Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor were startled by the sudden appearance of the guards, but they quickly regained their composure.
Suddenly, Qi Guze straightened his chest, trying to appear more imposing: "We are honored guests of the palace, sent here by order to discuss matters with the Prince of Wuling." His voice was firm and powerful, attempting to convince the guards of their identities.
However, the leading guard did not easily believe their words. He frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Distinguished guests? I have never seen you before?" His voice was tinged with skepticism and wariness.
Qi Guze's heart tightened; he knew their situation wasn't optimistic. He took a deep breath, trying to appear more confident: "We are new, distinguished guests; you may not have met us before." He attempted to mask his nervousness with a calm tone.
However, the lead guard was not so easily fooled. He stared into Qi Guze's eyes, trying to find a flaw in his gaze: "A new distinguished guest? Do you have any proof?" His voice carried an undeniable air of authority.
Qi Guze's heart sank; he knew they were now at their wits' end. He gritted his teeth, deciding to take the risk: "The certificate? This..." His voice suddenly became hesitant.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered something. He took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to the leading guard: "This is a jade pendant bestowed upon us by the King of Wuling. It can prove our identity." His voice carried a hint of expectation and hope.
The lead guard took the jade pendant, examined it carefully, and then nodded: "This is indeed the jade pendant of the Prince of Wuling." There was finally a hint of belief in his voice.
Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they had temporarily escaped the crisis. However, they also knew this was just the beginning, and they still had a long way to go.
In the dead of night, the moonlight, like water, illuminates the glazed tiles and white marble railings of the palace.
After some twists and turns, Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor finally retrieved their jade pendants from the leading guard.
The guard's attitude was cold, even arrogant, and his voice carried a hint of impatience and warning: "Since you are an honored guest, then leave quickly."
Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor exchanged a glance but said nothing. They knew that this deep within the palace was not a place they could linger in.
So the two nodded and turned to walk along the paths around the inner palace.
A ripple of emotion stirred within Qi Guze. He glanced back at the magnificent palace, its lights blazing like stars in the sky. His heart was filled with complex feelings; he wondered who had led them here, and why they had been drawn into this inexplicable conflict.
He shook his head, trying to shake off the doubts in his mind, but the feeling of unease followed him like a shadow.
Just then, a ragged woman rushed out from the shadows and shouted at the guards behind them, "These two are the ones who humiliated me!"
Her voice was choked with sobs, clearly indicating that she had suffered a great injustice.
Upon hearing this, the guard immediately stepped forward, blocking Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor. His eyes revealed a sharp glint, as if he wanted to see right through them.
He asked coldly, "You say they bullied you? What evidence do you have?"
The woman pointed tremblingly at Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor, her eyes filled with tears: "They...they appeared when I was most helpless, and for me...for me..." Her words were choked with sobs, clearly she was terrified.
Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor exchanged a glance, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes. They had never seen this woman before, let alone dared to do anything to humiliate her.
However, they were unable to explain this clearly to the guards within the palace.
The guard frowned; he clearly didn't believe this ragged woman would make baseless accusations against the two. However, the palace rules were strict, and no one could leave easily without evidence.
He waved his hand, signaling his men to surround the two men. Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor's expressions both turned serious. They knew that the current situation was extremely unfavorable for them.
They had to find a way to prove their innocence, or they might be arrested by the guards as enemies of the palace.
Qi Guze took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed to the guard, saying, "Sir, neither of us has ever seen this young lady, much less have we ever done anything to humiliate her. We beg you to investigate the truth and give us justice."
The guard looked at him, a thoughtful expression flashing in his eyes. He knew that Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor weren't the type to bully the weak without reason. However, the rules of the palace couldn't be broken; he needed a plausible reason to let them leave.
Just then, the Ghost Doctor suddenly spoke up: "My lord, I have a way to prove our innocence." As he spoke, he took out a pill from his pocket, "This is my unique 'Truth Pill' that I made in the martial arts world. As long as this young lady takes it, she will tell the truth."
The guard looked at the pill, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes. He knew the pill's miraculous properties and its importance in uncovering the truth.
However, he was, after all, someone who worked in the imperial palace, and he was still somewhat wary of such rare medicines from the martial arts world.
Qi Guze noticed his hesitation and quickly added, "Please rest assured, sir, this pill will absolutely not cause any harm to the young lady. We simply hope to use it to find out the truth and get justice for us."
The guard remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.
He gestured to his men to give the pills to the girl.
She tried to struggle at first, but she was just a concubine, so the guards showed her no mercy.
After forcing him to swallow the pill, the girl's eyes soon became clear. She looked at Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor with a look of shame on her face.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I misunderstood you. I... I was just too scared, so I... that's why I said those things."
"Actually, it wasn't you who humiliated me!"
The guard looked at her, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. He knew that the girl had regained her senses and told the truth. He waved his hand, signaling his men to let her pass.
Qi Guze and the Ghost Doctor exchanged a smile, knowing that they had finally cleared their names.
They nodded to the guard, then turned and left the inner palace.
On their way out, they were filled with emotion. They knew that although the experience was thrilling, it also made them realize that there were many people in the shadows who wanted to get rid of them.
If you're not careful, you could face utter ruin!
They will continue to be cautious and handle everything with care.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com