Era of Magic and Martial Arts-Chapter 221 - 205: Sooner or Later

Prison Guard Feng, don't suddenly stop talking. If you stop talking, we're really anxious!

A crowd of prisoners stared at Feng Mu, feeling as if their own bodies were merging with the fragmented corpse being pieced together in his hands.

Feng Mu also felt troubled inside. They all called him a good person, and he truly couldn't bear to speak hurtful truths.

"Prison Guard Feng, if you're not speaking, does that mean you agree?" a prisoner asked persistently.

Feng Mu glued the last piece together with adhesive before looking at the questioning prisoner, whose face looked even paler than the corpse in his hands.

Reluctantly, he consoled, "Don't be afraid, you might not die so soon. It still depends on how much balance is left in your accounts."

Feng Mu paused and asked, "So, do you have much money left in your prison account?"

The prisoner stiffly shook his head.

Feng Mu: "Then you might have to find a way to transfer some money into your account, or ask relatives outside to deposit more money for you. That would be better."

The prisoner's face was as white as paper, lamenting, "They just collected money last week, and now again this week, even doubling the amount. When will this end?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The nearby prisoner answered for Feng Mu: "When we've been completely drained, like Hou Laosan who was beaten to death, that's when it'll end."

The atmosphere in the cell was suffocatingly heavy, as if even the air had solidified.

Feeling that the tension had reached its peak, Feng Mu forced a smile and said:

"Don't be too desperate; perhaps in some time, the prison's policies will change. You must still hold on to hope in life."

The prisoner who spoke the truth, seemingly broke and resigned, coldly laughed and said:

"Prison Guard Feng, stop fooling us. We have been in the Second Prison far longer than you. This prison is notorious for extortion, and now they're implementing an '[Elimination System]'—truly squeezing us dry, leaving us no room to live."

Feng Mu's brows furrowed slightly, then he stood up, gritting his teeth, "I'm not lying to you. Though I'm just a new Prison Guard, I can't help you much, at most allow you to die with dignity, but..."

Feng Mu turned his head towards Wang Cong, pushing him to the front and said: "But, I believe he can change your horrible living conditions."

The prisoners looked at Wang Cong in astonishment.

Of course, they recognized him—the guard who often worked night shifts over the past six months.

The prisoners were smart enough to see Wang Cong was being ostracized and bullied by his colleagues, so how could they believe someone oppressed like him could change their situation?

Wang Cong stepped forward with a slightly stiff expression, took a deep breath, and looked at the prisoners, mimicking Feng Mu's patience and empathetic demeanor:

"Yes, what you just said is correct. Your future situation will only worsen, until all of you are dead."

After that, Wang Cong ignored the prisoners' desperate, angry glares, and repeated the rules of the '[Elimination System]' that were discussed with Feng Mu in the afternoon.

The prisoners had heard about the policy but hadn't fully grasped it.

Now, Wang Cong explained the rules one by one, hitting their hearts with each word like a heavy blow, sinking their spirits to the bottom.

Wang Cong ignored the prisoners' emotions, continuously provoking them with the most raw, bloody truth as taught by Feng Mu.

He said: "Today is just the first day of the '[Elimination System],' the guards are still restrained, but come next Monday, when the rankings are unveiled, the prison wings at the bottom will descend into true madness."

He continued: "And once this madness starts, if you don't want to be at the bottom, the only option is to become increasingly ruthless. It's an endless competition; each week, the survival money you need to pay will double."

Finally, he said, "Perhaps you can endure the first week, but by the second week, you must pay double the survival money. In the third week, that number will double again."

"And the money in your accounts will keep shrinking until one day it suddenly zeros out. Ultimately, you will all become corpses, the only difference being whether it's a few weeks sooner or later."

As Wang Cong spoke, his palm slowly slid towards the electric baton at his waist, sensing the prisoners' fury, the killing intent emanating from their eyes.

It seemed as if the next second, anger would submerge their long-suppressed fear, and they'd rush up together, tearing him to pieces.

Wang Cong's voice suddenly sharpened, hurriedly: "Unless you refuse to pay from the start."

At the same time, Feng Mu stepped to Wang Cong's side, his usual warmth replaced by a rare indifference and severity, his voice cold and ruthless:

"Exactly, if you want to survive, you mustn't succumb to the prison. This bad precedent cannot, cannot, cannot be set."

The flames in the prisoners' eyes froze as they stared at Feng Mu and Wang Cong, their gaze mostly focused on Feng Mu's face.

Despite Feng Mu repeatedly claiming Wang Cong could change their situation, they instinctively felt Feng Mu possessed more strength, was more worthy of belief.

"What do you mean?"

"But if we don't pay, the guards will beat us to death."

The prisoners in the room chattered in panic.

Feng Mu was in no hurry, patiently waiting for the prisoners, then spoke gravely:

"Paying is like cutting meat with a blunt knife, slowly slicing you to death, and once one person pays, others won't hold out either and will all end up butchered, equivalent to collective suicide. I don't need to elaborate this, do I?"

The prisoners in this prison may not have high education or literacy, but their understanding of human nature, especially its darker side, was at least proficient.

They understood the scenario Feng Mu depicted.

Seeing they acknowledged his reasoning, Feng Mu continued, "As for not paying, the possibility of being beaten to death is a harsh reality you face."

A group of prisoners looked at Feng Mu hopefully, expecting him to offer a solution.

Feng Mu shook his head, speaking with a voice so cold it seeped into bones:

"There is no solution, because wanting to live means someone will die. The former is collective death, just a matter of sooner or later, while the latter is a lottery, determining who lives and who dies."

Feng Mu paused slightly, giving the prisoners time to digest the heavy meaning in his words.

Only when their expressions shifted from shock to contemplation did he slowly continue:

"Not paying means some resist and are beaten to death, but after several consecutive resistances, surviving is possible with a few deaths. Then, the remaining can survive."

Feng Mu restrained his cold ruthlessness, his eyes revealing the usual empathy and gentleness, his voice becoming low and emotional:

"To resist the misfortune Destiny brings, it's impossible not to pay any price. Using the sacrifices of a few to give the majority a chance to live—I think it's the fairest outcome, acceptable and best for both the dead and the living."