Chapter 420: Chaos at the Prison

Chapter 420: Chaos at the Prison

With the towering walls, thick barriers, and complicated enchanted formation patterns, the prison at the City Supervisory Division was specially designed to make escape extremely difficult for cultivators.

But such defenses...

For Chu Liang in his current state, there wasn't a barrier he couldn't breach—so long as it was truly just a wall.

Ma Ben might have realized this too; if a prodigy from Mount Shu like Chu Liang wanted to escape, it would be very difficult to trap him in a place like this.

Typically, cultivators who had reached the fourth realm or higher would have their golden cores sealed, acupuncture point punctured, and be bound with talismanic chains before being confined in solitary cells. However, Chu Liang wasn’t a criminal—he was merely temporarily detained for talking back to the City Supervisor, so he clearly wouldn’t be subjected to such harsh treatment.

The City Supervisory Division simply placed him in a cell with dozens of other prisoners, most of whom were minor offenders with cultivation levels at the first three realms. In fact, most were martial artists of the first two realms; anyone at the Spiritual Awareness Realm was already considered exceptional among them.

Although the supervision was lax, the environment was extremely filthy. Clearly, Ma Ben had deliberately placed Chu Liang in this wretched cell to disgust him.

"Heh..."

As soon as Chu Liang stepped into the crowded cell, he heard a sinister laugh.

In the depths of the cell sat a huge, bald man covered in dragon and tiger tattoos, his height towering like an iron fortress. A few underlings hovered around him, massaging his shoulders and back.

All of them were laughing weirdly as they cast eerie and mocking glances at Chu Liang.

There were no chairs in the cell; instead, the burly man sat on a bench made of four prisoners kneeling side by side. His massive body made even four people struggle to hold him steady, their bodies trembling under the weight. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure, as any slight movement from them would provoke harsh reprimands.

It seemed that this bald giant was the boss of this prison cell here.

At first, Chu Liang ignored them, keeping to himself quietly by the side. But then the giant raised his chin at him and sneered, "Kid, you look pretty handsome."

"Thanks," Chu Liang replied with a smirk, "You're not bad yourself—quite human-looking."

"What do you mean?" The bald giant was taken aback.

A thin, monkey-like underling beside him quickly chimed in, "Boss, he's saying you look like a person."

The giant's eyes narrowed in anger, and with a casual swing of his massive fist, he sent the underling flying into the wall, where he flattened like a painting. "What do you mean, 'like a person'? Are you saying I'm not human?" he growled, his voice filled with menace.

"It wasn’t me, boss... it was him..." the underling gasped, slowly sliding down the wall, his voice barely a whisper as he struggled to speak.

"You dare insult me, kid?" The giant snarled, his eyes locking onto Chu Liang with a cold glare. "You probably don’t know the rules around here. Newcomers are expected to choose a grand gift."

"Haaaa..." Chu Liang frowned as he sized up the giant. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed helplessly. "Alright, what's the procedure? Go ahead and tell me," he said.

He had intended to stay quiet and avoid trouble.

"You either lie down and serve as a bench for three days, or take three punches from our boss. Your choice," one of the underlings said as a wicked grin spread across his face.

It was clear they had all endured this so-called "grand gift" when they first arrived, and now they were eager to pass on the torment to someone else.

Upon hearing this, Chu Liang’s eyes lifted slightly, and a smile played on his lips. "Do I even have a choice here?"

"Looks like you're a quick thinker," the underling chuckled, kicking away the straw on the ground to clear a spot for Chu Liang to kneel.

Instead, Chu Liang stepped forward and said, "Go ahead, hit me."

"Hmm?" The other prisoners exchanged surprised glances, clearly taken aback by his unexpected response.

"Haha, looks like you've never been hit before," the giant laughed, his voice rumbling like thunder as he stood up. "It's been a while since I stretched these muscles."

But someone from the crowd shouted, "Yeah! I heard it—he broke that kid’s bones!"

"Hmph, let's see if he dares act arrogant now."

"..."

But after a few cheers, the group quickly sensed something was wrong.

Why was Chu Liang still standing there with a smile, while their boss’s back was starting to tremble?

"Uh..." The bald giant staggered back, his right arm hanging limply as he cried out in agony, "Ah... my arm..."

In that punch, he had put everything he had into it, yet it had no effect on Chu Liang. Instead, the recoil had shattered his own right arm—not just broken, but completely splintered!

Thud!

He collapsed heavily to the ground, howling in pain, "Ahhhhhh—"

Chu Liang stepped forward and looked down at him as he asked, "Can you handle it?"

"I was blind and offended you, young hero..." The bald giant actually started begging for mercy, "Please forgive me, young hero."

"Don't say that. You still owe me one punch. Let's finish this," Chu Liang shook his head. "You’d better use your full strength."

"No more, no more! I wouldn’t dare offend you again," the bald giant cried out. While he was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, he suddenly became much more polite.

The underlings behind him finally saw the truth.

Clearly, this youth’s cultivation was extraordinary. Even when the giant was the one attacking, the recoil alone was enough to reduce him to this pathetic state.

After a brief silence, someone quickly stepped forward, a flattering smile spreading across their face as they said, "I knew from the start that this young hero possessed an extraordinary aura. His skill is truly unmatched."

"Yes, yes, he must be from some immortal sect. Otherwise, how could he have such remarkable cultivation?"

"..."

Ignoring the flattery around him, Chu Liang turned to the giant and said, "You still owe me one punch. So, according to your own rules, lie there and be a bench for a day."

"Yes, yes..." The giant, still writhing in pain, dared not defy Chu Liang's command. He turned towards the wall and knelt down on all fours, not daring to move a muscle as he pressed against the floor.

Indeed, even the wicked would meet their match.

"You can get up now," Chu Liang said, gesturing to the four men who had been forced to serve as a bench. "From now on, except for him, none of you have to do this anymore."

"Thank you, young hero..."

Amidst the voices of thanks, the frail middle-aged man who had earlier warned Chu Liang stood up. Dressed in silk robes, with a lean face and a slight mustache, he had an air of refinement that set him apart from the others in the prison, suggesting he was a recent arrival.

"Thank you for your help, young hero," the man said as he approached, offering a respectful bow with a smile. "If I may ask, what is your esteemed name, and where is your teacher from?"

Chu Liang glanced at him. With so many people around, he didn’t want to reveal his true identity.

Ever since he had encountered enemies after mentioning his teacher's name, Chu Liang had grown cautious during his travels. He now avoided revealing his true identity unless absolutely necessary.

After a quick contemplation, he replied slowly, enunciating every word clearly, "Ye Wen, Yong Chun.[1]"

1. These are the Mandarin equivalents of Ip Man and Wing Chun, which you might recognise from the series of films loosely based on Ip Man’s life. (LD: I highly recommend watching the first one if you like martial arts films.) Wing Chun is a Southern Chinese style of martial arts, and Ip Man is likely the most famous practitioner and teacher of Wing Chun. Most notably, Bruce Lee was one of his students. ☜