The dim light was not enough for Arthur to clearly see the woman's face; he could only vaguely make out a silhouette sitting against the wall.
The Warden thoughtfully handed a torch to Arthur and retreated to an appropriate distance.
This distance allowed him to react in time if anything unexpected happened, yet also prevented him from overhearing Arthur and the female prisoner's conversation.
"They say you're from Qingfeng Valley?" Arthur asked the prisoner.
The silhouette in the shadows finally moved. She rose from the ground and slowly walked to the bars, where the torchlight illuminated her appearance.
She was about the same age as Arthur, around seventeen or eighteen. Her figure was slender yet firm, clearly indicating long-term training.
She had neat, short hair, like raven feathers dipped in tar, black and shiny.
Her face was exquisite, and beneath her sword-like brows were a pair of deep red eyes that gleamed with an unusual light under the torch's glow.
Her high nose bridge and delicate lips were like a sculpture.
What was most unusual was her pale, almost bloodless skin.
Arthur suddenly understood why the other female prisoners ostracized her; this woman exuded an oppressive aura that warned others to keep their distance.
Especially those red eyes; whenever Arthur met them, he had the illusion of being stared at by something.
"Who are you?" the female prisoner asked.
Her voice was cold and stern, like a winter wind.
Arthur stated his identity, then said, "You only stole some bread and sausage, which isn't a serious crime. You can leave by paying a ransom."
The woman gave a cold, mocking laugh. "If I had money, why would I need to steal bread, my Lord?"
"I can help you pay the ransom and let you leave this place."
Her dark red pupils shifted slightly, and a hint of emotion entered the woman's tone, "Why are you asking about that place?"
Arthur pondered for a moment, then frankly said, "I am about to take up my post in Qingfeng Valley, becoming its new Baron."
Arthur's words clearly piqued the female prisoner's interest. She scrutinized the young nobleman before her.
Soon, she delivered her judgment, disdainfully remarking, "You won't even survive one spring."
"That's why I need information about that place." Arthur was not angered by her words.
He was not the kind of nobleman who couldn't hear any advice; on the contrary, her words strengthened his resolve to establish a small military squad.
"Some things, even if I tell you, will be useless. If you're smart enough, then prepare to escape quickly, instead of taking up the post."
"Some things you have to try to know," Arthur said. "Besides, I heard you've been trying to organize people to return to Qingfeng Valley?"
"But no one wants to go with you to that 'cursed place,' do they? You're so poor you have to steal bread to live. And I..."
He spread his arms. "As you can see, I am, in your eyes, a powerless, boastful nobleman."
"But I have money, enough to raise a team to go to Qingfeng Valley, and I can also pay your ransom to get you out of this hellhole."
The female prisoner's brows furrowed tightly.
Arthur's words left her unable to retort. Compared to him, she indeed had little bargaining power.
"Alright, let's stop mocking each other." Arthur continued to persuade, "I'm not here to make friends."
"As long as I get what I want, then we'll mind our own business, how about it?"
"I don't like you."
"Excellent, at least in some aspects, we agree." Arthur suddenly turned, "What a pity, I'll go tell the Warden you're planning an escape and have him send more guards to watch you day and night."
Hearing this, the female prisoner was clearly anxious. "How did you... Damn it, wait, I said wait!"
Arthur ignored her and continued walking.
"I accept! Damn it... I accept your terms!"
She finally chose to yield.
-----------------
Ten silver Talans were pushed in front of the Warden. Four were for the ransom, and the other six were naturally his "processing fee."
But this penniless knight seemed to have no intention of taking the money. He stared at the bag of silver coins for a moment.
Then he looked up at Arthur and said, "Young master, this woman has already been claimed."
"What do you mean?" Arthur looked puzzled.
The Warden didn't bother to keep him guessing and stated directly, "Your elder brother, the second young master, he also wants this woman. He previously ordered that no one was allowed to take her."
So that's how it was. Arthur mused inwardly. He didn't mind causing more trouble for his dear brother, but he needed a sufficiently legitimate reason.
After a brief thought, he spoke: "You are loyal to father and the Evil Wolf Family, correct?"
"Of course." The Warden's reply was without any hesitation.
"Then I, the youngest son of the Evil Wolf Family, will soon take up my post in Qingfeng Valley." Arthur said passionately, "This matter is very important to the Evil Wolf Family."
"It concerns the family's reputation and honor, do you understand?"
The Warden might not have been highly literate, but having navigated the official circles for many years, he was no longer the ignorant farmer he once was.
Soon, he grasped the meaning of Arthur's words.
"This woman is from Qingfeng Valley." Arthur added, fearing the other party hadn't fully understood, "And the Evil Wolf Family now needs someone who understands that place."
The Warden nodded, reached for the money bag, and took out four silver coins.
"All for the Evil Wolf Family," he said solemnly.
-----------------
"Where are we going?" The female prisoner asked shortly after they left the prison.
"Somewhere we can talk, and where you can get clean. You're more conspicuous than a beggar right now."
Arthur glanced at her.
Since all her equipment and clothes had been plundered by the jailers, the woman was now wearing only a dirty, thin coarse linen tunic, indistinguishable from a roadside beggar, and her body odor was unbearable.
"If those jailers could keep their hands to themselves, it wouldn't be such a hassle now," she grumbled softly.
"I don't know where this cynical attitude of yours comes from." Arthur rode his horse forward, "But instead of complaining, it's better to walk faster."
"Hurry up and follow. I know a place where you won't be so noticeable."
The most chaotic place near the docks was undoubtedly the Red Hook Tavern.
It was always crowded with all sorts of people.
Seafaring sailors, full of curses, looked down on the river barge crewmen who were full of inland habits.
They talked of tides, storms, and nights so dark even the stars wouldn't come out to guide them.
In addition, many fishermen were among them; they were the most amiable of these people, at least during harvest season.
Prostitutes were, of course, indispensable. They wore heavy makeup and revealing clothes, trying every way to extract money from men's pockets.
The tavern was noisy and chaotic, with various smells mingling, and no one would notice a dirty female prisoner.
Arthur asked the tavern owner for a guest room for washing and a set of clean clothes.
He handed the clothes to the female prisoner, gesturing for her to go into the room and wash.
"Aren't you afraid I'll run away?" the female prisoner asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If you were going to run, you could have done so anytime. No need to come here with me." Arthur was nonchalant.
The female prisoner, whose thoughts had been exposed, pursed her lips and reluctantly entered the room.
Facing this young nobleman who constantly outmaneuvered her, she realized how powerless and ridiculous her every resistance seemed.
