When Ye Zhen returned to Yun Ben’s mansion, Yun Ben, with a flushed face from drinking, was still competing with Ling Qianbi and Ye Zhen’s illusory body in drinking.
After suffering setbacks on Five Immortals Island, Yun Ben resolutely returned to the Taimeng Demon Realm for intense cultivation, attempting to catch up with Ye Zhen and then defeat him openly to regain his pride.
However, upon meeting Ye Zhen again, Yun Ben felt a chill run through his heart.
Over the past few years, Yun Ben had been diligently cultivating, with his cultivation soaring to the Third Stage of the Realm King Realm—a remarkable speed.
But Ye Zhen, in the same timeframe, had surged from the Third Stage of the Divine Communication Realm to the Peak of the Ninth Stage Dark Palace Realm.
Almost two grand realms ahead!
Even more daunting was the feeling of being overwhelmingly outmatched that Ye Zhen instilled in him.
Logically, with his cultivation at the Third Stage of the Realm King Realm, it should be Ye Zhen who felt outmatched by him.
In reality, however, it was he who felt outmatched by Ye Zhen.
It was as if Ye Zhen was the majestic White Tiger Mountain Range, and he, Yun Ben, was just a stone at the foot of the mountain.
Adding all this up, even though Yun Ben didn’t want to believe it, he could only admit that Ye Zhen’s improvement in strength was far greater than his own.
His chances of defeating Ye Zhen to regain his pride were virtually nonexistent.
Thinking about how years of effort had become nothing but an illusion, Yun Ben felt somewhat frustrated, opting to take this opportunity to drink heartily.
Also, he caught up with Ling Qianbi during this time.
While Yun Ben was toasting with Ling Qianbi, Ye Zhen quietly returned, his illusory body reabsorbed.
"General, something’s happened!"
At that moment, one of Yun Ben’s subordinates rushed in, whispering a few words, which made Yun Ben’s face change drastically.
With a rotation of his spiritual power, the heavy smell of alcohol dissipated from Yun Ben’s body. A few breaths later, his face returned to normal.
"Brother Ye, Qianbi, something has come up, please excuse me for a moment!"
A murder had occurred in the White Tiger Mountain Range, and as a commanding officer in the White Tiger Demon Emperor’s personal army, it was necessary for him to get involved.
A hundred breaths later, when Yun Ben arrived at Hur Kaiqi’s residence, the courtyard was already filled with over a hundred notable figures from the Demon Race.
Yun Ben recognized more than ten Demon Commanders among them.
Among these Demon Commanders, Nuoshan Demon Commander Hur Lifen, who was half-kneeling, holding a bloodied head with immense grief, stood out.
Commander of the Tiger King Divine Guard, Hur Huan, was also present, analyzing the situation with several experts.
"From the traces at the scene, the perpetrator acted very quickly, likely in less than two breaths. In just two breaths, they killed Hur Kaishan of the Seventh Stage of Realm King Realm and prevented Hur Kaiqi, at the Peak of Ninth Stage Dark Palace Realm, from sounding an alarm.
We can basically conclude that the perpetrator has exceedingly high cultivation. At the very least, they are at the Peak of Ninth Stage Realm King Realm or a Half-step Dao Realm existence.
There’s even a possibility of them being a Grand Sage of Dao Realm level expert.
Moreover, the perpetrator acted cleanly; both brothers’ divine souls were destroyed, leaving no useful clues," Hur Huan judged.
"Send out the order to investigate White Tiger City and any experts in the vicinity at Ninth Stage Realm King Realm or Dao Realm level over the past two days, especially strangers.
Additionally, investigate whether the brothers Hur Kaishan and Hur Kaiqi had any recent conflicts, particularly with Realm King Ninth Stage or Dao Realm level experts."
After issuing the orders, Hur Huan cupped his hands towards Hur Lifen and asked, "Nuoshan Demon Commander, is there anything you would like to add to my arrangements?"
"Thank you, Commander Hur." Holding Hur Kaishan’s head, Hur Lifen’s voice was now cold and emotionless. Only those familiar with Nuoshan Demon Commander Hur Lifen knew that he was extremely enraged at this moment.
Although Demon Race strongholds have many offspring, losing two sons at once is still an incredibly painful matter.
Especially for Hur Lifen, of the two sons killed today, he had long since given up on Hur Kaiqi due to his irresponsible and gambling nature.
But Hur Kaishan was the most talented and virtuous among his sons, with no equal.
He had the potential to surpass his predecessor.
Hur Lifen saw little hope of advancing to the Dao Realm in his lifetime, but he held high expectations for his seventh son, Hur Kaishan.
At just over three hundred years old, he was already at Seventh Stage Realm King Realm; given the Demon Race’s long lifespan, he might have become a Grand Sage of Dao Realm.
Then, their lineage could produce a Grand Sage.
Having a Grand Sage in the family had always been Hur Lifen’s dream, but this sudden turn of events shattered that hope completely.
Were it not for his longstanding resilience as a commander, Hur Kaifeng may have been driven insane by anger.
