The Prison Break and Freedom at Last

"Someone's breaking into the prison!"

Above the imperial prison, the Mystic Shadow Guards' expressions changed.

They all looked toward the empress at the front, their eyes filled with awe.

No wonder she had ignored Bu Liuhen's provocation and made no response.

The empress had actually seen through everything long ago!

The assassination attempt had been bait, a ploy to lure the defenders away and cover the prison break... No one else could have connected the two events in such a short time.

Besides, there had been no warning of the prison break beforehand. There was simply no way to anticipate it.

Yet even so, the empress had seen through it.

It was just that incredible!

The empress was divine!

The Mystic Shadow Guards were filled with reverence.

"The intruders have a concealment artifact. Please give the order, Your Majesty, and we will apprehend them at once!"

Qi Yueli shook her head. "No need."

No need?

Everyone was slightly surprised.

Did the empress intend to act personally?

Soon, everyone sensed that something was amiss. Powerful fluctuations of true qi were coming from within the imperial prison.

Bang!

Two men in black flew backward out of the imperial prison. They were in a sorry state, as though they had been kicked out.

Immediately afterward, a young man with somewhat disheveled clothes charged out.

The Mystic Shadow Guards' pupils contracted, shock evident in their voices.

"Who is that young man? He's so young, yet he defeated two fifth-rank experts?"

"His true qi flows together without the slightest obstruction. He's a genius among geniuses!"

"When did someone like that end up in the imperial prison?"

Blood trickled from the corners of the two men's mouths as they struggled to their feet.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm your grandpa Gu Yuan!" Gu Yuan spat, his expression sour. "If you're breaking someone out, just do that. What's with killing people to silence them? What a shitty thing to do."

"Hurry up and die. Don't stand in your grandpa's way while I escape!"

So he was Gu Yuan...

Qi Yueli's heart stirred. The case file clearly stated that Gu Yuan had never entered the martial path and knew no martial arts.

Yet now he was fighting two fifth-rank martial artists...

Hmph, this little rebel has really been hiding his abilities!

"Where did this brat come from? You're young, but you sure talk big. Take this!"

Fierce, tyrannical saber qi burst out of the imperial prison, sweeping everything aside as it slashed at Gu Yuan from behind.

Gu Yuan reacted quickly, forcibly twisting his body to dodge.

Even so, the saber qi grazed him.

The other two men in black had come out as well.

Gu Yuan's expression grew grave.

More than half of the twenty breaths had already passed. He was bound to lose four against one.

Now that things had come to this, he could only use his trump card.

He took a deep breath.

"Somebody, help!"

"Someone's breaking into the prison!!!"

His true qi shook the heavens, and his cries rang throughout the imperial prison.

The men in black instantly paled.

"This is bad. That'll alert the Mystic Shadow Guards. Go!"

The four ignored Gu Yuan and prepared to flee, supporting an old man whose hair hung loose and disheveled.

The next moment.

A terrifying wave of true qi descended from the sky.

The true qi resonated with the true qi inside Gu Yuan, shaking his mind blank and causing him to pass out on the spot.

As he fell, Gu Yuan dimly saw a pair of peerlessly beautiful legs descend slowly in front of him...

"Th-the empress? How could this be?!" The four men in black turned deathly pale.

Qi Yueli swept her phoenix eyes over them indifferently.

"Leave none alive."

"Yes!"

The Mystic Shadow Guard's ten commanders were all at the third rank. Dealing with these men in black took them no effort at all.

In just ten breaths, the four men had become corpses...

The old man with disheveled hair watched the scene before him, sighed helplessly, and slowly knelt.

"This guilty minister pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Qi Yueli said indifferently, "Elder Zhang, my offer still stands. As long as you agree to serve me, all past offenses will be forgiven."

The old man surnamed Zhang remained silent.

Qi Yueli was not surprised.

"Not a word of what happened today is to get out. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

"Yes!"

"Pass down the order: the imperial prison was attacked, and Imperial Preceptor Zhang Qiandao's whereabouts are unknown. He is wanted throughout the city, effective immediately. Anyone who provides a lead will be rewarded with a thousand gold."

