Chapter 945: No Shame, Ruthless Enough to Win

Deep in the night, torches burned in the Jia-class prison, occasionally crackling with bursts of flame.

Chen Guanlou led Zhuang Yifei to the cell door holding Inspector Geng.

Inspector Geng saw Zhuang Yifei and turned pale with shock, unable to believe his eyes—his expression was as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Are you man or ghost?” he asked, voicing his fear and disbelief.

“I’m certainly human.”

“How could you possibly be here? How are you still alive? Why haven’t you died yet?” Inspector Geng, now certain the man was flesh and blood, erupted in furious, hysterical screams, his face twisted into a grotesque mask that discarded all scholarly dignity.

“Since you’re still alive, how could I dare die?” Zhuang Yifei sneered coldly. “Not being able to kill me—must’ve disappointed you.”

“Chen Jailor, Chen Jailor, this man—he insulted my wife and daughter, ruined my reputation, his hands are stained with blood—he’s a wanted criminal the court is hunting. Kill him quickly!”

Inspector Geng, furious and agitated, pointed at Zhuang Yifei, his eyes blazing with rage yet tinged with excitement.

You had a path to heaven but refused it; now you’ve walked straight into hell’s door!

Then don’t blame me for being ruthless—strike while he’s weak, finish him off.

Chen Guanlou crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, ignoring Inspector Geng’s shouts. He wanted to hear the full story—what grudges lay between them, who was right, who was wrong.

Only by understanding the full history could he know how to handle this properly.

Zhuang Yifei sneered coldly. “Insulted your wife and daughter? How dare you say that? I and A Fen were deeply in love, betrothed by matchmaker and parental decree. You, jealous, came to steal her away—you’re the one who stole my wife.”

Inspector Geng roared in fury. “You knew A Fen and I grew up together, childhood sweethearts—you knew I’d already chosen her. Why did you still propose to her? Why did you still compete with me? You were the first to act unjustly—don’t blame me!”

“Lies! You claim you chose her, but when her family fell into ruin, where were you? She, shameless, went to beg for your help—your servants threw her out the front gate. Where were you? When your mother humiliated her, where were you? Only after I helped her family through hardship and our families arranged the betrothal did you appear to steal her away. You threatened her father’s life to force him to break the engagement—Geng Dalang, do you even have a face?”

“How don’t I have a face?” Inspector Geng leapt up, shouting. “I married A Fen—wasn’t that taking responsibility for her?”

“You married her? And then what? You ignored her, let your mother and sisters torment her, let your servants degrade her. If not for your coldness and cruelty, how could she have died before thirty? Even the child she bore you—you couldn’t even protect. Geng Dalang, you’re unworthy to be called human.”

Zhuang Yifei, consumed by rage, listed each accusation one by one.

Chen Guanlou listened, increasingly intrigued by this “A Fen.” What kind of beautiful, gentle, virtuous woman could make two men, past their prime, still cling to hatred and blame each other?

Inspector Geng gnashed his teeth. “Then what about you slandering my name to outsiders? You knew I was seeking a master—you spread rumors about me to my prospective teacher, sabotaging my quest to become his disciple. You deserve to die!”

“Then I ask you—during that exam, I suffered digestive troubles, frequent diarrhea, collapsed from dehydration mid-exam. You ruined my future, shattered my Dao heart. Who poisoned my food?”

“You suspect me?”

“Who else could it be? Only you could get near my food. Only you would harm me. Only you hated me this much!”

“Then what about you falsely accusing my family to the authorities?” Inspector Geng swiftly changed the subject—clearly, he was the one who’d poisoned Zhuang Yifei’s food the day before the exam, causing him to collapse from dehydration and be expelled from the examination hall—his fate, utterly pitiful.

This grudge was worse than family annihilation, worse than killing one’s father or mother!

The hatred was indeed immense.

Chen Guanlou clicked his tongue.

Between people… truly, you can never be too careful.

Inspector Geng was clearly no good man—a petty villain.

Of course, Zhuang Yifei wasn’t any better.

“False accusation? Hahahaha… Did I even need to fabricate anything? Your family’s crimes didn’t need me to expose them! You gained your official title, then turned and colluded with the authorities to frame my family—my household was destroyed. I barely escaped death, forced to flee my homeland, yet you still wouldn’t let me live—you hunted me down, hired killers, drove me into banditry, then openly called for the authorities to crush me. Thankfully, heaven had eyes—after all these years, you never succeeded. Now you’re a prisoner—hahahaha…”

Zhuang Yifei laughed bitterly, his laughter filled with resentment, grief, guilt for his family, longing for the past, and fury at being unable to slit his enemy’s throat.

“You got what you deserved. All of it—you deserved it!”

Inspector Geng was shattered, furious, stripped of all his usual composure. He paced like a caged beast. “You deserved it! Who told you to fight me? Everyone who fights me ends badly. Heaven’s blind—why are you still alive? Chen Jailor, kill him! Kill him! Five thousand taels—collect it at dawn!”

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow slightly, spread his hands—this was non-negotiable.

Seeing this, Zhuang Yifei smirked triumphantly. “You really think everyone’s as greedy and heartless as you? Chen Jailor is a martial hero revered across the Jianghu—benevolent and righteous—how could he tolerate your arrogance? You’re dead!”

Inspector Geng glared venomously at him, then shouted again. “Chen Jailor, you’re an official—how can you befriend a bandit? We’re both servants of the state—we should support each other. Kill him for me, and you’ll be richly rewarded. Even if you refuse, this Zhuang is a bandit who dares to shout in the Heavenly Prison—he’s defying the law! Chen Jailor, are you truly going to ignore this?”

“Have you both finished speaking?”

Chen Guanlou slowly straightened his body, his aura shifting instantly. Moments before, he had been a silent listener, absorbed in gossip and grudges, nearly invisible.

Now, standing tall, his presence surged—dominating the entire space.

Zhuang Yifei involuntarily swallowed hard—could this be the pressure of a Ninth-Rank martial cultivator?

Inspector Geng, too, seemed to calm slightly, his voice dropping. “Chen Jailor, don’t be deceived by this Zhuang—he’s a bandit, must be eliminated at once.”

“After listening to both sides, I understand,” Chen Guanlou said, scratching his ear, pointing at Zhuang Yifei. “Neither of you are good men. As for you—you’ve been passive, suffering, your retaliation feeble. Simply put: bad luck. As for you…”

He pointed at Inspector Geng. “You strike fast, cruel, precise—no shame, utterly ruthless. Zhuang Yifei losing to you? No surprise.”