Fann Xing immediately said, "The Imperial Prison Department sounds grand, but the truly powerful ones are the Deputy Disciplinary Officers, Deputy Commanders, and even the Deputy Guard Commanders who spend all day in Cultivation. We Junior Officials are actually worse off than you guys in the Street Patrol Room, stuck with all the dirty, tiring work. Yes, we can squeeze some profit out of the prisoners, but we have to share it with our superiors. And yes, most prisoners who enter the Imperial Prison never leave, but I wouldn’t dare provoke anyone with even a slightly higher Grade Level. The higher-ups may have sealed their Dantians, but if they get desperate and break those seals to fight to the death, our own lives would be forfeit..."
Fann Xing rambled on for a while, then listed out the names, reasons for imprisonment, and general backgrounds of the thirty-two prisoners in Cell C7, which was under his jurisdiction.
Li Qingxian listened through it once. The inmates of Cell C7 didn’t have any significant backers; the one with the strongest background was probably Pang Mingjing.
’Makes sense,’ he thought. ’Those with real backers are all in the West Courtyard, or at the very least, they get Cell A treatment.’
Li Qingxian asked, "How do other Fate Masters buy fates?"
Fann Xing said, "They go right into the cell block, gather the prisoners, and state their purpose. Most inmates will be tripping over themselves to sell."
"It’s that simple?"
Han Anbo said, "It is that simple. For most prisoners here, a Fate Grid is useless anyway. If they sell their fate, the Fate Master has to protect them. Even with the worst luck, they’ll be sent to Cell A to be served good food and drink. If they’re lucky, they might even get out of the Imperial Prison and live out the rest of their lives in peace."
"Brother Han is right," Fann Xing added. "There’s another thing. The people in the West Courtyard and Cell A have good Fate Grids. As for the rest, more than half of them are stuck with unlucky ones, so they’re better off selling them and saving themselves the trouble. Of course, some refuse, delusionally hoping to get out. That Pang Mingjing, for example, probably won’t be willing to sell."
"It’s fine. My Grade Level is low, so I’m only buying some of the most common Fate Grids," Li Qingxian said.
The three men were dumbfounded.
Han Anbo quickly asked, "Captain Li, did you say ’some’?"
"That’s right."
"Don’t normal Fate Masters only buy one every so often?" Han Anbo asked.
Li Qingxian smiled. "Do you think I’m normal?"
"You seem pretty normal."
Li Qingxian smiled. "Different Fate Masters walk different paths. I’m taking the high-volume, low-margin approach."
The three men looked completely bewildered. They’d never heard of such a Fate Master.
’High-volume, low-margin? Is he here at the Imperial Prison Department to harvest cabbages?’
Li Qingxian said earnestly, "You’ve misunderstood. What I mean is, I’m too young and my Cultivation is insufficient. I can only cast a wide net and take what I can get. What if I only buy one and then fail to extract it? Wouldn’t that be awkward?"
"That’s true. After all, you’ve just become a Fate Master. Even if you buy a fate, you might come up empty," Han Anbo said.
"Exactly."
"Besides, it’s useless for you to get multiple Fate Grids. A Fate Master has the same number of Life Pillars as an ordinary person. Any more have to be carried by a Life Ship, and you definitely don’t have a Life Ship."
"You even know about Life Ships?"
"Of course. It’s a Life Artifact that Fate Masters use to carry Fate Grids, and it’s also the only Treasure capable of holding a Destiny Star. The cheapest one-pillar Life Ship costs one hundred thousand taels of silver."
"Yeah, that thing is way too expensive. I’d better just focus on buying fates for now," Li Qingxian said.
Fann Xing said, "This subordinate is willing to serve Lord Li, no matter how grueling the task."
"Very good. You have a keen eye. But you should understand, I’m not doing this alone." Li Qingxian bluffed, using a bigger name to shield himself.
Fann Xing grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "I understand, I understand. The great lords don’t want to touch these filthy, worthless two-legged sheep themselves. They have to maintain their dignity, so they wear gloves when they get their hands dirty. I am your glove."
Li Qingxian feigned a sigh. "To think there’s someone so perceptive even in the humble Imperial Prison. You are my glove, but am I not a glove for someone else?"
Fann Xing grew even more delighted.
Han Anbo turned his head to look away, thinking, ’Just keep spinning your tales. It’s for the best, though. The more you say, the more Fann Xing will believe you.’
