Disguise and Replacement

The next day.

Zhou Yi arrived at the Heavenly Prison to report for duty.

The main gate hadn't been repaired yet. The ground and walls were covered in patches of blackish-red blood, which made a sticky sound underfoot.

Last night, Warden Zheng had died at the hands of the rebels, so the job swap he'd promised Niu Xiaowei was naturally off the table. Not that it mattered, because Niu Xiaowei had also died in the chaos last night.

"Nothing usually happens in the Heavenly Prison, but when it does, it's earth-shattering. I'll have to attend a lot of memorial services these days."

Zhou Yi walked into the prison, which was empty, with only a few prisoners remaining.

He heard that the experts who stormed the prison had tried to take the prisoners with them, including several high-ranking officials from the previous dynasty, but the Black Armor Army ambushed outside had killed the rebels and hostages in a few charges.

"This job just got a lot easier."

Zhou Yi, carrying a food bucket, knocked on the bars: "Old Bai, why didn't you take the opportunity to escape yesterday?"

This prisoner surnamed Bai was quite interesting. He was unusually handsome. If he put on white clothes and opened a folding fan, he could charm countless female martial artists.

It wasn't clear what crime he had committed. The records didn't say; the Imperial Clan Court had just thrown him into the Heavenly Prison.

"I'm innocent right now, so wouldn't escaping make me a real criminal?"

Old Bai cheerfully drank the soup from his meal, then looked at the leftovers in the bucket: "Give them all to me, so you don't have to bother carrying them back."

Zhou Yi put the food bucket into the cell and pretended to be surprised: "From what you're saying, you could really get out if you wanted to?"

"I was thinking about it the day before yesterday, but yesterday scared me. I'd better just obediently serve my three or five years." Old Bai recalled what he had seen last night and couldn't help but tremble with fear.

In the past, people in the martial world said that the Thief Saint's martial arts were first-rate, but his qinggong was unparalleled, his speed surpassing even an Innate Grandmaster. Old Bai might not have said it, but he must have been secretly proud.

Yesterday, he saw flying swords killing people, top experts cutting down enemies like vegetables, and he realized he'd been living in a well.

An Innate Grandmaster doesn't need to race you; a flying sword flashes past, and you're in two pieces.

"What did you see, you rascal, that scared you so much?"

Zhou Yi was quite curious. He had spoken to the surviving guards along the way, but they were vague about the great battle that had taken place in the Heavenly Prison.

None of the guards who were on duty in the Heavenly Prison last night survived!

A top expert, with his body and spirit in perfect harmony, is a match for ten thousand men on the battlefield, capable of breaking through enemy lines. Even the Black Armor Army would have difficulty capturing him alive, which is why Li Wu had to take action himself.

Old Bai shook his head repeatedly: "I can't say, I can't say!"

"Want a drink?"

Zhou Yi took out a wine flask from his waist, and the fragrance of wine filled the air when he opened it.

"Pear Blossom White, ten years old!"

Old Bai's nose twitched, and he accurately identified the name and vintage of the wine. People in the martial world all love wine. He had been locked up in prison for more than two years, and his mouth had long since gone bland.

The aroma of the wine involuntarily stimulated his saliva glands, and his throat couldn't help but move.

"Let me drink first!"

Old Bai knew how black-hearted the prison guard in front of him was. He had scammed many martial arts experts in Cell A.

Martial arts experts were free and unfettered outside, casually pulling out a tael of silver to pay the bill. That was ill-gotten wealth, either stolen, robbed, or plundered, spent freely but without savings.

Once they entered the Heavenly Prison, no one sent them money for food, so they could only drink swill every day.

If they couldn't stand it, they would make deals with Zhou Yi, such as exchanging a unique acupressure technique for two chicken legs, a unique secret medicine formula for a pot of wine, or even using martial arts secrets for a few sesame cakes.

Zhou Yi didn't follow the rules. If he liked someone, it was fine, but those he didn't like got stale chicken legs and wine mixed with water.

"I've always been one for rules. All those guys I dealt with were guilty of heinous crimes." Zhou Yi handed the wine flask in, defending himself.

