Is this what a zombie is?

38. Lure the snake out of its hole

"I plan to lure the snake out of its hole."

"My arrival was a dangerous sign for him; on my first day in prison, he sent the giant cat."

"And our alliance is a very unfavorable signal for him, making him unable to remain calm; he is very anxious."

"So as long as I deliberately give him a weakness, I think he won't be able to refuse."

Jiang Chen intends to use himself as bait!

Cat Master guessed Jiang Chen's idea and knew that he wanted to use his ability to be on the verge of death and repeatedly jump between the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell to withstand the opponent's death curse and thus lock down the opponent's location and identity.

After hearing the plan, Attorney Luo felt that Jiang Chen's idea was far too bold and crazy.

Going fishing with your life on the line, actively embracing death, could easily lead to real death if you're not careful.

But Cat Master didn't say anything, which suggests he was quite confident.

How confident are you?

"I'm not entirely confident, after all, I haven't tried it before, it's just an idea. You said you wouldn't reveal all your abilities and trump cards, anyway, I won't die, you can rest assured about that."

Since that's the case, Attorney Luo has nothing more to say.

The plan was thus finalized.

When Jiang Chen came out of Attorney Luo's cell, his face was not good; in fact, it was terribly gloomy, which made the warden guarding the door feel uneasy.

"M-Master, how...is it?"

"I need the files of all prison guards, medical personnel, and any logistical staff who have direct contact with prisoners, starting with those in Block C, with priority given to those who have worked there for more than seven years."

"Area C?"

The warden was taken aback at first, but when he realized what was happening, his face turned deathly pale.

He's not stupid to have reached this position.

Jiang Chen is now specifically asking to check the files of prison staff by name. The subtext of this is clearly...

The sorcerer who killed countless people and created the Ghost King in prison was not a vicious criminal at all, but one of their own.

A colleague they see every day, and may even have smoked or drunk with.

The thought that such a terrifying being had been lurking beside him for the past seven years sent a chill down the spine of the warden, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He even started recalling whether he had unintentionally offended any colleague in Zone C, fearing that he might be the next one to die suddenly in the office.

The warden, regaining his senses, quickly followed Jiang Chen's instructions.

"Archives, send all the files of employees in Area C to my office, quickly."

Jiang Chen unceremoniously occupied the warden's office and desk, and the warden didn't complain at all. He just wanted to resolve the matter as soon as possible and live a peaceful life.

Jiang Chen casually picked up a file, flipped through it, and looked at it. Judging from his appearance, he was clearly going to stay up all night to cultivate immortality, and he wouldn't give up until he found the person tonight.

While flipping through the files, Jiang Chen asked, seemingly casually.

"Warden, did you hear the bell just now?"

"A bell?" The warden looked bewildered, trying to recall. "It sounded like... a muffled thud. I thought it was construction work somewhere... Master, is something wrong?"

"What about the fog?" Jiang Chen continued to press. "Is it often foggy in this prison?"

"Fog?" The warden was even more confused. He subconsciously looked out the window and explained with an embarrassed smile, "Master, you don't know this, but our place has a rather special geographical location. It used to be foggy all the time, without any particular pattern."

"But it's strange, there have been far fewer of them in recent years, and I don't know what happened tonight."

Jiang Chen rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache. This guy really knew nothing when asked.

The warden was quite adept at reading people's expressions. Seeing that Jiang Chen seemed somewhat displeased, he immediately spoke up.

"I don't know about these things, but there's one person who definitely does."

"Who?"

"Uncle Chen has been working here since Blackstone Prison was established. He knows every blade of grass and every tree in the prison. He will retire in two years. He is a man of few words and honesty. You can't go wrong asking him about anything in the prison."

"Please ask him to come over."

"good!"

Soon, an elderly man with a hunched back and a kind face was brought into the office.

Facing the powerful warden Jiang Chen, Uncle Chen appeared unusually reserved and uneasy.

"Uncle Chen, this is Master Jiang... Master Jiang," the warden introduced. "The master has some questions for you. Just answer truthfully."

Jiang Chen calmly observed the old man before him. He was very ordinary, with cloudy eyes and wrinkles on his face. He looked like an ordinary old worker who was about to retire.

"Uncle Chen, don't be nervous," Jiang Chen's tone softened. "I'm asking you, what do you know about the clock tower across from the prison?"

"The... clock tower," Uncle Chen recalled seriously, "that's an old thing. I heard it was built during the Republic of China era and was later preserved as a cultural relic."

"The land beneath our feet used to be a notorious pit of ten thousand bones. It was always very strange, with many inexplicable things happening here. That's why a prison was built here, supposedly to suppress the things down there."

"Did that clock tower used to chime frequently?"

"It's loud, it's loud," Uncle Chen nodded repeatedly. "A few years ago, I could sometimes hear it late at night when it was quiet. At first, I found it quite frightening."

"But it's strange, it's been about three years since then, and we haven't heard it ring at all. And the fog, it also started to decrease a lot in those years."

Jiang Chen instantly connected all the clues into a complete logical chain.

Three years ago was the time when Attorney Luo was imprisoned!

So from that time on, he hid himself and stopped taking action himself.

At the same time, the sound of the bell was deliberately suppressed to avoid stimulating the incense to produce mist. This most obvious phenomenon was that they were afraid that Lawyer Luo would notice any clues and expose the existence of the incense.

He chose to lie low, to hide in the shadows, using the giant cat he had created to test and wear down Lawyer Luo, while he himself, like a venomous snake, patiently waited for his opportunity.

His arrival disrupted this delicate balance that had lasted for three years.

Everything makes sense now.

The outline of the mystery is now clear; all that remains is to completely expose the venomous snake hiding in the shadows.

After the interrogation concluded, the warden ingratiatingly asked, "Master, it's already late at night. Would you like me to prepare some late-night snacks and strong tea to help you stay awake?"

"Late-night snacks are fine, but tea is out of the question. I'm immune to it now. Black coffee is better for staying up late."

"Okay, no problem, I'll have someone prepare it right away."