Chapter 3: An Opportunity (2)

The intruder couldn't hide his bewilderment. Even those trained in internal energy would typically fall into a deep sleep when exposed to sleeping gas while defenseless. For ordinary people without martial arts training, even a small whiff would cause them to suddenly fall asleep.

But something unexpected had occurred. While everyone else in the government prison had fallen asleep, this boy remained wide awake.

"What on earth is this kid?" the intruder wondered.

Cautiously, he placed his hand on the boy's abdomen and injected some qi. If the boy had any internal energy training, there should have been a reaction. However, there was no response. The boy truly had no martial arts training, just as they had been told earlier by an acquaintance in the government office. He was an ordinary person.

So why hadn't the sleeping gas affected him? Moreover, the boy showed no fear in this situation. Not only had he resisted the gas, but he was now immobilized by the intruder's acupressure technique. Yet his gaze remained steady, observing the intruder as if studying him.

"He's different," the intruder thought. He had heard the boy was a death row inmate, but something about him set him apart from other youths his age. There was an unsettling quality to him.

As the intruder pondered this, a voice came from behind. "Haven't you found him yet?"

Another masked figure entered the prison cell. This one had a smaller build – slender and shorter, clearly not a full-grown adult.

"Young master, I told you to wait outside and keep watch," the first intruder said quietly.

"Is that him?" the younger intruder asked, pointing at the immobilized prisoner before the first one could finish speaking.

The first intruder nodded. "Yes, it is."

"I can't see his face clearly. Guard Gam, brush his hair aside."

After a moment's hesitation, the guard complied, revealing the prisoner's face. The young master gasped in astonishment.

"How...?" he breathed, genuinely shocked.

The prisoner couldn't understand their reactions. Why were these intruders so surprised by his appearance?

The young master removed his own mask, revealing a face startlingly similar to the prisoner's. They could have been twins. There were subtle differences, but with some adjustments, even people who knew them well might have trouble telling them apart.

"How alike are we?" the young master asked.

"Almost identical, sir," replied the guard.

"Truly... remarkable," the young master mused.

"I was shocked when I first saw him as well," the guard admitted.

"I can imagine," the young master replied.

The odds of two unrelated individuals having such similar faces were astronomically low, yet here they were, looking at near-perfect doubles of each other.

After marveling at this for a while, the young master approached the prisoner and spoke. "I hear you're a death row inmate?"

Unable to speak due to the acupressure point, the prisoner remained silent. The young master signaled to the guard, who released the point blocking the prisoner's speech.

"You can answer now. Are you a death row inmate?" the young master repeated.

After a brief pause, the prisoner responded politely, "Yes, I am."

The young master smirked. "Good, you understand your position well."

He continued, "I hear your execution is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. What if I told you there was a chance to live a little longer?"

"I... want to live," the prisoner replied.

"Of course you do," the young master said, not bothering to hide his satisfaction. What choice did a death row inmate have but to grasp at any chance for survival?

"An opportunity like this doesn't come often. You're quite lucky for a condemned criminal," he sneered.

"Are you offering me a chance?" the prisoner asked cautiously.

"Yes, a significant one," the young master confirmed. "How would you like to live as Mok Gyeong-un, the third young master of the great Yeonmok Sword Hall, even if only for five days?"

The prisoner had never heard of the Yeonmok Sword Hall, but he understood the implication. "You want me to be your body double?"

Mok Gyeong-un's lips curled into a smile. "You're not stupid. Indeed, why else would I need someone like you? What I need is your face."

The reason for finding an identical face was clear – to use as a stand-in.

"Is that all I need to do? Just act as your double?" the prisoner inquired.

"It's only for five days. What grand expectations did you have? All you need to do is stay quietly in a separate villa of the estate, pretending to be me," Mok Gyeong-un explained.

"I see," the prisoner responded, though he wasn't foolish. He knew that body doubles were often used to face danger in place of the real person. There was undoubtedly some hidden risk involved.

Still, what choice did he have? He had been desperately trying to figure out how to escape the prison. If he did nothing, he would face a gruesome execution by dismemberment. There was no need to hesitate.

"Please give me this opportunity," the prisoner said.

Mok Gyeong-un smirked and gestured to the guard, who produced a small pouch from his robes.

"What is that?" the prisoner asked, confused.

"Eat it," Mok Gyeong-un commanded.

The guard took out a black pill from the pouch. It had a foul odor that was clearly not medicinal.

As the guard brought the pill to the prisoner's mouth, he asked, "Is it poison?"

Mok Gyeong-un scoffed. "Did you think we would simply trust someone like you?"

He continued, "If you successfully complete your role as my double, I'll give you the antidote. This ensures you won't try anything foolish."

The prisoner had no choice. Under Mok Gyeong-un's sneering gaze, he slowly opened his mouth and accepted the poison pill.

As the prisoner chewed and swallowed the pill without showing any discomfort, the guard's eyes widened in surprise. Most people would grimace at knowingly ingesting poison, but this prisoner seemed unfazed.

"You've done well to prepare this poison," the guard thought. "It should prevent him from attempting to escape or cause trouble if he wants to live."

After swallowing, the prisoner opened his mouth wide. "I've taken it, young master."

Satisfied that the pill was indeed swallowed, Mok Gyeong-un ordered, "Release him now."

The guard complied, unlocking the wooden stocks that had bound the prisoner's hands and feet. The prisoner felt immense relief as his limbs were freed from the heavy, iron-lined restraints.

As they prepared to leave the cell, the guard quietly instructed, "I'll lead the way. You follow behind me, and the young master will bring up the rear."

"Understood," The prisoner replied.

The guard was confident that with the poison in his system and Mok Gyeong-un watching from behind, the prisoner wouldn't dare attempt an escape. After all, what could an unarmed, untrained criminal do against skilled martial artists?

"Follow me," the guard said, moving to open the cell door.

But at that moment, a startling sound came from behind them.

"You! Urk!" followed by a loud thud.

The guard whirled around in shock, only to be met with an unbelievable sight. Mok Gyeong-un lay on the floor, his neck completely twisted, his face frozen in an expression of disbelief.

The guard was momentarily struck speechless by the sudden turn of events.

The prisoner spoke casually, as if nothing unusual had happened. "Well, this is a problem. It seems the death row inmate meant to be the body double has just died."