Chapter 24: A Wealthy Idler

Trapped and deceived, with no one to rescue her, she was only discovered after half a month had passed.

Cheng Ruyi dared not dwell on how Ruoniang had survived those two weeks. He gasped, "Just tell me straight—what did that animal do to her...!"

Yan Kuang pondered for a moment before saying, "Ruoniang killed him, hacked him into pieces, and threw him into the Jing River."

Cheng Ruyi felt a jolt of terror, yet simultaneously, a weight lifted from his heart, allowing him to breathe a little easier. He lowered his gaze and asked, "So, she took up the trade of a corpse-fisher afterward?"

Yan Kuang nodded. "After all, in the funeral business, fishing corpses out of the canal for money—people avoid even the mere sight of it, let alone anything else."

"For her, it might not be a bad thing."

Cheng Ruyi didn't commit to an opinion, but something else occurred to him. "Then her face... what happened to it?"

In a flash, memories resurfaced in Yan Kuang’s mind—

It was a bitterly cold night when he encountered Ruoniang waiting for him in a small alley. She stumbled toward him, and the moment she pulled back her headscarf, a pungent scent of blood washed over him. Her face, a mask of wounds and gore, betrayed no expression. She only looked up, clutching at Yan Kuang’s sleeve, her voice as hoarse as a rusted, broken pipa.

"My lord... I killed someone."

"Don't worry... I’ve already chopped him into pieces and thrown him into the river to feed the fish..."

"My lord, please... help me, help me just this once... I don't want to die, I cannot die..."

Cheng Ruyi said, "No matter how much a person changes, they wouldn't alter so drastically... Ruoniang, how did she end up looking like this today?"

"Her face was mangled. Although she was treated in time, it left permanent scars."

The image of Ruoniang, back then, laughing until she gasped for air while looking into a bronze mirror after unwrapping her bandages, appeared in Yan Kuang’s mind once more.

Cheng Ruyi felt a pang of sorrow. It wasn't that he didn't know he wasn't the only one suffering in this world, but hearing Ruoniang’s story only made his heart heavier.

Yan Kuang changed the subject, returning to their earlier topic. "Being a 'ghostly sister-in-law' is still better than living in fear by my side."

Cheng Ruyi thought of the current Ruoniang; even if others saw her as a "monster," she was happy herself. What did the judgment of others matter compared to one's own comfort and peace of mind?

Yan Kuang continued, "I have truly never thought about settling down or starting a family. With a life like mine, I have no need for descendants, and even less desire to bring ruin upon any woman in this world."

Cheng Ruyi felt a twinge of guilt upon hearing this. Thinking of the two women he had harmed, he wondered if he wasn't exactly the same. He had never considered marriage or betrothal either, but he lacked the moral standing of the "living Buddha" before him. If ruining others could pave his own way, he wouldn't have cared about marriage... Perhaps it was precisely because of that black heart that he was now suffering this retribution—his fame gone, living a life of agony, left with nothing but scars.

As Cheng Ruyi’s thoughts swirled, Yan Kuang leaned back against the wall, eyes closed. Feeling inexplicably guilty, Cheng Ruyi reached out and patted Yan Kuang’s thigh. "It’s damp and chilly here... you’re injured, don't lean against the wall."

Yan Kuang suddenly opened his eyes, finding the gesture amusing. He couldn't help but smile. "How about that? Are you going to cushion me yourself?"

Cheng Ruyi took a deep breath, steeled himself, and pressed his back against the wall. "You... you come here."

Seeing this, Yan Kuang pushed himself up, pulled Cheng Ruyi into his arms, and then leaned back against the wall again.

"Mm, this is much better," Yan Kuang said calmly.

Although it wasn't the first time he had been held by this "King of Hell," the position still made Cheng Ruyi feel awkward.

"This isn't appropriate..."

"What exactly is inappropriate?" Yan Kuang retorted.

"Forget it, do as you please..." Cheng Ruyi closed his eyes in resignation. He added, "Can't you find a way, pull some strings, and get yourself out of here before you're discovered?"

Cheng Ruyi thought to himself that if he died, so be it; he had been lonely his whole life and didn't need company on the road to the afterlife. It was better to leave quietly.

Yan Kuang saw through his thoughts. "I’ll be fine. A few strokes of the cane and a fine, and I’ll be out. As for you, if you’re identified and interrogated, just name me. Don't try to bear it alone."

Cheng Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief. "Understood, Officer Yan... The cane strokes should be easy to pay off. Try not to take them if you can. And when you leave... remember to take the straw doll with you as a keepsake."

Yan Kuang complied, taking the doll and tucking it into a hidden pocket in his sleeve. "Would you like me to write my birth date on it and prick it three times a day for you?"

