Chapter 105: Chapter 97: The Concept of [Prison]

In front of everyone.

Zheng Erniang enthusiastically pulled Feng Bei into the Zheng Residence.

Although Feng Bei had been in and out of the Zheng Family estate plenty of times before, this was the first time Zheng Erniang had personally invited her in.

And she was doing it by intimately pulling her along.

Many who knew of Feng Bei’s fearsome reputation felt their scalps tingle with shock at the Second Lady’s bold action.

Feng Bei herself was startled. She had noticed Zheng Erniang approaching.

But she didn’t dare move rashly. She knew she was born an Omen, and she feared that a single careless move might take Zheng Erniang’s life.

"Second Lady, please let go."

Feng Bei was a bit nervous. She was well aware of the close relationship between the Second Lady and the young man.

Zheng Xiu stood to the side, watching the backs of Zheng Erniang and Feng Bei disappear into the Zheng Family estate, only then wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Qing Shisan, his heart still pounding, whispered to Zheng Xiu, "Master, are you aware of how dangerous Feng Bei is?"

Zheng Xiu was in a bit of a bind. He coughed dryly a couple of times and mumbled that he had, of course, heard about it.

If he explained clearly, he would expose the fact that he was an insider of the Path. But if he claimed ignorance, he would lose face as Master Zheng.

Qing Shisan nodded, not thinking much of it. It hadn’t yet occurred to him to consider the absurd possibility that "Zheng Shan" was "Zheng Xiu," who was also "Zheng Er." He just assumed the Master was mysterious and knew the inside story. He immediately went inside, planning to find a chance to remind Zheng Erniang not to get too close to that Evil Star, Feng Bei.

The "Omen" of Feng Bei’s hands was clearly not something she could easily control. Otherwise, she wouldn’t wear black silk gloves year-round to restrict and remind herself not to accidentally harm the innocent.

After leaving Heaven-Gazing Prison and returning to the Zheng Family estate in what felt like a protest march, it was now approaching noon. The family members and servants were about to prepare flower tea and pastries.

The reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve had its own customs. Breakfast was casual, lunch was skipped, and flower tea and pastries were served in the afternoon—a practice known as "saving stomach space." Immediately after, preparations for the grand evening feast would begin: slaughtering pigs and sheep, and cleaning the gamey meats. The entire process would take two or three double-hours, as the evening feast was the main event.

After giving some money to a few hired maids to prepare the tea and pastries, Zheng Xiu thought for a moment. He decided to have Fragrant Pavilion launch a three-day buffet event called the "Wise Great Emperor’s Special." Anyone, no matter the size of their group, could eat their fill for just a single string of cash. He believed that once word of this reached Old Wei’s ears, the fire he had stoked would be smoothly extinguished.

Who doesn’t like to be showered with praise? The Great Emperor was no exception.

"Oh, and I expect many people will stuff themselves. Too much of a good thing and all that. Remember to have a Zheng Clan Physician set up a stall across from Fragrant Pavilion to sell some remedies for indigestion and soothing the stomach. And raise the price tenfold."

Pingping, who was tasked with relaying the message, understood instantly. Her eyes sparkling, she praised the Master’s brilliance and happily went off to handle the task.

It had been nearly two months since anyone had seen Master Zheng, so everyone was scrambling over each other for a chance to speak their heart to the long-absent Master and raise their favorability with him.

After finally dealing with a roomful of workers and their families, Zheng Xiu used the excuse of needing the latrine to quietly slip away to the main room and shut the door tightly.

He twisted the vase that concealed a hidden mechanism, and a secret door swung open. Zheng Xiu quickly entered the dungeon.

He had already tried on the way here. Outside, he couldn’t enter the Heart Prison, let alone activate any of the Derivation Abilities of the [Prisoner]Path. The sudden fall from supernatural to ordinary made Zheng Xiu a little uneasy. But despite his unease, Zheng Xiu thought to himself that bringing Feng Bei along for support was not a wasted effort. How could he have known at the start that the Zheng Family had so many Miracle Masters it was absurd, enough to alert every Raven in the city.

