Chapter 988: Locked Up
Zu An and Sun Xun arrived at King Yan Manor soon afterward. Sun Xun was shocked because he had rushed over and and arrived faster than his subordinates, but even though Zu An couldn't fly, his speed wasn’t much slower than his own.
Don’t tell me his cultivation is close to mine? That thought flashed past Sun Xun’s mind, but he quickly ignored it. How old is Zu An? Even if he cultivated ever since he came out of the womb, there should be no way he could compare to me!
After arriving at King Yan Manor, Zu An immediately took in his surroundings. He also used the jade badge’s ability to control the nearby small creatures and have them observe any activity.
King Yan Manor was clearly inferior to the Imperial Palace, but it was still extremely grand and imposing. Out of all of the manors he had been to, King Qi Manor was probably the only place that could compare to this place. However, King Qi Manor had to conform to all kinds of rules since it was in the capital. That was why generally speaking, it wasn’t as imposing in its manner as King Yan Manor.
But Zu An didn’t attach too much importance to such things. He quickly began to search for Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei’s whereabouts. However, the battle seemed to have already ended, so he didn’t see anything. There were only aggrieved and wounded guards as well as some other people present.
Zu An frowned. He set aside his misgivings and looked at Sun Xun, remarking, “Minister Sun, the battle seems to have already ended, no?”
“Let’s see the king first.” Sun Xun didn’t dare to show any negligence just then. He lifted the edges of his robe and quickly headed toward the inner courtyard of the manor. He ran into many guards along the way. But when they saw Sun Xun, they all let him through.
Many women had gathered in the inner courtyard, weeping endlessly, almost as if they were striving to express their deepest concern more than the ones around them. A furious roar soon came from inside. “I’m not even dead yet; what are you all wailing as if you’re at a funeral for?!” Sure enough, the women stopped when they heard the angry roar.
Sun Xun had just reported his arrival at the entrance. When the guards left, the women began to leave as well. They all greeted Sun Xun as they passed by. Zu An was quite surprised. This Sun Xun really does receive quite the favor in King Yan Manor! Even King Yan’s concubines have to greet him like this.
The guards came out to invite Sun Xun in soon afterward. Zu An followed Sun Xun and met the so-called King Yan. His complexion was pale, and his aura was incredibly weak. What grandmaster aura? He presently seemed more like an ordinary old man who was already nearing the end of the line.
Sun Xun was alarmed and quickly asked, “King, what happened to you?”
“It’s nothing. I was wounded by the Devil Sect’s Yun Jianyue, but she isn’t much better off than me,” King Yan replied weakly from his bed. Then, he looked toward Zu An with an expression of confusion.
Zu An was surprised. Yun Jianyue was also injured? He wondered if her injuries were serious or not.
Sun Xun introduced him just then. “This is Sir Zu An from the imperial envoy. His current post is the crown prince’s chamberlain, as well as the Armed Escort Division Commander. He previously solved…” His string of praises even made Zu An blush. Then, he said, “It was because of his help just now that we discovered the real murderer who killed my son.”
“Something happened to Little Ji?” King Yan subconsciously sat up from shock. However, the action clearly made his injuries flare up again, and he let out a burst of coughs.
Sun Xun quickly ran over and helped him lie back down, saying, “I’ve made the king worry. In the end, it was because my son had no ability himself…” He gave King Yan a rough recount of what had happened to Sun Ji.
King Yan was furious, exclaiming, “Nonsense! Someone dared to do such a thing in Yi Commandery?! Pass down my order! Order Thick-Browed Daoist’s arrest. If anyone can capture him, there will be a reward of ten thousand taels of gold and three ranks of promotion. Anyone who provides any useful clues will be awarded a thousand taels of gold.”
Sun Xun immediately knelt down. “Thank you for your care, my king. Ji’er in heaven definitely feels grateful too.”
Zu An couldn't help but sneer inwardly as he watched the master and servant pair interact passionately. Just whose kid was Sun Ji really, between these two?
After King Yan vented his anger, he looked at Zu An and said, “I have to thank Sir Zu for Ji’er’s matter. Sir Zu really is an outstanding youth as the rumors say.”
