Using the Bamboo Tube Knocking-out Smoke, Gu Ming took care of the guards inside the Great Prison. He then followed the previous route, heading toward the cell where Mu Ningxue was held without encountering any obstacles.
Mu Ningxue’s cell was located in the Eastern District of the Great Prison.
The Eastern District was a special area reserved for high-priority prisoners. To prevent inmates from colluding with one another, the cells were spaced far apart, making each one feel like a private suite for the prisoner.
Inside the cell, Mu Ningxue had lost all her former arrogance. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, and her face was a mask of grievance. Even though Gu Ming was standing at the cell door, she remained motionless.
On the ground beneath her sat a patch of dried liquid. Someone unfamiliar with the situation would likely assume that an intense entanglement between a man and a woman had occurred here, with one of the participants being the Divine Maiden of the Divine Maiden Palace.
Boom.
After scanning the room, Gu Ming slammed his palm against the lock. The moment his palm made contact, the metal twisted and deformed. An instant later, it turned into several iron lumps that fell to the floor.
The sound of the metal hitting the ground finally caught Mu Ningxue’s attention.
She raised her head and looked at Gu Ming outside the cell door, appearing somewhat dazed.
‘Who is he? Why is he here? Is he here to save me?’
Mu Ningxue’s face was written with confusion.
Gu Ming did not explain. Time was short, the task was heavy, and he had to release Mu Ningxue before that person arrived.
He pushed open the unlocked door, walked in, and knelt behind Mu Ningxue. He produced a small knife and began cutting the ropes binding her.
“Are you the Jade-Faced Young Master?”
Mu Ningxue was quite surprised.
She had heard descriptions of the Jade-Faced Young Master’s appearance from others — a white mask and the attire of a noble young master. This description matched the person before her almost perfectly.
Even so, she did not dare to jump to conclusions.
“Yes,” Gu Ming replied softly.
After cutting the ropes, Gu Ming pulled a pair of White Lace Gloves and a longsword from his Storage Bag and tossed them in front of her.
“Put those gloves on. They will help you recover your Spiritual Power quickly. Then take the sword and I will lead you out.”
Gu Ming’s voice was flat, but his heart was bleeding.
The longsword was not worth much, but those White Lace Gloves were incredibly expensive. He had purchased them from the Black Market for over 1,000,000 High-grade Spirit Stones.
The reason they cost so many High-grade Spirit Stones was that they were among the top-tier products for recovering Spiritual Power. Imagine a scenario where two mortal enemies fought until both were drained of Spiritual Power; if one suddenly put on these White Lace Gloves, their Spiritual Power would recover at an astonishing speed, completely rewriting the outcome of the draw.
In addition, they had a powerful function: after putting them on, touching any one person — no matter who — would cause the gloves to frantically absorb the target’s Spiritual Power. This would then be converted and channeled into the user, accelerating their recovery even further.
However, this function was essentially useless because it lacked a forced attachment mechanic. It was too easy to interrupt or interfere with, making its practical combat performance poor.
Those issues were manageable, but the most fatal flaw was —
The gloves were a single-use item with a time limit of only one day. This meant that exactly twenty-four hours after putting them on, they would turn into ordinary gloves.
This drawback meant that once they hit the market, no one wanted them. Among the seller’s remaining stock, there happened to be a pair of White Lace Gloves.
Although Gu Ming felt the sting of spending over 1,000,000 High-grade Spirit Stones, he comforted himself with the thought of getting the Divine Maiden out safely.
‘This is all for the future of the righteous path — all for the Alliance Leader’s grand plan.’
Just as Gu Ming turned to lead the way out, he felt a sudden chill at his neck.
The longsword was resting squarely on his shoulder.
Gu Ming’s heart sank as he heard Mu Ningxue’s voice, as beautiful as a blue bird but cold as ice.
“Fifth Heavenly King of the Demon Cult, drop the act.”
Behind the white mask, Gu Ming’s dark eyes suddenly constricted.
‘Was I recognized? When? Which step went wrong?’
Gu Ming’s mind raced as he reviewed his actions: starting from his costume change in the Heavenly King’s Palace, leaving the palace, rushing to the Great Prison, using the Bamboo Tube Knocking-out Smoke to neutralize the guards, and finally reaching Mu Ningxue’s cell…
After confirming there were no loopholes, Gu Ming breathed a silent sigh of relief.
‘Is she bluffing me?!’
Gu Ming rolled his eyes. This woman was truly not simple. Why couldn’t she be like those other fools from the righteous path — grateful and leaving quietly?
How troublesome.
Gu Ming slowly raised his hands and said, “Divine Maiden, please don’t slander people. I am not the Fifth Heavenly King. I share an irreconcilable blood feud with that man.”
By the end, his voice was low and filled with hatred.
“Stop acting,” Mu Ningxue said, her voice light but freezing. “Fifth Heavenly King, have you forgotten? You once told me that the Jade-Faced Young Master might be a part of your plan.”
“From that moment on, I began to consider the possibility.”
“Why does the Jade-Faced Young Master only appear in the Fifth Heavenly King’s territory? Why has he never appeared in the territories of the other Heavenly Kings?”
“Why is it that the moment a member of the righteous path is captured by the Fifth Heavenly King, the Jade-Faced Young Master immediately finds out and rescues them?”
“It is all too convenient. It is so convenient that it is absurd.”
“Until a moment ago, I wasn’t certain. But now, I am finally sure. You are the Fifth Heavenly King of the Demon Cult, and the Jade-Faced Young Master is simply your other identity.”
Hearing this, Gu Ming could not hide the panic in his eyes behind the mask.
She was right. It was too timely. It was far too much of a coincidence. It was bound to raise suspicion.
Gu Ming made a mental note: in the future, he would have to factor in coincidences and timing more carefully.
Adjusting his emotions, Gu Ming feigned a relaxed tone and said coldly, “All of that is nothing more than your speculation. Do you have any proof?”
“Proof?” Mu Ningxue chuckled softly as she held up the White Lace Gloves. “This is the proof.”
She seemed to recall something unspeakable. Her face turned pale, and she gritted her teeth.
“…Only the Fifth Heavenly King would have such depraved tastes.”
Looking at the White Lace Gloves in Mu Ningxue’s hand and then at her expression, Gu Ming fell into deep thought.
It seemed that because of the foot massage he had given her earlier, she had labeled the Fifth Heavenly King as a massive pervert. Now, the Jade-Faced Young Master had tossed her a pair of White Lace Gloves, which she also associated with being a pervert.
Since both were perverts, Mu Ningxue’s sixth sense had decided they were the same person.
Gu Ming shrugged, acting indifferent.
“I say…”