Chapter 1073: Paper Bride

Zu An was startled. "Is it that serious?"

Yu Yanluo, who was standing nearby, nodded. "Indeed. The human and demon races have been at war for so many years that a deep-seated hatred has long been established, and it's impossible to tell who is right or wrong anymore. If you were to publicly state what you just said, you would not only be attacked by political rivals in court and the wilderness but also likely be scorned by the common people. The same applies to anyone on the demon side who speaks well of the human race."

Zu An pondered for a moment before saying, "I'm not so arrogant as to imagine I can resolve the hatred between the two races. I only seek a clear conscience. For those who treat me as a friend, I have fine wine to greet them; for enemies, I have a big stick to send them away, regardless of whether they are human or demon."

Kong Qing secretly nodded upon hearing this. He naturally understood that Zu An had deliberately blurred the definition of 'friend', implying that any demon who got along with him would also become his friend. He thought, 'No wonder the Princess took a liking to this fellow; he's not as stubborn and narrow-minded as most humans.'

Yu Yanluo, on the other hand, looked at him several more times, as if seeing him in a new light.

There was a hint of joy in her eyes, but also a touch of worry. A personality like his could easily be exploited by ill-intentioned individuals, leading to a situation where neither the human nor the demon race could tolerate him, which would be problematic.

Kong Qing said, "There you have it. Madam Yu, you also do business with demons, and Brother Zu isn't as prejudiced against demons as most people. So, we really don't have any points of conflict, do we? We should rather turn enemies into friends and work together."

Zu An smiled. "Aren't you being a bit too audacious, trying to persuade an imperial envoy to collude with you?"

Yu Yanluo also stated, "Our paths diverge; we cannot conspire together. It's impossible for me to cooperate with you."

Kong Qing's expression darkened. "Then this will be difficult."

Jian Taiding, who was nearby, couldn't stand it anymore. "Brother Kong, why are you two chatting like old friends? Quickly deal with them, lest the night brings more trouble. Who knows if they've sent anyone to rush here?"

Previously, he had been severely wounded, recovered almost completely after taking the Vigour Sea Dog Pills, and then was severely wounded again. Not only did this render the pills useless, but the potent medicinal effects combined with his severe injuries left him weaker than ever. Naturally, he didn't want to stay in this cursed place.

Moreover, seeing Kong Qing trying to persuade the two to cooperate nearly scared him out of his wits.

What if those two actually agreed? How would he explain himself?

However, he was currently powerless to change anything. Only by returning to Cloud City, where he would have more resources at his disposal, would he have the confidence to contend with Kong Qing. That was why he urged them to act quickly.

At this moment, Zu An took the opportunity to send a vital energy message to Yu Yanluo: "Madam, please help me stall for a while. I will summon the Emperor's power to deal with them."

This Kong Qing was unfathomable, and the few individuals accompanying him all had deep auras. Except for the child, each of their cultivation levels was higher than Uncle Ming's. If they truly engaged in combat, Zu An and Yu Yanluo would be no match for such a lineup.

Therefore, the plan was to immediately use a trump card to suppress them first.

Yu Yanluo hummed in affirmation. "Alright, I'll do my best. Hurry."

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, feeling a bit troubled. Each of these individuals across from them seemed to be on par with her, not even counting Kong Qing, who was a late-stage Grandmaster.

Although she possessed the unique skill of the painting world, it was still unknown whether she could withstand the attacks of so many masters.

By her estimation, if they attacked with full force, she could only delay them for a maximum of three breaths, unless...

Seeing their lips subtly moving, Kong Qing guessed that the two were communicating. He then spoke, "Brother Zu, how about we make an agreement? I won't make a move, and you won't use your imperial edict. What do you say?"

Although he had left the Zhenyuan Chamber of Commerce early last time, he naturally sensed the significant commotion caused by the imperial edict's summoning. He later found out what had happened by inquiring about it.

Zu An was taken aback. He never expected the other party to make such a request.

Jian Taiding immediately cried out, "Brother Kong, are you insane? Why would you make such an agreement?"

As a Grandmaster, he naturally understood that while the imperial edict was powerful, it had a very long wind-up time.

For a late-stage Grandmaster like Kong Qing, the time it took to summon the imperial edict was more than enough for him to kill the summoner several times over. This condition clearly amounted to crippling oneself.

Yu Yanluo was also surprised. From the beginning, she had found Kong Qing's attitude toward Zu An strange, and now it was confirmed.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Kong Qing smiled slightly. "Brother Zu, you are a good friend of our Princess, and I don't want us to fall out. How about this: you don't use the imperial edict, I won't make a move, and you two fight my subordinates. If you win, I'll leave immediately; if you lose, you agree to cooperate with us. What do you say?"

