Punishment

What is going on?

Black short boots strode over.

The corridor outside the Seventh Operations Room was already packed with people, heavy criminals on the outside and prison officers on the inside.

Seeing Lu Mi, everyone parted to make way on either side.

"Warden Lu, Commander Yu Tu is murdering someone!"

"0456 is killing people maliciously! Warden Lu, I strongly demand that you execute 0456 right here—"

Lu Mi paused in his steps and turned his head. The one who spoke was a heavy criminal standing on his right.

He narrowed his eyes. "0765, are you giving me orders?"

The other man instantly cringed. He was built tall and sturdy, but his gaze was timid and shrinking.

"No... Warden Lu, how would I dare give you orders."

"Then shut your mouth."

Lu Mi continued walking forward, soon arriving at the entrance of the Seventh Operations Room.

The double doors stood wide open, and Lu Mi caught sight of Yu Tu at a single glance.

Yu Tu sat on the operations table, his ten fingers completely transformed into vines.

The five vines of his left hand were wrapped around a man's body, lifting him mid-air. A screwdriver stabbed deep into the man's chest looked glaringly harsh, and fresh blood dripped down the wound drop by drop.

The five vines of his right hand were nimbly manipulating mechanical parts, assembling them with extreme familiarity.

He lowered his head, white long hair clinging to his cheeks, his legs swaying gently, his crimson eyes staring at the assembled parts with clear and earnest focus.

He looked completely like a good baby who was working earnestly!

Lu Mi pressed his tongue against his back molars, his voice freezing cold. "What on earth is going on?"

The prison officer behind him stepped forward. "Warden Lu, according to the accounts of the heavy criminals at the scene, 0456 suddenly went berserk and killed 0763!"

Lu Mi's gaze swept over the damaged surveillance camera of the Seventh Operations Room, then glanced at the messy workbenches on both sides of the doorway. He sneered,

"Suddenly went berserk? What about the surveillance camera? What about the workbenches at the door? Who was the on-duty prison officer for the First Operations Room? Where was he when the incident occurred?"

"...I'm sorry, Warden Lu. Two heavy criminals were fighting just now, and we took the heavy criminals away to deal with them, never expecting an accident to happen in the blink of an eye.

Goodness, any of us could never have imagined that even with five Energy Lock Rings suppressing him, he could still kill someone!"

"Is it such a coincidence?" Lu Mi stepped inside. "0456, you tell it."

Yu Tu immediately raised his eyes to look at Lu Mi.

His cold, bewitching face bore not a trace of expression.

All his grievance was hidden inside his heart! Wuwu!

"0456, put him down. Take your vines back."

The white vines entangling Ai Mu whipped toward the distant wall with a bang. Ai Mu slammed into the opposite wall and then dropped to the ground with a smack, remaining completely unresponsive and motionless throughout the entire process.

Lu Mi's temples throbbed violently as he watched Yu Tu retract his vines and sit down obediently.

Lu Mi walked over. "Get down. 0456, tell me, what happened?"

"Oh..."

Yu Tu jumped down from the operations table and stood before Lu Mi. He turned his head to look at Ai Mu on the ground, in a complaining tone,

"He wanted to fuck me! So then I fucked him to death!"

Lu Mi: "..."

For a moment, he couldn't even be sure whether this 'fuck' was purely 'fuck'.

Lu Mi put handcuffs on Yu Tu, pulled him around, and said,

"0456 has severely violated the First Prison rules. Come with me to the Special Interrogation Room to properly account for your crimes! Also, take 0763 to the infirmary and see if there's any saving him."

With a cold face, Lu Mi dragged Yu Tu away, and the prison officers finally busied themselves with carrying Ai Mu.

Only when they were certain they could no longer hear Lu Mi's footsteps did the heavy criminals at the doorway angrily whisper among themselves,

"I have reason to suspect that Warden Lu Mi is shielding Yu Tu!"

"Their relationship is common knowledge. Taking Yu Tu to the Special Interrogation Room is completely useless!"

"I want to protest, I want to lodge a complaint, I want to report this!"

"Brother Mu cannot just die like this!"

The four prison officers had a hard time lifting Ai Mu. Hearing this, they couldn't help but sneer repeatedly,

"Reports are welcome!"

"But before reporting, everyone had better figure out clearly whether punishment from above arrives first, or Warden Lu sends you all to hell first!"

"Done talking? If you're done talking, back to work. As for the surveillance matter, we will thoroughly investigate!"

With a cold face, Lu Mi closed the heavy door of the Special Interrogation Room.

He turned to look at Yu Tu, his tone unkind,

"0456, why did you kill someone? Why didn't you control your power? Do you have any idea that you've caused a huge mess?"

With five Energy Lock Rings on his body, Yu Tu was the only Energy Master Lu Mi knew of who could still use his powers.

