Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

A sudden burst of chaotic footsteps came from the end of the passageway, accompanied by the distinctive crisp sound of armor rubbing together.

The Listening Talisman warmed up in Xu Hao's arms, and clear voices instantly reached his ears.

"What brings you here in the middle of the night, Lord Wei?" The jailer's trembling voice drifted in on the wind. "Hey~ be careful, this place is dirty, don't get your boots dirty..."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Wei's voice was high-pitched and effeminate, tinged with anxiety. "My eyelids have been twitching since I woke up this morning, and I'm really not at ease."

"That Chen brat is too stubborn; he hasn't uttered a single word. The Blood Robe Tower came a few days ago; don't let them silence him. Tonight, we'll interrogate him with severe torture. We must pry what the Emperor wants out of him! Even if we have to crush his bones to pieces, we have to make him talk!"

"Yes, yes, you're right. We'll make sure he's either dead or gets a severe beating!" the jailer's obsequious voice rang out.

Xu Hao's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly flashed to Chen Yuanzhi's side.

"Young Master, please forgive me, I'll choose for you!"

"What? Choose what? I haven't even..."

Xu Hao made his move without explaining the reason to Chen Yuanzhi.

He pinched the bone nail between two fingers, aimed it at the Dazhui acupoint on the back of Chen Yuan's neck, and thrust it in forcefully with his fingertips.

There was no blood splattering as expected; the bone nail dissolved as soon as it entered the flesh, instantly merging into Chen Yuanzhi's spine.

"Well……"

Chen Yuanzhi let out a short gasp, then his body stiffened abruptly, and his heaving chest stopped completely.

His body temperature dropped rapidly; one second he was a living person, and the next he was a cold corpse.

Xu Hao reached out to check Chen Yuanzhi's breath and then touched the side of his neck.

No pulse, completely cold, utterly dead.

The ancient and rustic scene in Xu Hao's mind suddenly jolted:

[Successfully using a special treasure increases the compatibility of the Death Prison Paradise]

[Gained temporary buff: 'Corpse Aura Concealment' (Even Grandmasters would find it difficult to detect any life force without breaking through the physical body)]

"All done!" Xu Hao just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to disguise the scene when he heard footsteps approaching the cell door.

Xu Hao's eyes darted around, and he raised his foot and kicked over the swill bucket next to him.

"Clang—!"

The swill was spilled all over the ground, and the stench exploded instantly.

"Ah—! Someone's dead! Someone's dead!"

Xu Hao plopped down on the ground and crawled backward on all fours, letting out a pig-like scream that echoed through the empty death row cell, utterly desolate.

"Who goes there!"

The footsteps at the door suddenly quickened, and Wei Tou'er moved like lightning, bringing with him a gust of cold wind, and instantly appeared at the cell door.

Behind him followed a squad of menacing officers from the Imperial Observatory, their torches illuminating the dark cell.

Xu Hao huddled in the corner, trembling all over, his teeth chattering. Pointing at Chen Yuanzhi hanging on the wall, he stammered, "Sir... he's not breathing! The prisoner is dead!"

Wei's expression changed drastically, his flying fish robe gleaming coldly in the firelight.

He kicked open the cell door, not even glancing at Xu Hao on the ground, and rushed to Chen Yuanzhi's side.

He stretched out a hand so pale it looked inhuman and pressed it firmly against Chen Yuanzhi's pulse. With his other hand, he roughly pried open Chen's eyelids and stared at his already dilated pupils.

Dead silence.

The cell was eerily quiet, with only Xu Hao's heavy breathing breaking the silence.

Wei Tou'er's fingers lingered on Chen Yuanzhi's neck for a long time, and he even used his internal energy to probe it, but all he got in return was deathly silence. This young master was really dead.

"Damn it, this is so unlucky."

Wei's face was so gloomy it could drip water. He forcefully shook off Chen Yuanzhi's hand, pulled out a silk handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped his fingers with disgust.

