# 304
**Chapter 304: The Location of the Town Ruins Monument**
"Do all Night Watch members train as hard as you do?"
Under the scorching sun, An Qingyu sat in the shade of a tree, watching the sweat-drenched Lin Qiye and couldn’t help but ask.
Lin Qiye dragged his exhausted body over and sat down in the shade, casually taking the towel offered by a nearby prisoner and wiping the sweat from his body. The corner of his mouth curled slightly, and a trace of nostalgia flickered in his eyes.
"Our training back then was far more brutal than this."
An Qingyu shrugged. "I still prefer mental exercises… Night Watch really isn’t for me."
Lin Qiye glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "If we really manage to escape from here, what are you planning to do?
Let me remind you—you’re still a convicted dangerous superhuman serving your sentence. If you break out, you’ll become a fugitive with an even worse record. While it might not warrant pursuit by a team like the [Medium], living a normal life will be nearly impossible.
…Do you really want to spend the rest of your life hiding in the sewers?"
An Qingyu was stunned, a dazed look appearing in his eyes…
After a long pause, he shook his head. "I don’t know… I’ll worry about the future when it comes."
Lin Qiye sighed silently and didn’t press further. Instead, he glanced up at the clock tower, then slowly stood.
"You’re a genius—more than anyone, I know that. The sewers aren’t where you belong… Think it over yourself." Lin Qiye waved to An Qingyu and walked straight toward the psychiatric hospital.
"Sending off Boss Lin!"
"—Sending off Boss Lin!!"
As soon as Lin Qiye took a few steps, the prisoners behind him shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the air, startling Lin Qiye into stumbling. He turned back and glared at them.
An Qingyu sat alone under the tree, staring blankly at his toes, lost in thought.
…
Lin Qiye crossed the activity area and headed toward the entrance of Sunshine Psychiatric Hospital.
He truly felt regret about An Qingyu’s situation. Back when they were handling the Nanda Snake Demon case, Lin Qiye had just met An Qingyu and knew he was no ordinary person. With that terrifying intellect alone, he could outshine nearly all of his peers.
Later, when Lin Qiye learned that An Qingyu possessed the unprecedented and overpowered Forbidden Ruins, [Only Correct Answer], and had silently grown to such a level beneath Cangnan City, his assessment of An Qingyu shifted from “smart” to “monstrous genius.”
For someone like that to be buried in the sewers—even Lin Qiye felt it was a loss for Night Watch.
But everyone had to walk their own path. If An Qingyu couldn’t make up his mind, no amount of urgency from Lin Qiye would help.
As Lin Qiye walked and pondered, his peripheral vision caught something, and he froze.
There, at a corner up ahead, stood a familiar carriage. A young attendant lay lazily in front of it. When he saw Lin Qiye, he excitedly waved.
"You’re finally here! The Master has been waiting for a long time."
Lin Qiye hadn’t expected to see the Master’s carriage again. He quickly walked over, bowed respectfully, and asked, "Master Chen, what brings you here?"
"This is my prison. Isn’t it normal for me to be here?" Master Chen’s voice drifted leisurely from within the carriage. "Come in, have some tea with me."
Lin Qiye didn’t hesitate. He stepped onto the carriage and pushed open the door.
As soon as he entered, the familiar scent of tea greeted him. Outside the windows, songbirds chirped in a traditional Chinese courtyard, and warm sunlight spilled in, casting golden edges on the delicate ceramic tea set on the table.
Master Chen sat behind the tea table, gently swirling a teacup in his hand. Steam rose from it, and green tea leaves floated and tumbled inside.
He looked at Lin Qiye sitting across from him and smiled slightly. "How’s your recovery going?"
"Thanks to your blessings, I’m mostly fine now," Lin Qiye replied with a smile.
"Mm." Master Chen nodded. "If you’re well enough to start brawls in my prison, I suppose you’ve recovered."
Lin Qiye’s heart skipped a beat.
Was the Master here to hold him accountable? After causing such a huge incident in his prison, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was here to settle the score…
"Relax, I’m not here to punish you." Master Chen chuckled at Lin Qiye’s stiff expression and handed him another cup of tea.
"Honestly, I admire you.
A year ago, when you risked your life to get off the carriage, I knew your future wouldn’t be ordinary. Sadly, the next time I saw you, you had lost your mind. I don’t know what happened in between, but I always believed your path wouldn’t end there."
Lin Qiye scratched his head sheepishly. "Thank you for your concern, Master."
"Did Doctor Li say when you can be discharged?"
"He said he needs to observe me for another year," Lin Qiye said helplessly.
"A year?" Master Chen pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Better to observe longer, to avoid any hidden issues…"
Lin Qiye’s mouth twitched. "Don’t you think… a year is a bit too long?"
Master Chen paused, holding his teacup, and looked into Lin Qiye’s eyes with a smile. "What? Want me to put in a good word for you?"
"If possible," Lin Qiye said, mustering his courage.
Master Chen shook his head. "I’m just the warden of the prison. I have no say in psychiatric matters… When you’re discharged is up to Doctor Li and the Night Watch higher-ups."
"Alright…" Lin Qiye sighed.
Though he had expected this answer, he still felt a bit disappointed when Master Chen refused.
"By the way," Lin Qiye seemed to remember something. "Master, there’s something I’ve always been curious about…"
"Speak."
"That black pillar over there—is that the Town Ruins Monument?" Lin Qiye pointed out the window. About a hundred meters away, on the grass, stood a thick black stone monument.
"That’s right." Master Chen nodded. "That’s the Town Ruins Monument that suppresses the entire Purification Chamber. I usually keep it hidden in my Mindscape to prevent accidents. Even when I’m not here, no one can touch it."
"I see…"
Lin Qiye had suspected this ever since he learned the warden was Master Chen. The Town Ruins Monument had always been there—it was just hidden in the Master’s Mindscape.
Now, his guess was confirmed.