Chapter 666: Exposed

Zu’an noticed the prominent crotches of the jailers and wondered if some of these guys would wake up with sore butts if they were all put together.

His gaze suddenly narrowed as he noticed one jailer whose crotch was unremarkable. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy, thinking, "What's the point of living if even the top three aphrodisiacs in the world are useless to you?"

After his silent musings, Zu’an quickly went to the bodies of the golden-armored guards, stripped them of their armor and clothes, and then stored their bodies inside the Glazed Jewel. He had deliberately avoided using weapons earlier because he was concerned that bloodstains might contaminate the armor and clothes, which would make it difficult if they encountered inspections when leaving the palace.

After finishing these preparations, he opened the cell and woke up the members of the Demonic Cult.

"What just happened?" Gu Yueyi asked, looking around in a panic.

Sun Lü zhen and Huo Sanren were calmer; they could sense that they had just been subjected to a spiritual attack.

Zu’an didn't explain, simply stating, "I've knocked them out. Quickly change into these clothes; I'll take you out of the palace."

The cult members regained their senses, and upon realizing they could regain their freedom, they were all overcome with excitement, rushing to change their clothes. Although many had been captured, a significant number were severely wounded on the night of the assassination. After weeks of torture, many had died, leaving only seven survivors, including Sun Lü zhen. Eight golden-armored guards had entered, so there was just enough armor for everyone.

Zu’an stood by, helping them remove the embroidered uniform restraints. After the period of torture, they were all extremely weak and would likely need a long time to recover to their peak strength. Noticing that a few others were too shaky to walk properly, Zu’an secretly sighed and took out several wound-healing pills he had previously bought from Divine Doctor Ji. After taking the pills, they felt a warm current spread through their bodies. Their spirits quickly recovered significantly, and even the weakest among them could walk on their own.

Sun Lü zhen, leading the others, cupped his hands to Zu’an and said, "Young Master Zu, we will never forget this great kindness of saving us. In the future, should you ask us to brave mountains of blades or seas of fire, we will not hesitate for a moment."

Zu’an smiled in response, "You flatter me, everyone. We're not out of danger yet, so please don't let your guard down." He didn't take their words too seriously. While they might be sincere at this moment, people change, and he doubted anyone would truly be willing to brave mountains of blades or seas of fire for him. In any case, this mission was primarily to gain favor with Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei; the gratitude of these people was merely a bonus.

The others came to their senses and quickly agreed, remembering they were still within the imperial palace and shouldn't rejoice too soon.

After the group had changed into their armor, Gu Yueyi, gripping his blade, moved to take the lives of the jailers. He had been terribly tormented by them during their captivity, and now that their positions were reversed, he couldn't simply swallow his anger.

Zu’an quickly stopped him. "Brother Gu, I still have a use for these people."

Gu Yueyi said somewhat reluctantly, "But many of our brothers died under their torture."

Zu’an stated gravely, "The priority is to get you all out. I still need them for the cleanup."

Sun Lü zhen frowned and said, "Yueyi, don't cause trouble for Young Master Zu."

As an elder with consistently high prestige in the cult, Sun Lü zhen's words held weight. Gu Yueyi reluctantly withdrew his weapon.

Zu’an breathed a sigh of relief, then beckoned to the others and led them upwards. Since he had just called everyone down from the Heavenly Prison, they met no resistance along the way.

Stepping out of the Heavenly Prison and seeing the sunlight outside, the cult members were overcome with excitement. They had believed they were doomed, never expecting to see the light of day again. They owed it all to Young Master Zu. The group looked at Zu’an with immense gratitude, and even Gu Yueyi, who had previously been at odds with him, was now mostly filled with thanks.

"I'll take you out of the palace gates," Zu’an said in a low voice. "You have Prince Qi's waist tokens, and with this armor, leaving the palace shouldn't be difficult."

"Thank you, Young Master Zu," they said, cupping their hands.

However, the group hadn't walked much further when a soft voice suddenly called out from nearby, "Wait!"

Upon hearing that voice, Zu’an froze, feeling as if he had plunged into an ice cellar. How could he be so unlucky as to encounter Prince Qi here? He noticed Sun Lü zhen and the others quietly placing their hands on their dagger hilts. He quickly transmitted a message using his primal qi, "Don't make any sudden moves. The person coming is Prince Qi, a Grandmaster."

There was no need to say more; upon learning his identity, they immediately abandoned their original plan of taking him hostage. Prince Qi's reputation was like thunder to their ears. With a Grandmaster's cultivation, not only were they all severely injured and weak, but even if they were at their peak, they wouldn't be enough to handle one of his fingers.

"Where are you going?" Prince Qi asked, frowning. He had just sensed the Emperor's divine consciousness descending nearby and was curious what had caught the Emperor's attention, so he came to investigate. He hadn't expected to run into Zu’an and his group.

Zu’an's mind raced. In an instant, dozens of possible responses flashed through his mind. He finally said, "Didn't Prince Qi send someone to summon me to meet you?" He secretly congratulated himself. Fortunately, he hadn't made them wear the clothes of that large-nosed guard captain earlier, otherwise, they wouldn't be able to fool anyone now. He hoped Prince Qi wouldn't recognize these ordinary guards. He had no other choice but to take a gamble. If all else failed, he could just summon the Emperor. If the Emperor's plan to infiltrate the Demonic Cult failed, then it failed; he couldn't sacrifice his own life for it.

Prince Qi let out an "Oh," then said, "Indeed, I do have something to discuss with you. You all may leave now." The first part of his sentence was directed at Zu’an, while the latter part was for the group of guards.

Zu’an breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they hadn't been recognized, or the consequences would have been dire. He quickly gave Sun Lü zhen and the others a look, signaling them to leave the palace on their own. With Prince Qi so close, he didn't even dare to use primal qi to transmit a message, fearing any abnormality would be noticed. In any case, he had already explained what needed to be explained. As for the way out of the palace, these people had already infiltrated it to assassinate, so they shouldn't be unfamiliar with the routes.

Sun Lü zhen and the others didn't dare to raise their heads, simply cupped their hands, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Prince Qi suddenly frowned. "Why don't I see Liu Chenyu?"

Sun Lü zhen and the others' hearts nearly jumped out of their chests. They had no idea who Liu Chenyu was, so how could they answer? Zu’an had previously received Liu Chenyu's rage points in the background, so he knew Liu Chenyu was the large-nosed captain. His mind spun quickly, and he immediately said, "Captain Liu was just summoned by the Emperor."

"Summoned by the Emperor?" Prince Qi's expression changed. He wondered if the Emperor's divine consciousness had descended just now because of Liu Chenyu. But that didn't seem right. What qualifications did Liu Chenyu have to attract the Emperor's divine consciousness? He frowned and looked towards Sun Lü zhen and the others. "Hmm, why don't I see Captain Wang either? All of you, raise your heads."

Hearing him say this, everyone present felt their hearts sink. Zu’an grew anxious, but for the moment, he couldn't think of any explanation.