After a long while, Lu Mi stepped back, lowered his head to look at Yu Tu's face, and raised a hand to remove the leather glove from his right hand.
His long, pale fingers reached out, their pads lightly brushing the corner of Yu Tu's mouth.
Lu Mi bent down, the corners of his lips curling slightly.
"0456, did you understand?"
Yu Tu's Adam's apple bobbed, his breathing slightly uneven as the vine atop his head swayed from side to side.
"I... I understood."
Lu Mi opened the infirmary door and let Rete and the prison officers enter.
He glanced at Yu Tu. "Remove his shackles."
When escorts delivered serious criminals to Calamity Planet, they would complete a standard handover with the prison officers, including handing over the keys to the criminals' shackles.
The escort responsible for Yu Tu this time had fled too quickly and failed to complete the proper handover. Only after the warship had left Calamity Planet at faster-than-light speed did they remember and hurriedly send someone over with them.
The prison officer looked hesitant.
"Warden Lu, 0456... is a Diamond-grade Energy Master."
Most serious criminals sent to Calamity Planet would have their shackles removed after being imprisoned.
With the Energy Lock Rings restricting them, they could not cause much trouble here.
Only a handful of exceptionally vicious criminals and powerful Energy Masters were exceptions. For them, shackles served as a second layer of restraint.
Yu Tu's vicious reputation was well known, so it was difficult for the prison officer not to hesitate.
Lu Mi gave a cold snort. "What? Do you need to remind me of this, Warden? Open them."
The prison officer could only step forward. The moment he took out the key, fingers wrapped in a black leather glove reached in from the side, hooking through the key ring with an index finger and taking it away.
Lu Mi stepped forward, conveniently blocking the prison officer's view behind him. "I'll do it. 0456, hold out your hands."
Yu Tu had kept his gaze fixed on Lu Mi the entire time.
He obediently raised his hands.
The shackles on his hands opened but did not fall away. At the center of each semicircular cuff was a spike made from the same material, piercing straight through Yu Tu's wrists.
What Yu Tu wore were not ordinary shackles, but customized shackles.
Rete found it unbelievable. "This... that shouldn't be possible, should it?"
The authorities never used customized shackles.
They were used by a small number of nobles specifically for chaining slaves.
Energy Lock Rings and ordinary shackles were already enough to limit an Energy Master's movements, not to mention that Yu Tu had a full five Energy Lock Rings on him.
Most importantly, even if Yu Tu had committed First-Degree Treason, the merits he had earned were real.
Using such customized shackles on him was no different from humiliating him.
In Rete's eyes, even if Yu Tu deserved to die, he should not have been treated this way.
"Who would be bold enough to actually..."
His words abruptly stopped.
Other than that person, probably no one would dare be so bold as to use customized shackles on Yu Tu.
Lu Mi's lips tightened. "Anesthetic."
Rete mixed the medication, drew it into a syringe, and was about to inject Yu Tu.
Yu Tu's expression suddenly changed. Violence surfaced on his face, and his eyes turned completely scarlet. "Get... out!"
Yu Tu's eyes widened as he stiffly twisted his neck. Veins faintly rose beneath his skin, and the White Vine atop his head stood completely straight like a needle.
Startled, Rete looked at Lu Mi as though asking for help.
Lu Mi raised a hand and gently patted Yu Tu's back. "I only want to help you remove the customized shackles on your wrists."
Yu Tu calmed down and softly said, "I'll do it myself."
Before Lu Mi could react, Yu Tu had already lowered his head and bitten down on the middle of the chain linking his cuffs. Then he yanked both wrists in opposite directions.
It happened incredibly fast.
Lu Mi's brow twitched. "Yu... Tu!"
Rete watched in horror. Even as a doctor, he could not stop himself from drawing in a sharp breath.
Blood gushed from both of Yu Tu's wrists. With the shackles clenched in his mouth, he froze when he saw Lu Mi's angry expression, then opened his mouth. The shackles hit the floor with a clack.