After the Tiger King Divine Guard began thoroughly investigating the matter and Yun Ben had approximately understood the situation’s ins and outs, he quickly left the murder scene and returned to his mansion as quickly as possible.
Watching Ye Zhen washing his face and shedding his clothes under Ling Qianbi’s servitude, Yun Ben suddenly shouted, "Was it you?"
"What?"
"What do you mean by ’was it you?’ Brother Yun, what are you referring to?"
"You know what I’m talking about!" Yun Ben’s face was icy.
Ye Zhen frowned slightly, "I still don’t understand."
Yun Ben casually cast a silent barrier, "Hur Kaiqi has been killed, along with his brother Hur Kaishan, did you do it?"
"Brother Yun, are you still drunk? Wasn’t I drinking with you the entire time?" Ye Zhen replied innocently.
The moment Ye Zhen said this, realization dawned on Yun Ben, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Indeed, Ye Zhen had been drinking with him the whole time; he couldn’t possibly be the perpetrator.
However, Yun Ben had this lingering feeling that Ye Zhen was the one responsible.
To eliminate a battle-hardened Seventh Stage Realm King Realm Demon General like Hur Kaishan, along with Hur Kaiqi, at the Peak of Ninth Stage Dark Palace Realm, within two breaths and prevent them from raising an alarm...
Even a half-step Dao Realm practitioner might find this impossible.
But Yun Ben naturally believed that Ye Zhen could easily achieve such a feat.
"He’s been killed? Good!"
"The way Hur Kaiqi conducted himself, it was only a matter of time before someone took him down!" Ye Zhen cheered, relishing his cleared suspicion.
"I was being muddled." Yun Ben grunted lowly, "Brother Ye, it might be inconvenient to go out in White Tiger City these few days. If you and Qianbi have nothing to do, it’s best not to go out. If necessary, mention my name or contact me immediately."
"Don’t worry!"
Watching Yun Ben leave, Ye Zhen relaxed slightly.
With Yun Ben to vouch and testify, even if the Tiger King Divine Guard investigating the case came after him, they couldn’t find any possible evidence.
Nonetheless, Ye Zhen decided not to drop his guard.
He planned to find Xuan Hu soon and clarify the situation, then leave this place of trouble promptly.
Xuan Hu’s current whereabouts are in the Black Tiger Prison, detained by the third son of the Black Tiger King, Black Cloud Great Sage.
Despite having Nie Ting, the earpiece, listen intently, no information regarding Black Tiger Prison was gleaned.
Even more frustrating for Ye Zhen was that due to his murder of Hur Kaiqi and Hur Kaishan, White Tiger City and White Tiger Mountain Range were under martial law, strictly scrutinizing all entrants and exits.
As foreign individuals like Ye Zhen and Ling Qianbi, they were subject to rigorous checks, making it even harder to gather information outside.
Resolutely, Ye Zhen resorted to a clumsy method.
Anyway, according to Hur Kaiqi, Xuan Hu was imprisoned in the Black Tiger Prison, which was located behind the White Tiger Mountain Range, behind White Tiger City.
That area, neither large nor small, was just a few thousand miles in size.
If Ye Zhen were to escape there and adopt a carpet-style search, he would surely find it easily.
After all, places like prisons have very distinct characteristics.
As long as the Black Tiger Prison is found, Xuan Hu can be found, and the situation can be clarified.
Over the course of the next two days, Ye Zhen left behind an Illusory Body in Yun Ben’s mansion, while he himself carefully used the Innate Five Elements Divine Escape to search the back mountains of the White Tiger Mountain Range.
On this White Tiger Mountain Range, there were residences of Demon Commanders and Demon Generals everywhere, so Ye Zhen had to be extra careful in his search.
But something frustrating happened to Ye Zhen.
In two days, Ye Zhen had searched the area indicated by Hur Kaiqi carpet-style, but not to mention a prison, he couldn’t even find a single cage.
Ye Zhen even took the initiative to expand the scope, searching the surrounding fifty thousand miles thoroughly, but still couldn’t find the so-called Black Tiger Prison.
Helpless, Ye Zhen had no choice but to seek help from Yun Ben.
Thinking about it, Yun Ben should know about such a place as the Black Tiger Prison.
After consulting Yun Ben, Ye Zhen indeed got an answer, but the answer was rather disappointing for Ye Zhen.
"Ah, Black Tiger Prison, there certainly is such a place. Within our Tiger Clan, the Black Tiger King has always been in charge of law enforcement and prison management, so this prison is also called Black Tiger Prison."
"Where is this Black Tiger Prison then? Why can’t I find it even after searching all over?" Ye Zhen asked.
"You’re not supposed to find it!" Yun Ben rolled his eyes, "The Black Tiger Prison is where our Tiger Clan detains and punishes criminals. For easy management, the Black Tiger Prison was refined into an incomplete Little World, becoming a realm of its own. Within the White Tiger Mountain Range, there’s only one entrance, so naturally, you can’t find it."
"A realm of its own..."
