Chapter Six: The Fallen Man

Han Tianyue and his companions looked toward the direction from which the green lightning had struck, seeing only a cluster of white clouds in the distance.

Just then, the woman in white appeared abruptly behind them. "Why are you here?" Her sudden, sharp question startled them.

Han Tianyue turned around and replied, "We were just out for a stroll and wandered here without realizing it."

The woman in white was well aware of the schemes brewing in their minds, but her attention was entirely fixed on the white clouds they had been watching. A flicker of secret joy crossed her face; she said nothing more and turned to leave.

Her movements were ghostly and unpredictable, leaving the group baffled. Han Tianyue and his companions glanced at the clouds in the sky, then back at the prison. It was guarded by seven burly women wielding massive blades, whose martial prowess was formidable.

The seven guards glared at Han Tianyue and his friends standing outside the prison gates. Pretending not to notice, the men turned and walked away.

"The woman in white is right; breaking into this prison is extremely difficult," Fang Zhe pondered. "I think we should wait until they place Feng Shang in a coffin before we attempt a rescue." He concluded that the funeral procession would be their only real opportunity.

"I suspect it won't be that simple this time," Han Tianyue countered.

At that moment, a man fell from the sky, crashing onto the ground. Despite his predicament, his expression remained unchanged. Seeing the group of women surrounding him, he shouted, "You hags! Harboring a malevolent star like that—you will face retribution!"

The women threw a net over him right in front of Han Tianyue and his companions, then used some unknown method to knock him unconscious. Four of the burly women hoisted him up and carried him toward the prison.

"Clack!" A heavy, ancient sound echoed from the prison.

For the first time, the prison gates swung open before them. A pair of eyes radiating malevolence peered out, causing Han Tianyue and his companions to shiver involuntarily.

"Who is that?" Han Tianyue wondered to himself.

Just then, the malevolent figure grabbed the man, threw him over his shoulder with effortless ease, and walked back into the prison, letting out an occasional, shrill, squeaking laugh.

"Clack!" The prison gates slammed shut again.

As Han Tianyue and his companions prepared to leave, the woman in white appeared before them once more, looking rather smug. "We have finally discovered the boy who uses the green lightning. I must thank you; if not for you, I would never have known he was hiding behind those white clouds."

Hearing this, Han Tianyue finally understood: the man who had just been dragged inside was the one who wielded the green lightning. As for the "malevolent star" the man had shouted about, it must have been that ominous figure. Han Tianyue briefly wondered if this had any connection to the climate of the Daughter Kingdom, but he dismissed the thought—it was irrelevant to them. Their only concern was Feng Shang.

As for Feng Shang, after being struck by the heavily sentenced female inmate, he had been left smoking from the impact. Now that he had regained consciousness, he dared not provoke her again, retreating to a far corner to watch her.

The female inmate lay pale on the ground, gasping for air. She reached a hand out toward Feng Shang, but because he was still paralyzed by her earlier strike and uncertain of her intentions, he remained frozen in place.

The woman twitched before Feng Shang, and soon, her eyes rolled back into her head.

Feng Shang watched with a pounding heart. Only when she finally lay completely motionless did he summon the courage to approach. "She's dead! Hey, someone has died in here!"

Feng Shang pressed himself against the bars and shouted at the top of his lungs.

The malevolent figure approached the cell. Feng Shang, met with that sinister gaze, stopped shouting and retreated. He watched as the figure tossed the unconscious man into the cell and turned to leave.

"Hey, there's a dead body here!" Feng Shang called out, anxious to see him go.

The figure turned and glared, causing Feng Shang to stammer, "I-it's just a dead person, nothing to worry about!"

The figure departed.

Feng Shang shook his head in resignation. "It seems I'm stuck with a corpse and a half-dead man."

He stepped forward and tapped the man, who stirred and began to mutter, "Lei Min... Lei Min!"