Lu Mi was practically gritting his teeth. "Bandage him!"
He stared at Yu Tu and emphasized, "Don't. Make. Me. Do it."
Rete bandaged him quickly. For some reason, although he was only treating Yu Tu's wrists, he wrapped both of Yu Tu's palms as well, turning them completely into two white rice dumplings.
Yu Tu moved his hands, and the White Vine atop his head bent into a question mark.
Rete stared at the White Vine in amazement for a while.
Lu Mi said, "Sit over there."
The shackles on Yu Tu's feet had not been removed yet.
Yu Tu sat upright. Lu Mi slowly knelt on one knee before him. Since the lock was on the side, he gently lifted one of Yu Tu's feet and placed it on his own knee. Only after removing the long boot did he unlock it with the key.
The shackle on his foot opened. Just like those on his hands, the shackles on Yu Tu's feet were also customized shackles.
Spikes even thicker than the ones through his wrists pierced through his ankles.
Rete blurted out, "Commander Yu Tu, doesn't that hurt?"
Of course customized shackles hurt, but at least wrists did not have to bear the weight of walking.
Yet during the few steps Yu Tu had taken earlier, aside from seeing his pale face, Rete had not seen the slightest sign that he was in pain.
Yu Tu answered seriously, "It hurts!"
The White Vine atop his head swayed back and forth.
Rete said, "..."
He gave Yu Tu a thumbs-up. "As expected of the First Commander."
Crazy enough.
Lu Mi said, "Give him the anesthetic."
As he spoke, he looked up at Yu Tu, his gaze a warning. "You don't have the right to refuse."
Yu Tu opened his mouth.
Lu Mi said, "Close your mouth!"
Yu Tu closed his mouth, but when he saw the syringe in Lu Mi's hand, he began showing faint signs of losing control again.
Lu Mi stood and pulled the curtain closed, blocking the view of the other two prison officers.
Then he stood in front of Yu Tu, raised a hand to press down on his head, and made him bury his face against Lu Mi's waist. "Close your eyes. Don't look."
Yu Tu calmed down a little and casually wrapped his arms around Lu Mi's waist.
He also rubbed his head against him twice.
Lu Mi said, "Rete, do it."
The instant the needle pierced him, Yu Tu abruptly threw back his head. His scarlet eyes looked terrifying, startling Rete so badly that his hand shook.
The next second, Lu Mi pinched Yu Tu's chin between his thumb and forefinger, lowered his head, and kissed his lips, easily prying open his teeth.
Rete said, "..."
His hand stopped shaking, but he was dumbfounded.
Lu Mi pulled away briefly, drawing out a silver thread. He shot Rete an unhappy look. "What are you waiting for?"
"Oh, yes, yes!"
The medication was injected, and Lu Mi kissed him again.
The kiss lasted a little long, giving Rete enough time to remove Yu Tu's customized ankle shackles and bandage his ankles.
"All done."
After finishing everything, Rete was already drenched in sweat.
Lu Mi really knew how to kiss.
As he stood up, he could no longer look at the Warden of First Prison through the eyes of a single old bachelor.
Lu Mi nodded and released Yu Tu. Even after Lu Mi had stepped away, Yu Tu remained in the same position, blankly staring up at him.
His expression was coldly alluring yet innocent.
Lu Mi took out a clean square handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Yu Tu's mouth. "0456, wipe up your drool. Prisoners are forbidden from coveting the warden."
Rete said, "..."
That was rather shameless.
The two prison officers outside, who had no idea what was going on, said, "?"
What? The First Commander had drooled over Warden Lu!
That would not do!
The next second, the curtain was pulled open.
Lu Mi appeared before them carrying Yu Tu in his arms.
"Warden Lu, let me do it!"
Lu Mi swept him a cold glance. "Get lost."
"..."
Before you continue