Chapter 191: Ming'Er! The Calm Before the Storm!
Yuchi originally knew nothing about the Great Tang Prison, but just now, while walking towards the government office with Xun Xian, Xun Xian quickly explained the situation to him.
The Star Observatory is a place for training the Celestial Capital Department elites, and the Great Tang Prison trains the Defense Department elites. On this point, the two seem somewhat similar, but in reality, they are vastly different.
Take Chen Guangsheng from Xufu Town, for example. He hails from the Star Observatory, though perhaps not the same Star Observatory where Song Yinghan is. Nonetheless, he is someone who emerged from the Star Observatory.
Similarly, in Xufu Town, Xun Xian did not come from the Great Tang Prison; rather, she was someone Xun Yu nurtured over the years, having a somewhat unconventional background.
So, purely in terms of standardization, the Star Observatory undoubtedly appears sharper than the Great Tang Prison. It's no wonder that, in the current situation, the Celestial Capital Department is considered the most arrogant among the Four Major Institutions. Their arrogance is warranted, and their swagger well-founded.
However, to use this to claim the Star Observatory is overwhelmingly stronger than the Great Tang Prison would be a significant mistake.
Firstly, the Star Observatory is not strict in its recruitment. After completing training at the Star Observatory, individuals can leave and go to other towns, which is a basic logic.
"Take Yinghan, for instance. When she leaves the Star Observatory, she can at least go to some large cities and do similar things as Chen Weiran. There's first the Star Observatory, then other cities."
"Moreover, I lack talent; otherwise, if I had talent, I would have already tried to join the Star Observatory, wearing the familiar copper mask Chen Guangsheng gifted me. This is a very clear path."
But the Great Tang Prison is different.
Firstly, the Great Tang Prison has no explicit recruitment strategy, which means even if Xun Xian or Yuchi wish to enter the Great Tang Prison now, they don't know what its fundamental requirements are, making it feel like there's nowhere to turn. Hence, apart from cultivating individuals the Great Tang Prison itself discovers, it's tough for outsiders to integrate into the Great Tang Prison.
As a result, in major cities or towns, the majority of Defense Department personnel are of unconventional backgrounds.
Both Xun Xian and her previous foster father Xun Yu gradually worked their way up from government officials; they don't have the qualifications to enter the Great Tang Prison, nor were they ever recommended at any level.
So, what's the purpose of the Great Tang Prison?
"It's a place to imprison Cultivators," Yuchi said as he observed Han Ming, a petite yet visibly fierce young lady.
Indeed, the Great Tang Prison is a place to incarcerate Cultivators from all over the world. If they commit an offense, the Cultivators will be imprisoned there, even though nobody really knows the exact location of the Great Tang Prison.
After being locked up in the Great Tang Prison, the prison's people will take charge of supervising. If Cultivators want to obtain a form of pardon, they need to offer a certain level of sincerity.
For example, if the Sect Leader from the Cloud Mountain Sect commits a crime, like randomly killing civilians, they'd be imprisoned in the Great Tang Prison, and all their lifelong skills must be handed over to avoid a lifetime in prison. Thus, the martial arts of the people in Great Tang Prison are varied and formidable. Are they powerful or not? They truly are powerful.
"Therefore, from a city's perspective, the Celestial Capital Department far exceeds the Defense Department in Cultivator strength."
"But when viewed from the angle of the Star Observatory and the Great Tang Prison, the Great Tang Prison appears more terrifying than the Star Observatory."
"The Great Tang Prison only imprisons Cultivators, any Cultivators who make mistakes, even Yinghan's father, if he committed a crime, would be taken by the Great Tang Prison."
Song Yinghan's father: Yuchi, your wife is gone.
Yuchi continued to ponder gently.
"Therefore, the Great Tang Prison, capable of nearly suppressing all the world's forces, is a rather low-key yet undeniably formidable existence. Hence, it's not just about the difference in strength, but even the status; Han Ming, the young lady, is far more powerful than Ms. Xun. Although they all belong to the Defense Department, having different backgrounds, it's no wonder Ms. Xun winked at me earlier to see if I could help her get into the Great Tang Prison."
"It's no wonder the assistant and the County Magistrate were so afraid when they saw Han Ming. They might not understand why the Great Tang Prison is so frightening, but the Great Tang Prison's reputation is undoubtedly less than that of the Star Observatory."
"The former, Great Tang Prison, is submission due to fear, while the latter, Star Observatory, carries more of a sense of respect."
Thinking of this, Yuchi also began to smile wryly:
"How would a tiny president like me receive care from the Great Tang Prison? Such a thing is simply absurd."
Of course, Han Ming initially clarified the situation, saying she had already helped Yuchi settle the issues on the Cloud Descending Sect's side. Naturally, Yuchi was slightly grateful for this, but he wouldn't consider the Great Tang Prison to be tremendously powerful. His understanding of the Great Tang Prison came from Xun Xian, and officials from the Defense Department tend to exaggerate in their speech.
"Otherwise, wouldn't the assassin sect, Cloud Descending Sect, also have committed crimes? Since they directly wiped out the Cloud Mountain Sect, shouldn't the Cloud Descending Sect have been imprisoned in the Great Tang Prison? Would the Great Tang Prison need to pay to protect my life? This doesn't make sense logically."