The Demon Suppression Division's Black Jail.
Among those arrested and brought to the Demon Suppression Division, this place was no different from a terrifying hell.
Following a long corridor paved entirely with black stone, one could see dark, damp prison cells lined up on both sides.
The corners of the surroundings were filled with all sorts of torture instruments, a single glance at which was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Through the bars made of special materials, one could see emaciated figures lying within, most of them with vacant eyes, like walking corpses.
And in one of the prison cells at the deepest part of the jail.
Ling Yun sat cross-legged in the corner, his expression calm.
Zhang Mu lay beside him, his eyes vacant, looking like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.
He kept muttering, "It's over, it's really over this time..."
"Shut your damn mouth!"
Ling Yun was thoroughly annoyed by this guy. After shouting, he closed his eyes and began to ponder.
The whole affair, from beginning to end, felt a bit off.
Although it was just a guess, he vaguely felt that the Demon Suppression Division's strong reaction was probably related to the guy named Situ Ying he had killed last night.
And it was strange, too. After the Demon Suppression Envoys brought them to this place, several hours passed without any further news, as if they had been completely forgotten.
"This is just a waste of time." Ling Yun shook his head, feeling a bit depressed.
He reached out and touched the cold wall behind him. Just as he was considering whether to break out, a cold voice suddenly sounded in his ear:
"By order of the superior, you two may leave now."
A Demon Suppression Envoy with a blank expression suddenly appeared at the entrance, casually opened the cell door, and gestured for them to leave.
"It's over just like that?"
Ling Yun and Zhang Mu exchanged glances, unable to keep up with these guys' thought processes.
They made a big fuss to arrest them, then locked them up for a while without asking anything, only to let them go?
But no matter what, being able to leave was the best outcome.
The two of them walked out without hesitation, one after the other.
No one obstructed them all the way until they left the Black Jail's main gate. The warm sunlight shone on their faces again, and they still found it hard to believe they had actually gotten out so easily.
They said the Demon Suppression Division's Black Jail was hell on earth, and no one ever came out intact.
But it seemed it wasn't that terrifying after all.
"Brother Ling, do you think there's something wrong with those guys here?" Zhang Mu cautiously looked around, then pointed to his head.
Ling Yun ignored him, his brow furrowed in thought.
He didn't think the people from the Demon Suppression Division were that bored; something he hadn't anticipated must have happened.
And speaking of which, although it wasn't obvious, he had smelled a faint trace of blood on the Demon Suppression Envoy just now. It must have been recently acquired!
Glancing back at the calm Demon Suppression Division behind him, Ling Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, then turned and left without hesitation.
He couldn't be bothered to care about what was happening inside the Demon Suppression Division.
No matter what schemes or conspiracies were at play, as long as he kept getting stronger, all of it would be nothing but mere trifles.
"Brother Ling... Master Ling, wait for me!"
Watching Ling Yun's retreating back, Zhang Mu scratched his head and quickly followed.
As the two disappeared around the street corner, the entrance to the Demon Suppression Division returned to its usual calm.
The Demon Suppression Division, Imperial Pinnacle Tower.
This was the core area of the Demon Suppression Division, and even low-ranking Demon Suppression Envoys didn't have the qualification to get close.
The floors took on the ultimate number, totaling nine levels.
With four-sided roofs and flying eaves on each level, each floor had a different carving style, making it look grand and imposing.
But the Imperial Pinnacle Tower seemed a bit different today. Several Demon Suppression Envoys stood around the floors, their hands resting tightly on the sabers at their waists, a murderous aura filling the air.
And on the ninth, top floor.
What met the eye was a simple tea room. Calligraphy and paintings by unknown masters hung on the surrounding walls, and a tea table was placed in the center of the room.
A middle-aged man in scholarly robes sat there, meticulously brewing a pot of boiling tea in front of him.
And opposite him, several Demon Suppression Envoys with powerful auras were respectfully looking at the middle-aged man before them.
"Lord Commander, the chief culprit Situ Mu has been apprehended. Please issue your judgment."
As the words fell, a dispirited man was immediately brought forward and forced down in front of the tea table.
Although his clothes were mostly torn, it was still possible to tell that this person was a Demon Suppression Envoy!
It was unclear what had happened to him; not only were his limbs bent at an odd angle, but he also had several fatal wounds on his body. Fortunately, after some basic treatment, he wasn't in immediate danger of dying.
He forced his eyelids open, which were glued shut by filthy blood. When he saw the face of the middle-aged man before him, his eyes couldn't help but reveal extreme fear.
But even so, he still struggled to get up and said with a fierce, sharp voice:
"Wang Yuan! Do you know what you're doing!"
"I am a seventh-rank Demon Suppression Envoy, appointed by the court as the Cloud City Inspector. How dare you treat me like this, are you trying to rebel!"
However, his words only drew a round of cold laughter from the Demon Suppression Envoys behind him.
