Chapter 1107: Aiming for His Life
Sang Hong had to remain at the Pegasus Merchant group to deal with the aftermath. Zu An didn’t want to be held up by all the complicated matters, so he found a random excuse to leave. Sang Hong thought he was still injured, so he didn’t keep him.
When Zu An left Pegasus Merchant Group, he didn’t return to the temporary residence and instead headed to Yu Manor.
Following Jian Taiding and Uncle Ming’s death, the situation in the Duke Manor had already mostly been settled. There was no need for Yu Yanluo to continue staying in Jian Manor. She was a woman, and she feared the cold. Her home was naturally more comfortable.
Zu An and Yu Yanluo were already close friends, and the maids and servants in the manor were familiar with him too, so there was no need to relay any messages when Zu An entered and exited. When he entered Yu Yanluo’s room, he saw that she was lying on her side as usual, her eyes half-open. Her posture was incredibly moving, and a faint fragrance wafted through the room. She was just like a goddess from a painting.
Zu An was somewhat curious. He had noticed that Yu Yanluo liked that position. At first, he thought she was sleeping, but upon closer observation, she was taking in and releasing ki through her lips, which meant she was cultivating.
Cultivators usually meditated while sitting. Only that position would allow for the best exchange of ki between their bodies and the surrounding environment. Why did Yu Yanluo find such a position the most comfortable while cultivating?
“You’re here.” Yu Yanluo sounded calm and natural, as if she were talking to her own husband. She asked, “Did something happen?” She knew that with how things were at the moment, Zu An shouldn’t have been in the Duke Manor, but instead with the Imperial Envoy. There should have been no reason for him to suddenly seek her out.
Zu An poured a cup of tea for himself in a familiar manner. Yu Yanluo’s red lips opened. That was the cup she usually drank from; she had never let anyone else use it. But in the end, she didn’t say anything and instead reminded him, “Drink slowly.”
Zu An drank three cups of tea before finally saying, “I just came back from the Pegasus Merchant Group…” Then, he gave her a rough summary of everything that happened. He asked, “Why would Jian Taiding work with King Yan? I thought he was working together with the Zhenyuan Merchant Group.”
Zu An refused to believe that the Yu clan didn’t know about the Pegasus Merchant Group’s connection to King Yan. Sure enough, Yu Yanluo wasn’t surprised at all, replying, “That is because top-level clans never place all of their eggs in one basket.”
Zu An frowned. He couldn't help but feel that she seemed to be implying something, and yet he couldn't really figure it out. Yu Yanluo continued, “I just did not expect King Yan’s ambitions to be so great. He was unsatisfied with just transporting the goods, and instead wanted to completely take the Zhenyuan Merchant Group’s place.”
Zu An gave her a strange look and said, “I thought you might have been kept in the dark at first, that you were just a harmless and timid little bunny rabbit. But now, it seems you actually knew many things.”
“A harmless and timid little bunny rabbit?” Yu Yanluo couldn't help but laugh. She continued, “Anyone who remained a little bunny rabbit in a position like mine would already have been devoured a long time ago. But please do not think of me so highly. There are actually many things I do not know about; it was only through your help that I gradually reached the truth.”
Zu An remained silent, seemingly trying to separate truth from lies in what she said. Yu Yanluo continued, “Your relationship with the Devil Sect seems to be quite good.”
Zu An hesitated, but in the end, he nodded. Whether it was about Yun Jianyue’s appearance or the matter of Qiu Honglei, he might be able to fool normal people, but it wouldn’t be hard for someone like Yu Yanluo to figure out the truth.
Yu Yanluo said, “Then I will do you a favor here. Most of King Yan’s cooperation with the Devil Sect has just been King Yan taking advantage of what he could. For example, the smuggling of court goods over the years has been blamed on the Devil Sect.”
Zu An recalled what Qiu Honglei had mentioned to him back then. He replied, “You’re right. All these years, the Devil Sect has been wondering who’s been making them take on so much blame and hatred.”
Yu Yanluo smiled and said, “King Yan knew who it was, but he did not tell the Devil Sect, instead using them to help him deal with the Zhenyuan Merchant Group. Meanwhile, he himself was focused on gaining complete control over the smuggling network between Jian Taiding and the fiend races.”
Zu An was shocked, asking, “Just who exactly was that person?”
Yu Yanluo gave him a look. There was a somewhat complicated expression in her beautiful eyes. She said, “I could tell you that I do not know, but I do not want to deceive you. I know who it is, but I cannot tell you.”
Zu An’s brows furrowed as Yu Yanluo continued, “Please do not get angry. Every clan has their own principles. I cannot damage the clan because of my personal relationship with you. After all, there are endless people under the Yu clan who are relying on my protection.”
