Chapter 3: The Death Row Mission—Chosen

Time passed slowly. Soon, a week had gone by.

On this day, Li Dao sat huddled in the corner as usual, eating his soaked flour cake. Thanks to the display of force a week prior, no one with eyes had bothered him since. Likewise, no one had bothered anyone else. After all, no one knew if the person they were picking a fight with was as deceptively dangerous as Li Dao. Should they capsize in the gutter, they would likely meet the same fate as the brawny man: killed, ears severed, and their corpse tossed into the wild to feed the beasts. In short, the week had passed in relative peace.

Before the system appeared, this was exactly the outcome Li Dao had desired. But with the system now in place, he suddenly regretted having intimidated his fellow inmates so thoroughly. No one daring to trouble him meant he was temporarily unable to use the system to grow stronger.

"Forget it, let's wait and see," Li Dao thought to himself. It had only been a week; the one thing the death row camp never lacked was people looking for trouble.

"Wake up, everyone wake up!" Suddenly, a cacophony of footsteps echoed outside the cell door.

The men looked up to see an officer in armor, clearly of a higher rank than the ordinary soldiers, walking over surrounded by several prison guards. One guard scurried forward and asked, "Chief Liu, what brings you here today..."

Before he could finish, Chief Liu raised a hand to cut him off. "I have a mission. I need to requisition twenty death row inmates from your camp."

The voice was not loud, but the inmates in the surrounding cells heard it clearly. In an instant, panic washed over almost every face. "Requisitioning" inmates usually meant being sent out with regular troops to carry out military tasks. In the vast majority of these missions, the role of a death row inmate was to die—to act as cannon fodder and draw the enemy's attention. If one out of ten inmates returned, it was considered a stroke of incredible luck; most never came back at all. This was why they panicked; being chosen was practically a death sentence.

Hearing this, the guard immediately asked with enthusiasm, "And what kind of inmates are you looking for, Chief Liu?"

"I need a batch that isn't too old, and no cripples either. Just pick them out for me as you see fit."

As soon as this was said, the elderly inmates in the cells breathed a sigh of relief, while those who fit the criteria tensed up, silently praying to every god they knew not to be selected. The guard nodded, "Understood. I will select them for you right away."

Whether it was good luck or bad, the first cell the guard chose was the one where Li Dao was kept. Two guards entered, their eyes scanning the room. The inmates scrambled to avoid their gaze, but soon enough, they began making selections.

"You, come out." One guard pointed at a spot.

When there was no response after a moment, the guard sneered, "Trying to hide? Do you think you can?"

The guard walked directly into the crowd, grabbed one inmate by the hair, and dragged him out.

"I don't want to! I don't want to leave here!" The inmate knew his fate, his legs kicking and struggling against the floor.

"You won't go? Then you'll die right now." The guard didn't mince words; seeing the inmate's defiance, he drew his blade and pressed it against his throat. Instantly, under the chill of the steel, the inmate froze.

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, the inmate decisively shoved his left thumb into his mouth. With a sharp *crack*, he spat the digit out, a twisted grin on his face. "According to the Great Qian Code, anyone missing a thumb is a cripple. Since I'm maimed, I don't have to go, right?"

At this, the guards burst into laughter—genuine, hearty laughter. The guard who had drawn his sword sheathed it, a playful smile on his face. "Who would have thought a death row inmate would know the Great Qian Code?"

The inmate, perhaps recalling his former life, couldn't help but wear a look of pride. "I was an eighth-rank imperial official. I have read hundreds of books since I was a child; this is nothing."

"An eighth-rank official?" The guard looked at him with disdain, sneering, "Even if you were a first-rank minister today, it wouldn't matter once you've entered this death camp." He drew his sword once more and said bluntly, "I'll give you two choices: either destroy your right thumb as well, or get out there."

His right thumb? The inmate looked at his right hand and froze. Losing his left thumb was manageable, but without his right, he would be truly crippled, unable to hold anything. Once he reached that point in this brutal camp, he might as well be waiting for death; he knew many inmates wouldn't mind kicking a man while he was down. Thinking of this, a complex expression flickered across his face. Finally, he sighed and walked out in resignation. There was still a chance to return if he went, but if he lost his right thumb, there would be no hope at all.

Seeing this, the guard sneered and turned his attention back to selecting others. Facing the guards' eyes, all the eligible inmates tried their best to retreat into the corners, but the cell was only so big. Eventually, the qualified individuals were picked out one by one, each wearing a look of despair.

"You look like you have all your limbs. Come out."