"That sounds good, but what about the Jiangnan hero?"

Old Bai took a sip of wine, comfortably exhaled, and then sipped it slowly, afraid of finishing it in one gulp without tasting the flavor.

"That guy pretended to be a chivalrous hero on the surface, but secretly engaged in the business of harvesting organs from living people. So depraved and heartless, dying with his five viscera and six bowels shattered, leaving only a living husk, isn't that what he deserved?"

Zhou Yi took out a pill from his pocket, red with black patterns, observed it for a moment, and carefully put it back.

"The Miao Brothers' Gu worms are truly mysterious, actually allowing someone to live even with their five viscera and six bowels shattered!"

Old Bai took a few more sips of wine, suppressing the fear in his heart, and said mysteriously, "Do you believe in the art of flying swords?"

"I do!"

Zhou Yi thought, I've even seen an Immortal who shattered the void with a single sword.

"..."

Old Bai had intended to shock him, but Zhou Yi blocked him halfway.

Zhou Yi's gaze was deep: "Let me guess, last night General Li used the art of flying swords to easily kill the prison breakers?"

"..."

Old Bai was also quick-witted and changed the subject: "Do you know who he killed? Lingxu Zhenren of Heaven One Temple, Kongming Chanshi of Golden Light Temple, and Bai Wuchang, the leader of One Cave of Ghosts!"

"They're all dead people. I'm not interested in hearing about their glorious past."

Zhou Yi was quite happy. The Spirit Root talent he had guessed wasn't a dead end after all. Innate Grandmasters could already use methods similar to manipulating objects.

Bai Wuchang couldn't speak, feeling stifled. He handed back the empty wine pot and prepared to lie down on the straw mat to rest.

Since last night, all he saw when he closed his eyes were flying swords killing people, and he couldn't sleep at all.

Zhou Yi said, "We're all in this jianghu game. Don't trust everyone, and don't be so cynical. If you really let that guy go, you wouldn't be able to atone for your sins even if you died ten times over."

"How did you know?"

Bai Wuchang was a first-rate expert, occupying a cell by himself, with the Jiangnan Hero next door.

Zhou Yi said, "No matter how secretive you two are, you might fool the guards on patrol, but can you fool the prisoners in this Heavenly Prison? Someone used your conversations to trade me a chicken leg."

"..."

Bai Wuchang suddenly didn't want to be in prison anymore. Perhaps agreeing to the princess's marriage proposal wouldn't be as stifling as this.

Zhou Yi continued, "I guess you could say I saved your life? I heard your qinggong is pretty good. Could you teach me?"

"I'm sleepy!"

Bai Wuchang turned over, his back to Zhou Yi.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

The new Warden Zheng, who originally managed the Shenjing prison, had a pie fall from the sky and took over the Heavenly Prison.

The unspoken rules in the Fengyang Kingdom's prisons were generally the same, but the Heavenly Prison offered more opportunities to make money, and it was easier.

Now that the guards everywhere were familiar with the routine, the Heavenly Prison returned to its usual state.

"Old Zhou, good morning!"

Feng Qiao, the guard on duty at the gate, greeted his senior. These days, few had been on duty at the Heavenly Prison longer than Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi greeted him with a smile, "You were the first to slip away yesterday. Were you afraid I'd make you pay the bill?"

"I have a fierce wife at home; I had no choice!"

Feng Qiao repeatedly clasped his hands. He was originally a jailer in Wannian County, Jingji, and was still not used to Shenjing after being transferred here.

The most expensive brothel in Wannian County cost no more than one or two taels for an overnight stay, but in the Spring Breeze Pavilion, just touching a girl's hand cost ten taels of silver! It wouldn't be worth it even if it was inlaid with gold!

Zhou Yi laughed, "Since Captain Niu went, it's on the prison's tab. You can't let them take advantage of you."

Feng Qiao immediately regretted it. He had planned to find out the details this morning and brag about it when he got home, pretending he had enjoyed himself at the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

"There will be other opportunities in the future."

Zhou Yi chatted with his colleagues along the way, carrying a bucket to deliver food.

Cell B-7.

The prisoner had been newly admitted and was an official from the Ministry of Personnel who had committed the crime of selling official positions.

