22: Chapter 22 "Why do you... smell so nauseating?"

Late at night, in the jailers' break room of the Heavenly Jail.

The dim oil lamp flickered, casting Chen Ran's slender shadow against the wall.

[Guarding the Heavenly Jail, gained one year of cultivation.]

A familiar warm current flowed through his limbs and bones, merging into his Dantian. Chen Ran didn't care about this small gain; he pulled out a standard-issue Fine Steel Waist Saber from under the bed.

When he killed the black-clad assassin yesterday, he had ended Lei Laohu's life with just his palm, but the overbearing Saber Intent of the Mad Tiger Blade had been circling in his mind, in urgent need of release.

"Zheng—"

The long saber left its scabbard.

Chen Ran closed his eyes, his blood surging like a rushing river.

The powerful Physical Body of the seventh-grade Bone Forging Realm, combined with the deep Internal Energy in his body, erupted violently.

He held the saber with one hand and slashed forward.

There were no fancy Moves.

Only a single vertical slash at extreme speed.

A very low-pitched "hum" sounded in the air, like the suppressed low growl of a hungry tiger in a deep forest.

However...

"Crack—"

A piercing sound of shattering rang out in the silent room.

Chen Ran opened his eyes, his brow slightly furrowed.

The Fine Steel Waist Saber in his hand was covered in fine, spider-web-like cracks from the tip to the hilt.

The next second.

"Clatter..."

The entire saber turned into dozens of iron fragments and fell to the floor. Only a bare hilt remained in his hand.

"Ordinary iron is ordinary iron after all; it can't withstand the infusion of a seventh-grade Martial Artist's Internal Energy, let alone a fierce and overbearing martial art like the Mad Tiger Blade."

Chen Ran casually threw the hilt onto the table.

He sighed.

"It seems I need to find a way to get a good saber. I can't just use my palms every time I encounter a tough nut; it's easy to get my clothes dirty."

He bent down, picked up the iron fragments one by one, carefully wrapped them in a rag, and planned to find an opportunity tomorrow to throw them into the Corpse Dissolving Pit deep within the Heavenly Jail.

A follower of the path of stealth never leaves any suspicious traces.

...

The next morning.

The atmosphere inside the Section C corridor was solemn.

The bodies of the two jailers and the black-clad assassin had already been moved. But a heavy smell of blood still lingered in the air.

Li Changfeng, wearing a brand new commandant's martial robe, stood in the center of the corridor with a gloomy face. Beside him stood two Black-robed Hundred-man Commanders from the Demon Suppression Division, their bodies exuding terrifying Evil Qi.

Chen Ran lowered his head, mixing in with a dozen trembling jailers, his body shivering slightly in just the right way.

"Last night, an assassin sneaked into the Heavenly Jail, killed two of our brothers, and silenced the important prisoner Lei Laohu."

Li Changfeng's sharp gaze swept across everyone. "I hope this matter has nothing to do with our people."

Dead silence.

A Black-robed Hundred-man Commander snorted coldly and took a step forward.

A powerful Aura instantly enveloped the scene, and several timid jailers were so scared they collapsed onto the ground.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes, his Aura restrained.

In the eyes of these experts, he was just an ordinary, useless jailer whose cultivation hadn't even stabilized at the ninth grade.

"Lord Centurion, these are all low-level laborers; they couldn't possibly have that kind of skill," Li Changfeng said, slightly cupping his hands.

"Looking at the assassin's wounds, he was killed by Lei Laohu's Mad Tiger Blade."

"Hmph. There were no tokens left on the assassin to indicate his identity; he was clearly a Death Soldier."

The Black-robed Hundred-man Commander's tone was cold. "The Official Silver Case involves a lot; tell your people to keep their mouths shut tight!"

"This subordinate understands."

Chen Ran kept his head lowered, hearing every word of their conversation.

It seemed this muddy water was even deeper than imagined.

The questioning ended hastily because no one believed these jailers who had just entered the ranks could have anything to do with this.

The main purpose was to warn everyone not to spread news recklessly.

Chen Ran took a food box and began his daily meal delivery work.

Logically, all prisoners ate the same thing.

But in this Heavenly Jail, as long as the family gave enough money, living conditions could be much better than other prisoners, and they didn't have to gnaw on swill.

...

Cell C6.

Su Yuanshan still maintained the same sitting posture as last night. It was as if he hadn't moved all night.

