Chapter 6, The Prison as a Forbidden Zone

Upon reaching the underground second level, Ren Qing discovered that the bodies inside had mostly been moved away by the fire workers who had come earlier

Everyone should go back and prepare, and let the departing officials explain the subsequent matters

The area behind the iron gate is extremely damp, and even through two layers of headscarves, one can smell the foul odor mixed with the stench of blood.

If a situation of large-scale inexplicable deaths occurs, it constitutes a forbidden zone

In anxious anticipation, the sun is about to set below the horizon

Understood, send someone.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they covered their entire bodies as instructed by the scribe and put on two thick sets of clothing

Not long after the body was cremated, Ren Qing, who had finally found some free time, was called to the public trial hall

The corpse's condition was contorted, its clothing tattered and in shambles, and its expression was filled with terror

Only Ren Qing present noticed it, it seemed to be a piece of tattered human skin

The room was silent and still, as Qing sat near the door, taking the opportunity to observe everyone.

Zhao Shuli waved his hand, then turned and left the council chamber

The constables encountered on the road all paused, their expressions appearing quite complex

As the crowd worked together to move the body, something the size of a palm seemed to flash past from the stairs.

After the assembly was concluded, Clerk Zhao hesitated to speak, yet ultimately remained silent and turned to walk towards the eastern district of the yamen

Once you arrive in the prison, be sure not to expose any skin, and ensure that the interior is thoroughly cleaned, leaving not a single fragment behind

Alright, then we shall listen to the messenger

The middle-aged pyrotechnician was momentarily taken aback, but then quickly realized: "Oh, no wonder I didn't know, it turns out to be Tan Street..."

Ren Qing pressed his temples and said, "Since we cannot escape anyway, it is better to be well-prepared to avoid any mishaps."

However, the first underground level is completely different

Zhao Shuli continued, "It has already become a restricted area. Once the guards have finished their duties, you will be responsible for cleaning the prison. Five people from each street, find some clever ones."

The adjacent cells are empty, yet deep nail marks can be seen on the wooden bars, indicating the suffering of the prisoners before their death

The path to the cell has been surrounded by officials and soldiers, and several guards in light armor and hats are standing under a nearby tree.

Ren Qing found that her attire was not considered extravagant among them, as most people would rather wear a full suit of armor to protect their lives

Ren Qing and the four of them walked out of the courtyard. He reminded them one last time: "You all follow closely behind me. If I do not touch anything, do not make any unnecessary movements."

Ren Qing could not help but continue to ask: "What is a forbidden zone?"

The cell appears small from the outside, but in reality, it is quite the opposite; this building extends three full levels underground and can accommodate over a thousand inmates

The soap maker picked up the lime to begin cleaning, while the fire worker proceeded to the next level

It was not the case that the body was moved in the dead of night, leading to the incident being exposed; rather, it was primarily because the county magistrate ordered the gathering of the yamen runners, which alarmed all the yamen runners in the entire western district

Could it possibly involve ghosts and deities

Li Mian and the other two have gradually come to trust Ren Qingsheng, and their emotions have settled down.

Upon returning to the Fireworks Workshop, he immediately narrated the events to Li Mian and others

Ren Qing prepared some pig eyes wrapped in oiled paper, but feeling uneasy, he swallowed a few first to ensure a continuous source of heat within his body

The area of the conference hall in the public trial court is not large, filled with wooden chairs, and seated are the foremen of the various districts of Sanxiang City.

Finally, the body of the deceased fireman was found at the stairs leading to the lower level

Zhao Shuli began to speak at length, discussing various points of attention, while the officials listened with great seriousness, even taking notes.

Ren Qingming could clearly sense that Xiao Wu was somewhat nervous, his breathing becoming rapid.

Shortly after he left, the officials began to discuss loudly, nearly erupting into conflict, revealing their anxiety

A team composed of hundreds of officials is fully prepared to set out

Ren Qing looked around, and the expressions of the other yamen runners turned unpleasant, while he remained completely bewildered

Ren Qing speculated that these fire workers must have escaped from the third layer underground, but it is unclear what they encountered

Ren Qing carefully pondered the words of the clerk; were those seemingly absurd rules and regulations warning of something?

According to Ren Qing's understanding, such a grand spectacle is somewhat related to the bizarre

Ren Qing approached a middle-aged worker in the corner and asked, "Excuse me, what exactly happened in the prison?"

Ren Qing could clearly see the fear in the eyes of the yamen runners

Logically speaking, the number of deceased individuals they have encountered combined is at least in the thousands, so how could they behave so inappropriately

I initially thought it was related to certain techniques, but now it feels more like dealing with something strange in a prison cell

To make a long story short, you should have some understanding of the situation regarding the Eastern District Prison, right

The two brothers of the Li family exchanged glances, and Li Mian swallowed hard and said, "I have heard from the elders in the yamen that entering the forbidden zone is a matter of nine deaths out of ten"

A few days ago, he encountered the other party while cleaning up the bloodstains, at which time it seemed that the other party was holding an old piece of human skin.

This bookkeeper, whose surname is Zhao, is in charge of the western district of the yamen and appears more like a shrewd businessman.

The middle-aged fireworker left in a hurry after finishing, and the other constables did the same

The walls were enveloped in thick blood plasma, accompanied by fragments of flesh, resembling a hell on earth

A sound of a gong echoed from a certain place in the yamen

To be on the safe side, I also brought a short knife

Xiao Wu was startled and took a few steps back. Fortunately, after several days of training, he had become a bit braver, at least not collapsing directly to the ground.

However, he was filled with curiosity as to why the prison warranted such a significant mobilization from the authorities, and what exactly the so-called restricted area was.

Everyone looked at each other in silence, following the guidance of the gongs to reach a relatively open area in the west district

The layer of prison on the surface is used by the guards for rest; apart from some visible traces of dragged bodies, there are no other abnormalities

Their ages are generally over thirty, and many have already gone gray, while only Ren Qinglian is under twenty.

Ren Qing helplessly shook his head, it seems that the four people in the discussion on the street are certainly unable to escape

The prison is located in the eastern district of the yamen. It is said that the inmates inside have killed each other, leaving only corpses. However, in the past few days, two batches of yamen runners have already entered, as there are not enough personnel in the eastern district, so we have no choice but to come here.

Everyone carefully checked once again to confirm that nothing was overlooked

Ren Qing paused for a moment on one of the forbidden soldiers

By the time we reached the cell, the moon had already risen in the sky

Only a pair of eyes is left to perceive the world

He patted Xiao Wu's head, and only then did the latter calm down.

Before long, the clerk entered with a grim expression on his face

Ren Qing reviewed the details in the dark, and then slowly entered the prison with the crowd

Zhao Shuli shouted loudly: "Gentlemen, first bring out the bodies of the yamen runners on the second floor, and then proceed to handle the other bodies"

The officials readily agreed, for although they did not have to take risks themselves, losing too many subordinates could easily undermine their credibility

The atmosphere indoors is becoming increasingly oppressive