“The king is too kind with your praise. I was merely carrying out my duty,” Zu An replied modestly, then asked about what he really cared about. “By the way, we hurried over when we saw that something happened here in the King Manor. Were you able to execute those Devil Sect evildoers?”
King Yan shook his head. “That witch Yun Jianyue’s cultivation is too high. With her protection, even though they suffered some losses, most of them were able to escape unscathed.”
Zu An sighed inwardly in relief when he heard tha Yun Jianyue and the others were fine. “But why did Yun Jianyue assault the King Manor? The security here is tight, so any attack would be futile. The Devil Sect Master is no fool; why would she make such an unwise decision?” That was what he couldn't figure out. However, with his current identity, he could ask King Yan that question without any misgivings.
“It’s probably because we’ve been suppressing those Devil Sect evildoers these past few years, so they hate us to the bone,” King Yan said angrily. “As for the reason why they came out in full force, it is probably because we captured their Saintess a few days ago.”
King Yan didn’t think too much when he said that, but that piece of information actually left Zu An extremely shocked. What? Qiu Honglei was captured?
“Zu An, what’s wrong?” Sun Xun gave him a skeptical look. Even King Yan noticed how he was acting.
Zu An reacted quickly and immediately said, “I had some interactions with these evildoers in the capital before. That woman is especially crafty and cunning, and her cultivation skills aren’t weak either. She was even able to escape from the capital, yet the king was able to capture her. I really am left in admiration.”
King Yan stroked his beard, pleased. A bit of pride couldn't help but appear in his eyes as he replied, “Sir Zu overpraises us. It was completely a coincidence that we were able to capture her.”
He didn’t dare to act too proud either, because Qiu Honglei had managed to escape from the Imperial Palace, and yet was captured in King Yan Manor. If someone with ulterior motives wanted to use that as a pretext to start something, saying that King Qi Manor was even more formidable than the Imperial Palace, what then would they be trying to start?
Zu An chatted with the two of them for a while, then took the chance to ask, “Can I pay that evil woman a visit? I have a friend who was completely fooled by her. There’s always been some resentment I wanted to vent.”
King Yan and Sun Xun both revealed a knowing smile when they heard Zu An use the ‘I have a friend’ skill.
“That’s fine. You should take Sir Zu to see that evil woman,” King Yan said. He was injured, so the chat was already getting quite difficult for him.
“Please rest well, my king.” Sun Xun immediately bowed toward King Yan, then said to Zu An, “Sir Zu, this way.”
Zu An bid King Yan his farewell too. He followed Sun Xun out of the room nervously before remarking, “I wonder which expert captured the evildoer? I’ll definitely report this incredible achievement to his majesty so they can be properly rewarded.”
Sun Xun smiled and replied, “The one who captured that evil woman was naturally the king, so any further recognition isn’t needed. It isn’t too suitable with his identity.”
“I see!” Zu An looked as if he had suddenly realized what was going on. No wonder Qiu Honglei had ended up in trouble; how could she get away if a grandmaster personally got involved?
Soon afterward, they arrived at a secluded courtyard. There were clearly more guards there. It was obviously Yan King Manor’s private prison. They went through several layers of heavy security before arriving at the deepest part of the prison.
There, a woman dressed in black sat in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees; her expression was a bit dispirited and she looked pale. However, that still didn’t conceal her shocking beauty. This stunning woman, who was usually lively and full of tricks, now had something of an innocent beauty to her that would only make those who saw her feel even more moved.
Zu An immediately felt his mood sink. He had been praying all the way there, hoping the Devil Sect Saintess they had spoken of wasn’t Qiu Honglei. Unfortunately, he was still disappointed in the end.
Qiu Honglei raised her head when she heard the incoming activity. Her stunning features even made Sun Xun feel something. She coldly berated him, saying, “What else do I have to say to someone like you…” However, when she saw Zu An behind him, her expression froze.
Sun Xun remarked with a ruminating expression, “You two know each other?”
Zu An laughed and said, “Last time, I was able to get a look, and I couldn't forget just how incredible and sexy this Devil Sect girl was. Now that we’ve met again, I think she looks much prettier this way. Compared to the past, I like her current state much more.”
Qiu Honglei snorted, exclaiming, “Wretched court dog!”