155: Chapter 155 Promotion, Prison Warden!

The Imperial Capital, the Heavenly Prison.

As the news of the World Martial Arts Tournament fermented,

the entire Imperial Capital was swept up in a bustling, lively atmosphere.

During this time, countless foreign martial arts experts and members of orthodox sects poured in.

As the first martial arts grand festival hosted by the Imperial Capital,

whether it was gold, silver, treasures, Cultivation Techniques, or weapons,

the rewards far exceeded those of the past.

There were even rumors that the champion would obtain a peerless divine technique from the royal treasury.

This made the eyes of countless Jianghu wanderers turn red with greed.

"Behave yourself!"

A young man dressed in a Jailer's uniform looked with an unfriendly expression at the line of figures in front of him.

In his hand, he held a blood-stained leather whip.

Most of these people were draped in tattered prison garb.

Most of them bore injuries on their bodies.

"What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

The young Jailer lashed his whip across the back of a burly bald man,

tearing the burly man's flesh open.

The burly bald man let out a muffled groan.

His eyes were filled with defiance and wild rebellion.

"I am a Hall Master of the Iron Sand Gang! You dogs of the imperial court, how dare you treat me like this?"

The young Jailer sneered,

backhanding him with another lash.

"Iron Sand Gang? Once you enter this Heavenly Prison, even if you are a Dragon, you'll have to coil up for me!"

"Still want to get out? Keep dreaming your pipe dreams!"

Hearing the Jailer's scolding, the other prisoners did not dare to resist.

They could only obediently let themselves be escorted into the cells.

No matter how the Imperial Capital changed,

the daily routine of the Heavenly Prison remained the same.

Every once in a while, people would be locked up for committing crimes.

The more major the festival,

the more frequently prisoners were locked into the Heavenly Prison.

Chen Ran leaned against the doorframe of the duty room,

holding a purple clay teapot in his hand.

As he watched the long line of martial artists being escorted in,

he was in an excellent mood.

The World Martial Arts Tournament hadn't even started yet,

but the public order of the Imperial Capital had already fallen into chaos.

These uncouth Jianghu men had explosive tempers.

They would draw their blades over the slightest disagreement.

Just to fight over an inn room or snatch a good spot,

they would draw their swords and slash at each other.

The result, naturally, was that they were all thrown into the Heavenly Prison by the Six Doors and the City Patrol Inspectors.

To others, this was a hassle.

To Chen Ran, these were all walking experience packs.

"That bald guy trains in External Hard Qigong, his vital energy and blood are quite decent."

"The sword wielder, though his hand tendons have been severed, still has his foundation."

While sipping his tea, Chen Ran mentally appraised these new prisoners,

calculating how much cultivation power he could squeeze out of them.

As Chen Ran was drinking his tea,

a colleague wearing the same Prison Officer uniform walked over from a distance.

"Brother Chen, wonderful news!"

"Your promotion papers have arrived."

Chen Ran raised an eyebrow.

Recently, because he had performed steadily during several incidents,

and with Lin Wan pulling strings behind the scenes, he hadn't made a single mistake.

The higher-ups did indeed intend to promote him.

But he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

"Sixth-Rank Prison Supervisor?" Chen Ran asked.

The Prison Officer nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, exactly, Sixth-Rank Prison Supervisor!"

"From now on, you'll be my direct superior, Lord Chen!"

His colleague's tone carried a hint of envy, but he was mostly happy for Chen Ran.

In this Heavenly Prison, not many people could make a name for themselves.

Chen Ran usually kept a low profile and handled matters reliably.

It was only natural that he would be promoted.

"Come, let's go to the main hall. The higher-ups have sent someone to read the transfer order."

"I also heard that the Demon Suppression Division sent someone this time. I just don't know what kind of attitude this new superior will have."

Chen Ran adjusted his Jailer's uniform, feeling a bit surprised.

The Heavenly Prison only belonged to the Internal Affairs Department under the Demon Suppression Division, and generally speaking, they rarely sent people over.

For them to suddenly send someone this time, could it be that someone was being reassigned?

Carrying these doubts in his heart, Chen Ran followed him to the main hall of the Heavenly Prison.

Several people in official robes stood inside the hall. Looking closely, they were indeed from the Demon Suppression Division.

Just as Chen Ran stepped into the main hall,

he felt a sharp gaze fall upon him.

A pressure as tangible as a physical force rushed toward him.

He looked up,

then, he froze.

Standing in the midst of those Demon Suppression Division members was a burly man with a resolute face.

Everyone around him seemed to defer to him as their leader.

Chen Ran had met this person once before at the Six Doors.

He was the exact man who had stood beside Lin Wan that day.

Could it be him?

Chen Ran's expression remained unchanged as he walked to the side.

...

Lin Sheng wore a military official's uniform.

He stood there in a commanding posture. After his gaze swept across the group of Prison Officers,

it quickly focused on one handsome man among them.

Chen Ran's appearance was quite delicate and handsome compared to the rest of the Prison Officers.

"Are you Chen Ran?" Lin Sheng spoke coldly.

His voice echoed through the main hall.

Chen Ran's expression was calm.

He cupped his hands. "Your humble subordinate Chen Ran greets you, My Lord."

Lin Sheng sized Chen Ran up from head to toe.

No matter how he looked at him, he seemed completely ordinary.

His aura was restrained,

with absolutely nothing remarkable about him.

How could his own sister possibly take a liking to such a person?

Lin Sheng snorted coldly and picked up the document on the desk.

"By order of the Demon Suppression Division."

"Heavenly Prison Officer Chen Ran has diligently performed his duties and repeatedly made meritorious contributions."

"He is hereby promoted to Sixth-Rank Prison Supervisor!"

As soon as these words were spoken,

the surrounding Jailers all revealed envious expressions.

Sixth-Rank Prison Supervisor!

In the Heavenly Prison, this was a solid, high-ranking official position.

One step further, and one would be within reach of the Deputy Warden's position.

In a place like the Heavenly Prison, he could definitely be considered a prominent figure.

Not only would his salary double,

but the power in his hands would also be much greater.

Chen Ran took a step forward.

He accepted the document and his new waist token with both hands.

"Thank you, My Lord."

Lin Sheng did not let go immediately, curiosity rising in his heart.

Pinching a corner of the document, he secretly channeled his True Qi.

An overbearing hidden force traveled along the paper, heading straight for Chen Ran's wrist.

...