Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Huang Prison Officer rushed into the death row and headed straight for Yuan Mu’s cell.

He found Yuan Mu lying stiffly on the earthen bed in his filthy prison robes, his expression incredibly peaceful.

The man was dead.

Zhao Jailer stood by his side. “It looks like suicide.”

Huang Prison Officer stepped forward to check for breath. As his fingers drew near, his entire body began to tremble.

“Should I call the Coroner?”

“No.”

Huang Prison Officer rejected the suggestion almost without thinking.

Everyone instinctively kept their voices low, bound by a silent understanding.

The other prisoners had already been moved elsewhere. Now, the death row held only Yuan Mu’s corpse and a group of low-ranking officials.

“The Empress Dowager has passed away, and Yuan Mu was granted a special pardon. He was supposed to be executed tomorrow, but he suddenly had a chance to live. Yet, at this critical juncture, he dies in prison under such mysterious circumstances.”

Huang Prison Officer looked up at the light filtering into the death row and let out a deep, heavy breath.

“The gods are at war, and we’re the ones who are going to suffer for it.”

Zhao Jailer clenched his fists. “Then we must investigate even more! Call the Coroner and clear our names!”

The jailers were equally indignant, their emotions running high.

Huang Prison Officer remained silent for a long time.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to investigate, but once an investigation began, they would be sucked into the power struggles of the upper echelons. In the end, they would only die more miserably.

His greatest wish was to keep his hands clean.

A Prison Officer was nothing more than a minor official.

In this world, the sun and moon rose and set in turns; were they not all hanging high above people’s heads? Then there were the countless stars in the sky, each emitting its own light, each shining on its own people.

When would it ever be his turn to stand out and uphold the law with impartial justice?

But he couldn’t shake this off now. Even if he sold out every man under him, it wouldn’t be enough to offset this disaster.

He had no choice but to begin the questioning.

“When did this happen? Did anyone see him? Did he eat any outside food?”

***

Chao Ruyu stared at the exit of the death row, her heart beating heavier and heavier.

If Yuan Mu were truly dead, none of the people inside would survive.

She wouldn’t survive.

Old Guo would have to die too.

Huang Prison Officer, Zhao Jailer, and all those other jailers-they would all die.

What on earth could she do to bring a dead man back to life?

Zhao Jailer was thinking about the same thing.

“A life for a life. If it comes to it, I’ll confess! I’m old anyway! I’ll take your place…”

Chao Ruyu cut him off flatly. “No!”

Just then, someone emerged from the exit.

Two jailers looked around and were overjoyed when they spotted Chao Ruyu and Guo Jailer nearby.

“Guo Jailer! Ruyu!”

It was a good thing they hadn’t left yet.

The two jailers ran over.

“The Prison Officer has a few questions for you!”