Whispers at Midnight

After refusing the Prince's request, Xu Qian enjoyed a few days of peace. Over at E-98, there was no movement at all—not even the cursed whispers from that night had reappeared, as if they had resigned themselves to fate. Xu Qian was happy to let things be, delivering meals, cleaning, and secretly cultivating each day, his small life settling into a steady rhythm.

However, this celestial prison seemed inherently incompatible with the word "peace."

That night, it was Xu Qian's turn to stand guard during the second half of the night watch. Block E was as deathly still as ever, with only the occasional gust of cold wind howling through the vents like a mournful wail.

Xu Qian hugged his waist knife, sitting in his usual spot. As he routinely absorbed Sha Qi, he mentally deduced the Mad Old Man's scribbled talismans. After this period of continuous "feeding" and deduction, he felt that the Dao Fruit's automatic cultivation speed had increased by a tiny, almost imperceptible margin. Small gains added up, and it was ultimately a good thing.

Just as his mind was fully immersed, a faint rustling sound—distinct from the noise of rats—came from the other end of the corridor.

Xu Qian immediately grew alert, activating the Turtle Breath Art to its peak. His entire presence became faint, as if he had melted into the shadows of the wall. He tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze fixed on the source of the sound.

Two figures in black tight-fitting outfits, their faces mostly hidden by hoods, moved like ghosts along the base of the wall, silently advancing deeper into Block E. Their movements were light and professional, clearly not ordinary characters.

What made Xu Qian's heart tighten even more was that the one leading the way was none other than Li Xi, another jailer on duty with him in Block E tonight! That guy was a seasoned veteran, usually quiet and somewhat greedy, but he had never committed any major mistakes. Unexpectedly...

Li Xi looked extremely nervous now, glancing around from time to time, his steps unsteady. He led the two black-clad men straight toward the direction of cell E-98!

Xu Qian's heart leaped into his throat. Here it is! So it's finally come! He had known that someone with the identity of E-98 couldn't be forgotten forever in the depths of this celestial prison.

Holding his breath, he pushed the Qi Gazing Technique to its limit, carefully "looking" over.

The two black-clad men were shrouded in a thick, dark red aura mixed with blood and Sha Qi—a typical sign of assassins or death warriors. Their cultivation was not weak, at least at the Houtian Mid-Late Stage! Far stronger than Xu Qian or Li Xi!

As for Li Xi, his aura was a chaotic gray-white, tinged with fear and greed, clearly indicating he had been bribed or coerced.

The three stopped in a blind spot not far from cell E-98. Li Xi pointed toward the cell and whispered something to the two black-clad men, his voice so low it was barely audible.

Xu Qian heightened his hearing to the max, catching fragments of key words:

"...inside... always quiet..."

"...above... wants it clean..."

"...midnight... shift change... opportunity..."

"...noise... can't be loud..."

Though incomplete, combined with the scene before him, the meaning was crystal clear! Someone wanted the life of E-98! And tonight, at midnight, during the shift change! Li Xi was the inside man!

A chill shot from Xu Qian's soles straight to the top of his head!

Silencing! This was outright silencing!

And the choice of time and place was clearly well-planned. Midnight shift change was when the guards were most lax. Block E was remote, and noise wouldn't easily reach the outside.

Those two black-clad men were obviously the assassins sent to carry out the hit!

Xu Qian's mind raced.

What to do?

Stop them? With what? Two professional assassins at the Houtian Mid-Late Stage, plus an inside jailer—he, a mere jailer ostensibly at the Houtian Early Stage (though actually Late Stage), charging in would be suicide. Even using that trace of Sword Qi might catch one off guard, but against two, the risk was too high. And once exposed, the consequences would be endless.

Report it? To whom? Zhou Kang? Did Zhou Kang know about this? If he didn't, reporting rashly might alert the enemy or even bring death upon himself. If Zhou Kang knew or even condoned it... then he'd be walking into a trap!

Pretend not to see? That seemed the "safest" choice. Mind your own business. That Prince had nothing to do with him and had even threatened him before. If he died, it wouldn't hurt Xu Qian—it might even remove a potential problem.

But...

Xu Qian's gaze involuntarily drifted back to cell E-98. Through the Qi Gazing Technique, the faint purple noble aura wrapped in gray-black Death Qi, and the stubbornly flickering bright purple life force within it, once again entered his "sight."

Could he just watch him die?

It wasn't that Xu Qian had suddenly become a saint. Rather, he had a vague feeling that if this Prince died tonight, things wouldn't end so simply. For assassins to infiltrate the celestial prison to silence someone, the forces behind it were undoubtedly immense. As one of the jailers on duty tonight, would he be investigated afterward? Would he be silenced? Would Li Xi drag him down to save himself?