"Hulei?" ×2
Fu Zhu had no impression of this name whatsoever; Himeko had never mentioned it.
Dan Heng, however, furrowed his brows upon hearing the name.
"I remember a few things about it. It was the war chief of the Bu Li Ren people. It was later defeated and captured by a former Sword Champion of the Luofu and ultimately locked away in the Shackling Prison. It is an extremely vicious foe. Jing Yuan, why would you recommend it?"
Jing Yuan nodded, propping his chin with both hands before slowly explaining, "That's right, Hulei is indeed a vicious and savage enemy, but it has been imprisoned in the Shackling Prison for many years. During its imprisonment, the Ten-Lords Commission has tried every method to kill it, but unfortunately, none have succeeded."
"The Ten-Lords Commission then resorted to other means to continuously weaken Hulei, permanently confining it to the lowest level of the Shackling Prison. As for the crimes it committed in the past, they are far too numerous to list. All you need to know is that if Fu Zhu kills it, the Ten-Lords Commission, and indeed the entire Xianzhou Yaoqing, will have to thank him. That is why it is the best choice."
After hearing Jing Yuan's explanation, Fu Zhu couldn't help but beam with joy.
"I was originally thinking you'd recommend the newly-imprisoned Blade to me. I didn't expect there to be an even better candidate!"
Jing Yuan was taken aback by these words, and a large bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.
So Fu Zhu had already picked out a candidate on his way here!
Although Blade was now a prisoner and a criminal wanted by both the Xianzhou Alliance and the Corporation, considering their past, Jing Yuan was somewhat reluctant to let Blade suffer such inhuman treatment. Besides, his crimes didn't warrant it.
Fortunately, he had thought of Hulei. Otherwise, if Fu Zhu proposed using Blade as his weapon-upgrading partner, Jing Yuan would have been caught in a truly difficult position.
Thinking of this, Jing Yuan let out a long sigh of relief and said with a relaxed smile, "Well then, in that case, I'll let the Ten-Lords Commission know. Dan Heng, you can go to the Ten-Lords Commission with Fu Zhu as well and see how the proceedings are coming along."
"Alright."
Dan Heng immediately agreed. He would be somewhat worried if Fu Zhu went to the Ten-Lords Commission alone. Since he could accompany him, it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"Thanks, Jing Yuan. We'll be heading out then. Please give the Ten-Lords Commission a heads-up for us."
Fu Zhu stood up, thanked Jing Yuan, and then left the Seat of Divine Foresight together with Dan Heng.
Not long after they left, Jing Yuan made a call to the Ten-Lords Commission.
Outside the Seat of Divine Foresight, Fu Zhu and Dan Heng hailed a starskiff and rode it swiftly towards the Shackling Prison.
After a short while, the starskiff came to a stop at the ferry dock outside the Shackling Prison.
The two disembarked from the skiff, and the somewhat gloomy main gate of the Shackling Prison appeared before them.
Dan Heng stared at the vaguely familiar gate, a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind.
In the past, he had walked out of this gate as a sinner. Today, he was walking in as a guest.
Noticing that Dan Heng's mood was a little down, Fu Zhu thought for a moment, sidled up to him, and whispered a suggestion.
"How about we go blow up your old cell in the Shackling Prison? Or maybe dismantle it? I guarantee they'll never guess it was us!"
Dan Heng was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized Fu Zhu was trying to cheer him up in his own way. He couldn't help but find the method… amusing.
He shook his head with a faint smile. "There's no need. Things are different now."
After saying that, and fearing Fu Zhu might think he was just saying it to reassure him, Dan Heng pondered for a moment before adding with a half-joking tone.
"Besides, you always have this compulsion to dig things into perfect squares. Do you really think no one would guess it was you?"
Fu Zhu simply explained, "That's not a compulsion, just a little ability of mine."
Still, seeing that Dan Heng could make a rare joke, it meant he was genuinely fine, which put Fu Zhu's mind at ease.
While the two were chatting, a woman walked out of the Shackling Prison. Seeing the two of them, she strode over quickly.
"You two, I am Hanya, a Judge under the Ten-Lords Commission. The General has already informed us of your matter. Please, follow me inside."
Fu Zhu and Dan Heng nodded and followed Hanya into the rather grim Shackling Prison. Once inside, they discovered it had a hollow structure, with a massive "vertical shaft" in the center. Tiers of prison cells were built around it, and every twenty steps, they could see a Military Officer patrolling their assigned level.
The area they were currently in was the office space for the Judges and Military Officers. Hanya didn't immediately lead Fu Zhu to find Hulei, but first turned to Dan Heng and spoke.
"You must be Mr. Dan Heng? Please follow me to another department to await the termination of your exile order. As for Mr. Fu Zhu, I will take him to the lowest level of the Shackling Prison."
Dan Heng hesitated for a moment before nodding. He then turned to Fu Zhu and said, "I'll come find you as soon as the procedures are complete."
Fu Zhu knew he was worried and offered a reassuring reply, "Don't worry. A mere Hulei, he's not an Emanator. Easy peasy."
"Still, you must be careful."
"I know. You go handle your business first. Your matter is more complicated."
"Alright."
Hanya led Dan Heng away, but after a short while, she returned alone and gave Fu Zhu a slight nod.
"Mr. Fu Zhu, please come with me."
Hanya led Fu Zhu to the path leading to the lower levels. They went all the way down, finally arriving before a metal door adorned with only two lamps. A runic seal was placed upon the door, and it was guarded by eight Military Officers.
One could imagine how seriously the Luofu regarded the prisoner, Hulei, who was locked up inside.
"Undo the seal."
Hanya first took out her Judge's decree to show the eight Military Officers, then instructed them to open the seal.
While waiting for the door to open, Hanya stuffed a jade tablet into Fu Zhu's hand.
"Mr. Fu Zhu, please understand. Because Hulei's power is immense, and the Ten-Lords Commission absolutely cannot allow it to escape, I will re-seal the door after you enter. I will only open the door again when you crush this jade tablet."
"Fine."
Fu Zhu accepted the jade tablet, gave it a casual glance, and then stuffed it into his inventory. He wasn't the least bit concerned about how to open the door.
Even without the jade tablet, a mere door, even with a runic seal on it, was something he could just dig through. If that didn't work, he could use a pressure plate, a lever, or something similar, and open it with a single click!
Once the door was open, Fu Zhu eagerly stepped inside. The lighting inside was much brighter than outside. Before him stood a colossal, wolf-like man, bound from head to toe in shackles.
Hearing the door open, Hulei opened its tightly shut eyes. Its nose twitched as it sniffed the air in front of it, catching Fu Zhu's scent.
"Heh heh, the Ten-Lords Commission sent an ordinary person in. Are they hoping I'll have a little snack?"
Fu Zhu glanced at it, then took out his Ōdachi and swung it directly at the creature.
A sudden, sharp pain coursed through Hulei. Its face twisted in shock, and it immediately began to curse.
"You despicable human! Don't you even know the basic courtesy of answering someone's question?!"