Chapter 138

Chen Guanlou's heart first stirred with awe—how grand the Prince's household was! This was merely meeting the Chief Eunuch; if he were to be summoned before the Prince himself, he might have to wait three or five days.

Immediately, he pulled Fan Yuli to his feet, bowed deeply, and performed every proper courtesy. He could not let anyone find fault in the smallest details.

"Your humble servant greets Elder Eunuch Ping; may Elder Eunuch Ping enjoy peace and health. I am Chen Guanlou, a jailer from the Heavenly Prison, and this is Yuli Fan. We have come under the Second Young Master's orders to deliver a letter. The Second Young Master specifically instructed that the letter must be placed directly into Elder Eunuch Ping's hands."

Saying this, he pulled the letter from his chest—still warm from his body—and offered it with both hands.

The page took the letter and placed it beside Elder Eunuch Ping's hand.

But Elder Eunuch Ping did not open it immediately; instead, he studied Chen Guanlou and Fan Yuli with keen interest. From their introduction, Chen Guanlou was clearly the subordinate, Fan Yuli the superior.

Yet in their conduct, Fan Yuli appeared to be the one yielding, deferring entirely to a mere jailer.

Strange.

Elder Eunuch Ping chuckled. "How is the Second Young Master faring in the Heavenly Prison?"

"Thank you for your concern, Elder Eunuch. The Second Young Master is well in every respect."

"That's neither true nor honest!" Elder Eunuch Ping smiled faintly at the two. "Why does this Yuli Fan remain silent? Has he lost his tongue?"

Fan Yuli, suddenly called out, nearly jumped out of his skin. At Chen Guanlou's reminder, he hurriedly bowed. "Your humble servant greets Elder Eunuch Ping."

"So he's not mute after all!" Elder Eunuch Ping smiled as he studied him. His smile carried no warmth whatsoever—only the chilling sensation of being watched by an old fox, every hair on the neck standing on end.

Fan Yuli felt utterly uneasy, trembling with tension. "I—I—I'm just too nervous."

"Is that so?" Elder Eunuch Ping mused. "Why do I sense you're hiding something? Have you done something wrong, and been caught with proof?"

"No, no!" Fan Yuli denied vehemently, waving his hands frantically, his face turning ashen.

Hiding silver in the ground, yet shouting it aloud.

Chen Guanlou could not bear to watch; he lowered his head silently.

He could not help but question again the purpose behind Fan Yucheng sending Fan Yuli along on this trip to the Prince's mansion—was this truly an attempt to use someone else's knife to kill? And what of him? Was he also on the list to be eliminated?

He narrowed his eyes, pondering deeply. Fan Yucheng had no reason to kill him. If it were to silence witnesses, why kill only him? There were so many jailers—would he kill them all? The Second Young Master himself had not pursued the matter; Fan Yucheng had no need to go this far.

Even if Fan Yucheng had truly gone mad and planned to kill every witness, he should have waited until after the Second Young Master left the Heavenly Prison. To act now would be too crude, too obvious—it might provoke the Second Young Master's hatred, and a single word from him could end Fan Yucheng's life.

After much thought, Chen Guanlou could only conclude that Fan Yucheng intended to torment Fan Yuli. Having caused such a grave disaster, Fan Yuli hoped to simply loaf and wait for the matter to fade away—but the world offered no such easy escapes. He must endure crushing torment, both physical and mental, to satisfy the anger.

At this moment, Fan Yuli was enduring spiritual torment—every casual glance from Elder Eunuch Ping sent his heart racing, his soul trembling.

"Heh…" Elder Eunuch Ping clearly did not believe Fan Yuli. No wonder, among the two, the subordinate jailer led while the superior followed like a dog. Interesting.

He turned to Chen Guanlou. "Did the Second Young Master say anything else?"

"The Second Young Master says he is well in the Heavenly Prison, and asks the Prince not to worry."

"The Second Young Master dared to defy Heaven to defend the Prince—and was punished by imprisonment in the Heavenly Prison. Alas…" Elder Eunuch Ping sighed, then grew solemn. "Tell the Second Young Master I received his letter. I understand his heart. Let him rest easy. The Prince is working on a solution—he will be released soon."

"Yes!" Chen Guanlou bowed deeply in acceptance.

He thought the task complete, that he and Fan Yuli could leave the mansion without incident—but Elder Eunuch Ping changed course. "You two wait here. The Prince may summon you to ask about the Second Young Master."

Huh?

With no choice, Chen Guanlou and Fan Yuli remained in the flower pavilion, waiting. Watching Elder Eunuch Ping depart with the letter, the pavilion emptied instantly, falling silent once more.

The breath left Fan Yuli's body—he collapsed onto the floor.

Chen Guanlou hurried to help him up. "Sir, drink some tea first. They're gone now—it's safe."

Fan Yuli was as limp as cooked noodles; without Chen Guanlou's support, he could not stand. He turned his head toward Chen Guanlou. "Can we go now?"

"Not yet. Elder Eunuch Ping told us to wait in case the Prince summons us."

"The Prince will summon us?" Fan Yuli shuddered violently, sliding again toward the floor.

Chen Guanlou hoisted him up by the arms and seated him. He poured him another cup of hot tea; slowly, Fan Yuli calmed.

"Why am I so miserable!"

"Sir, lower your voice," Chen Guanlou warned. He feared walls had ears.

Fan Yuli wiped his tears, his sorrow flowing like a river. He was terrified.

"The moment I saw Elder Eunuch Ping, my heart trembled—I couldn't think at all. Especially his eyes—you saw them, right? Like he wanted to eat me alive. I've never seen anything so terrifying—"

"Shh!" Chen Guanlou, unable to stop him, clamped his hand over Fan Yuli's mouth.

Elder Eunuch Ping was no ordinary man—he was a martial cultivator, of fifth rank or higher. His exact rank, Chen Guanlou could not determine, for his own cultivation was too low.

But he could feel it: Elder Eunuch Ping stood like a towering mountain. No matter the flashing blades, the rivers of blood, the deaths of a thousand men—he remained unmoved. Even if heaven collapsed and earth cracked, he would still stand, an unshakable peak. To mortals, he was beyond comparison. Only time could reveal even a fraction of his true nature.

Not knowing his true strength, if Elder Eunuch Ping could sense even distant movements in this pavilion, Fan Yuli's words would be a grave transgression.

Chen Guanlou had no choice but to keep his hand over Fan Yuli's mouth. "Stop talking. We wait patiently."

Fan Yuli stared blankly at Chen Guanlou, tears in his eyes—his gaze clearly treated Chen Guanlou as his only lifeline, his anchor.

He clutched Chen Guanlou's sleeve. "Little Chen, I'm counting on you now. I don't want to die without knowing why."

"Don't worry—the Prince's mansion won't kill without reason."

Across several courtyards, Elder Eunuch Ping's ears twitched slightly. He muttered softly, "Interesting."

"Eunuch, any orders?"

"Watch those two closely. Don't let them wander freely."

"Yes!"

Chen Guanlou remained calm.

He silently recited the "Ascension Scripture," forwards and backwards. Perhaps because he had recited it so often, places that once seemed obscure and incomprehensible now felt slightly loosened—he could almost grasp a glimmer of insight. It was an extraordinary sensation, like standing on the threshold of awakening.

Had the time and place been right, he would have immediately cultivated and contemplated it. Even now, that fleeting glimmer brought him great gain.