Zu An instead smiled optimistically and said, “I’m already grateful that madam can tell me these things. Why would I be so ungrateful and get upset at you?” He knew that if it weren’t because of everything they had gone through together, there was no way she would tell him so many things.
Yu Yanluo had been expecting him to blame her. When she heard what he said, she was stunned. Then, a smile filled her gaze. This man really understood her well, making her feel increasingly intimate with him.
She was about to say something when Zu An’s expression suddenly changed. He summoned Grandgale, instantly arriving next to Yu Yanluo and grabbing her. The two tumbled off the bedside.
Yu Yanluo had been feeling moved moments before, but then she had felt shocked and disappointed a split second later. However, she also quickly realized that Zu An might have had a reason for doing what he did.
Sure enough, a masked woman in white appeared where they had originally been. Her black hair fluttered around; her skin was fair and her eyes were sharp. Even though there was a mask covering her face, anyone could tell that she was an incredible beauty. However, there was a hint of chilliness and arrogance in her expression, which would make it hard for anyone to feel any sense of intimacy.
“Huh?” The white-clad woman clearly hadn’t expected Zu An to react so quickly; he had actually been able to seize her target ahead of time.
“So it was Sect Leader Yan. Arriving uninvited and launching a sudden ambush like this doesn’t seem to really match your style,” Yu Yanluo remarked, having recognized her as well. She knew that Zu An had just saved her, and gave him a grateful look. Then, she looked coldly at the white-clad woman.
The white-clad woman was the sect master of the White Jade Sect and Chu Chuyan’s master, Yan Xuehen. She retracted her hand and said indifferently, “I only planned to detain you to ask you some questions.”
“Who asks questions this way?” Yu Yanluo replied coldly; she was clearly extremely dissatisfied.
Yan Xuehen ignored her and continued, “How did Jian Taiding die?”
Zu An was alarmed. It seemed she was here to get revenge for her junior brother.
Yu Yanluo replied indifferently, “I have already explained his death. With Sect Master Yan’s ability, I believe you have already been informed. Why is there a need to ask any further?”
“I do not believe you,” Yan Xuehen said simply. Her eyes stared daggers into Yu Yanluo. She believed his death had something to do with the woman. After all, she was a survivor from the incident.
“There is not much I can do if you do not believe me,” Yu Yanluo replied, equally unhappily.
Zu An thought to himself, You’re facing a freaking grandmaster! How can you just clash with her head-on like this?
Don’t tell me beauties are naturally incompatible? How the hell am I going to convince my harem in the future then…
Just then, Yan Xuehen’s gaze fell onto Zu An. She asked, “Does she feel good in your arms?”
Only then did Zu An realize that because he had been looking at Yan Xuehen the entire time, he had never let go due to his excessive shock.
Yu Yanluo was in the same situation. Perhaps because they had already engaged in intimate contact before, she hadn’t instinctively reacted like before. With that reminder, she quickly moved away. There was a faint blush on her sparkling skin.
Yan Xuehen’s gaze wandered between the two suspiciously. She just felt that the two of them were acting a little strange. A suspicion appeared in her mind and she asked, “Are you the one who colluded with her in killing my junior brother?”
Zu An cried out indignantly, “What does this have to do with me?!”
Yu Yanluo also spoke up for him, saying, “He was not at the scene of the crime; it has nothing to do with him.”
“Is that so?” Yan Xuehen only felt even more suspicious of Zu An’s behavior. She said, “It should be easy enough to test.”
Her figure flickered, and she thrust her slender, jade-like finger at Zu An’s forehead. At that instant, a powerful pressure surrounded him, simultaneously cutting off all routes of escape.
Zu An was alarmed. His forehead was a vital point; he wouldn’t dare to let her strike it. He immediately kicked off and moved a zhang backward.
“Hm?” Yan Xuehen was shocked. She exclaimed, “You have already broken through into the master rank? But that should not be…”
Normally speaking, any cultivator under the master rank would have no chance of evading the attacks of a grandmaster like herself. At that instant, she had felt Zu An’s soul neutralizing a portion of her own ki field.
But he clearly hasn’t reached the master rank yet!
Zu An chuckled and replied, “Sect Master Yan, aren’t I pretty talented? You should just approve of my relationship with Chuyan.”
“Mischievous and deceptive; you do not seem like a good person,” Yan Xuehen replied with a cold look. As someone from the righteous faction, she naturally disliked someone frivolous like Zu An. As such, she didn’t hold back at all in her next move.
Zu An immediately felt the pressure increase drastically. Thanks to the soul he condensed before, he had avoided being put in a completely passive situation. It was to the extent that he could even retaliate a bit. But compared to a grandmaster, he was still at an absolute disadvantage. It was only a matter of time before he was overwhelmed.
He was alarmed. Why did this woman always act so ruthlessly? It even seemed as if she wanted him dead!