309 A Strategy to Stall for Time

After hearing Sun Ge’s explanation, Lin Ran understood what he meant, but he still felt a little strange.

“You are lying!”

Lin Ran looked at Sun Ge and said in a low voice, “Since it’s His Majesty’s order, it’s treacherous of you to question the validity of it.”

Hearing this, Sun Ge raised his eyebrows, as if his thoughts had been exposed.

However, before Lin Ran could continue questioning, Sun Ge smiled as if he had thought of something. “I’ve seen you so many times today that I forgot that you’re an outsider!”

Lin Ran was stunned. “What do you mean? What does this have to do with me being an outsider?”

Sun Ge smacked his lips and didn’t say anything, as if he didn’t know how to explain. After a while, he casually said, “You won’t understand even if I tell you. In short, you just have to know that in the Iron City, it’s very normal to question His Majesty.”

Lin Ran blinked in confusion.

Before Lin Ran could continue asking, Sun Ge suddenly turned around and walked forward.

Lin Ran didn’t know what was going on and could only follow. He thought that Sun Ge wanted to bring him to a place to talk, but as he walked, he realized that something was wrong. Sun Ge actually brought him to the government office.

Unlike the other buildings around, the government office was clearly much more imposing. The metal gate was dark and shiny even in the night.

The two ten-foot-tall doors were closed tightly. No one was guarding them. There was not even any light coming out from the crack in the door, as if the entire government office was empty.

“Why did you bring me here?”

Lin Ran frowned and asked in confusion, “Didn’t you say that there are many suspicious things? Are you not going to investigate anymore?”

“I will investigate, but not here.”

As Sun Ge spoke, he walked to the door and knocked on the closed metal door a few times with a special frequency. “I’ll send you to the dungeon later. Don’t worry, the dungeon is filled with people from the Iron City. You’ll be very safe inside.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the metal door quietly opened.

A hunched figure stuck his head out. His entire body was covered by a tattered cloak, and he didn’t look young.

“Elder Ge.”

Sun Ge bowed respectfully to the person and pointed at Lin Ran. “This is the suspect we just brought back. Please take him to the dungeon.”

Elder Ge nodded. Sun Ge continued, “By the way, Elder Ge, this person hasn’t been convicted yet. He’s only staying in the dungeon for the time being. Please take care of him and don’t let anyone bully him.”

“Got it.”

Elder Ge replied in a hoarse voice. He reached out a withered and thin hand from under his cloak. “Young man, follow me.”

Lin Ran glanced at the hand. It was yellow and skinny, not like the hand of a living person. However, since Sun Ge respected this old man so much, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

As he thought about this, Lin Ran reached out his tied hands.

Elder Ge placed his hand on the black rope. Lin Ran suddenly felt dizzy, and then all his strength seemed to have been sucked away!

“Sun Ge! You set me up?”

Lin Ran’s expression changed and he subconsciously called out. However, even though he felt that he had used a lot of strength, his voice was only as loud as a mosquito.

At the same time, the sudden dizziness became stronger.

Lin Ran felt as if his mind went black. His vision was blurry and dazzling. When he woke up again, he was already sitting in the dark cell.

Lin Ran sized up his surroundings suspiciously and realized that although this was a prison cell, apart from the dim light, the conditions were actually not bad.

The area was about ten square meters. It was not big, but it was not small for a person. The soft hay was spread on the ground, and with a slight movement, it made a rustling sound, as if it carried some kind of hypnotic magic.

There was no smell of dampness and rot in the air, and there was even a hint of sweetness. If not for the fact that the metal fence in front of him was too eye-catching, Lin Ran wouldn’t even think that this was a cell.

“It’s quite a good place… But how did I get here?”

Lin Ran frowned and muttered in confusion. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound not far away. Then, a deep male voice said, “Newcomer? What did you do?”

“I don’t know. I’m not convicted yet.”

Lin Ran replied casually. As he spoke, he turned to look in the direction of the voice and realized that it was a cell on the left opposite him.

However, that person happened to be in the shadows. One could only vaguely see a thin outline. From the voice, this person must be very old.

As Lin Ran sized up the man, the man turned over in the shadows. “Not convicted? That’s rare… Aren’t they afraid that you’ll die here?”

“Die here?”

Lin Ran frowned and smiled. “Firstly, I won’t commit suicide. Secondly, there’s no one else in this cell. How can I die?”

That person chuckled and didn’t say anything. Lin Ran was interested in this person. “By the way, what crime did you commit to end up here? From your tone, you seem to have lived here for a long time, right?”

“Hmm… It’s been a few years.”

The person muttered in a reminiscent tone. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked Lin Ran, “By the way, who is the current emperor?”

“It’s Emperor Xuan Yuan.”

Afraid that the other party didn’t know, Lin Ran added, “His name is Xuan Wushang.”

“I know who Emperor Xuan Yuan is.”

That person chuckled again, but there was a hint of hatred in his voice. “If it weren’t for him back then, I wouldn’t be in this godforsaken place!”

“Oh?”

Lin Ran’s eyes lit up with interest. He went to the side of the cell and looked at him from afar. “Since we have nothing better to do, why don’t you tell me?”

“You’re quite nosy!”

That person laughed a few times and actually went to the side of the cell.

The dim light illuminated his elegant facial features. Lin Ran frowned at first glance. Why did this person look a little familiar?

…

In the hall of the government building.

Xuan Wushang leaned back in his chair, still dressed like a white-robed scholar. He was holding a piece of white jade in his hand and looking at it carefully.

In front of the desk, a group of men in black kneeled respectfully. Everyone pressed their foreheads to the ground and kept quiet.

After an unknown period of time, Xuan Wushang finally said softly, “Do you know your crime?”