Chapter 642: Decree From The Heavenly King!
No one could possibly guess what the giant ghost king was actually thinking. It really did seem like a situation of putting on a weak front in order to lure the enemies out of their strongholds. However, in other ways, it actually looked like he was trying to reach a compromise....
The more one was privy to the behind-the-scenes information, the more confusing things became. After all, the giant ghost king was a demigod, a fact that put a lot of pressure on the three great clans.
Duke Deathcrier’s trip to visit the three deva patriarchs cast suspicion into all of their hearts. However, each and every one of them made various demands, all of which seemed excessive in some way.
They had done so intentionally, of course. In some ways, such demands would make it seem like they weren’t interested in rebelling. For example, if the Bai Clan was planning a rebellion, they would intend to win it, and would therefore be confident in being able to take care of Bai Hao on their own. They wouldn’t need the giant ghost king to do it for them.
However, not even the Bai Clan patriarch could ever have guessed that his request would be granted within a day! The giant ghost king didn’t hesitate at all to send a royal decree directly to Devil Penitentiary.
Bai Hao reviled his own clan, treated his father perniciously, and killed his relatives. He is vicious and malevolent, and as such, his rank of prison guard shall be stripped, and he will be incarcerated as a prisoner in Devil Penitentiary!
Quite a few people in Giant Ghost City were shocked by the news. After all, Bai Hao had made quite a scene recently, and become very famous. For him to suddenly be imprisoned was a major development.
When Madam Cai heard the news, she was ecstatic. Although she ultimately wanted Bai Hao dead, she knew how brutal the legendary Devil Penitentiary was, and was very happy about the situation.
Bai Xiaochun had no way of knowing what people were saying about him outside. He was sitting in his room meditating when Deputy Warden Sun Peng and the guards of Cellblock D surrounded his quarters with no warning.
Bai Xiaochun was so stunned he didn't know how to react. It felt like his entire world had been turned upside down, to the point where he felt like crying.
“There must be some mistake....” he said in a quavering voice, looking around at all the familiar faces among the guards.
The guards of Cellblock D were all on good terms with Bai Xiaochun, and couldn’t help but hesitate a bit. The compassion and other mixed emotions in their eyes was clear. However, they didn’t dare to defy a royal decree, and could do nothing but sigh and clasp hands toward Bai Xiaochun.
“We really have no choice in the matter, Brother Bai Hao....”
“Just stick it out, Bai Hao. You never know, his highness the king might cool down after a bit and change his mind.”
Then, the captain of Squad 9 loudly declared, “Don’t worry, Bai Hao. You’re going to be locked up in Cellblock D, and we're all like a big family. Your title is changing, that's all. We guards will make sure nobody in the cellblock causes any problems for you!”
Clearly, the captain felt very uncomfortable about the situation. The other guards all nodded their heads in agreement. After all, they had all benefited to some extent from the interrogations Bai Xiaochun had performed recently. Coupled with the fact that Bai Xiaochun treated them all well, it ensured that they all liked him.
They couldn’t defy a royal decree, but could use their authority in Cellblock D to make sure that Bai Xiaochun had it easy.
Deputy Warden Sun Peng cleared his throat and said, “It’s just a change of clothing, Bai Hao. We’ll take care of all your daily needs, so there won’t be much change in that. In fact, any time you want to come out and take a walk, just let us know!”
Bai Xiaochun could see that there was no way out of his situation. He was depressed, but everyone was treating him so well that it warmed his heart. Heaving sighs, he walked along with everyone into the cellblock itself.
Soon, the gray-robed prisoners in the cellblock learned of the matter, and all of them were stunned. As for the important prisoners who Bai Xiaochun had interrogated in the past, many of them were very excited, and were clearly happy to see Bai Hao get his comeuppance....
However, their joy didn’t last for long. The ten captains of Cellblock D gave harshly-worded warnings to all the prisoners that they weren’t to disturb Bai Hao. Then Deputy Warden Sun Peng pointed out that although Bai Hao wasn’t an official guard any longer, he was still an inquisitor. At that point, the prisoners abandoned any thoughts of getting revenge.
As far as most of them were concerned, it would actually have been better for him to remain as a guard. Back then, he only came into the cellblock when on patrol. But now... he would be in there with them all the time. The thought of what that meant if they ended up offending him was terrifying.
Most outrageous of all was that... the guards didn't seal his cultivation base!
