80: Chapter 80 Rumors Abound, Caught in the Whirlpool!

The next morning.

Rumble.

Accompanied by the sound of rotating mechanical gears, the dungeon door slowly opened.

Dazzling sunlight pierced through the doorway, projecting into the cold and damp corridor, illuminating a straight path of light.

Xu Kui was hung on the torture rack, his consciousness already beginning to blur.

His bones felt as if they had been shattered inch by inch, his flesh was mangled, and blood dripped from his toes onto the stone floor.

Swish!

The beam of light was blinding, instantly illuminating the dim dungeon.

"Cough..."

He coughed up a mouthful of bloody spittle, struggling to open his swollen eyes.

In this sunless purgatory on earth, this beam of sunlight appeared so glaring.

And within that dazzling halo, a slender figure was walking over unhurriedly.

The surrounding fierce-looking jailers, upon the appearance of that figure, instantly fell silent as if struck dumb.

The few veterans who had just been torturing him even subconsciously bowed their bodies, their expressions extremely respectful.

"Brother Chen."

"Brother Chen, you have come."

Xu Kui's unfocused pupils contracted slightly.

He recognized that face.

It was the young man from the teahouse yesterday who had subdued him with just one move, and then nonchalantly thrown him into the dungeon.

Outside, he did not yet know what role this person held.

But now, in this man-eating dungeon, looking at the respectful attitude of those wolf-like jailers toward this person, Xu Kui finally understood what a hard iron plate he had kicked.

This was by no means an ordinary jailer.

"Brother Chen, this brat was tight-lipped all night, and only just spilled." Zhao Heizi approached Chen Ran and handed over a confession stained with blood.

Chen Ran took the confession, scanned it casually, and his gaze fell on Xu Kui.

"Who sent you?"

The voice was not loud, but carried an unquestionable sense of oppression.

Xu Kui's body trembled violently; he had been tortured into fear and dared not hide anything: "It... it was a man. I don't know his name, but the night before last, he suddenly found me..."

"Characteristics." Chen Ran was concise.

"Very young... good temperament, doesn't look like someone from the Outer City. He was very generous; he offered five hundred taels of silver right off the bat." Xu Kui panted heavily, "He told me to take people to Wenxin Hall to cause trouble, I didn't need to do anything, just ruin the reputation of that Young Miss from the Su Family."

Chen Ran frowned slightly.

Five hundred taels.

Just to have a few ruffians cause trouble at a teahouse? This price was too outrageous.

Moreover, it was targeting Su Qinghe.

Su Qinghe cultivated the Confucian Dao and was a talented woman from Shenghai; her poems were widely circulated, her reputation in the capital was excellent, and Wenxin Hall was even a Holy Land in the eyes of the capital's scholars.

Using such low-class methods to disgust people, what was the purpose?

"Did he say anything else?" Chen Ran asked.

"No more... really, no more!" Xu Kui shouted in a breakdown, "He just said, the bigger the commotion, the better. If... if I could provoke people from the Demon Suppression Division or the Six Doors, that would be even better."

Provoke the Demon Suppression Division?

That day's teahouse conflict, which seemed like an accidental event, was actually a meticulously arranged trap.

If he hadn't been there that day, given the modus operandi of Xu Kui's Gang of ruffians, they would inevitably have caused a huge mess.

By then, the damage to Su Qinghe's reputation would be a small matter, and Wenxin Hall would likely be dragged into a storm of public opinion.

That person behind the scenes was testing the waters. Or rather, playing a big game of chess.

"Press your fingerprint." Chen Ran threw the confession to Zhao Heizi, "Watch the person, don't let him die."

"Understood!"

Leaving the torture room, Chen Ran's mood was somewhat heavy.

This trap was becoming increasingly confusing; although he was in the dungeon, if the capital fell into chaos, the dungeon would likely not remain peaceful either.

"It seems I must find an opportunity to tell Su Qinghe about this."

Chen Ran calculated inwardly.

...

The sun was high.

Chen Ran handed over his morning shift and prepared to go to a noodle stall in the Outer City to eat a bowl of plain noodles.

Just as he walked to the street corner, he noticed the atmosphere was a bit off.

A few constables were gathered in front of a tea shop, pointing at a newly posted tabloid on the wall.

The surrounding area was crowded with onlookers, and the sound of discussion rose and fell.

"Tsk tsk, I really couldn't tell, usually pretending to be so noble, but in private, she's a loose woman."

"Exactly, what Shenghai talented woman, at the end of the day, she's just a woman."

"This portrait is drawn really clearly, look at that man's back, I wonder which Young Master it is?"

Chen Ran's heart skipped a beat, and he moved closer without changing his expression.

It was a privately printed tabloid of the capital, with a sensational headline written in extremely eye-catching large characters:

[Wenxin Hall Senior Sister Has a Late-Night Secret Rendezvous with a Mysterious Man! Has the Shenghai Talented Woman Fallen in Love?]

