Patrols in Tian Prison were divided into three shifts: morning, noon, and night.
Chen Guanlou had been on the day shift with Lu Datou for nearly half a month. When the shifts rotated, he was, as expected, assigned to the night shift.
The group of crafty veterans had no patience for night duty. Once the gates were shut and no superiors were watching, they all slacked off. Thus, Chen Guanlou shouldered the heavy responsibility of the night patrol, walking alone through the long, sunless corridors of the Bing-Character Cell Block.
Passing Cell 13, he tapped on the bars as he always did. The prisoner inside squirmed like a maggot a couple of times, as always, proving he was still alive. In all his time on the job, Chen Guanlou had never seen the true face of the prisoner in Cell 13.
*He sure can lie low,* Chen Guanlou thought.
He continued deeper into the prison.
"Young man, young man..."
The voice came from the fatty in Cell 25. A fat man in Tian Prison was a rare sight, especially one without any injuries. Chen Guanlou had noticed him on his very first day. He was a low-level boss of a loan-sharking gang, supposedly thrown into Tian Prison on some pretext after offending a noble.
"Young man, over here..."
"What is it?" Chen Guanlou asked, his expression stern and his tone severe.
But he was young, after all. To the crafty old prisoners, he just seemed to be putting on a brave front, all bark and no bite. He looked like a gullible rookie.
"Help me with something, young man. Get a message to the outside for me. One hundred taels."
Chen Guanlou turned and walked away, not bothering to waste a single word on him.
The fatty grew anxious. "Please, young man, wait. One hundred and fifty taels... if not, then two hundred. Just tell me if you'll do it or not! Give me a straight answer!"
Chen Guanlou ignored him completely, not even deigning to give him a proper look. The man was clearly playing him for a fool. A two-hundred-tael job. If it were such a good deal, why hadn't the fatty asked one of the other prison guards? Why pick him, the new guy? Don't tell him it was because the fatty had a good heart and wanted to look out for the rookie.
The fatty was not a good person.
He wasn't a three-year-old child; he couldn't be bought for a mere two hundred taels of silver.
Lu Datou had repeatedly stressed the need to prevent collusion between those inside and outside the prison. There must have been a major incident in Tian Prison's past, one with severe consequences, caused by such collusion. As a rookie with no family connections or background, and having just arrived, where would he get the nerve to play such games? He was afraid he'd earn money he wouldn't live to spend.
Ignoring the fatty's sweet temptations, he continued his patrol, counting heads cell by cell to confirm the prisoners were all still alive.
When he reached Cell 60, he lingered for a moment, taking a longer look. He had already found out that the one imprisoned here was the leader of the Old Eagle Sect.
The Old Eagle Sect was a martial arts school in name, but a criminal organization in reality. On the surface, they ran legitimate businesses, but behind the scenes, they engaged in murder and robbery. They had been taken down by the Six Doors not long ago.
The reason Chen Guanlou was paying attention to this man was that after days of observation and careful consideration, he had concluded that this prisoner might be easier to deal with. Moreover, the man possessed real skills. He was a dignified 1st Rank Martial Artist who had truly stepped onto the path of martial arts. When he ran his school, he was responsible for teaching his disciples. For Chen Guanlou, this was an opportunity.
He hadn't forgotten his true mission for taking this job at Tian Prison.
To learn martial arts.
The Old Eagle Sect leader's surname was Luo, his full name Luo Jingtian. He was a gruff, middle-aged man. He had obviously noticed Chen Guanlou as well, recognizing him as a new Prison Guard.
"Young man!"
After days of being observed, Luo Jingtian finally couldn't resist speaking.
"What is it?" Chen Guanlou asked sternly, his expression cold and emotionless as he stood outside the cell.
"Do me a favor. Get me some wine and food. I'll pay." Luo Jingtian licked his lips. His body was covered in scars; he had clearly been tortured.
Chen Guanlou snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Although he wanted to engage with the man, he couldn't let him get his way so easily.
"Wait, young man. Name your price. Just tell me what you want."
Chen Guanlou turned back to face him. "Why me?"
A powerless rookie like him wasn't worth the investment from these old foxes.
Luo Jingtian gave a bitter smile. "The others are too damn greedy. Ten taels of silver for a pot of wine, and they're asking twenty for a roasted chicken. I have money, but I'm not about to let those black-hearted old bastards fleece me like a sheep. As long as your price is a bit cheaper, young man, I won't argue."
Chen Guanlou narrowed his eyes, staring at the man, trying to gauge how much of his story was true.
Then, he said one thing, "I have no money."
"You should have said so earlier, young man! I know a place. You just have to go there and mention my name. You'll get the food and wine for free, and they'll even give you a tip for your trouble. How about it?"
"I don't want money." Chen Guanlou stood before the cell door, arms crossed.
Luo Jingtian was stunned. He asked subconsciously, "If you don't want money, young man, then what do you want?"
"I want to learn martial arts!" Chen Guanlou stated his demand openly.
Now it was Luo Jingtian's turn to hesitate. "From what I can see of your physique, young man, you don't seem to have a Martial Vein."
"Working as a guard in Tian Prison, it's unsettling not to have some skills to defend myself," Chen Guanlou explained.
Luo Jingtian nodded in understanding.
A Prison Guard in Tian Prison needed to have some tricks up his sleeve. Even if it was just a few flashy, impractical moves, it was better than nothing to get by.
He frowned in thought for a moment. "I do have an external training technique called the Tianlei Technique. It's most suitable for ordinary people without a Martial Vein. However, this technique has a major drawback."
"What drawback?"
"As its name suggests, the Tianlei Technique is extremely hard and yang. To learn it, you must burn your qi and blood, which damages your lifespan. Reaching the first level costs a month of your life, the fifth level costs a year, and if you reach the ninth, you'll lose at least five years. That's why few people choose to practice it. But it is indeed suitable for someone without a Martial Vein."
Hearing this, Chen Guanlou was overjoyed.
Damaging his lifespan? Others might be afraid, but he wasn't!
He possessed the Longevity Dao Fruit. A mere five years was nothing; he could afford to lose ten, even a hundred years.
However, he didn't agree to the deal immediately. Instead, he asked with a look of disdain, "Don't you have any other techniques?"
"To be honest, young man, other techniques require an internal energy cultivation method to be effective. But since you don't have a Martial Vein, you can't cultivate internal energy, so..."
Luo Jingtian made his position clear. It wasn't that he was being uncooperative or unwilling to offer a superior martial arts manual. It was that Chen Guanlou was born without a Martial Vein and was incapable of practicing them.
Chen Guanlou steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and put on the expression of someone making a difficult decision. "Fine. Teach me the Tianlei Technique first. I'll bring you the food and wine another day."
"Are you sure, young man? It damages your lifespan..."
"Less talk."
Luo Jingtian immediately taught the entire Tianlei Technique to Chen Guanlou, also explaining in detail the key points and his own insights into the practice.
After finishing his patrol of the prison, Chen Guanlou returned to the guards' room. Heh, the place was bustling with activity. Some were gambling at cards, some were drinking, some were fast asleep—you name it.
Lu Datou's eyes were red from gambling. Even though it was late spring, in the damp and chilly confines of Tian Prison, he was sweating from his losses, having stripped down to nothing but his underwear.
Chen Guanlou sidled up to him and, at a few crucial moments, nonchalantly offered some advice, helping Lu Datou win back his losses. After that, he didn't meddle further, simply lying down on his bunk and going to sleep.
Proofreader: Peter Pan