124: Chapter 124 The Myriad Calamities Poison Body, Arranging a Blind Date (5k)

The night was deep, like a giant black curtain.

Chen Ran sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion in the quiet room, his breathing long and steady.

He summoned the heavenly book of prison suppression.

The ancient scroll slowly unfolded in his mind, emitting a faint golden light.

[Host: Chen Ran]

[Cultivation Power: 190 years]

[Callable Cultivation Power: 9 years]

[Martial Arts:

Glazed Golden Body Art (Perfection)

Blood Transformation Great Art (Perfection)

Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic (Major Achievement) ↑]

Chen Ran moved his mind, locking his gaze onto the Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic.

On the panel, the Cultivation Power value jumped rapidly, instantly deducting a full thirty years.

The text of the Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic blurred for a moment, then erupted with a blinding, eerie green light, illuminating his entire mind in a ghastly green.

[If you have insight, Cultivation Technique Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic (Major Achievement) → Ten Thousand Poison Gu Classic (Perfection)]

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted in Chen Ran's mind.

The scene before his eyes changed instantly, and he felt as if he had fallen into a boundless poison swamp.

In the illusion, colorful poisonous miasma rolled and surged, blocking out the sky and sun.

Glug, glug—

Huge bubbles rose on the surface of the swamp, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench after bursting.

Countless poisonous insects, snakes, and Gu crawled out from the mud, dense and swarming toward him like a tide.

They crawled up his legs, opened their barbed mouthparts, bit viciously through his skin, and injected lethal venom into his blood vessels.

Intense pain.

Tearing pain instantly overwhelmed his nerves.

Chen Ran gritted his teeth. He could clearly feel that those venoms were not killing him, but were crazily roaming through his Meridians, like countless tiny files, constantly grinding his flesh and bones.

Tempering the Body with poison, forging the body with Gu.

This was the cruelty of this Cultivation Technique; most Martial Artists who cultivated this technique died during the cultivation process.

In reality, a layer of eerie, eerie green patterns appeared on the surface of Chen Ran's body.

These patterns squirmed like living things, emitting a heart-palpitating poisonous gas.

The surrounding air seemed to be corroded by this poisonous gas, emitting a faint "hissing" sound.

The patterns finally converged on his chest, forming an enchanting black lotus mark.

Inside his body, one hundred and eight acupoints trembled in unison, emitting a low roar, like one hundred and eight war drums being beaten simultaneously.

The True Qi in his acupoints was dyed a deep, dark green by the poisonous gas, becoming more refined, domineering, and filled with destructive power.

Chen Ran opened his eyes abruptly.

A flash of eerie green flickered in his eyes.

He raised his right hand, a wisp of faint black Qi lingering at his fingertips.

This black Qi appeared weak, yet it made Chen Ran feel a sense of connection, as if they were of the same Bloodline.

"Ten Thousand Calamities Poison Body..."

Chen Ran smiled.

This Physique was not only immune to all poisons but could also freely convert his own True Qi into the world's most exotic poisons.

Every gesture was filled with lethal intent.

From now on, if anyone dared to engage him in close-quarters combat, they would definitely be in for a surprise.

He looked at the panel again.

"I have reached the Middle Stage of Acupoint Condensation."

Chen Ran clenched his fist, feeling the surging, ocean-like power within his body.

One hundred and ninety years of profound Cultivation Power, combined with the formidable Physical Body brought by the Perfection Realm Glazed Golden Body Art, and the newly condensed "Ten Thousand Calamities Poison Body."

He calculated to himself.

"As I am now, even if I face a genuine Martial Artist of the Return to Truth Realm, even if I cannot win, there is absolutely no problem with saving my life and escaping."

Chen Ran exhaled a long breath, feeling great.

In this troubled world of demons and monsters, only strength is the sole reliance.

Only by being able to fear no third-rank Martial Artist can one be considered to have truly stepped onto the top tier.

...

The next morning.

Chen Ran changed into casual clothes, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked onto the street.

As soon as he hit the street, he sensed that the atmosphere was wrong.

The usually bustling morning market seemed exceptionally desolate today.

There were far fewer pedestrians on the street than usual, each walking in a hurry, heads bowed, not daring to look around.

Squads of armored and armed city defense soldiers patrolled the streets, the clanging of their armor plates sounding particularly harsh in the cold morning air.

"Extra! Extra!"

"Six Doors fights a night battle against the Black Crow Cult, heavy casualties!"

"Red Lotus Demonic Cult invades Shenghai in force, Imperial Court urgently dispatches a large army to suppress them!"

A newsboy wearing a ragged cotton-padded jacket waved the newspaper in his hand, shouting loudly at the street corner.

Chen Ran walked over and handed over two copper coins.

"Give me one."