Below the headline, there was a slightly blurry printed image.

In the picture, a man and a woman were standing in a secluded alleyway talking. Judging by the woman's figure and clothing, it was undoubtedly Su Qinghe.

And that man's back...

Chen Ran's pupils contracted.

Although that back view was not wearing the Demon Suppression Division uniform, that brocade robe was exactly the one he had worn when he left the city a few days ago!

Moreover, the constables patrolling near the teahouse that night, and the jailers who took over the shift in the dungeon, all knew he was on that street that night.

"No wonder Zhao Heizi looked at me so strangely this morning..."

This was not groundless; this was a deliberate scheme.

Someone had intentionally splashed this dirty water on him, perhaps to slander Su Qinghe's persona, or perhaps to suppress Wenxin Hall.

Even if this news was incredibly fake, and anyone with a discerning eye could see something was wrong, as long as it was published, these ordinary people wouldn't care about the truth.

They were all enthusiastically exchanging their own guesses.

"Hey, I think I saw it yesterday, I saw the Six Doors captain being extremely respectful to him, he must be a major Young Master!"

"Talking about some talented woman, in the end, she just threw herself at the powerful, and she's still the Senior Sister of Wenxin Hall, what a waste of reputation."

"Indeed, how do you think she got the position of Senior Sister at Wenxin Hall? Maybe it was also by relying on..."

The news spread more and more ridiculously, even evolving into chaos.

By the end, they were spreading rumors about his identity, making it sound so extravagant, it was almost as if they were calling him a prince of the Great Wei...

Chen Ran's face was calm, showing no ripples, but the murderous intent in his heart was growing wildly like weeds.

He hated trouble the most.

And now, trouble had come knocking on his door.

Chen Ran slowly scanned the crowd around him, his eyes gradually turning cold:

"Little rats, since you want to play, you had better pray you can hide well, and don't let me catch you..."

He took one last look at the bottom of the newspaper, where the publishing address was imprinted.

"Tongwen News Agency."

Chen Ran took a deep look at the publisher's name and turned to leave.

He did not attract anyone's attention, and his figure disappeared into the crowd silently.

...

Back to the dungeon.

Just as he walked into the Cell Block D, Li Changfeng came up to meet him, his expression somewhat serious.

"Brother Chen, the official document from above has come down."

Li Changfeng handed over a document stamped with a bright red seal.

"That Li Luo in the Yi Ward, today at the hour of the Horse (noon), execution."

Chen Ran took the document and nodded slightly.

Li Luo.

That former member of the imperial secret organization who had been hiding in the capital's Gangs for over a decade, cultivating the top-tier hard-body Cultivation Technique "Glazed Golden Body Art".

"This is his last meal." Li Changfeng pointed to a sumptuous food box on the table, "Go send him on his final journey. This person is extremely dangerous, be careful, don't get too close."

"Understood."

Li Changfeng thought for a moment, then finally spoke again: "Brother Chen, regarding this morning's matter, I have already instructed my subordinates not to gossip. Once this wind blows over, it should be fine..."

The matter Li Changfeng spoke of was naturally that rumored news.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Chen Ran was just one of those unintentionally dragged into the vortex, and it was merely making a mountain out of a molehill.

After all, their identities were worlds apart; it was impossible for them to have any intersection.

Chen Ran was stunned for a moment, not expecting this Captain Li to be so thoughtful; whether intentional or not, it had indeed helped him delay the spread of the news.

Chen Ran bowed slightly: "Many thanks for your help, Brother Feng."

Li Changfeng smiled and waved his hand: "How is this help? Once the wind blows over, I will take you to the Bishui Pavilion to order the most beautiful courtesan, and we will relax properly."

...

Chen Ran picked up the food box and walked towards the depths of the Yi Ward.

The further he walked into the corridor, the darker it got, and the Evil Qi became heavier.

Walking to the innermost cell made of refined steel, Chen Ran stopped.

Inside the cell.

Li Luo had his shoulder blades pierced by multiple heavy steel chains as thick as a child's arm, pinning him firmly to the wall.

His body was covered in Evil-Suppressing Talismans, his messy hair covering his face, like a peerless Vicious Beast trapped and dying in a cage.

Hearing footsteps, Li Luo slowly raised his head, those eyes peering through the gaps in his messy hair, cold and dangerous like a lone wolf.

Chen Ran opened the small window on the cell door and pushed the food box in.

"Last meal. Eat."

The voice was calm, without a ripple.

Li Luo looked at the food box, suddenly grinned, and let out a low, hoarse laugh.

"Heh... hehe... Last meal?"

He suddenly raised his head and stared fixedly at Chen Ran.

"Kid, do you know how long I've been waiting for this meal?"