Gu Qingshan rounded the corner and immediately broke into a run.
"One minute and thirty seconds from now, a new Warp Device will be deployed beneath the corner of the wall outside the palace's rear garden. Sir, please proceed there at once," Gu Su'an said quickly.
"I'm on my way!" Gu Qingshan replied.
He nodded and smiled at the guards along the way, while his pace grew faster and faster.
Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out from deep within the palace:
"Seal all exits and activate the large-scale isolation barrier—now!"
Buzz—
A tremendous rumble sounded above the palace.
A faint glow spread into a thin membrane, enveloping the entire palace.
Gu Qingshan stopped short.
The Pope had reacted quickly, isolating the whole palace at the first opportunity.
"Sir, we can't get out."
"I know."
"Up ahead is a side pavilion of the bedchambers. Do you want to go inside?"
"Go."
Gu Qingshan entered the secluded pavilion and gently shut the door. Only then did he give himself a forceful tug.
His entire disguise instantly turned into a card and detached from his body.
"Card: Fated Guest (used)!"
Gu Qingshan tossed the card away.
—The Holy Kingdom's emperor had vanished before he could be killed. The Pope would surely do everything in her power to capture the earl.
After all, everything this earl had done upon entering the hall had been far too suspicious.
He couldn't keep pretending to be the earl. He needed to think of a new way to escape!
The card sank into the void and disappeared.
A faint glow immediately appeared in Gu Qingshan's hand once more.
Card: Endless Grip activated again.
—He could draw cards again.
Gu Qingshan reached into the void and pulled out dozens of cards.
He spread them out and quickly scanned them—