"Coming right up! Here you go, sir!" The newsboy deftly handed over a newspaper smelling of fresh ink.

Chen Ran took the newspaper and sat down at a breakfast stall on the side of the street.

"Boss, two baskets of meat buns and a bowl of soy milk."

"Coming right away!" The boss replied, but his hand holding the buns trembled slightly, spilling a few drops of soup.

A few diners at the next table lowered their voices and whispered.

"Did you hear? The fighting in the Outer City last night was miserable; blood dyed half the street red."

"Exactly, I heard even a Gold-badge Constable from the Six Doors was heavily injured."

"This world is becoming less and less peaceful..."

Chen Ran unfolded the newspaper and read while eating.

The front-page headline was printed in bold, black type, detailing the tragic events of last night.

A secret stronghold of the remnants of the Black Crow Cult in the Outer City of the capital was discovered by secret agents of the Six Doors.

The two sides immediately erupted into an extremely brutal street battle.

The Six Doors lost three Silver-badge Constables and over a dozen Bronze-badge Constables.

The Black Crow Cult suffered over a hundred casualties, and even one of their Protectors was killed on the spot, with the corpse hung on the city wall as a warning.

Now the whole city is under martial law, searching house by house for the remnants of the Black Crow Cult.

Chen Ran bit into a meat bun, juices overflowing.

He flipped to the second page.

The Shenghai region was ambushed by the Red Lotus Demonic Cult, with three cities falling in succession.

The local garrison collapsed at the first touch, suffering countless casualties.

The Imperial Court was furious and had dispatched the elite of the Divine Pivot Battalion overnight to suppress them, vowing to annihilate the Demonic Cult.

"Red Lotus Demonic Cult..."

Chen Ran drank a mouthful of hot soy milk, warmth flowing through his whole body.

In his mind, the image of that stunningly beautiful woman wearing a bright red prison uniform emerged.

Jiang Mengli.

"This former dynasty's Eldest Princess has finally begun to close the net."

Chen Ran understood.

The world is about to descend into chaos.

However, what does this have to do with a lowly Jailer like him?

If the sky falls, there are tall people from the Demon Suppression Division to hold it up.

Chen Ran finished the last bun, wiped his mouth, and stood up to pay.

...

A few days later.

Celestial Prison, Cell Block D.

In the dark and damp corridor, where sunlight never reached, the air was filled with a nauseating smell of blood and mold.

The torches on the walls flickered, casting long shadows of the two men.

Chen Ran carried the food box, walking slowly in front.

Warden Wen Ruoxu followed behind him, holding a bunch of keys, tossing them out of boredom, making a crisp metallic clinking sound.

Warden Wen Ruoxu watched Chen Ran's back, his eyes flickering slightly.

In the past few days, he had used his intelligence network to secretly investigate Chen Ran's background.

The result surprised him.

This person's resume was as clean as a blank sheet of paper.

Apart from working in the Celestial Prison, he would just return to his small courtyard to sleep; he rarely even went to brothels, his life as disciplined as an ascetic monk.

No background, no backing.

But Warden Wen Ruoxu did not believe it.

A common Jailer with no background, able to live so comfortably in a man-eating place like the Celestial Prison?

"This kid, he hides deep."

Warden Wen Ruoxu thought to himself, though he didn't take it to heart.

"Brother Chen, I heard you went to help the Six Doors a few days ago?" Warden Wen Ruoxu leaned in, asking with a grin, his tone casual.

"Sigh, don't mention it." Chen Ran sighed, looking helpless,

"I just went to run an errand and was almost hacked to death by the lunatics of the Black Crow Cult. Those guys are simply suicidal."

"Those people from the Six Doors are the same; they get into trouble themselves and insist on dragging us from the Demon Suppression Division into it."

Warden Wen Ruoxu curled his lips, looking disdainful, "Our Celestial Prison is better; no wind, no rain, how comfortable."

"Who says otherwise?" Chen Ran nodded in deep agreement.

The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without words.

They walked to the end of the corridor.

Here were imprisoned several True Disciples of the Demon Sound Sect.

The higher-ups had lost patience and ordered their execution at noon today.

Chen Ran opened the food box and served several bowls of sumptuous food.

There was fish, meat, and a pot of cloudy wine.

The final meal before execution.

"Gentlemen, eat well and drink well, so you won't be hungry on your way." Chen Ran pushed the food into the cell, his tone calm.

The several Demon Sound Sect Disciples were disheveled, covered in blood, and on their last breath.

They glanced at Chen Ran without speaking, merely dragging their heavy chains as they crawled over and devoured the food ravenously.

Half an hour later.

Several ferocious Demon Suppression Guards strode over, opened the cell door, and dragged the Disciples out roughly, escorting them to the execution ground.

