Chapter 857: Chapter 645: Ice Prison
He Gaotou stepped down the ice stairs, gradually delving underground.
The surrounding walls were constructed with large blocks of ice bricks. On the alchemy torches along the way, white ice flames burned, emitting wisps of cold air.
This was the Ice Prison.
The path He Gaotou walked on led only to the Prison Warden’s office.
He was very familiar with this environment. But this familiarity did not bring him warmth.
Even though he wore the Ice Heart Headband, his heart still inevitably rippled with coldness.
He Gaotou knew that despite having left the Ice Prison many years ago, it had indeed left a deep psychological shadow on him. And this shadow had never dissipated.
He was a former prisoner of the Ice Prison.
“Ahaha, old friend, long time no see.” The Prison Warden stood at the door, raising his arms, welcoming him enthusiastically.
Uncommonly, the Ice Prison Warden was not a Snow Elf, but a human.
He was a Golden Level mage.
The Ice Prison is a top-level prison in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, having a human as the Warden was very rare in the kingdom’s political landscape.
“Warden, sir.” He Gaotou slightly bowed to the Ice Prison Warden.
The Ice Prison Warden pretended to be displeased: “You are still so formal, just call me by my name.”
As he spoke, he wore a face full of an enthusiastic smile, welcoming He Gaotou inside.
However, He Gaotou was very aware. The Ice Prison Warden’s enthusiasm and smile did not represent his true attitude.
Perhaps, this is the difference between humans and the Elf Clan.
For He Gaotou, he actually preferred dealings with Snow Elves. Their businesslike and cold tone seemed more genuine than the smiles of the Human Race.
For humans, a smile was often their mask, hiding worldly desires within.
Just like this time.
The Ice Prison Warden came to welcome He Gaotou with such desires.
The Warden’s office was not spacious.
He Gaotou knew it wasn’t like this before.
After this Ice Prison Warden took office, he vigorously saved expenses and led the effort himself. The Warden’s office was thus reduced in space, and the previous space-expansion Magic Array was removed.
But He Gaotou knew that this was a political stunt by the Ice Prison Warden. In reality, he lined his pockets more than several of his predecessors.
The most substantial gain for the Ice Prison Warden was still from He Gaotou.
Though the Warden’s office wasn’t large, the desk was extraordinarily large, almost like a bed, occupying most of the indoor space.
Separated by this huge desk, the two sat down.
The seating here was also thoughtful, arranged with precision.
The Ice Prison Warden’s seat was noticeably higher. Usually, humans’ heights were to resist the Elf Clan’s dominance. But after He Gaotou sat down, because of the different chair heights, he was clearly shorter than the Warden opposite him.
This made the Ice Prison Warden’s gaze naturally from a higher vantage point.
The Ice Prison Warden looked at He Gaotou, smiling, and spoke with a sigh: “Since you left here, in the blink of an eye, over twenty years have passed.”
“I still remember the time when I was just a Deputy Warden.”
“Thanks to you for winning the championship of that National Ceremony’s duel. Because of this merit, I was able to win the subsequent election and eventually get promoted to be the Warden here.”
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom has a policy that whenever the National Ceremony’s duel occurs, prisoners from various prisons are recommended to participate.
Depending on their performance, prisoners can have their sentences reduced accordingly.
He Gaotou was a beneficiary of this policy; after winning the championship, the kingdom directly pardoned his crime.
Of course, this was due to the fact that his crime was not severe in the first place.
Though the Warden spoke very politely, with an expression of gratitude, He Gaotou knew this was a deliberate reminder from the other side.
There were at least two meanings in the Warden’s words.
It’s not just about showing gratitude, but there’s also hidden expectation.
So, He Gaotou responded.
“That year, my crime was absolved, and I regained freedom, all thanks to you, Warden, sir.”
“I’ve always remembered this kindness. Over the years, I’ve been trying to repay it. Regrettably, your position is far above mine, and I can only offer some humble tokens of gratitude.”
Each year, He Gaotou had to at least send 3,000 Gold Coins to the Ice Prison Warden.
“My visit to you this time also involves a very good business to discuss.”
The Ice Prison Warden immediately showed a look of interest.
He relaxed his body, leaned back in his chair, squinted his eyes at He Gaotou, and said leisurely, “Oh, let’s hear the details.”
He Gaotou: “I am aware that currently in the Ice Prison, there is a prisoner named Ice Calamity.”
“This person was once Golden Level, but fell victim to the magic potion ‘Beautiful Future’. Now, he has fallen to Silver Level.”
“I would like him to participate in this year’s National Ceremony duel and have him challenge someone.”
The prison warden immediately furrowed his brows.
“Hold it.”
“You’re aware that, although Ice Prison is the top jail in the country, it only has one recommendation slot.”
“Ice Calamity is a weakling, can’t fight. Even if he could fight, he’s currently only at the Silver Level.”
“I know, he once was at the Golden Level, perhaps his combat prowess is outstanding among the Silver Level.”
“But it doesn’t matter!”
