Chapter 126: Kill

The stone steps were steep, leading ever downward.

The air was thick and cold, filled with the stench of rot and decay. With every step, the foulness grew heavier.

At the bottom of the last few steps was a low, heavy iron door, covered in a thick layer of grime that was polished to a black, greasy sheen.

A prison guard stepped forward and knocked on the door a few times.

The iron door slowly swung inward.

This dungeon had two main gates.

The surrounding walls were also built from massive stones, making them indestructible.

Lu Bai followed Chief Clerk Wang and four prison guards through the iron door.

Inside the entrance was a huge room. All sorts of torture instruments, stained and caked with blood, hung densely packed on the surrounding walls, on the pillars within the room, and on several iron racks.

A massive brazier sat in the room, holding several red-hot branding irons.

Besides them, there were four other people in the room.

Lu Bai recognized two of them.

Jiao Wei, the Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator from the Xuanjian Sect.

He was currently looking at him, sneering relentlessly.

The other was none other than Governor Dou Kuan!

Of the remaining two, one was a woman in her thirties standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Dou Kuan. The look in her eyes was filled with unmistakable killing intent and resentment.

The last was a short, skinny old man with a hunched back, carrying a lantern that flickered faintly.

Under the Eye of Illusion, the skinny old man was wreathed in Ghost Qi.

The Ghost Qi inside the lantern was even denser, concealing three ghostly figures!

With his Eye of Illusion, Lu Bai could see the lantern perfectly clearly.

Its surface texture wasn’t like ordinary paper—it was more like human skin!

’I’ve found the one who practices Ghost Cultivation.’

’The Witch from the County Government Office must be here.’

’I just don’t know if there’s one or several, or who it is exactly.’

Lu Bai couldn’t tell yet.

Not far away, a corpse lay face-up on the ground.

Chen Xiaofeng.

The man had run to the County Government Office to report a crime, thinking he could save his own life, but instead he’d walked right into the tiger’s den.

"Lu Bai, I finally get to meet you!"

Lady Dou said hauntingly.

"And you are?"

Lu Bai asked.

Chief Clerk Wang barked, "This is the Lady Governor! Get on your knees!"

A prison guard behind him took the hint and immediately lifted his foot, aiming a heavy kick at the back of Lu Bai’s knees.

However, the kick didn’t budge him.

Lu Bai’s gaze was like a knife. He tilted his head slightly and glanced behind him.

The guard was about to draw his saber, but when he met Lu Bai’s terrifying gaze, an uncontrollable fear surged in his heart. He actually took half a step back, not daring to make another move.

"Hmph!"

Dou Kuan suddenly snorted. Blood Qi billowed out, and a flame-like aura seemed to ignite around his body, releasing a terrifying pressure!

Lu Bai was startled.

’This man’s cultivation is so strong!’

In the Wu Dynasty, the position of Governor is usually held by an Innate Martial Artist.

But the power Dou Kuan was displaying now was clearly far beyond the Innate realm!

He had originally planned to strike immediately, but for now, he suppressed the thought.

Lu Bai suddenly grunted, a look of terror and panic flashing across his face, and stumbled back two steps.

Seeing this, Dou Kuan slowly retracted his Blood Qi.

"It seems I won’t be making it through the night."

Lu Bai sighed.

Jiao Wei sneered. "You killed my disciple. Did you really think you’d live?"

Lu Bai said, "But my death sentence hasn’t been passed. If I die here on the very night I’m imprisoned, I’m afraid Lord Governor will have a hard time explaining it."

"Killing someone like you isn’t worth me getting my own hands dirty."

Dou Kuan’s tone was flat, making no effort to hide his disdain.

Lu Bai glanced at Chen Xiaofeng’s corpse. "It seems you plan on pinning this man’s death on me, my lord?"

Chief Clerk Wang chuckled sinisterly. "In a moment, we’ll put you through a round of torture, then toss you into a cell.

Everything is already prepared in the cell block. The Sun Family is imprisoned there. Guess what happens when the Sun Family, who have been locked up for over half a month nursing their grievances...

