Chapter 113: The Master's Imprisonment

The first courtyard on the east side is just as Rong Jiu said, with three floors above and below, each floor is filled with rooms, and although the courtyard is the largest, it is also the dirtiest, with a decadent old tree at the entrance of the courtyard, with countless dead crows perched on it, each with an eye in its beak, skittering around frantically, scanning the surroundings for signs of trouble.

Two small groups of shadowy soldiers were moving back and forth, kicking and screaming, guarding the "tributes" to be offered to the Four Demon Kings.

Mo Ran sidled up behind a corner and counted the paths of the ghosts as he surveyed the dead ends of the palace.

The small, latticed rooms are lit, and from time to time the cries and sighs of ghosts come from inside, a muffled mockery that comes together in the night like an ancient chant that makes the hair stand on end and sends shivers down the spine.

There are more than 300 rooms here, and the patrols at the bottom repeat every tea, so he could not have easily found Chu Wanning in a single tea, not to mention the fact that there is a ghost guard at the entrance to each staircase, carrying a soul crushing whip and a guard post around his neck.

Mo Ran was anxious, but then he saw a ghost walking alone in the distance, a token with red letters on a black background hanging from his waist and wearing the same clothes as the guards. Mo Ran stepped back into the shadows and watched him walk past him to the entrance of the stairs.

The ghost nodded with the guards pinned to the steps. The night was very cloistered, so Mo Ran easily overheard their conversation.

"Brother Seven, you're here to change Lao San's post."

"Hmm. You're close too."

"I have to stay a little longer, the man hasn't come yet. I'll rest when he arrives."

The shadowy soldier who had changed his guard moved upstairs, and the one on the ground floor yawned in boredom and continued to keep watch into the wind.

Seeing this exchange, Mo Ran suddenly had an idea that was a bit risky

Three or two clappers sounded in the distance, Duk Duk Duk.

The crows on the branch cried out twice, as if they had noticed something strange.

The watchman guarding the entrance came to his senses and looked around to see a figure walking slowly through the thin night mist.

As he got closer, he realised that it was a young man he had never seen before, and the guard became increasingly wary.

"What people?"

"Here to change the guard." The man said.

Red clouds drifted by, revealing a moon in the canopy, illuminating his face, such a handsome ghostly squire.

But his features are straight and well-defined, his eyebrows and eyes are full of natural affection, who is this "ghost" coming to change his post if not Mo Ran?

The black and red token at his waist wavered uncontrollably, and the guard post hung on his chest, emitting a cold silver light.

The guard said, "I haven't seen you before."

"New here."

The guard would hold out his hand in disbelief, "The sign"

Mo Ran untied the sign and handed it to him. His face was unmoved by the eight winds, but inside he was tense to the core.

Fortunately, the guard turned the token over and over several times and did not notice anything wrong with it, so he did not bother and patted him on the shoulder and said, "Then I'm counting on you for the rest of the night, I'm going home."

"Good day to you, seniors."

The ghost laughed strangely twice and waved his hand, "Good boy, goodbye, goodbye."

"Hey seniors, wait a minute."

"What's wrong," the guard turned around.

Mo Ran smiled and asked naturally, "How many of the tributes are surnamed Chu?"

The ghost guard was a little wary: "Why do you ask that?"

"Ask around for Mr. Chu from Shunfeng House." Mo Ran said, "He has a distant relative who says he's down here too. But Shunfeng House can't find him, so I don't know if he's here."

The guard hesitated for a moment and pointed to the first floor, "The three rooms closest to the inside, the three people locked up are all surnamed Chu. You can go and have a look."

Mo Ran smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

"You're welcome." The former was very stupid, "You should be."

As the guard finished, he walked away, humming a little tune, not noticing as he passed the corner that his real colleague, who was supposed to change his post, had already been tied up with a restraining spell and thrown into the gutter. The poor ghost was stripped naked of his armour, revealing a thin veneer of rage, but his mouth was completely gagged and he could not hum, so he could only sulk.

Mo Ran is not sure about Rong Jiu. Although the unsuccessful "tributes" are locked up in groups in the side halls, and no one is watching them, and only a forbidden spell has been cast outside, it is not guaranteed that there will be Yin soldiers patrolling. With Rong Jiu's dislike for himself, he would definitely reveal his whereabouts when the time came.

There is no time to lose, and it must be done quickly.

Mo Ran stood still for a moment, waiting for the wave of soldiers moving back and forth to pass, then immediately dodged and headed straight for the first floor, where a guard also stood, crossing his lance to stop Mo Ran.

"Stop, what are you doing?"

"I'm new to the shift today, on the ground floor."

The guard wrinkled his brow, "Then what are you doing on my floor when you're staying on the ground floor"

Mo Ran still raised Chu Xun as a door knocker, but the guard didn't buy it and said sternly, "Even if it's Mr. Chu from Shunfeng House, as long as he enters the palace, it all belongs to the Fourth King. If he wants to save his own relatives, he can talk to the Fourth King himself. I don't want to be involved in this."

Mo Ran cried out in disbelief, thinking that this guy was much more resourceful than the one downstairs, and he had to put his head together and say, "I don't have to take him away today. But I've got to see if I've got the wrong man."

"That's not so bad you gave me the name and I checked it out for you. And why do you have to go in."

"" Mo Ran said, feeling agitated and holding down his anger, "Chu Wanning. His name is Chu Wanning."

The guards were supposed to take the register and check it, but when they heard these three words, they dropped it instead.

When Mo Ran saw him like this, a cluster of unease arose in his heart and he asked, "What's wrong?"

