The Old woman had told students that they should question everything they were taught and seek truth on their own. She had said that even the guardian beasts were not supreme and that they too could grow stronger than them.
Someone had disliked her teachings and reported her. The result was imprisonment.
There were criminals in the cells too. One man openly admitted he had murdered an entire caravan of traders. Another confessed to raiding and destroying several remote villages. Yet even those with horrible actions seemed almost resigned, not defiant.
They at least knew why they were here. The ones who were innocent or caught by false charges were far more broken.
But the one story that irritated Lin Mu the most came from two merchants sitting in the far corner. They were quiet until Lin Mu talked to them. Their robes were worn and their hair was messy.
"What are you here for?" Lin Mu asked.
The older merchant replied, "Smuggling prohibited goods."