At this moment, Li Dao saw a guard pointing at him. Because he was alone in his corner, he had naturally been selected. Compared to the other inmates, Li Dao appeared quite calm. He stood up simply and walked into the formation of chosen men with a tranquil expression. The guard couldn't help but take a second look at him, but seeing he was just a simple-looking pretty boy, he lost interest. Such people might look calm now, but once they hit the battlefield, they would likely wet themselves in terror.

In truth, while Li Dao appeared calm on the surface, he was both excited and nervous. He was excited because, after more than a month, he could finally leave the camp and see the world outside. He was nervous because of the nature of the mission. Although his "golden finger" required him to kill enemies to grow stronger, his previous success against the brawny man had been the result of meticulous preparation and a sneak attack. Now that he would be facing actual enemies in a real melee, his nerves were natural. Yet, he knew clearly that if he could just survive this first mission, the path ahead would only become easier.

After needing a few more from the cells to reach the quota, twenty inmates were finally gathered. Chief Liu glanced at them and nodded to the guards. "I'll be taking these men then."

With that, he ordered his subordinates to lead the men away. The guards called out in unison, "Safe travels, Chief Liu."

...

Under the leadership of Chief Liu, Li Dao and the others soon arrived at the base of a set of stairs. Looking up, a faint light could be seen. At the sight of the stairs, many began to breathe rapidly; once they climbed out, they would reach the outside world they had been yearning for.

"Move," Chief Liu said, glancing back to ensure everyone was following before leading them up.

*Creak!*

The wooden door embedded in the ground was pushed open from both sides, and Chief Liu and his party emerged. The inmates followed, one by one. In an instant, the scorching sun poured down upon them. When they saw the sun in the sky, all the inmates instinctively took a deep breath, as if they could smell the scent of freedom. However, when they looked down and saw their shackles and leg irons, their shoulders slumped as the reality of their situation set in.

In the crowd, Li Dao took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of sand and wind while scanning his surroundings. He saw many tents pitched around the area and soldiers moving back and forth along the path.

"Stay close! If anyone wanders off and gets killed for being an escaped convict, don't say I didn't warn you."

Led by Chief Liu, Li Dao and the others soon arrived at a tent. Inside were many sets of clothes, identical to those worn by the soldiers, though they looked somewhat worn and tattered.

"Everyone, put these on. Then I'll explain tonight's mission," Chief Liu said, gesturing to the garments.

The inmates nodded numbly and began to change. Li Dao picked out a set that looked slightly cleaner, stripped off his prison rags, and donned the new attire.

Minutes later, everyone was dressed. Seeing their appearance, Chief Liu nodded. "Now, listen closely to the mission. Tonight, your task is to accompany us in a sneak attack on a small encampment of the Northern Barbarians. If the mission is successful, while it cannot erase your status as death row inmates, you will be credited with military merit, which will allow you to live a bit better in the camp. Furthermore, I, the Chief, promise you a hearty meal of meat and wine upon your return."

Perhaps some were easy to fool, but many inmates began to grow excited at the mention of meat and wine; a few even began to salivate, heaven knows how long it had been since they had tasted such things. Even Li Dao’s stomach gave an uncooperative growl. That couldn't be helped—a single cake a day was hardly enough to sustain anyone.

Seeing their reaction, Chief Liu nodded and whispered to a soldier nearby, "You lot stay here and guard them. Once it's near dark and we're out of the city, issue them their weapons."

"Understood."

"Also, go get them some flour cakes and water."

"Chief, isn't that a bit of a waste?"

"Are you stupid? If they aren't fed, how will they have the strength to block blades for you?"

"Chief, you are truly clever."

"That's why I'm the Chief and you're just a grunt."

...

Night fell quickly. Li Dao and the others were soon led by the soldiers to an open grassy area outside the military camp. There, they met Chief Liu once more.

"Issue the weapons."

At the Chief's command, the soldiers brought out baskets filled with various armaments. They were distributed one by one until every inmate had a weapon. However, the quality was lackluster. Some held meter-long spears, some held broken staves, and one man’s "weapon" was essentially a rusted scrap of metal that was little more than half a blade.

Li Dao scanned his own and felt it was at least passable: a blade covered in rust. Commonly known as a "Tetanus Blade." Unfortunately, the edge was dull, worn down to a smooth curve without a hint of sharpness. Yet, he understood why. Facing a group of inmates with zero loyalty, no one would provide them with quality steel. If the convicts turned on them, those weapons would only be turned against their own masters. Besides, as cannon fodder, giving them good gear would be a waste.

The inmates seemed to understand this as well. Aside from some quiet grumbling under their breath, no one dared to voice an objection out loud. Of course, even if they did, no one would have listened.

With clothes on their backs and weapons in their hands, Li Dao and the group of inmates, mixed in with over a hundred soldiers, set off into the dark, grassy wilderness.