Chapter 665: Clever Design

The jailers in the imperial prison, hearing the commotion, initially drew their swords, ready to intervene. Who would dare to be so arrogant in such a place? However, upon hearing the words "Prince Qi," the group quickly sheathed their swords. Prince Qi held great prestige in court, and his reputation had always been excellent. The jailers in the imperial prison neither wished nor dared to offend him.

The gold-armored guards were pleased with the jailers' cowering glances. Backed by Prince Qi, they felt mighty, always superior no matter where they were. A few of them approached Zu'an, their nostrils seemingly pointed skyward. "Are you Zu'an?" they demanded.

Zu'an assessed them, not their appearance, of course, but their aura and energy. The leader was a sixth-grade cultivator, the others fifth-grade. Coupled with the imperial guard's combined attack formation, they shouldn't have much trouble surrounding and attacking a seventh-grade cultivator. What's more, this was within the imperial palace; who would dare refuse a summons from the imperial guards?

"I am. What can I do for you?" Zu'an asked.

"Prince Qi requests your presence," the big-nosed leader said, casually cupping his hands in greeting.

All the Demon Sect assassins in the cells were startled. They had finally managed to get Zu'an to come, only for him to be taken away again?

Zu'an looked troubled. "The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are questioning a prisoner with me," he said. "Perhaps I can go after I'm finished?"

The big-nosed man sneered, "Everyone Prince Qi wishes to see rushes over with utmost humility and respect. Who are you to make excuses?"

Zu'an retorted, "But are the orders of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess not orders? Do you mean to say that in your eyes, Prince Qi outranks the Crown Prince and Crown Princess?"

The other jailers stood silently to the side, keeping their eyes down. They dared not get involved in such a high-level dispute.

The big-nosed man's breath caught, and he said angrily, "Zu, don't try to sow discord. Prince Qi is the Crown Prince's elder and his tutor. Even if the Crown Prince were here, he would still have you go to Prince Qi first. If you don't believe me, you can go ask the Crown Prince right now."

The surrounding jailers instinctively retreated a few more steps, each inwardly complaining about how they had become entangled in such a conflict.

Zu'an shook his head and couldn't help but sigh. "Prince Qi is Prince Qi, and you are you. While the Crown Prince and Crown Princess may not dare to do anything to Prince Qi, can they not deal with a mere guard like you? If your words just now reach the ears of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, how do you think they will deal with you?"

The big-nosed man's expression subtly changed, and he secretly felt some regret. It was all Zu'an's fault; otherwise, how could he have misspoken? "Humph, but this guy won't be arrogant for long. Once he's in Prince Qi's hands, he'll probably have his head chopped off soon."

This was the moment! Zu'an had been waiting for this exact moment when his guard was down. He suddenly rushed towards him and poked him directly on the forehead with a single finger. His current cultivation could not be measured by that of an ordinary seventh-grade cultivator, and he also possessed the ability to teleport. With his intentional action against an unprepared opponent, how could the other party dodge?

A mist of blood exploded, and Liu Zhenyu's eyes widened in shock. He had not expected the other party to attack, and that it would be a killing blow the moment he did. His accompanying guards were all greatly alarmed, hastily and frantically trying to draw their swords while simultaneously scattering in all directions. But at that moment, they felt a huge suction force, and the vital energy they had just summoned vanished instantly, like clay oxen entering the sea. They lost their balance, stumbling and falling towards the center. Zu'an pointed continuously, instantly ending the lives of this group of people.

All of this happened in a flash. By the time others reacted, the gold-armored guards were already lying on the ground like a pile of mud. Elder Sun Lüchen's face showed surprise. The reaction speed and cultivation burst displayed by Zu'an in that instant were truly astonishing. If he were in Zu'an's place, he would doubt if he could instantly kill these guards.

Huoshan Ren's eyes widened, thinking that Zu'an's cultivation was even higher than what he had shown on the way to the capital. How short a time had it been? Gu Yueyi watched with both envy and jealousy. Zu'an, from Brightmoon City, was merely a live-in son-in-law whom everyone looked down upon. Even when he shone brightly in the clan grand competition, Gu Yueyi hadn't paid him much mind. But in such a short time, he had grown to this extent, far surpassing him. No wonder his junior sister had fallen for him. "Hmph, sooner or later, my junior sister will be mine!"

