The Passerby Hidden Guard Picked Up the Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 25

“It is very dark in here; do not let us get separated.”

He Yanzhi reluctantly allowed his hands to be bound, silently following behind Xiao Hongyin.

This was the dungeon within Zhou Xie’s estate, occupying a full quarter of the underground space beneath the Zhou manor. It was a place specifically designed for the detention and interrogation of prisoners. To avoid detection, Zhou Xie frequently used banquets as a cover, making the estate appear lively and festive. This not only diverted suspicion but also muffled any occasional noises drifting up from the dungeon.

In his previous life, Xiao Hongyin had visited this place while following He Yu. Back then, several members of the Crown Prince’s faction were locked here, refusing to break under pressure until he personally extracted their confessions.

Walking through the secret passage now felt like visiting a past life. In the past, he had followed behind He Yu with a heart full of nothing but hatred; now, he led He Yanzhi, and his heart held room for another.

Xiao Hongyin lightly held the red string in his hand. At this moment, he felt a strong urge to follow the cord back to find a touch of warmth, but he restrained himself. After all, his Yanzhi was still currently in a fit of pique.

The sound of dripping water echoed from ahead. He Yanzhi stepped forward to walk side by side with Xiao Hongyin.

“Do you have a light?”

Xiao Hongyin produced a fire starter, opened the cap, and gave it a gentle puff. The small flame instantly illuminated He Yanzhi’s face.

If you had a light, why did you not take it out sooner? He Yanzhi thought irritably, shooting him a glare. He snatched the fire starter and strode into the stone chamber ahead.

Inside the circular stone room, various unidentified iron tools hung from the four walls. On a stone table in the center lay several stacks of dossiers and papers. He Yanzhi skimmed through them; they were all forced confessions.

“Sun Ruilin should be held here.”

He Yanzhi looked up from the documents. A drop of water landed right at the corner of his eye, trickling down his cheek. Xiao Hongyin reached out to wipe the droplet away.

He Yanzhi looked at the ceiling and saw water seeping through the cracks in the masonry. “Is this located beneath the lotus pond?”

Xiao Hongyin gave an affirmative affirmative and added, “There should be other spaces. Let us search further.”

The two split up to examine the chamber. Aside from the passage they had entered through, the walls were solid stone. He Yanzhi felt along every brick and eventually discovered the traces of a hidden mechanism behind a loose stone.

“What is this for?” He Yanzhi asked, lightly rattling a chain he found. He realized it was deeply embedded in the wall, leading all the way to the ceiling.

Xiao Hongyin leaned in to inspect the chain. “This is a death mechanism. Chains like this are spread throughout the stone chamber, and there should be a triggering device connected to the exterior of the lotus pond.”

“Once this mechanism is activated, the entire ceiling of the stone room will collapse. The pond water and the soil above will flood and destroy this place. Zhou Xie placed this here so that if the site is ever exposed, he can destroy all evidence and bodies in the shortest possible time.”

He Yanzhi nodded silently. The problem remained: they had searched the entire chamber but could not find another exit. Did they really have to dig three feet into the ground?

“Why do we not test it and see?” Xiao Hongyin seemed to read his thoughts. Before He Yanzhi could speak, Xiao Hongyin led him to the stone table.

Using the table as the center, Xiao Hongyin took an iron tool and began tapping on the floor tiles one by one. Finally, a dull, hollow echo came from an inconspicuous corner.

Xiao Hongyin knelt, wedged the sharp end of the tool into the crack between the bricks, and pried up the stone slab, revealing a set of level stairs beneath.

“Careful.”

He Yanzhi tried to head down first with the fire starter, but Xiao Hongyin blocked him, took the light, and moved to the front.

They walked through the narrow secret passage for about fifteen minutes before a foul, rancid stench began to waft up from below.

Inside the prison proper, dim oil lamps flickered on both walls. In row after row of iron cells, prisoners were either bound or collapsed, their silhouettes barely distinguishable.

Xiao Hongyin extinguished the fire starter and reached out to grab He Yanzhi’s hand, only to catch nothing but air.

“Yanzhi?”

He turned around to find He Yanzhi approaching a cell, carefully examining the person locked inside. He Yanzhi looked for a long while before realizing a problem.

They had never actually seen Sun Ruilin. How were they supposed to recognize which one was him?

“What are you looking at?” Xiao Hongyin caught up, following his gaze. He saw a prisoner lying prone on the floor, motionless. Flies swarmed and bit at the body; by the looks of it, the man had been dead for quite some time.

“Searching for him.” He Yanzhi turned away as soon as Xiao Hongyin approached, checking the cells one by one. He discovered that every person imprisoned here had been tortured to death in a brutal fashion.

“Are you still angry?” Xiao Hongyin shifted his steps to follow him again. Like a piece of sticky candy, he shadowed He Yanzhi wherever he went, never exceeding a distance of three steps.

Annoyed by the constant shadow, He Yanzhi suddenly stopped. Xiao Hongyin, failing to brake in time, bumped into his back. He Yanzhi snapped impatiently, “If you are so idle, why not find a way to get him out?”

Being scolded for no reason, Xiao Hongyin lowered his eyes dejectedly. “Yanzhi is so mean.”

His clear voice carried a hint of a nasal tone, sounding piteous and helpless in the dim light, as if he were about to be abandoned.

