Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Chapter 166: Sub-Palace of the Human Emperor

Chapter 167: Chapter 166: Sub-Palace of the Human Emperor

Translator: 549690339

In the gloomy and dark dungeon, the only light came from the oil lamp on the wall, casting a few shadows that flickered and danced upon the walls, growing longer and then shorter.

“Brother Ma, Sister-in-law, why are you two also locked up here?” Zhang Konghu sounded somewhat excited, he couldn’t believe he would meet his colleagues here. What was that saying again?

Reuniting with old acquaintances in a foreign land.

The couple Ma Zhuo were seated in another prison cell, separated from Zhang Konghu by sturdy logs.

“Are you… Konghu?” Zhang Konghu had disguised himself, and for a moment Ma Zhuo’s couple didn’t recognize him, they only identified him by his manner of speaking.

Zhang Konghu nodded vigorously.

“It’s me.”

Ma Zhuo’s couple were full of regret. Even Konghu, a simple man, understood that he needed to change his appearance when going out. Why were they so bold to sell books with their original faces?

“You actually know to change your appearance?”

“I learned it from brother Jiang. In order to observe the truth of Jiuzhou, brother Jiang often disguises himself when he goes out. I figured, as a commander, I should follow brother Jiang’s example and disguise myself when going out.”

Heartbreaking, Konghu.

“I was caught because I said ‘let’s talk about it tomorrow’, offending the taboo against saying ‘tomorrow’. Did you guys get caught for the same reason?”

“More or less.” Ma Zhuo and his wife dodged his gaze, not daring to meet Zhang Konghu’s sincere eyes.

“Konghu, you know that we often write some thought essays and sell them in volumes. It seems that we violated the taboos of Dayong and were arrested.” Being a profound scholar, Commander Zhuo was extremely tactful in his words-

“Yes, yes.” Lieutenant Ma nodded, “Our books are very popular, other books often have readers complaining about this and that, but only our books, everyone says thank you to the author after reading, and says that the author has worked hard.”

“So that’s it, Dayong is really hateful, even arresting writers like you!” Zhang

Konghu said with indignation, though he did not know what kind of books Ma Zhuo and his wife sold, he knew they would not deceive him. They must be excellent authors.

“Young lad, why were you arrested?” A young trainee who was locked together with Zhang Konghu.

This was a young trainee who had just started out, only at the Qi Cultivation stage.

“A government officer stopped me in the middle of the street and said that I can’t say the word ‘tomorrow’. I told him I understood.” It took Zhang Konghu a while to figure out why he was arrested.

“Oh.”

“But it’s ok, I have a brother, he will save me.” The young cultivator didn’t worry about his situation, “I tell you elder brother, I have a brother named Little Wood. He must be the one who came out for the tour of a great family. He knows a lot of things and many incredible spells. He would know I was arrested and would certainly come to save me.”

As soon as the words were spoken, a shadow passed through the wall and appeared in the dungeon.

“Ayan, I have come to save you.”

“Little Wood, you really came!”

The two brothers embraced warmly, like a reunion after a long separation in life and death.

“Little Wood, can you save this elder brother too? He is innocent too.”

“No problem, no problem, this prison is as if there is no one in sight to me.” Little Wood was high -spirited; he enjoyed being relied upon and trusted.

“Brother Wood, long time no see.” Zhang Konghu greeted Little Wood courteously.

Ma Zhuo and his wife in the next cell also greeted Little Wood, “Commander Wood, long time no see.”

Little Wood was stunned in place.

Why were Zhang Konghu and Ma Zhuo’s couple here?

Counting him, four out of the six commanders of the Imperial Palace were here.

Having a meeting?

Commander Wood liked to blend in with the young cultivators, pretending to be a high-level cultivator. He never thought that he would meet his colleagues while pretending to be a high-level cultivator, and he met three all at once.