"Don't you know how special you are? Commander Yu Tu, do you feel that the attention given to you by the higher-ups isn't enough yet?"

Yu Tu carefully stared at Lu Mi's face, and after a long while, reached out to tug at his sleeve. "...I'm sorry. I was wrong."

"Don't think that just because you apologize fast, I'll forgive you this time! Yu Tu, you've caused a huge mess."

Yu Tu bit his lip.

Bean Sprout popped out from the top of his head, and the tip of a vine gently nudged the brim of Lu Mi's officer cap.

Lu Mi glared. "Don't touch my hat!"

He stared at Yu Tu. "Did you really have to take matters into your own hands? Even if the other party provoked you, couldn't you endure it and come to me with a complaint? Don't you know I would vent your anger for you?"

Yu Tu pouted. "But he was so annoying. He wanted to do it with me—the thing you do with me."

"Court death!" Lu Mi gritted his teeth.

"Right?" Yu Tu's eyes lit up. "I thought so too, so I killed him!"

Lu Mi: "..."

Lu Mi: "0456, your severe disciplinary violation cannot be suppressed. I have to issue a punishment for you."

Bean Sprout spun around in excitement, its anticipation maxed out!

Lu Mi's gaze was complex. "It's not the kind of punishment you're thinking of. It's... sentencing you to spend half a month in the Ghoststone Forest."

Bean Sprout wilted.

Yu Tu wilted as well, looking very aggrieved. "Then, does that mean I won't be able to see you?"

Lu Mi stroked Yu Tu's head, softening his tone for once,

"On Calamity Planet, a heavy criminal killing someone is no small matter. Even if it's self-defense, a conviction will still be handed down.

Reflecting on your mistakes in the Ghoststone Forest is already the lightest punishment possible.

Be good. Half a month later, I will come to pick you up personally."

Lu Mi lowered his head and pecked Yu Tu's lips.

"I'll have people prepare the water you need. Promise me, baby, that whenever you get angry in the future, you will never use your white vines in front of other people, okay?"

"Okay..."

The corners of Yu Tu's eyes grew slightly red, rippling with blood-red tears inside them.

"Lu Mi, I remember."

Lu Mi held Yu Tu by the shoulders and pinned him against the door.

"Before that, let me fill you up one more time."

Ghoststone Forest was located on the northern side of Calamity Planet, a naturally formed ghost mine forest.

Traveling from the First Prison to Ghoststone Forest by escort vehicle took nearly a full day.

Lu Mi couldn't leave the First Prison for too long right now, so he called over Cang Qi and Zhang Jiao, leading them to command the prison officers in charge of this escort mission.

In addition to them, there was Black Shadow.

Lu Mi watched Yu Tu step onto the escort vehicle, then stared at Black Shadow, his gaze cold as he said emphatically,

"Black Shadow, 0456 is an extremely important prisoner of the First Prison. You must keep a close eye on him for me and make sure he doesn't run away. Do you understand?"

Black Shadow let out a long howl toward the sky: "Awoo awoo!"

The terrifying aura kicked up the surrounding yellow sand, making it look exceptionally fearsome.

Lu Mi: "...Go."

Strong leopard.

Lu Mi watched the escort vehicle depart, then turned and headed toward the infirmary.

"The newly sent heavy criminal isn't dead yet?"

If a serious criminal died, Lu Mi would receive a report immediately.

There was no news from Rete, so Ai Mu was most likely still alive.

Sure enough, Rete led Lu Mi toward the innermost ward. "He's still clinging to life."

The ward door opened. Ai Mu was lying on a hospital bed with gauze wrapped around his chest and an oxygen mask strapped to his face.

"Can he be saved?"

"Highly likely," Rete said. "Commander Yu Tu really struck him with ruthless force. 0763 was lucky too; his heart was positioned slightly off-center, so it didn't hit a vital spot."

Lu Mi sneered, walked into the ward, and closed the door.

He came to the side of the hospital bed, reached out to remove Ai Mu's oxygen mask, and pressed his leather-gloved palm down fiercely over Ai Mu's nose and mouth.

Ai Mu's face slowly flushed red, followed by instinctive struggling, until his movements gradually slowed down and finally stopped entirely.

Lu Mi still didn't let go. He calculated the time, maintaining the action for a full ten minutes before finally withdrawing his hand.

Lu Mi pulled off his right-hand leather glove and tossed it aside, turning to look at the astonished Rete.

"Notify someone to come collect the body. Doctor Rete, you witnessed it with your own eyes—0763 died of his injuries despite treatment, right?"

Rete: "...Right."

Rete was highly experienced at handling such matters.

After all, Lu Mi's reputation was built by killing criminals.

"Rest assured, Warden Lu. The death of every serious criminal in the First Prison has nothing to do with you."

Rete smiled.

"Evil receives its retribution; this is called their predestined return journey."