Chapter 146: Floral Underpants and Dried Tobacco! Is Intimidation Futile?

Chapter 146: The Floral Shorts and the Dried Tobacco! Intimidation by Aura—Useless?

Bai Zhanting never expected that Lin Yi, his younger brother, would come to him with such a question.

Nodding, Bai Zhanting said, “That’s right. By all normal standards, Brother Lin Yi, your current strength is extraordinary—just below the Grandmaster level. You’re almost invincible. A talent like you has more than enough power to venture into the second layer of the Demon Prison.”

“Uh... Brother Bai, you also said I’m strong enough now, so does that mean there’s no harm if I go down there now? Can I go?” Lin Yi asked with a wry smile.

“Little brother, this matter isn’t really up to me. If it were, you could go wherever you want. But it’s not like that. Come with me. We’ll go directly to Warden Ding,” Bai Zhanting replied.

Warden Ding was a Grandmaster who oversaw the first level of the Demon Prison. Lin Yi had not yet met him.

Bai Zhanting made a quick call and spoke with Warden Ding briefly. After confirming that Warden Ding was in his office, Bai Zhanting led Lin Yi to the very center of the first level of the Demon Prison, near the ominous well.

At the ominous well, prison staff occasionally appeared carrying boxes designed to store malevolent energy. Some held special bags emitting a strong metallic scent of blood.

They would toss everything into an opening leading down into the well.

The ominous well was massive, roughly ten meters in diameter, its surface engraved with countless intricate talismanic patterns painted with gold powder. These patterns were complex and mysterious.

According to Bai Zhanting, many of these patterns could change shape dynamically, controlled by an AI system that mechanically shifted them back and forth, allowing the talismans to serve multiple functions.

The well was mostly constructed from copper, exuding an almost supernatural craftsmanship.

Lin Yi sensed many presences here—monsters, vengeful spirits, and countless other ominous energies filled the space.

After observing the well, Lin Yi and Bai Zhanting took a turn and arrived at a protruding building on the right side of the well: Warden Ding’s office.

As Bai Zhanting pushed open the door and called for Warden Ding, he noticed a burly man standing tensely beside the warden.

Bai Zhanting’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Director Zhang...” he murmured.

Indeed, the burly man was Deputy Director Zhang, nicknamed “Butcher Zhang.”

His real name was Zhang Tutu—a somewhat childish name. Because of this and his former occupation as a butcher who slaughtered pigs and sold meat, everyone had long since dubbed him Butcher Zhang.

Hearing Bai Zhanting’s words, Zhang Tutu nodded.

“There’s nothing pressing. You may leave for now.”

“Director Zhang, I’ll go now. Warden Ding, I’ll take my leave,” Bai Zhanting said to both men and then turned to leave.

Warden Ding’s full name was Ding Junjie.

He was tall and lean, with a pale, almost sickly complexion. But the aura he emanated was that of a Grandmaster—strong and vast, not weak in the slightest.

Standing there, even the faintest traces of malevolent energy around him could not affect him.

After Bai Zhanting left and closed the door gently, only the three of them remained inside.

Lin Yi’s gaze shifted from Warden Ding to the infamous Director Zhang Butcher.

Zhang was over two meters tall—a towering, muscular man.

Even Warden Ding wore a long robe, despite the summer heat. The Demon Prison was cold and damp, filled with chilling, ominous energy.

Only Lin Yi had remained in his light clothes the entire time.

Though it made sense to wear more for warmth, Warden Ding persisted in his attire, while Zhang Butcher wore only a pair of loud, floral basketball shorts.

His upper body was bare, revealing bronze-colored skin stretched taut over muscles that rivaled the world’s finest bodybuilders—hard as bricks, sinewy and powerful.

If Warden Ding’s appearance could be called unattractive, Zhang Butcher’s was outright ugly—his face twisted into a grimace reminiscent of the mythic deity Zhong Kui, who chases away demons.

Combined with his attire, the sight was quite unsettling.

Moreover, Lin Yi noticed that Zhang’s body was covered in many tattoos—not the usual single dragon most would have, but countless skulls.

Most people would scream in terror upon first seeing him.

“Director Zhang, Warden Ding, greetings. Well, I figured my strength is close to Grandmaster now, so I want to advance to the second layer of the Demon Prison,” Lin Yi said.

Zhang Butcher spoke gruffly, snorting through his nostrils, “You’re the one causing all this fuss lately. The Demon Prison’s never had anyone like you, and because of you, Old Man Lin Tianming and I have argued many times.”

