Dusk was falling.
"Brother Wu, head back first. I'll inspect the Criminal Prison one more time, then I'll be going home too." He An unlocked the prison's main gate with a key and called to Wu Wenming without turning around.
"Sure!"
"He Ge, I'll head back first."
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your matter. At most, I'll let my old man know."
Wu Wenming reached the gate, then suddenly turned around and called, "Oh, right, He Ge. Don't forget the meat you've got left. Take it home for your family. I'll buy more tomorrow."
"Got it."
A smile curled at He An's lips.
He had to admit.
Wu Wenming was exactly his kind of person.
He was generous and unpretentious. And when he learned about He An's talent, he'd immediately dropped to his knees, practically calling He An his "daddy" on the spot.
On top of that,
the Wu Family behind him had the best reputation among the three clans.
Most importantly, his talent was absurdly strong—so strong that even He An, who had a cheat of his own, felt a little envious.
If Wu Wenming put in some effort and practiced his fists a few more times every day, He An figured he might master the Black Tiger Fist in less than half a month.
"Haah!"
"Comparing yourself to others is enough to kill you!"
Locking the gate, He An sauntered into the Criminal Prison.
The cells on the ground floor were all built from black iron. For Martial Artists of ordinary strength, there was no need to worry about them escaping.
As for the underground level,
it was built from special materials and reinforced with special chains.
That was why only two rookies had been assigned to guard it.
"Little brother, wait!"
He had just finished checking the ground floor and made it to the underground cells when, after only a few steps, he heard someone call out.
"What is it?"
He An stared coldly at the filthy man in the cell.
After spending so long in prison, and with his small frame, the man looked malnourished. His face was frighteningly pale, and his murky eyes held not a trace of life.
Still, he was no harmless soul.
No one locked up here was.
"Little brother, I really haven't done anything that serious. Just let me go. Once I'm out, I'll make it up to you, I swear."
He played the part of a pitiful wretch, hoping He An would let him out.
"Really?"
The instant He An spoke, all the prisoners in the underground Criminal Prison turned toward him, a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Seeing a chance, the man grew even more excited.
"Really. I never lie. If you let me out, everything I've saved up will be yours."
"Oh?"
He An perked up.
He'd come alone precisely because he'd set his sights on the prisoners' hidden possessions.
These men were all Bone Tempering or Muscle Condensing Realm Martial Artists at the very least. He didn't believe they'd managed to hide absolutely nothing while they were free—not anything especially precious, perhaps,
but silver, at least. Surely they had some.
"Talk is cheap. How can you prove you've got anything stashed away?" He An asked, pretending not to care.
The man wasn't a fool. He narrowed his eyes and studied He An for a long moment. "Little brother, that's a bit unfair. You haven't let me out yet. How can I tell you where my things are hidden?"
"So there's nothing to discuss, then?"
He An shrugged.
"You're the one who doesn't want to get out. Don't blame me for not giving you a chance. If you really tell me where you hid your things, I might actually let you go."
As he spoke, he took out a big ring of keys and swept his gaze across the cells. "See these? I've got the keys to every one of your cells."
"With just a crook of my finger, I could let you all out."
In an instant,
the other prisoners' eyes reddened, and they stared fixedly at the keys in He An's hand.
With those keys, they could get out, leave this godforsaken place, and live happy, free lives.
He An spoke in a low voice, like a devil whispering in the prison.
"Well?"
"Is anyone willing to make a deal with me? Hand over everything you've got stashed away, and I'll find a chance to get you out."
"Gold and silver may be precious, but freedom is worth more."
"Do you really want to spend your whole lives in this godforsaken place, unable to live or die?"
"Besides, if you don't get out, what good are all the gold and silver treasures you've hidden away?"
"In the end, you won't be the ones enjoying them. You'll be the ones rotting in prison, suffering. Wouldn't that mean you'd gone and made someone else's wedding clothes for nothing?"
"What's the point of that?"
He spoke with such passion that many of them were tempted, their minds already turning over the possibilities.
But for now,
they still didn't trust He An.
For a moment,
several men stared at him excitedly, but not one stepped forward.
The man who'd spoken first also quietly retreated to the corner. His shifty eyes stayed fixed on He An, darting about as if he were plotting something.
Seeing this, He An wasn't discouraged.
This time, he'd only meant to test them and find out whether they had any treasures hidden outside.
So far,
it seemed most of them did.
The few who'd reacted most strongly definitely had treasures hidden away.
Even if nothing else, they had to have a hefty stash of silver.
He quietly memorized the cells of those men, then left the Criminal Prison without looking back.
As long as he remained in the Criminal Prison, he'd have plenty of chances to pry their secrets from them. It was only a matter of time.
Thinking of all the prisoners' hidden possessions possibly ending up in his hands, He An's grin nearly split his face. Humming a tune, he left the Town Martial Division.
The underground Criminal Prison
fell silent once more.
"Brothers, what do you think? Should we trust that kid?"
A question broke the silence as they pondered.
"Trust him? Anyone who ends up in here is hardly an ordinary person."
"That kid stands ramrod straight, and his eyes slant upward. He looks vicious. We're in for a rough time from now on!"
"Bullshit. You've been in here too long and lost your mind? He's obviously just a green kid."
"You can't judge a book by its cover. What if he really is a hard case?"
The men all talked at once, saying every sort of thing, but none of them truly trusted He An.
Just then,
from deep in the cells,
a thin man who looked every bit the scholar suddenly spoke.
"Gold and silver may be precious, but freedom is worth more. What a line. I'm almost tempted myself."
As soon as he spoke, everyone else fell silent.
The scholar proposed, "Why don't we find someone to test the kid first? If he can really get that person out, then we can trust him."
"When freedom is at stake, any price is worth paying."
"Then... who should we send to test him?"
Someone asked in a low voice. It wasn't loud, but the question carried throughout the prison.
No one wanted to take the risk.
If it failed,
they'd lose everything they had hidden outside.
Some might even lose their lives.
"Let him do it!"
The scholar named the thin man without a moment's hesitation.
"Mo Caihe."
"You were the first to speak up just now, so you should be the one to do this. Seems fair, doesn't it?"
"Well..."
The thin man wanted to say more, but then he noticed everyone glaring at him as if they'd tear him to pieces the moment he refused.
He gritted his teeth.
"Fine."
"Next time I see that kid, I'll tell him I'm willing to hand over everything I've got outside. I'll only ask that he spare my life."
At that, the scholar turned away, his eyes bright as he murmured to himself,
"Freedom?"
"Heh."
"I can't even remember how long it's been—how long since I had any freedom."
"I just wonder what this guy will choose when silver is on the line. If he really dares to let these people out, I'll have to kill him and clean up this sort of scum myself!"
At the request of our readers, VIP members can now enjoy ad-free access.
Click to view
Before you continue