Jian Taiding was both shocked and enraged. "Fine! So this kid has been colluding with the demon race all along! He spent all day yelling about killing me; where does he get the nerve?!"

Rage points from Jian Taiding +574+574+574...

He felt utterly stifled. Before, when he conducted business with demons, he had to be as cautious as a thief, while these people criticized him endlessly from their moral high ground.

And now, it turns out they were all secretly colluding with the demon race?

And with a high-ranking figure like the Princess, no less!

Heavens, what kind of world is this?

Yu Yanluo also cast a strange look at Zu An and murmured, "The Princess?"

She never expected this man to have a connection with the demon Princess.

Come to think of it, ever since she met him, he's always been surrounded by all sorts of beautiful women: Ji Xiaoxi from the outskirts of Brightmoon City, and Miss Chu... Now, even the demon Princess seems to have a deep connection with him, and even her own relationship with him is closer than with other men.

Is this man fated to have countless romantic encounters?

Zu An was a bit confused but quickly realized that Kong Qing was likely referring to Kong Nanwu, probably because he had sensed the peacock feather on him during their last encounter. No wonder he felt Kong Qing was treating him differently today. Had Kong Qing misunderstood something?

Kong Qing ignored Jian Taiding's clamor and continued to look at Zu An. "As a good friend of the Princess, you naturally have a broader perspective than ordinary mortals. Even if you lose, cooperating with us wouldn't be so bad."

Zu An was still pondering, when to his surprise, Yu Yanluo spoke first: "Alright, we agree."

"Madam!" Zu An exclaimed in shock. How could she agree to such a thing so casually?

Yu Yanluo shook her head at him and transmitted a vital energy message: "It takes too long for you to prepare the imperial edict, and I might not be able to withstand all their attacks alone. If Kong Qing doesn't make a move, we still stand a chance against the rest. Let's get through this immediate crisis first."

"Alright, I'll follow your lead, Madam." Zu An smiled at her.

Yu Yanluo's cheeks flushed slightly. She thought, 'No wonder this guy is so popular with women; he's really good at charming them.'

In truth, given her beauty and reputation, she had encountered more skilled flirtatious tactics over the years, but those only made her feel awkward and wary. Only this man could evoke such feelings in her.

"Hahaha," Kong Qing laughed. "Madam Yu is indeed straightforward. Be careful, though. My subordinates are not ordinary people; you might not be able to defeat them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Azure Wolf King stepped forward, a low growl rumbling in its throat and a fierce glint in its eyes.

The Night Elf picked up a slender, long sword, licked it with a crimson tongue, and emanated a strong killing intent.

The woman in the vibrant red wedding dress first led the child she was holding to a corner, settling him there, before gracefully walking over to her companions.

Zu An and Yu Yanluo stood side by side.

"Be careful!"

"Watch out!"

They both cautioned each other at the same time, and upon hearing each other's words, they couldn't help but smile knowingly.

"Those scoundrels!" Jian Taiding gritted his teeth, but he was more concerned with something else at the moment: What did Kong Qing mean by making this decision? Was he planning to abandon him?

The two sides faced off for a long time before the Night Elf finally couldn't hold back. "I'll go first!"

With that, he vanished into the shadow cast by the Azure Wolf King's massive body. The next moment, he appeared beside Yu Yanluo, thrusting his sword towards her waist with the cunning precision of a venomous snake, showing no mercy for her beauty.

Yu Yanluo remained calm. She immediately summoned the "Thousand Miles of Mountains and Seas Scroll" to shield herself, instantly enveloping the opponent's figure.

In an instant, she had drawn the opponent into the painting's world.

However, there was no trace of joy on her face; instead, she let out a surprised 'Oh?'

"Watch out!" At that moment, Zu An suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her aside, while flicking his finger to deflect a thin sword that had lunged from another direction.

Yu Yanluo quickly looked at her scroll. There was indeed a Night Elf within it, but ripples quickly appeared on the figure's body, and it ultimately transformed into a paper cut-out.

Jian Taiding watched as his long-admired "sister-in-law" was held by another man around the waist, yet showed no sign of discomfort, seemingly already accustomed to such physical contact. He was so enraged that he nearly spat blood.

Nevertheless, as a prominent figure of his generation, he quickly reined in his jealousy and looked towards the woman in the red wedding dress.

Although he was severely wounded and critically ill, his Grandmaster's eyesight remained, and he naturally saw that the attack just now had come from this woman.

"Transforming paper into a person, and dressed in such distinctive attire, could Your Excellency be the legendary 'Paper Bride'?" Yu Yanluo's gaze at the woman in the wedding dress immediately became exceptionally solemn.