Chapter 5: Brothers in Trickery
The most surprising thing was that even today, the prison warden, Briggs, was nowhere to be seen.
"Looks like Briggs is scared of me now after that scolding yesterday," Tyler muttered.
He shook his head, knowing all too well what kind of person Briggs was. This man wouldn't let something like that go so easily. Tyler understood that Briggs was certainly plotting something behind his back.
"Forget about him. I just need to stay vigilant around the likes of him," he told himself.
He tossed all three medicine pills aside. He no longer needed that cheap stuff—after all, his body was now in the best condition it had ever been.
He'd spent the entire day getting beaten again, and his body was filthy. Quickly, Tyler stripped off his clothes, scooped out a pitcher of water from the basin, and poured it over himself.
The clear water streamed down his head, but by the time it touched the ground, it was as muddy as a swamp. Flecks of white impurity floated in the dirty water.
"Looks like this warm current is doing wonders, purging all kinds of impurities from my body."
It was well known that for any cultivator, building a strong body was essential—only then could they truly absorb the spiritual energy of the world.
But this body-purification was a process. First, one must purify the skin, then flesh, then bones, then internal organs, and finally the bone marrow.
For instance, the Root Core stage removes the impurities from flesh and strengthens it; the Sacral Core removes impurities from the bones.
Once the body's depths are purified, it becomes incomparably stronger and more advanced than ordinary flesh.
But the main difference between Tyler and the rest is that most people have to practice and cultivate arduously to force out their bodily impurities—a process that is slow and often agonizing.
Tyler, on the other hand, only had to take a good beating! The impurities in his body could be cleansed out many times faster this way.
He had already reached the pinnacle of the Root Core but had been stagnant for years due to lack of proper cultivation and training.
But after today's beating, he felt a transformation within. His flesh felt pure and powerful, and in the murky water on the floor, he saw faint traces of white impurity.
The black grime was the impurity from his muscles; the white, from his bones—a clear sign he had reached the Sacral Core!
He decided to test his strength. Gathering all his power, he unleashed the "Oxen's Thousand Fists," throwing a punch into the air. A thunderous sound erupted and a gust of wind blasted through the cellar, sending the lamp and scattered papers flying.
Unfortunately, the cellar was small. He had no proper device or assistant on which to test his new might—and drawing attention could bring trouble.
Still, the power surging in his fist was unmistakable. Tyler stared in awe at his hand and muttered, "I've reached the Sacral Core."
His excitement left him almost unable to sleep. He only managed a couple of hours, yet still woke up brimming with energy and vigor.
In the early morning, a servant came, shackled his ankles and wrists, and took Tyler out of the cellar.
Now at the Sacral stage, countless subtle changes were taking place in Tyler's body—changes too delicate for words, but unmistakable to anyone paying close attention.
Walking behind the servants, Tyler noticed that today's route was different. They weren't heading to the training yard, but somewhere else entirely.
Tyler's brows knitted in suspicion, but he said nothing, waiting to see what came next.
After some time, they approached a section of the palace he hadn't seen for ages. He quietly observed his surroundings—this whole area had changed, with new buildings and, ahead, a small pond crossed by a tiny bridge.
The new buildings were lavish, with towering roofs and intricate golden decorations on their walls.
After leading him into a garden with the pond, the servant guided Tyler along a narrow path toward a fine-looking building. Soon, they stood in its courtyard.
There, two men were sitting face-to-face sipping tea, looking perfectly content.
Tyler recognized them right away. One was Briggs, the missing prison warden, and the other was an old man in fancy robes, well past fifty—his name was Bartlett. Once just a palace servant, Bartlett's wife was a wet nurse, hired by Tyler's uncle to care for his eldest son, Richard. Thanks to those connections, Bartlett rose fast—a simple kitchen worker once, he was now the palace's head steward.
With the uncle's favor, Bartlett's status was higher than ever, and so was his arrogance. He wasn't afraid to push back against even senior officials.
Tyler had heard a number of stories about Bartlett's arrogance.
Before Tyler could enter the courtyard, he overheard Briggs saying, "Bartlett, you really do have a beautiful home. Looks like Prince Richard trusts you a lot."
"Trust? Hah, I'm like his right hand. He even treats my wife like his own mother," Bartlett said with pride.
Briggs nodded eagerly. "Truly, Bartlett! And if I'm not mistaken, your doorway is decorated with genuine gold leaf, isn't it?"
Bartlett laughed. "Gold leaf? That's the cheapest thing here! Look closer—you'll see treasures all over the door. That lion sculpture? Its eyes are cut from rare sapphires. The walls are studded with emeralds and diamonds too…"
Briggs went down the list, appraising every piece of artwork, then, with a sly look, added, "Still, Bartlett, there's something missing from your perfect home."
"What could I possibly lack?" Bartlett asked coolly.
Briggs grinned. "You're now a key figure in the palace, but you don't have enough good servants to match your position. You need a clever, hard-working aide who can handle your daily needs. As luck would have it, I have just the candidate in mind!"
"Oh? Who could that be?" Bartlett asked, intrigued.
Briggs pointed to the main entrance. "Right there—look, that's him!"
So what happens next? Is Briggs really offering Tyler up as Bartlett's servant? And how will Tyler respond to this new twist?