Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Prison

The sun rose and set as the days blurred into one another.

Two months slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Chen Mu maintained his steady lifestyle, alternating between his official patrols and returning to his residence to refine his blade technique.

He placed great value on his position as a constable. Not only did it provide his primary wage, but the authority of the role served as a shield, deterring neighborhood thugs and gang members from harassing him. Abandoning his post to focus solely on his blade technique was a luxury he simply could not afford.

One particular afternoon.

After finishing his rounds, Chen Mu arrived home.

To his astonishment, he found a visitor accompanying Chen Yue inside the house.

"Aunt Third? What brings you here?"

Chen Mu hurried forward, his voice laced with concern as he addressed the middle-aged woman, whose face was etched with distress.

His late father had been the eldest of three, leaving behind a younger brother and sister—Chen Mu’s uncle and Aunt Third. His uncle was a notoriously shiftless man who had often been scolded by his father; he was so detached that he hadn't even appeared for his brother's funeral.

Aunt Third, Chen Hong, was different. She had always stayed close to their family, frequently stopping by to provide rice, flour, and soybeans after his father's passing. Because of this, Chen Mu held a deep respect for her.

Whenever he was out on duty, Chen Yue would typically welcome Chen Hong into their home.

"Little Mu... I’m at my wit's end; I had nowhere else to turn but to you..."

Chen Hong, looking gaunt with a headscarf wrapped tightly around her, clutched Chen Mu’s arm and dissolved into tears.

Through her frantic explanations, Chen Mu pieced together the trouble involving her son, his cousin Zhang Hai. Much like their uncle, Zhang Hai was a lazy loafer who spent his time wandering the streets. He had recently spotted a beautiful woman in a secluded alley and decided to harass her, a mistake that backfired instantly.

He was thrashed on the spot before the City Defense Division intervened, dragging him off to prison without a second thought.

"Aunt Third, I’ve warned you that these are dangerous times. Given my cousin’s personality, he really should have been more careful. How could he be so reckless? I fear there is very little I can do to assist in this situation."

Chen Mu’s brow furrowed as he processed the story.

It was evident that Zhang Hai had crossed someone with significant clout, considering the City Defense Division had acted so swiftly to lock him up. Such influence likely originated from a Head Constable or someone even higher in the hierarchy. As a lowly constable who usually kept his head down, the idea of Chen Mu orchestrating a prison break or release was nothing short of a pipe dream.

Chen Hong sobbed, "I realize that, I really do. They say the woman Xiao Hai insulted is a concubine belonging to the Fourth House of the South Family young master. I’ve begged everyone I know, but no one is willing to lift a finger for us...

I only came to see if you could talk to the people at the prison. Just help him survive this initial period until the anger dies down and we can find another way."

As she spoke.

With trembling hands, Chen Hong pulled two silver ingots from her clothing, totaling about twenty taels.

Chen Mu was aware that his aunt’s family lived comfortably since her husband was a butcher, but twenty taels was a massive sum—likely the bulk of their life savings.

Looking at Chen Hong’s tear-stained face and remembering the food she had shared when he was struggling, Chen Mu felt a pang of guilt. He eventually took the silver and sighed, "I will try to inquire, but I cannot promise any results."

This money wasn't for him; he lacked the status to demand favors from the jailers. The twenty taels would have to be passed to the prison head to see if he could be swayed to show a modicum of mercy.

The prison staff also served under the City Defense Division, forming one of its three primary branches.

However, Chen Mu rarely had dealings with that department.

In this brutal era, those cast into the dungeons rarely returned. Execution wasn't even necessary; the guards could simply stop providing food and water, and a prisoner would wither away in days. Without a bribe, the guards rarely bothered to perform even basic duties.

Chen Hong’s wish for Zhang Hai to simply wait out the storm for a few months seemed overly optimistic, but Chen Mu didn't have the heart to discourage her, knowing Zhang Hai was her only child.

"Thank you, thank you so much..."

Chen Hong’s voice failed her as she slumped into a seat, weeping with relief.

Chen Mu felt a heavy weight in his chest.

If he held the rank of Head Constable, he could at least demand a clear explanation from the prison head. But with his blade technique only at the level of minor achievement, such a promotion was a distant dream.

This was simply Zhang Hai’s misfortune. He was a loudmouth who couldn't stay out of trouble; he was lucky he hadn't laid a hand on the woman, or he would likely be a corpse by now.

"Yue’er, stay with Aunt Third. I need to go out for a while."

Chen Mu spoke to Chen Yue before heading back out into the streets while there was still daylight.

The South City District prison sat behind the headquarters of the City Guard General.