That caused each and every one of the prisoners to be filled with incredible anxiety. After a bit of time, the guards said their farewells and left.
Crestfallen, Bai Xiaochun found an empty skull cell, walked in, and sat down cross-legged.
“It all happened so fast,” he thought with a long sigh. “I was a guard, an inquisitor, and even the number one dark inquisitor.... Now I’m just a prisoner.
“Is it some kind of prank...? King Giant Ghost, you bastard, you were the one who saved me to begin with. Why are you causing problems for me now...?”
“You're a demigod expert! The three great clans are planning a rebellion, so why don't you just go wipe them out? What are you picking on me for, you loser!?” From what he could tell, he was simply being used as a pawn in whatever game the giant ghost king and the three great clans were playing.
“What secret weapon do the three great clans have? Dammit! This is between the clans and the king! It doesn’t have anything to do with me!” Clenching his hands into fists, he looked around and gave a depressed sigh.
“Thankfully, my bros didn’t seal my cultivation base. Otherwise, life would have been really bad.” Feeling a bit better because of that fact, he looked over at the cell next to him.
In it sat an old man with an expressionless face that featured a prominent red birthmark. Bai Xiaochun remembered this old man from back when the captain had first showed him around. Apparently, he had offended the giant ghost king and then ended up being locked away for more than two hundred years.
Hoping to commiserate with a fellow victim, Bai Xiaochun suddenly said, “Hey there, Fellow Daoist. I heard you offended the giant ghost king. Ai. I guess you and I are in the same boat.”
The old man didn’t react at all. Either he hadn’t heard, or was pretending not to.
“Your cultivation base is sealed, so why are you sitting around meditating all the time? What’s the point? Come, come, let’s chat a bit about that damned giant ghost king. He’s a completely worthless nobody!” Bai Xiaochun was actually getting worked up by this point, and had raised his voice quite a bit.
Despite that, the old man continued to remain motionless in meditation. Irritated, Bai Xiaochun said, “Fine, just pretend you didn’t hear me. What’s so amazing about that? It's not like I ever did anything to offend you!”
Bai Xiaochun had been a bit depressed to begin with, and having this old man completely ignore him didn’t help. Snorting coldly, he leaned back up against the cell wall and began to ponder his misery. Sighing, he thought back to how glorious his life had been as a major general on the Great Wall, and how amazing things had been in the River-Defying Sect.
“Oh Junwan, I miss you so much. And you too, Xiaomei....” For some reason, he then thought of Mistress Red-Dust, and after that, Chen Hetian, and his anger surged.
However, sitting around moping wouldn’t do any good, so after a bit of time passed, he sat up cross-legged and started thinking about what to do next. Unfortunately, no matter how he pondered the situation, he couldn’t come up with any ideas. He had long since tested out his Undying Hex, and found that it was as useless inside Devil Penitentiary as it had been in the labyrinth near the Great Wall.
Now that he was a prisoner, it felt like he was completely and utterly bereft of hope.
“Damn that giant ghost king!” he said through gritted teeth. “And the Bai Clan too. They’re all worthless nobodies! If the three great clans rebel and win, then they’ll definitely come and kill me. If they try, then I’ll just use my demigod soul to fight my way free!” A fierce gleam appeared in his eyes. “If the giant ghost king wins, then maybe I’ll have a chance of getting out of here. The captain and Deputy Warden Sun might be able to speak up for me, and maybe even Warden Li....”
Bai Xiaochun massaged the bridge of his nose as he contemplated the two possible outcomes. The latter would be the preferred option, whereas the former.... would make it difficult to avoid death. The idea of dying in a fight got Bai Xiaochun so worked up that he started trembling.
“You people are forcing my hand!” Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to meditate. After all, the best thing to do in this situation was keep himself in top condition, that way he would be ready to make a move at a moment’s notice.
Time passed. Before long, half a month had gone by. Although Bai Xiaochun remained on alert at all times, nothing much happened. None of the prisoners caused any problems, and the guards would come over on a daily basis to chat and even deliver alcohol and food. Overall, they took good care of him.
From Bai Xiaochun’s perspective, it really was as if he had just changed accommodations and clothing. The guards would even let him out of the cellblock to take a walk whenever he wanted. Generally speaking, his mood was good.
Occasionally, the guards would even ask for his help doing some interrogations. After all, he was still the number one dark inquisitor of Devil Penitentiary.