As for the middle-aged man in scholarly robes whom he called Wang Yuan, he didn't even bother to glance at him, continuing to focus on tending the stove before him.
As if in his eyes, this small pot of hot tea was more important than anything else.
Soon, as a tea fragrance wafted out, Wang Yuan eagerly picked up the teacup and took a gentle sip, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.
"Tea is truly a wonderful thing; it calms the mind and nourishes the spirit. Ah, Inspector Situ, would you like to try Wang's hand at brewing?"
Before the other could answer, Wang Yuan patted his head and said with an inexplicable tone, "Oh, I almost forgot, our esteemed Inspector is probably not in a convenient state right now. Let's skip it."
Listening to the mocking laughter of the surrounding Demon Suppression Envoys, even though he had fallen into his current predicament, Situ Mu's face turned ashen with anger. He struggled and shouted, "Wang Yuan! I will report your actions today to the court!"
"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have the Three Dukes protecting you!"
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, the air in the entire room instantly chilled.
Wang Yuan heavily put down his teacup, his eyes as cold as frost. "You still dare to mention the court in front of me? Very well, today I will let you die with understanding."
After speaking, he took a stack of documents handed to him by a subordinate, casually flipped them open, glanced at Situ Mu, and slowly began to read:
"In the 200th year of the Great Radiance Calendar, Cloud City's eighth-star Demon Suppression Envoy, Qing Li, colluded with demons and harmed the common people... Sentence: Death!"
"In the 200th year of the Great Radiance Calendar, Cloud City's ninth-star Demon Suppression Envoy, Yang Shengrui, colluded with demons and harmed the common people... Sentence: Death!"
"In the 200th year of the Great Radiance Calendar, Cloud City's ninth-star Demon Suppression Envoy, Zhuang Minglang, colluded with demons and harmed the common people... Sentence: Death!"
As Wang Yuan read out each name, a bloody head was thrown before Situ Mu from behind.
In an instant, heads rolled, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.
Looking at those familiar faces, filled with unwillingness, Situ Mu's complexion grew paler and paler, until he could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.
He knew that he was truly finished this time.
If Ling Yun were here now, he would surely recognize at a glance that the four Demon Suppression Envoys who had captured him and thrown him into the Black Jail were all among them!
Meanwhile, Wang Yuan showed no signs of stopping. As one name after another was read out, it soon came to the last one.
"In the 200th year of the Great Radiance Calendar, Cloud City Inspector Situ Mu, disregarded court laws, colluded with demons, practiced forbidden arts, and harmed his colleagues... Sentence: Bone-Eating Worm Torture!"
"No, you can't do this to me!!!"
Upon hearing his final fate, Situ Mu's eyes were filled with despair and terror. He suddenly raised his right palm and fiercely struck his own brow.
"Heh heh, you want to die? It's not that easy!"
However, a Demon Suppression Envoy beside him was already prepared. He stepped forward and heavily stomped on Situ Mu's back. With a series of bone-grinding cracking sounds, his bones and joints were instantly shattered.
Situ Mu's body trembled, and then he collapsed to the ground like a pile of rotten meat. Apart from his eyes, which could still move, he had completely become a living dead man.
But this was not the end. Soon, someone stepped forward and forced a dark pill into his mouth.
This was a pill containing bone-eating worms. In the time that followed, the bone-eating worms would slowly emerge from the pill, then frantically multiply within his body and devour his flesh and blood.
During this period, the victim would watch helplessly as their body was devoured bit by bit!
If handled properly, the entire process could even last for a year!
Under Situ Mu's despairing gaze, someone soon carried him out.
After the room returned to peace, the anger on Wang Yuan's face gradually subsided.
"By the way, what happened to those two young ones who survived the Deng Family incident?"
Wang Yuan asked calmly, pouring himself another cup of tea.
"Reporting to the Chief Envoy, after investigation, both of them were merely ordinary Martial Hall disciples, and no suspicious details were found. It is believed they were merely victims of Situ Mu's misplaced anger. They have now been released," a stern-faced Demon Suppression Envoy stepped forward and replied with a bow.
Wang Yuan nodded. It was just a casual question, and he didn't take it to heart.
"What about the court? Those old guys must be causing trouble behind the scenes again, right?"
The stern-faced Demon Suppression Envoy hesitated for a moment before finally saying in a low voice, "The Chief Envoy is wise."
"News has come from the court that many ministers have jointly submitted memorials. Although the Three Dukes are supporting us for now, they can only secure at most three months."
Wang Yuan's hand, which was pouring tea, paused slightly. Then, he waved his hand expressionlessly, "Alright, I know. You all go and do what you need to do."
Several Demon Suppression Envoys exchanged glances and respectfully withdrew one after another.
After everyone had left, Wang Yuan stared blankly at the swirling tea leaves in his cup, his previous imposing demeanor gone, replaced by a look of loneliness.
"Alas... three months..."
"Does the person from the prophecy truly exist..."
No one answered him, and the tea room instantly fell into silence.
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