Chapter 1105: Gift

Yu Yanluo waved her hand towards the perimeter, signaling the many experts of the Yu family to stay back. At the same time, her gaze towards Zu An also became strange as she wondered if this man possessed some kind of magic over women, noting how even someone like Yan Xuehen seemed to be involved with him.

Zu An was equally bewildered: "Reverend Yan, we might be acquainted, but if you speak nonsense, I'll still accuse you of defamation. When did we ever spend a night together?"

With Yun Jianyue by his side, he naturally didn't need to fight Yan Xuehen to the death, nor did he need to provoke her by calling her 'old Daoist nun'.

"What nonsense..." Yan Xuehen's delicate brows furrowed, but noticing the strange looks from Yun Jianyue and Yu Yanluo, she finally understood the double meaning in her earlier words.

A blush appeared on her fair cheeks, fortunately concealed by her veil.

She let out a cold snort, then said, both ashamed and annoyed, "I meant that night in the ice cave of the Great Snow Mountain, it was actually you who acted."

"Reverend Yan, are you jesting? According to my information, it was Golden Token Eleven who helped Lady Yu and the Commander at that time." Zu An's heart skipped a beat. Had she guessed that he was Golden Token Eleven?

"That's right, I saw it with my own eyes, and the Commander can also testify. I'm not sure why you would say such a thing, Reverend." Yu Yanluo naturally offered to explain.

"Your relationship is indeed unusual, like a husband and wife," Yan Xuehen snorted coldly. "Believing whatever others say is what fools and simpletons do. For us, it's natural to make our own judgments."

"Just now, I held very little back and brought this young man to the brink of death multiple times. Yet, in such a critical situation, he never attempted to summon an Imperial Edict, proving that his edict had already been used." Yan Xuehen paused, "And the most recent time an Imperial Edict was used in Yunzhong Commandery was at the Great Snow Mountain. Such a huge commotion cannot be concealed from people."

"Tell me, why did you pin it on Golden Token Eleven? What exactly are you trying to hide?"

After speaking, she gazed sharply at the two of them.

At this, even Yun Jianyue's gaze became somewhat dangerous. From her experience in the Imperial Palace, she naturally knew that Zu An was Golden Token Eleven.

She had believed this was a secret between the two of them. When Zu An had revealed this identity to her, she hadn't said anything aloud, but she had been quite touched internally.

But now it seemed other women also knew his identity as Golden Token Eleven. Was this guy using these secrets to flirt with women?

Thinking this, her expression turned somewhat displeased.

Zu An glanced at her in surprise, unable to understand why she had suddenly become angry.

However, the immediate priority was to answer Yan Xuehen's doubts: "Mainly, at the time, it involved the deaths of several important figures in Yunzhong Commandery. If my identity were revealed to be involved, there might be unpredictable consequences later on."

"Moreover, Golden Token Eleven is elusive and mysterious. I was also worried that if the fact that I had used an Imperial Edict was exposed, other factions would no longer have any reservations about targeting us. That's why I borrowed Golden Token Eleven's name, to make people mistakenly believe I still possessed an Imperial Edict and thus be hesitant to act against us."

Hearing him say this, Yun Jianyue's expression relaxed considerably. So, this guy hadn't told anyone else that he was Golden Token Eleven after all.

"Is that so?" Yan Xuehen was still somewhat suspicious, but the explanation was reasonable enough. Her gaze then fell on Yu Yanluo, "Lady Yu, given how close you two are, does the Yunzhong Commander know?"

Yu Yanluo's heart skipped a beat, having naturally understood the underlying implication. She calmly replied, "This was discussed with the Commander at the time. Everything was done for the greater good."

Seeing that Yan Xuehen seemed intent on pressing further, Zu An, worried that the matter of the fake Commander might be exposed, quickly said, "Reverend Yan, your martial brother's body is still preserved. You can examine it yourself. With your esteemed cultivation, you should be able to discern who killed him."