“In every national duel at the National Ceremony, it’s always the Golden Level that takes center stage at the end.”
“Silver Level can only step aside. No matter how brilliantly they fight, they won’t make it to the later stages.”
“To be honest with you, I’m still hoping for this year’s national duel to bring glory.”
“Currently, the person we’ve settled on is called Shi Liu. He’s a Magnetic Soil Elements Body, and in our internal sparring, his combat power is quite outstanding, overshadowing the rest. I have great hope in him.”
“Based on his combat ability, he can’t beat Long Meng, but he definitely has the strength to fight for the top five.”
Hege Tou smiled: “Warden, don’t rush, listen to me.”‘
“You still don’t know whom I want Ice Calamity to challenge.”
The ice prison warden: “Who?”
“Long Fu.” Hege Tou replied.
“Him?” The ice prison warden immediately raised his eyebrows.
Of course, he had heard of Long Fu.
Far more than once.
The reputation of the Dragon-man youth spread widely. He defeated and killed someone at the Golden Level while being at the Silver Level; such a feat is rare in a century.
And Zong Ge, playing the role of Long Fu, after arriving at the Royal Capital, has repeatedly accepted duel invitations, continuously winning without defeat.
These achievements, though not as stunning as those of Teng Donglang, have solidified his reputation, earning him considerable attention, support, and admiration.
The ice prison warden knew even more.
He also found out that the riding Magic Potion sold by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was extremely popular. Everyone who used it said it was good!
He used it for his own riding Magic Beast, leaving a deep impression with the Dragon Power Riding Potion.
Of course, that Golden Level Dragon Power Riding Potion was a gift from someone else.
When he heard Hege Tou mention Long Fu, a knowing gleam appeared in the ice prison warden’s eyes.
He spoke up: “Long Fu’s combat ability is incredibly strong, he’s unparalleled among the Silver Level. The consensus externally is that he’s the ceiling of Silver Level combat power. At least in this national duel, there hasn’t been a formidable competitor to challenge Long Fu yet.”
“If I remember correctly, hasn’t his winning streak recently reached 17 matches already?”
“If this trend continues, his winning streak is bound to keep increasing. Even reaching a hundred matches wouldn’t be surprising.”
“This is mainly because currently, no one at the Golden Level has challenged him. In fact, such a situation might not even occur. Unless Long Fu himself actively challenges the Golden Level.”
“Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s duel atmosphere is very intense, so the citizens highly admire and prioritize courage and fairness.”
“Therefore, it’s unlikely for anyone at the Golden Level to actively challenge a lower level. It’s too disgraceful. And for Long Fu, among the Silver Level, there are almost no challengers. From this perspective, Long Fu’s Silver Level stands as a huge advantage for him.”
“Only if he actively challenges, and other Golden Levels accept, can a duel between him and the Golden Level be arranged.”
Of course, if it involves other factors, such as immense profit, national grudges, and family hatred, Golden Level might challenge Long Fu. But this isn’t a normal situation.
Such Golden Levels would naturally face contempt from others and won’t be welcomed.
“If other Golden Levels really do issue a duel invitation to him, Long Fu can completely refuse outright. He won’t be implicated, and the public won’t be overly disappointed. After all, it’s perfectly normal for someone at the Silver Level to refuse a duel with someone at the Golden Level.”
“In this situation, Ice Calamity becomes very valuable. If Ice Calamity challenges Long Fu, the scenario changes completely.”
“Ice Calamity was once Golden Level, but now has fallen to Silver Level, which is an undeniable fact.”
“Precisely because he was Golden Level, Ice Calamity’s combat prowess among Silver Level should also be unmatched.”
“He can definitely pose a threat to Long Fu!”
“If Ice Calamity issues a duel invitation, Long Fu will almost certainly accept it. Because Ice Calamity is currently Silver Level. Once such a duel is established, it will immediately draw enthusiastic attention. Due to Long Fu’s reputation, the audience interested in this duel will be nationwide!”
Analyzing up to here, the ice prison warden looked at Hege Tou: “Over the years, your gambling business has grown bigger.”
“So, you’re trying to pull off something big with this. Do you want to design and manipulate a nationwide gambling scheme?”
Although the ice prison warden was asking, his tone and demeanor were very confident.
He felt he had seen through the plans of Hege Tou.
“Exactly.” Hege Tou did not hide but nodded immediately, directly admitting.
This indeed was one of Hege Tou’s aims.
Just like Duelist Mifang, because Jingxiang’s family was involved in the Magic Potion business, to undermine their commercial competitor, Mifang targeted Zong Ge. Hege Tou’s motivations for action were also complex.
On one hand, as the ice prison warden saw through, Hege Tou wanted to manipulate a gambling scheme and profit from it. On the other hand, as a duelist, addressing one’s major enemy was naturally personally advantageous.
The duelists want to retrieve the corpses of the Axe Gang’s Gang Leader, Jia Bing and Lin, from their hometown.
According to their predictions, these Golden Level corpses wouldn’t be easily discarded by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, and should still be in their possession.