Chapter 36: Long Tianjiao’s Character

Grandmaster! Even when imprisoned in the Bureau of Ancient Martial Arts' detention center, a master who has attained the Realm of Transformation should have a solitary cell—how could he be confined with ordinary criminals?

At this moment, the three prisoners were inwardly lamenting their misfortune, cursing the Bureau’s higher-ups for their lack of discernment. How could they place a mighty dragon like Chu Tian in their humble ant nest? Wasn’t this a deliberate ploy to see them dead?

“So, the three of you wanted to teach me some rules just now?” Chu Tian smiled gently as he walked toward them.

“N-no, Elder, you misunderstand. How would we dare teach you the rules? It’s us who should be learning from you.” The scar-faced man’s knees gave out and he dropped to the floor in a kneel.

“If we’ve offended you in any way, Elder, please punish us as you see fit.”

“We were blind fools, daring to show off before you. We deserve whatever comes to us.”

Seeing their leader kneel in terror, the other two prisoners quickly followed, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

“That’s more like it.” Chu Tian stepped past them and made his way to the bed.

The scar-faced man, now completely docile, brushed off the dirty bedding with his hand and gestured for Chu Tian to sit.

Gone was any trace of their earlier menace; now they were fawning and servile.

“Now, let me ask you—what did you do to end up in here?” Chu Tian sat on the bed, his gaze sweeping over the three men.

They wore genial smiles, hardly the faces of hardened criminals.

“We’re new to Tianmen City and ignorant of its rules. We had a minor conflict with the young master of the Song family, and they used their influence to have us thrown in here,” explained the young man who had been kicked earlier, clutching his stomach with a sigh.

“The young master you mentioned—is that Song Tao?” Chu Tian asked.

“Yes, that bastard,” the scar-faced man replied, nodding quickly, hatred in his eyes.

“That one’s no good. If you’ve crossed him, you can’t be all bad,” Chu Tian mused, then smiled. “It’s just that you’re too weak; in here, you’ll be bullied. Let me give you some pointers.”

“Thank you, Elder!” The three immediately prostrated themselves, delighted.

They had no orthodox lineage—reaching the level of internal strength was already a dream. That Chu Tian would now instruct them was a heaven-sent opportunity.

Two days later, in the prison—

When Long Tianjiao arrived at the cell, Chu Tian was lying on his bunk, enjoying a massage from the three inmates.

“Mr. Chu, is the pressure all right?” the scar-faced man asked obsequiously as he kneaded Chu Tian’s feet.

“Not bad, a bit harder,” Chu Tian replied, eyes closed in contentment.

“Junior brother, it looks like you’re quite comfortable in prison,” Long Tianjiao’s face darkened. She had intended this to be a tempering experience for Chu Tian—how could it have turned out like this?

Fifth Senior Sister!

He hadn’t paid attention to the visitor’s identity before, but how could he ever forget her voice?

In a heartbeat, Chu Tian shoved aside the three inmates and rushed to the edge of the cell. Grabbing the special bars, he pressed his face between them.

“Fifth Senior Sister, what brings you here?” Chu Tian grinned from ear to ear, overjoyed at their reunion despite not knowing the reason for her appearance.

“I’m the squad captain of the Bureau. Who gave you permission to have massages in here?” Long Tianjiao ignored him, fixing the three prisoners with a furious glare.

The three cowered, heads bowed in fear.

Mr. Chu is the junior brother of the demoness? What kind of joke is this?

Every inmate here knew how terrifying Long Tianjiao’s methods were—the very mention of her struck terror into their hearts.

Chu Tian, too, was surprised to learn that his Fifth Senior Sister was a high-ranking official in the Bureau of Ancient Martial Arts. He hadn’t expected this at all.

“Fifth Sister, don’t blame them. I asked for the massage,” Chu Tian quickly shifted responsibility to himself.

Long Tianjiao was speechless for a moment.

“When will you let me out, Fifth Sister?” Chu Tian asked. With his strength, he could leave at any time, but he was in a playful mood—especially now that he’d met her again. He couldn’t resist teasing her.

“You want out?” Long Tianjiao countered.

“Of course. I haven’t seen my other senior sisters in two days—I miss them terribly,” Chu Tian replied with a smile.

“Release him,” Long Tianjiao ordered with a wave of her hand. The guards stepped up and opened the cell door.

Chu Tian strode out and, without hesitation, pulled Long Tianjiao into an embrace.

The sight left everyone—the prisoners inside and the guards outside—utterly dumbstruck.

Chu Tian was hugging Long Tianjiao? Was this a dream? More astonishing, she wasn’t resisting.

Ignoring their shock, Chu Tian asked, “Fifth Sister, can we go home now?”

“Come with me. There’s a chance for you to redeem yourself,” Long Tianjiao said, pushing him away and heading for the elevator. “Help me catch a criminal and your record will be cleared. You’ll be released without charges.”

“No problem.” Chu Tian hurried after her.

“Farewell, Boss!”

“Take care, Boss!”

“Once you’re out, don’t look back!” The three prisoners pressed themselves to the bars, bowing deeply in farewell.

“Seems you’re quite popular in here,” Long Tianjiao remarked with a faint smile, curious as to how Chu Tian had managed to win them over.

“Not really. They may seem fierce, but they each have their own hardships,” Chu Tian sighed, even putting in a good word for them.

Soon after, Chu Tian and Long Tianjiao left the prison and got into an off-road vehicle, heading for the mountainous outskirts.

Two hours later, they arrived at a small village on the outskirts of Tianmen City.

The village was sparsely populated, with only a dozen or so flat-roofed houses. The area was cordoned off with police tape, keeping outsiders at bay.

An elderly man stood by the tape—Wu Tai, one of the Bureau’s commanders.

“Captain Wu, what’s the situation?” Long Tianjiao asked as she approached.

“There’s been a homicide in a neighboring city. The killer is believed to be a foreign martial artist who infiltrated our country. The Bureau’s top brass are taking this very seriously. We’ve pursued the suspect from the neighboring city all the way here, but still lost track of him,” Wu Tai replied with a heavy sigh. “Just two hours ago, we picked up the killer’s trail again and trapped him in this village. But not only have we failed to capture him, our own team and innocent villagers have fallen victim to his slaughter.” Wu Tai’s face was grim as he spoke.