The late-night darkness left only the crackling of torches in the Heavenly Prison's passageway.
Xu Qian carried a food bucket and walked slowly through the passageway in Block C. After breaking through to the Houtian Late Stage, his senses had grown increasingly keen. Even in the dim light, he could clearly see what was happening in every cell—the prisoners curled up in the corners, rats scurrying across the floor, and damp patches seeping out of the walls.
These sights had become commonplace over the past few months, but tonight, something felt different.
When he reached the middle of the passageway, Xu Qian's steps faltered almost imperceptibly.
His Qi Gazing Technique passively sensed two auras hiding around the corner ahead. He recognized one of them—it was Zhou Kang. The other was completely unfamiliar. Its breathing was long and steady, and its aura was far more substantial than Zhou Kang's, belonging to at least a Houtian Mid Stage expert.
The two had been standing there for a while. Their breathing was calm; clearly, they hadn't just happened to be passing by.
An alarm bell rang faintly in Xu Qian's heart, but he showed nothing on his face. He continued walking with the food bucket, even humming an off-key tune. It was part of the "persona" he'd crafted for himself: a young jailer who was earnest in his work and not particularly shrewd.
When he rounded the corner, he saw Zhou Kang standing there talking with a middle-aged man dressed in a dark blue jailer's uniform. The man had a square face and thick brows, with sharp eyes. A silver badge hung at his waist. In the Heavenly Prison, a silver badge marked at least a warden—two ranks above Zhou Kang, a mere jailhouse chief.
"Oh, Captain Zhou." Xu Qian put on just