294: Chapter 294 The Abyss, The Deal

"I want to go back to pay respects to my ancestors," Chen Ran said in a calm tone. "It will take about a month or so."

Lin Sheng tossed his handkerchief onto the desk and sized up Chen Ran.

His hawk-like eyes swept up and down, seemingly trying to find some flaw on the other's face.

Yet Chen Ran's expression remained as usual, completely calm and composed.

"Pay respects to your ancestors?" Lin Sheng pondered for a moment,

Chen Ran's ancestors had all been Jailer(s) serving for generations, and now only he remained as the sole heir of his generation. Going back to pay respects to his ancestors was indeed not a problem.

The environment in the capital was much more stable than before.

The news of Cao Yong's sudden death had spread throughout the imperial court, and that bunch in the cabinet were like startled birds. The upper echelons of the Demon Suppression Division were also busy investigating the forces left behind by Cao Yong, unable to even protect themselves.

The Celestial Prison, on the contrary, was the most stable place, with the prisoners being more well-behaved than the last, and utterly incapable of causing any trouble.

"Alright, approved." With a wave of his hand, Lin Sheng rummaged through a drawer to find a blank leave slip, picked up his brush to dip it in ink, wrote a few characters in a flying cursive script, stamped it, and handed it over.

"Paying respects to ancestors is a serious matter, don't delay it."

Chen Ran took the leave slip and expressed his thanks.

Lin Sheng suddenly spoke again, "You are hitting the road alone?"

"Mhm."

"In which direction is your hometown?"

"Heading south, in the territory of Lin'an Prefecture."

Lin Sheng frowned and tapped his fingers twice on the desktop.

"Times are not peaceful nowadays. The Red Lotus Demonic Cult is making a huge commotion in the south. A while ago, the imperial court's suppression army was even scattered, and the forces of those madmen are expanding fiercely."

"How about I dispatch a few guards to go with you? It won't hurt to reassign a couple."

Chen Ran waved his hand.

"No need. This subordinate is used to traveling alone, traveling light and simply makes it less conspicuous instead."

Lin Sheng glanced at him and didn't insist further.

He understood this kid's temperament to some extent; he wasn't the kind of person who would make others worry about him.

"Then take care of yourself." Lin Sheng nodded. "If anything happens on the road, go to the post station of the Six Doors to send word, and I will have people look after you."

"Many thanks, Commander Lin."

Chen Ran cupped his fists again, then turned and walked out of the duty room.

...

...

After obtaining the leave slip, Chen Ran did not leave the Celestial Prison.

As usual, he walked all the way down along the corridor.

The deeper he walked, the colder the air became. Evil Qi stacked layer upon layer, pressing down on his entire body like an invisible lead weight.

The light of the torches also seemed feeble here, only able to illuminate a tiny patch of ground beneath his feet.

Chen Ran's steps were steady, and his expression was calm.

He had walked this path many times.

Passing through layers of iron gates, he arrived at the fifth floor of the Celestial Prison.

Following the normal procedure, Chen Ran first finished delivering meals to these prisoners and farmed some participation.

Only then did he come to the front of the corridor, before the first cell.

Master Xuandu was still sitting upright on the straw mat, his wide kasaya hanging down, slowly ticking the prayer beads in his hand one by one.

Chen Ran stopped, leaning against the wall opposite the cell with his arms crossed over his chest, his posture casual.

"Great Master."

Master Xuandu opened his eyes and looked at him calmly.

Over these past few days, this young prison warden had been coming more and more frequently.

Every time he wouldn't say much, sometimes chatting casually for a couple of sentences before leaving, and sometimes even just standing there looking at him for a moment before turning away.

Master Xuandu didn't understand the other party's intention, but he couldn't be bothered to guess.

All matters in the world had long since passed before his eyes like floating clouds.

"I came today to give the Great Master a heads-up," Chen Ran's voice echoed in the empty corridor. "Starting tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence to leave the capital, and I won't be around for a while."

Master Xuandu was slightly taken aback.

This was indeed the first time—a prison warden making a special trip to say goodbye to a prisoner.

Placed within this Celestial Prison, it did seem rather strange.

"You have a heart, Benefactor." Master Xuandu pressed his palms together and nodded. "I wish you a safe journey."

Chen Ran nodded, turned around and took a step forward, seemingly about to leave.

Under Master Xuandu's gaze, he saw the young prison warden slowly walk to the main door, but for some reason suddenly stop his steps as if remembering something.

Chen Ran's voice was very soft, so soft it was almost swallowed by the oppressive Evil Qi.

"Shen Wanying."

These three words sounded like a casually mentioned name.

But when these three words fell into Master Xuandu's ears, they exploded like a thunderclap.

Crackle.

Master Xuandu's body froze in place, and the layer of calmness in his eyes vanished completely in this instant.

His breathing gradually grew rapid.

That name hadn't been mentioned in front of him for many years.

