When Huangfu Yi opened his eyes, the sun was already high in the sky, the scorching sunlight burning painfully on his face. He tried to lift his hand but found himself still unable to move. Initially, he thought the effects of the medicine hadn't worn off, but then he realized he was nailed to a prisoner cart, his neck and scapula shackled, only his head exposed, locked facing the sky, with his hands and feet pierced by wooden nails, leaving him standing bolt upright.

"Water, water..."

"Shut up!"

"Smack!"

A sudden loud crack came from his left ear, a whip snake-like struck his lips, immediately tearing Huangfu Yi's skin open, blood spraying from his mouth and nose, his whole face losing sensation, almost fainting from the pain.

Huangfu Yi was lashed with such agony, unable to speak, his entire body weak and limp, could only grit his teeth and swallow the iron-tasting blood back down his throat.

At this moment, someone on his right spoke,

"Chief, capturing him alive yields ten thousand coins."

"Hmph, give him water!"

Then a gust of wind passed behind his head, a shadow swiftly landed on the prisoner cart with a "thud."

Huangfu Yi squinted to look, seeing a pair of thin-soled boots, a dagger holster strapped to the shin, raising his head to see a young samurai in a dark arrow-sleeved robe, with a bronze beast swallowing a barbarian belt at his waist, a crossbow hanging and a Xiuchun Dao slung across.

Damnit, it's the Six Gates again... ten thousand coins, they can't have mistaken him again...

The constable unhooked a silver water pouch from his waist, grabbed Huangfu Yi's hair, and poured water onto his face.

Huangfu Yi mixed the blood and sweat as he drank eagerly, but before he could drink his fill, only moistening his throat, the constable took back the water pouch, swung the scabbard, and struck his face, making his head tilt, losing consciousness.

"Hey! Ten thousand coins!"

"He's fainted."

The young constable checked Huangfu Yi's pulse, then swiftly leaped away, while Huangfu Yi continued to feign unconsciousness, carefully discerning the surrounding sounds and breathing.

Three men, eight horses, judging by the position of the sun, they were escorting his prisoner cart southwest...

Then they heard crisp hoofbeats from up ahead, the three constables around him immediately perked up, loading bolts into their crossbows, drawing their swords.

When the hoofbeats approached, they heard a whistle from the front, recognizing it as their own, the constables responded in kind, and sheathed their swords back.

"Squad Leader, there's a scout horse ahead!"

"Tch, are there other crossings?"

"Yes, but it'd require a detour of eighty li."

"Can't go that far with him; Qianzhou's soldiers are nearby, and the savage cavalry are everywhere; they're sure to catch up."

"Then let's lay low until night, wait for this scout horse to pass before crossing the river, is there anywhere nearby to hide?"

"There's a temple to the south."

"Let's go."

Thus, the four constables continued escorting the prisoner cart southward, while Huangfu Yi kept feigning death in the jolting cart.

He wasn't sure what big crime this Zhang San had committed for the Immortal Palace to offer a bounty of ten thousand coins, dispatching so many Eagle Dogs all the way to Qianzhou to capture him.

And if you're gonna capture, at least recognize the right person. Why lock him up each time? It's truly exasperating...

However, a blessing in disguise, suffering some flesh wounds, being locked up in the prisoner cart now might not be a bad thing for Huangfu Yi, as he found himself still in the 'Muscle White Bone' stage.

The Vacuum Lotus Seed at his heart, the Immortal Marrow Spirit Seed at his brow, the Sweet Medicine Wine in his stomach, along with the Demon Core just ingested, the fierce poison all over his body, the chaotic True Qi of various colorful Heavenly Materials in his Dantian, creating a chaotic mess; how could just one night be enough to digest all that? His viscera still churning, his whole body weak and feverishly painful. If it weren't for these constables guarding him, even a random stray dog could probably gnaw him away.

Yet, these constables were professionals, naturally wary of 'Zhang San' going berserk, taking necessary safety measures. Not just locking him securely in the prisoner cart, but also using an awl to pierce the scapula and spine's vital points, forcibly blocking the True Qi flow, leaving him no chance for a forceful counterattack.

At this moment, Huangfu Yi was powerless to escape, focusing on his breathing to alleviate the intense pain throughout his body.

So the group arrived at a rundown temple, the constables inspected inside and out, finding the main hall with a large hole, the shrine statues missing, but fortunately still fairly clean, not made a den by any demonic beasts, so they parked the prisoner cart in the courtyard, eating and resting in turns, standing vigil through the night.

The young constable came again to give Huangfu Yi two sips of water, then left him alone. It continued until deep into the night when suddenly a voice sounded in Huangfu Yi's ear.

"Hey, Zhang San, are you awake?"

With such pain, how could Huangfu Yi possibly sleep? Recognizing the voice as that old constable who shouted "ten thousand coins" before, so he blinked.

Then he heard the constable speak softly,

"Want something to eat?"

Huangfu Yi frowned, not understanding what this guy meant.

The constable wasn't annoyed and asked again,

"How about some more water?"

Huangfu Yi blinked.

The constable then opened the water pouch and fed him a mouthful, without any intention of messing with him.

Huangfu Yi glanced at him, momentarily bewildered.

The constable said,

"I'm from Pi State."

Huangfu Yi was puzzled.

The constable explained quietly,

"I heard you did the extermination case in Pi State? Well done!

That bastard, relying on being a nephew of the Five Dukes, rampaged daily! Constantly robbing lands, seizing wives and daughters, digging up graves, and slaughtering the loyal and good!

The entire court of officials turned a blind eye to his atrocities because they relied on Pi State's grain!

Even the censors who reported him ended up being dragged to death tied to a cart, their wives and daughters shot hanging from a tree, falling into a state of ruin and death.

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