Chapter 277: Wagers and Escaping

For someone unrelated and without any connection or reason, why would they pass on precious experience gained through life-and-death struggles to you!

Sometimes, even between master and disciple as close as father and son, one or two trump cards are kept hidden at the bottom of the box.

Du Wuyao's attitude was clear: if you want my secrets, what conditions can you offer to move me?

"Cough, cough, I don't know what you want, sir, but I can find a way!"

Zhou You was also very polite; as for the conditions, they could be discussed slowly, no rush.

Suddenly, Du Wuyao laughed out loud, "Stop daydreaming. Why don't you turn around and see if the door outside is closed?"

"While you're at it, count how many cells along the way are left unlocked."

Just as expected, Zhou You walked to the entrance, and the two iron doors were completely shut and locked from the outside.

This was the only entrance and exit to the Zhenxiong Yu.

Zhou You pounded on the iron door, "Open the door, open the door."

Echoes traveled through the deep tunnel, weakening in sequence, yet the words "open the door" could still be heard.

Outside the main gate, Prison Officer Guo and two guards were chatting while basking in the sun; hearing the knocking from inside, one said, "He's got quite a bit of strength."

"Boss Guo, he must have realized something is wrong. Should we talk price with him?"

Prison Officer Guo chewed on some dried meat, "No rush. Let him stew for a while to crush his arrogance."

"You all pay attention, this is a big fat sheep; we can squeeze at least this much profit out of him."

He splayed his palm, gesturing the number "three," causing the two guards to gasp in amazement.

"How about it?"

Zhou You returned from where he came and stood before Du Wuyao's cell; the other party had been waiting with a smile for a long time.

"The door is closed and locked; I've been schemed against."

Du Wuyao nodded and said, "That's right. This is collecting the Cross-Gate Money; don't think about leaving without paying."

"Hmm, did you notice how many unlocked cells there are?"

After his trip back and forth, and prompted by the other, Zhou You realized that some cells were indeed unlocked, housing listless 'prisoners' who were not as fierce or insane as the others.

"If you have a little wealth, you can get out after bleeding once."

"If you have a vast fortune and have been targeted by that pack of rats, sorry, but from now on, you'll be staying here."

It turned out those unlocked cells were originally empty; they didn't house prisoners, but rather family members or friends of prisoners who had come to visit and were then locked up here.

These Prison Officers and jailers played favorites; when they encountered a fat sheep with plenty of oil, they simply used their official positions to imprison them on the spot.

The rules of the Zhenxiong Yu are higher than the heavens: allowed to enter, forbidden to leave!

Those family members were not registered prisoners; whether to lock them up or let them go was handled privately by them to extort money.

Du Wuyao explained the ins and outs, teasing Zhou You, "There are still many empty cells nearby. You can pick a comfortable one to stay in; don't dream of leaving easily."

"That can't be right. My sworn brother is the mid-level martial master Zhang Huaimin; we have the friendship of sharing a table for meals."

Hearing Zhou You's words, Du Wuyao burst into laughter.

The cells on both sides were filled with clamor; someone shouted hoarsely, "I'm a neighbor of a jailer, and I still got locked in, didn't I?"

"My relative also runs a martial arts school, and it's useless. People outside don't even know I've been locked up."

Uh, that's just absurd!

Du Wuyao looked on with pity, "Little friend, we are cellmates from now on; we'll have plenty of time to chat later."

He invited Zhou You to stay in the cell next door, but Zhou You refused.

"How about we make a bet? You pass on your experience for advancing to a martial master, and I will escape this place right in front of you." Du Wuyao was stunned, then laughed and shook his head, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it, stop joking."

Since the establishment of the Zhenxiong Yu, no living thing has ever walked out; even the corpses after death are sent into the depths of the earth for disposal.

"How do you know if you don't try?"

Zhou You crossed his arms and said easily, "Think pessimistically: your entire life of martial arts experience is destined to rot away with you in this sunless dungeon. What harm is there in passing it to me?"

"If I can perform a vanishing act and escape this place, I'll show you something fresh."

The content of what he said became increasingly absurd and bizarre, but as Du Wuyao watched his expression, his reaction became serious.

"Du Yan Lu Zhigang, I don't know what connections you have outside, but no force dares to attack the Zhenxiong Yu, even if this place is just the outermost entrance area."

"Unless you are dreaming, you won't escape."

Du Wuyao became increasingly agitated, "This is a provocation, goading me into handing over my secrets. I won't fall for it."

Zhou You watched him quietly as he talked to himself, pacing back and forth in the cell, his speed increasing.

Suddenly, Du Wuyao stopped, his ugly face flushed with a smile, "Haha, what harm is there in a bet?"

"I've been locked up for decades, spending every day in boredom and hopelessness; I'd love to see some fun."

He suddenly used his fingertips to pick open a tumor; as the mucus flowed, an amber-like egg-shaped object was squeezed out from the wound.

"Everything you want is inside."

Du Wuyao handed the Amber Egg to Zhou You, reminding him, "This thing is only useful once you get out."

Zhou You suppressed his nausea, bottled the item, and then stretched his arms out in front of him, "Watch closely, the magic begins."

Du Wuyao didn't even blink, staring at Zhou You's limbs and torso to see what kind of trick he could pull! Seven Step Poison Sand Palm's Stealth!

Zhou You turned slowly, his body gradually merging into the shadow on the ground.

Seeing this, Du Wuyao shook his head; he thought it was something else, but he knew this move too!

The principle was nothing more than hiding in shadows to deceive others' eyes; it was useless for breaking out of prison.

The next moment...

Zhou You ordered the panel internally, "Projection Reset!"

The so-called Projection Reset is to retract the projection and then cast it to the next location.

The projection is the second avatar constructed by the panel; as long as the relevant task is online, it can be retrieved at will and cast anywhere.

That shadow swayed slightly a few times, then returned to a deathly stillness.

The moment Zhou You vanished, Du Wuyao was greatly shocked; he sensed that Zhou You was no longer in this Zhenxiong Yu.

With his powerful sensory abilities as a Martial Master, he had been specifically watching Zhou You, not relaxing for even a moment, yet he had actually vanished into thin air.

What did this mean? "Come quickly, someone has broken out of prison!"

Du Wuyao shouted a few times, then suddenly stopped and burst into wild laughter.

"Hahaha, truly brilliant, worthy of me gifting you a secret technique; Du Yan Lu Zhigang, how did you do it?"

At the entrance outside the large iron gate, Prison Officer Guo was still discussing with his subordinates how much to demand when they went in later; suddenly, Prison Officer Guo felt his throat go dry, and in an instant, his face turned purple as he suffocated—he had been poisoned.

The two jailers also quickly collapsed to the ground, dying from the poison.

Zhou You emerged from the shadows, pulled a dead snake from his sleeve, and threw it into their wine pot; the scene was now staged.

If someone came to investigate afterward, there would only be one conclusion: these three died from snake venom, an accident, not murder!

As for his "mythical legend" of performing a vanishing act and disappearing from inside the Zhenxiong Yu, even if Du Wuyao told everyone he met, I fear no one would believe him.

(End of chapter)