At this moment, the jailers on the side all drew their weapons, looking at Zu'an as if facing a formidable enemy, stammering, "Sir Zu, what is the meaning of this?" Clearly, they were stunned by this scene.

Zu'an smiled. "Don't worry," he said, "this is an old grievance between Prince Qi and me; it has nothing to do with you."

The jailers exchanged glances and only then did they slightly relax, though inwardly they complained, "Is this guy an idiot? How dare he openly offend Prince Qi like this?"

The moment they relaxed, Zu'an summoned Bai Ming, and an invisible sound wave spread out. He had specifically arranged for Guo Zhi to transfer the masters from the imperial prison earlier. Now these jailers were just ordinary people; how could they withstand it? They were instantly knocked unconscious. Not to mention those who took the sound wave attack head-on, even the Demon Sect members in the other direction were knocked unconscious. Although Sun Lüchen and the others had high cultivation, they had long been sealed by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and had recently endured severe torture, leaving them extremely weak.

Zu'an went and sealed the acupoints of all the jailers. Just then, he felt an overwhelming, unparalleled divine sense sweeping over. Zu'an's expression changed. This imposing aura was very familiar; he had witnessed it several times before. Only the Emperor in all the world possessed such might.

Prince Qi, who was currently drinking tea in a palace pavilion, stiffened. He doubtfully raised his head and looked towards the imperial prison, muttering, "What happened there to alarm even the Imperial Brother?" However, this divine sense came quickly and left quickly. It must have discovered it was Zu'an and then ceased its attention.

Zu'an sat on a nearby stool, panting heavily. In that instant, he felt as if his entire clothes were drenched in sweat. No wonder people said the entire palace was under the Emperor's divine sense surveillance. This was what they meant. The Emperor clearly didn't have the energy to listen to ordinary conversations, but if any abnormal energy fluctuations occurred in the palace, he would certainly notice immediately. No wonder Yun Jianyue had insisted on choosing a time when the Emperor was not in the palace. Otherwise, she would probably have been suppressed by the Emperor the moment she made a move.

Zu'an rested for a while before walking back to the jailers. He had specifically called all the remaining people in the imperial prison here, so no one should discover them for a short period. However, he still had one more thing to do. He took out a porcelain bottle from his Glazed Pearl, dripped a few drops of liquid into a teapot, and then fed the tea to the jailers.

In fact, ever since he received the Emperor's task, he had been pondering this problem. Raiding the imperial prison was not difficult; the difficulty lay in how to deal with the aftermath. He couldn't let the Demon Sect suspect him, nor could he let the palace residents suspect him. Therefore, he needed a scapegoat. After much thought, the only one with the motive and ability to snatch the imperial prisoner from the imperial prison was Prince Qi. Moreover, using Prince Qi as an excuse, the Emperor could logically suppress the matter when reporting later. After all, it concerned Prince Qi, and neither party would openly break ties unless absolutely necessary. This way, Guo Zhi and the others wouldn't have any suspicions. So he had deliberately angered Prince Qi earlier, wanting him to send someone to deal with him. Who knew he would be so cooperative, sending people so quickly?

Of course, there was another problem: the testimony of these jailers in the imperial prison. They couldn't reveal him. Originally, killing them would have been the most convenient. But first, he tried to avoid killing innocent people unnecessarily. Second, he had just arranged for Guo Zhi to transfer the imperial prison's experts; if people here were killed right after, even an idiot would suspect him. So he needed to keep these jailers as witnesses to prove that Prince Qi's men had been here. As for what he had done, these jailers must forget. The tea he just fed them contained Forgetfulness Water. This was what those individuals used against Qin Wanru during the Chu family rebellion. While it could incite lust, that was secondary. Its most miraculous effect was making people forget what happened during a certain period afterward.

"I really am a genius," Zu'an thought, even admiring himself a little. But when he thought of using one of the world's top aphrodisiacs on a group of smelly men, he felt extremely distressed.