Chen Ran stood at the cell door, watching them leave.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Chen Ran's mind vibrated slightly.

The heavenly book of prison suppression opened.

[Detected new prisoner has died, calculating participation, reward: three years of Cultivation Power]

A warm current appeared out of nowhere, merging into Chen Ran's limbs and bones, nourishing his Meridians.

[Cultivation Power: 193 years]

Chen Ran squinted his eyes comfortably.

This is what life should be.

No need to fight to the death; just by serving a meal, one can become stronger.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

"Brother Chen, why are you spacing out?" Warden Wen Ruoxu patted Chen Ran on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go for a few drinks. My treat. I heard a new batch has arrived at Spring Breeze Pavilion..."

"Sure thing." Chen Ran smiled and turned around.

Just then.

A yellow paper crane fluttered in from outside the corridor, circled once in mid-air, and landed precisely on Warden Wen Ruoxu's shoulder.

Warden Wen Ruoxu was taken aback for a moment.

He recognized it as a Message Talisman from his Family.

He took down the paper crane and unfolded it to take a look.

The smile on his face vanished instantly.

"What happened?" Chen Ran sensed something was wrong and asked casually.

Warden Wen Ruoxu crumpled the note into a ball and clenched it in his palm.

"Brother Chen, I'm truly sorry, but I'm afraid we won't be able to have those drinks."

He forced a smile:

"An urgent matter came up at home; I have to head back immediately. Let's drink another day."

...

Outside the Heavenly Prison,

Just as Warden Wen Ruoxu reached the exit, a middle-aged man with an ordinary face, wearing a grey cloth robe, came forward to meet him.

This man was the Wen Family's contact planted on the periphery of the Demon Suppression Division, usually responsible for relaying messages.

"Young Master." The middle-aged man bowed slightly and lowered his voice.

"What's so urgent that you had to use a Message Talisman?" Warden Wen Ruoxu's brow furrowed, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.

The middle-aged man glanced left and right to ensure no one was around before speaking: "Young Master, how is your cultivation progress in the Heavenly Prison?"

"It's alright. The Evil Qi in this damn place is too heavy; it's not that easy to achieve a Breakthrough," Warden Wen Ruoxu replied perfunctorily.

The middle-aged man nodded without prying further and changed the subject: "The Family Head has ordered you to return to the manor immediately. There are important arrangements."

"Important arrangements?" Warden Wen Ruoxu sneered. "What is the old man planning now? I've only had a few days of peace."

"This subordinate does not know. The Family Head only said you must return as soon as possible." The middle-aged man's tone was respectful, but his attitude was very firm.

Warden Wen Ruoxu took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart.

He knew that since the old man had used a Message Talisman, there was likely something truly important to discuss.

"Fine, I understand. Go prepare the carriage."

Warden Wen Ruoxu waved his hand, dismissing the contact.

He looked back at the deep, dark entrance of the Heavenly Prison once more,

Warden Wen Ruoxu sighed, turned, and strode away.

...

Meanwhile, at the Six Doors headquarters.

The Archive Room.

Lin Wan sat amidst mountains of dossiers, her brow tightly furrowed.

On the table before her lay several incomplete case files.

These files were all related to several high-profile criminals who had recently died in the Heavenly Prison.

"Something's wrong. This is far too suspicious."

Lin Wan muttered to herself, her fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.

Through various visits and secret investigations, she discovered that the backgrounds of these death row prisoners were extremely complex; while they seemed unrelated on the surface, they all secretly pointed in the same direction.

A secret organization hidden deep within the imperial court.

But whenever she reached a key clue, she would encounter an invisible resistance.

Core dossiers were forcibly sealed, insiders kept their mouths shut, and even high-ranking officials within Six Doors were intentionally or unintentionally obstructing her investigation.

Lin Wan grit her teeth and stood up abruptly, haphazardly stuffing the dossiers on the table into a drawer.

"Since Six Doors can't investigate it, then I'll go back to the Lin Family to investigate!"

With a determined look in her eyes, Lin Wan strode out of the Archive Room.

...

The Lin Family Manor was located in the most prosperous area of the capital's Inner City.

The vermilion gates and high courtyard walls all displayed the heritage and prestige of one of the Four Great Families.

At the dinner table, the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Lin Wan picked at the rice in her bowl, her mind clearly elsewhere.

Seated at the head of the table was Father Lin, wearing loose casual clothes, his expression majestic.

He put down his chopsticks and glanced at Lin Wan.

"Wan'er, why do you seem so preoccupied today? Did you run into trouble at Six Doors?"

Lin Wan hesitated for a moment, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and looked up at Father Lin.

"Father, have you heard of 'Flower Rain Pavilion'?"

Father Lin's movement in picking up food paused slightly, then returned to normal.

