Chapter 34: Exterminated for Being Too Upright

For the next hour, Uchiha Luchai recounted the various crimes of "Uchiha Gin" in a ceaseless stream.

These ranged from minor offenses—refusing to pay for meals, peeping at widows while they bathed, and stealing snacks from children—to horrific acts like dragging young women into the woods in the middle of the night, engaging in acts with them in front of their boyfriends, and then murdering both victims to cover his tracks. When the victims' parents complained to the clan, he would have them detained, eventually sending them to "reunite" with their children, all while boasting that "a family should be kept together."

Countless similar cases were whispered among the clansmen, and eventually, Uchiha Gin’s infamy became common knowledge. Ordinary clan members feared him like a tiger and paled at the mere mention of his name, while those with real power loathed him to the bone. Had it not been for his status, they would have long since taken justice into their own hands to rid the world of such a menace.

"???"

How could none of these crimes appear in the original owner's memories?

The original owner was reclusive, especially after suffering a tragedy, and rarely interacted with the clansmen. He handled his own daily needs, and the few provocations he faced only escalated into conflicts when others brought up the topic of the tragedy’s survivors.

*The江湖 (martial world) may not have the brother, but the legends of the brother are everywhere in the江湖.*

"Did you see all of these with your own eyes?" Uchiha Gin could not help but interrupt Uchiha Luchai, who was still listing his crimes.

"Uh... well, no." Uchiha Luchai paused, scratched the back of his head, and replied uncertainly.

"Then why did you speak as if they were true?"

"I don't know who started it, but everyone just started saying it... 'Uchiha Gin, you did all these things'..."

Uchiha Luchai, himself confused, suddenly felt a wave of self-doubt. When exactly had he built such an image of Uchiha Gin in his own mind? These things had clearly never happened, yet everyone believed them to be true. Was someone spreading these rumors on purpose, or...?

Uchiha Gin suddenly felt deep suspicion regarding the original owner’s plight. Why had he been saddled with such unfounded accusations? Who was the mastermind behind ruining the original owner’s reputation and isolating him, and for what purpose?

These questions swirled in Uchiha Gin's mind, leaving him unsettled. Why target such a weakling as the original owner? Could it simply be out of resentment because he was the sole survivor?

*Survivor Guilt.*

This famous theory flashed through Uchiha Gin's mind. Survivor guilt suggests that in the wake of a disaster or crime, survivors who are lucky enough to live face even harsher public scrutiny and bear immense moral pressure from society.

The reason the original owner became reclusive and turned a blind eye to these groundless rumors might be due to this "survivor bias." Having survived that catastrophe, he often felt a sense of guilt or culpability toward his clansmen, which led him to remain silent in the face of the many rumors working against him.

But silence is taken as an admission of guilt.

From then on, the persona was cemented in the minds of all the uninformed clansmen. The rumors became indistinguishable from reality, leaving people unable to discern truth from falsehood, forcing them to simply follow the crowd.

"Lord Gin, that is all I know."

***

Lost in thought, Uchiha Gin hadn't really heard the latter half of Uchiha Luchai's account, though he knew it was likely more of the same negative information about the original owner.

"Alright, thank you, Brother Luchai. I prefer hearing the truth."

Walking upright and standing tall, Uchiha Gin felt no resentment toward Uchiha Luchai's words, knowing full well that the original owner had never committed such heinous acts.

"Then I'll get back to work." Uchiha Luchai, his throat dry, prepared to slip away while the other man was still calm.

"Hmm, let’s have tea when we have time." Uchiha Gin, his mind elsewhere, nodded, signaling him to go.

After stepping outside, Uchiha Luchai leaned against the wall, nearly unable to stand. He was drenched in sweat. "I said so much, and he didn't even get angry. He's nothing like the rumors." He shook his head; these things were not for a lowly jailer like him to ponder. Today, Uchiha Tiedan was going to submit a transfer request, and he needed to go back and rest before his solo night watch.

