Chapter 3: From Now On, I Shall Be Called Bilian

Finally, the golden luster in Yang Zhan’s eyes flickered and faded as he switched his focus back.

The woman who did not share the Li surname had remained remarkably quiet since she arrived. Her appearance was ethereal and refined, and she carried a sense of tranquility, as if she regarded this prison cell as a peaceful sanctuary. There was not the slightest ripple of emotion on her face—only indifference. An indifference that seemed to look down upon everything.

This woman was named Chen Lin’er. Anyone who could be associated with Li Yu and Li Zhizhu was, at the very least, of royal blood or kin to the nobility. That was what Yang Zhan surmised.

As the golden light in his eyes dissipated, the mouse lowered its front paws and scurried away, dragging its tail behind it. Yang Zhan lifted his teacup once more and took a sip, unable to help but sigh.

He thought about the dozen or so years since he had transmigrated here—a life he never could have imagined in his previous existence. Upon opening his eyes, he had found himself a soldier on the battlefield. Not knowing where to flee amidst the chaos of war, he had been forced to grit his teeth and press on. He figured that he must have had some stroke of luck to have transmigrated at all; he had brushed with death several times only to come out alive.

Through a military career marked by hard-won merit and steady promotions, he had been on a path to even greater heights. However, an incident three years ago had landed him the position of warden at the Celestial Prison. Yang Zhan had been disheartened and wanted to resign to live a life of seclusion in the countryside—or at the very least, leave the capital city, engage in trade, and live a carefree life with a beautiful wife and concubines.

To his surprise, the Emperor had refused, claiming that his contributions were too significant and that he was still young. The Emperor insisted that mistakes were trivial as long as one could reform, and that keeping him in his post was necessary to avoid discouraging the thousands of soldiers under his command. Later, Yang Zhan realized the truth: it was never about his military achievements, but rather that the Emperor did not trust him and wanted him kept in the capital where he could be watched.

Yang Zhan felt deeply stifled. What could he possibly have done to make the old Emperor so wary? And now, with these three "hot potatoes" dropped into his care without any reinforcements, it was clear that the Emperor had no good intentions. Trust? If the Emperor truly trusted him, would he have made him a prison warden?

Yet, Yang Zhan felt a flicker of fortune in his heart. If he hadn't been stationed here, how would he have discovered the secrets hidden beneath the Celestial Prison?

*Thud!*

The door was pushed open. Old Liu ran in carrying a roasted chicken and a jar of wine, his face beaming. "Second Master, here is the chicken and wine you wanted!"

"How much?"

"No charge."

"No charge?" Yang Zhan was stunned.

"That's right. Both the chicken shop and the wine shop said it was a gift for you, saying they owe you for your help."

Yang Zhan scratched his head. Had he helped them? No matter.

Yang Zhan nodded. "Alright, you can go back to your work."

"Understood, Second Master!"

Once the door was locked, Yang Zhan pried up a stone slab beneath the desk, revealing an opening. He descended with the chicken and wine into the pitch-black darkness below.

"It's so dark," Yang Zhan muttered, unable to help himself. "Can't you light a lamp? Have you run out of oil?"

Resigned, he lit the lamp himself. At that very moment—

*Clatter, clatter!*

The sound of iron chains shifting rang out violently. In an instant, a chain locked around Yang Zhan’s throat, yanking him forward. He grabbed the freezing cold chain around his neck and shouted, "Are you losing your mind?"

*Bang!*

A hand lifted Yang Zhan straight into the air. Only now did the figure become fully visible. She was dressed in rags, her messy hair obscuring her face. Eight thick iron chains extended from her body, anchored deep into the surrounding walls, yet she held Yang Zhan aloft with just one hand.

A cold, feminine voice emanated from her: "There are many people outside, and they carry murderous intent. Do you intend to kill me?"

Yang Zhan gave a bitter smile. "That isn't directed at you. There are three newcomers upstairs, and those people are scouts trying to find a way to rescue them."

He added, sounding anxious, "Put me down! You're going to spill the wine, and the chicken is going to drop!"

*Thud!*

Yang Zhan was dropped to the ground. Fortunately, he was agile and managed to steady himself. He looked at this madwoman with helplessness; she went into a frenzy at the slightest provocation. In the past three years, he had nearly died at her hands several times.

He placed the chicken and wine on the stone table. The woman grabbed the chicken and began to eat ravenously. Within moments, half the chicken was gone, and she began gulping down the wine from the jar.

Ignoring her, Yang Zhan walked over to a wall covered in inscriptions. These were the forbidden "Spirit-Taming Arts," a miraculous method for controlling beasts and birds. There was another technique as well—deeply mysterious and something Yang Zhan had yet to fully comprehend. It was a martial path, but many of the concepts within it eluded him.

He glanced at the madwoman. It was a pity that her mind was shattered; she could offer him no guidance. He didn't even know her name, why she had been imprisoned, or how long she had been there. She only remembered one thing: someone wanted her dead.

Yang Zhan had made inquiries, consulted numerous ancient records, and even probed high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Justice, yet no one knew of the woman imprisoned beneath the Celestial Prison. Even the Emperor seemed unaware of her existence!

Furthermore, the person who had imprisoned her was truly vicious. Beyond the confinement itself, eight cold iron chains were driven through her bones—an ordeal that would have killed an ordinary person long ago. To forcibly remove them would likely either kill the woman or leave her crippled.

Yang Zhan had scoured the founding documents of the Celestial Prison, but found no trace of her. Thus, from beginning to end, her identity remained a mystery.

Suddenly, he felt a gaze fixed on him. He turned to find the woman watching him. The chicken was gone, not even the bones remained, and the wine jar was surely empty as well.

"Don't eat the bones," Yang Zhan said, feeling a bit downcast. "If you're not full, I'll buy more."

The woman spoke: "Are you leaving?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You once said that when new people come to this prison, it means it is time for you to leave."

Yang Zhan was stunned. He hadn't realized that this woman, with her shattered mind and lack of memory, remembered his words. He nodded. "Yes, the opportunity should be here."

The woman looked at him for a moment, then lowered her head. "I see."

Having said that, she fell silent.

Yang Zhan couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry. Before I leave, I will find a way to break your shackles."

"You cannot. You are too weak."

Yang Zhan froze, feeling a bit deflated. It was only in front of this madwoman that he truly felt weak. He had tried to resist when she went into her frenzies, but even shackled by those eight chains, he was no match for her; they were simply not on the same level. Her strength was overwhelming, proving the old adage that "force can break through ten thousand techniques." Even with his decade of battlefield experience, he had no way to apply it against her.

Without waiting for a reply, the woman pointed to the nameless martial technique on the wall. "Study it well. It might be of use to you."

Seeing that she was calm, Yang Zhan sat down. "Bilian, what kind of technique is that? There are parts I don't understand. Can you give me some pointers?"

"Sometimes I feel that my name shouldn't be Bilian," she murmured. "Why did you call me Bilian the first time we met?"

Yang Zhan coughed. It was because the first time they met, she had acted as if she had never seen a man before. She had started touching him all over, checking him out in various places, and in his panic, he had shouted, "Don't be shameless!" (bu yao bi lian). Who would have thought she would interpret that as her name being Bilian?

"Uh, a name is just a label. Besides, neither of us knows who you are. If you don't like it, we can change it?"

"No need. You were the first to call me that. I will be Bilian from now on."