54: Chapter 54: Undercurrents Surge, Imminent Release!

In the Yi Ward of the Heavenly Prison, Chen Ran carried a dim, yellowish lantern, following behind Liu Mingyu at a steady, unhurried pace.

He wore a new Demon Suppression Division uniform, with a standard-issue long blade hanging at his waist, making him look much more capable than before.

"Brother Chen, this way." Liu Mingyu lowered his voice, pointing to a cell ahead.

The two had spent a few days together, and their relationship had grown quite familiar.

Helping the Demon Suppression Division supervise the Yi Ward cells, while seemingly dangerous, was not that difficult once one grasped the pattern.

Chen Ran nodded and walked forward, carrying the lantern.

Inside the cell, Que Wuhua sat upright on a stone chair.

His hair was meticulously groomed, his face fair, and his features handsome, exuding the temperament of an elegant Young Master.

Most importantly, almost no obvious scars could be seen on his exposed skin.

This was nothing short of a miracle in the Yi Ward of the Heavenly Prison.

"Yo, are you two doing rounds?" Que Wuhua looked up and greeted them with a smile.

His tone was gentle, and his demeanor was composed, as if he were not in the dark, damp Heavenly Prison, but rather admiring flowers and sipping tea in his own backyard.

Liu Mingyu ignored him, merely performing a routine check of the cell door's lock before turning to leave once confirmed.

Chen Ran stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over Que Wuhua.

After understanding the situation over the past few days, he discovered that this true disciple of the Demon Sound Sect was actually the most well-behaved one here, unlike the crazy Body Refining Martial Artist next door who would lose his mind and go on a rampage from time to time.

Since that one test last time, this Que Wuhua had not used his Cultivation Technique again.

Instead, he was truly waiting here quietly, just like an ordinary person.

This attitude was a bit tricky for Chen Ran; he was still quite interested in the Cultivation Technique Que Wuhua possessed.

But without a legitimate reason, there was no way to significantly increase his participation.

Chen Ran withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward with Liu Mingyu.

"Brother Liu, this Que Wuhua..." Chen Ran lowered his voice and asked casually, "How does he look like he's completely unaffected? Are the torture devices in this Yi Ward ineffective against him?"

Liu Mingyu looked left and right, confirmed no one was around, then leaned into Chen Ran's ear, his voice extremely low: "Brother Chen, you just arrived at the Yi Ward, so there are some things you don't know. This Que Wuhua is about to be released from prison."

"Released from prison?" Chen Ran displayed a perfectly timed look of surprise, his eyes widening slightly.

"Indeed." Liu Mingyu sneered, a hint of sourness in his tone. "The Demon Sound Sect spent tens of thousands of taels of silver to forcefully bribe a big shot in the Demon Suppression Division. In a few days, they'll just find some excuse to get him out."

Chen Ran fell silent. Tens of thousands of taels of silver to buy a life.

He looked back at the direction of Que Wuhua's cell, sighing inwardly. No wonder this old guy had no injuries and even his martial arts hadn't been crippled; it turned out everything had been arranged beforehand.

This Heavenly Prison was reputed to be an impenetrable fortress, where not even a fly could escape. But in the end, it was merely a bargaining chip for those in high positions to use for coercion, bribery, and power-money deals.

As long as enough silver is provided, the Heavenly Prison can even turn into an inn.

"Alright, stop looking." Liu Mingyu patted Chen Ran on the shoulder, saying earnestly, "For small fries like us, just mind your own business. Ask less about matters above us, and you'll live longer."

Chen Ran nodded and continued walking forward with the lantern.

After finishing the rounds in the Yi Ward, Chen Ran went to help in Section C.

The capital had been very chaotic lately. Ever since the clues about that peerless Cultivation Technique spread, Martial Forest people from all walks of life had swarmed into the capital like sharks smelling blood.

To fight for the clues, people were engaging in street fights almost every day.

The Six Doors and the Demon Suppression Division were overwhelmed, arresting many troublemaking Martial Forest people and shoving them all into Section C of the Heavenly Prison.

Chen Ran carried a food container, weaving between the cells of Section C. "Time to eat."

He expressionlessly poured bowls of slop-like prison food into broken bowls.

"You corrupt officials! Let me out! I am a Hall Master of the Iron Palm Gang!" A burly man with a fleshy face grabbed the iron bars and roared frantically.

"When I get out, I will kill every last one of you running dogs of the Demon Suppression Division!" another gaunt swordsman cursed through gritted teeth.

The prison was filled with cursing, but Chen Ran turned a deaf ear.