Feng Bei was like a mythical sea-calming pillar, planted there to intimidate all the ill-intentioned folks who wanted to see him strung up on a lamppost. Feng Bei’s symbolic value was greater than her practical use. Her reputation in their circles was more than renowned enough. Feng Bei just had to stand with Zheng Xiu’s group—’Heh, no problem,’ he thought, ’others will naturally be wary.’

He believed the effect of his release from prison this time was even better than he had imagined.

Zheng Xiu walked down the steps into the dungeon and lit an oil lamp. His jaw dropped. The spacious "dungeon" delivered a powerful visual shock.

As Zheng Xiu lit one lamp, the flame followed a pre-laid "oil trail," igniting a path of fire into the depths.

FWOOSH. FWOOSH. FWOOSH. FWOOSH.

A few breaths later, a massive prison cell of several hundred square meters appeared before Zheng Xiu.

All four walls were cast from refined steel. The iron-black walls were covered in all sorts of bas-reliefs: dragons, tigers, leopards, insects, fish, birds, beasts, flowers, grass, and trees.

In the spacious area, a central corridor led straight to the end, flanked by partitioned "cells." Each cell had a different theme for its reliefs; some had a ferocious atmosphere, some an amorous one, and others a natural one. The only common feature was that every cell had shackles set into the wall, bolted to the backplate, seemingly for locking someone up.

Following the corridor deeper, Zheng Xiu even spotted some strange chair-like torture devices.

On some of the devices, he could faintly see seams for intricate moving parts, and he had no idea what shapes they could transform into.

Hmm, and also, every cell had a large bed.

Walking all the way to the end, Zheng Xiu discovered there was also a bathing area set up, with a wooden tub and a screen for a single person. Next to it was a large bathing pool, seemingly for several people.

Zheng Xiu was stunned by the "luxury" of the dungeon. He had only told Yan Jiji to put in a token effort, never expecting him to go this far.

’But the more I look at it, the more it feels like a love hotel, doesn’t it?’

Zheng Xiu felt something was off. He sat cross-legged beside the wooden tub and tried to enter the Heart Prison.

A moment later.

Zheng Xiu opened his eyes, which were filled with surprise.

’I can’t get in?’

Why!?

’Is it because it’s too luxurious?’

’No, no, no.’

The modifications he’d made at Heaven-Gazing Prison were also a bit excessive, but it still fell within the category of a "prison."

’So how exactly is a "prison" defined?’

Puzzled, Zheng Xiu left the main room, whistling as he went to find Qing Shisan.

Qing Shisan seemed to have known that Zheng Xiu would be impatient to check out the dungeon. Seeing Master Zheng emerge from the room with a frown, he found it odd. With a knowing smirk and a wink, he said, "Master, as for that dungeon you ordered, Old Yan put his all into getting it done. Is there something you’re not satisfied with? I’ll have a word with Old Yan later. If there’s anything you don’t like, Old Yan’s ’workshop’ can handle any modifications."

Watching Qing Shisan with his winks and the strange smile playing on his lips, Zheng Xiu vaguely grasped the key issue.

"Come down here for a second."

Zheng Xiu pulled Qing Shisan into the dungeon, pointed at the super-dungeon that looked like a luxury hotel, and asked, "What do you think this place is?"

"Your private dungeon, Master," Qing Shisan said with a light cough and a blink.

"The truth," Zheng Xiu said, his face stern.

"Well..." Qing Shisan scratched his head, his expression turning awkward. "It’s not my place to ask about your private life, Master. You can rest assured, the Second Lady will never find out about this place. You can... relax here, Master. You know, I know, Old Yan knows. You don’t need to, uh, you know, be like that in front of me."

Fuck me.

It dawned on Zheng Xiu. Seeing that lewd grin plastered all over Qing Shisan’s face, how could he not know what he was thinking?

’No wonder Old Yan built this super-dungeon to look like a love hotel! You all thought I was going to use this place to throw orgies, didn’t you!’

Qing Shisan’s words made Zheng Xiu understand why he couldn’t enter the Heart Prison here.

