Chapter 375: To Lose, You Must Admit It

Liu Xiang was dying, with only his last breath remaining.

The Six Ministries men were cunning; they didn't want Liu Xiang to die inside their facility and be blamed for torture-induced death, so while he still had a breath left, they dumped him into the Heavenly Prison, brushed off their hands, and left.

Whether Liu Xiang lived or died after that was no longer the Six Ministries' concern—it was all the Heavenly Prison's fault.

The Heavenly Prison saw deaths every few days anyway; just submit a list upward. As for how they died, the Ministry of Justice usually didn't ask—unless the person had special status.

Liu Xiang was an outsider official, a nobody in the capital; the Ministry of Justice naturally wouldn't care about his life or death. Yang's squad knew this well, so they acted without restraint, utterly unafraid the Heavenly Prison would hold them accountable.

It was the same cell as before.

Wu's squad leader was nearly furious—the Six Ministries had dumped a dying man on him, meaning Liu Xiang had used up one of this month's death quotas. Bad luck! He got no pay, yet still had to deal with moving the corpse and cleaning the cell to dispel the ill omen.

"Warden Chen, don't blame this on me. Liu Xiang was killed by the Six Ministries."

"He's not dead yet—why are you shouting so loud? Don't worry, it won't count against you. How many quotas do you still have left this month?"

"Just two left."

Death quotas reset at month's end to prevent abuse.

Of course, the best case was no one dying at all.

"Two left—what are you afraid of? Don't do anything reckless, and no one will die."

"It's too hot. I'm not worried about anything else—just that some imprisoned officials are too weak to endure."

In the Heavenly Prison's environment, anyone who lived here long-term—unless they were a martial artist—would only grow weaker. A minor illness or pain could easily kill them; such things were unavoidable.

Deaths caused by covert scheming or framing were rare.

Setting death quotas was meant to make the guards pay a little more attention—don't be careless. Call the physician when needed, don't hoard medicine. Fewer deaths look better to superiors and make life easier for everyone below.

Chen Guanlou ordered: "Have your men pay more attention. Don't spend all day gambling. I'm going out this time—might be gone a month. When I return, I expect the Jia-cell block to remain exactly as it is."

"Warden Chen, rest assured—I'll keep my boys in line. Small bets are harmless. Whoever dares to gamble big, I'll break his arm." Wu's squad leader always fawned on superiors and bullied subordinates—bluffing on the outside, cowardly within. He was cunning, but his courage was limited.

Chen Guanlou had privately instructed Wang's squad leader to keep an eye on Wu's squad leader.

Chen Guanlou stood before the cell door.

Physician Mu examined Liu Xiang's injuries. After finishing, he shook his head and whispered to Chen Guanlou: "Medicine can ease the pain, but it won't save his life."

"How much time is left?"

"Tonight, at the latest. If he's quick, maybe one or two hours."

Chen Guanlou frowned, thinking the Six Ministries had acted dishonorably—he made a mental note against Yang's squad leader.

Physician Mu hesitated, then said: "Don't be fooled by his light external wounds—all the damage is internal. The Six Ministries had a master interrogator at work—brutal, merciless, designed to make men beg to die but unable to. Liu Xiang surviving this long is nothing short of a miracle."

Chen Guanlou frowned slightly. "Perhaps he has an unfinished wish—that's why he's holding on."

"Possibly. The Six Ministries rarely use such brutal methods. This is unusual. Do you know which powerful figure Liu Xiang angered?"

"How would I know? Liu Xiang's mouth was sealed like a clam—he wouldn't say a word, only offered silver to bribe me. Could I help him? Of course not. I won't risk angering Yang's squad over him. Who knows what past grudges they had? You know—we in the Heavenly Prison only work within this small patch of land. We don't get tangled with outsiders. The Six Ministries are different—they operate all over heaven and earth, dealing with all kinds of people. Hmph…"

Chen Guanlou didn't spell it out. They were all in the same trade—they understood each other perfectly.

The Six Ministries were certainly not clean.

No one in officialdom was clean.

The Six Ministries' corruption differed from the Embroidered Uniform Guard's. The Embroidered Uniform Guard answered only upward—to the palace. The Six Ministries looked downward, dealing with broader, more varied circles.

In short, all were dirty accounts.

Physician Mu understood—better than anyone else. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed quietly in the Heavenly Prison as an obscure physician. His medical skill was more than enough for the Imperial Medical Bureau. But that pool was too deep—he feared drowning. As a lowly physician, occasionally going out to treat patients and sell medicine, his life was far more comfortable than being an imperial doctor—and free of life-threatening risks.

The environment was just awful.

"The Six Ministries' actions this time are unusual—be careful."

"Is it really that serious?"

"The Six Ministries used the Embroidered Uniform Guard's methods. Doesn't that strike you as strange?"

The Six Ministries' interrogation methods were far milder than the Embroidered Uniform Guard's. Even against criminal outlaws, beating them bloody was enough; worse, they'd just kill on the spot. Only the Embroidered Uniform Guard enjoyed torturing and tormenting prisoners—using bizarre, unimaginable methods.

Chen Guanlou nodded. Now that he said it, it was indeed unusual.

Physician Mu didn't want to get involved. After giving his warning, he picked up his medicine chest and left.

Chen Guanlou entered the cell, flipped open Liu Xiang's eyelids, and checked his breath. His breath was faint—just one last breath away from death.

"Director Liu, you heard the physician. At the latest, tonight you'll die. Do you have any last words? Say them quickly. Our Heavenly Prison is a place with humanity—unless the request is excessive, we usually grant dying men their final wishes."

"Speak now. Once you're done, I'll assign a laborer to watch over you. When you pass, we'll carry you out. It's too hot—corpses stink after one day. Are your family in the capital? Never mind—I'll send someone to notify your steward. Have him prepare your funeral robes and coffin. Once the paperwork is signed and sealed, we'll send your remains home for burial."

"Chen… Warden."

"I'm here!"

Somehow, Liu Xiang summoned strength, grabbing Chen Guanlou's sleeve. "I—I—I want… revenge…"

"Don't ask me about revenge." Chen Guanlou slowly gripped the man's hand and pried open each finger.

"You… don't… understand!"

"I don't need to understand your affairs. None of us are clean. You lost—you're unlucky. Your opponent outplayed you. You must accept it!"

"I won't accept it!" Liu Xiang's eyes blazed with fury. "I have money—I'll give you all of it. Help me get revenge."

"Leave your money to your family." Chen Guanlou gently tapped Liu Xiang's forehead. The man's eyes closed in unwillingness, and he slipped into unconsciousness.