"Of course... if you have the spare time." Knowing Yan Kuang wouldn't be dragged down with him, Cheng Ruyi felt much lighter. After the banter, something occurred to him, and he whispered softly.

"Yan Kuang."

"Speak."

Cheng Ruyi turned his head. "I've been curious for a while—how many hidden pockets do you actually have in your clothes? How do you fit so much in them?"

Yan Kuang closed his eyes. "So curious? Why don't you strip me and see for yourself?"

"No need for that..." Cheng Ruyi shrank back. He wouldn't dare lay hands on the King of Hell.

Yan Kuang teased him intentionally, "My whole body is filled with hidden weapons and poison. You’d better be careful being this close to me."

Cheng Ruyi immediately struggled to scramble away, but Yan Kuang caught him by the waist and pulled him back into his embrace. Cheng Ruyi cursed silently, rolled his eyes, and stopped moving.

"Only now realizing you're afraid? It’s too late," Yan Kuang said. "Regretting the effort you spent blocking me at the city gates, aren't you?"

Cheng Ruyi refused to back down. "Where does that logic come from? I was just worried that if I accidentally pressed the wrong spot on you, your poisoned weapons might stab you. Can't I be concerned for you?"

"You can barely save yourself, yet you worry for me. How strange." Yan Kuang closed his eyes and leaned back.

...

The next day, Cheng Ruyi arrived at the main hall of the Dali Prison for the first time in ages. Unlike the Zhenfu Division, the Dali Prison was pitch black everywhere, likely due to the tastes of those in charge.

Recalling the brightly lit halls of the Zhenfu Division, Cheng Ruyi couldn't help but smile, thinking that Yan Kuang still didn't like the darkness.

Cheng Ruyi was escorted by guards for questioning. All the way from his cell to the hall, his palms were tightly clenched. He remembered how, before falling asleep last night, he had pestered Yan Kuang about how many hidden pockets he had.

Yan Kuang, unable to resist him, finally said helplessly, "Fine." He took Cheng Ruyi’s hand and placed it on his chest, patting it—

"Here."

After that, Yan Kuang guided his hand, moving from his shoulders down to his sleeves and waist, tapping each spot in turn.

Cheng Ruyi counted along with his movements: "One, two... three, four, five, six, seven... Officer Yan, why is it an odd number?"

"There are more in my boots." Yan Kuang released his hand and tapped the soles of his own shoes.

Cheng Ruyi was incredulous. "My thanks for the explanation, Officer... so that's the ingenious purpose of thick-soled boots."

"They contain poison for self-termination."

Cheng Ruyi couldn't help but recall the various ways Yan Kuang used "medicine" and wondered if he was a King of Hell or a King of Medicine. He asked curiously, "Is this a rule of the Zhenfu Division, or a habit of yours?"

Yan Kuang seemed to ponder for a moment. "Before a mission, we place the poison under our tongues. If we are accidentally captured while on duty, we must act decisively. An old veteran who trained me when I first joined the division taught me this."

Cheng Ruyi frowned slightly. He began to understand why life and death always sounded so trivial in his mouth. Was it that behind the glory, death was viewed with indifference, or perhaps it was simply beyond one's control?

Thinking of this, Cheng Ruyi hesitated before asking, "Then you... you..."

Yan Kuang said, "About seven or eight years ago, there was one time I was captured by water bandits, but I didn't follow the rules."

He paused, then added, "At that time, I still had things left undone. I didn't want to die yet."

Cheng Ruyi thought he truly knew what he was going to ask, so he probed, "Then you..."

Yan Kuang replied frankly, "It wasn't finished. There was no chance. Don't ask again."

"Oh..."

The blinding glare of torches ahead jolted Cheng Ruyi back to reality.

The moment he saw what was in front of him, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees!

His head followed, bowing down in one fluid motion, as if a puppet’s strings had been cut.

Behind the torchlight sat the Emperor, enthroned in the seat of honor. The Son of Heaven of the Great Chu watched the ridiculous scene before him, choked back a laugh, and coughed twice. "You... you're that sneaky person from yesterday... what was your name again?"

Cheng Ruyi clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and stuttered, "It—it was an official, my lord... This humble commoner is Chen, Chen Da! Y—yesterday, that was truly a misunderstanding! A massive misunderstanding!"

Cheng Ruyi had assumed the person interrogating him would be from the Dali Temple, at most the Chief Justice. How could he have guessed it would be the Emperor himself?! He deeply suspected the Emperor had recognized him and come to interrogate him personally, perhaps fearing that his "resurrection" had far-reaching implications...

Otherwise, why would a dignified Son of Heaven be hanging around outside the palace every day? Did he not have morning court to attend?!

*Does he really have nothing better to do than play the idle rich?* Cheng Ruyi thought.

*Author's note: Foreshadowing in this chapter.*