He Yanzhi was successfully fooled. He began to wonder if he had been too harsh. The boy was merely being playful, and he should not have been so petty about it.

He Yanzhi sighed. “Never mind.” He then continued his search.

As soon as his back was turned, Xiao Hongyin’s expression changed. The corners of his mouth curled up in a successful smirk as he once again stuck close to He Yanzhi.

The two walked through the long corridor like conjoined twins until they found an iron door at the far end. Without needing He Yanzhi to speak, Xiao Hongyin tried to open the door. He Yanzhi gave him an unreadable look.

Behind the door was a water dungeon. The moment Xiao Hongyin saw it, his spine went rigid. The layout was an exact replica of the place where he had been imprisoned in his previous life.

So, back then, I was locked in a place like this.

In his past life, he had been knocked unconscious and thrown into a water dungeon. After being tortured until he was half dead, he was pulled out by He Yu. He had been unconscious the entire time and never knew where he was. Now, revisiting this place of old, a powerful desire burned within him: he would destroy this place.

While He Yanzhi went down into the water to rescue Sun Ruilin, Xiao Hongyin silently committed the terrain to memory.

He Yanzhi drew the dagger hidden at his waist, a high quality weapon he had specifically asked Zhao Ji to find. He sliced through the chains, and then he and Xiao Hongyin each supported one side of Sun Ruilin, bringing him to the shore.

He Yanzhi reached out to check the man’s breathing. Fortunately, Sun Ruilin was still alive. He said to Xiao Hongyin, “Taking him straight out will be too conspicuous; we must find a way.”

Xiao Hongyin had already hoisted the man onto his back. He told He Yanzhi, “Come, I have a way.”

Seeing he was not joking, He Yanzhi nodded and followed him out of the water dungeon. Using his memory, Xiao Hongyin led them through the secret passages. The wind from their movement made the oil lamps flicker, casting their shadows into distorted shapes.

Just as they neared the exit, the sound of voices drifted from ahead. Xiao Hongyin immediately froze.

“Was it not just a bird? Why do you need this young master to come inside?”

“Reporting to the Young Master, this is a grave matter. I did not dare act on my own authority and had to ask you to investigate personally.”

A guard led the way with a lantern, while Zhou Yun followed impatiently behind. After a cursory glance, he said, “There is no one here. Did you not see incorrectly?”

“Young Master, please do not be anxious. Let us go a bit further in.” The guard patiently urged Zhou Yun, his round eyes darting about, not missing a single corner of the passage.

Xiao Hongyin and He Yanzhi were hiding just around a nearby corner. There were no other hiding spots; if the others took a few more steps forward, they would inevitably be discovered.

“I will distract them. Yanzhi, you take him and get out first.” Xiao Hongyin handed the prisoner over to him.

“Are you sure?” He Yanzhi was worried, but at this point, it was the only way.

Xiao Hongyin reassured him. “Go straight back to the Court of Judicial Review once you are out. I will return later.”

He Yanzhi nodded, hoisted Sun Ruilin onto his back, and waited for the right moment.

“How much longer? This young master has important business; I do not have time to waste here with you!”

The more Zhou Yun thought about it, the angrier he became. He had been played by Xiao Hongyin. He thought a beauty was waiting for him at the end of the yellow string, but instead, he had run headfirst into a fat, large eared Prince. He had been so disgusted he nearly vomited, and he was determined to settle the score with Xiao Hongyin.

Sweat trickled down the guard’s forehead. The pressure on him was immense; if someone truly had broken into the dungeon, his head would be on the chopping block. He had to convince Zhou Yun to stay with him.

“Young Master, please wait just a little longer. It will be soon, very soon. Who is there? Stop!”

Xiao Hongyin bolted out like an arrow from a bow. The guard saw a figure streak past and immediately gave chase.

Zhou Yun was startled by the sudden shout. His anger flared, and he chased after them for a few steps, but they were running so fast he could no longer see them.

“How dare you toy with me! I will have your head when we get back!” Zhou Yun fumed as he walked toward the exit. He looked down and saw an unusual puddle of water on the floor, but he did not think much of it and returned to the surface.

Carefully avoiding the crowds, He Yanzhi carried Sun Ruilin toward the outermost wall of the Zhou estate. He moved as quickly as possible, but he soon became lost in the complex terrain of the manor.

Damn it.

He Yanzhi could already see the trees beyond the wall, but he could not find a way out through the rows of identical buildings. Just as he circled back to his starting point to try another direction, he was spotted by Zhou Yun. Before the young man could get a full look, He Yanzhi ducked into a nearby room and bolted the doors and windows shut.

“Lord He! Why is Lord He here? Are you lost? Perhaps I should escort you!”

Zhou Yun reached the door and knocked. Finding it locked from the inside, he tried the window, which was also barred. He paced anxiously outside. “Lord He? Are you in there?”

He Yanzhi really did not want to answer, but staying silent would look suspicious. He offered an excuse: “A servant spilled wine on me. I am currently changing my clothes. Please leave, Young Master.”

Zhou Yun was delighted to get a response and completely ignored the last request. “It is the fault of the sightless servants. I apologize on their behalf. Does the Lord need a change of robes? I can bring some in for you.”

He Yanzhi rolled his eyes, thinking of how to get rid of this pest.

“Lord He? Lord He?”

He Yanzhi’s heart sank. If he truly could not make him leave, he would have no choice but to take action.