Raising Orphans, Not Assassins-Chapter 0Vol. 2 - - Prologue – Brothers

A damp, shadowy underground prison cell.

"Drip… drip…"

Water dripped from the ceiling, landing in a broken porcelain bowl.

The brown porcelain bowl, barely the size of half a palm, held a few mouthfuls of water.

The water was murky, carrying a foul smell.

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A pair of filthy hands carefully cradled the bowl.

"Second Brother, here—water… we have water…" A hoarse voice broke the silence.

In the cramped, dimly lit cell, a man dressed in white prison garb, his hair hanging in disarray, stumbled forward with the bowl in his hands.

Every step he took made the chains on his body clatter.

A closer look would reveal that his clavicles had been pierced through with iron chains—thick, refined steel that ran down to his ankles.

This was a form of punishment designed for martial artists of great skill, rendering them powerless once their clavicles were impaled.

Against the damp, icy wall sat another man.

Like the one holding the bowl, he wore a tattered white prison uniform. His face was gaunt, his complexion deathly pale, his hair matted and unkempt.

His clavicles, too, were bound by the same brutal chains.

The staggering man finally reached the wall and brought the porcelain bowl close to the other man's lips.

The man against the wall weakly opened his cracked lips and sipped the murky, foul-smelling water.

After just one sip, he shut his lips tightly.

He shook his head, his voice faint. "Xiao Shun, that’s enough for me."

The disheveled man holding the bowl let out a raspy chuckle.

"Second Brother, don’t hold back. Drink. I found another leak. The water that drips in throughout the day—it's enough for both of us."

The man against the wall managed a small smile, revealing a neat row of teeth.

"Truly?"

"As true as gold!"

The man parted his dry, peeling lips again and drank.

Soon, the water in the bowl was gone.

The man holding the empty bowl smiled.

He staggered back to the spot where the ceiling had been leaking earlier and tilted his head up, staring into the darkness above.

After a while—

Plop.

A single drop of water fell from above, striking his face.

His smile deepened.

He set the porcelain bowl down and slowly sat beside it.

Then, he raised a hand to his face, touching the spot where the water had landed.

His fingers traced the damp patch gently before slipping into his mouth.

A dry tongue licked his fingertips twice.

The cool sensation made his face relax in brief bliss.

"Drip… drip…"

The sound of water dripping echoed intermittently in the cell.

Then, the man against the wall spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Xiao Shun… after all this time…"

"I still don’t know your real name."

"We're near the end now. Will you tell me?"

The man beside the porcelain bowl chuckled, his voice hoarse.

"Second Brother…"

"My surname is Sun. My name—Sheng."

"‘White Stripe in the Waves’—Zhang Shun was just a nickname."

The man against the wall smiled upon hearing this.

"Sun Sheng…"

"A good name."

The man beside the bowl grinned. "I think so too."

Creaaaak…

The stone door of the underground prison groaned as it shifted open.

A beam of light seeped through the gap.

Hearing the sound, the man beside the bowl suddenly laughed.

"Second Brother, it's time."

The man against the wall let out a rattling breath.

"It is."

"Sheng, do you regret it?"

"Regret? I regret not killing that bastard sooner!"

"Hahahaha… But what a pity, Sheng. I won’t get to meet your elder brother. Such a pity…"

"Second Brother, if you met my elder brother, you’d be in awe of him too!"

"Hahahaha…" The man against the wall burst into hoarse laughter.

"Hahahaha…" The man beside the bowl joined in.

Their laughter echoed through the damp, gloomy cell.

Creaaaak…

The stone door swung further open.

Torchlight spilled in.

Figures stood silhouetted against the glow.

Through the flickering flames, their garments became faintly visible—black silk robes embroidered in intricate patterns, golden daggers glinting at their waists.

Yuyu: Okay, foreshadowing again. Now, I’m very curious.

SHMOLL: I read the whole volume. Ask me ;)

Yuyu: SHMOLL jie, please enlighten me. 🙏