Chapter 1045: I Came at the Wrong Time

At this moment, Zu An took something out of his embrace, but Yan Xuehen didn't pay it much mind.

It was perfectly normal for cultivators to possess their own magical artifacts. For instance, Zhuang Hetong's golden brick, once refined and inscribed with specific magical arrays, could unleash immense power.

However, the person in question wasn't even a Grandmaster, and had just been severely injured along with Jian Taiding. Even if he possessed a magical artifact, how powerful could it be?

Just then, Zu An unrolled the yellow scroll. With a solemn expression, he declared in a loud voice, "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

As his voice resonated, clouds began to gather in the sky, and an inexplicable aura of suppression subtly started to coalesce.

Yan Xuehen: "???"

Jian Taiding: "???"

Qiu Honglei and Tang Tian'er: "???"

The others: "..."

Many present were well-informed and naturally understood what an imperial decree was and how terrifying its power could be.

Feeling the surrounding pressure intensify, Yan Xuehen instinctively wanted to stop Zu An's chanting. However, she immediately remembered her promise not to interfere with his spell casting.

She finally understood why he had imposed so many conditions on her.

Any other person might have attacked directly, but she had always valued her standing. How could she go back on her word?

Yet, she wasn't confident enough to withstand a direct strike from the Emperor here.

With a light touch of her foot, she swiftly flew into the distance.

On the ground, Jian Taiding and Yu Xuantao, who had been beaten half to death earlier, were both swept up by a swirling ice storm and rapidly vanished into the distance.

"You brat, you're ruthless!"

Enrage points from Yan Xuehen +666 +666 +666...

Watching them disappear, Zu An put away the imperial decree and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, Yan Xuehen came from a reputable sect and kept her promises. Otherwise, with her Grandmaster cultivation, if she had attacked him just now, he wouldn't have been able to successfully activate the imperial decree.

The imperial decree indeed had clear advantages and disadvantages: its power was truly unbeatable, but its casting time was simply too long.

Normally, when an imperial decree was read, imperial envoys and guards would provide defense, allowing for a calm recitation, so a slight wind-up time wasn't an issue.

After all, the Emperor hadn't anticipated it being used by someone acting alone.

Since they had fled, he naturally wouldn't continue to summon the Emperor's power.

This item was akin to a nuclear weapon; its deterrent effect was greater than its direct use.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the imperial palace, Emperor Taishi suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed someone summoning his power, but it seemed to have been canceled shortly after.

His expression turned grim, and he immediately called Eunuch Wen in, "Go investigate what exactly happened in Yunzhong Commandery!"

During the previous trip to Bright Moon City, the Embroidered Uniform Envoys like Huang Huihong had been killed before they could successfully unleash the power of the imperial decree.

If something similar happened again, where would the imperial court's dignity be?

"Yes, your servant will go investigate immediately." Feeling his anger, Eunuch Wen bowed respectfully.

The Emperor waved his hand, walked to the window, and looked towards the northwest, his face clouded with gloom.

At this time, in Kuning Palace, the beautiful Empress called Eunuch Lu in, "Was there a disturbance in the heavens and earth just now?"

Seeing her alluring curves, a flicker of heat passed through Eunuch Lu's eyes, but it quickly dissipated. He lowered his head and replied, "Indeed, it seemed someone was summoning His Majesty's power."

"Oh?" The Empress instantly sat upright, her chest swelling as if it might burst through her robes at any moment. "Could something have happened to Zu An?"

A hint of jealousy flashed in Eunuch Lu's eyes. "Zu An is shrewd and cunning, and his cultivation is quite good. Moreover, he has the status of an imperial envoy. It's unlikely anything serious happened to him. Also, His Majesty didn't intervene just now, so it seems the summoning in Yunzhong Commandery wasn't fully completed."

The Empress sighed in relief, "I hope so."

Eunuch Lu said with a touch of sourness, "Your Majesty seems very concerned about that Zu An."

The Empress ran her fingers over her long, jewel-encrusted nail guards and lightly snorted, "I'm just worried that if that fellow dies, there'll be no one left to heal me."

"This past period, I've been cultivating on my own, but after all this time, it's still not as effective as one night with him. It truly infuriates me."

"That fellow's constitution is truly peculiar," Eunuch Lu said. Although he already knew about this, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn't show it, however, and instead thoughtfully said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Once he returns, your old servant will bring him to heal you."

"You are quite thoughtful, Little Lu Zi," the Empress said, recalling her previous attempts to find Zu An, which made her gnash her teeth. "The last few times I sought him, he actually made excuses and avoided me. Am I not beautiful enough, or is my status not noble enough?"

Eunuch Lu, hunching his back, offered a fawning smile, "Your Majesty worries too much. You are the most beautiful and noble woman in the world."

