133: Chapter 133 The Heavenly Prison, Wanted (4k)

Capital City, Demon Suppression Division.

In the corridor, the sound of footsteps was hurried.

Li Mochuan walked very quickly, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

He stopped in front of a wooden door, took a deep breath, and tidied his lapels.

Only then did he raise his hand and gently knock on the door.

"Enter."

A voice came from inside the room, very flat, with no hint of emotion.

Li Mochuan pushed the door open and entered.

The room was not large, and the furnishings were extremely simple.

A few wooden tables, a few chairs, and a few potted green plants in the corner.

It looked just like an ordinary study.

But as soon as Li Mochuan stepped over the threshold, his whole body suddenly felt light.

The hostility, fatigue, and irritability accumulated from last night's fight were washed clean at this moment by an invisible aura.

It was as if he had taken a sip of ice-cold well water on a hot day, cooling him to his core.

A man in a green robe stood by the window, his temperament elegant.

Holding a pair of iron scissors, he was pruning the branches and leaves of a peony in front of him.

"Snip."

"Snip."

The sound of the scissors opening and closing echoed in the quiet room.

A strange scene appeared.

As the branches and leaves were cut, the peony did not wither; instead, its petals became as red as blood, blooming even more enchantingly.

"Constable Li."

The green-robed man did not turn around.

"I heard that something went wrong last night?"

Li Mochuan immediately lowered his head, bowing deeply.

"Lord Fan, there was indeed an accident during the cleanup of the Black Crow Cult last night."

He had a heartfelt awe for the man in front of him.

Fan Jue, the youngest Commander of the Demon Suppression Division.

He looked like a schoolteacher, but in his early years, the Jianghu experts who died at his hands could fill a river.

Li Mochuan did not dare to hide anything.

From leading the raid, to Ye Wuya's demonization, to the appearance of the mysterious "Shanjun."

He recounted everything, bit by bit.

When he mentioned that the actual strength of the Black Crow Cult leader was at the Peak of the Fourth Grade and that there was a serious intelligence error,

The scissors in Fan Jue's hand stopped.

He slightly raised his eyes.

"Intelligence error?"

"It seems the Six Doors also has their people."

Li Mochuan nodded.

"That's what I thought too; it's too coincidental."

He had been a constable for so many years; it was normal for intelligence to be slightly off.

But off by an entire major Realm?

If no one had secretly tampered with it, even a ghost wouldn't believe it.

The room was quiet for a few minutes.

Fan Jue put down the scissors and took a white towel from the side to wipe his hands.

"Interesting."

"A demonized cult leader, a mysterious demonic cult expert."

"It seems that in the few years I've been away from the Capital City, the Jianghu has been quite lively."

His voice was not loud, and his tone was flat.

But Li Mochuan felt as if a great mountain was pressing down on his head.

Cold sweat broke out with a "shua" and dripped down his sideburns.

Fortunately, that terrifying pressure came and went quickly.

Fan Jue turned around.

"Constable Li, I will arrange for someone to investigate the matter of the mole."

"You worked hard on last night's mission."

Li Mochuan shook his head repeatedly.

"It wasn't hard. I just felt that things were strange and came specifically to report to you, My Lord."

He paused and asked boldly.

"Lord Fan, that demonic cult expert who suddenly appeared... should we still investigate?"

Fan Jue threw the towel on the table.

"Since the people of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult dare to show their Faces in the Capital City, then let's give them some Face."

"Go, have someone draft a wanted poster and post it all over the Capital City."

Li Mochuan cupped his fists.

"Yes!"

...

Yao Beasts are actually not a secret among the common people.

Whether in past classical masterpieces or illustrated books, there have been records of Yao Beasts.

Often, these personal biographies would compare Yao Beasts to heinous beings with heaven-reaching abilities.

But in reality, ordinary Yao Beasts are just wild beasts that have opened their wisdom roots and embarked on the path of cultivation, which is the same path as a Martial Artist tempering their blood and Qi to build their body.

As for the Yao Beasts described in biographies that could call the wind and summon the rain or change the world, they are not the same kind of existence at all.

Inside the Six Doors.

Lin Wan held a scroll and quickly flipped through the information within.

After a while, she put down the item and rubbed her brow.

"Demonization incidents have only occurred three times in the last ten years, and they were all resolved quickly. After this incident, I'm afraid there will be a new round of screening."

Originally, the imperial court's handling of the Black Crow Cult was just as a common reactionary rebel party.

But now, the terrifying strength shown by that Ye Wuya and that half-human, half-demon bizarre state.

It has already exceeded the original development of the matter.

Just having a Martial Artist of the Aperture Condensation Realm presiding over it was already big news.

If the matter of demonization is added, then the situation becomes even more serious.

What kind of means does the pusher behind the Black Crow Cult have to dare to blatantly cause trouble in the Capital City?

"This matter is probably far from over."

Lin Wan stood up, her gaze looking through the window toward the center of the Capital City.

The Six Doors suffered heavy losses in this mission, but it was not without gain; at least they obtained a lot of new intelligence.

"I just don't know how the imperial court will handle this..."

