Chapter 216: Manual

Lu Datou asked Chen Guanlou to borrow twenty taels of silver, and Chen Guanlou didn't refuse. But he couldn't help but nag a few words.

"You can't go on like this, every month when you get your salary, you should at least keep a little!"

Lu Datou was anxious, "Kept it, kept it. It's just that I haven't had good luck these past few days, I keep losing. This time I will definitely win it back."

Chen Guanlou gave a cold laugh, rolled his eyes to the sky, "Don't go to the Jia-sized cell block to gamble, you can't win."

"What's the reason?" Lu Datou heard this, this was inside information, pricked up his ears, his body leaned forward, wishing he could stick to Chen Guanlou.

Chen Guanlou disliked that he smelled bad, and directly pulled away the distance, "Let's put it this way, if your technique can score five points, the old gamblers in the Jia-sized cell block can average..."

Just this?

Lu Datou looked disdainful, "Boasting! I don't believe it. I often gamble with them, how could I not know their level."

Chen Guanlou immediately gave a cold laugh, "Have you ever won money in the gambling den of the Jia-sized cell block?"

This time Lu Datou couldn't say a word.

He was half-believing and half-doubting, a bit hard to accept, "Is my technique really not good? Can the gamblers in the Jia-sized cell block be stronger than me?"

Chen Guanlou nodded, "I don't have to lie to you. In the future, just nest in the Bing-sized cell block, maybe you can win a little. Running to the Jia-sized cell block to gamble, sooner or later you'll lose until only your pants are left."

Lu Datou felt a bit of fear, and also unwillingness, not wanting to admit defeat.

How could he not be good!

He had always thought he was very good, especially good, good to the point of exploding!

Scratching his head, his brain was chaotic, he had to ponder this matter well.

"By the way, are you still collecting martial arts manuals?" Lu Datou asked very casually.

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow, "Collecting! Why, you have good stuff there."

"It's like this, recently a batch of mountain bandits were imprisoned in the prison, killing and robbing, doing all kinds of evil. Sooner or later they have to go to the execution ground to take a knife. That second leader of the mountain bandits asked me for help, but couldn't come up with money, I didn't want to bother with him. However, he revealed a piece of news, saying there is a manual. Manual or not, I don't need it. If you need it, I'll take you to see him, you can handle it. Anyway, that guy has to go to the execution ground sooner or later, you don't have to be too polite."

Chen Guanlou heard this, his interest decreased by two points, some prisoners like to make gimmicks to achieve their goals.

However, he still asked, "What kind of manual?"

"I don't know. Just heard him talk nonsense for a few words, seems like it's hidden in a mountain cave. Specifically, you have to ask him face-to-face."

Chen Guanlou wiped his mouth, "Lead the way, I'll go take a look."

"You're really interested! It's possible that guy made it up to deceive people."

"I can distinguish true from false. The second leader you mentioned, in a desperate situation, taking out a manual to exchange, it's estimated there's some real stuff. Of course, it's only clear after seeing it with my own eyes. I don't lack this bit of time, just treat it as revisiting an old place."

"That's fine."

Lu Datou suppressed the impulse to head to the gambling den and took Chen Guanlou to the Bing-sized cell block.

All familiar faces.

The guards of the Bing-sized cell block saw Chen Guanlou and greeted him very kindly, completely without the arrogance and self-importance they had when treating newcomers back then. As if, from before to now, everyone had been getting along so kindly, never having changed.

At this moment, Chen Guanlou even felt a ridiculous sense of 'returning home in glory'. People who looked down on him in the past now all wanted to curry favor with him. People who ordered him around in the past now still counted on him to promote them.

Quite a few people privately envied Lu Datou.

Since Lu Datou curried favor with Chen Guanlou, he hadn't lacked money to spend. No matter when, if he didn't have money, he would borrow money from Chen Guanlou, no matter the amount, he could always borrow it.

The key is, he hadn't seen Lu Datou pay back the money.

Just this treatment, how many people were so jealous they wished they could replace Lu Datou.

Only hating why they weren't the ones leading Chen Guanlou back then, why they didn't sharpen their eyes to see that the Chen kid was not a thing in a pool.

In the eyes of the guards of the Bing-sized cell block, the head of the Jia-sized cell block was definitely a person above people. How could he not make a few hundred taels a year. If the year was good, a thousand taels was not a problem. This treatment, even if given a ninth-rank sesame official, he wouldn't change.

The Bing-sized cell block couldn't compare, completely couldn't compare.

Actually, many people couldn't figure out what virtue or ability Lu Datou had to be valued so much by Chen Guanlou. Borrowing money without refusal, knowing the other party was going to gamble, without questioning.

This friendship, such a god of wealth, please heaven give me one too.

Lu Datou held his head high and chest out, leading Chen Guanlou into the long corridor.

"The person is imprisoned ahead."

"Cell number 72, I'm familiar with it!" Chen Guanlou laughed.

In the cell, a rough man covered in blood stains was lying on a pile of straw, emitting a pungent smell all over his body.

"Tortured?"

"That's for sure. All mountain bandits must go to the torture room, this is the old rule." Lu Datou said so.

Chen Guanlou observed while asking: "Crippled?"

"Both legs are broken, but medicine was used, guaranteed to be alive before going to the execution ground."

Chen Guanlou laughed, the Bing-sized cell block was as always full of the smell of blood. There was no gentle warmth of the Jia-sized cell block here, serving the corrupt officials like masters after receiving money. The most critical thing was that the Jia-sized cell block rarely used torture, even if they wanted to deal with some disobedient officials, they usually adopted measures of cutting off water and food, not hurting skin and flesh. Whether it would hurt the internal organs, that couldn't be managed.

This is also the reason why convicted officials are willing to go to the Heavenly Prison rather than the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Imperial Prison next door. Anyone who enters the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Imperial Prison must enter the torture chamber; losing a layer of skin is considered light.

Lu Datou held the water-fire staff and knocked hard on the cell door bars, "Hey, get up. You weren't looking for someone to help, now the person who can help you has come. Miss this village and there won't be this shop."

Before the words fell, the rough man lying on the ground squirmed, struggling to turn over, finally revealing his face.

He moved his body, came to the cell door, and tried hard to raise his head to look at the unfamiliar Chen Guanlou.

"This is Chen Tou, who likes collecting martial arts manuals the most. If you can really take out good goods, your matter might not be impossible to handle." Lu Datou said noisily.

The second leader moved the hair around his eyes, wanting to see more clearly, "Chen... Chen Tou."

Chen Guanlou squatted down slowly, letting the other party see more clearly, "Tell me about your manual first."

"I... I... the manual is hidden in a mountain cave, carved on the stone wall of the mountain cave, no one can understand it. However, being able to be hidden in such a secret place, the manual must be good stuff. It's just that we rough men don't have that talent, unable to penetrate the mystery within."

"Where is the mountain cave?"

"You promise me first!" The second leader threw out bait, starting to set conditions.

Chen Guanlou stood up slowly, "How do I know if the manual you mentioned is true or false. Empty words have no proof, unless you can prove that the manual really exists." ===== CHAPTER 217 =====