The sound of burning torches could already be heard from outside. Since Gu Qianying had promised to help them, she certainly wouldn't sit and wait for death.
However, just as she was about to go out and fight, Su Xuanlin firmly held her back.
"Miss Gu, we have all wanted to escape for a long time. We've been digging a tunnel all these years. Come with us. Since we've reached a point of life and death today, we can't worry about the situation anymore. We'll take you out now."
As he spoke, he and a few others pulled aside the bed board next to them, revealing a secret passage to Gu Qianying.
It was then that she realized the place she had been hiding earlier was where they kept their tunnel-digging tools.
Her eyes were filled with gratitude, but she didn't hesitate for a moment. She helped the ones who could still walk and descended into the passage.
"Wait, if I escape like this, what about those who can't walk but are still breathing?"
Although the current moment did not allow for delay, she felt a pang of sorrow thinking that these people didn't know her, and although she had promised to investigate the origin of the forbidden arts, it was heartbreaking to risk her life for it.
Su Xuanlin understood her concern and smiled to comfort her.
"The people in this cold palace only suffer endless torment by living. We few, even though we are disabled, still have hope of survival. They are immobile, and living is just an ordeal. Miss Gu, you don't need to blame yourself. Even without you today, the final choice would have been for us few to escape."
His words were indeed true, and it was the unspoken wish of everyone in the cold palace.
After so long of suffering, they couldn't live properly, nor could they die. Compared to the torment they would face in the years to come, being burned by fire today might truly be the best ending.
Gu Qianying understood this reasoning. She nodded, bowed towards the entrance of the secret passage, and then followed Su Xuanlin and the others towards its exit.
Due to the physical condition of these people, the tunnel was not far. After only about fifteen minutes, they felt a cold wind blowing in.
"The exit is here. This is the southern corner of the palace. As it hasn't been developed yet, it's overgrown with vegetation and no one comes here. We'll leave from here."
Su Xuanlin explained as he and a few men who still had some strength pushed aside the stones at the exit.
Then, the moonlight shone in.
"Be careful."
They quietly let Gu Qianying go out first, and then the rest climbed out together.
As expected, although it was winter, the withered grass was abundant and could indeed obscure some visibility.
Beside them stood the towering palace walls.
"This is so high, can you get out?"
Gu Qianying glanced at the wall. She knew martial arts and could fly over it with ease, but how could these people, some disabled, some injured, get out so easily?
Seeing her worried expression, Su Xuanlin patted her shoulder and gestured towards a nearby pavilion.
"The reason we haven't left yet is because the ladder is only halfway built. However, it will trouble Miss Gu. Since you know martial arts, you can help support those who are climbing over from above and then send us down."
So that was the reason. Gu Qianying felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information she had received that night.
"Alright, I'll go up to assist those inside."
With that, she lightly tapped her feet and leaped onto the city wall.
She looked around at the situation outside.
Was this truly a neglected corner? There wasn't even a guard here. It seemed these people had investigated everything thoroughly before digging the secret passage to this location.
"You can come up." Time did not allow her to ponder further. Gu Qianying turned back and signaled to the people below that they could climb up.
Heaven seemed to be taking care of them. In less than half an hour, the group had successfully escaped.
Looking at the towering palace walls, Su Xuanlin felt happy for the first time.
He had thought he wouldn't survive a few more years and would eventually die in this cage-like palace. He never expected to be out today.
Gu Qianying surveyed the surroundings. Only by passing through the bamboo forest ahead could they be temporarily safe.
Without hesitation, they followed her into the forest, dragging their exhausted bodies.
More than half of the moonlit night had passed, and the bamboo forest was exceptionally quiet. Their footsteps seemed amplified.
Gu Qianying couldn't hear the surrounding sounds clearly, so she could only focus on walking forward.
"Ah."
Suddenly, a man's cry came from behind. Those walking in front quickly looked back. Fortunately, the man had only fallen. But as Su Xuanlin stepped forward to help him up, he felt a dampness on his hand.
"Quick, bring a fire starter."
To avoid attracting attention, they had escaped relying on instinct without any light. But in the state of helping the person, Su Xuanlin felt a surge of panic.
Gu Qianying was also worried and crowded over with the others.
"Oh, blood. His stomach is bleeding non-stop," one person exclaimed, and the others looked closely.
"Brother Su, I'm afraid I won't make it. You all go ahead."
The person Su Xuanlin was supporting finally managed to speak a sentence, but after that, he closed his eyes.
"Xiangzi, you can't sleep. Hold on, we'll be free soon."
Perhaps having endured for a long time, Su Xuanlin was still heartbroken by the man's unexpected death.
Gu Qianying felt something was wrong. The bamboo forest outside the palace was adjacent to the city wall. Although it was unmanaged, it was still next to the imperial city. Half of the places like this would not have commoners coming to cut wood. Yet, the man's condition clearly indicated he had been pierced by something sharp.
Thinking of this, she quickly took the fire starter and lowered her head to illuminate the ground.
Following the faint light, Gu Qianying saw her feet clearly.
These bamboos were cut at intervals, and only about half a foot high. Not all of them were cut diagonally. It looked like ordinary logging, but Gu Qianying reached out and touched the cut surface. It was freshly cut.
This meant they had been ambushed.
"No, our tracks have been discovered."
She exclaimed.
Because the moonlight couldn't penetrate the bamboo forest, it was still pitch black inside, and those people dared not act rashly.
"Big Brother, what should we do next?"
Hearing this, the others became a little flustered. Everything had gone so smoothly, yet their tracks were still discovered.
Su Xuanlin looked up at the sky. Although the plan was good, it seemed the execution had been too smooth. Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered someone.
"Thirteen, did Thirteen come out with us?"
Seeing him suddenly mention a name, the others quickly looked around beside them.
"No, strange, could he have fallen behind?"
He was referring to the person who had reported seeing Gu Qianying in the garden earlier.
Recalling the look in his eyes at that time, and his fearless state when the cold palace was to be set on fire, Su Xuanlin instantly understood.
"Miss Gu, he knew the entire escape route. It's likely that all the paths leading out were ambushed when we escaped through the secret passage."
He felt guilty, not expecting that after so many years of planning, they would still be betrayed.