Lin Wan took out a gourd-shaped jade bottle from her sleeve and took a Medicinal Pill from the bottle, putting it into her mouth.

This was her Family's heirloom healing Medicinal Pill, the Heart-Healing Pill, which is very helpful for heart meridian injuries and disordered Qi.

During the battle last night, she forcibly used her True Qi, causing her internal breath to be turbulent, and she still needed a few days of rest.

After Lin Wan took the Medicinal Pill, her complexion improved significantly.

Her thoughts shifted, recalling the scene deep in her memory where the Devilish Qi surged to the heavens.

The Cultivation Technique this person practiced was definitely a Cultivation Technique only found in the Red Lotus Demonic Cult.

In other words, that Saber Master known as "Shanjun" would probably soon be wanted by the imperial court.

"If he really is a person of the demonic cult, then he has been dormant in the Capital City for several years; why did he only act now?"

Lin Wan only felt her thoughts were in a mess, with a large amount of information rushing through her mind.

"I am still too weak. If I could have been a little stronger that night, maybe I could have caught him personally to ask for clarification."

"My current strength is simply not enough..."

Lin Wan's heart was complicated, lamenting her own weakness.

But if she wanted to catch up with the other party's strength progress, she couldn't do it by herself.

"In the end, I still have to return to the Family once."

Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind, and her figure gradually disappeared.

...

...

Fourth floor of the Heavenly Prison, Jiazi cell.

Cold and damp.

The air was filled with a heavy smell of blood and rot, as if even breathing would pull a mouthful of Death Qi into one's mouth.

On both sides of the corridor, torches flickered, and light and shadow were mottled.

A post every three steps, a sentry every five.

Fully armed Black Armor Guards held long halberds, their Faces cold and stern, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The sound of heavy iron chains dragging echoed in the dark corridor, piercing and heart-wrenching.

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!"

Accompanied by a rough scolding, a bloody figure was dragged in by two Jailers as fierce as wolves and tigers.

Ye Wuya.

This once-unbeatable cult leader was now in a wretched state.

His lute bones were pierced by two steel chains as thick as a child's arm, blood staining his prison uniform and dripping onto the bluestone slabs along his pant legs, dragging out a shocking bloodstain.

His limbs hung limply, obviously his tendons and bones had been completely severed.

The whole person was like a pile of mud.

His head hung low, messy hair covering his Face, leaving only weak gasps, as if he could die at any moment.

The prisoners in the surrounding cells, who were originally waiting for death in a lifeless manner, now rushed to the iron bars upon hearing the commotion.

"Another newcomer!"

"Hee hee, why haven't I seen him before? Who is this?"

" Bang!"

Ye Wuya was roughly thrown into the cell.

The heavy steel cell door slammed shut, and three large locks were fastened.

"Click! Click! Click!"

The sound of the locks engaging was particularly crisp on the silent fourth floor.

Warden Wen Ruoxu stood in the distance, craning his neck to look, smacking his lips:

"Tsk tsk, this pomp, this array. Brother Chen, what kind of big shot do you think is being locked up? Even the Black Armor Guards have been deployed."

Chen Ran carried a food box, expressionless: "I don't know. Let's get to work."

"You, you're just too dull." Warden Wen Ruoxu shook his head,

"I just heard that this person is the leader of the Black Crow Cult named Ye Wuya, who made a lot of noise recently."

Chen Ran didn't stop walking: "Oh."

"Oh? That's your only reaction?" Warden Wen Ruoxu's eyes widened,

"That's an expert at the Peak of the Aperture Condensation Realm!"

Chen Ran stopped and glanced at him: "Brother Wen, knowing too much is not a good thing in the Heavenly Prison."

Warden Wen Ruoxu shrank his neck and gave a dry laugh: "True, work, work."

Chen Ran walked to the front of the Jiazi cell.

Two Black Armor Guards immediately stepped forward, halberds crossed, blocking the way.

"What are you doing?" one of them barked coldly.

"Delivering food." Chen Ran lifted the food box in his hand, his tone calm.

The Black Armor Guards looked him up and down, confirming he was a Jailer of the Heavenly Prison, before slowly retracting their halberds.

"Be quick! Get out as soon as you're done!"

Chen Ran didn't speak, taking the food from the box one by one and sliding it through the gap in the cell door.

A bowl of brown rice, a dish of pickles, a bowl of clear water.

The standard Heavenly Prison fare.

Just as he approached the cell door,

In his mind, the Heavenly Book vibrated slightly.

[Prisoner: Ye Wuya]

[Realm: Aperture Condensation Realm Peak (Sealed)]

[Sin Value: High]

[Extractable Cultivation Technique: "Thousand Crows Chaotic Burial" (Top-tier Martial Art)]

Chen Ran's movements paused slightly.

"Thousand Crows Chaotic Burial"?

A top-tier Cultivation Technique.

A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.

Good stuff.

Once his participation level was brushed up, the rewards would naturally all be his.

However, now was not the time.

Outside the prison, the two Black Armor Guards stared at him intently, hands on their sword hilts, their eyes wary.

In the shadows of the fourth floor, who knew how many eyes were hidden.

Acting now would be purely seeking death.

