Chapter 160: Collecting Protection Money (Please Subscribe)

In the Forbidden Prison, one loses track of day and night, making it hard to keep time.

This day, or perhaps this night, the interior was as dim and lightless as always.

However, the prisoners looked as if they had seen a ghost, watching Du En act with such extraordinary familiarity; he first left behind a hollow earthen armor in his cell, then silently dismantled a bar, slipped through with his breath restrained, and walked out of the cell block.

No way, you're actually breaking out!

Even if you escape the Forbidden Prison, you can't get out of the Inner City!

They did not understand the point of Du En doing this, until they saw him walking calmly, as if he were heading to his own home, toward the living quarters of the jailers and head jailers.

"Oh, right, today seems to be the day for their scheduled meeting."

"He's just strolling over there like that? Hiss! He's only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and even if the jailers haven't rebelled, the head jailers are at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment!"

"One head jailer will be there, all the jailers will be present, to discuss some monthly maintenance of the Forbidden Prison and some harsh demands issued by that son of a bitch Gao Feng."

Which bastard told him the passage incantation?

But among the head jailers, he was the one who had absolutely no future and was always pushed to handle the chores.

After a while, at the meeting site, the five one-armed head jailers were all present.

The longer one lives, the more one fears death!

Although it was still less than the amount lost over these three months, it was a significant recovery, and he began to replenish.

"Good, now take me to find the other head jailers."

So he no longer had any objections.

"Hiss! Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment!"

"... That is all. The Chief specifically requests that we must strengthen the internal and external patrols of the Forbidden Prison in the near future. Regarding the flow of various supplies, we need to further tighten control. When distributing medicinal pills, at least three people must be present to watch the other party ingest and refine them with their own eyes. Magical artifacts must also be inspected collectively every month to ensure there are no losses or changes in ownership..."

Gao Feng's demands were always numerous and frequently changed in implementation; the purpose, of course, was to prevent prisoners in the jail from obtaining resources from these people, thereby avoiding the dangers of the Qi-suppression environment.

"No objections!"

"Do you really believe he's at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment? Don't forget, what level of cultivation does the Forbidden Prison suppress the most severely!"

With a *crack*, Du En directly dismantled this arm and threw it onto the table, letting fresh blood stain the jade ledgers one by one.

"I..."

A hand pressed lightly on the old head jailer's shoulder, and he spoke up like this.

Therefore, it was estimated that he had somewhat given up on himself, so he was the head jailer who would come to the cell area more frequently; he was a ruthless character who made the hopeless old prisoners fear him like a tiger and tremble with fright.

The jailers were both shocked and terrified, because the situation had completely spiraled out of control!

Although he didn't know the situation here, the old head jailer, suddenly encountering an accident, did not sit and wait for death; he was just about to secretly reach out.

Covered in cold sweat, suppressing his pain, and revealing a fawning expression, the old head jailer did not yet know that these jailers had long been manipulated; at this moment, feeling his life hanging by a thread, he naturally dared not let them make any untoward moves that would harm him!

The jailers had originally thought that since things had come to this, they should just attack, but seeing this scene, they trembled all over, lost their nerve, and could only remain silent and fearful.

"... You, if you have any objections, feel free to say so directly. I trust everyone here will have no objections."

In a short time, a total of 1,650 mid-grade spirit stones had been collected.

In the Forbidden Prison, those at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment basically had no possibility of breaking through to the Golden Core stage, and even the head jailers were the same, so they rarely came to the cell area on weekdays, just to avoid being affected.

They had actually thought about using the defensive arrangements in the living quarters to counter Du En, but they didn't expect that the jailers had already spilled all their secrets; not only did they fail to counter him, but they suffered instead. They were even more horrified, feeling that Du En was unfathomable and that no arrangement could escape his eyes.

This made them even more afraid to resist; even though Du En wasn't laying a hand on them anymore and even let them eat pills to regrow their arms, they were still trembling, shrinking like quails.

Du En, who had been extorted for protection money by the bully gangs in the shantytowns outside the city, was basically copying that script now, and these guys were very susceptible to this routine.

Damn it, you've ruined us!

If this matter blows up now, we're all finished!

?!

Only then did the old head jailer notice his presence, and the many jailers at the meeting shook with shock, raising their eyes in horror; they hadn't expected this guy to actually run out on his own and manage to sneak into the living quarters without anyone noticing.

He was presiding over today's meeting.

850 mid-grade spirit stones.

The words weren't finished, but the meaning was clear.

"You twenty, get the spirit stones ready. I want to see them when I return, otherwise..."

The old head jailer was lifted up by Du En with one hand.

Even so, staying all day in the rooms with the best spiritual energy in the living quarters, it was still very difficult to break through.

The jailers were naturally unwilling to be manipulated by Du En forever; they had been reaching a consensus quickly during this time, and were just one final consultation away from wanting to join forces to kill Du En, or at least cripple him—in any case, they wanted to end this situation!

Du En was, of course, aware of this, so he walked out now to express himself.

In the eyes of the old head jailer, it looked like they were furious and trembling with rage, but because they were concerned about him, they were forcing themselves to stay calm.

It was my old eyes that were dim before; I didn't realize you were all truly loyal and righteous!

Sighing to himself like this, he carefully glanced at Du En again, looking at that calm face, and felt even more that his old eyes were dim, as he hadn't been able to see the terror of this person, allowing himself to be easily held hostage now.

Like the old head jailer who brought him in when Du En was imprisoned, he had been stuck at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment for decades, growing older year by year.

"I have an objection."

Too terrifying!

He was put back down, his neck nearly crushed; although this place was no longer a vital point, he still had lingering fears, having just felt the underworld beckoning to him.

Hearing this made the jailers tremble with fear, and they all secretly glared at the culprit.

Why not buy your life with spirit stones if you can!

A total of twenty-five people, honestly paying their protection money.

The next operation was simple.

Seeing that these people would finally listen, Du En said: "Simply put, I want to collect protection money. You jailers pay twenty mid-grade spirit stones a month, or the equivalent value. As for the head jailers, your savings are deeper, so let's say fifty. This is my proposal for the distribution. What do you think? You can raise objections if you have any."

The hush money and extortion money already collected previously also amounted to 800 mid-grade spirit stones.

"Yes, yes."

The old jailer knocked on the door and called the other jailers out, and Du En repeated the same process.

While making them scrub the floor to clear away the bloodstains and such, and forbidding them from using spells or disturbing the environment of Qi, Du En leisurely checked all the spirit stones, confirmed there were no issues, and then gathered them all up.

Watching his movements as he collected the spirit stones, feeling that their lives finally had ample security, the jailers and prison guards couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief, and their floor-scrubbing movements became even more nimble.

It was just protection money; if they had to give it, they gave it, as long as their lives could be saved!

(End of this chapter)