Chapter 72: Midnight Break‑in to the Great Prison

Chen Yi He rushed to Mountain City that same day.

Mountain City is a small town surrounded by mountains. Chen Yi He changed into black clothes and only slipped into the city at midnight.

The liveliest place in the city was actually the Eternal Joy Gate at the center of the street. Chen Yi He thought, "Sooner or later I will shut down the Eternal Joy Gate in one sweep!" It wasn't that Chen Yi He didn't like gambling or playing; it was that the Eternal Joy Gate was truly base, willing to be the imperial court's lackey in exchange for the status of the number one gambling house on Heavenly Peace Continent.

The prosperity of the Eternal Joy Gate did not diminish in the slightest due to the death of its boss Ma Ming; Chen Yi He knew there was someone else behind it.

This time, Chen Yi He's destination was not the Eternal Joy Gate, but he headed straight west.

The further west he went, the fewer people there were on the road. Mountain City was already small; after not walking far, he reached its end.

A large mountain blocked Chen Yi He's path; this mountain was even taller than Tiger Mountain.

【Pen Fun Islandiqudao. xyz】 Beyond the mountain, the map says it's a cliff; opposite the cliff, it no longer belongs to Mountain City.

Four night‑watch Embroidered Uniform Guards were dozing off; Chen Yi He lightly sealed their acupoints from behind, then entered the concealed cave.

The sealed acupoints would release on their own after an hour, and they would merely think they had slept.

As his cultivation advanced and he reached the Great Accomplishment of the Threefold Heaven, Chen Yi He's already outstanding lightness skill became even stronger; he moved like a ghost into the cave. At midnight, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's watch was naturally not as vigilant as during the day.

Thus, Chen Yi He penetrated deep into Mountain City's great prison.

With two finger‑flicked pebbles he knocked down two Embroidered Uniform Guards who were hugging wine jars and drinking, and smoothly entered the death cell.

The condemned prisoners were all fast asleep.

Mountain City may be small, but this iron prison is boundless.

"Where is Xu Jia?" Chen Yi He searched carefully. Each cell held at least ten condemned prisoners, many of whom he recognized— they were all brothers from the Dragon Tiger Gate.

But he could not find Xu Jia.

After searching all around, he still could not find Xu Jia.

"Clang." Someone pushed the door open and walked in.

Chen Yi He lightly leapt up and grabbed the beam, watching as two more Embroidered Uniform Guards walked in.

Just as Chen Yi He was about to act, he heard one of the Embroidered Uniform Guards say, "These two have drunk too much again."

"Still sleeping like a pig!" said the other Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Let's count the heads."

As it turned out, the Embroidered Uniform Guards checked the number and condition of the condemned prisoners late at night.

Only two Embroidered Uniform Guards were seen, one starting from the east, the other from the west, beginning their inspection in earnest.

"This side has two hundred sixty."

"This side has two hundred sixty‑five." The two began comparing numbers: "How come there's one less than yesterday? Your side should have two hundred sixty‑one."

"Let me think…" the guard counting the east side scratched his head, then slapped his forehead: "I remember! That person was taken away yesterday!"

Chen Yi He's heart clenched: "Could it be Xu Jia?"

"Yes, yes, he's still in the Deputy General's little black cell; I bet he's been beaten half to death again." The guard counting the west side, jogged in memory, immediately recalled it.

These corpses—just stab each one with a knife and be done with it! What a hassle.

Grandfather Zhang wants to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, so we've had to work hard these two days; the day after tomorrow they'll be taken away, and then we'll have it easy.

One of the two guards doing the counting kicked the two guards slumped over the table, then walked away, saying, "Ah… off to sleep…"

I still can't sleep; I have to write a note to the Deputy General to confirm the numbers—what a hassle…

"Deputy General? Li Lan? Wasn't he dead in Southern Border City?" Chen Yi He dropped from the beam and followed the two Embroidered Uniform Guards forward, sneaking along.

He walked all the way to the deepest part of the great prison, where there stood an isolated small hut; Chen Yi He hid himself, watching them enter.

After a long while, they came out again.

Chen Yi He waited until they had gone far, then quietly revealed himself. Not knowing whether anyone was inside the hut, after observing for a long time he concluded that the Deputy General the Embroidered Uniform Guards spoke of was not inside.

Chen Yi He gently pushed the door open and entered. In the darkness he suddenly heard a muffled "uh." He quickly circulated his true Qi, and a faint white light illuminated the room.

On the floor lay a person, trussed up tightly, his clothes stained with blood, blood and vomit pooling before him, a foul stench rising from his body; his wounds had gone uncleaned for too long and had rotted.

"Xu Jia?" Chen Yi He asked tentatively, unable to believe that the person before him was his brother.

"Yi He?"

"Is it really you, Xu Jia?" Chen Yi He stepped closer.

The man slowly lifted his head; his face was criss‑crossed with knife scars—dense and chaotic, lines across his forehead, cheeks, chin… all scabbed over.

"How could this be?!" Chen Yi He exclaimed—shocked, furious, terrified.

At that moment a sound came from outside the wooden hut; someone pushed the door open.

"Deputy General, what should we do with this kid?" The two Embroidered Uniform Guards from before reappeared, accompanied by their Deputy General.

This was another Deputy General of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He wore armor, was tall and broad‑shouldered, and had a long sword at his waist.

