Chapter 61: Chapter 61: The Legend of Cloud Mountain
 

“This old geezer is even craftier than a corrupt official!”

Zhou Yi never considered himself to be an elite, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been a 996 workhorse in his previous life.

The Longevity Dao Fruit only granted endless lifespan, not extraordinary wisdom.

People like Yu Su, who neither practiced martial arts nor cultivated immortality, spent their entire lives in struggle and scheming, playing mind games far beyond Zhou Yi’s reach.

Perhaps after a few hundred years, having experienced a myriad of things, Zhou Yi could reach such a realm where deep calculation and devious planning would come as naturally as breathing.

“Too troublesome, all these conspiracies and tricks, these beauties with deceptive appearances, just endure them all until they die off!”

Zhou Yi ignored the prisoners’ wailing. A few more days of drinking slop and one would get used to it. He carried the bucket to the sky prison’s service room.

He had intended to pass the time by watching his colleagues play cards.

The jailers all sat upright, chatting idly. Zhou Yi asked about it and learned that Officer Yang had issued an order strictly forbidding drinking and gambling in the sky prison.

It was with great difficulty that he made it to the end of his shift.

Zhou Yi returned to the courtyard and pondered over the formation for two hours before beginning his cultivation of the Guiyuan Technique.

The path of Qi Refinement values consistency and dedication.

At midnight.

Zhou Yi slowly ended his practice and with a wave of his hand over his face, he transformed into the aged visage of the King of Samsara.

After decades of practicing the Art of Disguise, he had reached a state of perfection. Then, using the Shadow Talisman for cover, he moved through the Divine Capital in the veil of night.

Tongfu District.

Yuan’s residence.

Pavilions and pagodas by the water, bizarre rocks and artificial hills.

It once belonged to a certain wealthy merchant in the capital, who was suspected of trading with Great Yong and exiled with his entire family, selling the residence to the Jinyiwei Colonel for a high price of one hundred silver taels.

At the entrance, guards dressed in black were on duty, with both visible and hidden sentries all around, securing the entire mansion like an iron barrel.

Zhou Yi, like a gust of black wind, easily breezed through the halls and into the inner house.

Inside the room.

Yuan Shun was embracing one of his eighteen concubines asleep when he suddenly awoke, hearing a noise from the main hall. His first reaction was to reach under his pillow for the concealed crossbow with a deadly poisoned bolt.

“Come out and see this old man.”

Zhou Yi poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip, definitely royal tribute tea.

Yuan Shun casually threw on some clothes and came out, respectfully saying, “Your Highness, what are your orders?”

Zhou Yi said, “Send a few skilled men to Jiangnan, keep a close watch on the eight great families, especially the Yang family of Hongzhou. Even if a dog from their house causes a stir, it should be carefully recorded.”

“Yes, Your Highness, I shall arrange it first thing tomorrow.”

Yuan Shun ventured a guess, “The eight great families of Jiangnan, could they be related to the Immortal Dao?”

“Perhaps.”

Zhou Yi fell silent for a moment, then changed the subject, “What exactly was going on with the reports you filed about Cloud Mountain in the past?”

His voice was very soft, but when it fell on Yuan Shun’s ears, it was like thunder exploding, causing his legs to buckle, and he knelt on the floor.

“Your Highness, please spare me, I had no choice,” he pleaded.

“So, Cloud Mountain was indeed a fabrication?”

A fierce light flashed in Zhou Yi’s eyes as Sword Qi circled Yuan Shun’s neck, drawing out beads of bright red blood.

“Your Highness, after I took office in Xuzhou to seek revenge, I arrested several officials and imprisoned them, which aroused the suspicion of the Jinyiwei,” Yuan Shun hurriedly explained. “As you know, the Jinyiwei always act without requiring evidence. They pressured me to pass on false information to Your Highness and even requested a royal priest to lie in ambush at Cloud Mountain.”

“Under close surveillance, I dared not speak clearly and could only describe Cloud Mountain as though it was an Immortal Realm, utterly unlike the mortal world, hoping Your Highness would be on guard.”

Zhou Yi snorted coldly, “If it weren’t for that, you would have died long ago!”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s mercy.”

Yuan Shun kept kowtowing, sweat pooling on the floor.

Zhou Yi asked, “Why did you choose me?”

Back then, Yuan Shun repeatedly reported the splendor of Cloud Mountain, things like rainbows descending frequently, gathering of extraordinary hermits, and white mists enveloping the mountain, making it difficult for mortals to ascend to the peak.

Cloud Mountain had a significant reputation in Jiangnan, with many scholars retiring there.

If it was truly so wondrous, Cloud Mountain would have caused a sensation in Fengyang Country, and the Dog Emperor would not have been left seeking in vain.

Zhou Yi had long suspected that there was something fishy about the Cloud Mountain news.

“Your Highness is dedicated to seeking the Immortal Dao. Although it seemed far-fetched, partnering with you was better than dealing with those high-ranking figures,” Yuan Shun respectfully said. “In their eyes, there’s only silver and power, and the moment I become useless, they’d sell me to make money.”