“Konghu, I am here to save you.” An anxious voice came from the air, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became gloomy and oppressive, giving people an involuntary pessimistic feeling.

“Konghu, you are confused. Why do you insist on being detained here? With your abilities, isn’t it like a walk in the park if you want to escape?” As the only friend of this integrated cultivator, he rushed here as soon as he heard that Zhang Konghu was captured by the contemptible Dayong.

“No, I’m not leaving.” Zhang Konghu decisively shook his head, refusing the proposition, “If I want to escape, wouldn’t I be a fugitive, confirming that I am a criminal?”

“I’m not leaving.”

“The decree from Emperor Yong is clearly a mistake, why do you have to follow him in continuing this mistake?” The integrated cultivator could not understand Zhang Konghu.

“Emperor Yong is the ruler of a country, he can’t be wrong.”

“…so you are the one in the wrong?”

“I’m not wrong either.”

“So if Emperor Yong isn’t wrong, and you aren’t either, then why are you locked up here?”

“I don’t know. I am trying to figure this out.” Zhang Konghu stubbornly shook his head, “I won’t leave until I figure it out.”

The integrated cultivator held his face in his hand. Why did Commander Liu let Zhang Konghu read books, and why were they books on rational argumentation?

Look at him now, a good natured simple fellow has turned into a stubborn one, who can’t even be reasoned with.

The integrated cultivator said exasperatedly: “Among the five of us, you are the only one who does the work, while the four of us are goofing off. If you don’t leave, is Brother Jiang going to inspect Jiuzhou relying on us?

After he finished speaking, the integrated cultivator felt three cold gazes fixed on his back.

“Commander Huang, long time no see.” Commander Wood took the initiative to greet him warmly.

“Commander Huang, long time no see.” Ma Zhuo and his wife also smiled and greeted him.

The integrated cultivator squatted in the corner, lost in thought, frozen in place, glancing at Commander Wood, then with a rigid turn of his head, looking at Ma Zhuo’s couple next door who were also greeting him cordially.

The integrated cultivator squatted in the corner, deep in thought.

“I knew it, nothing in my work has ever gone smoothly. What is the point of living, after all, wealth and fame are but fleeting clouds, life is full of difficulties. Even in jail, when one is venting one’s frustrations and talking back about colleagues, can also be heard by colleagues….”

All five of the integrated commanders of the Imperial Palace were gathered here.

Hearing noises outside the cell, both Commander Wood and Commander Huang hid themselves.

“Go in!” A brazen voice from the jailer was heard outside the prison.

“Three more got arrested now, it’s finally enough to meet the quota.” The jailer breathed a sigh of relief, he had heard that Emperor Yong was coming to inspect here. The superiors, in order to show their achievements, had issued orders requiring that enough people be arrested. Even if it’s forced, it must be made up.

Originally, this many people didn’t need to be arrested, but Emperor Yong always felt that there were too many people below who had opinions about him, so the officials had no choice but to fabricate various reasons, arrest the people, and reach the number in Emperor Yong’s mind.

“Sir, I’m just a fruit vendor.”

“Yes, yes, we beg you to discern the truth, sir, we have been living righteously, selling cakes for more than a decade, we don’t have the courage to speak ill of the emperor. This man is just a cake eater, he wouldn’t dare to criticize the emperor either.”

The government officer ignored the pleas of these ruffians and directly locked them up.

“There is not enough prison space.” After incarcerating the cake seller and fruit seller, the government officer found that there was no place to hold the cake eater.

“Squeeze a bit, lock him up here.” The officer put the cake-eater into the cell where Zhang Konghu was staying.

“What a good opportunity, this is so lively.”

As soon as Jiang Li entered the cell, he saw Zhang Konghu, Ma Zhuo’s couple, and the concealed Commander Wood and Commander Huang.

Usually they can’t even gather together, but unexpectedly they can all meet up here in the dungeon.

The Dayong Dungeon is also known as the Detached Palace of the Imperial