“No wonder Aobai’s rebellion in the palace didn’t attract many experts. It turns out that they were all ambushed by the Qing emperor. But that doesn’t make sense either. Wei Xiaobao just mentioned that the emperor was present when they were killing Aobai. Why would he put himself in such a dangerous situation?” Hua Wuque pondered, unable to understand the connection. He put it aside and hurried towards the prison.
Turning a corner, he finally saw the prison. Looking around, he found something strange. The prison, a heavily guarded place, was completely unguarded!
“Xiao Bao, what’s going on?” Hua Wuque asked in a low voice.
Wei Xiaobao also found the atmosphere eerie. Afraid of being misunderstood by the handsome young man, he quickly distanced himself, “I don’t know either. I was here yesterday, and it was heavily guarded with layers of security. Perhaps they were all dispatched to ambush your master, right?”
After careful consideration, Hua Wuque decided it was inconvenient to keep the guy with him. “Xiao Bao, you don’t have any martial arts skills. If something unexpected happens, I might not be able to protect you. I’ve already killed Aobai. You should leave and hide yourself. Don’t let anyone find you!”
Hearing this, Wei Xiaobao was overjoyed. He had long wanted to be free from Hua Wuque. The young man put too much pressure on him, with his superior martial arts and his inability to be deceived. He pretended to refuse, but quickly turned and left.
Watching Wei Xiaobao’s retreating figure, Hua Wuque weighed Aobai’s severed head in his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He muttered to himself, “This guy is unreliable. I saved him just now, yet he still resents me. After I finish this business, I’ll take his life and send him to join you!”
The prison was dark and damp. Hua Wuque slowly walked down the central corridor, looking around. He saw many corpses lying about, and his heart sank. This Kangxi truly had the heart of an emperor. At such a young age, he was so ruthless. With insufficient manpower, he had poisoned all the prisoners in order to free up the guards for the prison.
He went straight down the steps and arrived at a door. He gently tapped it with his finger, and a dull sound echoed. He was surprised to find that the door was made of fine iron, impervious to ordinary swords. Anyone else would be unable to open it.
Suddenly, a faint voice came from inside the door, “You… you can give up. I, Wen Tailai, will never betray my Red Flower Society brothers!” Apparently, Wen Tailai heard the sound and thought it was the officers coming to persuade him.
Hearing that the person inside was Wen Tailai, the fourth head of the Red Flower Society, Hua Wuque’s expression turned strange. A few days ago, he was still scheming against his wife. Now he had to face him first. But since he was here, he had to play the part. He said in a loud voice, “Is that the Red Flower Society’s Fourth Master Wen inside? I am here, invited by Chief Chen, to rescue you!”
As he spoke, he placed his palm on the iron door. Focusing his inner energy, he used his true energy and shouted, “Open!” With a loud boom, the connection of the iron door broke, and the entire door fell inward.
Hua Wuque dispersed the dust that filled the air and walked inside. He saw a man hanging from the corner of the wall, his clothes unrecognizable, stained with blood. His hands hung limp, obviously severed at the tendons. When he saw Hua Wuque, he weakly asked, “Who… who are you?”
Hua Wuque clasped his fists and said, “I am Hua Wuque. I was entrusted by Chief Chen to rescue Fourth Master Wen and the heroes of the Mu王府.” As he said this, he walked over to release Wen Tailai.
“Don’t… don’t move,” Wen Tailai groaned, obviously badly injured. After a pause, he said urgently, “My hands and feet are useless. The dog emperor had his men crush all my joints. Even if I escape, I will be a cripple. The people of the Mu王府 were taken away by the dog emperor. Don’t worry about me, just go!”
Hua Wuque remained unmoved. He forcefully broke the chains binding Wen Tailai, letting him lean against his back. He said in a loud voice, “No need to say more. Whatever Hua Wuque promises, he will do. Fourth Master Wen, please endure a little longer. I will take you away right now!”
Seeing the handsome young man’s resolute attitude, Wen Tailai was moved. He said nothing more, secretly hating himself for becoming a cripple and hindering his actions.
Hua Wuque carried Wen Tailai out of the prison and looked around. He found the way out of the palace and hurried along. After turning down a small alley, he suddenly stopped, his expression turning serious. “Friend behind, you have followed me for so long. Why not reveal yourself?”
“Cough, cough, cough. This little fellow is interesting. You actually noticed our presence!” An elderly man in a eunuch’s uniform slowly emerged from the darkness. He was too old, and his steps were shaky, as if a gust of wind could blow him down.
He walked up to Hua Wuque, his expression somewhat admiring. “I have served many masters in my lifetime, so I admire loyal people like you the most. I was thinking, if you didn’t interfere with my grand scheme, I would let you go. But you little rascal actually discovered me. That’s amazing!”