Chapter 1120: Important Person

Zuan's decisive action was clearly a warning shot, meant to deter others. Xu Yu's men had already been aggressive, and if Zuan didn't react, his own subordinates would lose morale, and the opponents would become increasingly audacious.

He had always heard arrogant villains in TV dramas utter such words and secretly longed for the chance to say them himself. He never expected to find the opportunity today. And it felt quite satisfying, he had to admit. No wonder so many villains enjoyed shouting such slogans.

As for the consequences, he wasn't worried in the slightest. If they tried anything underhanded, his current cultivation meant he had nothing to fear. If they tried to escalate the matter through official channels, offending a duke was a major crime to begin with, and all the imperial envoys were on his side. How could they possibly contend with him?

Huh? The more he spoke, the more he sounded like a villain.

He had initially expected the other party to resist or hurl insults, and he had prepared for such a response. To his surprise, once he spoke, no one raised any objections. It was as if his words were entirely expected.

Fei Xun, enduring the severe pain, hurriedly cupped his hands and apologized, "This humble subordinate acted impulsively today and offended the Duke. I hope the Duke will not take offense."

There was no reason to fear a severely wounded, dying duke, but the cultivation displayed by the man just now showed no signs of injury whatsoever. He was merely eager for promotion, but he wasn't a fool. There was no way he would continue to confront the Duke in this situation. He quickly summoned his subordinates and left in a hurry, looking disheveled. As for arresting demon fugitives, no one dared to utter another word about it.

After these people left, the guards and maids of the manor excitedly gathered around Zuan, exclaiming, "Duke!" Their fate was tied to their master's; the more powerful the Duke, the more honor they received. Otherwise, they would be bullied by petty individuals with no recourse, just as had happened moments ago.

At this point, someone quickly reported what had happened concerning Yu Yanluo. Zuan nodded and said, "I understand. Summon General Wang, General Li, General Chen... to the manor for a discussion." The names he mentioned were all Jianyanyou's remaining confidantes in the governor's mansion, along with some individuals who had always maintained good relations with the Yu family.

After giving his orders, he went to the inner residence and found Chu Ji. Chu Ji was tearfully speaking with Xingnu. Seeing his arrival, she quickly rose and knelt, pleading, "Please, Duke, save the Madam."

Zuan helped her up, saying, "I already know what happened. Please don't cry." Then he looked at Xingnu and asked, "Where are your clansmen hidden? I'll arrange for you to leave the city first."

Xingnu seemed a bit dazed, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity when he spoke to her. She was about to answer but then hesitated, worried that if he was trying to trick her, her clansmen would be in danger. As Yu Yanluo's personal maid, she naturally knew that the two were only husband and wife in name. The only exception was a few days ago when they seemed to have slept together, but afterward, when she subtly questioned Yu Yanluo, the Madam said nothing had happened between her and the Duke. Therefore, Xingnu was concerned the Duke might betray them in this critical situation.

At this moment, Chu Ji, who was standing by, said, "Sister Xingnu, the Duke can be completely trusted." Others might not know, but she was fully aware of the relationship between them. The Madam had even brought him in to impersonate the Duke, so he was definitely someone trustworthy. In fact, she and Liu Ji had privately speculated about his true identity, but both had tacitly agreed not to expose it.

Xingnu was extremely surprised, but considering Chu Ji was the Duke's intimate companion, if she said so, it should be fine. Besides, she had no one else to turn to now. So she replied, "In recent years, Madam saw that our clansmen were living too hard in the north, so she arranged for people to do business there, exchanging local specialties for the food, medicine, and various daily necessities our people desperately needed. All of this had to be done with extreme secrecy; even a hint of it getting out would lead to disaster. That's why we carefully selected some intelligent clansmen to come to Cloudridge Commandery to manage all these businesses. At the same time, we also brought some talented clansmen to study in human society, so they could return and better build our homeland. Initially, Madam worried about unforeseen incidents, so she didn't have the clansmen stay at the Yu family residence but arranged for them to be in various secret locations throughout the city. Now it seems, Madam was truly farsighted."

Zuan thought to himself that Yu Yanluo's state of mind must have been quite conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to take care of her maternal clan as much as possible, but with the millennium-long conflict between humans and demons, she also worried about implicating her father's Yu family.

"By the way, where is Butler Fu? Can you contact him?" The old man from the carriage, whose cultivation was indeed formidable, came to his mind. If he had been there to protect her, Yu Yanluo wouldn't have been captured so easily this time.

"Madam sent him to the neighboring commandery to deal with a batch of hijacked goods. By my reckoning, he should be returning soon. If we can get out of the city, I have a way to contact him," Xingnu replied.

Chu Ji then said, "However, it seems the city gates are already sealed, so leaving the city will likely be very difficult. Moreover, the Duke is certainly a prime target for surveillance. If he escorts you out of the city under his own name, he would be in considerable danger if exposed."

Xingnu was also conflicted and quickly said, "I wouldn't dare let the Duke risk himself. Whether we can leave the city is a minor matter. I implore the Duke to prioritize rescuing the Madam."

