Volume One: The Overseer and the Candidate Chapter Fifty-Six: Still a Step Too Late (Part Two)

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It wasn't until Qi Changfeng, blade in hand, shielded him and steadied him with a firm grip that Huang Ming managed to collect himself, forcing a smile in gratitude. “Thank you…”

Moments before, in that perilous instant, it was Qi Changfeng’s sudden and explosive intervention—two swift, devastating strokes felling his adversaries—that had saved Huang Ming from certain disaster.

The entire ordeal was over in the blink of an eye. Nearby, Huang Bingkun was still locked in fierce combat with the last assailant, shouts ringing out. At last, the guards at the entrance seemed to awaken to the chaos and lunged forward with deadly intent.

The two attackers who had fallen were now groaning in agony on the ground, several blades pressed to their vital points. The leader moved like the wind, expertly dislocating their joints in a flurry of precise strikes.

In an instant, the pair from the Yinghuo Sect were rendered utterly helpless, their arms dislocated, unable to resist.

The final adversary made a desperate attempt to flee, but Huang Bingkun blocked his path with all his might. Distracted, the villain suffered a slash to the waist and, as he collapsed, was swiftly surrounded and captured alive.

Only then did more Imperial Guards pour from the prison in a great rush, their faces marked by shock and suspicion. Most eyes were drawn to Huang Ming and Qi Changfeng, both still spattered with blood.

By now, Huang Ming had regained his composure. He first tore away the severed hand still clutching his own collar and tossed it aside. Only then, glancing with relief at Qi Changfeng, who had sheathed his blade, did he allow himself a fleeting sense of fortune.

He realized how lucky he was; had he not just hired such a reliable and formidable protector, that sudden turn of events could have easily cost him his life.

Yet, upon reflection, he knew that if Qi Changfeng had not arrived and pressed him with questions, he might never have pieced together the subtle clues and unraveled the White Lotus Sect’s true plot, leading him to the prefecture at this crucial hour.

“What on earth happened here?”

At last, someone spoke—a commander of the guards, evidently the man in charge at the moment.

Huang Bingkun hurriedly replied, “Old Yao, look closely—these men are the White Lotus Sect fiends who broke out of the prison! Young Master Huang saw through their disguises at a glance, and they struck out in desperation…”

Commander Yao’s face darkened at the words. He stepped forward and scrutinized one of the prisoners, frowning. With a swift tug, he tore away the outer uniform, revealing the truth beneath.

Beneath the seemingly ordinary uniform of the Imperial Guards was a tattered prison garment and a body covered in wounds.

It was plain to see: this man had been incarcerated in the Imperial Prison, subjected to interrogation and torture, yet somehow had managed to exchange his rags for a guard’s uniform and stroll calmly out the prison gates.

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Everyone was dumbfounded. Even knowing the answer, the sight of this unforeseen scene was almost beyond belief.

This was the Imperial Prison, reputed to be the most secure in the world, long considered a place from which no one returned.

And now, these White Lotus fiends had not only attacked Prefect Nie within its walls, but also swaggered out in broad daylight.

Had Huang Ming not seen through their ruse, they might well have escaped, turning the Imperial Prison into a laughingstock.

With strange emotions, everyone now looked at Huang Ming with a new sense of gratitude.

Huang Ming spoke at just the right moment: “If I am not mistaken, all of this was part of their plan. From deliberately getting imprisoned, to the attempt on Prefect Nie’s life, to seizing the chaos to escape—they had prepared for every step.

“And I am certain there is a traitor within the prison aiding them even now. Gentlemen, I urge you: seal all exits and do not let that accomplice slip away amidst the confusion.”

A new wave of alarm swept through the assembly. Commander Yao immediately ordered, “Shut the gates! Until Commander Liu orders a full investigation, no one is to leave!”

With the order, the guards sprang into action, dragging the wounded White Lotus men back inside.

At that moment, Yinghuo, one of the prisoners, suddenly struggled and turned to glare at Huang Ming. “How did you know our plan? Why did you come here now to ruin everything?”

Indeed, but for Huang Ming’s unforeseen arrival, they might already have slipped away into the darkness.

Huang Ming met his gaze, his tone grave. “Your plot was meticulous, every link tightly chained to the next. But so many coincidences inevitably leave cracks.

“Your greatest mistake, however, was to weave me into your design. I truly don’t consider myself so important as to be entangled with your White Lotus Sect time and again.”

“Hahaha…” Yinghuo laughed aloud as he was shoved forward. “Indeed, involving you was a grave miscalculation. If I’d known it would come to this, I should have killed you when I had the chance.

“But you seemed so much less composed and cunning back then…”

Clearly, the man had noticed the profound transformation Huang Ming had undergone.

But Huang Ming only smiled. “People change, especially after great upheavals. Is that so strange?”

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Yinghuo seemed about to retort, but the others had no patience for his words. With a harsh shout, they dragged him and his fellows back into the prison.

Seeing this, Huang Ming let out a long breath. At least his frantic midnight dash had not been in vain.

“Still, I was a step too late—I failed to warn the guards, and they succeeded in their plot. I only hope Prefect Nie’s fortune holds, and that he survives…”

Huang Ming finished with a heavy sigh.

But soon, as they waited in the front hall to rest, dire news arrived: Indeed, they had been a fatal step too late.

For just before they had entered the prefecture, Yinghuo and the others had succeeded in their assassination within the torture chamber, killing Nie Qingyao—the very pillar of the Imperial Guards.

Yes, it was not merely a grievous wound; he had died on the spot.

It was this that had thrown the prison into chaos, allowing the three men, aided by an insider, to slip out in disguise.

Had Huang Ming and his companions not happened upon them at the door, and had he not seen through the deception at a glance, the humiliation for the Imperial Guards would have been even greater.

Yet even so, the blow to their prestige was immeasurable.

At least, so it seemed to Liu Botao, who faced Huang Ming now, looking utterly distraught, unable to form words for a long while.

“Commander Liu, is it true? Prefect Nie is dead?” Huang Ming could not help but ask once more.

Liu Botao nodded weakly. “When I arrived, Lord Nie had already breathed his last… It was our incompetence that let these fiends succeed…”

Huang Ming sighed deeply. Though unwilling, he had no choice but to accept the reality.

The most pressing matter now was: “What exactly happened? How did they manage to succeed? And why did Prefect Nie hurry to see them so precipitously?”