Chapter 435: True Immortal

Chen Guanxiang handled affairs without hesitation.

One day later, he notified Chen Guanlou that the letter had been delivered and the matter was settled; do not seek him out for anything further.

What Chen Guanlou could do next was wait.

The morgue had become inaccessible; various disinfection measures had been taken, yet everyone remained deeply anxious. If this wasn't resolved soon, everyone would collectively request leave and refuse to report for duty.

Better to have no money than no life.

Although winter corpses weren't as terrifying as summer ones, the worst always loomed in the unknown. What if?

What if the Heavenly Prison suffers bad luck this year? Then there'll be no place left to cry.

Just as panic spread through the prison, the Princess's Mansion finally stirred.

Early in the morning, at the Heavenly Prison's main gate, two carriages arrived—clearly belonging to a wealthy household.

The steward stepped down, introduced himself as from the Princess's Mansion, and the gatekeeper became wildly enthusiastic, ushering the visitor inside while immediately sending someone to notify Chen Guanlou.

After waiting so long, the Princess's Mansion had finally arrived.

Chen Guanlou rushed out of the office and hurried to the gate to greet them, only to see a middle-aged? young man stepping down from the carriage.

In that instant, he finally understood Xie Changling's words: neither of them together could match this one person.

At this moment, he felt as if he had seen a celestial immortal—true immortal!

He was plainly a mortal of this world, filled with worldly desires, yet his eyes were utterly calm, devoid of craving or longing; all things in this world seemed meaningless.

He was clearly a ruthless man, yet his aura was that of a fallen immortal, untouched by earthly dust.

No wonder the old emperor nearly caused a massive scandal over this face; the ministers had to work desperately to stop him!

No wonder Princess Qingyang spared no effort to save him. In this world that values looks, there's no saving it.

Chen Guanlou's sharp eyes noticed a faint scar stretching from the young man's eye corner to his cheek—it had clearly existed for many years, now so pale it was nearly invisible.

So, Su Zishi had nearly been disfigured back then.

Without Princess Qingyang, he would have lost this face entirely.

It must have taken immense effort and countless precious herbs to fade the scar to this degree. Yet even with the scar, his immortal aura remained undimmed.

"I am the jailer of the Jia-1 cell in the Heavenly Prison, surnamed Chen, Chen Guanlou."

"I am Su Zishi, guest advisor of the Princess's Mansion."

"So you are Guest Advisor Su—please come in! The Heavenly Prison is humble; I beg your indulgence."

Su Zishi followed Chen Guanlou into the prison, paused, and sniffed the air.

Chen Guanlou quickly explained, "There's been an issue in the morgue—we're working hard to resolve it."

"Oh!"

Su Zishi gave no reaction, as if he hadn't grasped Chen Guanlou's implied meaning.

Chen Guanlou: …

Xie Changling said this man was intelligent and learned, ranked fourth in the imperial exams—he couldn't possibly have missed the subtext. What did he mean?

Regardless of his intent, Chen Guanlou led him into the office and served him fine tea.

He had no desire to provoke that madwoman, Princess Qingyang, so he aimed for perfection, striving to satisfy her completely—get this over with quickly, and everyone wins.

"May I ask, Guest Advisor Su, why have you come today regarding Jiang…"

"I wish to meet Xie Changling," Su Zishi stated his purpose.

Chen Guanlou froze.

"Just to meet Xie Changling?"

"Yes. I beg your assistance, Jailor Chen—I wish to speak with him alone."

"Alone?" Chen Guanlou pondered, weighing his words.

Su Zishi, ever perceptive, immediately added: "Here is the Princess's Mansion's official authorization—you may dispose of Jiang Fangxiu's corpse as you see fit; the Princess's Mansion will not intervene."

"That's excellent!"

Chen Guanlou beamed—the problem that had plagued him for so long was finally resolved. Thank heaven and earth.

"You wish to meet Xie Changling? That's simple. Someone, bring Xie Changling up. You two will speak in this office—no one will disturb you. I'll attend to other matters first; Guest Advisor Su, please wait a moment."

"Jailor Chen, attend to your duties—I needn't be watched. This tea is quite pleasant."

"Haha, I'm glad you enjoy it, Guest Advisor Su."

The matter had resolved itself more smoothly than expected.

Chen Guanlou held the authorization, ordered preparations for a coffin, and dispatched a runner to the Ministry of Justice to complete the paperwork—once done, return immediately without delay.

The corpse must be taken out of the city today, as soon as possible.

Also, notify Jiang Fangxiu's relatives to prepare silver for burial or transfer to a charity mortuary—resolve it quickly.

The long-standing problem plaguing the entire Heavenly Prison was now fully resolved.

See? As long as you find the right person, matters become simple. Relying on the Ministry of Justice's procedures would have taken forever.

As for why Su Zishi wanted to meet Xie Changling, or what schemes they might be plotting together—Chen Guanlou didn't care at all. He only hoped the stench above the prison would vanish soon, restoring peace to everyone.

Before Su and Xie had even finished speaking, the corpse had already been removed from the prison.

After their conversation ended, Xie Changling was returned to his cell; Su Zishi stepped out of the office, and his attendants hurried to wrap him in a pure white fox fur cloak.

Dressed in the white fox fur, Su Zishi looked even more ethereal.

Standing beneath the eaves, Chen Guanlou sensed he had something to say, and waved his hand to dismiss the jailers—no loitering; this was Princess Qingyang's man, not to be trifled with.

"I've heard rumors about the Heavenly Prison. Too bad I was once imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, not here. Had I been held here, perhaps things would have been different."

"One must look forward," Chen Guanlou murmured.

"I've heard the changes in the Heavenly Prison began with you, Jailor Chen."

"Excessive praise—I merely fulfilled my duty."

"I never expected Jiang Fangxiu's death to drag on so long and cause you so much trouble. There were too many matters; when subordinates reported it, I became distracted and forgot. Fortunately, you reminded me a second time."

Chen Guanlou: …

He felt uneasy—and curious.

Wasn't he supposed to have changed completely?

So far, Su Zishi had been easy to speak with and considerate of others.

"I'm glad Guest Advisor Su doesn't hold it against me."

"Of course not. I have no taste for desecrating corpses. The dead are dead—past grievances are erased. To make up for the trouble caused to the prison, I intend to donate a batch of cotton garments—is that acceptable?"

"Perfectly acceptable. Guest Advisor Su has thought of everything. With this weather, the prison desperately needs warm clothing."

"A few days from now, someone will deliver the garments. They may not all be new—most may be secondhand, worn by others. I hope you won't find them beneath your dignity."

"Not at all! Absolutely not! Secondhand cotton garments are perfect—they're exactly what our prison needs."

Su Zishi suddenly smiled.

In that moment, Chen Guanlou understood the power of literature—how one smile could bewitch a hundred hearts. A man this beautiful was truly dangerous; even eating off a woman's wealth required wide-open eyes, or you'd fall into the trap of some cold, unscrupulous older man.