Chapter 158: The Scapegoat

In the pitch-black dungeons of Wangchuan City, Jiang Chen had a sound and hearty sleep. When he woke up, he found that the surroundings were still illuminated by dim, flickering lamplight.

The cell where he was kept had no windows. Only a sliver of light managed to penetrate from beyond the solid iron-forged cell door, yet it was barely enough to make out objects within three paces—only slightly better than total, blinding darkness.

Jiang Chen stretched lazily, paying no heed to the wails and cries that drifted from time to time from the other end of the corridor.

He knew that since Shen Yinglong had thrown him into this prison, the man would inevitably make his move sooner or later. Therefore, he was in no rush to figure out a way out, and any behavior aimed at crying out his grievances or pleading for mercy would be entirely meaningless.

It was far wiser to conserve his energy and properly rest and recuperate.

With Jiang Chen's intelligence, how could he fail to understand that panicking even slightly at a time like this was out of the question? Although those piercing screams were grating on the nerves, he had to remain as calm as still water, completely unruffled by the sudden turn of events.

Even though Shen Yinglong had not yet shown his face, a psychological standoff across the distance had already begun.

Shen Yinglong was undoubtedly thinking right now of how to inflict greater mental pressure on Jiang Chen. Breaking a person down could usually be achieved on both physical and mental levels, and the methods were endless.

Yet Jiang Chen had already made up his mind: to accept whatever came his way and stay calm. Breaking the deadlock might seem as difficult as ascending to the heavens, but it was by no means entirely hopeless.

He sat cross-legged, quietly entering a state of mental repose with his eyes closed, while the disturbing commotion outside his cell continued unabated. He had no idea what unfortunate soul was currently undergoing brutal torture.

From the Waterside Dungeon in the royal capital of Jinyang to the present prison in Wangchuan City, Jiang Chen's status had abruptly shifted.

He could not help but curl his lips in a self-mocking smile, never imagining that he too would one day end up rotting in a jail cell. Truly, human calculations could never outmatch the heavens. What was even more aggravating was that he had been thoroughly and solidly outmaneuvered by Shen Yinglong.

After an unknown passage of time, a heavy sound of footsteps echoed from outside the cell, each lift and fall accompanied by the crisp, metallic scraping of chains dragging across the ground.

"What Northern Bear-Man? In my eyes, he's just a bit bigger than the rest. After facing heavy torture, isn't he still screaming his lungs out, with snot and tears spraying everywhere?"

"You can't say that. The big fellow is as sturdy as a grizzly, and he certainly looks intimidating!"

The conversation between two jailers drifted into Jiang Chen's ears.

It turned out that the Bear-Man, who had been defeated by Shen Yinglong in a single move, had also been imprisoned here. The screams heard earlier had indeed been his while undergoing punishment.

For some reason, Jiang Chen began to feel a twinge of sympathy for this big guy. He realized that since Shen Yinglong could resort to underhanded tricks to frame him for the murder of the Governor of Jizhou, could this Brother Bear-Man possibly be wronged as well?

Although Jiang Chen was unaware of the exact charges leveled against the Northern Bear-Man, the boundary between righteousness and villainy became blurred the moment Shen Yinglong was involved.

"Brother Jiang, I didn't expect us to meet again here."

An unforgettable voice arrived on cue. Jiang Chen had already heard the footsteps approaching; Shen Yinglong's hypocritical, pretentious demeanor felt utterly ridiculous.

Opening the cell door, Shen Yinglong walked in with brisk strides. His face remained half-hidden in the dim shadows, but judging by his tone, he seemed genuinely sympathetic to Jiang Chen's plight.

"I only just heard about this matter. I never imagined that Governor Zhao would meet such an untimely end, and of all people, you happened to bump right into it, Brother Jiang."

Jiang Chen said, "Does that mean Young Master Shen believes I didn't kill him?"

"Of course. Although this is only the second time you and I have met, we drank together and shared the same aspirations. I know deeply that you could never possibly do such a thing."

"The one who murdered Governor Zhao must be someone else entirely; it is simply your bad luck, Brother Jiang, to have been used as a scapegoat."

Shen Yinglong spoke with great conviction, playing the part of a close friend arriving to express genuine concern. Yet both men understood each other without a word. How could Shen Yinglong not know that Jiang Chen had long since identified him as the mastermind behind all of this?

Yet this thin layer of window paper could not be pierced just yet. The contest between them was still ongoing.

"Brother Jiang, please. Accompany me to write down everything you saw and heard during the incident, and I will do everything in my power to clear your name."

"Then I thank Young Master Shen in advance."

Jiang Chen did not refuse. He wanted to see what tactics Shen Yinglong would deploy against him next. Now that he was trapped in a cage, if Shen Yinglong wanted to extract anything from him, this was the optimal moment.

Walking all the way through the narrow and deep corridor, Jiang Chen noticed pairs of eyes silently staring at them from the darkness of the cells on both sides. He had no idea what kind of dangerous criminals were locked away here, but he guessed they must be extreme threats.

Because the layout of this entire prison differed from ordinary jails, its most distinct feature was its intricate internal structure. Long corridors were arranged in a maze-like pattern, connecting dozens of cells on either side.

If anyone wished to escape from the prison, they had no choice but to wind their way out along this cramped and gloomy corridor, where they would inevitably be spotted by the guards. Furthermore, this was the sole exit.

When constructed, the prison's ceiling height was deliberately kept low. If Jiang Chen were to jump straight up from the ground, he would easily strike his head against the ceiling. This was one of the primary reasons for the dim lighting, creating an overwhelming sense of oppression the moment one stepped inside.

Additionally, iron-forged cell doors could be seen everywhere inside the prison, and even the walls poured between the cells were exceptionally solid, leaving no vulnerabilities to exploit.

While it might not match the level of the Waterside Dungeon in Jinyang City, it was certainly not a place one could easily escape from. Having observed these clues, Jiang Chen felt a quiet headache coming on.

This meant that relying solely on his own abilities to break free held almost no chance of success.

Continuing forward, Jiang Chen was led into a relatively spacious area. Emerging from the narrow corridor behind, he was met with bright illumination, bringing a sudden sense of openness.

He caught sight of the Northern Bear-Man. At this moment, the giant's limbs were bound by heavy iron chains, and all four chains were pulled taut, leaving him almost unable to shift his body even slightly.

Even more agonizing was the thick chain locked around his neck, which had been intentionally adjusted in height to force the Bear-Man to stand constantly on tiptoe just to ensure he could breathe smoothly.

The moment he relaxed, that iron chain would tighten directly around his neck, snuffing out his life in painful asphyxiation.

"What crime has this man committed?" Jiang Chen asked.

Shen Yinglong was startled for a moment, as if to say: *You are facing mortal peril yourself, yet you still have the leisure to care about others?*

Still, he replied, "High treason!"