Chapter 661: On the Self-Cultivation of a Scumbag

As Zuan was deep in thought, Yun Jianyue was equally worried. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "You don't need to worry about me, lest I implicate you."

Zuan was startled. "What do you mean by that? If I were afraid of you implicating me, I wouldn't have saved you in the first place."

"I know you're a person of great chivalry and integrity, but things are different now. I plan to go to the imperial prison. You've helped me enough; I can't burden you any further." As Yun Jianyue spoke, she carefully observed him. Although he usually had a glib tongue, he was far more reliable than many within their cult who constantly proclaimed their unparalleled loyalty and righteousness. It wouldn't be a disgrace for Honglei to be with him. It was just a pity that her cultivation method had issues, meaning the two were destined to be apart for the time being.

Zuan's face flushed slightly from her compliment about his chivalry. In truth, if she weren't so pretty, he might not have been so proactive. As a man who appreciated beauty, he was quite self-aware.

He quickly regained his composure and asked, his face full of surprise, "You're going to the imperial prison? Are you planning to rescue your companions? Isn't that just seeking death?"

Yun Jianyue shook her head, her long hair swaying slightly. "Not to rescue them, but to kill them."

Zuan was speechless. Do people from the Demonic Cult think in such a jumpy way? He was almost dizzy trying to follow her logic.

Yun Jianyue then explained, "I'm realistic. With the Emperor presiding over the palace, even at my full strength, I couldn't rescue anyone from the imperial prison, let alone now, gravely wounded. I'm going to the prison to give them release. Last time, you mentioned they were beaten beyond recognition in the prison. As their Cult Master, if I can't save them, at least I can grant them an early release from their earthly torment."

Her tone was incredibly desolate, clearly filled with anger and guilt over her helplessness.

Zuan stared at her with a strange expression. Yun Jianyue, thinking he was about to dissuade her, said directly, "You don't need to try and talk me out of this. If I don't resolve this, my spiritual foundation will be damaged, and I might never advance in my cultivation. Besides, if I free them from their suffering, it will also prevent your identity from being exposed."

Earlier, to appease Guyue and the others, Zuan had promised to rescue them afterward. Now, after so many days, they were probably growing anxious. Once despair set in, they might very well expose Zuan.

Hearing her words, Zuan felt a pang of shame. The Cult Master was still considering his well-being, while he had been constantly thinking of ways to trick her.

He cleared his throat and said, "The imperial prison is heavily guarded; it's too dangerous for you to go. Leave it to me. I'll see if I can rescue them."

"Rescue? How?" Yun Jianyue was surprised, clearly not expecting him to say that. In her view, with the Emperor in the palace, rescuing anyone was an impossible task.

"Not by force, but by strategy," Zuan said, pointing to his head, looking at her sincerely. "I've been to the imperial prison and am familiar with those people, so it'll be much easier for me to do anything. These past few days, I've seen you constantly distracted and troubled, often gazing towards the prison with a worried expression. So, I've been thinking of a way to rescue them. I originally wanted to surprise you, but knowing you're about to risk yourself, I had to tell you in advance."

As he spoke, a little red figure appeared in his mind, scolding him for being a scumbag, using the Emperor's favor to woo a woman. Then, another little black figure popped up beside it, sneering, "Pah, when it comes to matters of the heart, can you call that 'scummy'?"

Yun Jianyue saw his intense gaze and, for the first time, felt a flicker of panic, instinctively taking a step back. "So... so you've done all this for me."

Seeing her flustered, Zuan secretly mused, this woman was a grandmaster in cultivation, but unfortunately, after so many years as an "old maiden," she was like a blank slate when it came to emotions. In that regard, she was like a younger brother to him... no, a younger sister.

"No matter what, we've been friends living together for many days now. How could I not share my friend's worries?" Zuan didn't push things further. Their relationship wasn't at that stage yet, and being too eager might alert her. The Emperor's secret mission was for him to infiltrate the Demonic Cult. Hmm, would "infiltrating" the Demonic Cult's leader count as a success?

