Chapter 100: The Prisoner and the Warden

It is common practice for the yamen to interrogate prisoners in the middle of the night. Naturally, to interrogate a prisoner, one must open the cell door.

Old Li, the jailer, was watching a fellow guard attempt to do just that. However, the door remained stubbornly shut because the man was blindly trying one key after another from a massive ring. It was clear that this guard had absolutely no idea which key belonged to which cell.

A chill ran down Old Li’s spine, and his drowsiness vanished instantly. As a veteran jailer who had to inspect the cells twice every day, he knew that it was impossible for any legitimate guard to be ignorant of which key opened which door. The only logical explanation was that the man before him was not a jailer at all.

But if he wasn't a jailer, then who was he?

Old Li dared not dwell on it. At his age, he only wanted to retire in peace, collect his imperial pension, and live out his final years in comfort. He knew better than anyone that curiosity kills the cat. He had no desire to uncover the truth; even if he did, what could he possibly do with his meager strength?

Old Li pretended that nothing was amiss and turned to leave, but a voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Jailer, why won't this door open?"

Old Li instinctively turned back and finally caught a clear look at the "guard’s" face.

"Xiao Wang, what happened to you?!" Old Li cried out in shock.

The guard called Xiao Wang had empty, hollow sockets where his eyes should have been, with fresh, crimson blood streaming incessantly from the dark cavities. Yet, the man seemed entirely oblivious, continuing to fumble with the keys as he tried to open the door.

"Ah!"

A sharp, harrowing scream pierced the air, only to be abruptly cut short.

***

The Shouchun prison was very close to the yamen, and in the stillness of the night, the scream was painfully clear to Ning Xiu.

Chief Constable Jin was also quick to react. He arrived at Ning Xiu’s quarters almost immediately, only to find Ning Xiu already standing at the door, waiting.

"Are you alright?"

Ning Xiu shook his head and looked toward the distance. Chief Constable Jin followed his gaze, his expression grim as he said in a low voice, "The sound came from the direction of the prison. The situation is still unclear."

The prison was a heavily guarded place, and it had been a long time since any trouble had occurred there. In the Great Qian Dynasty, few martial artists dared to provoke the majesty of the imperial court.

"Let’s go take a look," Ning Xiu said.

He suspected that this incident might very well be aimed at him.

***

Under the dim, flickering lamps, Ning Xiu and Chief Constable Jin stood at the entrance of the prison, looking inside. They saw the same scene that had greeted Old Li, but with one difference: there were far too many people.

At a glance, there were over a dozen guards, whereas typically, there would be no more than four on duty. It seemed as if every single jailer in the yamen was present. The bizarre part was that they were all performing their duties—some sitting, others patrolling or inspecting cells. Everything appeared perfectly ordinary, were it not for the blood staining their uniforms.

The guards’ uniforms were soaked in a grotesque, dark crimson, as if they had been dipped in a pool of blood. Some were still dripping, *drip, drip, drip*, onto the floor.

"Chief Constable Jin, are you here to interrogate a prisoner?" one of the guards asked upon noticing them.

As the words fell, all dozen guards turned their heads in perfect unison to stare at them. It was only then that Chief Constable Jin finally saw their faces clearly; his eyes widened, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"What is it?" Ning Xiu noticed the change in the Chief Constable and asked softly.

"How... how is this possible?" Chief Constable Jin stared at the scene, his face filled with disbelief.

These guards wearing official uniforms were, in reality, the prisoners who should have been locked deep within the cells. Furthermore, these prisoners were not acting like themselves—a normal person who had escaped would have fled immediately, rather than staying behind to play this gruesome game of dress-up.

"It is a supernatural anomaly, and likely an incomplete one," Ning Xiu muttered after a brief observation.

Chief Constable Jin nodded. As a chief constable of a county, he had seen his fair share of the world. "What should we do now?" he asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Ning Xiu looked at the scene before them, remained silent for a moment, and said, "We should run."

With his true strength, dealing with an incomplete anomaly would not be difficult, but doing so would expose his hidden power. A typical first-rank martial artist would be no match for such a creature. However, when Ning Xiu and the Chief Constable turned to leave, they found that the entrance had been sealed shut.

The hair-raising voice rang out once more: "Chief Constable Jin, are you here to interrogate a prisoner?"

Chief Constable Jin tried to force the door open several times but found it would not budge.

"Move aside!" Ning Xiu shouted, drawing his divine sword, *Wanliu*, and striking forward with all his might.

*Clang!*

A crisp sound of clashing metal echoed through the room. Ning Xiu felt a powerful counter-shock travel up his arm. He instinctively wanted to shatter the force, but sensing something, he chose to yield, letting the immense energy push him back several steps before he steadied himself.

"Are you alright?" Chief Constable Jin asked with concern, rushing to his side.

Ning Xiu shook his head and turned to face the "guards" who were closing in on them. "It seems there is no other way out."

Chief Constable Jin’s expression hardened as he drew his steel saber.

"Chief Constable Jin, are you here to interrogate a prisoner?"

The "guards" gripped their own sabers, stepping closer and closer. Every one of them wore a twisted, eerie smile. As they repeated the same phrase, trails of blood began to stream from their eyes without warning. The sight was as horrifying as could be.

Ning Xiu glanced at Chief Constable Jin and noted his visible tension; even his facade of calm was beginning to crumble.

"Kill!"

Ning Xiu let out a sharp cry and launched the first attack. His sword flickered, unleashing six rapid strikes in an instant.

*Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!*

Every strike was aimed directly at their throats, but the lethal swordplay failed to achieve its purpose. Sparks flew as the blades met, the air ringing with the sound of steel against steel. Ning Xiu’s expression shifted—these guards were truly unnatural.

Beside him, Chief Constable Jin was locked in a bitter struggle. Facing these blood-soaked corpses, he found himself in precarious situations time and again, nearly losing his life.

Ning Xiu exhaled silently, his Nine-Yang Internal Energy surging through his body. His sword style shifted abruptly; he swung with a heavy, sweeping cut, and a brilliant, stunning flash of blood-red light filled the room. He had unleashed the Blood Blade Technique.