Chapter 519: I've Always Been Bold (Two-in-One)

In the video, a figure moved with extreme speed, passing through walls into the room. All three targets were killed with a single strike.

The killer was disguised, wearing a black hoodie and a mask that exposed only a pair of eyes.

If this were an era without Transcendent power, the culprit would be hard to find.

They would have to conduct a process of elimination, immediately locking down the area to check if anyone had gone out around the time of the murders and failed to return.

But this was the Great Prison.

So it was very easy to find them.

There were many Pathways capable of identifying the killer purely from this video.

Less than five minutes after the video was released, a knock sounded at Yan Jing's door.

Yan Jing opened it. Tan Yan stood outside.

Just like before, he was wearing a hoodie.

Only this time, his hands weren't shoved into his pockets.

"Is there something you need, Officer Tan?"

Yan Jing looked at Tan Yan, his lips curling into a smile.

"Officer Tan is the most popular figure in the Great Prison right now. Of the original three candidates, one is half-crippled and another is dead. You are the undisputed successor to the Great Prison."

Yan Jing's words were highly flattering, but sweat beaded on Tan Yan's forehead.

After all, one of the two people Yan Jing just mentioned had been killed by Yan Jing's own hands.

If Tan Yan had previously viewed Yan Jing as just an ordinary human, he now looked at him as a fierce beast from the Great Desolation.

And a completely lawless one at that.

This was the Great Prison.

Who would dare kill someone here? Who would dare kill a candidate? Who would dare kill a candidate and then brazenly broadcast the video?

The guy standing right in front of him dared.

More importantly, it was only after Ai Qing died that he realized she had been one of his own kind.

He lowered his head, forcing a smile.

"Commissioner Yan must be joking. We are all just serving the Great Prison. Commissioner Yan has a sharp eye, rooting out a parasite so quickly," Tan Yan said. "As for being the successor... I've never considered such things."

"Is that so?" Yan Jing smiled and reached out to pat Tan Yan on the shoulder.

The touch made Tan Yan shudder all over.

"You put that extremely well, Officer Tan. Because of that, you had best think clearly. This 'serving the Great Prison'... who in the Great Prison are you serving? Or rather... whose Great Prison are you serving?"

Tan Yan's heart suddenly clenched.

This was a pointed remark. Was he exposed?

He didn't dare gamble on it, so he could only keep smiling.

Yan Jing smiled.

"So, Officer Tan still hasn't said why you came looking for me."

"It's like this." Tan Yan hurriedly changed the subject.

"Now that the third video has gone viral, the Law Enforcement Bureau has received many reports from staff members wanting to turn in the killer." "That's great. It shows everyone has a strong sense of community," Yan Jing laughed.

"So Officer Tan came to ask me to catch the killer?"

"You don't need to do it yourself," Tan Yan said.

"Just give the word, and the Law Enforcement Bureau will immediately start the sweep."

Yan Jing kept his smile, making it impossible to tell if he was satisfied or not.

"You're not going to tell me halfway through the hunt that the suspect is dead, are you?"

"Absolutely impossible."

Tan Yan's back was already drenched in cold sweat.

"Then let's do it."

Yan Jing smiled.

"I'll give you half a day."

"In half a day, I want to see the person."

"Understood."

Yan Jing closed the door. Tan Yan walked far away, leaving the floor where Yan Jing's room was located, and took the elevator down to the Special Prison Cell floor.

Pushing open the heavy small door and stepping into the darkness, he actually felt his tightly wound nerves finally get a chance to breathe.

The Special Prison Cell area shielded against electronic devices and weird energy. Aside from the Great Prison's custom-built equipment, nothing else worked here. He looked left and right, then stepped into the darkness on one side, found an empty cell, picked up a communication device, and dialed a number. "My Lady."

"What did he say?"

A woman's voice came from the other end.

"He... he anticipated that we might make a move on that guy..."

Tan Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke in a low voice.

The figure on the other end fell silent.

After a long while, she finally spoke.

"What tier do you think his strength is actually at?"

"...Your subordinate doesn't know." Remembering how casually Yan Jing had beaten Ai Qing unconscious in the video, Tan Yan's face twitched involuntarily.

"But he's at least reached the Summit."

"No, even an ordinary Summit wouldn't be able to handle Ai Qing that easily."

That was Ai Qing... no one was more familiar with her strength than he was.

"...In other words, it would take the Ninth Tier to deal with him?"

The woman's voice was very cold.

"Where am I supposed to find a Ninth Tier? Tell me, how am I going to find a Ninth Tier right now to get rid of him? Or do you want me to do it?" "...No, of course not."

Tan Yan didn't know how to respond. It wasn't like he could go up against him, right?

The woman remained silent for another few seconds, then said, "I knew that brain-damaged fool was faking it..."

The woman's voice carried a hint of hatred. Tan Yan felt as if his ears were bleeding.

But he didn't dare speak, nor did he dare to join the woman in cursing him.

