Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 693: Eighteen Years Later, Still a Good Man

For the first time in over ten years, Fang Chen found himself in a prison cell in Stone River County.

The air was filled with the musty, rusty scent of decay and the stench of rot. In the dim shadows, scattered figures sat or lay about. Their eyes reflected various emotions: some were dull, some numb, some filled with despair, and others fierce.

Liu Hao had arranged for him to have a single room, which was relatively clean; typically, one had to pay tribute to stay here.

"Master, here are some healing ointments," said Liu Hao as he placed the medicine beside Fang Chen. "The people you killed were under King Wei Nan. This matter is quite difficult to handle, so please don't blame me."

Fang Chen picked up the ointment and applied it to his wounds, nodding slightly. "Go on."

Liu Hao sighed and left with his men. However, before leaving, he instructed the prison guards to treat Fang Chen well. After applying the ointment, Fang Chen leaned gently against the wall and closed his eyes to rest.

Over the years, everything here felt increasingly real, so real that at times he would forget his origins entirely. Each time he reached this point, he would think back to the time he sought the other shore at the Profound Void Temple.

The bitter sea had yet to be crossed, so how could he forget?

"Zhu Kui has forgotten, Bu Qingchen has forgotten, Bu Qingyu has forgotten, Fang Yunmeng has forgotten; I wonder if Gu Shuai has forgotten everything too. If all of this is just a test from the immortal sect, what is it that they truly want? Do they wish for us to remember the past, or do they wish for us to forget the mundane world?"

"What are you rambling about? Can't you let me sleep?" someone's angry voice came from the cell next to Fang Chen's.

Seeing that Fang Chen was unresponsive, the other person frowned and peered around, looking him over. When he noticed the gruesome wounds all over Fang Chen, he couldn't help but exclaim, "How did you get such serious injuries?"

Fang Chen ignored him.

The other person seemed irritated. He slowly stood up, his robust body pressing against the bars on either side. It was at this moment that he clearly saw Fang Chen's face, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Ji Liang?"

Fang Chen finally reacted. "You are... Gu Shuai?"

Gu Shuai looked weathered nowadays. He even had several deep scars on him. However, he was visibly excited to see Fang Chen.

"Yes, it's me!"

Fang Chen hadn't expected to meet Gu Shuai again in such a place; they had become inmates.

Through their conversation, Fang Chen learned that Gu Shuai had been captured because he had killed a guard several years ago. The authorities had been pursuing him relentlessly ever since, and he had been hiding for over ten years before finally being caught. He was to be executed in three days.

Gu Shuai bitterly smiled. "Alas, I only have three days left to live. You've also killed someone, but you still have some time before your execution. It seems our paths will diverge here; I wonder if we'll meet again on the road to the underworld."

The nearby prisoners, hearing their conversation, secretly gasped.

"That's true...."

As time flowed by, the years slipped away like a shuttle. Fang Chen's face became more wrinkled, and his hair gradually turned gray. It didn't take long for Fang Chen to realize that even standing up and walking a few steps had become a hurdle.

His body felt as if it had completely rusted. During this time, the jailers had changed several times, and the prisoners came and went. Only Fang Chen remained imprisoned, with no sign of change.

He could no longer remember when Blacksmith Zhao and his wife last visited; all he remembered was that the last time, only Blacksmtih Zhao's wife came, while Blacksmith Zhao himself was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, his cell door was opened, and a jailer looked Fang Chen up and down before chuckling. "Old blind man, you're in luck! The newly appointed magistrate heard you killed dozens of King Wei Nan's men and said you committed no crime. You're free now."

The surrounding prisoners immediately began to stir, rattling their cells. "None of us committed any crimes either! Let us go too!"

The jailer sneered and glanced them over. "This old blind man has been locked up here for forty-four years; you're all still too early. Just wait."

"Forty-four years?" a hoarse voice emerged from Fang Chen's lips as he looked at the jailer with his grayish-white pupils.

"I've been here for forty-four years?"

The jailer was startled at Fang Chen's appearance, but soon regained his composure and said discontentedly. "Yes, forty-four years. Enough talk, hurry up and get out. We've kept you around and fed you for forty-four years; you don't expect to even die here, do you?"

A smile forced its way onto Fang Chen's face. "Give me a stick; a blind old man like me can't see the road."

The jailer didn't waste time and quickly found a wooden stick to hand to Fang Chen. Then, with Fang Chen urging him along the way, he finally left that dark place.

As Fang Chen walked, he murmured to himself, "Forty-four years... just a little more... just a little more...."

His clothes were tattered and filthy. They hadn't been washed for many years and had a foul odor. The stench prompted the passersby to wrinkle their noses and avoid Fang Chen.

Before he knew it, he had returned to the entrance of the old courtyard.

A woman stepped out of the courtyard, pinching her nose as she scolded Fang Chen, "Who's this beggar? Get lost!"

Fang Chen asked softly, "Excuse me, is Blacksmith Zhao's family still around?"

"Blacksmith Zhao?"

The woman paused for a moment. She looked surprised. "You know that family? They've all died; only a bastard child is still alive."