"Hmph, I will naturally go investigate," Yan Xuehen sneered. "Just now you were calling me 'old Daoist nun' at every turn, and now you address me as 'esteemed elder.' I don't deserve such a title."

Zu An immediately became serious and said, "Elder, you are so elegant and peerless. If we walked side-by-side down the street, calling you my older sister would still make you seem too young. What scoundrel would call you an 'old Daoist nun'?"

Yu Yanluo: "..."

Yun Jianyue: "..."

Yan Xuehen was also somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, and she flicked her sleeve, leaving directly. "How could Chuyan possibly fall for a scoundrel like you!"

Zu An quickly waved at her retreating back, "Teacher-sister, walk slowly! Go back and tell our Chuyan that I'll find a chance to see her as soon as possible."

Yan Xuehen stumbled, almost falling from the sky.

First, 'old Daoist nun' became 'Reverend Yan', and now 'teacher-sister'?

How could this guy be so thick-skinned!

Fearing she might hear an even more outrageous title if she stayed, she left without looking back.

Seeing that she had truly left, Zu An finally breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure exerted by a Grandmaster was indeed extraordinary.

With such an icy master around, his and Chuyan's future might be quite troublesome...

At this moment, Yun Jianyue, who was not far away, beckoned him with a finger. "A'Zu, come with me. I have something to tell you."

Zu An gave Yu Yanluo a reassuring look, then quickly followed Yun Jianyue to the side.

From what had just transpired, Yu Yanluo naturally understood that the two were not enemies, but rather friends, and their relationship seemed even closer than ordinary friends.

She had heard that Yun Jianyue was injured by the Emperor during her assassination attempt in the Imperial Palace. Was the Purple Frost Divine Milk that Zu An had desperately tried to obtain meant for her?

Thinking this, she suddenly felt a pang of discomfort. The servants who came to clear the ruins saw the icy expression on her face and assumed she was angry about her room collapsing. None dared to speak loudly, fearing they might provoke her.

Meanwhile, Zu An looked at the beautiful woman with hair reaching her hips, a few sincere smiles appearing on his face. "Leader-sister, I hope you've been well."

"You have quite a few 'sisters', don't you? First a 'teacher-sister', now a 'leader-sister'." Yun Jianyue turned her head. Her face now lacked the charming enthusiasm she had shown in front of Yan Xuehen, instead bearing a chilling aura of indifference to life and death.

Zu An's heart sank. No wonder people in the martial world feared her so much; she was indeed quite terrifying when she wasn't smiling.

"Yan Xuehen is Chuyan's master after all. I didn't want to make things too awkward, and I had just cursed her quite harshly, so I took the opportunity to mend the rift between us."

"That 'Ice Stone Woman' is no ordinary person; she wouldn't be appeased by a few words from you." Yun Jianyue snorted, "But you're quite bold, young man, to dare to curse her like that."

Zu An's expression was strange. 'Ice Stone Woman' was a somewhat fitting title, but why 'Stone Woman'?

Yun Jianyue finally showed a trace of a smile. "But your curses made me feel great. That 'Ice Stone Woman' has maintained her aloof, fairy-like demeanor for so many years, with crowds of people fawning over her wherever she goes. It makes one sick to watch. You truly live up to what my... apprentice thinks highly of."

Zu An thought to himself that she was probably resentful of why others were treated as honored guests everywhere, while she was universally condemned.

"This time, it's thanks to Leader-sister's timely arrival. Otherwise, I would have fallen into that woman's clutches."

Only then did a hint of a smile appear on Yun Jianyue's face. "At least you have some conscience, young man. By the way, I heard you raided the Pegasus Commerce?"

Zu An thought, 'Here it comes.' "Yes, because they colluded with the demon race for smuggling, the Imperial Commissioner sent people to arrest them. I was worried about you and Honglei, so I rushed over. Fortunately, you weren't there."

"Hmph, how could those good-for-nothings ever harm me?" Yun Jianyue waved her hand, and a figure was summoned inside. "I've brought you a gift this time."