Chapter 264: Dare to Cause Trouble? Kill Them Directly

The two prisoners were successfully transferred to the Tianlao, lucky to still be alive.

Chen Guanlou ordered someone to summon the medical officer and sent another to fetch Old Zhang Tou.

In the Tianlao, no one knew the ZhaoYu better than Old Zhang Tou—he was a walking encyclopedia.

"Old Zhang, can you take a look? What's the backstory of these two prisoners? They're barely clinging to life, yet the ZhaoYu is going to great lengths to keep them alive."

Old Zhang Tou fell silent, crouched down, and examined them.

He directly pried open both prisoners' mouths. "Take a look."

Chen Guanlou leaned in, startled. "Their tongues are gone."

"Judging by the wounds, the tongues were deliberately cut out." Then Old Zhang Tou pulled down the prisoners' trousers.

Chen Guanlou was about to stop him, but Old Zhang Tou gestured for him to look.

"Ah, their genitals are gone too. From the palace? Are these fresh wounds or old ones?"

Old Zhang Tou studied them closely. "The wounds are no more than two months old."

Chen Guanlou was baffled. "What's going on here? Can you make sense of it? Both castrated and tongue-cut, yet they're being kept alive. If they can't even speak, why subject them to further torture? I can't figure it out."

"These two aren't from the palace," Old Zhang Tou said, manipulating their hands. "Look at these hands—all recent injuries, never done hard labor before. Both had martial meridians, but they've been destroyed. This looks more like revenge and humiliation. Such things happen often in the ZhaoYu, nothing unusual. But keeping them alive? They probably had some status before. Their family fell apart, ended up in the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and someone sought revenge. As for keeping them alive, the enemy likely wants to continue torturing them."

Chen Guanlou muttered in awe—some people were truly monstrous. The cruelty toward their own kind was unimaginable.

Killing someone is enough—just a slash to the neck.

What kind of hatred drives someone to this?

Doctor Mu arrived.

After examining the prisoners' wounds, he shook his head repeatedly. "Difficult."

"Just keep them alive!" Chen Guanlou said.

Doctor Mu still shook his head. "Both have given up on life. I can't save them."

Old Zhang Tou added, "Such humiliation—death is better. Death brings release."

Doctor Mu frowned. "When you transferred these prisoners, didn't you ask about their identities?"

At this, Chen Guanlou's temper flared. "The jail warden ordered me to handle the transfer. From start to finish, the ZhaoYu gave me no records, no details about these two. When I asked, they said it wasn't my business. That's the ZhaoYu—I'm just a jailer in the Tianlao. To those Embroidered Uniform Guards, I'm nothing."

Doctor Mu shook his head, silently lamenting the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Yirujiwang brutal ways—despised by all.

Old Zhang Tou said, "Actually, finding out their identities isn't hard."

"Old Zhang, you have a way?"

"My apprentice works next door. I'll have him ask around."

"Thanks, Old Zhang. I'll treat you to wine soon." Chen Guanlou beamed.

"Actually…" Old Zhang Tou had something he couldn't hold back. "I think you'd be better off not asking about their identities. Finding out will only bring trouble—you can't help them anyway. Xiao Chen, you work in the Tianlao, but you haven't been tainted by this place. You still have a shred of goodness. Sometimes ignorance is happiness—at least it's less painful."

"Old Zhang, I understand. I won't jump to conclusions. I'm curious whether these two are innocent or deserve it."

He had judgment. He knew where the line lay. These prisoners were in his hands—he was just checking their background. That wasn't too much.

He had no intention of doing anything.

He was already running from the Embroidered Uniform Guard—why would he go near them?

He simply didn't want to be blind and deaf.

"Alright, wait for my news," Old Zhang Tou said bluntly.

He hoped Chen Guanlou would keep this humanity—such warmth was rare in the Tianlao. It added a touch of color to this gloomy place.

Those who'd seen too much death and cruelty cherished fleeting color all the more. Otherwise, living as a walking corpse was meaningless.

Today, Chen Guanlou showed a little kindness to two strangers. Tomorrow, if misfortune struck, he'd be the most reliable, the most worthy to entrust.

Old Zhang Tou felt satisfied.

He could now safely leave his useless disciples and grand-disciples in Chen Guanlou's care.

Doctor Mu shared the same sentiment—Chen Guanlou had boundaries, still held a shred of goodness. Such people were rare in the Tianlao, worthy of trust and reliance.

So he was willing to use his best skills to temporarily preserve the prisoners' lives.

"I can only hold them alive for now. Whether they ultimately live depends on their will to survive."

"Do what you must."

"Such humiliation implies a deep, bitter hatred. Are you sure?" Doctor Mu asked.

Chen Guanlou nodded. "Save them first. If they truly want to die, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard comes to take them, I'll slit their throats myself."

"Aren't you afraid of angering the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Chen Guanlou laughed as if hearing the biggest joke. "Doctor Mu, this is the Tianlao. Is it hard to have one or two prisoners die here? According to Old Zhang Tou, the ZhaoYu keeps them alive to continue torturing them. If they die, they die—their enemies want the torture, not the ZhaoYu. The ZhaoYu just takes money to do the job. A simple 'dead' won't make the payer do anything. Would they storm the Tianlao to come after me? If they dare show up, I'll kill them."

When Chen Guanlou said "kill them," a flash of killing intent crossed his eyes.

He despised torture and murder. Any cruelty not for interrogation was pure madness.

Why be polite to monsters?

Doctor Mu thought it over—he was right.

He administered medicine while Chen Guanlou ordered jailers to assist. Then he pulled Old Zhang Tou aside to drink tea in the watchroom.

The watchroom had a stove with a chimney piercing through the roof—warm enough for heat and to boil water for tea. As a result, night-shift jailers loved to gamble there, wishing they could spend all twenty-four hours at the card table.

Chen Guanlou didn't care. Wins and losses were among brothers who ate from the same pot. As long as outsiders didn't win their money, it was fine. Brothers helped each other—borrow a little here, borrow a little there, and life went on.

Old Zhang Tou loved tea, but no one drank with him. Because of his job, everyone avoided him—even his own children fled from him.

Today, Chen Guanlou sincerely sat with him to drink tea. He was delighted and sang a little tune. Chen Guanlou clapped along, one singing, one harmonizing—the atmosphere was warm.

Until Doctor Mu arrived.

"You two are cozy, hiding here enjoying yourselves."

"Have some tea, Doctor Mu," Chen Guanlou said, fetching a clean teacup and brewing fresh tea.

Drinking hot tea in winter warmed the whole body—comfortable indeed. He knew good tea. "Your tea leaves are excellent. Not cheap, are they?"