Soul Absorption Art

Meanwhile, news also came from the Hundred Flowers Brothel.

The Brocade Guard led by Hundred-Household Officer Zhang Qiang had successfully uprooted the hidden building, rescuing a large number of imprisoned women.

Those women had been tortured beyond human recognition. The moment they saw sunlight, many of them burst into bitter tears.

Zhang Qiang confiscated all the gold, silver, valuables, and account books from the hidden building, sweeping up every last remnant of the Joyful Union Sect in one fell swoop.

Prince Rong waited anxiously for news within the imperial palace. He paced back and forth through the hall without pause, an ominous feeling stirring faintly in his heart.

At last, a eunuch hurried in and whispered several words into his ear.

The Emperor, who had been chatting and laughing with Prince Rong moments ago, was now beside himself with fury.

"Several hundred lives—enough to match the casualties of a small battle. I have always prided myself on being an enlightened ruler, yet such a thing happened right beneath the Son of Heaven's feet, in the very Capital City." The Emperor slammed his hand down heavily. The tea in the cup splashed out, spilling all over the table.

Prince Rong was badly startled by the sudden outburst. His hands fidgeted within his sleeves as he cautiously asked, "What has happened, Your Majesty?"

"Royal Uncle, regarding the hidden building beneath the Hundred Flowers Brothel and the demonic sect remnants of the Joyful Union Sect, shouldn't you give Me an explanation?" The Emperor's eyes had turned cold to the extreme.

The instant Prince Rong heard the words "hidden building," his face went deathly pale.

"Your Majesty... you... you..." Prince Rong muttered.

"Royal Uncle wishes to ask how I found out?" The Emperor stared fixedly at Prince Rong. "Perhaps Royal Uncle does not yet know that Li Chen Zhou has already led men to overturn the Chen Residence, along with that filthy place known as the Hundred Flowers Brothel. Everyone involved has been taken back to the Imperial Prison. Will Royal Uncle continue to conceal this from Me?"

At that moment, Prince Rong felt weak and limp all over. His body swayed, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

The Emperor sat upon the dragon throne, quietly watching Prince Rong. "Royal Uncle, what else do you have to say now?" His voice was calm, yet it carried a thread of majesty.

Prince Rong dropped to his knees with a thud and repeatedly kowtowed. "Your Majesty, this old minister is guilty! This old minister deserves death ten thousand times over! Please spare this old minister's life!"

The Emperor looked at Prince Rong, disappointment flashing through his eyes, along with a surge of killing intent. "Royal Uncle, I have always respected you. As a member of the imperial clan and the one in power at the Imperial Clan Court, I placed immense trust in you. Yet you committed such an outrage that enraged both gods and men. If I spare you, how am I to answer to the hundreds of wronged souls who died? How am I to answer to the people of the realm?"

Prince Rong collapsed to the ground, knowing that the tide had turned and all was lost.

"Guards, place Prince Rong under temporary detention in the palace prison. Escort everyone in Prince Rong's residence to the Ministry of Justice Prison. Once the investigation is complete, execute them all together."

As Prince Rong was sentenced to prison, a great bell rang out within Li Chen Zhou's mind.

"Ding... Mission completed: Human trafficking. Investigate the human trafficking chain and bring the criminals to justice. Reward: ten years of internal cultivation."

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission to let the wronged souls rest in peace.

Obtained divine-grade technique: Soul Absorption Art.

Beginning fusion..."

"Divine-grade attribute unlocking. Current conversion rate: one-tenth. For every hundred years of internal energy absorbed, conversion rate increases by ten percent."

Li Chen Zhou's meridians were suddenly flooded by a numb, tingling sensation like ten thousand ants gnawing at him, only for it to transform in an instant into the clarity of enlightenment pouring into his head.

Feeling the changes in his body, Li Chen Zhou could not wait to head for the Imperial Prison.