His hair was gray and his body was thin.

Entering the Heavenly Prison at this age, he wouldn't last a year or two.

When the prisoner saw Zhou Yi pouring the rice, he struggled to get up, coughing violently a few times. He slowly shuffled over, picked up the bowl, and ate in small bites.

Every movement resembled a dying old man.

A glint flashed in Zhou Yi's eyes. Being proficient in disguise, he had already spotted several flaws.

The expression on his face was too stiff. Even if he deliberately feigned a weak and dying state, his skin couldn't remain motionless.

There were subtle differences in skin tone between his neck and hands, especially the black mud stuck to his hands. First, the styling was too deliberate, and second, it hadn't penetrated the skin at all.

Moreover, such a weak old man held the bowl so steadily...

Zhou Yi left in silence, finally arriving at Bai Wuchang's cell and taking out a pot of wine from his bosom.

Bai Wuchang opened the wine pot and sniffed, "Another Pear Blossom White. This wine is too strong; it's far inferior to the Hall-Illuminating Red and Jade Dew Spring in terms of mellow aftertaste."

"A friend from a long time ago loved to drink Pear Blossom White. Once I got used to it, I became too lazy to change my taste."

Zhou Yi tried hard to recall Wei Chang, only remembering that he was a burly man with a broad forehead and face. The specific details of his appearance had become blurred.

"Tsk tsk, you, with your dark heart, actually have friends?"

In half a year, Bai Wuchang and Zhou Yi had become familiar with each other, and there were not so many scruples in their speech.

Zhou Yi didn't want to recall the past. His lifespan was endless, and he would accumulate countless pasts in the future. Bai Wuchang, or someone like him, might become one of them, so he had to learn to seal away or forget.

"Yesterday, while practicing the Drifting Reeds Step, there were several turns that were always unsatisfactory..."

Bai Wuchang pondered for a moment and said, "In the world of qinggong, there are generally only two types: short-range maneuvering and long-range running. The Drifting Reeds Step belongs to the former..."

He explained the key points of cultivating the Drifting Reeds Step in detail, imparting his skills and resolving Zhou Yi's doubts, until the wine in the pot was finished.

Before Zhou Yi left, he asked, "Tomorrow, should I change it to Hall-Illuminating Red or Jade Dew Spring?"

Bai Wuchang said, "Let's stick with Pear Blossom White. Once I get used to it, I'm too lazy to change my taste."

Zhou Yi was slightly stunned and squatted back down, "I'll find a pot of century-old Pear Blossom White. You help me with something."

Bai Wuchang nodded, "That's great! In the past, I wouldn't drink anything but century-old fine wine!"

Zhou Yi laughed, "You won't even ask what it is? What if it's murder, arson, or robbery?"

"Even though you're a dark-hearted fellow, you have your principles."

Bai Wuchang said, "Besides, if it's truly evil, I'll just freeload some fine wine. What can you do if I don't go?"

"The prisoner in Cell B-7 seems to have been replaced last night..."

Zhou Yi explained the prisoner's background and the flaws left behind by the disguise.

"Interesting, interesting! How could I miss out on something so interesting?"

Bai Wuchang's eyes lit up as he listened. He had been bored out of his mind squatting in the Heavenly Prison. "Don't worry, as long as he makes a move, he definitely won't escape my eyes."

"Be careful. That person is likely a master."

Zhou Yi repeatedly instructed and reminded him that it was just surveillance. Even if the guy escaped, he shouldn't chase after him.

"Relax! I'm an old hand. Safety first, don't you think I know that?"

Several days later.

Zhou Yi came to the prison to deliver food.

Bai Wuchang beckoned with a grin, using his inner energy to transmit sound: "That guy finally made a move last night."

"What did he do?"

Zhou Yi had learned more than a dozen types of qinggong from Bai Wuchang, including several supreme inheritances. Returning the favor, he taught him the Azure Sky King's secret sound transmission technique.

"He went to Cell A-1, searched for half the night, and then came back."

Excitement was written all over Bai Wuchang's face. Everyone knew that cell had held a Martial Grandmaster half a year ago.