Chapter 388: Don

"I am the Chief Warden—how can I not control a mere squad leader? Do you think I won't remove you right now?"

Chief Warden Lei roared, venting his inner fury.

Shi Hong stood unmoved like a mountain, saying only, "Try it."

Beside him, Wu Bandou secretly raised a thumb—damn, Shi Hong's turned the tables! So bold, daring to stand up straight to the Chief Warden! Never saw this coming!

Tsk tsk…

Today's show is a good one.

"Fine, I'll grant your wish—I'm removing you from your post. Go back to being a prison guard. Unhappy? Then become a menial laborer."

Shi Hong's face was stern, imposing, as he said, "You don't get to decide."

"I am the Chief Warden! In the Heavenly Prison, my word is law!" Chief Warden Lei was livid.

This is all Chen Guanlou's doing—everyone's turned against heaven.

That pest Chen Guanlou should be thrown out of the Heavenly Prison and never set foot inside again.

Shi Hong snorted, "Chen Yuli won't agree. I've done my job well these past years—you have no grounds to remove me."

"Chen Guanlou is nothing! Disrespecting your superior is reason enough—even before the Golden Throne, I'd be in the right!"

Shi Hong grunted twice, "You don't get to decide. The men down here won't accept it."

"This is rebellion! Wu Bandou, you tell me—is my word law? Do I have the authority to remove Shi Hong?"

Wu Bandou: …

Wu Bandou wrestled internally, then suddenly had a flash of insight: "Why bother with Shi Hong, a stubborn fool? He's known for being rigid, mentally flawed since childhood—can't adapt." As he spoke, he tapped his own head.

He continued: "My lord, have some tea and calm down. This matter isn't about right or wrong—it's about differing perspectives. You rarely come down to the Heavenly Prison, so you don't know how arrogant these convict officials are. They openly kill our guards. Today they kill guards, tomorrow they'll kill yuli, the day after they'll kill the Chief Warden."

"My lord, before Master Fan, it was Jiang Yucheng who held this post. Jiang had scholarship, powerful patrons, and excelled as Chief Warden—everyone respected him. But one day, he suddenly died—drowned in alcohol. And he wasn't the only one to die this way in the Heavenly Prison."

"If you don't believe me, check the archives—they're all recorded. Officially, Jiang Yucheng died by accident, but we all know he was silenced. What a terrible fate!"

Chief Warden Lei paused, then exploded in rage: "Who are you trying to scare? I wasn't raised on threats!"

"Unfair! My lord, I'm innocent! I have no intention of frightening you. I'm merely warning you—this place is dangerous. Especially those convict officials—they're arrogant even inside prison, killing at will, treating us guards like cattle, ants. Even the Chief Warden isn't safe. I only want you to know: never pity those convicts—they brought it on themselves. If we show weakness today, they'll escalate tomorrow. Our lives are cheap—we die, we die. But you're different. You're a Chaotingmingguan, your future is bright. If you die at the hands of those convicts, how bitter, how unjust!"

Wu Bandou performed flawlessly—tears came instantly. The other three squad leaders watched expressionlessly, deeply impressed.

Such a talent for crying on command—most people can't pull it off. Not at all.

Chief Warden Lei seemed shaken, his face shifting colors, yet his mouth remained stubborn—the hardest thing on him was his tongue.

He growled, "I haven't provoked those convicts—why would they target me? Don't spout nonsense."

"My lord, you don't understand. For their own interests, those convicts will do anything. What if they go mad and decide to kill one to warn the rest? Who in the entire prison is more suitable, more intimidating, than you?"

Wu Bandou leaned close to Chief Warden Lei: "We are the monkeys. You are the chicken."

"Nonsense! How am I the chicken?" Chief Warden Lei's face twisted, his eyes terrifying.

"But for the ironclad system, the Chief Warden's position is the chicken. I sincerely hope you rise safely to greater rank and wealth—don't let anything happen. But these convicts have grown bolder this year. Fortunately, Chen Yuli acted decisively to crush their arrogance. Otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable."

"My lord, think: Chen Yuli is backed by Hou Fu and is growing in favor. Those convicts pick their targets—they won't dare touch him. So you, my lord, will become their target. They have money, connections, influence—killing a Chief Warden is child's play. Be vigilant! Don't follow Jiang Yucheng's path!"

"Stop trying to frighten me," Chief Warden Lei forced calm. "Wu Bandou, you're spreading alarm—what are you really after?"

"My lord, I'm innocent!" Wu Bandou began wailing again, crying out innocence while his eyes darted around. "If you don't believe me, ask those three—did I lie? Was Jiang Yucheng's death caused by those convicts?"

"Definitely those convicts. The inmates in Yi and Bing wards have no reason to kill Jiang Yucheng. Only those in Jia ward are mad enough to do it."

"Chen Yuli cracked down on them to instill fear. Order cannot be restored yet—otherwise, they'll look down on us, and our lives will be in danger."

"We guards are lowly—we die, we die. But if you die, my lord, what a waste! Your future is bright—you wouldn't want to die in the Heavenly Prison."

"My lord, this matter affects everything. Chen Yuli made his decision after deep thought—not just to show off power."

"Since the deposed Crown Prince, the atmosphere in Jia ward has been strange. Chen Yuli acted swiftly, ordering Jia ward sealed—a harsh lesson for those convicts."

"My lord, those convicts are insane. If you don't believe me, go down and see for yourself."

The men buzzed like hundreds of ducks around Chief Warden Lei's ears.

He didn't know if the convict officials were mad—but he himself was nearly driven mad. Nearly driven mad by these squad leaders.

The people Chen Guanlou trained—all have sharp tongues. Even the dumbest, Shi Hong, can rattle off a whole speech.

He gritted his teeth: "All of you—shut up! No one will harm me. You won't deceive me with your witchcraft."