Because from the very beginning, no one had considered this place a prison.

No matter how much Zheng Xiu had modified Heaven-Gazing Prison to look otherwise, it was, after all, still a prison—a place held in awe and fear by the common people.

But as for this super-luxurious dungeon beneath the Zheng Family estate, no matter how much it looked like one, no one would ever think it was a real dungeon.

What was he to do?

Zheng Xiu was extremely frustrated. He couldn’t possibly stay in Heaven-Gazing Prison for the rest of his life.

’There’s another way!’

Zheng Xiu was truly Zheng Xiu, his thinking always ahead of the curve. As he racked his brain in frustration, a new idea instantly popped into his head.

After sending Qing Shisan away, Zheng Xiu made his way through the corridors and found Zizi in the rear kitchen, helping to wash vegetables.

"Zizi, ahem, a word in private."

Zheng Xiu steeled himself and beckoned to Zizi.

Zizi had her sleeves rolled up, washing vegetables and playing the part of a kitchen maid. Her Miracle Technique made her hands extremely smooth, repelling water and immune to cold, which was perfect for washing and prepping vegetables. At that moment, she looked up and saw the Master mysteriously beckoning to her. She shyly approached, curtsying demurely in greeting. "Greetings, Master."

"I’m taking you to a secret place. A place no one else knows about."

Zheng Xiu said with a perfectly straight face, then took out a black cloth and blindfolded Zizi.

Zizi’s breath hitched. Being blindfolded and pushed along, she felt a different kind of thrill.

’I never would have guessed the Master was into this sort of thing!’

’How exciting!’

Zheng Xiu quietly led Zizi to the dungeon.

CLICK.

Opening one of the cells, Zheng Xiu shackled Zizi to the wall.

Zizi squirmed uneasily, feeling her hands and feet restrained. Blushing, her voice trembled slightly, "Master, what are you...?"

Zizi’s voice echoed in the empty cell, but no one answered.

"Master? Master? Master?"

Zheng Xiu left quietly. Then, like a thief in the night, he repeated the process, bringing the blindfolded Lily, Pingping, and Bobo there one by one.

This matter was, after all, a secret and couldn’t be known by too many people. But Zheng Xiu knew these four inside and out and was confident he could handle them.

It took Zheng Xiu nearly two double-hours to finish his task. This was the first time he had walked around his own home feeling so guilty.

Thankfully, he didn’t run into Feng Bei along the way. It seemed the Second Lady had kept her occupied.

’Wait, why am I feeling guilty about Feng Bei?’

Zheng Xiu found the sudden thought inexplicable.

The spacious, luxurious dungeon finally had people locked in it. Zizi, the first to be brought in, had already been shackled for two double-hours, and only her faint, soft panting could be heard.

The other three were also bewildered, not knowing why the Master had shackled them.

At first, their thoughts might have been a bit... suggestive, but as the time they spent shackled grew longer, even the calmest among them, Jing Xuemei, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of unease.

"Master, if you have other orders, please give them. Don’t toy with us four sisters."

Zheng Xiu went to each of them and attached a silk thread to their blindfolds.

He suppressed his breathing and said no more.

Another hour passed.

An uneasy atmosphere brewed in the hearts of the four women.

They weren’t even sure if the Master was still there with them.

Finally.

With a sudden tug, Zheng Xiu pulled the black cloths from all four of their eyes at once.

The sudden action brought light to their eyes. The bright, flickering firelight allowed them to see their surroundings clearly. Utter shock was written all over their faces.

In that instant, a familiar sensation enveloped Zheng Xiu.

Zheng Xiu closed his eyes and stepped into the Heart Prison. The mist was just as he remembered, and the familiar sight made him ecstatic.

’So this so-called "prison" is actually a matter of "cognition"!’

’Only when someone "cognitively" acknowledges the "prison" nature of this room can it truly be judged as a "prison"!’

’The so-called "prison" is actually the "will of the masses"! It isn’t bound by form or appearance at all!’

’It worked! It worked!’

’My family’s dungeon is finally complete!’