Chapter 221: Using Gratitude and Loyalty to Bind Is Far More Effective Than Temptation with Wealth

Recently, I've been tied to the Bing-character-sized prison, coming here twice in a short time.

Chen Guanlou felt deep emotion inside.

Both of his strokes of fortune came from the Bing-character-sized prison—this place is his blessed ground! Decided: whenever he had free time, he'd come back often; perhaps one day he'd encounter his third stroke of fortune.

His first stroke of fortune: Luo Jingtian gave him the "Ascension Record"!

His second stroke of fortune: the Second Boss helped him find the complete version of the "Ascension Record," preventing him from going mad from deviant Qi.

He arrived before the prison gate.

Lu Datou struck the prison bars with his water-fire staff. "Hey, Chen Tou's here. Say what you need to say, quick."

The Second Boss snapped out of his daze among the straw, struggled to roll over and sit up, squinted—and it really was him. Lu Datou was impressively efficient. Clearly, the two were true brothers.

"You want to see me?" Chen Guanlou studied the man.

Matted hair, a full beard, bloodshot eyes, wounds on his face already scabbed over. Without washing, dried dark-red blood clung to his cheeks, caking half his face—his whole visage looked brutal and chaotic, save for his eyes, which held an extremely complex mix of emotions: surprise, relief, nostalgia, sorrow, regret, resignation.

"Again troubling Chen Tou—I beg your pardon."

"I'm here. What do you want to say?"

The Second Boss remained silent, still hesitating.

Lu Datou grew furious, snatched up his water-fire staff and moved to thrust it through the bars to strike him.

Chen Guanlou reached out and stopped Lu Datou, then asked the Second Boss inside the cell: "When you joined the bandits, was it arranged by your sworn brother?"

The Second Boss was startled, then realized the logic—but stayed silent. His silence was confirmation.

Chen Guanlou gave a light laugh. "Though I still don't know who your sworn brother is, this maneuver is truly astonishing. So, when he saved you back then, he'd already planned all this. That story about risking his future and life to save you? Just a performance. He knew you valued righteousness above all, had no sense of right or wrong, yet understood debts of gratitude. Manipulating you through loyalty and obligation worked far better than tempting you with wealth. I must admit—your sworn brother reads people perfectly."

The Second Boss opened his mouth to protest—but not a word came out.

It was true: he had no sense of moral right or wrong, but he had burning passion, and in the martial world, he valued righteousness above all. His brother had saved his life—he owed him repayment. His brother struggled for funds to advance, so he became a bandit, robbing merchants to raise money for him.

All he'd done these years was to repay his brother's life-saving grace.

But now that the truth had been exposed—the naked exploitation, the cold calculation—what was loyalty? What was brotherhood? All just a lie. What could he do? He could only hate himself for being blind—but he couldn't hate his brother. Hating him was easy, yet it meant denying every ounce of effort he'd poured into the past decade.

To realize his entire decade had been a lie, wasted like food thrown to dogs—once he thought too deeply, he couldn't breathe, as if a fish ripped from water, about to die in the next second.

He dared not think deeply. He could only drift through life in confusion, pretending. He tried to convince himself that his brother wasn't entirely using him—that there must still be some genuine feeling.

It wasn't weakness!

If he didn't comfort himself this way, he feared he wouldn't survive until tomorrow. The pain of a heart cut by knives was too agonizing—too agonizing to endure a second time.

Lie to yourself! After all, you've lied for so many years—what's one more lie?

Seeing the Second Boss's pained, confused expression, Chen Guanlou continued: "Before the soldiers wiped you out, did you meet your brother?"

The Second Boss nodded, finally speaking: "About half a month before the soldiers ambushed us, I went to Jingcheng and saw my brother once."

"Had you quarreled?"

"I went to ask him about arranging a new identity for Yin Siniang, and to deliver silver."

"He didn't want to give Yin Siniang a new identity?" Chen Guanlou guessed. "That's why you quarreled."

Pain flashed in the Second Boss's eyes—he didn't deny it. "I'd asked him to handle Yin Siniang's case months ago, but he kept delaying. At first I didn't suspect anything—until our last meeting, when I confronted him outright: Had he never intended to help? Did he think I was dragging him down? Was he cutting ties?

He denied it! He said his duties were heavy, his position watched by many, and he hadn't found an opening yet. I believed him. But half a month later, the soldiers suddenly attacked, catching us completely off guard."

Chen Guanlou filled in the rest: "You threatened him, so he had to silence you. I didn't expect you to survive this long. Clearly, your brother isn't from the Ministry of Justice—otherwise, he'd have killed you long ago, not let you live to reveal the truth to us."

The Second Boss closed his eyes in pain. "He's not from the Ministry of Justice."

"You said he saved you when you were at your lowest. Was he a clerk in a county office? Or an officer in the Five City Military Command? Before you joined the bandits, you had no access to the Tianlaomiao prison. So the only people who could've saved you were low-ranking jail clerks in county offices or officers in the Five City Military Command. But I lean toward the county office. He used you to gain money and rise—now he's climbed so high he no longer needs you. Could he have become County Magistrate? No, no—that's not enough. He must hold a position higher than a County Magistrate."

The Second Boss stared, speechless, utterly stunned.

Chen Guanlou smiled smugly. "Looks like I guessed right. Flip through the official roster of the Jingji region—find who rose from obscurity, and you'll easily uncover your brother's true identity."

The Second Boss's mind reeled. "Y-you—you figured it out?"

"Is it that hard?" Chen Guanlou asked softly. "Your activities were always confined to the Jingji region, never beyond its surrounding counties. The man who saved you must've served in an office within that same area. In ten years, rising from obscurity—such a person is easy to find in the official roster, no more than an hour's work. The bureaucracy isn't a bandit den. Track a man's promotion path, and you can judge his background."

Chen Guanlou smiled at the Second Boss—also a warning: don't try to outsmart him. It won't work. Even if you say nothing, I'll still uncover your sworn brother's true identity. Apply pressure—make you speak now. How many more secrets are you hiding? Stop playing petty games every day.

The Second Boss's shock was beyond words.

Do all government officials possess such sharp wit? Even an insignificant jailer has this kind of wisdom—then what level of intellect must his brother possess?

Then he lowered his head and laughed bitterly. Being manipulated by his brother was inevitable. Even if he resisted, it would change nothing. He'd prided himself on being clever—but even a jailer could easily control him, let alone a brother who thrived in the bureaucracy.

In an instant, he was at peace.

His stupidity matched his fate.