The 'brain-damaged fool' the woman mentioned was Deputy Warden Weng.

"Bring that guy over to me."

After cursing, the woman spoke coldly.

"After this matter is settled, lie low for a while. Wait until the day Pure Blood City comes to pick up the bride."

"Understood."

Tan Yan nodded, hung up the phone, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Since the woman had spoken, the matter was basically resolved.

Now, he really was the sole successor to the Great Prison.

Suppressing the thrill in his heart, he quickened his pace and headed for the door.

But after walking for a few minutes, he realized something was wrong.

Had he walked in this deep?

Why hadn't he seen the exit yet?

An ominous premonition crept into his heart. He turned around, looking at the brightly lit corridor beneath the overhead lights and the pitch-black darkness on both sides. The air was entirely too quiet.

Seeming to feel a gaze resting upon him, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, tore his eyes away, and unconsciously sped up his steps.

But one minute passed, then two, then three...

He realized what was happening. Pitch-black weird energy surged from the collar of his hoodie as he spun around to face the path he had just walked.

"Who is it?! Come out!"

His roar echoed through the desolate space.

Seeing no response, Tan Yan steeled his heart and took the initiative to walk forward.

Streams of weird energy slid from his collar to envelop his body. An iron bat, headphones, a baseball cap, a motorcycle... in an instant, Tan Yan was fully armed. Black and red weird energy flickered across him like electrical arcs, and the smell of burning filled the air.

But Tan Yan's expression was ugly.

There was even fear hidden deep in his eyes.

He could feel the dark zones on both sides seemingly growing wider, deliberately squeezing the glowing corridor in the middle. In the blink of an eye, the brightly lit path that was once wide enough for a person shrank to the width of a palm.

There was no way to move forward anymore. With his next step, he would plunge right into that bottomless darkness.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Tan Yan's face. He swung the baseball bat in his hand, striking an invisible "ball" forward. It instantly exploded into a black and red vortex.

But the vortex lasted for only a split second before it was snuffed out by the darkness.

The air became dead silent once more.

So silent it could drive a man mad.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!!"

Watching the darkness gradually creeping toward him, Tan Yan swung his bat so fast it became a blur. Phantom figures that looked exactly like him materialized in the gloom, only to be instantly swallowed up.

It was all useless. The darkness was like a spreading virus; all physical attacks were completely ineffective against it.

Tan Yan unleashed a wave of weird energy.

It was swallowed clean just the same.

With no way to retreat, he decisively mounted his motorcycle and sped off in the opposite direction.

The roar of the engine filled his ears, becoming the last shred of warmth he could cling to in this moment.

Doing his best to suppress his trembling hands, he kept his head down and drove forward, desperate to get as far away from the darkness as possible.

But the next instant, he stared at the scene ahead of him, sweating profusely.

When did he drive into the dark zone?!

"Come out! Who the hell are you?! Come out! Yan Jing! Is it you?! Come out! Stop playing dirty!"

In the pitch-black darkness where he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, Tan Yan gripped his baseball bat tightly. His body shook like a leaf, the fear in his heart magnifying infinitely. He swung his bat over and over, feeling his body grow more and more exhausted.

He was like a rusted gear; every time he raised his arm, it took everything he had.

He could feel something crawling up his legs, inch by inch, bit by bit...

Until it completely swallowed him whole.

"So Deputy Warden Song is getting ready to make her move?"

Yan Jing looked at Xiao Xin, who had come to his side.

"Iya iya~"

Xiao Xin nodded.

Yan Jing's expression was calm.

"She's still being conservative, huh."

"I thought she would just attack me directly."

His lips curled.

"In the end, she's still afraid."

"It goes to show just how renowned Warden Mu's fearsome reputation is."

"It's fine."

He rubbed Xiao Xin's head and told her to make a trip to Old Sin City first.

Today was the day to visit Mantou.

"Don't worry. As long as things don't accelerate, they won't get any worse."

Seeing Xiao Xin's worried eyes, he smiled and comforted her.

"Iya iya~"

Xiao Xin nuzzled against Yan Jing's face, then left.

Yan Jing took a deep breath and pushed open the door in front of him.

"Ta-da!"

He smiled at the figure lying on the hospital bed before him.

"Are you surprised? Didn't expect this, did you?"

Looking at Yan Jing's sudden appearance, hatred reflexively surged in Cen Ji's eyes.

Even though she had done a lot of mental preparation after seeing the newspaper, repeatedly telling herself that the two of them were now worlds apart in status and couldn't be compared, seeing the very person who had reduced her to this state still made her hatred spread uncontrollably. Who wouldn't hate him?

If it wasn't for Yan Jing, she would still be a highly respected candidate in the Great Prison.

But now, under Ai Qing and Tan Yan's orders, even the doctors refused to enter her room.

She was truly despised by everyone.

"You actually dare to come to the Great Prison."

Cen Ji sneered.