He chewed the vegetables in his mouth thoroughly and swallowed before slowly setting down his chopsticks.

"Where did you hear that name?" Father Lin's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"I'm investigating the cases of several Heavenly Prison death row prisoners, and the clues eventually all pointed to this organization," Lin Wan told him truthfully.

Father Lin sighed, picked up a teacup from the table, and took a sip.

"Wan'er, listen to your father's advice. Do not investigate this case any further."

"Why?" Lin Wan's brow furrowed, somewhat defiant. "Is even our Lin Family afraid of them?"

"It's not fear." Father Lin shook his head, his tone calm.

"Flower Rain Pavilion is a secret power directly under the high-ranking officials of the imperial court; the water is too deep. Even if you find some clues, those above will suppress them. Why waste your effort? If things go wrong, you'll only bring trouble upon yourself."

"But..."

"There are no 'buts'." Father Lin interrupted Lin Wan, his tone gentle but carrying an unquestionable power.

"This matter ends here. You're a girl; what kind of propriety is there in fighting and killing all day in Six Doors?"

Lin Wan bit her lip and said nothing, but the stubbornness in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Seeing his daughter like this, Father Lin sighed helplessly.

He knew Lin Wan's personality; the more she was blocked, the more she would want to get to the bottom of things.

"By the way, Wan'er." Father Lin changed the subject, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "You're not young anymore. The Family has arranged a blind date for you."

"A blind date?" Lin Wan was stunned, and her face immediately darkened.

"The other party is a young talent from the Wen Family. He's handsome and has decent cultivation. If you two can make it work, it would be a great thing for both the Lin and Wen families," Father Lin advised.

"I'm not going!" Lin Wan refused decisively. "I'm full!"

Lin Wan coldly dropped those words, turned, and slammed the door as she left.

Bang!

The door was slammed shut heavily, letting out a loud crash.

Father Lin looked at Lin Wan's departing back and let out a helpless sigh.

"This girl, why is her temper so stubborn..."

He rubbed his aching brow, worrying about how to explain this to the Wen Family.

"Forget it. If she doesn't want to go, then I'll decline the matter."

...

Inside the Wen Family assembly hall.

The atmosphere was similarly strange.

Warden Wen Ruoxu sat in a chair at the lower end, holding a cup of hot tea and sipping it unhurriedly.

As soon as he rushed back to the Family, he was called here by the old man.

Seated at the head was the Wen Family Head, Warden Wen Ruoxu's father, who was looking at him with a beaming smile.

"Ruoxu, you've stayed in the Heavenly Prison for so long; it's time to settle down," Father Wen said earnestly.

"Father, speak plainly. Don't beat around the bush." Warden Wen Ruoxu put down his teacup, an ominous premonition rising in his heart.

"Ahem..." Father Wen cleared his throat, an awkward smile appearing on his face. "It's like this: the Family has arranged a blind date for you."

Pfft—

The mouthful of tea Warden Wen Ruoxu had just taken instantly sprayed out.

His eyes widened as he looked at Father Wen in disbelief.

"A blind date? Father, you're not joking, are you? How old am I that you're in such a rush to push me out?"

"Nonsense! When a man grows up, he should marry; when a woman grows up, she should wed. What's so strange about that?" Father Wen pulled a long face and scolded.

"No, Father, which Family's young lady have you arranged for me? Is she pretty? Is her personality gentle?" Warden Wen Ruoxu asked in a rapid-fire sequence.

Father Wen coughed twice, his eyes dodging slightly.

"Well... the other party is the Lin Family's daughter, Lin Wan."

"Lin Wan?"

Warden Wen Ruoxu was stunned for a moment, and then the image of that "tigress" who wore the Six Doors uniform and would draw her sword to hack at people at the drop of a hat surfaced in his mind.

He shuddered all over and repeatedly refused.

"I'm not going! Not even if you kill me!"

Warden Wen Ruoxu jumped up from his chair, shouting at Father Wen.

"Father, you're pushing me into a fire pit! That Lin Wan is the famous 'tigress' of Six Doors. If anyone marries her, will they ever have a good day again?"

"Presumptuous! How can you talk like that?" Father Wen slapped the table and roared, "What's wrong with Lin Wan? She's a Famous Constable of Six Doors and a standout among the younger generation! She's more than a match for you!"

"I don't care; anyway, I'm not going!" Warden Wen Ruoxu stiffened his neck, looking like a dead pig that didn't fear boiling water.

"Let whoever wants to go, go. I don't want to provoke her."

Hearing this, the Wen Family Head's face darkened.

"Nonsense. You two should at least meet once before saying anything else."

Warden Wen Ruoxu lowered his head, and it was unclear what he was thinking, but finally, he responded.

"Fine. If it fails this time, don't you dare push any more blind date invitations on me."