The Ninglang County Yamen’s Heavenly Prison was an utterly ordinary jail. In the past, apart from the few jailers guarding it, its only occupants were a handful of petty thieves, a fact that spoke volumes about the prior tranquility of Ninglang County…

But now, the entire prison reeked of suffocating gloom, and the intense stench of blood permeated the entire street, rendering the already quiet thoroughfare utterly deserted…

Ye Jingyu’s soul was powerful enough; though he hadn't reached the Soul Transformation Realm, he could distinctly sense the countless wronged spirits massed above the prison…

“What a living Asura Purgatory…” Sensing the agonizing wails of the endless throng of souls, Ye Jingyu mused internally, yet this only solidified his conviction that countless people had met their unjust end here…

As Chen Qi led the way to the great prison gates, they discovered that the guards were not the Yamen’s usual constables. Instead, they wore black robes embroidered with clouds—they were the Cloud Guards, reporting directly to the Royal House of the Shu Yun Kingdom…

This was a force directly under the command of the Sovereign of Shu Yun; they answered only to him. Their general duty involved monitoring the civil and military officials of the kingdom, bearing similarities to the Ming Dynasty’s Embroidered Uniform Guard…

Of course, the Shu Yun Kingdom was merely a minor state, and in terms of scale, it could not remotely compare to the Ming Dynasty’s formidable Embroidered Uniform Guard…

“This is a military restricted zone! Retreat at once!” Before Ye Jingyu and his party could draw closer, a man wearing a black crown embroidered with a single white cloud stepped forward and barked an order…

“Centurion Meng, it is I, Chen Qi…” Chen Qi had already removed his helmet and greeted the man with considerable deference…

Though he held the rank of Brigadier, superior to a Centurion, the Cloud Guards were the Sovereign’s private military, wielding far greater authority than his own. Furthermore, anyone who could join the Cloud Guards invariably possessed a powerful background—something far beyond the reach of a Brigadier like himself, who owed his position solely to a bit of luck and his own capability…

“Heh heh, it is Brigadier Chen. May I ask the purpose of your visit here?” The Centurion Meng returned the greeting with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, his icy gaze sweeping over Ye Jingyu and the Chi Yi Xiu who accompanied him…

As for the others, Ye Jingyu had arranged for them to stay at the Ye Family Manor…

“Heh heh, this is Young Master Ye, here to inquire about some matters concerning the Ye Family Manor. Brother Meng, might you be amenable to this?” Chen Qi maintained a smile as he stepped forward, subtly extracting a small pouch of money from his pocket and presenting it to Centurion Meng…

“Brother Chen, this…” Centurion Meng adopted an expression of difficulty…

“Brother Meng, please accept this humble token of my appreciation,” Ye Jingyu also stepped forward, producing a sapphire the size of a fist, pressing it into Centurion Meng’s hand. He had casually picked it up while idling in the Southern Wasteland Forest…

But as Centurion Meng saw the clear, crystalline blue gem and felt its satisfying weight, his icy composure instantly melted into enthusiasm…

As a Centurion of the Cloud Guards, he held the authority to investigate court officials. However, every official harbored some minor transgression; to protect their careers, they inevitably needed to bribe the Cloud Guards. Over time, accepting bribes had become a source of income for the Guards…

It had become almost routine. But for a Centurion like him, the maximum bribe usually amounted to a few dozen taels of silver. This superior quality blue gem, however, was worth at least a thousand taels of silver—an absolute fortune to him…

Besides, the people currently locked in the Heavenly Prison were not individuals of great import. If he wanted to enter, so be it…

With scarcely another word exchanged, Centurion Meng, beaming, personally escorted Ye Jingyu inside. During the entry, he never once questioned Ye Jingyu’s identity. After all, a sapphire that large was more than enough to distribute among his subordinates; who would bother to care what Ye Jingyu's occupation was? (Read the full text novel at .1.(1.m.wenxue.net)

Walking down the prison corridors, Ye Jingyu still felt gusts of chilling wind, yet there was no sensation of terror. On the contrary, he felt as if those lingering souls were deeply afraid of him…

The sensation was strange, but he felt it palpably. However, preoccupied with the welfare of the Ye family, he paid little heed to this feeling, even overlooking the faint, humming resonance emanating from the battered saber strapped to his back…

Passing through endless corridors, they finally reached the innermost cell in the Heavenly Prison. The air here was thick not only with the heavy smell of blood but also with the stench of feces, rot, and every other foul odor imaginable. Even after spending considerable time among the Chi Yi tribe, Ye Jingyu felt a wave of nausea, and even Chi Yi Xiu’s brow furrowed slightly…

Centurion Meng personally opened the cell door, then wisely retreated to a side area with Chen Qi. Seeing the usually fierce Centurion Meng show such profound respect to the young man standing before him, the prisoners confined within the Heavenly Prison gaped in astonishment…

Their surprise was mixed with a deep sense of dread, as if this youth was an officer even more ferocious than Centurion Meng…

At that moment, the prisoner inside the innermost cell heard the grating sound of the door and lifted his head. His listless eyes fixed on the entrance, and then he saw a youth stepping inside…

“Young Master…” Suddenly, a startled cry erupted from a frail, disheveled boy…

And he lunged directly toward Ye Jingyu…

“Halt!” Chi Yi Xiu abruptly took a step forward, planting himself in front of Ye Jingyu. He could not allow anyone to threaten Ye Jingyu’s safety…

“Xiu, step aside,” Ye Jingyu murmured, his gaze already locked entirely on the boy…

His ash-gray prison uniform was stained with blooming crimson marks, and his messy long hair fell carelessly over his shoulders. His face was obscured by grime, making his original features unrecognizable. Yet, from his voice, from the structure of his face, Ye Jingyu recognized him…

“Xiao Yi, are you alright…” Ye Jingyu realized his own voice was trembling…

This was the page boy who once accompanied him, who had climbed White Cloud Mountain with him only to be sent back in the end. This boy, once somewhat arrogant but always deeply respectful to him, had been reduced to this state…

“Young Master… woo woo…” Hearing Ye Jingyu call his name, Lin Xiao Yi burst into tears. His thin body collapsed at Ye Jingyu’s feet, clutching his leg and weeping in sorrow…

The other dozen-plus prisoners, hearing Ye Jingyu speak Xiao Yi’s name, finally recognized Ye Jingyu completely. Though the former Ye Jingyu had been arrogant and left a poor impression on the servants, after enduring the great calamity and suffering so much in prison, seeing the brightly dressed Ye Jingyu walk in suddenly offered them a glimmer of hope for survival. One by one, they rushed to Ye Jingyu’s feet, ceaselessly kowtowing…