Chapter 54: The Law is Greater than the King (Part 1)

  Fangchuan Road, Baoying Prefecture, Tingquan Pavilion underground secret prison.

  The mottled walls, under the erosion of thick and heavy moisture, cracked open piece by piece. The openings were covered with green moss, revealing the dark and gloomy granite rocks inside. The walls were very damp, because half of the cell was a pool. The pool had not been cleaned for years, the water was sticky and dense, emitting a suffocating stench. There were floating garbage on the surface that made people want to vomit, and it seemed like there were also incomplete human limbs. The other half of the cell was a dirty and uneven stone slab, under which was piled up brown feces. Flies danced in the air, as if this place was their paradise.

  Yang Shuang sat cross-legged on the only stone slab where he could put his feet, his eyes closed as if in meditation. Everything he heard, saw, smelled, and felt was something he had never experienced before in his two lifetimes. In less than a day, he already felt like he had lived for over a hundred years, with each second feeling infinitely long. Every pore on his body was emitting an aura of suffering, yet he refused to pass out. It's said that fainting is the body's self-protection mechanism against excessive pain, but now it seemed to have lost its effect. He really didn't know if he would be suffocated to death in the next moment, and deep down, he was hoping to lose consciousness so he could escape reality. He was eagerly awaiting the opening of the prison gate, yet fiercely resisting it at the same time.

  However, whether he was willing or unwilling, the prison gate creaked open and Tang Zhi's figure appeared in the light.

  "Yang Suofeng, it's already the third watch," Tang Zixuan said calmly as he walked to Yang Suofeng's side. The foul smell emanating from the prison gate was nothing new to him. "I have to commend you here, those other spoiled brats had tough mouths at first, but they couldn't even last an hour before vomiting and begging to see me... Your endurance is not bad."

  Yang Xuanfen still sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and cultivated his spirit. Only his mouth was weakly moving: "Tang Zhi, you bully a person who is as weak as a chicken, don't you feel ashamed?"

  Tang Zili said coldly, "I represent the will of the people, exercising the people's judgment on you. You refuse to cooperate and should be punished more severely. Such punishment is also what you deserve."

  Yang Shuang said fiercely: "I have never seen such a shameless person like you, how can you represent the will of the people? Who gave you the order? Why should I be punished? Even if the law decides that I committed the crime of raping women, it's not necessary to humiliate me like this. You speak with a mouth full of benevolence and morality, but your words are more stinky than feces. There is so much feces in this place, is it because you talk too much?"

  Tang Zihao did not get angry, and slowly said: "Yang Shuangfeng, you should understand that the wealth of the Su family and the Cai family is the blood and sweat created by the working people. It was taken away from them by your power and force. This wealth does not belong to you at all. If you are a reasonable person, you should return it to the masses..."

  Yang Shuang said, "Tang Zhi, that's enough. Don't speak to me with such righteousness and confidence. What is often hidden behind a facade of justice and morality is ugliness, the most heinous and disgusting kind. The more you speak of justice and morality, the more I suspect your ulterior motives. I don't know where you got the power granted by the people, it's all just your fantasy. As for the methods of your Red Lotus Sect, I cannot agree with them. If you really want to ask my opinion about you, then I can only say that I should send all of you to the guillotine."

  Tang Zidun suddenly fell silent, his face pale and cold. He grasped Yang Suofeng's hand, a faint cold smile playing on the corner of his mouth. Yang Suofeng's body began to tremble violently, her face as yellow as wax, her throat convulsing wildly, emitting indistinct sounds like "yi ya yi ya". Her breathing was extremely labored, and she was on the verge of collapse. Tang Zidun released his grip, and Yang Suofeng immediately collapsed to the ground like a heap of mud, barely able to gasp for air, unable even to open her eyes.

  "This is the Great Soul Search, I come to pay my respects three times a day, I think you must be very satisfied. Dislocating your bones and muscles may be tolerable, but the Great Soul Search may not be." Tang Zicong said expressionlessly.

  Yang Suo's voice was very weak, but it was clear, and his voice seemed to convey his strong will: "Tang Zhi, no matter what your purpose is, you should not abuse me. If you want to kill me, I have nothing to say, but please give me a quick death. Otherwise, as long as I don't die, one day I will eliminate you and the entire Chi Lian Sect, and send all of you to hell."

  Tang Ziyu looked up and laughed, not taking it to heart at all. He said lightly: "Is that so? Then we'll wait for your arrival! You're still stubborn even when death is near! Why don't you use the remaining two hours to think about it carefully? The taste of being searched by the Soul Searching Hand will be unforgettable."

  Tang Zhi's figure disappeared, and the prison gate clanged shut, plunging the cell back into darkness.

