Chapter 663: Exposed

Zu An looked at the prison guards' noticeably bulging crotches and wondered if, after waking up, some of them would find themselves with sore behinds if they were all left together.

His gaze suddenly sharpened as he noticed one guard's crotch was conspicuously flat. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy, thinking, "If even the world's top three aphrodisiacs are useless on you, what's the point of living?"

After this brief mental interlude, Zu An quickly approached the bodies of the Golden Armored Guards. He stripped them of their armor and clothes, then stored their corpses inside the Glazed Pearl. The reason he hadn't used weapons earlier was to avoid blood spatter contaminating the armor and clothes, which would have made passing inspections when leaving the palace very difficult.

Once everything was handled, he opened the cells and woke the Demonic Cult members.

"What just happened?" Gu Yueyi asked, looking around frantically in alarm.

Sun Lüzhen and Huoshan Ren were calmer; they could sense they had just been subjected to a spiritual attack.

Zu An offered no explanation. "I knocked them out," he said instead. "Quickly, change into these clothes, and I'll take you out of the palace."

The Demonic Cult members regained their senses. Learning they could be free, they were overcome with excitement and eagerly rushed to change clothes. Although many had been captured, a significant number had sustained severe injuries during the assassination attempt and, after prolonged torture, had gradually died. Now, including Sun Lüzhen, only seven individuals remained. Eight Golden Armored Guards had entered, so there was just enough armor for everyone.

Zu An stood by, helping to undo the Embroidered Uniform Guard's restraints. After enduring prolonged torture, they were all incredibly weak; it would likely take a long time for them to recover their peak strength. Noticing that the others were still trembling and struggling to walk, Zu An secretly sighed. He then took out a few healing pills he had previously purchased from Doctor Ji.

After taking the pills, they felt a warm current spread throughout their bodies. Their spirits quickly revived, and even the weakest among them could now walk unassisted.

Sun Lüzhen led the others in cupping their hands in salute to Zu An. "Young Master Zu," he declared, "we will forever remember your immense kindness in saving us today. From now on, if you ever need us to climb a mountain of swords or brave a sea of fire, just say the word, and we will not hesitate."

Zu An responded with a smile, "You're overstating it, everyone. We're not out of danger yet, so please don't let your guard down." He didn't take their words completely to heart. While they might be sincere in this moment, people change. If he truly asked them to brave a mountain of swords or a sea of fire, he doubted anyone would actually be willing. In any case, his primary goal for this endeavor was to earn favor with Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei; the gratitude of these people was merely an added bonus.

The others came back to their senses and agreed, reminding themselves not to celebrate too early as they were still within the imperial palace.

After the group had changed into their armor, Gu Yueyi, clutching his blade, moved to finish off the prison guards. They had suffered terribly at these men's hands for days, and now that their positions were reversed, he found it impossible to swallow his rage.

Zu An quickly stopped him. "Brother Gu," he said, "I still have a use for these people."

"But many of our brothers died under these men's torture," Gu Yueyi said, a hint of unwillingness in his voice.

"The urgent matter at hand is getting you out," Zu An said gravely. "I still need them to handle the aftermath."

Sun Lüzhen frowned. "Yueyi, don't cause Young Master Zu any trouble." As an elder with high prestige in the cult, Sun Lüzhen's word carried weight. Gu Yueyi reluctantly withdrew his weapon.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief, then beckoned to the group and led them upwards. Since he had just called everyone down to the lower levels of the Heavenly Prison, they encountered no obstacles on their way out.

Emerging from the Heavenly Prison and seeing the sunlight outside, the Demonic Cult members were overcome with emotion. They had believed themselves doomed, never expecting to see the light of day again. All of this was thanks to Young Master Zu. The group gazed at Zu An with profound gratitude; even Gu Yueyi, who had previously been at odds with him, now felt overwhelming appreciation.

"I'll take you to 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 in salute.

However, the group hadn't gone far when a soft voice suddenly called out from nearby, "Wait!" Upon hearing that voice, Zu An's entire body stiffened, feeling as though he had plunged into an ice cellar. How could he be so unlucky? To actually run into Prince Qi right here!

He noticed Sun Lüzhen and the others quietly placing their hands on their sword hilts. He quickly transmitted a message with his elemental energy, warning them: "Do not act rashly. That is Prince Qi, a Grandmaster level cultivator." There was no need for further explanation; upon learning his identity, the group immediately abandoned their initial plan of taking him hostage. Prince Qi's reputation preceded him; they were well aware of his Grandmaster cultivation. Even if they were all at their peak, let alone their current state of severe injury and weakness, they wouldn't be able to withstand a single blow from him.

"Where are you going?" Prince Qi asked, frowning. He had just detected the Emperor's divine sense descending nearby and, curious as to what had attracted the Emperor's attention, came to investigate. He hadn't expected to run into Zu An and his group.

Zu An's mind raced, and in an instant, he ran through dozens of possible responses. Finally, he said, "Didn't Prince Qi send someone to summon me?" He secretly rejoiced that he hadn't made them wear the clothes of the big-nosed guard captain; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to conceal their true identities now. He just hoped Prince Qi didn't recognize every ordinary guard. He had no other choice but to take a gamble. If things truly went south, he could always summon the Emperor. Even if it meant the Emperor's plan to infiltrate the Demonic Cult would fail, he couldn't sacrifice his own life.

Prince Qi let out an "oh." "Indeed," he said, "I do have something I need to discuss with you. The rest of you may withdraw for now." The first part of his statement was directed at Zu An, the latter at the group of guards.

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they hadn't been recognized; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. He quickly gave Sun Lüzhen and the others a meaningful look, signaling them to leave the palace on their own. With Prince Qi so close, he didn't even dare to transmit a message using elemental energy, fearing any unusual detection. He had already given them all the necessary instructions. As for the way out, these individuals had infiltrated the palace for an assassination attempt, so they surely knew the routes.

Sun Lüzhen and the others didn't dare to lift their heads. They cupped their hands in salute and quickly turned to leave.

"Wait!" Prince Qi suddenly interjected, his brow furrowed. "Why don't I see Liu Chenyu?"

Sun Lüzhen and the others' hearts nearly leaped out of their chests. They had no idea who Liu Chenyu was, so how could they possibly answer?

Zu An, having previously received Rage points from Liu Chenyu, knew he was the big-nosed captain. His mind quickly processed this, and he immediately replied, "Captain Liu was just summoned by the Emperor."

"Summoned by the Emperor?" Prince Qi's expression shifted. He wondered if the Emperor's divine sense descending earlier was because of Liu Chenyu. But that didn't seem right. What qualifications or abilities did Liu Chenyu possess to attract the Emperor's divine sense?

Frowning, he looked towards Sun Lüzhen and the others. "Huh, why don't I see Captain Wang either? All of you, look up."

Hearing this, everyone present felt their hearts turn to ice. Zu An was filled with anxiety, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of an immediate explanation.