The right eye superpower scanned the surroundings once more, besides the guards outside the prison, there were a few scattered prisoners in other cells, and no one else seemed to be around.

He was unsure whether this prisoner, who wouldn't last long, was thrown in to deliberately cause trouble for him, or if it was just a superficial gesture to appease Lan Qiaoyan.

If it were the former, then he was doomed either way; if it were the latter, then even if the prisoner died, it wouldn't matter.

However, theoretically, there was no need to set him up deliberately. In this Life Prison, the authorities were akin to gods, even if there was no reason to kill such small fry like him, he couldn't stir up any waves. He simply wasn't worth their effort.

After wavering several times, he couldn't resist the temptation. He settled into a cross-legged position next to the severely injured prisoner and patted his face, saying, "Wake up, can you speak?"

Seeing the prisoner's Adam's apple slightly move, his eyes flickering open and closed weakly, with faint breathing, unable to utter a word.

Shi Chun reached out again to carefully examine his injuries, confirming the severity once more, then deliberately spoke loudly, "Hold on, I'll heal you first."

After speaking, he began channeling mana, placing his hand on the prisoner's Dantian.

Rather than casting a healing spell, he directly absorbed the prisoner's Demon Essence.

The severely injured prisoner reacted sluggishly, only realizing what was happening after a good while. His eyes gradually widened, staring at Shi Chun in horror, his mouth emitting faint "wheeze wheeze" sounds, yet it did not prompt the 'rescuer' to halt his actions...

Xu Yong, emerging from the prison, passed through a venue adorned with giant snake bones, entered a hall, and reported to Du Huoguan before nodding to Qie Shan beside him, then left for other matters.

Du Huoguan, arranging gems around a star map, suddenly said slowly, "It took over a month just to catch one from the Demon Path, isn't your efficiency a bit too low?"

Following closely by his side, Qie Shan smiled bitterly, "Prison Inspection Envoy, capturing those from the Demon Path isn't easy. I'm completely in the dark, and there's no place to start. This matter isn't something to ask around about. Just this one, I was at my wit's end and shamelessly sought Mulan Jin from the Stargazing Pavilion, who got him from their prison. Mulan Jin mentioned that I'd owe a favor for this. Capturing one a month would be remarkable, I'd be piled up with requests for aid outside, protecting the realm from demons. You couldn't hold people back, could you?"

Du Huoguan glanced at him sideways, "How do you plan to repay that favor?"

Qie Shan chuckled merrily, "You needn't worry, I don't show favoritism. I made it clear to Mulan Jin that I'd only help within the regulations of Life Prison, and he agreed…"

In Dazhi City's Bowan Building, Lan Qiaoyan returned from the outside, overhearing some ragged folks murmuring about Shi Chun.

It had been so long, yet these vagrants still kept Shi Chun in mind, thus she strained her ears to catch their conversation.

Apparently, they were curious why Shi Chun hadn't been released after being captured, speculating whether he was dead or alive. Everyone had their thoughts, but surprisingly, they were still fixated on Shi Chun's clothes.

Lan Qiaoyan had seen Shi Chun a few times, his clothes were already beyond dirty and unwearable, still wanted?

However, she understood that to these vagrants, it was still a treasure.

Each time she returned to the outside world, Miao Yilan would inquire about Shi Chun's situation, even her husband, Miao Dingyi, would occasionally ask.

Her daughter genuinely cared for her friend, truly considered Shi Chun a friend, of course, there was also a sense of guilt involved, and she herself was no exception.

To the mother-daughter pair, Shi Chun's predicament was entirely their fault.

While her husband simply probed for information, as Miao Dingyi put it, it felt rather peculiar, there seemed to be numerous people interested in Shi Chun's situation. He encountered Situ Gu who inquired, Young Master Nan also approached him, not to mention even Mulan Jin casually asked during an encounter, and people from the Demon Realm were also seeking information.

Everyone knew Bowan Building had channels in Life Prison and knew his wife was managing that area, also aware that his wife's previous generation had connections with Du Huoguan, so they believed he would know more about that side.

Upon learning that Shi Chun was still alive in captivity, everyone seemed keen to know one thing, that is when Life Prison would release Shi Chun.

The harsh reality was, the news stated Life Prison intended to imprison Shi Chun until death!

Unless Shi Chun could provide the case clues that Life Prison desired, otherwise, he'd be imprisoned until death. Yet Shi Chun insists he knows nothing, meaning imprisonment until death.

This was the response Du Huoguan gave Lan Qiaoyan.

Then Lan Qiaoyan informed her husband, who in return shared the news with others.

Some expressed anger, claiming Life Prison's baseless detention was outrageous, but who could confront Life Prison on this issue?

Young Master Nan sought others to attempt prison visitation, unable to enter even Life Prison's gates.

Miao Yilan also wished to visit, but was stopped by Lan Qiaoyan, forbidding her daughter to go. Despite her concern, as a mother, she feared it might affect her daughter's relationship with Gong Shaoci. Shi Chun's fallout with Gong Shaoci on Li Huo Island was now public knowledge.

Amid external chaos, Shi Chun remained blissfully unaware and disinterested, out of sight, out of mind.

After slowly withdrawing his power and opening his eyes, his immediate concern lay with the severely injured prisoner before him. Patting the prisoner's face, he discovered he was more dead than alive.

Surveying the surroundings, he slowly placed his hand over the prisoner's mouth and nose, his face filled with regret.

This severely injured prisoner had cultivation higher than Jiang You'er, with Demon Essence even more abundant, but Shi Chun's cultivation capacity was limited, rendering him unable to completely absorb all the Demon Essence. There was no choice, over-absorbing had reached its limit. Further absorption would have him spitting Demonic Qi with every word.