He slowly turned around, his triangular eyes, like those of a venomous snake, scanning his surroundings before finally settling on Xu Hao, who was huddled in the corner, reeking of swill.

"What were you doing just now?" Wei's voice was soft, but it sent chills down one's spine.

Xu Hao was so frightened he almost buried his head in his crotch, crying out, "Replying to...replying to you, sir, I was just delivering food to the prisoner and taking out...taking out the swill. I called him to eat, and when he didn't move, I dared to give him a little push. Who knew...who knew it was cold! Your Honor, have mercy! I didn't know anything!"

Eunuch Wei squinted and stared at Xu Hao for a long time, trying to find some flaws in this smelly servant.

"Lord Wei," the jailer beside him quickly approached with a fawning smile, "this is the new handyman, Guo Shan, a country bumpkin, a coward even more timid than a mouse. These past few days, Lai Tou has gone mad, and he's the only one who dares to come here to work."

After hearing this, Wei Tou'er stopped looking at Xu Hao and said, "Since he's dead, keeping him around is just bad luck."

"Guards! Cut off this condemned prisoner's head and hang it on the city gate as a warning, throw his body into the mass grave to feed the dogs!"

Cut off their heads and hang them on the city gates as a warning, then throw their bodies into mass graves to feed the dogs?

Xu Hao's heart tightened suddenly.

Beheading? If his head is removed, this feigned death will become real! That damned eunuch is ruthless.

At this point, pleading for mercy or offering any suggestions would be tantamount to suicide.

Xu Hao's eyes darted around, and he secretly channeled his inner energy, forcing out a cold sweat. He then controlled his sphincter muscles and relaxed.

A foul odor mixed with the smell of swill instantly filled the cell.

Xu Hao's body trembled violently, his crotch was soaked, and he collapsed to the ground as if his bones had been removed, muttering incoherently, "Lai Tou'er... Lai Tou'er, don't look for me... It wasn't me who hurt you... There's a ghost..."

"What are you yelling about!" Wei covered his nose, his brows furrowed, and he took two steps back.

Upon hearing the words "Lai Tou'er" (a derogatory term for a prisoner known for his cunning and manipulative behavior), the cell boss's face turned deathly pale. This was the most taboo word in the death row; Lai Tou'er had just gone berserk here a couple of days ago, scratching his own face raw, and now this prisoner had died suddenly…

The jailer, disregarding everything else, quickly crawled to Wei's feet and kowtowed, pleading, "My lord! My lord, you mustn't! This death row cell is filled with yin energy, it's very eerie. Lai Tou'er just went mad, and this prisoner... If we were to fight and draw blood, it might arouse monsters and harm your noble body, my lord!"

Although Wei Tou'er was a martial arts master and did not believe in ghosts and gods, the resentment and evil energy accumulated in the death row for a hundred years did make him feel a chill down his neck.

Furthermore, with Chen Yuanzhi already dead and the trail broken, he was too lazy to waste time on a corpse, and even less willing to be tainted by the stench of excrement filling the room.

"You damned bastard!" Wei spat, kicking aside the jailer blocking his way. "Alright, get out of the way. If you're afraid of the corpse turning into a zombie, then don't bother with knives. Drag the body out, throw it into the corpse-dissolving pit outside the city, and burn it clean!"

As long as you're not dismembered on the spot, there's a chance of survival!

Xu Hao buried his head in his crotch, concealing the gleam of joy in his eyes, while his body continued to tremble.

To curry favor with Chief Wei, the jailer quickly pointed at Xu Hao and yelled, "Guo Shan! What are you standing there for? Get back to pushing the cart! You're in charge of getting this corpse out of here. If you're late, I'll skin you alive!"

Xu Hao scrambled out and returned shortly after, pushing a stinking hearse. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he clumsily loaded Chen Yuanzhi's body onto the vehicle, then hastily covered it with a tattered straw mat, looking as if he was in a hurry to get rid of this hot potato.

"etc."