"What's the problem," the guard asked with a sneer before saying, "You're really new here and you don't know how to behave. The Fourth King has come to the palace today to enjoy the beauty, and has already taken a fancy to this Chu Wanning. If this man had not passed the seventh day of his life and his three souls had not yet been gathered, he could not be taken to the fourth level of hell, and he would have been sacrificed to the Ghost King tonight. What is wrong with you asking me for him you say."

Mo Ran's face was already blue by the time he heard half of it, and only after the guard had finished did he say, "The Four Ghost Kings have taken a fancy to him"

"What"

"Not much. I'm sorry, then." Mo Ran turned around grimly, took two steps downstairs, and then before the other man could react, Shenwu was in the palm of his hand, flipping over and strangling the guard around the neck

A blinding flash of red light.

Shenwu, as the saying goes, can hurt ghosts and kill gods. The guard only had time to see the scarlet willow leaves fluttering in front of him and heard the new young man say, "You really think I don't dare to snatch people from the Ghost King" before his wisdom instantly dissipated and he fell unconscious to the ground.

Mo Ran cast a spell with his hand, tied him up tightly, gagged him and kicked him aside, then ran impatiently towards the end of the walkway.

There are three rooms at the end, each with a solitary soul of the name of Chu.

But Mo Ran, somehow, as if he had sensed something in his mind, without even realising himself why he had felt such a strange sensation, threw open the door with a bang, panting slightly from the rush of running, and stood in front of the second small pavilion.

He gasped as a strand of long, fine, inky hair fell in front of his eyes, and he forgot to brush it away, only to stare inside

Yung Kau is right.

It was a single room about the size of a cage, with four bleak walls and everything a deadly grey colour.

Only the person inside seemed warm, like a flame in a blanket of cold white.

Not every 'tribute' is in chains, at least not Chu Wanning. Perhaps because he had been taken in by the Four Kings, the guards did not dare to offend him, and the floor of his room was even covered in snowy white animal fur, thick and soft as a fresh snowfall in the middle of winter.

Chu Wanning lies asleep on the felt. This man, who seems to be a killer, is in fact always a little restless inside, and this is most obvious when he is asleep, when he has a habit of curling up and shrinking down to a small size.

As if warming himself, and as if afraid to take up anyone's empty space, the thin man looks a little pitiful.

This soul is different from the human soul, with a bloodless, handsome and handsome face. The clothes on his body have also changed, and he is wearing a red silk garment with a brilliant brocade like an evening sun, a wide robe, large sleeves, a pan dragon flying phoenix and golden butterflies dancing about.

Mo Ran almost stumbled forward and dropped to his knees beside him, reaching out a trembling hand to caress Chu Wanning's face.

" Wangning "

It was not the word Master that came out of his mouth, but the two words that he was used to calling him in his last days in his previous life.

A sea of hatred and blood, entwined in the bones.

Chu Wanning was picked up by him, dazed, and took a long time to wake up.

He opened his eyes to see himself in Mo Ran's arms, and the boyish face of the young man in front of him had never been so concerned. He thought it might be a dream, so he frowned, sighed and closed his eyes again.

"Master."

Someone called to him in his ear.

This time it's not Wangning.

"Master Master Master"

Chu Wanning opened his eyes suddenly, and although his face did not change much, his fingertips betrayed him by trembling slightly.

The next moment Mo Ran caught his hand and put it to her face, crying and laughing, so handsome were her features, but so wretched and out of shape in her emotions.

"Master." He choked back a sob, his eyes unblinking as if he could say nothing else, only unable to stop repeating, "Master"

Chu Wanning, held tightly by him, finally came back to her senses and subconsciously felt that something was wrong, so she broke away from Mo Ran and got up to stare at him.

He was stunned for a long time and did not say a word.

Suddenly furious.

Before Mo Ran could react, Chu Wanning's hand was withdrawn and then he slapped Mo Ran across the face with a backhand, his black eyebrows raised in anger and his sword drawn.

"Bastard, why are you dead too?"

Mo Ran opened his mouth to explain, but suddenly he saw that under the hazy moonlight, Chu Wanning's eyes, though full of anger, were hidden, sad, seemingly resigned, and seemingly a boundless watery colour that would break at the touch. When he had finished cursing, he bit down on his lower lip to lock away the choking sobs that made him feel humiliated and ashamed.

There are those who, having broken a wound, hate to have it tied up in fives to let the whole world know that he is wounded.

But some people are so proud of themselves that they will swallow their grievances and pains even if they are full of blood in their throats, and will not tell anyone.

If he didn't tell us, Mo Ran never knew.

Now that I know, I just feel heartbroken.

He wants to go and hug Chu Wanning.

But Chu Wanning pushed him away and said hoarsely, "Get out."

Chu Wanning turned his face sideways, a layer of cold hardness covering a million wounds.

"You died at a young age, what face do you have to come and see me."

"Master."

"Get out." Chu Wanning tilted his face further to the side, "You and I have broken our friendship, and I, Yu Heng, do not accept trash that dies in its prime."

die at the prime of one's life

Mo Ran was originally sad, but when he heard him reprimand himself in such a serious manner, he suddenly felt a warmth in his heart, as if spring water was bubbling out. He took his hand and patted his forehead, then put it over his eyes and could not help but smile bitterly and sourly.

Chu Wanning was furious when he heard his light laughter and turned around and snapped, "What are you laughing at, you".

The youth's warm eyes blinked slowly and did not speak, but took his hand and laid it solemnly over his chest.