Chapter 1248

"Before the warden came back, Lin Cheng stayed in the cell, discussing things together with his colleagues in the other three cells. Although they couldn't put theory into practice, there was absolutely no problem with the theoretical discussions. They chatted quite happily with one another, and weren't disturbed by the people in the prison. One could say everything was just fine.

Seeing this, the other forgers also stopped their steps out of the prison one after another—if Master Lin Cheng didn't leave from here, then neither would they.

"Master Lin Cheng, I beg you, I'd call you grandpa, please don't stay here any longer. I really can't bear the responsibility of having you here. If the General finds out, he'll have my skin for sure!"

"Fine then, I'll do it for your sake."

The warden was a man who understood the ways of the world. With things said to that extent, Lin Cheng didn't want to make things difficult for him either, so he walked straight out of the prison gate. Only when the other forgers saw this did they file out one after another.

"Right…my lords, let me see you out." Seeing Lin Cheng and the other forgers walk out, only then did a rather relieved smile appear on the warden's face, and he wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

He was, after all, a man of some standing in this prison, but compared to Lin Cheng and President Huoerde, his status wasn't worth a fart. If this lord had stayed in the cell the whole time, then his fortune and his career really would have been in jeopardy. Fortunately, they were about to leave now, and nothing had happened.

"What about that bastard from before? Didn't he make any kind of statement? He just arrested us on a whim." The one speaking was the forger who had spoken up for Lin Cheng earlier—he was Gongsun Li, vice president of the Forgers' Zaoshigong Society from a neighboring city. Now he was extremely dissatisfied with the city guard captain who had arrested them earlier.

Even though the warden had already said it was a misunderstanding, he still felt very uncomfortable about it.

"My lord, the one you're talking about must be a subordinate of our city lord, Deputy General Li. You're right, please don't be angry—they're just like that, no manners, and stubborn to a fault…I'll apologize on their behalf to you. A great man like you doesn't bear grudges against small fry…how could they understand the contributions you've made to the Empire, don't you think? 〃〃"

After that whole string of bootlicking, the anger in Gongsun Li's heart mostly dissipated as well. Forgive where forgiveness is due; there was no need to really fall out with the city guards, since he would be staying here for some time anyway.

"Don't let me see him again! Otherwise…heh heh."

"Don't worry, my lord. The General has already conveyed it to Deputy General Li, and he will certainly punish the other party properly." The warden did know that recently a large number of forgers had come to Boulder Fortress City, all because Master Lin Cheng had made the new complete inscription compendium public, and furthermore Your Majesty was also very pleased about it, and thus fully supported the rise of the Empire's forgers.

One could say that the status of the forger profession had risen with the tide all at once; the present was completely different from the past.

In the past, catching a blacksmith was just catching a blacksmith—lock him up for a few days and let him go. Now, catch the wrong blacksmith and he might turn out to be a master forger from some city. Not only did the city guards have to act carefully, even the prison of Boulder Fortress City had to take good care of them, afraid that the other party might be conducting some forging research—light punishment at worst, losing his official hat at worst.

Just like the matter before their eyes—the dimwit city guards had raided the Zaoshigong Society and even arrested two eighth-rank forgers. If he didn't handle this matter well, he was done for.

"Hmph, that's more like it." Gongsun Li haughtily put on a sour face.

Seeing that the lord before him had calmed down, the warden ran over again to fawn before Lin Cheng and President Huoerde.

"Master Lin Cheng and President Huoerde, would you like me to find a few carriages to send you back?"

"Forget it."

President Huoerde had just gone through this incident, having been innocently dragged in, and he still felt quite depressed about it, his mood not very good.

Lin Cheng, on the other hand, was quite indifferent.

"…Just right, then. We won't go to the Zaoshigong Society. Arrange carriages to take us to Flying Fox Restaurant instead—we booked a private room there."

"Yes, Master Lin Cheng." The warden immediately went down to see to it.

The prison had carriages on hand, and as for coachmen, just grabbing a few prison guards would do. Anyone who wasn't willing would have his salary docked next month!