Setting the original owner's "injustice" aside for the moment, Uchiha Gin decided to seek out the so-called "old jailer" to see if he could obtain more accurate information.

Dungeon No. 3 held petty criminals. The shortest sentences were a few weeks, while the longest were around a year before release. Some were Uchiha clan members, while others were wandering ninjas. They shared one common trait: they were weak and cowardly.

The guards at Dungeon No. 3 were two young Uchiha, barely in their early teens. Their stern expressions, far too serious for their youthful faces, seemed entirely out of place.

Watching Uchiha Gin approach, the thinner youth spoke up. "This is a high-security prison. No unauthorized personnel allowed."

"You don't know who I am?" Uchiha Gin couldn't help but ask, seeing the boy didn't seem to recognize him.

"Whoever you are, without an order from a superior, you are not allowed to step one inch further." The boy stood before the door with a bureaucratic expression, blocking Gin's path. The "superior" he referred to was Uchiha Liuying, who, as the interim administrator, was the unofficial king of this dungeon.

"I am the newly appointed archivist. I am here to verify the prisoner records for Dungeon No. 3." Uchiha Gin did not want to tangle with them and stated his identity directly.

"Since you are the archivist, you may enter." Upon learning that Uchiha Gin was there to verify records, the boy immediately moved aside.

"Idiot Huoke, how can you trust a stranger so easily!" the other Uchiha youth shouted, rushing to intervene when he saw his companion let a stranger in so easily.

"But he said he's the archivist!" the boy named Uchiha Huoke said, scratching his head in confusion, looking conflicted as he addressed his teammate.

"I, Uchiha Jiro, won't be fooled by a guy like you so easily!"

The other Uchiha youth had a simple, honest-looking square face, and his clear eyes betrayed a familiar air of stupidity.

"Your name is Uchiha Jiro. Is your brother Uchiha Taro?" Uchiha Gin asked, finding the boy increasingly familiar.

"How did you know?" Taken aback by the mention of his brother, whom he hadn't seen in a while, Uchiha Jiro asked reflexively.

"I'm a teammate who went on a mission with your brother. I just got back a few days ago." Uchiha Gin played the social card to see how the kid would handle it.

"Oh! You should have said you were my brother's friend sooner! Come in, come in!" The Uchiha youngsters were still too straightforward—no wonder they were wiped out by others.

"Then thank you, Brother Jiro." Seeing his plan succeed, Uchiha Gin smiled and thanked the still-grinning Uchiha Jiro, then turned to the thin boy who was still sulking. "And thank you too, Brother Huoke, right?"

The boy, still pouting, turned around in confusion. "How did you know my name?"

...

Bidding farewell to the two Uchiha youths, he walked deeper into the prison.

Dungeon No. 3 clearly held more prisoners than the other two, but most looked calm, some even chatting and boasting. It seemed their crimes weren't severe enough to warrant much psychological resistance, which meant his "Heart of Steel" treasure chest didn't trigger.

He searched the entire way with no results, almost making Uchiha Gin wonder if Uchiha Luchai had invented an old jailer to fool him. Just as he was thinking this, he saw an open cell.

Approaching, he saw a hunched figure cleaning the floor with a mop. Seeing the figure wearing the standard high-collared combat uniform of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Gin greeted him. "Hello, may I ask..."

Before he could finish, the hunched figure turned around.

Under the dim light of the corridor, an aged face appeared before Uchiha Gin. The old man's face was covered in wrinkles, clear traces left by time. What was most striking were his eyes—the pupils were a milky gray—and his hands, gripping the mop, looked like withered chicken claws, devoid of all color.

Startled by the old man's appearance, Uchiha Gin swallowed the rest of his sentence.

In the old man's gray eyes, a flicker of dark energy flashed. From his withered mouth came a hoarse, eerie cackle like a raven's call, and his words made Uchiha Gin’s heart tighten.

"Hehehehe... you've finally come."