Even when people from the Bodhi Zen Monastery came to visit, they had never mentioned a single word of it.

Within his line of sight, that young prison warden did not turn around; he could only see a pitch-black back facing him, as if a layer of abyss was staring back at him at the same time.

"You…"

Master Xuandu's voice paused, his tone filled with a mix of pleasant surprise and fear.

"Where did you learn this name from?"

Chen Ran slowly turned back around. His gaze fell on Master Xuandu's face.

"The files in the Archives Department," Chen Ran said in a calm tone,

"Every prisoner's background file in the Celestial Prison has detailed records, and the Great Master's past is no exception."

Master Xuandu took a deep breath, trying his utmost to calm his surging emotions.

His hands trembled slightly, but on the surface he still managed to maintain a trace of composure.

"So that's how it is."

He closed his eyes, his voice low and slow.

"Everything is in the past."

"Benefactor need not mention this matter again; this poor monk and that person… no longer have any relationship."

Chen Ran silently listened to these words.

He did not refute, nor did he pursue the question.

He only silently chanted in his heart, and the heavenly book of prison suppression within his Sea of Consciousness opened silently.

Golden characters emerged in his mind, rippling outward like ripples on the water's surface.

[Prisoner: Master Xuandu]

[Realm: Middle Stage Innate (Original: Innate Peak)]

[Status: Temporarily Sealed]

[Wish: To see the person in his heart one last time]

[Introduction: Once a Prodigy eminent monk of the Bodhi Zen Monastery, he fell into the sea of love and committed a grave crime. Now only his beloved remains in his heart. Unraveling his obsession will greatly increase participation and yield rewards…]

Chen Ran withdrew his gaze, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Let it go?

Go fool ghosts.

The heavenly book of prison suppression clearly stated in black and white that this eminent monk's obsession had never dissipated by even a fraction.

For ten years, the phrase "at peace" in his mouth was merely something he told himself.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes slightly.

He took two steps forward and stood right in front of the cell again.

The two looked at each other across that layer of icy cold iron bars.

"Great Master," Chen Ran's voice wasn't loud, but every word was incomparably clear, "I believe the peace you speak of."

"But there is one matter that I think the Great Master should not know yet."

"That Princess Consort has neither married another nor is living a wonderful life."

Chen Ran's gaze was like a deep pool, dark and calm:

"The imperial court lied to you."

Master Xuandu abruptly raised his head, the prayer beads in his hand slipping from his grasp with a snap and falling to the ground. The beads bounced on the stone slab, emitting a crisp collision sound that was exceptionally grating in the silent corridor.

"You… what did you say?"

"I said, the imperial court has always been lying to you."

Chen Ran repeated, his tone devoid of any fluctuation.

"I have clues to the Princess's true whereabouts."

Master Xuandu stared fixedly at Chen Ran, his lips trembling as he opened them, but he couldn't push out a single complete word.

In his eyes were confusion, furious anger, disbelief, and a madness that had been deeply suppressed for ten years, surging out at this moment.

But soon, he forcibly steadied himself.

All this might not be true; what if it was the imperial court intentionally testing him?

If he answered wrongly, it would be terrible.

"Who are you?"

Master Xuandu's voice sounded the same as usual, but for some reason, it carried layers of oppression. If an ordinary person encountered this, they would probably be scared out of their wits.

You must know that although Master Xuandu practiced Buddhism, ever since he broke the commandments against killing on a massive scale, he had been on the verge of falling into demonic ways.

It was only later that the abbot of the Bodhi Zen Monastery personally sealed it, which barely suppressed that demonic nature.

But now, stimulated by Chen Ran once again, amidst the shock to his mind, that demonic nature actually quietly crept out.

"Just what kind of person are you? How could a prison warden know these things?"

As Master Xuandu spoke, a ferocious and rampaging phantom had already emerged from his body, surrounding the young man in front of him.

Chen Ran did not answer. He just quietly stood there, his face appearing exceptionally profound and unfathomable under the dim firelight.

He seemed to turn a blind eye to the rampaging Evil Qi around him, instead revealing an expression of extreme interest.

"Dual Cultivation of Buddha and Demon, coexisting in one body and able to be suppressed for so long—truly worthy of being once hailed as a once-in-a-century Prodigy."

Chen Ran calmly spoke, and at the same time, the Evil Qi lingering around his body also vibrated along with it,

What was astonishing was that those Evil Qi did not pierce into Chen Ran's body; instead, they lingered around him, as if surrendering to an even more terrifying existence.

"This aura, how is this possible?!"

Master Xuandu's eyes widened, suddenly discovering that he could no longer see through the person before him.

An identical, boundless and terrifying aura was faintly emanating out, causing even his own body to feel a chill. This person was not a mere Jailer at all!

Amidst Master Xuandu's extreme shock, he saw the young man ahead gather the Evil Qi into his palm with a single hand, slowly emitting a demonic whisper.

"Great Master, how about we make a transaction?"