Chapter 977: No Next Time

“No no no...”

Meng Laoda shook his head like a rattle drum, terrified that even a moment’s delay would cost him his life.

“I’m not reluctant! I’m just stunned—I didn’t react in time! Ma Liu deserved to die! Brother Chen killed him well, killed him perfectly!”

Meng Laoda reacted quickly, swiftly shifting his stance and changing his words.

Chen Guanlou nodded in satisfaction and patted him on the shoulder.

With that single pat, Meng Laoda instantly seemed to shrink, instinctively bending his waist, slightly hunching his body—assuming a posture of submission.

“Brother Meng, rest easy. The Heavenly Prison and the Six Ministries are all family. I never make trouble for my own kin—you can sleep soundly.”

Meng Laoda forced a smile, his expression strained, “Everything is as Brother Chen wishes. I truly had no idea the brats below could cause such a disaster.”

Chen Guanlou chuckled softly, “Causing trouble isn’t the issue—it’s cleaning up the mess, leaving no trace. Too bad, the Six Ministries’ brothers handled this too crudely. Perhaps they didn’t respect the Heavenly Prison’s men, or maybe they couldn’t bear to spend silver to bribe every official and rewrite the case file. Tsk tsk...”

A case file passes through at least twenty hands, each leaving their signature and seal for traceability.

To replace it entirely, to cover every detail and leave no trace, means bribing every single person who touched it. How much silver would that take?

Clearly, someone was stingy with money—unwilling to spend it!

So they just faked it, hoping to slip through. Even if exposed, the Heavenly Prison’s jailers would take the blame!

The plan sounded perfect. Reality was brutal.

Fortunately, Chen Guanlou didn’t slack off—he chose to inspect the cells. Otherwise, when they reached the execution ground and discovered the prisoner was the wrong man, the scene would’ve been unimaginable. How could they hide it before so many eyes? Even if superiors wanted to soften the blow and downplay the matter, there’d be no way to recover.

Some things can be done, even spoken of—but only in private, and only if every detail is flawless, leaving no trace.

Once exposed in the light, once the dirty dealings are revealed, to quell public outrage and restore the Yamen ’s reputation, even if unwilling, you must kill one to warn a hundred. How many heads will fall? Impossible to predict!

In the end, the Six Ministries’ actions this time were a grave violation.

Chen Guanlou didn’t care that the Six Ministries had swapped prisoners. He cared only that they’d been careless, left traces, and made the Heavenly Prison take the fall. Such conduct must be crushed mercilessly.

Seeing Meng Laoda drenched in cold sweat, trembling all over, he smiled and asked, “What are you afraid of? I’m not going to kill you.”

Meng Laoda gasped “Ah!” and snapped back to reality.

“Thank you, Brother Chen, for sparing my life! But... but... what should we do with Ma Liu’s body?”

“Tell them Ma Liu died suddenly in prison. What do you think of that excuse?” Chen Guanlou asked with a smile.

Meng Laoda nodded immediately, “Perfect! That excuse is brilliant! Brother Chen, truly brilliant!”

The flattery was crude, but seeing the man’s panic, Chen Guanlou reluctantly forgave him.

“The follow-up will require some effort from your Six Ministries brothers.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Brother Meng, it’s late tonight. I’ll find you for drinks another time. But don’t repeat this mistake! If I find out you do it again and still try to make the Heavenly Prison take the blame, don’t blame me for tearing up our brotherhood and turning on you!”

“Dare not! No next time! Brother Chen, rest assured—I’ll deal with those brats the moment I return. Every last one is lawless, defying imperial law—they deserve to die!” Meng Laoda pounded his chest in pledge.

Chen Guanlou smiled faintly and said, “Fine. Next time, everyone dies.”

With that, he picked up Ma Liu’s body and left the room.

Meng Laoda collapsed onto the ground, soaked in sweat, his clothes stained with damp patches.

He didn’t feel hot—he shivered, his body trembling slightly.

Thank heaven and earth—he’d kept his life.

The pressure from a ninth-rank martial artist nearly broke him—he’d almost wet himself.

At least Ma Liu, this pest, was truly dead—finally, one troublesome matter resolved.

Chen Guanlou carried the body back to the Heavenly Prison under cover of night.

He tossed it down before Xu Fugui and said, “This is the real Ma Liu. Your life is saved.”

Xu Fugui leapt to his feet, his face pale and green.

For the past two days, he’d lived in constant dread, too afraid to go home, sleeping in the prison.

In the dead of night, a corpse suddenly appeared before him—he was terrified, yet overjoyed.

“Is this truly Ma Liu?”

“Compare his physical features to the case file. See if they match.”

“They match perfectly! When the official acts, there’s no mistake.”

After the worst of his panic passed, Xu Fugui beamed with joy. The real Ma Liu captured—every threat lifted.

He was ecstatic!

Tears streamed down his face!

He dropped to his knees right there, bowing in gratitude—his life saved, he had no way to repay it except to continue shining in his post as jailer of the Bing-cell prison.

Chen Guanlou watched his shameless display and kicked him.

“Stop talking nonsense. Get that body into the cell and clean it up.”

“Yes yes yes, Master’s words are right. This corpse is too clean—it needs cleaning. But what about the Ma Liu locked in the cell? What should we do with him? Should we...”

As he spoke, Xu Fugui made a throat-slitting gesture.

Chen Guanlou kicked him again, too tired to argue, and ordered, “At dawn, release him. Give him two taels for travel expenses. If you won’t pay, go ask the Six Ministries.”

“I’ll pay! I’ll pay! This is my fault—I was careless when receiving the prisoner, didn’t cross-check the case file properly before locking him up. I’ll cover his travel expenses!”

Xu Fugui knew when to yield and when to sacrifice money. A few taels meant nothing. Compared to his life and future, they were worthless.

“If there’s a next time...”

“No next time! No next time, I swear!” Xu Fugui waved his hands frantically, as if ready to tear out his heart to prove his resolve.

Chen Guanlou smiled faintly and asked, “How about docking half a year’s bonus?”

Huh?

Half a year?!

This this this...

Every soul in the prison relied on their monthly bonus to survive. Half a year’s deduction? That’s a death sentence.

“Master, could you please show mercy?”

“Fine. I’ll remove you from your post. Let the capable take it. How’s that?”

“Just dock the bonus for half a year!” Xu Fugui slumped, voice hollow, as if mourning his own death. He knew the stakes—money mattered, but not as much as his post.

As long as he kept his job, the money would come again.

He’d just have to live frugally for the next six months.