“Now you want special treatment again, even though you’re doing fine on the first floor. You insist on going to the second. So tell me, what’s your real purpose? Don’t tell me you just want to look around—I won’t believe it.”

Lin Yi hadn’t expected Zhang’s bluntness. Originally, he planned to make up an excuse, but he figured that in the Demon Prison, every step he took was watched by cameras or staff. Any movement would be reported. Better to be honest.

“Here’s the truth, Director Zhang. I believe in using good steel on the blade. Since I’m stronger now, staying on the first floor isn’t meaningful. I want to go down to the second floor.”

“Besides, I’ve recently taken an interest in studying and hunting the turtle demons. I want to see what kind of turtle demons are in the second floor. I hate turtle demons deeply—when I was young, a turtle bit me. That’s why I hold a grudge.”

Speaking the truth doesn’t mean not lying.

“...”

Ding Junjie.

“...”

Zhang Tutu.

Neither expected Lin Yi to offer such a reason.

They exchanged looks. Zhang Butcher snorted angrily, “Sounds like a lie to me. But since you want to see the turtle demons, fine—go ahead.”

Lin Yi’s eyes brightened. He hadn’t expected the matter to be settled so quickly.

Looks like Butcher Zhang wasn’t as unreasonable as others said.

Just as Lin Yi was about to thank him, Zhang turned to Warden Ding.

“Old Ding, hear that? This guy’s full of nonsense. He’s just trying to fool Lin Tianming, An Yingxiong, and Master Mu’s bunch. No way he’s fooling me. His reason’s laughable.”

Then, with a snap, Zhang pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from under his floral shorts and lit up.

If Lin Yi was right, that was… dried tobacco!

Damn, Lin Yi thought, Zhang Butcher was overturning all his preconceived notions.

The top dog of the Demon Prison, Deputy Director Zhang, dressed in floral shorts, smoking dried tobacco.

And his speech was so blunt, Lin Yi didn’t know how to respond.

Zhang took a drag and looked at Lin Yi.

“I don’t know why you chose to enter the Demon Prison, but being a prison guard here isn’t a joke. I told this to Old Man Lin Tianming too—you won’t be allowed to move on until you reach level ten.”

“Because I’m going to squeeze every drop out of you. For a talent like you, only by enduring and continuously refining yourself here in the Demon Prison can you become truly strong. From the day you joined—yesterday, right?—you’ve had more freedom than other guards. But starting today, no more slacking off.”

“You want to go to the second floor, so I’ll assign you a new zone. Don’t disappoint me. Tasks will be sent to your phone. Complete them. No finishing tasks, no leaving the Demon Prison!”

Lin Yi was a little stunned that Zhang immediately assigned him tasks.

Outside, the red mist covered the sky. It was the hardest time, the moment he most needed to go on missions, gain experience, and gather resources.

But Zhang had given him many tasks with a warning not to leave until he finished them.

Lin Yi was about to protest when Zhang glared fiercely.

“There’s nothing to say—this is how it’s going to be. School? What good is school? And there’s an external duty team outside. You just focus on this Demon Prison! Your job is to complete your tasks well. External duty serves the people; here in the Demon Prison, it’s different!”

Frowning fiercely, Zhang’s aura continuously radiated.

Among Grandmasters, his aura carried something else—an extraordinary presence felt by Lin Yi, reminiscent of the relic-like sensations from past encounters with formidable monsters and heroes.

Lin Yi already knew there was a level beyond Grandmaster—the Divine Realm.

Could Zhang Butcher possibly possess Divine Realm power?

Otherwise, his aura wouldn’t be so overwhelming.

No wonder Zhang could rise to be the top figure in the Demon Prison. Even An Yingxiong and others couldn’t compare.

As the boundless aura surged, it struck Lin Yi with great force.

Zhang’s eyes held a trace of something strange.

Normally, such a powerful aura would overwhelm someone below Grandmaster like Lin Yi.

But Lin Yi’s body did not tremble, and his expression remained calm.

This baffled Zhang greatly.

Could it be that this kid wasn’t shaken at all by his aura?

Amid his stunned silence, Zhang’s aura raged like smoke and sea waves, so intense that even Warden Ding’s aura was disturbed.

Yet Lin Yi remained firm, unyielding to the gusts of energy swirling through the room.

[End of Chapter]