He glanced around doubtfully, as if sensing something, but quickly replied, "They'll all be sent together to the Imperial Capital the day after tomorrow; before then, under no circumstances must he die."

"What about the scars on his face and body?"

"Just wear thicker clothes and cover his face with a cloth—who could see?" the Deputy General said dismissively, pointing at the man on the ground and laughing, "Heh, this kid is really stubborn; even to death he refuses to admit he conspired with the Dragon King, or to acknowledge the Dragon King's crimes!"

Chen Yi He heard all this outside the wooden hut; hot tears streamed down as he hard‑stifled his anger, even though his body trembled uncontrollably.

Faced with the Embroidered Uniform Guard's verbal torture, Xu Jia remained steadfast! He would not utter a single ill word about his brothers, nor would he slander them.

That man was Xu Jia!

The Deputy General walked up to Xu Jia, bent down, and pinched his face as if admiring a work of art: "Do you admit it or not—did the Dragon King kill the Eternal Joy Gate's boss Ma Ming?"

In fact Xu Jia didn't even know whether Ma Ming had died at the Dragon King's hands, but he could not admit it, for once he did, the five or six hundred brothers of the Dragon Tiger Gate would surely die.

What the imperial court says are all deceitful lies.

"Don't bother resisting—whether you confess or not makes no difference; you're all dead men walking! You'll die before the whole world! Hahaha!" the Deputy General laughed loudly. After laughing, he told the two Embroidered Uniform Guards, "Bring the confession documents and press his handprint!"

Xu Jia had no way to resist, and not an ounce of strength to do so.

They cut open Xu Jia's fingertip with a knife and forced his fingerprint onto the document.

I'm telling you, the Dragon King is already dead. The deputy grabbed Xu Jia's hair, "Nobody can save you!"

We need to keep quotes? Probably translate as: "I'm telling you, the Dragon King is already dead." The deputy general grabbed Xu Jia's hair, "No one can save you!"

But we need to keep punctuation? Not required but keep meaning.

We need to output 【61】 translation.

Xu Jia thrashed wildly, trying to lunge and bite the deputy, but the deputy slapped him down and spat, "Pah!"

Translation: Xu Jia frantically writhed his body, wanting to counterattack and bite the deputy general, but the deputy general slapped him down and spat, "Pah!"

Before the three Embroidered Uniform Guard left the cottage, Chen Yi He left the prison.

Translation: Before the three Embroidered Uniform Guard left the small wooden hut, Chen Yi He left the prison.

But 'Embroidered Uniform Guard' is a title; should we translate it? According to the rules, official titles and ranks are translated by meaning, so it becomes 'Embroidered Uniform Guard'. Thus 'the three Embroidered Uniform Guard'. It could be 'the three Embroidered Uniform Guard officers'. We'll translate it as 'the three Embroidered Uniform Guard'.

"Ahhh!" In an open clearing, Chen Yi He bellowed to the sky, releasing his pent‑up anger.

Translation: "Ugh ah ah ah!" In an open space, Chen Yi He roared to the sky, releasing the anger in his heart!

Trees were snapped by his roar, the ground shattered by his shout.

Translation: Trees were snapped by his roar, the ground shattered by his roar!

His own brothers were treated like dogs—insulted, abused, disfigured—all over a false accusation.

Translation: His brothers, treated like dogs! Insulted, abused, disfigured, all because of a baseless charge!

Chen Yi He restrained his urge; wiping the prison clean with blood would be satisfying.

Translation: Chen Yi He restrained his urge; slaughtering the prison might feel satisfying.

But that would only endanger Xu Jia and the Dragon Tiger Gate brothers—they haven't escaped the prison yet, and the door would be sealed forever. The Embroidered Uniform Guard never leaves an escape route.

Translation: But that would only harm Xu Jia and the brothers of the Dragon Tiger Gate; they haven't escaped the prison yet, and the gate would be permanently sealed! The Embroidered Uniform Guard always acts without leaving an escape route.

Gao Di Chun found Chen Yi He, "The horses are ready, all bought in the nearby city; the people of Group Mountain City won't notice."

Translation: Gao Di Chun found Chen Yi He, "The horses are already ready, all bought in the nearby city; the people of Group Mountain City won't notice."

…… (ellipsis). We need to output translation: "……" maybe keep as "……". Usually translate as "……". We'll output same.

The sky grew faintly light; a cold wind swept through the cottage's window, waking the seldom‑asleep Xu Jia.

Translation: The sky faintly lightened, cold wind blew through the small wooden hut's window, waking the rarely sleeping Xu Jia.

Xu Jia shook his swollen head, trying to see more clearly.

Translation: Xu Jia shook his swollen head, wanting his eyes to see more clearly.

Xu Jia flicked open the paper in his palm with his tongue and read: "Outside the city, flee. Yi He."

Translation: Xu Jia used his tongue to spread out the paper slip in his palm, seeing written on it: "Outside the city, flee. Yi He."

Note: "Yi He" is Yi He per glossary.

Xu Jia laughed, tears streaming down, saliva dripping mixed with blood and broken teeth, "Damn it, finally here…"

Translation: Xu Jia laughed, tears streaming down, saliva flowing, mixed with blood and broken teeth, "Damn it, finally here……"

Xu Jia licked the paper strip into his mouth, chewing it continuously, chewing it many times before finally swallowing it.