63: Chapter 63 Prison Wagon, Residence, Rest and Renovation

A cloud of dust rose in the distance on the street.

The rumbling of wheels rolling over stone slabs approached from afar, accompanied by the heavy clanking of iron chains, sounding exceptionally harsh on the empty street in the early morning.

Two prison carriages slowly drove over, and behind them, over a dozen disheveled Martial Forest members were strung together with thick hemp ropes.

Most of these people were injured, their breathing weak and erratic.

Leading them was a cold and aloof woman with a ponytail, dressed in the tight-fitting uniform of the Six Doors, a long sword hanging at her waist, riding a horse at the very front.

Lin Wan had originally intended to escort this batch of troublemaking Jianghu guests directly into the prison, but when she looked up, her expression froze slightly.

She knew that something had happened at the prison last night, but she hadn't expected it to be this tragic.

Her gaze swept across the crowd, and Lin Wan recognized Chen Ran standing by the ruins, boredly brushing off his sleeves.

At least there was someone she knew.

"Chen Ran."

She dismounted, her boots making crisp sounds as they stepped on the rubble, and she strode over, her voice crisp and decisive: "What on earth happened here? How did even the outer wall collapse?"

Chen Ran cupped his hands in salute: "Replying to Constable Lin, there was a riot at the prison last night, and the Red Lotus Demonic Cult launched a surprise attack..."

He used the most concise language to recount the events that could be laid out in the open.

This included the prison doors being broken, the prisoners charging the checkpoint, and later, Fan Zhiyuan using the Commander's token to forcibly take away Jiang Mengli, leading to his wanted status.

Lin Wan listened, her brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

Red Lotus Demonic Cult attack...

A scene suddenly flashed in her mind.

That was back in a dark alley when the mysterious person first killed someone, and the palm technique used was the Red Lotus Demonic Cult's signature Cloud-Turning Palm.

"He previously ambushed and killed the captain, could this prison attack also be related to him?"

"No..." Lin Wan muttered to herself, her eyes becoming deep.

She remembered very clearly that the person not only knew the Red Lotus Demonic Cult's Cultivation Technique but also practiced an extremely domineering hard-body Cultivation Technique.

At that time, the opponent took her killing blow head-on without even breaking the skin, that Qi and blood being incomparably robust.

Knowing the Red Lotus Demonic Cult's Cultivation Technique and being able to train a hard-body technique to that level—there weren't many people in the entire capital who fit those characteristics.

The clues, which had seemed chaotic due to the prison riot, gradually became clear in Lin Wan's mind.

"That person must still be in the capital. Perhaps even the chaos at the prison last night had his shadow in it."

A touch of sharpness appeared in the depths of Lin Wan's eyes.

She glanced at the prison carriage behind her, pondered slightly, and made a decision.

Lin Wan looked at Chen Ran, and upon seeing the official Demon Suppression Division attire on him, she said in a deep voice: "You are now an official member of the Demon Suppression Division; I leave the reception of this batch of people to you. Lock them up according to the rules. I have other cases to investigate, so I will take my leave."

After saying this, she didn't wait for Chen Ran to ask more questions, directly leading her subordinates to mount their horses and hurriedly leave.

Chen Ran watched her retreating back, replied with a steady "Yes" on the surface, and turned his gaze to the prisoners.

Inside the prison, some cells were severely damaged, and the jailers could only repair them while admitting prisoners.

Chen Ran took the roster and verified the identities of the Martial Artists brought by the Six Doors one by one.

"Name."

"Liu Sanhu... Officer, I was just passing by, I really didn't rob anything!" A man with a fleshy face tried to quibble.

Chen Ran didn't even lift his head, backhanding a slap onto the cell door, making the iron bars buzz.

"You pass by all the way into someone's silver shop? Get in!"

Chen Ran swept a glance at the foundation of these people's Qi, finding that most were only around the seventh or eighth rank; there were few who could truly fight.

Placed outside, this group could stir up some trouble on the streets and scare ordinary people.

But put inside the prison, they seemed a bit inadequate.

Chen Ran personally locked them up, closed the doors, and registered them.

After his status was promoted to an official member of the Demon Suppression Division, he was no longer just a handyman running errands.

Although this batch of people couldn't be squeezed for much profit, even a mosquito's leg is meat.

Just as he locked the last prisoner in the cell, Chen Ran was preparing to turn and leave.

In his mind, the heavenly book of prison suppression suddenly trembled slightly.

