid of breaking something, as she carefully lifted the lid of the box. A faint sweet fragrance mingled with the stifling heat of the scorching prison wafted out, an aroma that seemed out of place in this blazing world, yet was nonetheless moving.
He looked for a long time before shaking his head with a smile: "It's strange that I can smell something sweet in a place like this."
Having said that, he broke off a small piece and put it in his mouth. His lips trembled slightly for a moment; the taste might have been masked by the sweat and blood, but he still swallowed it slowly.
"The taste... is a little different from what I remember," he said softly. "But it's fine. Being able to eat it again is enough."
Shen Mi's throat tightened; he wanted to offer words of comfort, but couldn't utter a single word.
Bai Xuan looked up at her, her smile almost unreal: "Thank you, Chen Mi. If you have the chance... you should leave Luofu as soon as possible."
If it were in the past, Shen Mi would probably be completely confused by these sudden words—why would she leave for no reason?
But now, she understands.
Ever since discovering Huanlong's existence, she had vaguely sensed that some unfathomable undercurrent was brewing above Luofu. Bai Xuan wouldn't speak without reason; the fact that he could say this at this moment could only mean that the "coming" storm was imminent, and he was one of the participants in it.
Shen Mi took a deep breath, her fingertips quietly pressing the shield hidden in her sleeve. The faint buzzing sound in the air was swallowed by the heat wave, and her voice lowered as well: "Master Bai Xuan, I know a secret that is very important to you. You—would you be willing to trade with me?"
Bai Xuan forced herself to remain calm: "What?"
Shen Mi crouched down to meet his gaze, her tone calm, but her eyes unwavering: "I know you have another plan. Perhaps from the very beginning, you never expected the 'kidnapping' to succeed."
Bai Xuan's laughter nearly burst out: "Chen Mi, what are you talking about?"
Shen Mi lowered his eyes, composed himself, and when he raised his head, his voice was clear and slow: "What if I told you—that the person you fought so hard for is still 'alive'?"
"who?"
It was the sound of the air suddenly freezing, carrying a hope that was almost too precious to touch.
Shen Mi looked at him and uttered two words—
"Bai Heng".
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Author's Note: Did the last chapter leave you all feeling numb? Listen to "Love is Just One Word" to soothe your nerves. I've crossed mountains and rivers for you—but I have no heart to appreciate the scenery. [Starry eyes][Starry eyes][Starry eyes][Starry eyes]
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