...suddenly see the enemy who framed them, now beaten black and blue, locked in the same cell with them? What do you think the Sun Family will do?"

Lu Bai said, "What a fine move. Framing me, then using a borrowed knife to kill. That way, you keep your own hands completely clean."

"Why do you think I came here?"

Jiao Wei sneered. "I’m here to watch the show. To watch you get tortured like a half-dead dog, thrown into a cell, and then watch as the Sun Family tears you apart, piece by piece!"

"A truly brilliant scheme. I admit my defeat completely."

Lu Bai said with admiration, "I wonder, who is the mastermind behind such a plan? And why are you targeting me?"

"Lu Bai, at this point, you can stop playing dumb."

Lady Dou suddenly spoke, her voice cold. "From the day you killed my sister, your fate was sealed!"

"Oh, so you’re the Witch."

Lu Bai’s gaze shifted to Lady Dou. He said flatly, "However, there is still one flaw in today’s plan.

Chen Tieshan was killed by a Gu Insect. The people at the Government Office might not be able to tell, but the Evil Exterminator Guards definitely will."

"The Evil Exterminator Guards?"

Lady Dou suddenly smiled. "They’re not coming back."

She paused, then continued, "As for the Evil Extermination Bureau in Jingzhou City, by the time they send someone over, Chen Tieshan’s body will have long since rotted away, leaving no evidence behind.

Everything that has happened in Bluestone City recently will be attributed to the conflict between your Luo Family and the Sun Family over the Tier Two Profound Iron Ore. The Sun Family practices Ghost Cultivation, the Luo Family retaliates, you, Lu Bai, commit murder and die in prison at the hands of the Sun Family. None of it will have anything to do with me."

"Impressive."

Lu Bai nodded, then looked at Jiao Wei and asked, "Does Daoist Jiao know this lady is a Witch?"

"What if I do, and what if I don’t?"

Jiao Wei gave a faint, cold smile. "I’m merely a spectator."

"Lord Dou, Morning Bell Ringer Mo Tang of the Jing State Evil Extermination Bureau requests an audience!"

Just then, a voice called from outside.

Even in the underground dungeon, through two heavy iron doors, the voice was still audible, a testament to the visitor’s profound power!

"Hmm?"

Dou Kuan’s expression changed. He frowned and said, "Why is the Morning Bell Ringer here all of a sudden?"

"This is bad!"

Lady Dou’s thoughts raced, and her heart sank.

’The Morning Bell Ringer arriving so suddenly in the middle of the night, and so loudly... he must have discovered something is wrong!’

"My lady, leave here first and deal with the Morning Bell Ringer."

Dou Kuan said, "We can leave things here to Daoist Jiao and the others."

"Lord Dou, Morning Bell Ringer Mo Tang requests an audience!"

The voice from outside rang out again, growing closer.

With a grave expression, Dou Kuan hurriedly left with Lady Dou.

If they couldn’t handle the Morning Bell Ringer and their identities were exposed, they would have to abandon everything and be ready to flee at a moment’s notice!

The skinny old man also hurried after them, lantern in hand.

BOOM! BOOM!

Two loud thuds.

The gates to the underground prison closed once more.

"Finish him off quickly."

Jiao Wei waved a dismissive hand.

The Wu Dynasty utterly despised the Witch Race, but the various major Sects held different attitudes toward them.

The laws of the Wu Dynasty didn’t place many restrictions on the major Cultivation Sects within its borders.

However, getting involved with the Witch Race would inevitably lead to trouble and questioning from the Court.

Seeing Dou Kuan and Lady Dou leave, the greatest threat now gone, killing intent erupted in Lu Bai’s eyes. Before Jiao Wei could even finish speaking, Lu Bai struck first!

BANG!

Lu Bai swung his fists, smashing them down on the head of the prison guard in front of him, instantly splattering his brains.

Chains rattled.

Lu Bai spun around and threw another punch, striking a different guard.

The man was sent flying by the immense force, his chest caved in and his bones shattered. He was clearly not going to survive!