"Friends..." Hearing that word, Yun Jianyue's chaotic thoughts finally settled slightly. She couldn't help but shoot him a glance. "Who's living... living with you? Don't make it sound so bad."

Normally, she was cold, arrogant, and domineering, so it was rare to see her display such a girlish demeanor. Zuan was momentarily captivated.

Noticing his gaze, Yun Jianyue also realized her lapse in composure and quickly reverted to her usual imposing and domineering manner. "What are you looking at? Keep staring, and I'll gouge out your eyes, believe it or not?" At the same time, she secretly warned herself: This guy is Honglei's man; don't do anything that would make people laugh.

"Cult Master is truly a natural beauty; even when you're angry, you're still so lovely." Seeing her intentionally feign anger, Zuan almost burst out laughing. *You can't fool me on this; the absence of anger points clearly betrayed you!*

Hearing him praise her beauty, Yun Jianyue's brows subtly relaxed for a moment, but she quickly put on a stern face and said, "I am Honglei's master. Sometimes, when joking, you should pay attention to boundaries."

Zuan pouted. "I already said we'd deal with our relationships separately."

Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow, just about to retort, when Zuan quickly said, "I should head to the East Palace first. As the Crown Prince's aide, it's not good to be out of sight all day."

Watching his somewhat disheveled retreat, the stern-faced Yun Jianyue chuckled softly. "Hmph, I thought you really weren't afraid of anything." That smile was truly like melting ice and snow, adding a touch of worldly warmth to her usually aloof and bright demeanor.

On his way to the East Palace, Zuan pondered how to rescue the Demonic Cult assassins. Although he had the Emperor's implicit permission, he couldn't publicly acknowledge it. At most, he could only give subtle hints to the relevant personnel. Therefore, he still had to figure out the rescue method himself. In truth, getting people out of the imperial prison wasn't difficult. The challenge lay in how to handle the aftermath: he couldn't let the Demonic Cult members suspect anything, nor could he let the palace's imperial guards trouble him. Those guards wouldn't know this was the Emperor's will and would certainly pursue him as a high-ranking criminal who had raided the prison. Furthermore, figuring out how to get the rescued individuals out of the imperial palace was another headache.

Lost in thought, he unknowingly arrived at the East Palace gates, and the scene inside greatly surprised him. He saw the plump Crown Prince respectfully holding a cup of tea, offering it to someone seated in the main position. The Crown Princess also stood nearby, bowing, but her suppressed frustration was visible on her face; her heart must have been close to exploding.

Zuan was curious. The Crown Princess usually acted like a proud little hen, looking down on everyone as if they were trash. Who could possibly make her feel so stifled?

Seated in the chair was an elegant middle-aged man. Although his face showed signs of age, his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his gentle gaze like water, still hinted at how charming he must have been to women in his youth. His hair was meticulously combed, with a strand of white hair mixed in at his temples. However, this didn't make him seem old; rather, it added a touch of dashing sophistication.

Just then, he heard the Crown Prince timidly say, "Grand Tutor, please have some tea." Zuan's heart skipped a beat. He finally understood who this person was; no wonder he bore a slight resemblance to the Emperor.

King Qi, Zhao Jing!

At this moment, King Qi slowly began to speak: "It's been a while since I visited the East Palace, and I found that the Crown Prince has forgotten many rules. So, today, I specifically had him review them. I am your teacher and also your uncle. Do you harbor any resentment for having to offer me tea?"

"No, no," the plump Crown Prince stammered, his eyes darting around. He was clearly somewhat afraid of this uncle and dared not offer any rebuttal. The Crown Princess's eyes were full of unwillingness, but she couldn't find a reason to retort. She could only seethe silently. Seeing her husband's timid and useless demeanor beside her, she grew even angrier.

Witnessing this scene, Zuan's heart stirred. The problem that had been bothering him for so long seemed to have found a solution.