Chen Ran withdrew his gaze, picked up the empty food box, and turned to leave.

Without the slightest hesitation.

"Eat well and drink well," he casually left a sentence.

Ye Wuya lay on the ground, motionless, as if he were a corpse.

Chen Ran returned to the duty room and poured himself a cup of tea.

The tea was warm.

He took a sip, in a good mood.

The sheep has entered the pen; when to shear the wool is just a matter of time.

In this Heavenly Prison, he had plenty of patience.

...

Noon, on the streets of the Capital City.

Chen Ran walked out of the Heavenly Prison and headed toward the agreed-upon location.

Originally, he wanted to brush his participation level, but he suddenly received a secret letter from Lin Wan asking him to come out.

Most likely, there was new progress regarding last night's events.

Not long after, not far from the Six Doors, he saw a woman with a single ponytail.

Today Lin Wan was wearing casual clothes, not her Flying Fish Robe.

Only a few hours had passed, and the Qi on her body had stabilized a lot.

It seemed she had mostly recovered.

Seeing Chen Ran approaching, she nodded.

"Chief Lin."

"Mm, you've come at the right time. Follow me first; there's a new mission within the Six Doors."

Lin Wan didn't explain clearly, but first signaled Chen Ran to follow her.

The two walked one after the other on the street.

Although the news of the great battle between the Six Doors and the Black Crow Cult last night had already leaked out,

The people of the Capital City seemed to have long been accustomed to such things, and life continued as usual.

However, the discussions in the streets and alleys were much more heated than usual.

In teahouses and wine shops, storytellers were spitting as they described the destruction of the Black Crow Cult with added color, making it sound miraculous.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!"

"Wanted List updated, Red Lotus Demonic Cult reappears in the Capital City!"

"Black Crow Cult leader Ye Wuya heavily injured and captured!"

A newsboy waved the Official Gazette in his hand, weaving through the crowd, his voice crisp and loud.

Passersby stopped one after another, taking out copper coins to buy.

"Hiss—"

"Top fifty on the Earth List, what exactly is the background of this mysterious expert?"

"The Six Doors issued a wanted poster, saying this person is suspected of being related to the Red Lotus Demonic Cult and is extremely dangerous!"

"Bullshit, he clearly helped the imperial court catch Ye Wuya; how did he become a demonic cult remnant?"

"What do you know? This is called taking precautions. Can the imperial court feel at ease with such an uncontrolled powerhouse?"

Discussions rose and fell, with people saying all sorts of things.

Many people from the Martial Forest gathered here, constantly exchanging their intelligence.

To this Jianghu, the Wanted List refreshed every once in a while was considered casual talk after tea or dinner.

Every time the Wanted List refreshed, it could cause quite a stir.

After all, gossip is ingrained in everyone's bones.

Passing a bulletin board, Lin Wan stopped.

The bulletin board was crowded with people, pointing and talking about the newly posted wanted poster.

Lin Wan threw a few copper coins to the newsboy selling papers nearby and took a copy of the Official Gazette.

Chen Ran leaned over, asking knowingly, "My Lady, who is drawn on this wanted poster?"

Lin Wan unfolded the Official Gazette.

A blurry figure was drawn on it, wearing a mask, his Face unidentifiable.

Beside it were several lines of large characters:

[Wanted Criminal: Shanjun (Code Name)]

[Ranking: 42nd]

[Strength: Aperture Condensation Realm Peak (Suspected)]

[Achievements: Saber Grandmaster, once heavily injured an opponent at the Peak of the Aperture Condensation Realm within a few moves, extremely dangerous, suspected to be a person of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult]

[Bounty: One thousand taels of gold, ten thousand acres of fertile land]

Chen Ran looked at that wanted poster and rubbed his chin.

It was drawn really ugly.

It didn't capture his brilliant and divine appearance at all.

However, this bounty was quite tempting.

One thousand taels of gold, ten thousand acres of fertile land.

But he didn't know much about this Wanted List, only knowing that there weren't many spots that could be ranked, only about 100 in total.

Being able to get on the list, on one hand, was the importance the imperial court placed on him, and on the other hand, it could also prove the strength of his power.

42nd on the Wanted List, not particularly high.

But for a newcomer appearing for the first time, this ranking was already very high.

In his impression, his Wanted List was only considered the Earth List among them, and above that, there were higher ones like the Heaven List...

"Chen Ran." Lin Wan's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Her expression was grave as she folded the Official Gazette and tucked it into her bosom.

"This person's strength is unfathomable, and his actions are mysterious and extremely dangerous."

Lin Wan looked at Chen Ran, her tone more serious than ever:

"I had you investigate clues about him in the Heavenly Prison before; the one on this Wanted List is that person."

"Remember." Lin Wan stared into his eyes, instructing him word by word.

"If you find any trace of this person in the future, do not act recklessly; you must report it immediately!"

Chen Ran looked at Lin Wan's Face, which was full of concern and seriousness.

Then he looked at the "extremely dangerous" version of himself on the wanted poster.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the smile at the corner of his mouth.

"I understand."

Chen Ran nodded seriously.

"Don't worry, My Lady, I will definitely be careful of... him."