Chapter 4582
Liu Zhongnan was a bit worried and closely followed Kai, planning to bribe the white-robed monk once Qiu Yu left.
“Fellow Daoist Liu, head back to the inn and tell the youngest sister not to wander around. I’ll be out in a few days,” Kai instructed Liu Zhongnan.
The white-robed monk couldn’t help but chuckle at Kai’s words. He had never seen anyone so confident about being released from prison in just a few days—unless, of course, they were on the verge of death and their family paid a hefty ransom to buy their freedom. Newly imprisoned monks were highly valuable; letting one go was nearly impossible.
“Let me figure something out for you,” Liu Zhongnan said earnestly. “Just hang on in there and don’t say anything unnecessary! I’ll approach Elder Zang—he’ll surely find a way to get you out.”
He wasn’t particularly worried about Kai being jailed; what truly concerned him was the possibility of Kai revealing sensitive information. If word reached the City Lord’s Mansion, they’d all be in serious trouble.
“There’s no need to try and save me,” Kai replied firmly. “Just do as I say.”
Kai had entered the prison with a purpose: to investigate the ancient tree rumored to harbor the spiritual power of countless cultivators. If the stories were true, he intended to take it all for himself. Having someone pull him out prematurely would ruin his plan.
Kai knew that escaping the prison would be a trivial task for him; the formations surrounding it posed no threat. That’s why he didn’t want Liu Zhongnan to intervene.
Though puzzled by Kai’s intentions, Liu Zhongnan had no choice but to follow his instructions.
Kai followed the white-robed monk into the prison, which was shrouded in a dense white mist. After a brief exchange with Captain Zhou, the monk handed Kai over.
Captain Zhou studied Kai for a moment, frowning slightly. “Why do you look so familiar? Have we met before?”
“I just have one of those faces,” Kai said with a faint smile. “Maybe I remind you of someone.”
Kai didn’t want Captain Zhou to recognize him. After all, he had visited the prison just yesterday and was arrested today. Anyone with half a brain would find that suspicious.
“Come with me,” Captain Zhou said, leading Kai to the underground cell.
To Kai’s surprise, he was placed in the same cell he and his youngest sister had visited the previous day. It seemed the deaths of many monks had freed up some space.
After locking Kai in, Captain Zhou said, “Listen, kid, there are no strict rules here. As long as you don’t try to escape, you can do whatever you want. But don’t even think about cultivating—there’s no spiritual energy here. Just rest. You’ll get three meals a day, so you won’t starve. You’ll also have a set time to go outside and get some fresh air. Honestly, it’s more comfortable in here than out there.”
If Kai hadn’t known the true purpose of this prison, he might have believed it was a decent place to stay.
“I understand,” Kai replied with a nod.
Once Captain Zhou left, a voice came from the next cell. “Fellow Daoist, why were you arrested? Your voice sounds familiar.”
The speaker was the brother of Kai’s youngest sister, but because of the wall between them, he could only hear Kai and not see him.
“I just beat someone up and got locked in,” Kai answered casually. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here. What about you, fellow Daoist? Why were you arrested?”
The man sighed heavily. “I met a female cultivator and suggested we become dual cultivation partners. We practiced once, but afterward, she demanded one hundred purple-gold spirit coins. I didn’t have that kind of money, so she accused me of assaulting her, and I got arrested. Such bad luck…”
Kai couldn’t help laughing at the story. No wonder the youngest sister hadn’t wanted to explain how her brother ended up in prison—this was hardly a tale to be proud of!