"Your friend, Mr. Dongfang, is being held in the Imperial City's Black Prison."
"The Black Prison is a place specifically for holding serious criminals. Only powerful Nascent Soul Cultivators are qualified to enter it. Naturally, it is also managed by powerful members of the imperial clan. The imperial clan has stood for countless generations not only because of the foundations laid by those who came before, but also in part because the Black Prison exists. The powerful prisoners inside are whetstones for the imperial clan's cultivators."
"There's more than one Black Prison, and the one holding your friend, Mr. Dongfang, happens to be under the control of Xiang Kuang, the most difficult person to deal with. If it were anyone else, even a great cultivator, they'd show me some consideration. But Xiang Kuang does whatever he pleases. He's infamous for his strange temper, and he'll throw punches at the slightest disagreement. Worse, he's exceptionally powerful. It wouldn't go well for me, and even another household head wouldn't fare any better."
"Xiang Kuang is famous throughout Xiangdu for his love of fighting. Of those who've been held in the Black Prison under his watch, some have been beaten to death, and others crippled. Few have ever walked out with all their limbs intact. I had to call in quite a few favors just to find out when he'd be back this time. Don't laugh at me, Mr. Dongfang, but he once gave me a beating, too. If it weren't necessary, I wouldn't want to see that madman again. But this is a matter of life and death, so I'm willing to stake my reputation on it. And with your standing, Mr. Dongfang, even Xiang Kuang will have to show some consideration, no matter how arrogant he is."
Household Head Mangxiao flew