After arriving near the Heavenly Prison, Chu Xin sent the maid back to the Rain Palace and then, with Chu Chen and the little two-headed pig in tow, she sashayed toward the entrance of the Heavenly Prison.
"Halt! This is a critical area of the Imperial Palace, and without the Empress’s decree or documents from the Ministry of Criminal Justice, entry is not permitted,"
the Heavenly Prison guard said, drawing his long sword, his tone icy.
"Two little ones, this is the Heavenly Prison, not a place for you to play. Leave at once,"
said one guard in a much gentler tone.
"We can’t go in?"
Chu Xin cocked her little head to the side, produced the Golden Dragon Token, and said with a puzzled face, "But the Empress said that with this token, I can go anywhere except for the Martial God Mansion. Is Empress lying to me?"
Bang!
Upon hearing this, all the guards of the Heavenly Prison knelt down, sweating profusely.
"We were unaware that the young lady possesses a Golden Dragon Token. Please forgive our negligence,"
the guards of the Heavenly Prison said in unison, bowing their heads to the ground, filled with trepidation.
To see the Golden Dragon Token was as good as seeing the Empress herself. Disrespecting the bearer of the Golden Dragon Token was the same as showing disrespect to the Empress, and if the Empress decided to pursue the matter, it could mean death.
"So, can we go in?"
Chu Xin, weighing the Golden Dragon Token in her hand, asked in her childlike voice.
"Yes, of course you can,"
said the guards, stepping aside to make way.
Indeed, as Chu Xin had mentioned, anyone holding a Golden Dragon Token had access to any place within the Imperial Palace, except for the Empress’s bedchamber and the Martial God Mansion.
It had been many years since a token of this level had appeared, and who would have thought that this little one would have one. Could she be a secret child of the Empress?
The grand comparison between the two states hadn’t been publicized, only known to the Heavenly Prides of the two states, the Martial Emperor of Central State, and a few high-ranking officials. These guards of the Heavenly Prison, who were stationed year-round, naturally had no opportunity to learn of it.
"So we can go in?"
Chu Xin, blinking her large eyes, said with some excitement.
Chu Chen beside her also looked eagerly into the Heavenly Prison.
As long as they entered the Heavenly Prison, they could find their mother and then rescue her.
"Please,"
the guards said, gesturing with their hands and bowing, their attitude extremely respectful.
This little one held the Golden Dragon Token, and no matter how she obtained it, they dared not obstruct her. Moreover, now all the prisoners in the Heavenly Prison had been taken to the front lines to form the cannon fodder army, so there was no one in the prison and no fear of any accidents occurring.
"Miss, the Heavenly Prison is vast. Allow me to guide you,"
said a guard, quick-witted and expectant.
With one so young holding a Golden Dragon Token, even if she wasn’t the secret daughter of the Empress, she unquestionably had a close relationship with the Empress. If one could establish a good connection, it could lead to advancement in the future.
"Hmm!"
Chu Xin nodded her head, tucked away the Golden Dragon Token, waved her snow-white little hand, and entered the Heavenly Prison with Chu Chen and the two-headed pig, strutting boldly. The guard followed closely beside, leading the way for Chu Xin and the others.
"Ah, why am I always so slow to react?"
Once Chu Xin and the others entered the Heavenly Prison, the rest of the guards thumped their chests and stamped their feet, full of regret.
Pity that opportunities come only once, and when missed, they don’t come again.
"Miss, this is where the First Level prisoners are confined, and as we descend, the level of the prisoners increases," explained the guard respectfully.
Chu Xin looked around the cells on both sides of the corridor and asked curiously, "Prisoners have levels?"
The guard nodded and explained, "The Heavenly Prison has nine stories, and the prisoners are divided into nine levels. The higher the level of the prisoner, the stronger their abilities and the more serious the crime they have committed. Prisoners from First to Third Level are basically cultivators below the Martial King level, while those from Forth to Sixth Level are cultivators from Martial King up to Martial Arts Sect. Seventh Level prisoners are all Martial Venerates, Eighth Level are all Martial Saints. Ninth Level prisoners have reached the Martial Emperor realm and are detained in the Nine-story Heavenly Prison. Down through the ages, only one person has been imprisoned on the ninth story, a woman. What crime she committed, no one knows."