His gray hair was meticulously groomed, and although he wore a prisoner's uniform, he carried a majesty that made people not dare to look directly at him.

Chen Ran placed two coarse flour buns and a bowl of clear water on the wooden table.

"Lord Su, time to eat."

Su Yuanshan opened his eyes and looked at Chen Ran with a deep gaze.

"Last night, the tiger roared and the wind rose, and iron was crushed into mud. Little brother's saber technique is quite overbearing."

Chen Ran's hand placing the food box paused slightly.

He turned his head and looked at Su Yuanshan calmly.

"Lord Su heard wrong; last night there was only the sound of Lei Laohu killing."

Su Yuanshan smiled.

He shook his head, propped himself up on his knees, stood up, and walked to the bars.

"Although I do not practice the martial path, I have struggled in this imperial court for forty years, and I still have an eye for people. Your blood and Qi are so vigorous that they far exceed ordinary people, not to mention..."

Su Yuanshan lowered his voice.

"On your body, there is an extremely violent Karmic Fire energy. If not suppressed, within three years, you will certainly suffer Qi Deviation and become a monster that only knows how to kill."

Chen Ran's pupils constricted slightly.

The Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture.

Although this top-tier demonic sect Cultivation Technique was infinitely powerful, Jiang Mengli had warned him long ago that it was very easy to backfire on one's mind.

When practicing the Mad Tiger Blade last night, he did indeed feel an inexplicably irritable emotion churning in his heart.

This old man, who seemingly had no strength to truss a chicken, actually saw through it at a glance?

Chen Ran's fingers had unknowingly pressed onto the half-broken saber hilt at his waist.

"You want to kill me?" Su Yuanshan was fearless, looking directly into Chen Ran's eyes.

"I am but a mortal body; you could crush me with a single finger.

But if you kill me, who will teach you the method to suppress the Karmic Fire?"

Chen Ran's fingers loosened.

"What does Lord Su mean?"

"Martial Artists Cultivate the body, while scholars Cultivate the mind." Su Yuanshan turned around and looked at the dim firelight outside the cell.

"I have no possessions, only a body of 'Haoran Righteous Qi'. This Qi does not Cultivate the Physical Body, but it can suppress all the evils, Heart Demons, and hostility in the world."

He turned his head, his gaze burning.

"My days are numbered, and I don't want to take this knowledge to the grave.

If you are willing to learn, I will teach you the Noble Heart-Calming Mantra. Consider it... forging a good connection."

Chen Ran stared at Su Yuanshan for a long time.

This old fox is placing a bet.

"Fine." Chen Ran nodded decisively.

A free Cultivation Technique is a free Cultivation Technique. And this thing happened to solve his current hidden danger.

After a stick of incense burned.

[Cultivation Technique recorded: Noble Heart-Calming Mantra]

Chen Ran walked out of Cell C6.

As he walked, he silently circulated the Noble Heart-Calming Mantra in his mind.

There was no fluctuation of Internal Energy, but a clear breeze seemed to blow through the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.

This was a cultivation system that only imperial officials had, independent of Internal Energy.

Although his official position was extremely low, just a small leader of the Heavenly Jail jailers, he was still a member of the imperial court.

Of course he could Cultivate it, it's just that the effect wasn't as good as Internal Energy.

As Chen Ran moved forward, the weak Haoran Qi in his body continuously circulated.

Although it could not suppress or kill enemies, the slight irritability and hostility brought by cultivating the Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture...

After encountering this wisp of Haoran Qi, it instantly melted away like ice and snow under the scorching sun.

"Good stuff." The corners of Chen Ran's mouth curled up slightly.

...

Cell Block D.

Chen Ran carried the food box and stopped in front of Jiang Mengli's cell.

"Eat."

Jiang Mengli sat cross-legged on the straw mat and slowly opened her eyes.

She sniffed and her brow instantly furrowed.

"You killed someone?"

Chen Ran was stunned, then immediately understood; this demoness was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood.

"Just killed a rat."

Jiang Mengli stood up and walked to the bars, just about to reach out for the food box.

Suddenly, her movements stiffened.

A very obvious look of disgust appeared on her beautiful face. She suddenly took half a step back, as if she had smelled something extremely disgusting.

"Stay away from me!"

Chen Ran was bewildered: "What's wrong?"

Jiang Mengli covered her nose and mouth with her hand, her face full of disdain.

"On your body... why is there a smell of a Sour Scholar that makes me feel sick?!"