Chapter 609 - 393: Seeking Death (Part 2)

"I’ve never heard of this before," Li Hong pondered briefly and said, "Maybe there were two people involved in the prison robbery."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xun’s eyes flashed as he turned his head and slowly walked back to the center of the dungeon, where the hole was. He suddenly looked outside the cell and asked, "Where did this hole originate from?"

"It was dug from an abandoned house not far from the dungeon. My men have surrounded that house and are currently investigating among the residents nearby to see if anyone had noticed anything unusual over the past few days, or heard any strange noises."

Chen Xun nodded slightly and gave the person outside the door a faint look.

He stood there for a while longer, then sighed lightly and walked out of the cell.

At this moment, the flames from the torches outside were still crackling, but the sky had already brightened considerably. Chen Xun glanced at Shen Yanliu’s cell not far away, then turned to give Li Hong a sideways glance, "In three hours, it will be time for the noon execution. You must personally guard Shen Yanliu and ensure nothing goes wrong this time."

"Rest assured, Mansion Master!" Li Hong responded with clasped fists behind Chen Xun.

Li Hong was a formidable expert at True Qi Realm Second Level, and now that it was daylight, Chen Xun assumed nothing unexpected would happen here.

Although the dungeon had been besieged by a prison robbery, fortunately, the most important criminal, Shen Yanliu, had not been compromised.

Thinking of this made Chen Xun shudder with fear for a moment—if Shen Yanliu had been rescued, all his efforts would have been in vain. After all, Shen Yanliu was no clean person, but then again, neither was he, although he had carefully devised a plan and struck first.

Fortunately, the ones involved in the prison break were clearly targeting Tang Wanhong.

Previously, when setting a trap for Tang Wanhong himself, he had investigated this person.

Tang Wanhong originally was an antique dealer, but his shrewdness and street smarts earned him Shen Yanliu’s favor.

With more than two to three decades of friendship, Tang Wanhong had long become Shen Yanliu’s most trusted confidant.

Mingling in the Jianghu, the people he associated with were a mixed bag, and after joining Shen Yanliu, he networked widely on Shen Yanliu’s behalf, in ways that were beyond the imagination of most people.

Among those he interacted with, there might have been brave loyalists who, knowing about his grave situation, devised a means to rescue him.

As for killing Xiong Yi, it was likely the disturbances on their side alarmed Xiong Yi, who was not far away.

Xiong Yi’s position was originally arranged by Chen Xun to guard Shen Yanliu.

As for Shen Yanliu, after this case, the two had already fallen out, he and Tang Wanhong were nearly enemies. Since those people were there to rescue Tang Wanhong, why would they care about Shen Yanliu?

On his way back to the Prefecture Government Office on horseback, Chen Xun no longer felt so anxious.

In this case, Tang Wanhong had become an insignificant figure; capturing him initially was to apprehend Shen Yanliu. Since Shen Yanliu had been taken down, his value was exhausted.

Even so, since this was a major prison robbery case, he would still investigate with full force, but that would have to wait until he executed Shen Yanliu at noon on this day.

Without this person’s death, he wouldn’t be able to relieve the burden weighing on his heart.

Initially, upon hearing about the robbery at the Prefecture City dungeon, he thought Shen Yanliu had gotten away. Therefore, on his way to the dungeon, he inquired about news from the Shen Mizi side with Li Hong.

Li Hong said he had recently received news from there; Shen Mizi had left the border post only the previous evening, so she could reach Ruyang City by the earliest later this morning.

In a wilderness twenty miles outside of Tongbai County!

An desolate forest devoid of human presence, yet at this moment, a carriage was rumbling along, stopping shortly thereafter outside a broken temple.

Ximen Kankan pulled the reins with a "whoa."

The jolt of the carriage woke up Duan Rong, who had been asleep.

Duan Rong got up, lifted the curtain, and saw the familiar sight of the desolate forest and broken temple, the same place they used to rest when escorting goods in years past.

He dismounted, carrying Shen Yanliu inside the temple, laying him down on a pile of dry straw in a corner.

At this time, Ximen Kankan, having tied the carriage, also walked inside, gazing fixedly at Shen Yanliu.

Shen Yanliu was covered in filth, his face pale, with a small crust of blood on his right cheek.

Previously, they had been in darkness, and Ximen Kankan hadn’t seen Shen Yanliu, only hearing from Duan Rong that he had rescued him. Now upon seeing, it truly was Shen Yanliu lying there, making him feel quite impressed.

That was the Prefecture City dungeon, after all!

Moreover, it was a place where an Inspector General level criminal was held!

