Xiao Qi's main purpose for this trip was not to collect a reward; on their way back, they visited a prison.
During the fierce battle that night, Wanwan used her water control ability, which the bandits must have seen clearly. He had to go there to sound out what they were saying.
However, Wan Kongshan's arrival made the journey much more difficult. When they were almost at the prison, Xiao Qi gave a wink to the guards.
The guards who had been by Xiao Qi's side for many years immediately understood their young master's meaning and made up a ridiculous reason to take Wan Kongshan away.
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Xiao Qi changed direction and headed towards the prison.
The jailer recognized Xiao Qi somewhat, asked him a few questions, and then let him in.
The prison smelled terrible and was dimly lit. The extremely dark and thick walls had only a few small windows for ventilation, and the sunlight seemed to darken the walls instantly when it shone through. Because it hadn't been cleaned for years, many walls were covered with a thick layer of grime, and the stench was unbearable.
"Those arrested those days are locked in the innermost part," the jailer said to Xiao Qi, pinching his nose, and casually pointed forward. "Go find whoever you want, I won't see you off."
Seemingly unable to bear the smell, the jailer turned and walked away before even hearing a thank you.
Xiao Qi followed the direction he pointed and arrived at the innermost cell.
The cells consisted of two long grids, separated into small cubicles by various crooked wooden blocks, with a relatively clean aisle in the middle. This aisle was the only place that would be cleaned during a cleanup.
The further they went in, the darker it became, and a foul stench assaulted their nostrils, causing Xiao Qi to frown involuntarily.
"You are the one who kidnapped me that day."
Xiao Qi stopped in front of a cubicle and asked a concise question, his calm tone turning a question into a statement.
The person inside had his back to him, his hair was a mess, covered in grime, and his prison uniform was grayish-brown, it was hard to tell if it was originally that color or if it had turned like that overnight after being mixed with sweat and dirt.
Upon hearing the sound, the man's head turned around with a clattering sound, like a piece of rotting wood.
The bearded man who led the kidnapping of Xiao Qi and his group that day was now covered in grime, his beard and hair stuck together, and even his eyebrows were stained with dirt.
Perhaps because the light was too dim, the man squinted and looked at Xiao Qi carefully for a while before grinning and saying with a smile, "I remember you. You're that reckless little brat."
He still remembered Xiao Qi, who dared to fight a group of bandits with just a green bamboo in hand.
He had kidnapped many people in his life, encountered many men who risked their lives to protect their wives with knives, and seen many reckless people. They all had a madness in their eyes that was willing to trade lives for lives, but he had never seen someone like Xiao Qi.
Holding a sharpened bamboo stick, he dared to fight against those with real knives and guns. When he injured people and drew blood, there was no helplessness or fear on his face like a child. He was agile and nimble, and his bloodshot eyes held a calm and suffocating sense of oppression.
"What brings you here today, young hero?"
Having probably gotten used to being locked up, the bearded man lost his arrogance from when he kidnapped people. Instead, he became nonchalant and indifferent. As he spoke, he simply lay down halfway, casually put one leg on the other, and started swinging it leisurely.
"Now they're nothing but fish on a chopping board, yet they dare to be arrogant."
Xiao Qi deliberately feigned anger at his nonchalant attitude, saying, "You committed all sorts of atrocities, including arson, murder, and looting, but in the end, you were all subdued by Miss Wan's water dragon and still couldn't escape imprisonment."
"Water dragon? What water dragon?" The bearded man paused, looking at Xiao Qi with a puzzled expression.
As expected, Xiao Qi's heart skipped a beat. He immediately put on the cunning act of a child pretending to be a bully, and said with a smug look, "It's the water dragon that Wanwan conjured up! You were all defeated by the water dragon she conjured up! The water dragon is very powerful!"
This kind of acting was a bit strenuous for Xiao Qi, but it was enough for him.
The bearded man's face grew increasingly serious as he listened to Xiao Qi's words. His brows furrowed, his lips turned down, and he looked earnest. After listening to Xiao Qi's boasting, his expression suddenly changed, and he burst into laughter.
"This is hilarious! I never expected to hear a joke like this here!"
The bearded man covered his chest and laughed so hard he almost fell over.
As he laughed wildly, the prisoners in the other cells also burst into laughter. They didn't understand why, but they just wanted to stir up trouble and get involved in any chaos.
In an instant, chaos erupted in the prison, with laughter nearly shattering the roof.
"Hahaha!" The bearded man laughed so hard he rolled on the ground, as if mocking others was a joyous thing. "You must have been beaten senseless by us! To think you're having such hallucinations! Do you think God is on your side?"
"God? God is cold!" The other prisoners started whining when they heard the key words.
Having received a satisfactory answer, Xiao Qi's cunning expression vanished, replaced by his usual cold, deep gaze. He opened his folding fan with one hand, fanning away the unpleasant air around him, and prepared to leave.
Unexpectedly, the prisoners' wild laughter attracted the jailer, who rushed in with a large stick, followed by Wan Kongshan.
As Wan Kongshan walked along, he found the guards increasingly strange, so he made up an excuse to slip away. He inquired around and learned that Xiao Qi had come to the prison.
"Laugh! What are you laughing at!"
The jailer raised his hand and struck the door with a loud bang, causing the prisoners to stop one after another.
"Young Master Xiao!"
Wan Kongshan rushed over, put his arm around Xiao Qi's shoulder, looked him up and down, and after confirming that he was alright, said helplessly, "How could a child like you come to a place like this alone? If you wanted to come, you could have just told your uncle."
Just as Xiao Qi was about to make an excuse, another bandit in the cell suddenly rushed over like a madman, crashing headfirst into a wooden pillar. Ignoring the pain, he reached out through the gap and grabbed Wan Kongshan's clothes.
The sudden turn of events startled Wan Kongshan, leaving him momentarily stunned.
In that brief moment of distraction, the bandit suddenly shouted, "It's you! Didn't you used to live and eat with us? How come you've suddenly reformed? Why is it that we're both bandits, but you can live a peaceful life?"
The incident happened so suddenly that the jailer, without thinking twice, rushed out to report to Magistrate Cao immediately!
Those were vicious bandits; it would be like throwing an egg against a rock if he went to catch them alone!
"You're saying Wan Kongshan is a bandit?"
When Magistrate Cao heard the jailer report what had just happened, he paused in organizing the case files.
Yes, yes, yes.
The jailer nodded and agreed.
"Young Master Wan has been framed. This is nothing but a trick by bandits. Do you know what to do?"
After pondering for a moment, the magistrate of Cao County asked in a cold voice.
The jailer paused for a moment, then quickly nodded, "I know, I know, I didn't see any members of the Wan family today, nor did I hear anything the bandits said."
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