Upon entering the Imperial Prison, he found old blackish-brown blood scabs caked upon the stone walls of the corridors. The scraping of iron chains and faint, intermittent groans echoed through the damp air.

After meeting the person in charge of the Imperial Prison, Li Chen Zhou asked first, "How is that Eight-Faced Buddha?"

The Imperial Prison's overseer suddenly revealed a twisted smile. "Not bad. Strong build. Of the eighteen tortures, we've reached the tenth."

"Did he confess anything?"

The Imperial Prison's overseer took out a written confession and said with a grin, "What you want is in here."

"You've worked hard." Li Chen Zhou replied, "Don't let him die too easily."

"Don't worry. I've been keeping him alive with fifty-year-old wild ginseng soup!" The overseer rubbed his palm, which was covered in burn scars. Half of the little finger on his right hand was missing...

"Lord Li, next time, catch more of the sort who are thrown in here whether they live or die. It'll give my men something to practice on. When they torture the others now, they have to be careful, afraid they'll kill them with one wrong move."

Li Chen Zhou smiled as he listened. "Don't worry. What this world lacks least are scum. I'll deliver the scum in the court to you one by one."

Upon hearing that, the Imperial Prison's overseer grew so excited that his eyes nearly narrowed into slits. "Then I'll thank Lord Li in advance."

Looking at a particular term that appeared in the confession, Li Chen Zhou pondered, "Heavenly Desire Palace?"

He immediately put away the confession. "Take me to the Nether Twins."

"This way. Follow me."

Entering the Nether Twins' cell, Li Chen Zhou turned to the Imperial Prison's overseer and said, "I'll have to trouble you to step out first. There are some matters I need to ask them in private."

"No problem, Lord Li. Make yourself at home." With that, he turned and walked out.

The dim candlelight fell upon Li Chen Zhou's face, making him appear cold and merciless.

"Lord Li, you spared our lives because you must have other uses for us, right? So long as you spare us, we will follow your lead without question." Sword Baleful Intent hurriedly declared his loyalty. This was the Imperial Prison, and its jailers were all lunatics. No one could face them without yielding.

"I have no need for filthy trash. I spared your lives only for this moment."

As he spoke, he clasped both hands over their heads. "Soul Absorption Art."

A rattling sound came from Sword Baleful Intent's throat, his bloodshot eyes bulging grotesquely; Blade Baleful Intent's neck veins writhed like tangled roots, yet not a single sound escaped him.

The two men's internal energy, vitality, and spirit poured ceaselessly into Li Chen Zhou's body.

A moment later, they had been drained completely dry.

Li Chen Zhou noticed that as the Nether Twins' vitality flowed into him, a strange warm current arose within his dantian.

Li Chen Zhou then opened his information panel to examine it.

Host: Li Chen Zhou

Martial realm: Mid sixth rank (58/70)

Techniques: Thirteen Guardian Golden Bell Shield (mastery), Three Abyssal Slashes (mastery), Thousand Faces (mastery), Soaring Illusionary Steps (mastery), Hell Soul Exchange Scripture (mastery), Soul Absorption Art (mastery). Divine-grade attribute unlocked: ten percent.

Internal cultivation: 58 years (calculated based on an ordinary person cultivating a basic technique for one year)

Lifespan: 31 years

Weapon: Blood Demon Blade"

Li Chen Zhou discovered in surprise that his lifespan had actually increased by two years.

The Soul Absorption Art could turn the vitality and spirit drained from others into his own lifespan. This discovery gradually made Li Chen Zhou itch to hunt powerful experts.

After calming down, he turned and walked out of the prison cell.

When the Imperial Prison's overseer saw Li Chen Zhou emerge, he hurriedly asked, "Finished?"

"Mm. Go in and clean up."

The overseer froze. Peering inside, he saw that the two men had long since lost all breath.

Just as the Imperial Prison's overseer was about to speak, Li Chen Zhou asked, "Brother, what should I call you?"

"Yan San."