"Aren't you afraid she'll find out your true identity?"

"Yan Jing is my true identity," Yan Jing smiled.

"At the same time, I'm also the one who took the final treasure from the God Storage Land."

Cen Ji propped herself up on the bed with both hands and sat up.

"Give me my saber back, and I won't report you."

Yan Jing laughed.

"No can do. That saber of yours is useful to me."

"You really aren't afraid?!" Cen Ji clenched her fists.

"I'm not the one who should be afraid."

Yan Jing took a step. Before Cen Ji could even see it happen, he was already sitting right beside her.

Their faces were less than a foot apart.

Yan Jing's hand was also less than a foot from her neck.

Sweat trickled down Cen Ji's forehead.

"I..."

She opened her mouth, but couldn't manage a second word.

The veins on her neck bulged and pulsed as if they might rupture at any second.

Yan Jing reached out, grabbed the apple on Cen Ji's bedside table, took a bite, and grinned.

"Pretty sweet."

"What exactly do you want?"

In just a few short seconds, Cen Ji felt like she had taken a stroll through the gates of hell. She nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

"Now we're short one candidate."

Yan Jing's eyes held a smile.

"Any thoughts on becoming a candidate again?"

Cen Ji's eyes trembled.

It would be a lie to say those words didn't tempt her.

But...

"You're only a commissioner. Don't think too highly of yourself."

Cen Ji was expressionless.

"When that person uses you, you're a somebody. But when the rabbit is dead, the hound is boiled. If that person doesn't need you anymore, you're nothing."

"I'm a living example of that."

"They're even handing out candidate appointments now. If you really anger those two deputy wardens, crushing you would be no different from crushing an ant." Yan Jing smiled.

"I think you're right."

"But this is an opportunity, isn't it?"

"As for how to pull it off..."

He chuckled.

"If Ai Qing can die, naturally, it isn't impossible for Tan Yan to die either."

Cen Ji's face changed.

"You are too damn bold!!!"

"I've always been bold."

Yan Jing smiled and tossed the half-eaten apple into the trash can.

"Not sweet enough. I'll get you a sweeter one next time."

"Consider it a bonus for agreeing to my proposal."

"There's no way I'd agree—"

Before Cen Ji could finish, the communicator on Yan Jing's waist suddenly rang.

Yan Jing picked up the device. After connecting and listening to a few words from the other side, he raised an eyebrow and turned on the speaker.

"Please repeat what you just said," he said to the person on the other end.

"It's like this, Commissioner Yan... Lord Tan... Lord Tan is dead! Over by the Special Prison Cells! Please come over and take a look as soon as possible!"

It was noisy on the other end, but those few sentences were clear enough. Yan Jing hung up and looked at Cen Ji, whose face was twitching slightly in terror. He grinned. "I told you, I've always been bold."

"Let me know when you've made up your mind."

Yan Jing walked out of the room, the smile slowly fading from his face.

Tan Yan was dead.

Of course, he wasn't the one who had done it.

Then who was it?

For something to happen to Tan Yan at a critical juncture like this...

He arrived at the Special Prison Cells as fast as he could.

By this time, seven or eight staff members were processing the scene. Seeing Yan Jing appear, the man in charge gave him a salute.

"Commissioner Yan, you're here."

"How is it?"

Yan Jing's expression was blank.

"The scene is... very bizarre..."

The leader wiped the sweat from his face.

"Murder weapon, method, time of death, traces of the crime."

Yan Jing said evenly, "Is there anything you can't pin down?"

"There are basically no traces of a crime. As for the time, it was about ten minutes ago."

The man replied. Yan Jing calculated the time. It should have been right after Xiao Xin left.

"Continue."

"The murder weapon and method..."

The man looked hesitant, as if some things couldn't be explained clearly.

"Sir, why don't you take a look for yourself?"

Yan Jing followed the leader deep into the glowing corridor.

After walking for about a dozen minutes, the two finally arrived.

A corpse lay on the ground. It was none other than Tan Yan.

He was holding a baseball bat in his hand, and his hoodie was torn to shreds, as if it had been whipped open by something. Gashes ran all the way from his chest to his calves. Inside every cut, the skin was covered in bloody bruises. The tattoo on his neck was a bloody, mangled mess, the design completely unrecognizable. "What type of wounds are these?"

Yan Jing's face remained calm.

"They're... blunt force trauma."

The leader spoke in a low voice.

"According to our preliminary examination... the... weapon..."

"The murder weapon might just be the baseball bat in Lord Tan's hand."

At these words, Yan Jing's gaze fell on the bat clenched tightly in Tan Yan's death grip. It was currently covered in blood, but the surging murderous intent radiating from it had yet to dissipate.

It was as if he had faced an enemy he absolutely had to beat to death, putting everything he had into every single swing.

"Pull up the security footage."

Yan Jing remained expressionless.

Tan Yan hadn't walked this deep into the Special Prison Cells.

He was very sure of it.