Chen Mu rarely visited this area. Though he was an officer, he served the Ninth District, which was a significant distance from the central City Guard General.

While the constables in the Ninth District were often found gambling with dice and betting coins, the atmosphere at the City Guard General was far more disciplined and grim.

"Word is that the Chief Constable of the South City District is a woman of incredible beauty, though I’ve never caught a glimpse of her."

Entering the headquarters, Chen Mu looked up at the massive central tower. In the two years he had inhabited this world, he had barely seen the Ninth District’s Prefecture Chief, let alone the high-ranking Chief Constable.

Within the vast compound, officers moved with purpose, keeping their gazes fixed on the ground and maintaining a strict silence.

Following their lead, Chen Mu lowered his head and maneuvered through the headquarters toward the prison facilities at the rear.

However, once he reached the prison, the mood shifted.

In a side room near the entrance, several guards were huddled together, occupied by a game of dice.

The prison was far more lax than the main office, as visitors were a rare occurrence.

"Brother, what brings you here?"

One of the guards looked up, noting Chen Mu’s uniform.

Ignoring the gambling, Chen Mu replied, "I am looking for the head guard."

"Oh, Head Wei is inside,"

The guard gestured vaguely toward the interior.

After Chen Mu thanked him, the man went straight back to his game without another word.

Chen Mu followed the hallway until he reached a clean, organized room. However, the walls were lined with shelves displaying various grim torture devices, casting a shadow over the orderliness.

Head Guard Wei Nan sat in a chair with his eyes shut, seemingly meditating. He cracked one eye open as Chen Mu entered.

"Officer Wei."

Chen Mu offered a respectful bow.

A head guard held a rank comparable to a Head Constable, making him Chen Mu’s superior.

"Mhm."

Wei Nan gave a curt nod, acknowledging the uniform.

Chen Mu approached, gave a brief summary of Zhang Hai’s predicament, and then produced the twenty taels of silver provided by his aunt.

"I see."

Wei Nan took the silver, testing its weight before stowing it in his sleeve. "Orders came down from above to make things difficult for this Zhang Hai. But since his family is so considerate, I’ll make sure he gets his meals. I can’t promise what happens to him a month or two down the line, though."

In these lawless times, violent criminals were usually handled in the streets. The prison was mostly reserved for those from families wealthy enough to pay for their continued existence.

Unlike field officers, a head guard’s income relied heavily on these types of "contributions."

"Your word is enough for me,"

Chen Mu replied with a polite smile.

Without this intervention, Zhang Hai would have faced a nightmare; a few days of starvation and torture would have broken him or killed him outright.

The silver couldn't buy his freedom, but it bought him a month of survival. Whether his family could actually get him out later remained to be seen.

"The boy is inside. Liu Si, show him the way."

Wei Nan waved him off, clearly finished with the conversation now that the silver had changed hands.

Chen Mu bowed and exited, finding Liu Si, who led him deeper into the bowels of the prison. As they descended, the air grew dark and heavy with the stench of rot and stagnant water.

"He’s in there."

Liu Si pointed to the fourth cell.

The occupants of the first three cells were little more than living skeletons. They didn't move as the men passed, and only the glint in their sunken eyes proved they were still alive.

In the fourth cell, a plump figure lay huddled in moldy straw, his clothes stained with blood.

"Cousin?"

Chen Mu called out quietly.

The figure shifted slowly, staring at Chen Mu with a dazed expression before recognition set in. "Is... is that you, Chen Mu? Please, you have to get me out of here..."

"Aunt asked me to give you a message."

Ignoring the plea, Chen Mu delivered his aunt's words and explained the reality of the situation. "...You’ll have to hold on in here for the time being."

Zhang Hai’s face twisted in despair. "You can’t just leave me to rot! My family sent you so much food, and I never said a word against it! My mother was even trying to find you a wife! You can’t do this to me..."

Chen Mu said nothing.

He had never liked Zhang Hai. Even the original owner of this body had been at odds with him. Zhang Hai had always looked down on Chen Mu, believing he was destined for the same life of poverty as his father.

Thinking of Aunt Chen Hong, Chen Mu finally spoke. "You crossed a powerful person. I don’t have the power to fix this, and neither do your parents. Survive this period, and perhaps things will change."

With those final words,

Chen Mu turned and left.

Zhang Hai remained in the straw, muttering bitterly, "What was the point of all that rice and flour? What good is a pathetic officer cousin..."

Chen Mu’s father had died without a copper to his name, leaving Chen Hong to pay for his burial. Her own family, struggling and destitute, had long ago told her to cut ties with her brother's family.

Perhaps if they had spent that money on more influential people, Zhang Hai might have been walking free.