Ye Zhen was thoroughly speechless.
No wonder he couldn’t find the Black Tiger Prison; the reason was right there!
"I came here searching for a friend who is imprisoned in the Black Tiger Prison. Is there any way you could get me in to see my friend?" Ye Zhen suddenly asked Yun Ben.
"Well..." Yun Ben hesitated, "I’ve only handled criminals being sent to the Black Tiger Prison, but I’ve never gone inside.
Perhaps I could take you there tomorrow to try. By principle, this Black Tiger Prison should allow visitations." Yun Ben said.
"Thank you very much!"
There was no way around it; since the Black Tiger Prison is a realm of its own, even the exquisite Innate Five Elements Divine Escape of Ye Zhen would be useless.
As for sneaking in with a Talisman or Transfiguration into a guard, the chance of success is extremely low, and in such unclear circumstances, Ye Zhen did not want to bring trouble to Xuan Hu.
The next day, Yun Ben took Ye Zhen and Ling Qianbi directly to the Black Tiger Prison Warden located halfway up the mountain behind White Tiger City.
As for the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten, due to the earlier covetousness of Hur Kaiqi, who knows if any other Tiger Clan members might see the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten and have similar ideas.
So, Ye Zhen simply had the kitten hide back into the Temporal Sequence Space inside the Mirage Dragon Pearl for cultivation, to avoid trouble.
The guardian of the Black Tiger Prison Warden was a Demon Commander under the Black Tiger King.
This Demon Commander had no good expression toward Yun Ben, who was also a Demon Commander, displaying a strictly business-like attitude.
"Want to visit a friend? No problem."
The guardian Demon Commander agreed very promptly, much to Ye Zhen’s pleasant surprise.
"Just follow the rules: visitation fee of one thousand High Grade Spiritual Stones per person, and every extra fifteen minutes spent inside requires an additional fee of one thousand High Grade Spiritual Stones." The guardian Demon Commander said.
A problem that could be solved with Spiritual Stones was not a problem at all for Ye Zhen.
At that moment, Ye Zhen took out four thousand High Grade Spiritual Stones to hand over to the guardian Demon Commander.
"Don’t get ahead of yourself; first tell me who you want to visit! Some folks in this Black Tiger Prison can be visited, but some serious offenders cannot be visited."
"Xuan Hu!"
"Demon General Xuan Hu?" The guardian Demon Commander’s face slightly changed, casually pushing the Spiritual Stones Ye Zhen had placed in front of him back to Ye Zhen.
"The Demon General Xuan Hu detained here is a serious offender, and according to regulations, cannot be visited." The guardian Demon Commander said.
"Huh?"
Ye Zhen was full of surprise and frustration, finally finding hope, only to be unable to visit.
At the same time, Ye Zhen became more anxious.
Xuan Hu was not only imprisoned in the Black Tiger Prison but also as a serious offender, implying that Xuan Hu’s situation was even more difficult than Ye Zhen imagined.
The guardian Demon Commander was unwaveringly firm in his attitude, and even Yun Ben, speaking personally, could not make him relent, so ultimately Ye Zhen and his group had to leave in frustration.
The only useful thing was confirming that Xuan Hu was indeed imprisoned in the Black Tiger Prison.
"Brother Yun, do you think there’s a chance to privately bribe this guardian Demon Commander?" As they walked, Ye Zhen and Yun Ben discussed strategies.
"Bribery? Unlikely...."
"Haha, I finally found you after days." A fiery-red haired woman with a group of maids suddenly blocked Ye Zhen and his group.
"I’ve long guessed that you would come to White Tiger City, am I smart, or what? Hey, where’s my imperial consort? Why can’t I see him? Where have you hidden him?" Princess Chimei exclaimed in surprise.
The sudden interruption by the persistent Princess Chimei made Ye Zhen frown.
Suddenly, Ye Zhen’s mind received Yun Ben’s surprised voice transmission, "Do you owe anything to this Princess Chimei?"
"Not really, just a brief encounter?"
"That’s rather unfortunate. This Princess Chimei holds a far more esteemed status than I do, and being a member of the Tiger Clan herself, her mother is the sister of the Black Tiger King, which gives her a special status. With her help, entering the Black Tiger Prison would be very easy." Yun Ben said.
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen was astonished once more.
Unexpectedly, this Princess Chimei had such origins.
However, at this moment Ye Zhen was hesitating, whether to betray the kitten for Princess Chimei’s help or not?
After only a few breaths, Ye Zhen made a decision.
"Princess Chimei, I have a matter to ask for your help. If you could..."
"If I can help you, will you tell me the whereabouts of Hur Xiaomao, and let me meet my kitten consort?" Princess Chimei cleverly understood Ye Zhen’s intention right away.
"Exactly!"
Ye Zhen promptly gave a definite answer, betraying the kitten.
Letting the kitten enjoy some romantic adventures shouldn’t be a problem, right?
After all, as a male kitten, it wouldn’t suffer any loss.
That was Ye Zhen’s thought.

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