The Empress snorted, "Then tell me, why would he avoid me?"

"He is likely worried about being discovered by His Majesty," Eunuch Lu explained.

The Empress fell into thought. "Then I'll find a few opportunities to leave the palace and stay at a nearby royal villa for a while. I can call him over then. That way, he'll be able to act without worry, right?"

"Your Majesty is brilliant." Eunuch Lu felt a sourness in his heart, but his breathing quickened. "Your Majesty should occasionally leave the palace for a few days these next few weeks. That way, future departures won't arouse suspicion."

The Empress hummed, "You're still the most thoughtful. I'll leave these matters to you."

She had indeed rarely left the palace in recent years, so it was best to prepare in advance.

"Yes, your servant will handle everything perfectly." Eunuch Lu bowed and slowly backed out.

Inside the East Palace, Bi Linglong stood by the window, gazing blankly at the sky.

Her maid, Rong Mo, quickly brought a cashmere cloak and draped it over her. "Crown Princess, it's so cold. Be careful not to fall ill."

Bi Linglong instinctively replied, "Is it even colder in Yunzhong Commandery now?"

Rong Mo's expression turned strange. "Is the Crown Princess worried about Master Zu?"

Bi Linglong's heart skipped a beat, realizing her lapse. But she quickly composed herself and said with her usual composure, "After all, Master Zu represents our East Palace. If this assignment goes awry, it would negatively impact the Crown Prince."

Rong Mo then relaxed. "Crown Princess, there's no need to worry. Master Zu's cultivation is good, and he's part of the imperial envoy delegation. How could anything happen to him?"

"But I just now seemed to sense an anomaly in the sky, as if someone was using an imperial decree to summon the Emperor's power. Unfortunately, it didn't continue," Bi Linglong said, a trace of worry clouding her brow. "I wonder if they gave up casting it or were interrupted by an enemy."

"Crown Princess, you're overthinking it. Yunzhong Commandery is, after all, imperial territory. Who would dare to do anything to an imperial envoy delegation?" Rong Mo reassured her.

"I hope so." Bi Linglong rubbed her chest and turned back to her bed. "Oh, right, tomorrow morning, go to both the Embroidery Tower and the Department of State Affairs to inquire if there's any latest news from Yunzhong Commandery."

"Yes, Crown Princess. Please get some rest early." Rong Mo covered her with the blanket. As she exited, she wondered why the Crown Princess seemed to have grown considerably larger than before.

Hmm, I should secretly find an opportunity to ask her.

I want to improve too!

Meanwhile, Bi Linglong tossed and turned sleeplessly in bed, thinking about that scoundrel Ah Zu. He had been gone for so long and hadn't even thought to write a letter back.

Although their statuses were sensitive, he could at least write to the Crown Prince to report his safety.

What a scoundrel!

Achoo!

At the Zhenyuan Merchants' Association, Zu An sneezed.

"Ah Zu, what's wrong?" Qiu Honglei rushed over to support him.

"Nothing, maybe someone's thinking of me," Zu An chuckled.

Qiu Honglei, however, looked at his blood-stained robes with a worried expression. "You're so badly injured; how can you be fine?"

As she spoke, she took out some medicinal powder for wounds and applied it to him.

"Thank you!" An Zu couldn't help but grasp her hand. He wouldn't forget how she had desperately shielded him earlier.

"There's no need for such words between us," Qiu Honglei said with a slight smile, then carefully bandaged his wound.

Although she already knew about his special constitution, seeing the sword wound on his chest already showing signs of healing still startled her.

"Cough, cough!" A light cough sounded from not far away.

Qiu Honglei's body trembled, and she quickly turned her head. "Master!"

Zu An was startled and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw a beautiful woman with hair reaching her hips standing on a distant treetop.

It was deep winter, and the trees were all bare. The branch she stood on was incredibly thin; even a bird would likely make it sway. Yet, with a full-grown person standing on it, the branch remained perfectly still.

The moon hanging in the sky formed the perfect backdrop, making it seem as if she had stepped out from the moon itself.

"Am I interrupting your affectionate moments?" Yun Jianyue asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes despite her smile.

"No, no..." Qiu Honglei was startled and quickly jumped away from Zu An. "I just happened to run into Ah Zu."

Yun Jianyue snorted, then her gaze fell upon Zu An. "You clearly know she's cultivating a special technique and cannot be entangled in romantic love right now, yet you insist on pestering her?"

"Uh..." For some reason, Zu An wasn't as afraid facing Yun Jianyue as he had been facing Yan Xuehen. "Our feelings are genuine, but our actions are within propriety. We haven't pestered her or affected her in any way."

Yun Jianyue knew of his evasiveness and couldn't be bothered to argue with him about it. She looked directly into the distance. "I seemed to sense Yan Xuehen's aura just now. Where is she?"