"Let’s go. Take me to the cells," Li Qingxian said.
"This way, my lord." Fann Xing stooped slightly, leading the way.
Arriving at Cell Block C7, Fann Xing opened the door, and a damp, foul odor washed over them.
Li Qingxian stepped inside. He was greeted by a dim hall, its four walls adorned with miscellaneous items and torture instruments.
In the middle of the hall were two tables and a few chairs. Several Prison Guards hastily stood up and saluted.
An indescribable, rancid stench drifted through the air.
Passing through the hall and turning left, they entered a hard-packed dirt corridor about ten feet wide.
On both sides of the corridor, cells were lined up in rows.
Faint sunlight streamed in from the cell windows on both sides, casting an interlocking pattern of light and shadow on the stone walls and wooden doors.
As they walked, Fann Xing explained, "The Cell A block is no different from regular Houses. The Cell B and Cell C blocks are just these ordinary cells. As for the Cell D block, they’re just pits dug into the ground, reinforced with large stones, like a big well. When it rains heavily, they really do turn into wells, which is why we call them Well Prisons. Over in the West Courtyard, the buildings on the surface are ordinary, but the prisoners are all held underground, protected by Arrays."
Li Qingxian glanced at the wooden cell doors. "Aren’t you afraid the prisoners will escape?"
Fann Xing chuckled darkly. "We’re afraid they *won’t* run. If anyone runs, we can kill them on the spot, which saves us a lot of trouble. I hear the Demon Sect’s Ministry of Justice is even more peculiar. It’s lax on the inside but tight on the outside. They encourage prisoners to escape so they can have a legitimate excuse to use them for practicing Demonic Skills."
"Have them come out," Li Qingxian said.
Fann Xing walked along, bellowing, "Someone get these doors open! All of you, listen up! Stand by your doors! We have Benefactors here today to buy fates, and they’ve got a token from Lord Zhou, the Disciplinary Officer of the Divine Capital Bureau! So keep your eyes peeled. Anyone who steps out of line gets their legs broken and thrown into a Well Prison. I know some of you are defiant, thinking your backers give you the right to look down on me, Old Fann. Well, go on then, trot out your backers and have them challenge Lord Zhou! The Benefactors are here, so I won’t say anything too unpleasant. But anyone who disrespects our guests is disrespecting me, Fann Xing, and we’ll settle that account later!"
The Prison Guards unlocked the doors one by one. Amidst a CLANKING and SHUFFLING of heavy shackles, prisoners emerged from their cells and stood by the entrances, their eyes fixed on Li Qingxian.
The moment Pang Mingjing saw Li Qingxian, he froze.
’What is going on? Just over ten days ago, Li Qingxian hadn’t even Entered Grade. Even if he did a few days ago, how can he already be buying fates now?’
’He must be using prisoners to practice his Fate Skills, treating human lives like grass!’
Pang Mingjing sighed inwardly and lowered his head.
Tao Zhi, his clothes covered in bloodstains, leaned against his wooden door for support. He stared at Li Qingxian, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and unconcealable hatred.
Having endured the torments of the Divine Prison, Hong Cheng’s legs gave out the instant he saw Li Qingxian. He collapsed to the ground, losing control of his bladder.
"Don’t kill me..." He was so terrified that he promptly fainted.
The other prisoners were scared into submission. Even those who were usually defiant and unruly now stood with lowered heads.
Fann Xing kicked Hong Cheng, feeling even more pleased. ’To scare a Tenth Grade like this... This Li Qingxian is worth latching onto.’
Li Qingxian stood up straight and held up Zhou Chunfeng’s waist token. "This is the token of Lord Zhou Chunfeng, Disciplinary Officer of the Divine Capital Bureau. This is the authority I have to buy fates. I won’t waste words. Whoever is willing to sell their fate, step forward. I’ll get you a spot in Cell A at the very least."
The thirty-odd prisoners looked timidly at Li Qingxian, not even daring to straighten their necks.
Seeing that no one was responding, Fann Xing was so furious he could feel smoke coming out of his ears. He screeched in a shrill, sinister voice, "Fine! So you’re trying to make things difficult for me, Fann Xing, are you? Anyone who doesn’t speak up today can forget about yard time for the rest of the year! And you can forget about eating for the next three days!"
The prisoners hesitated.
Han Anbo smiled, his face a picture of affability. "Three days isn’t enough. Let’s make it five."
"Then make it seven days!" Fann Xing snarled through gritted teeth.