Li Ban thought to himself, "You didn't even try to hide stuffing things into your sleeve earlier, so why the interrogative tone now?" After rolling the words around his tongue twice, he carefully answered, "You told the young man at the door to summon Jailer Zhao."
Zhou Gu chuckled lightly. "No need to be nervous. We all make some extra money on the side occasionally."
Li Ban suspected Zhou Gu's side income might be related to the insects soaking in his wine jar. But he pretended sudden understanding. "Ah, so that's the 'alternative use' then."
The smile faded from Zhou Gu's face as he looked down sharply at Li Ban with keen perception. "Who mentioned 'alternative uses'?"
Li Ban shrunk his neck slightly, acting as if he'd misspoken. "Uh, I... I just happened to hear Jailer A say you liked corpses but didn't eat them..." As a mere menial worker, what right did he have to discuss his superiors? Right?
Zhou Gu's vanished smile reappeared, though his eyes remained cold. "He observes quite carefully."
An awkward silence fell, broken by the sound of a door opening. Li Ban looked up to see someone emerging from within the vermilion gates—the cold-faced man he'd met days earlier, Jailer Zhao Yu.
Zhao Yu tossed a package to Zhou Gu, who caught it, producing clinking sounds from within. "Your purchases. What did you need me for?" Zhao Yu continued ignoring Li Ban, his attitude toward Zhou Gu rather... cavalier.
"Chief Zhang wants us back before nightfall. Officer Du will be present this time." At this, Zhao Yu's careless expression faded considerably. Pressing his lips together with a frown, he bypassed Zhou Gu and immediately headed for the carriage.
Old Qin's cheerful expression never wavered, as if he'd noticed nothing amiss. Only when the carriage started moving, its wheels and axles creaking softly, did Old Qin lower his voice. "Young man, don't worry. It's all fleeting as passing clouds."
...
Upon returning to Death Prison's main entrance, Li Ban saw Jailer Zhang Baishan waiting at the gate. Though Zhou Gu and Zhao Yu had returned before nightfall, Zhang's expression remained displeased—especially toward Zhao Yu. "Even if you have other thoughts, rein them in now! You haven't been transferred yet!"
Zhao Yu's mouth turned downward, but he ultimately offered no rebuttal. "Hurry up. Officer Du is already waiting for you." Zhang Baishan glared at Zhao Yu, motioning him to go first.
Li Ban assumed he could return to the storeroom after they entered. But when Zhang Baishan turned and saw Li Ban, he stopped. "You're coming too." "Me?" Li Ban pointed at himself, but Zhang had already turned away. Scrambling to follow, Li Ban felt somewhat incredulous. Why would they need him for a prisoner transfer?
Touching the Iron Fish Scale around his neck, Li Ban steeled himself and followed. To his greater surprise, he found himself accompanying the three jailers to Death Prison's fourth level.
The entrance to the fourth level was hidden within a third-level room, concealed behind a mechanized display cabinet. As the cabinet slid aside, Huo Jiang stood inside, appearing ready to ascend. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and he exhaled silently in relief upon seeing Zhang Baishan descend. Huo Jiang gestured behind him. "The officer grew impatient," he said, looking genuinely anxious and fearful.
At this, everyone's expressions darkened. Quickly descending the stairs, they entered the fourth level—a square space with three spacious cells lining the walls opposite the entrance. Unlike the first two levels, these cells resembled ordinary inn rooms complete with beds, tables, and chairs.
Li Ban immediately noticed the black coffin from earlier placed in the central open area, now quiet—the prisoner for transfer presumably inside. Staying near the entrance, Li Ban watched the four jailers approach a man behind the coffin, bowing in unison. Though silent, Li Ban also bowed slightly.
Keeping his head lowered but peeking upward, Li Ban studied the man facing Zhang Baishan. Towering nearly two meters tall—even taller than Zhou Gu—the man showed no expression nor emitted the terrifying aura that had made Huo Jiang sweat profusely. Li Ban's first impression was of quiet restraint. This Officer Du was handsome;
even standing silently, his presence couldn't be ignored.
Suddenly Li Ban remembered his first encounter with Zhou Gu—there'd been a similar feeling, though Zhou Gu seemed colder, fiercer, his initial restraint shattered when he severed Tree-Person A's arm. The resemblance to Officer Du faded quickly.
"Officer," Zhang Baishan spoke first after the bows, "Zhao Yu and Zhou Gu have returned. Shall we proceed with the prisoner transfer now?"
"Transfer prisoner Lin Han," Officer Du said calmly, hands clasped behind his back with a slight nod. The four jailers acknowledged in unison before approaching the black coffin.
Zhou Gu turned and saw Li Ban still by the entrance, pointing him toward a corner. "Wait there with Liu Mu." Following Zhou Gu's gesture, Li Ban noticed another figure standing in the shadows—Liu Mu, also dressed as a menial worker, who nodded with a smile when their eyes met. Li Ban hurried over, positioning himself beside but slightly behind Liu Mu.
No sooner had he settled than Jailer Huo Jiang inserted a key into the coffin's lock. With a loud BANG, the previously silent coffin exploded—its lid flying upward while the sides burst outward. Huo Jiang, closest to the lock, staggered backward from the impact, only to be steadied effortlessly by Officer Du's single hand. After quick thanks, Huo Jiang rushed forward.
By then, Zhang Baishan and Zhou Gu were already beneath the airborne coffin lid while Zhao Yu lagged half a step behind. Their movements were so swift Li Ban wouldn't have followed the action without his right eye's enhanced vision.
As the coffin shattered, the prisoner inside launched upward with the lid, using the debris as cover to bolt for the exit. When Zhang Baishan and Zhou Gu closed in, the prisoner wielded the massive coffin lid as both shield and weapon. Zhang drew his blade while Zhou Gu struck with his palm, their coordinated attacks deflecting the makeshift weapon.
Now the prisoner—clad in glaring white prison garb—reached the exit where Zhao Yu waited, lips pressed tight as he swung his blade. CLANG! The prisoner blocked with his wrist shackles, sparks flying as metal screeched against metal, the piercing sound making Li Ban's eardrums throb.
Zhao Yu's momentary delay allowed Zhou Gu and Zhang Baishan to catch up. Zhang grabbed the prisoner's neck shackles while Zhou Gu swept at his right leg. Zhao Yu promptly kicked the left knee. With his upper body restrained, the prisoner couldn't dodge—his legs split violently as he crashed seated to the ground.
Huo Jiang, having recovered from the initial blast, seized the moment to chain the prisoner's neck shackles, followed by the right ankle Zhou Gu pinned down. With two sets of shackles secured, the four jailers lifted the still-struggling Lin Han like a palanquin into an empty cell. Once inside, the chains automatically retracted, leaving only half a meter slack—effectively immobilizing the prisoner.
The jailers exited sequentially, locking the cell door behind them. The entire skirmish had been brief—an initial surprise followed by efficient restraint. Throughout, Officer Du remained calmly observant, his expression unchanging even when the prisoner rushed the exit. Remarkably, every flying coffin fragment seemed to avoid him deliberately, while Li Ban had to retreat several steps to dodge debris.
Suddenly, warm breath tickled Li Ban's ear as a voice whispered eerily from behind, "Don't stand too close to the bars... or you'll get grabbed and eaten."