Chapter 135 - 134: A Smile that Shames Peach Blossoms, Vice Minister Chen, Underground Crisis
Everyone was a Prison Suppression Bureau Martial Artist with a decent level of cultivation. In just a few moments, they arrived at Peach Blossom Lane.
Along the way, a Prison Suppression Bureau Martial Artist who had been there before joked, "Ever since word of that tofu shop got out, men from all the nearby streets have been eagerly running over to buy tofu!"
Another colleague, his interest piqued, chimed in with self-deprecating agreement.
"Are they really going there to buy tofu? Huh?"
"They’re just lusting after the girl’s body! Despicable!"
"Haha..."
No one really took it seriously. Amidst the laughter and cheer, the group surged into Peach Blossom Lane like a cresting wave.
The main reason they had come to see for themselves was to treat it as a bit of spice to liven up their dull prison life.
The moment they entered Peach Blossom Lane, the men realized that the Martial Artist from before had been putting it mildly.
This wasn’t just men from a few nearby streets.
It looked like men from a dozen nearby streets had all shown up!
In the small Peach Blossom Lane, the line of people buying tofu stretched from one end to the other, even looping and twisting around itself.
Forget about seeing the Tofu Beauty.
As far as the eye could see, it was a packed scene of people squeezed together. Those who arrived later couldn’t even push their way in.
The scene couldn’t help but remind Su Bai of the "lively" seas of people at tourist attractions during holidays in his past life.
The two situations were surprisingly similar.
Just then, Su Bai saw a man in his thirties or forties finish his tofu in a few quick gulps, then head back to the end of the line, empty bowl in hand.
’Good grief!’
’He’s going for round two without a break, isn’t he?’
Su Bai had sharp eyes and soon spotted several burly women with laundry bats, charging menacingly toward the front of the line.
A commotion immediately erupted from the front of the line, filled with wails and screams!
Right after, the burly women stormed out, each of them angrily yanking on a bright red ear.
Attached to each ear was a man with a guilty look on his face, crying out in pain and shouting, "OW! Gently, gently!"
Seeing this, the married Martial Artists from the Prison Suppression Bureau couldn’t help but flinch, their necks retracting for no apparent reason.
One even shivered, already having second thoughts about being there.
Taking advantage of the chaos as the drama of "ferocious wives catching their husbands" played out repeatedly, thinning the ranks and disorganizing the line, Su Bai and the others hurried forward, finally getting a clear look at the Tofu Beauty.
She was a girl of about eighteen or nineteen, with thick black hair neatly coiled at the back of her head and wrapped in a sky-blue coarse cloth.
Her gray sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing skin as white and soft as snow.
She wore no makeup or strong perfume.
Her attire was also very simple—just a plain, coarse-cloth shirt.
Yet, she struck Su Bai with an indescribable sense of astonishment.
’Eyebrows like willows by a stream, lips like a touch of plum blossom, skin like white snow...’
’This must be the kind of woman the poets speak of.’
’Her smile is beautiful, too—gentle and soft, without a hint of artificiality. It complements the snow-white tofu before her, creating a picturesque scene.’
’No wonder she can attract so many men, all scrambling to buy from her!’
’A fairy fallen to the mortal realm, nothing less!’
Su Bai marveled to himself.
In truth, it wasn’t that the Tofu Beauty possessed some kind of peerless, heavenly beauty.
It was her gentle and delicate disposition that was truly special, possessing a unique charm.
Moreover, the Tofu Beauty’s clothes were far too plain, creating a stark contrast with her looks and aura.
The impact this had on people was naturally quite strong.
After seeing her, Su Bai felt he had seen a true feast for the eyes.
The other Prison Suppression Bureau Martial Artists who saw her were also full of praise.
Seeing that it was getting late, the group hurriedly left from the other end of the lane.
After Su Bai and the others departed,
The Tofu Beauty remained in Peach Blossom Lane, a faint smile on her face as she diligently sold her tofu.
...
Su Bai and the others returned to the B-Class Prison. Just as they finished roll call, a new convict was escorted in.
This person’s identity was rather impressive; he was an official from the Water Department.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Water!
A fifth-grade official.
Because he practiced the Martial Dao and was an expert at the Extraordinary Realm, he was sent to the B-Class Prison.
Su Bai had assumed it was another corrupt official, another filthy maggot dragged out into the light.
However, seeing the man in person, he found him to be quite different from what he’d imagined.
This Vice Minister of the Water Department was named Chen Juzheng.
He stood seven feet tall, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a brawny build, and a square jaw. He exuded a Vast Righteous Qi!
He looked dignified and upright.
Anyone who saw him would subconsciously show a measure of respect.
And as a rule, any Martial Artist convict sent to the B-Class Prison would have their Dantian Qi Sea and meridians sealed, reducing them to an ordinary person.
This Vice Minister of the Water Department, Chen Juzheng, was naturally no exception.
Yet, even while wearing a heavy set of shackles that weighed several hundred pounds, the man’s back remained ramrod straight!
He carried himself with an air of "death before dishonor."
Su Bai secretly circulated a wisp of True Qi to assess him with the Purification Tripod, only to be astonished to find that the man’s Sin Value was less than half a star!
This took Su Bai by surprise.
’As the saying goes, "To not be envied is to be mediocre."’
’Could it be... that he was framed by some villain and wrongfully imprisoned?’
It wasn’t impossible.
After all, in this world, villains often live freely, while gentlemen often suffer.
By the same token, a man who had reached the Extraordinary Realm in his Martial Arts Realm, held the rank of a fifth-grade official, and had a Sin Value of less than half a star...
...was truly a paragon of integrity!
Yet, such a man had been thrown in here.
"What crime did this man commit?"
Su Bai quietly asked Zhang Wei, who was standing beside him.
Zhang Wei lowered his head slightly and whispered, "On the surface, it’s for corruption and accepting bribes."
"But in reality, I’d guess he offended someone high up, or was framed by some treacherous villain, and they just slapped a random charge on him and threw him in here!"
"I heard he wasn’t even given a trial."
Su Bai’s expression flickered, but he didn’t say anything more.
Chen Juzheng was thrown into the B-Class Prison and, without a trial, was locked directly in Prison Cell B-13.
When it was time for his break, Su Bai took the opportunity to wander over to Prison Cell B-13.
After greeting Elder Qing, who was in charge of this section, Su Bai walked up to the door of Vice Minister Chen’s cell holding a meal box.
"Lord Chen!"
Su Bai called out, setting down the meal box.
Inside the cell, Chen Juzheng, whose heavy shackles had been removed, leaving only fetters on his feet, lifted his eyelids and glanced at Su Bai.
His gaze fixed on the meal box in Su Bai’s hand, and he sneered, "What? Are those filthy maggots so impatient?"
"I’ve only just been locked in this prison, and they’re already eager for me to die?"
Before Su Bai could explain, Chen Juzheng sat up straight, his eyes blazing as he spoke.
"So be it! In this life, death comes for us all!"
"If my death can draw the Holy Emperor’s attention to this matter and make him realize the crisis lurking beneath the Imperial City sooner..."
"...then what is there to fear in death?"