Duan Rong turned his head right as he caught sight of Ximen Kankan’s somewhat astonished expression. With a smile, he said, "What do you think? Are you overwhelmed by admiration for me, like a river that flows endlessly?"

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan’s shocked face suddenly turned into a mischievous grin. He laughed and said, "Yes! My admiration for you is just like holding a full bladder all night long, ready to splash all over your face!"

After Ximen Kankan finished speaking, he immediately hid by the temple gate, afraid that Duan Rong might take the chance to kick him.

Duan Rong only glanced at him, as he didn’t have the time to mess around with Ximen Kankan.

First, he turned his hand to take out a medicine pill. This was something Shen Ping had left behind. Duan Rong decided to give one to Shen Yanliu. His body was covered with injuries, and his dantian was destroyed; his wounds were quite severe. After going through all this trouble to get him out of the dungeon, wouldn’t it be a waste if he died?

Next, Duan Rong gathered his divine sense, penetrating throughout Shen Yanliu’s various bone joints. Suddenly, he extended his hand, pinching at various points on Shen Yanliu’s body.

He was resetting the dislocated bones of Shen Yanliu.

The bones in his body made a series of cracking sounds, and Shen Yanliu was evidently in considerable pain, letting out a muffled groan.

The pill he had just swallowed already had detoxifying effects. Coupled with the acute pain in his body at that moment, Shen Yanliu suddenly came around.

His mind was initially groggy, then he quickly looked at Duan Rong beside him and the surrounding environment.

Shen Yanliu’s eyes suddenly concentrated, and he immediately scanned the area, seeing Ximen Kankan standing at the temple gate, this dilapidated temple, and through the gate, he also saw the wilderness outside.

This was clearly not the dungeon of the Prefecture City.

"Where is this?" Shen Yanliu’s throat was dry and hoarse. He looked at Duan Rong and asked.

Duan Rong replied, "This is a broken temple in the outskirts of Tongbai County."

Shen Yanliu’s eyes moved; Tongbai County was already some distance from Ruyang Prefecture. "Did you rescue me?"

"Yes."

"Did Mizhi instruct you to save me?"

"Yes!"

Shen Yanliu coldly said, "Send me back!"

Duan Rong was slightly stunned, and he and Ximen Kankan exchanged glances, confused about what Shen Yanliu wanted to do. This person seemed to have no sense of gratitude. Someone saved him, and he said nothing of thanks, yet wanted to go back.

Ximen Kankan said, "Going back is certain death!"

Shen Yanliu said, "I am already a cripple; dying is nothing to regret! This way, I would implicate Mizhi and also you! It is not worth it!"

Duan Rong said, "Since I saved you, I won’t leave any evidence for them to pursue."

Shen Yanliu’s eyes flickered.

He did not distrust Duan Rong, but he really couldn’t figure out what Duan Rong meant by there being no evidence for them to pursue.

He was an Inspector General of the Prefecture, a high-profile criminal case personally tried by the Mansion Master. Now having escaped from prison, how could they let it go unpursued?

Shen Yanliu shook his head, saying, "If I am not dead, Chen Xun will not spare Mizhi!"

"Send me back, otherwise, I will dash my head here and die!" As Shen Yanliu spoke, he struggled to get up.

His body was riddled with fractured joints. This movement immediately caused him to sweat in pain, panting heavily, yet he still struggled to move toward the big pillar over there.

Duan Rong watched Shen Yanliu’s fierce attempt to seek death and felt a slight stirring in his heart.

He knew, he feared implicating Shen Mizi. Tigers do not eat their cubs!

Suddenly, he flicked his sleeve and scattered a bout of powerful knockout powder onto Shen Yanliu’s face. Shen Yanliu, already panting heavily, inhaled much of the powder, immediately feeling the world spinning as his vision went black, causing him to pass out once again.

Duan Rong laid Shen Yanliu back on the pile of straw and turned his head to look at Ximen Kankan, saying, "Watch over him. If he wakes up again, talk to him properly and tell him Shen Mizi will be here to see him soon."

Ximen Kankan looked troubled, saying, "I’m not so sure I can handle him!"

"If you can’t handle him, knock him out."

Duan Rong said this as he walked out the door, tossing a black porcelain bottle by Ximen Kankan’s foot as he exited.

When Ximen Kankan saw the bottle, his eyes immediately lit up, as it was obviously the knockout powder that Duan Rong had used to knock out Shen Yanliu earlier.

Duan Rong hadn’t expected Shen Yanliu to be so vehement; if he’d known, he wouldn’t have woken him up. Shen Ping’s pill had detoxifying effects, and the potent knockout powder would probably only last a short while.

What a headache!