While distributing food, he pricked up his ears, listening to the conversations of these Martial Forest people.

These newly imprisoned inmates had become his source of information in his daily life.

"Have you heard? Wenxin Pavilion seems to be making big moves. It's said that those members have actually translated something."

"Nonsense! The Incomplete Manual of the divine technique is in their hands, how could they not make a move? I heard that even people from the Red Lotus Demonic Cult have gotten involved."

"The Red Lotus Demonic Cult? Weren't they crippled by the Demon Suppression Division long ago?"

"A starved camel is still bigger than a horse; who knows what evil schemes they are plotting."

Chen Ran silently kept this information in mind. The waters of the capital were becoming increasingly murky.

After settling the new inmates in the Heavenly Prison, the heavenly book of prison suppression in Chen Ran's Sea of Consciousness slowly turned its pages.

[Participation increased, reward obtained: three months of internal energy]

A warm current merged into his body and quickly disappeared.

After finishing distributing the food, Chen Ran carried the empty food container and walked to a cell in the deepest part of Section C.

Inside the cell, Shen Wanjun lay paralyzed on the ground.

He was covered in bandages, which had already been stained dark red by blood, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.

His chest heaved violently, and every breath was accompanied by a sound like a broken bellows; his breath was extremely weak, as if he might expire at any moment.

Chen Ran stood outside the cell door, watching him quietly.

If it weren't for Lin Wan being busy these past few days investigating the clues about Zhang Yulong and that mysterious person, and having the Heavenly Prison's physician keep him alive, he probably would have died on the day he was imprisoned.

[Inmate: Shen Wanjun] [Sin: Extreme Evil] [Status: Near Death (less than three days to live)] [Participation: High (severely injured, interrogated)]

This was the inmate he had personally severely injured and arrested.

Chen Ran glanced at the record on the heavenly book of prison suppression; Shen Wanjun's participation was surprisingly high.

"Blood Hand Shen Wanjun..." Chen Ran whispered softly.

This guy had committed countless evils and had no idea how many lives were on his hands. Now that he had ended up like this, it was deserved retribution.

However, what Chen Ran was more concerned about was that his participation was so high even after beating the prisoner half-dead and throwing him to the Six Doors.

He didn't know what kind of rewards the heavenly book of prison suppression would yield when Shen Wanjun finally breathed his last.

A Rank 6 Inner Breath Realm demonic cultivator, and with such high participation, the reward would definitely not be bad.

Chen Ran took one last deep look at Shen Wanjun and turned to leave. He was looking forward to it.

Night fell, inside a dilapidated City God Temple outside the capital.

Several black shadows flashed into the temple like ghosts, moving lightly without making a sound.

The person in the lead wore a wide red robe and a hideous ghost mask on his face.

The mask gleamed with a cold, metallic luster under the moonlight, revealing only a pair of cold, viper-like eyes.

Red Lotus Demonic Cult, Vermilion Bird Hall Master, Pei Jiu.

"Hall Master." A man in black knelt on one knee and reported respectfully, "It has been verified. Everything is arranged on Zhang Yulong's side. Once the time is right, we can pass the message into the Heavenly Prison through his line."

Pei Jiu stood with his hands behind his back, his red robe swaying slightly in the night wind.

"How is the Saintess?" His voice was hoarse and low, revealing an unquestionable majesty.

"Replying to the Hall Master, the defenses at the Heavenly Prison are tight, and our people cannot get in. However, according to information from Zhang Yulong's line, the Saintess is currently still alive and is being held in the deepest part of the Cell Block D."

"There is only one jailer assigned to guard it, with no one else."

Pei Jiu's expression improved significantly. "As long as she is alive."

He turned around and looked at the deep night sky outside the temple.

"Those idiots from the Demon Suppression Division think that keeping the Saintess in the Heavenly Prison makes everything foolproof? It's simply laughable."

Pei Jiu's voice was filled with undisguised killing intent.

"Pass down the order, have everyone prepare. Once the news about the divine technique is arranged properly, the day the capital falls into chaos will be the day we rescue the Saintess!"

"Yes!" The man in black acknowledged the order and retreated.

Pei Jiu stood in place, the night wind blowing his red robe, causing it to flap loudly.

He slowly raised his hand, True Qi swirling in his palm, and a ball of dark red flame ignited out of thin air, emitting a heart-palpitating high temperature that caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.

"The Demon Suppression Division... actually dares to use the Saintess as a trap."

Pei Jiu clenched his fist tightly, and the flame instantly extinguished. "We will settle this score slowly."