“At least you’re clever.”

Zhou Yi said coldly, “Who instructed you to bait me out?”

“Feng Zhong,” Yuan Shun replied. “There were also others who had their identities exposed, and because they didn’t bribe enough, they were all secretly executed.”

“Someone will take care of this matter!”

Zhou Yi stared at Yuan Shun for a long while before speaking slowly, “Remember to seize the opportunity. After Feng Zhong dies, you should at least be promoted to Deputy Commander!”

“Thank you, My Lord.”

As Yuan Shun spoke, he suddenly felt a pellet in his mouth that melted as soon as he popped it in.

Tiny Gu insects burrowed into his body and finally settled in the position of his heart. Shock filled his heart, and by the time he looked up again, the figure of the King of Samsara was nowhere to be seen.

Hiss, hiss, hiss!

Agonizing pain ripped through him, and Yuan Shun rolled back and forth on the ground, awakening his sleeping concubine.

Out of panic, the concubine wanted to scream for a doctor, but Yuan Shun hastily stopped her.

After a long time, the severe pain slowly subsided, and Yuan Shun lay on the ground, silently making calculations.

“How much silver is needed to bribe my way to Deputy Commander? There are several merchants in the Capital I have been eyeing for half a year; it’s time to round them up and confiscate their property!”

…

Time flowed like running water.

The fourth year of the Orthodox era.

Spring.

Zhou Yi carried a bucket to deliver food, observing that the prisoners had all become significantly thinner.

“Little brother, give me two more scoops; I’m starving to death!”

“I have lots of silver; a hundred taels for a bowl of thick gruel!”

“…”

Driven by extreme hunger, the prisoners used all kinds of tactics to get a bit more to eat, using threats and bribes to try for an extra bowl of thin porridge.

Zhou Yi silently delivered the food, noting that a good half of the prison guards had been replaced in recent months, leaving only those who could resist the temptation of the prisoners and not reach for the silver.

Anywardens who couldn’t help themselves and were blinded by silver were all thrown into prison by Officer Yang.

Behind bars, they watched their former colleagues.

The remaining wardens trembled with fear and dared not disobey, strictly adhering to the rules.

As a result, the price of food in prison skyrocketed, with a bowl of thick gruel selling for a hundred taels of silver.

On this day.

After finishing his meal delivery, Zhou Yi was looking for a place to slack off and cultivate.

Old Lei came running up and said, “Old Zhou, an unyielding character has arrived in the A2 Prison. Officer Yang summons you for interrogation.”

Zhou Yi asked, “What’s his background?”

“A river pirate from the Jiangnan region, the chief of the seventy-two Chain Fortresses, called River Dragon.”

Old Lei whispered, “I heard from Colonel Ma, who interrogated him last night, that this man has dominated the Jiangnan Waterway for more than a decade, making an untold sum of silver. The Imperial Court’s army conquered the Chain Fortresses, but the silver vanished without a trace.”

“Do we still need to interrogate for that?”

Zhou Yi pursed his lips; it was probably another lackey for the Jiangnan gentry.

When the dog gets fattened, they use the excuse of exterminating bandits by the Imperial Court to swallow it whole.

Being a wise man himself, Old Lei chuckled, “We still have to go through the motions, right?”

A2 Prison.

When Zhou Yi entered, he saw Officer Yang administering punishment.

The red-hot iron pressed against River Dragon’s face, sizzling as the smell of charred flesh rose.

River Dragon, over three meters tall with arms and legs as thick as punishment pillars, endured Officer Yang’s torture without making a sound. His large, bronze bell-like eyes glared at everyone in the cell, sending out a ferocious aura that scared the wardens from getting too close.

After torturing for a long time, filled with frustration, Yang tossed the branding iron back into the furnace: “Old Zhou, your turn!”

“Yes, Officer Yang.”

Zhou Yi stepped forward and pressed on several acupoints, his fingertips against the mid-sternum, channeling Inner Qi up through the Jade Hall acupoint.

After decades of refinement, Zhou Yi’s skills in extracting confessions reached a high level. His Inner Qi repeatedly stimulated the prisoner’s vital points, causing extreme pain while ensuring the victim’s life remained intact.

“Uuuuu…”

Unable to bear the pain any longer, River Dragon howled, but upon opening his mouth, it became evident that he had no tongue, and even his vocal cords had been shredded.

Clatter!

River Dragon’s body suddenly swelled by ten inches, and the already taut chains broke apart with a series of snaps.

“Roar!”

With a roar of rage, River Dragon’s massive fists smashed towards Zhou Yi’s head. Without waiting to see the result, or perhaps confident that he could kill with the blow, he leaped towards Officer Yang.

Zhou Yimoved nimbly, transforming into several shadowy figures and easily dodging the punch.

“Explode!”

At the command, several popping sounds came from inside River Dragon’s body. He appeared unscathed on the outside, but the towering brute crashed to the ground, lifeless.