“What kind of supernatural ability is that? Wait, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven owes you a favor? You killed a saint? What kind of missions are you taking? Why do they sound so dangerous?”
“Not that dangerous. I even got to see two saints fighting. This ability lets me change my appearance in countless ways, and no one can tell. I can also change your appearance.
When we escape from prison, we’ll blend into the crowd, transform into someone else, and with millions of people out there, how will they find us? We’ll slip away from the Five Elements Hall easily.
Don’t worry, I’ve been preparing all along.”
“You still haven’t told me what kind of missions you’ve been on.”
“Uh…”
Wan Lei scratched his head.
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you slowly when I’m on guard duty this morning. It’s not something I can explain quickly.”
Mainly because he noticed Qi Heng getting closer.
“Fine, since you’re working here now, we’ve got plenty of time to talk.” Great Wind Novel Network
“Yeah, yeah.”
Wan Lei nodded, let go of Fang Xiaoyu’s hand, and gave her a look. She immediately went back to her seat and quietly ate her meal.
“Brother Qi.”
Wan Lei jogged over with a smile, greeted Qi Heng, and dutifully took the food cart.
“Yo, finished chatting?”
“Yup.”
“No worries if you’re not done. You’ve got plenty of time to chat later. The glass here doesn’t block divine sense, so you can transmit messages all day—twelve hours straight if you want.”
“Hahaha.”
Wan Lei opened a small window and passed the food tray inside.
Qi Heng, happy to take it easy, lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of white smoke.
“Our security here is tight. If a prisoner’s cultivation suppressor collar gets damaged, the office gets an alert immediately. Plus, every cell has smart surveillance. If a prisoner disappears, an alarm goes off right away.”
Thanks, big brother. You’re like my personal guardian angel.
“That’s some serious security. With all that, there’s no way a prisoner could escape.”
Wan Lei played along.
“Exactly. Being a guard here sounds like a big responsibility, but it’s actually super chill. Besides delivering meals and patrolling, you can just lie down and sleep the rest of the time.
When we’re bored, we usually chat or mess around. Most of the time, though, we’re just playing games on our spirit tablets or chatting with people online.”
“Uh… can’t we cultivate? It’s such a waste to let all this time go by.”
“Come on, how many guards here have top-tier talent or high rankings? Most of us are just people with no hope of breaking through to the Immeasurable Realm. We didn’t want to take on tough missions, so we ended up here, quietly earning a steady paycheck.
There’s not much profit to be made here. Not many rich fools are willing to pay to have prisoners looked after. We just earn our ten merit points a month.”
Wan Lei’s face darkened. Is it really okay to diss me to my face like that?
And what do you mean there’s no profit? You’ve pocketed thirty million spirit stones since you met me!
“Yeah, compared to doing missions outside, the pay here is pretty low.”
Qi Heng stopped walking, patted Wan Lei’s shoulder, and said, “Brother, you’re a prodigy. You don’t get the struggles of us ordinary folks. Not every mission is like yours, raking in five hundred or two thousand merit points.
For us, a mission might earn ten or twenty merit points at most. Take a mission like the Lava Death Zone—eighty percent mortality rate for just seventy or eighty merit points. And it takes three years! The people still there haven’t even come back yet.
Tell me, is it better to risk your life for those merit points or to stay here, living comfortably, doing nothing, and still earning merit points?”
“Uh… Brother Qi, those missions wouldn’t have such high mortality rates if they didn’t run into me. At most, a few would get killed by rogue cultivators.”
Qi Heng choked, his negative emotions spiking.
Can you not show off like that?
Soon, the food trays were distributed. After about an hour, Wan Lei checked the time and started collecting the trays, locking each small window as he went.
When he was done, he handed all the keys back to Qi Heng.
Qi Heng carefully inspected the keys and said, “Don’t take it personally, brother. This is just routine. We have to check. If even one key goes missing, both of us are in deep trouble.
Each key matches one lock, and each lock only works with its specific key. Even if you get an identical-looking key, it won’t work if it’s not the original. If a key’s lost, we have to replace the lock—no spares.”
Wan Lei nodded.
Probably to stop guards from secretly duplicating keys. The Five Elements Hall thought of everything. Looks like I’ll need to steal a key if I want to break her out.
Otherwise, the gates to Cell 89 and Group 13 won’t open.
No rush. Take it slow. I’ll find an opportunity after getting familiar with the place.
Wan Lei was now a corporate slave enjoying the 996 “blessing”—six days a week, with only one day off, and it wasn’t even a fixed day; it was on rotation.
Of course, if he didn’t feel like taking a break, he could save up his days off and use them all at once if he needed to go somewhere.
Next, Wan Lei began his patrol duties.
His job was to walk from one end to the other, then back again, over and over, tirelessly.
The prisoners looked at this new, young guard with curiosity.
Normally, guards patrolled once a day at most. Why was this guy patrolling nonstop?
So hardworking?
But why did it feel like he lingered extra long in front of the cells at the far end?
What’s so interesting over there?
Wan Lei noticed the prisoners’ odd looks but didn’t care.
As long as he could sneak a few extra glances at his Xiaoyu during patrols, he was content.
Finally, after two hours of pacing, Fang Xiaoyu couldn’t take it anymore.
“Can you stop pacing already?”
Wan Lei froze, extended his divine sense, and connected with Xiaoyu.
“What’s wrong? I’m patrolling. I can see you while I patrol.”
“Can you consider my feelings for a second?”
“What? You don’t want to see me?”
Wan Lei felt deeply wronged.
“No! I’m stuck in here, unable to get out, and you’re out there, free as a bird, pacing back and forth. Are you trying to piss me off on purpose?”