The Mystic Shadow Guard commanders were startled at first, but quickly understood.

The empress was fishing for someone!

Zhang Qiandao raised his eyes and looked deeply at Qi Yueli. No emotion could be seen in his clouded eyes.

"Your Majesty's bearing surpasses even that of the past."

"You flatter me, Elder Zhang. Take him away and hold him in secret."

"Your Majesty, what should we do with this brat who escaped from prison?"

Qi Yueli pondered for a moment. "Send him back to the Marquis of Pingxiang's residence for now."

"Where the hell am I?"

"Don't tell me I transmigrated again?"

Gu Yuan groggily opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling... No, it didn't seem all that unfamiliar.

Wasn't this the Marquis of Pingxiang's residence?

"He's awake! He's awake! Thank goodness!!"

The excited voice was deafening.

Gu Yuan turned his head and saw a broad, stout woman excitedly patting the bed over and over.

This was his elder sister, Gu Shu.

Because she was built like a man, she had reached twenty without finding a suitable family to marry into.

"Sis, if you keep patting the bed, it'll collapse."

Gu Shu froze. "Little brother, what did you say? Say it again!"

"I said, the bed's going to collapse..."

"Little brother, how many is this?" Gu Shu held up two fingers.

"..."

"Two."

"And this? What is this?" Gu Shu picked up a book at random.

"Wise Words for Young Learners, written by Zhang Qiandao. It's a primer for children."

Smack! The book fell to the floor.

Gu Shu stared fixedly at Gu Yuan, her body trembling as she said in disbelief:

"Little brother, you're not stupid anymore?"

Gu Yuan: ?

Who are you calling stupid? You're stupid, your whole family is... Pah!

"Sis, I'm not stupid anymore."

"That's good, that's wonderful!" Gu Shu's eyes immediately reddened, and she could barely contain herself. "Heaven has finally opened its eyes! I have to tell Father and Mother the good news!"

(Wiping tears)

"Oh, right, little brother, are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you myself."

"Make me a bowl of noodles." The corners of Gu Yuan's lips lifted slightly.

The sincerity in her eyes could never lie. After seven days in prison, he felt a trace of warmth he hadn't felt in a long time.

After Gu Shu left, Gu Yuan took out his diary.

It was time to review what had happened.

[I don't know how long I slept, but I finally woke up. Waking up at home was a real surprise. I thought I'd be locked up again.]

[I suppose my earth-shattering shout did the trick. Sigh, I didn't want to shout, but those guys just had to pick a fight with me for no reason. They courted death themselves, so they can't blame anyone else.]

[I wonder if the prison break succeeded. It probably failed. After all, the Mystic Shadow Guard is the empress's most elite fighting force. Any one of its ten commanders could stir up a storm in the jianghu.]

[Come to think of it, it's strange. My time clearly wasn't up, so why did I pass out early? I think I saw a pair of peerlessly beautiful legs before I fainted... Probably just a hallucination.]

[Hallucination or not, those legs were really pale. If they were in black stockings, I'd gladly let them step on me to death... Ahem, I'm not a shallow person!]

"..."

[Now for something serious. The Prince of Qingzhou's prison break failed. Although the plot has changed, Zhang Qiandao is a civil official and isn't all that important to the rebellion as a whole, so the impact won't be too great.]

[If I remember correctly, about half a month after the prison break, the protagonist, the Prince of Qingzhou's heir, will enter the capital. By then, undercurrents will be churning in Qi Capital, and danger will lurk everywhere. One wrong move and I'll lose my life.]

[I'd better take Father, Mother, and Sis away to the Qingzhou starter village and develop slowly...]

"Good news! Good news!!!"

"Little brother, come with me, quickly! There's wonderful news!"

Gu Shu burst into the room, startling Gu Yuan into hastily putting away his diary.

"Sis, what's got you so excited?"

"Someone's here from the palace! Her Majesty the empress is appointing you as an imperial saber guard!"

"The imperial decree is right outside, and they brought a whole pile of rewards. Little brother, you're going to be an official!!"

"Huh?" Gu Yuan froze on the spot.

What's the empress playing at?

If I become an imperial saber guard, how am I supposed to go to Qingzhou...?