Zuan pondered for a moment before replying, "You needn't panic. I will save the Madam, and I will also find a way to get you out of the city. First, go and inform your clansmen remaining in the city to stay calm and not to act impulsively and expose themselves, as that would make rescue even more troublesome. Xingnu, you should not show yourself; they are searching everywhere for you now."

Chu Ji said, "I'll go inform them."

Zuan glanced at her. "Be careful. I imagine there are people watching the Duke's mansion now."

Feeling his concern, Chu Ji's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head shyly. "Don't worry, I've had training in this area before. It won't be a problem."

Zuan nodded, reassuring the two women with a few words. Soon, a servant came to report that the generals were arriving one after another.

"That quickly?" Zuan was a bit surprised. Upon asking, he learned that news of Yu Yanluo's predicament had already spread, and a group of people had instinctively rushed to consult him, coincidentally encountering the individuals he had sent out.

Zuan then went out to discuss matters with these generals in a secret room. Not long after, the group emerged with solemn expressions. Soon, several armies gathered in formidable formations outside the city. Due to checks and balances, the main forces of the Governor's Mansion were mostly stationed outside the city.

The city guards immediately grew extremely nervous, strictly manning the gates, and simultaneously dispatched someone to report to Xu Yu. However, Xu Yu had no time to deal with these reports, as "Jianyanyou," accompanied by his own private guards and those from various generals' mansions, had already arrived at the Prefect's residence.

While having his subordinates set up defenses everywhere, Xu Yu himself, beaming, greeted the approaching party at the entrance. "I thought the Duke was recuperating. I didn't expect such a swift recovery." At the same time, Xiao Yao stood beside him, clutching his sword, clearly prepared to counter any attempt to capture their leader first. Sang Hong also rushed over upon hearing the news.

Zuan scanned the people present and said coldly, "If you don't come out now, the sky is about to change."

Xu Yu shook his head. "No matter what, this sky belongs to the Great Zhou Dynasty and His Majesty. It cannot change."

Zuan knew Xu Yu was intentionally using the imperial court and the Emperor to pressure him. He stated calmly, "This humble Jianyanyou has always been diligent these past years. While I may not claim countless glorious achievements for the court, I have certainly contributed significantly through hard work. So why does Lord Xu, without distinguishing right from wrong, seek to arrest my wife?"

Xu Yu replied, "The Duke misunderstands. This official has no intention of targeting the Duke. Yu Yanluo was arrested simply because she is a Medusa, a demon race hidden within human society!"

Upon hearing this, the ordinary soldiers on Zuan's side exchanged bewildered glances. They had only known that Yu Yanluo was arrested but were unaware of the specific reason. Learning she was a Medusa, they all looked puzzled. The generals also frowned slightly. They had heard some rumors before but had been somewhat skeptical, never expecting this to be the true reason.

"Nonsense!" Zuan roared. "Can I not discern whether my own wife is human or demon? Do I need an outsider like you to identify her?" As soon as he said this, his subordinates nodded in agreement, and the small stir quickly subsided. In their view, this was merely Xu Yu's attempt to frame Yu Yanluo.

Xu Yu replied, "The demon race has always been cunning, so it's not surprising to be deceived. I'm ashamed to admit that even this official was once charmed by Madam Yu's grace, only recently discovering the truth. The Duke need not be troubled by this. Guards, present the evidence for the Duke's inspection."

Zuan naturally knew what the evidence was, and if it were revealed, his side's morale would collapse. He immediately raised a hand to stop them. "There's no need! After all these years together, I clearly know my wife's character. On a normal day, she wouldn't even kill a chicken, and she'd shed tears if she accidentally stepped on an ant. To accuse such a kind woman of being a demon is utterly ridiculous. Even if there's any evidence, it must be fabricated by you."

The soldiers, recalling Yu Yanluo's extraordinary beauty and her usual gentle and kind demeanor, also began shouting about the injustice. Not just the ordinary soldiers, but even the generals refused to believe Yu Yanluo could be a Medusa.

Xu Yu frowned. "As far as I know, the Duke and Yu Yanluo have only been nominal husband and wife for years, never living together. It's quite normal that you might not know her true nature."

Many people in the hall immediately began whispering. Only a few knew the true nature of Jianyanyou and Yu Yanluo's relationship, and now, learning they were only husband and wife in name, everyone was extremely surprised. Some officials even began to breathe rapidly. If the two weren't truly married and Yu Yanluo was still a virgin, wouldn't they also have a chance? However, the thought that Yu Yanluo might be a Medusa quickly brought a renewed frown to their faces.

"Heh, there's no need to try and sow discord between my wife and me," Zuan replied. "The reason we live separately is that we are both leaders of our respective families and have busy affairs to attend to. But this does not affect our affection for each other. We frequently meet and spend time together, and my understanding of her is definitely far greater than yours, Lord Xu."

Both sides argued their points. Zuan's subordinates naturally believed their Duke. As for Xu Yu's side, they trusted Xu Yu's words more, leading to an immediate stalemate.

Xu Yu's expression darkened. "Duke, are you determined to harbor a demon?"

"Don't falsely accuse me. I am merely here to rescue my innocent wife." Zuan then made a gesture, and the guards behind him all drew their long swords, immediately filling the air with a chilling aura of hostility. "Today, I am taking my wife home. Anyone who dares to stand in my way, beware my merciless hand!"