The pages turned, and a line of text appeared: [Zhang Yulong has died, Reward: Two years of Cultivation.]

Chen Ran's footsteps paused.

Zhang Yulong?

He immediately remembered that this was the target who had been abducted from the prison by that group of mysterious people earlier.

Now that the person was dead, it could only mean that the other party had squeezed all value from Zhang Yulong and silenced him directly.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes.

Was it done by that group, and does it have anything to do with Fan Zhiyuan?

Although Fan Zhiyuan took the blame, Chen Ran could be certain that this person was definitely not clean either.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to want to make a move on himself; it's just that he didn't know which faction Fan Zhiyuan belonged to.

At dusk.

Because the prison was mainly busy with repairing the building today, and the regular shifts couldn't be arranged, Chen Ran had a rare early finish from work.

He walked on the streets of the capital, the setting sun stretching his shadow very long.

Passing by a vendor, he casually bought some cooked food, hot pancakes, and two side dishes, carrying them in his hand.

Passing through a few alleys, Chen Ran returned to the small courtyard he had bought earlier.

Last night, he had arranged for Jiang Mengli to hide here first; after all, on the surface, the Red Lotus Witch was still in a missing status.

The entire city was searching for members of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult.

The sky had darkened, but the lights were on in the courtyard.

Pushing the door open, Chen Ran saw the woman standing under the veranda at a glance.

Jiang Mengli had changed into a simple robe, wearing a veil, her sleeves tightened, her temperament still otherworldly, but with a bit more restraint than when she was in the prison.

She stood there as if in a daze, or as if she had been waiting for someone to return.

Chen Ran swept a glance at her and handed the food box in his hand directly to her.

"What are you standing there for? Come over and take the things."

Jiang Mengli's face stiffened slightly. She instinctively wanted to lash out, but the cold Qi in her heart reminded her of her current situation.

She gritted her teeth, but still walked over and reached out to take the food box.

"You certainly use people quite handily." She stabbed coldly.

"Otherwise, why would I feed you for nothing?" Chen Ran's tone was flat as he walked straight to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down.

Jiang Mengli placed the food box on the table and laid out the food and dishes inside one by one.

After setting them out, she stepped back half a step and stood to the side, putting on airs, clearly not intending to share the table with Chen Ran.

Chen Ran raised his eyes to look at her.

"Standing there watching me eat, can you watch yourself full?"

Jiang Mengli pursed her lips, not making a sound.

Chen Ran casually threw the other pair of chopsticks over, landing on the tabletop in front of her.

"Sit."

Jiang Mengli looked at the chopsticks, her expression somewhat complex.

She pulled out a stool and sat down, her tone carrying a bit of mockery: "Are masters always this generous to their servant girls?"

"Depends on my mood." Chen Ran picked up a chopstick of vegetables, "You were quite well-behaved today."

The two stopped speaking and ate quietly.

Outside was the city-wide martial law, a storm about to break; inside the courtyard, there was only the light clinking of bowls and chopsticks, brief and peaceful.

Halfway through the meal, Chen Ran casually handed a newspaper he had bought to Jiang Mengli.

"Take a look, so you aren't completely in the dark."

Jiang Mengli put down her chopsticks and took the newspaper.

Just one glance, and her eyes changed.

Prison riot, Red Lotus Demonic Cult's failed prison break, Fan Zhiyuan wanted, city-wide martial law in the capital...

The more she read, the quieter she became, while Chen Ran sat in the courtyard, his thoughts moving to check the heavenly book of prison suppression.

On the pages, a new prompt appeared: [You forcefully suppressed the Demonic Cult Saintess, participation increased, Reward: Five years of Cultivation experience for the Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture, one year of Cultivation.]

The next moment, a surge of cultivation experience regarding the "Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture" flooded into his mind.

Memories came like the sea, and when he opened his eyes again.

He discovered that he was no longer in the original courtyard, but in a luxurious palace.

Chen Ran took another look at his own hands and quickly clarified the situation.

"This is not my body, it must be Jiang Mengli's memory."

Chen Ran scanned his surroundings slightly, observing the environment; judging by the time, the previous dynasty should not have perished yet,

Suddenly, a crack.

Outside the main hall, a sound came.

A thick, luxurious door slowly opened, and a middle-aged man with an extraordinary aura, dressed in a Dragon robe, appeared in his field of vision.

The moment Chen Ran saw him, his pupils contracted violently.

That was the Emperor of the previous dynasty, Jiang Wang