Yet he couldn't leave a witness alive, risking exposure of absorbing Demonic Qi. Hence, he completely suffocated the prisoner until he stopped breathing.

After repeatedly checking and confirming the death, he suddenly shouted with his voice raised, "Someone come, hurry, someone come, there's a dead person, someone died…"

Before long, a prison guard hurried over to assess the situation.

Shi Chun squatted beside the corpse and reported: "Sir, his injuries were too severe, and he suddenly stopped breathing. I really couldn't save him."

The prison guard quickly left, then returned, and Xu Yong also arrived.

After opening the cell door and examining the deceased, Xu Yong questioned, "Did he manage to confess anything?"

Shi Chun smiled wryly, "Sir, you injured him so badly that he couldn't even speak. I treated him like an ancestor, but couldn't keep him from passing, how could he confess? He didn't have time to utter a single word before dying; it nearly exhausted me." He raised his hand and wiped his sweat.

Xu Yong snorted coldly, "You were given a chance, but you didn't seize it. Don't blame it on disrespecting Lan Qiaoyan's wishes. Since you're useless, spend your life staying here." After saying this, he gestured for people to remove the corpse.

The prison was empty again, leaving only Shi Chun.

Shi Chun blinked dryly inside the cell, aside from his eyes, he dared not move, barely breathed deeply, afraid of any sound that might bring them back again, because they seemed to have forgotten something—forgotten to restrain him, forgotten to suppress his cultivation and mana.

After waiting carefully for a few days, seeing that they truly didn't care about him, he tentatively sat in meditation and began to slowly refine the Demonic Essence he had absorbed.

In fact, this method of improving cultivation speed was already considered fast, but having experienced the direct strike of the Thunder Sword, it felt slower than a snail's crawl.

Afterwards, day by day, life was dull as usual; at least having something to do kept him from being bored.

In the blink of an eye, two years passed, and with messy beard and hair, one day in the dim light, he suddenly opened his eyes.

His cultivation at the High Martial Great Success Realm was originally just a step away from the Human Immortal Realm, and yet he took two years to cross that step.

Seeing that his breakthrough was imminent, he dared not easily take that step. Without the aid of an 'Immortal Spirit Pill' for transformation, and without experienced guidance, he couldn't rely solely on his ability for the reckless forging of an Immortal Body, in case of mistakes leading to physical collapse.

The 'Immortal Spirit Pill' is expensive, causing many cultivators to stop at this point, or even take risky paths.

But Shi Chun already had the capability to buy one; he was prepared, yet at this moment he had nothing, all was with Wu Jinliang.

So he had to pause his cultivation.

Fortunately, a few days later, Lan Qiaoyan came to visit the prison again. He wrote his needs on his palm for her to see.

And Lan Qiaoyan truly offered immense help. On her next visit after communicating with relevant parties, she brought food and wine for Shi Chun.

She gestured for Shi Chun to eat everything, and he immediately understood her meaning.

Just as Shi Chun expected, Lan Qiaoyan had crushed the 'Immortal Spirit Pill' and mixed it into the dishes.

Naturally, their original relationship was not sufficient for Lan Qiaoyan to take such a risk; she helped out of guilt for Shi Chun's imprisonment.

Before leaving, Lan Qiaoyan gestured again, indicating that Wu Jinliang had contacted Miao Yilan, conveying the message that Wu Jinliang was still safe and uncaptured.

Speaking of Wu Jinliang now, she felt both amused and annoyed; like a ghost, nobody knew where he hid or what he did. Miao Yilan couldn't reach him, only when Wu Jinliang wished to contact them, Miao Yilan could chat with him, cautiously.

Watching Lan Qiaoyan leave, Shi Chun immediately feasted on the food and then sat meditatively in anticipation.

Upon feeling the effects of the medicine, he immediately entered the breakthrough state, with ash starting to emerge gradually from his body, and his dirty skin started changing anew within the ash...

Ten years flashed by.

As evening clouds stretched across Dazhi City, the Red-clothed Woman finished her last workday and stood at the entrance, raising her hand to stop Dong Wenshu's family, reiterating not to send her off, that this was enough.

The sole reminder was for the Dong Family to take care of the Book Collection Pavilion.

Then, in her red attire, she slowly walked into the busy twilight street.

Dong Wenshu looked difficult, some words he ultimately didn't dare speak, standing silently with his children to see off that bright figure.

The Red-clothed Woman didn't look back; having stayed intermittently for ten years, her interest had waned, and this time she truly intended to leave.

Of course, it wouldn't hinder her return when nostalgia rekindles, maybe in a very distant future.

Ten years had passed; rarely had she truly wandered the streets, yet this time she did for quite a while, the large red flower in her hair shone with the gradually illuminated bright street lights.

From time to time, men approached with romantic intentions, but she ignored their pestering, remaining indifferent without anger or seriousness.

Walking along, she unknowingly arrived at the place where she had twice been intimate with Shi Chun, unable to avoid stopping, reflecting on him.

Honestly, she was now doubting her prior judgment; initially thought Shi Chun was the pawn of Life Prison, then the gathered information said Life Prison intended to keep him imprisoned until death.

Originally somewhat skeptical, who knew that over the years, suddenly ten years had passed, still no sign of release, as if it were true, leaving her frustrated with a sense of betrayal each time she thought about it.

This time she was leaving for good, also because there was no sign of Shi Chun's release; if Shi Chun were to visit occasionally like before, she wouldn't be leaving, as she could come and go freely without affecting her affairs.

After some thoughts, she continued on and finally returned to that ancient courtyard and aged pavilion, casually tearing open a void crack, taking Lan and completely disappearing from Dazhi City as the pavilion lights went out.

(End of Volume Four, Preview of Volume Five: Golden Armor and Horses!)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.