  Yang Shuangfeng suddenly let out a loud cry, his five internal organs were churning with nausea, he hastily lowered his head to vomit, but nothing came out. For a moment, his abdomen was churning like the sea, the pain was unbearable, and his brain was also throbbing with sharp pains, as if millions of sharp needles were piercing his forehead. His whole body was in a state of convulsive trembling, finally, he couldn't hold on anymore, his forehead deeply buried into the large stone slab, knocking against it with force, hoping to alleviate the inner pain with external suffering.

  Time was passing minute by minute, and Yang Suofeng felt his life slipping away bit by bit. His ideals, his passion, his nostalgia, all were slowly dissipating in the midst of suffering, just like dandelion seeds scattered in the wind, drifting aimlessly in all directions. His consciousness gradually became more and more blurred, as if he had begun to drift aimlessly again in the vastness of space. He didn't know how long it took, but suddenly he heard the sound of the prison door opening again. Yang Suofeng simply lay down on the ground. However, strangely enough, this time it wasn't Tang Zhi who came, but two burly men with thick arms and legs. They picked up Yang Suofeng from the ground, slung him over their shoulders, and carried him out of the cell.

  Yang Shuangfeng hadn't even reacted yet, when he felt himself being tossed into the air and then suddenly submerged in the warm and cozy hot spring. Every single pore on his body was emitting a sense of comfort that was beyond compare. The feeling of going from hell to heaven made Yang Shuangfeng almost unable to react, he glanced sideways and only saw Tang Zixing pacing back and forth anxiously by the side of the hot spring with a gloomy face, as if there was something extremely difficult to deal with. However, he didn't want to ask about that much, he was taking advantage of every minute to soak in the hot spring and wash away all the stench on his body. At this moment, he was actually thinking that if Tang Zixing were to lock him back up in the prison cell again, he would definitely surrender.

  Unfortunately, Tang Zhi did not do so. He almost didn't put Yang Shuangfeng in his eyes again. He just kept pacing back and forth until Yang Shuangfeng was wrapped in a bathrobe and carried on his back by a big man. Tang Zhi waved his hand impatiently, and a black cloth immediately covered Yang Shuangfeng's eyes. Yang Shuangfeng could feel that he was moving forward, but the direction was unclear, and the road was obviously winding and bumpy, making it impossible to identify. Half an hour later, he felt himself being put down, sitting on a chair, and the black cloth in front of his eyes was also untied.

  At first glance, this appears to be a very simple study. The room is large, with only half-new furniture, but there are many books, and the walls on all four sides are densely packed with books. Some of the books are quite old, with yellowed and tattered covers everywhere, and most of them are historical biographies. Among them, the most striking one is "The Legend of King Yelan" written by Promiloda, a Gypsy, which is placed in the most prominent position.

  Two old men sat around the stove on the desk, roasting and chatting. They looked quite old, but with white hair and a youthful face, their faces were ruddy and full of energy, their eyes shining brightly. The man on the left had a scar on his face that almost cut across his entire left cheek; the man on the right was missing two fingers, both thumbs. From their appearance, it seemed they had both experienced something unique and painful. They glanced at Tang Zhen as he entered, then lowered their heads to read. The old man on the right spoke unhappily: "Sixth brother, you always hide, how long will you hide? Do you think that by hiding, our business can proceed smoothly?"

  Tang Zhi's expression was equally respectful, but also somewhat awkward. He muttered: "Third brother, fourth brother, I've been busy with official duties lately and haven't had time to think too much about it. I don't have any new opinions or suggestions, please forgive me. You both know that I'm not proficient in this area of research. In short, whatever suggestions you have, I'll fully support them."

  An old man with two missing thumbs put down the book and frowned, saying: "I knew you'd say that. Indeed, in the past few months, under your efforts, the amount of meat caught has increased, adding about 8 million gold coins to our national treasury, which is not a small feat. However, compared to what we are discussing now, these funds are useless. If we can't find a balance point, the funds you've worked hard to get back will be wasted and have no benefit for our common cause or the people. Your funds will ultimately only fill the private pockets of some individuals."

  Tang Zixuan deeply lowered his head, looking quite embarrassed.

  Yang Shuangfeng was both terrified and excited, he had never thought that Tang Zhi would bring himself to the core figures of the Red Refining Sect. The two old men's status in the Red Refining Sect was obviously higher than Tang Zhi's, if reported to the imperial court, the reward would be without a doubt. The imperial court was extremely wary of the Red Refining Sect, at the slightest movement, they would eradicate it. However, since the other party dared to bring himself here, they must have arranged for secrecy measures. But the most secretive thing in the world is killing and silencing people. As soon as he thought of this, his whole body felt a chill again.

  The old man with a scar on his face stroked the book and said slowly, "Fourth brother, you don't have to be angry. Sixth brother has done a good job in his own duties and deserves praise, not criticism. Sixth brother, you've done very well these past few months. I will highly praise you in front of the Heavenly King, and your merits will soon be added to the Holy Teachings' Merit Book. As for your usage, the higher-ups of the Holy Teachings will further study and arrange it."

  Tang Zhi said in a low voice: "Third brother, I still like the job of the God of Wealth. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it."