Lu was far more skilled in hand-to-hand combat than Li Ban.
Currently, Li Ban had caught Lu off guard by relying on his Superhuman Vision and physical advantages.
But his movements were becoming increasingly erratic, while Lu grew fiercer with each exchange.
From the corner of his eye, Li Ban saw Lu's tail still raised high nearby, waiting for an opportunity.
Even if he ultimately won, he'd likely be injured.
Li Ban wasn't afraid of wounds, but he feared Lu's kitchen knife might be coated with rat poison.
Therefore, he needed to buy time.
He didn't run toward the Death Prison entrance.
The entrance wasn't too far away, but reaching the illuminated area would negate his Superhuman Vision advantage.
When he reached the darkest spot between two illumination stones, he turned abruptly and attempted to ambush the pursuing Lu with his longer iron hook.
But this time Lu was alert, always dodging in advance by listening to the hook's whistling through air.
What Lu didn't know was that Li Ban hadn't stopped solely to ambush her.
He was observing the wound on Lu's shoulder.
By Li Ban's second glance back, Lu's shoulder wound had turned blackish.
Confirming the poisoning, Li Ban abandoned ambush tactics and sprinted full speed toward the second level.
Desperate to kill Li Ban, Lu paid no attention to her minor shoulder wound.
She had planned to kill Li Ban suddenly before he could learn cultivation techniques after becoming a menial worker.
If Li Ban died, wouldn't that open up a menial worker position?
If someone as stupid and lazy as Li Ban could become a menial worker, why couldn't she?
She was clearly superior to Li Ban in every aspect and worked more diligently!
Moreover, she had reasons to abandon all conscience and climb upward by any means necessary!
And Li Ban, who inexplicably occupied the last menial worker slot, was the obstacle in her path.
Someone who absolutely must... die!
Thinking this, Lu gritted her teeth furiously and forcefully yanked out her tail connected to the coccyx.
Then she twisted her body, mustering all strength to hurl both the bloody tail and kitchen knife from her other hand simultaneously.
The spinning kitchen knife whistled through air.
The tail stretched taut like a sharp sword, also flying swiftly toward Li Ban's back.
The flesh-and-blood weapon moved through air without a sound.
Li Ban, nearly reaching the lit area, suddenly noticed Lu's chasing footsteps had stopped, then heard whistling from one side. He dodged sideways, unaware a strange tail was silently approaching his back.
At the last moment, a flexible tree branch suddenly appeared, coiling around the rat tail about to pierce Li Ban.
Under the illumination stone's light, Li Ban saw Tree-Person A emerging from the stairs and the taut branch beside his face.
Looking back, he realized the branch's tip held the mimic rat's tail.
Had Tree-Person A not appeared, that tail might have impaled him.
This Lu was more formidable than he'd imagined!
How many hidden cards did she still hold?
Li Ban quickly positioned himself beside Tree-Person A, breathing heavily.
The brief ambush and dark corridor fight, though lasting mere minutes, had nearly exhausted him.
"What are you two doing?" Tree-Person A asked casually, as if watching entertainment.
"Jailer sir!"
Before Li Ban could speak, Lu had already thrown herself at Tree-Person A's feet.
Under the illumination stone's glow, her disheveled, bloodied appearance painted her as the clear victim.
"Jailer sir, Ban tried forcing himself on me! When I refused, he tried killing me! I had to fight back!"
Tree-Person A glanced down at the tearful Lu and said flatly, "Do you not realize Ban is now a menial worker with Identity? Whatever he orders, you obey."
Lu stiffened.
She knew it—people with Identity differed from slaves.
Li Ban was also surprised.
When Tree-Person A first asked his name, he'd said "Li Ban," but was told slaves didn't deserve surnames, so was registered as just "Ban." Others also called him that.
Yet now with Identity, even his surname had returned.
"He's suspicious!" Seeing Tree-Person A indifferent to her plight, Lu immediately changed tactics. "He interacted with the former jailer—his Identity must be fraudulent! Sir, I witnessed it!"
This caught Tree-Person A's attention.
He looked at Li Ban. "Officer Zhou happens to be looking for you. Both of you, come with me."
Lu's heart leapt with joy.
They might not care about her, but if Li Ban was from another faction, the Death Prison would certainly investigate.
With some strategic embellishments, she could surely arouse Officer Zhou's suspicions.
Lu scrambled up eagerly, already imagining accusing Li Ban before Officer Zhou Gu.
But standing made her dizzy—her shoulder wound barely hurt now, but her entire arm felt numb.
Too tense to tend her wound, she merely adjusted her collar and walked briskly ahead of Li Ban.
Li Ban observed their hurried pace leaving him no chance to speak.
After brief consideration, he followed calmly, unlike his nervous first meeting with the jailer.
With Tree-Person A leading, neither could ambush the other.
Soon they reached the second level's interrogation room.
By the time first-time visitor Lu arrived, she was nearly collapsing.
Assuming it was just nerves and headache, she ignored other possibilities.
Jailer Zhou Gu awaited Li Ban. Seeing Lu enter first with Tree-Person A, he raised an eyebrow.
"Officer Zhou, I've brought Li Ban. This slave named Lu claims to have discovered irregularities about his Identity and wishes to report."
Tree-Person A recounted events.
Zhou Gu listened, then turned to Li Ban, who bowed calmly.
"Greetings, sir."
Not "Officer Zhou" or "Sir Zhou."
Last time, Zhou Gu had told him to follow.
Now Li Ban tacitly acknowledged being Zhou Gu's subordinate.
All belonged to Death Prison, but wherever people gathered, factions formed.
Li Ban had accepted Zhou Gu's olive branch and chosen his faction.
Alignment had pros and cons, but currently, with low status and ability, the benefits outweighed risks.
Hearing Li Ban's address, satisfaction briefly flickered across Zhou Gu's stern face.
Then he regarded pitiful-looking Lu. "You claim Li Ban's Identity is problematic. Explain."
Lu dropped to her knees with a thud.
"Sir," she clearly mimicked Li Ban's address, "Ban conspired with the former jailer! I hid in the water room and saw everything clearly! He's likely the former jailer's subordinate."
She then recounted Li Ban's first day at Death Prison.
Mostly factual, but Lu liberally sprinkled descriptors—
"respectful," "grief-stricken," "calm"—making Li Ban's actions seem highly suspicious.
Li Ban remained silent but looked urgently at Zhou Gu.
He needed to appear eager to defend himself yet obediently awaiting permission.
The perfect loyal subordinate!
But Zhou Gu ignored him, instead helping kneeling Lu up.
His hand grasped her wrist.
Lu rose obediently, deer-like eyes glistening at Zhou Gu.
"You fused with a mimic rat tail without Identity. Fortunate and brave enough. Ruthless toward others, stopping at nothing—that suits my taste."
Lu's lashes fluttered, joy flashing in her eyes.
Li Ban lowered his head as if devastated, though actually calm.
"However... you're already dying. Useless people have no use."
With one-handed toss, Zhou Gu flung Lu like a rag doll out the interrogation room door.
She hit the opposite wall and slid down, vomiting black blood before even standing.