A woman?
Chu Xin’s eyes lit up almost subconsciously as she thought of her own mother.
She turned her head to glance at Chu Chen and saw the excitement in her brother’s eyes, clearly, the siblings had come to the same conclusion.
"Then you must take us to the nine-story Heavenly Prison right away," she urged.
Chu Chen urged, impatient to get going.
"Ah?"
The Heavenly Prison guard was taken aback, confusion evident in his eyes. Did these two little ones actually want to visit the nine-story Heavenly Prison that much?
Seeing this, Chu Xin gave Chu Chen a glare, then turned her head and said cheerily, "He’s just curious about what someone imprisoned in the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison would look like. Don’t mind him. We’ll check it out level by level. We’ve always heard Dad say that this Heavenly Prison is the most secure in all of Jiuzhou, that once someone’s in here, there’s no escaping. We’ve got to take a good look while we have the chance."
At the mention of this, the Heavenly Prison guard immediately puffed up with pride, "That’s right, this Heavenly Prison was built by the old Martial God and reinforced with Martial God Level prohibitions. It’s definitely the most secure prison in all of Jiuzhou. Even if the Martial Emperor were to be imprisoned, there’s no escaping."
"Amazing," Chu Xin praised, giving a thumbs up, a gesture their father often used specifically to commend others.
Upon seeing this, the Heavenly Prison guard stood even taller, filled with tremendous pride.
Chu Xin tugged on Chu Chen’s sleeve and whispered into his ear, "Brother, can you use the Breaking Sky Ring now?"
Chu Chen nodded, whispering back, "It can perform a random teleportation once."
"Great!"
Chu Xin nodded, planning to teleport out of there using the Breaking Sky Ring as soon as they found their mother. No matter where they ended up, it would be better than staying in this Heavenly Prison.
Their father was apparently a Martial God too, and the prohibitions he set had no effect on the Breaking Sky Ring, so certainly the Heavenly Prison’s Martial God Restriction wouldn’t either.
At that moment, Chu Chen looked around and also tugged on Chu Xin’s sleeve, asking in a low voice, "Sister, why is there nobody in this Heavenly Prison?"
"Right."
Chu Xin’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She turned to the Heavenly Prison guard and asked, "Big brother, why are there no prisoners on the first level of the Heavenly Prison?"
The Heavenly Prison guard replied with a smile, "Fire State and Cloud State are in rebellion, the rebel armies from both states are attacking Central State, and there are even invulnerable Blood Puppets. Not long ago, Her Majesty decreed that all prisoners from Jiuzhou capable of being mobilized be gathered into a cannon fodder army, intended to wear down the Blood Puppets using a human wave strategy. All the prisoners have been moved out of here, leaving the entire Heavenly Prison empty."
"Empty?"
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Chu Xin paused, then asked, "So, the prisoners from the nine-story Heavenly Prison have been moved as well?"
"Yes!"
The guard nodded.
Upon hearing this, both Chu Xin and Chu Chen halted in their tracks, stopping abruptly. Find more to read at freewebnovel
"What’s wrong?" the Heavenly Prison guard asked, puzzled.
After a moment of thought, Chu Xin asked, "Big brother, do you know where the prisoners from the nine-story Heavenly Prison have been moved to? To Cloud State? Or Fire State?"
"I don’t know."
The guard shook his head and said, "But the battlefield isn’t in Fire State or Cloud State, it’s on the northwest border of Central State and the extreme southern border. I overheard the Martial Emperor who came to transfer the prisoners saying that they were supposed to be taken to Lang City in the northwest and Li Huo City in the extreme south."
"I see."
Chu Xin’s brows were tightly knit as she then smiled at the guard, saying, "Big brother, we’ve seen enough. It’s time for us to leave. Thank you."
With that, she pulled Chu Chen and started to walk out.
Seen enough?
But they hadn’t even finished looking at the first level.
The Heavenly Prison guard stood there, completely dumbfounded.