Chapter 1126: Sent to the Door

As Jiang Luofu spoke, she watched him, and seeing that his initial surprise quickly settled into a calm expression, she couldn't help but feel a little taken aback. "You don't seem worried or scared at all?" she asked.

"What is there to worry or be scared about? I'm used to this kind of thing anyway." Zu An thought of Qiao Xueying, who was an elf, and Kong Nanwu, who was a demon; he truly had grown accustomed to it.

Jiang Luofu assumed he was referring to Yu Yanluo and didn't suspect much, continuing, "Third Senior Brother pursued her relentlessly, eventually managing to severely wound her. However, through a twist of fate, he later discovered that she had never harmed anyone; on the contrary, she had saved many. Coupled with his growing feelings for her, he ultimately chose not to kill her, but to let her go."

"After that battle, he began to doubt his own beliefs. The reason his sword was invincible was his unwavering conviction. Now that the principle he had always believed in—slaying demons and eradicating evil—was called into question, his sword was no longer as sharp."

Zu An's expression turned odd. He thought of that popular saying from his past life: 'Women only slow down the drawing of my sword.' He never expected such a thing to actually happen in reality.

"Originally, this alone wouldn't have been too bad. With Third Senior Brother's talent, he should have been able to stabilize his mind again given some time." Jiang Luofu put down her teacup and sighed. "Unfortunately, something else happened later..."

"Pei Mianman's mother, due to the injury she sustained, lost the ability to defend herself and was severely wounded while being pursued by enemies. Although Third Senior Brother arrived in time to save her, she was poisoned and passed away not long after."

"Third Senior Brother felt that her death was his fault, and he carried immense guilt. Coupled with the double blow of losing his beloved, his mental state completely collapsed. He then fell into a long period of decline, rumored to be dead, only reappearing recently."

Zu An quickly asked, "Who killed Mianman's mother?"

Jiang Luofu shook her head. "Their origins are unknown, and with so much time having passed, I don't know who they were."

Zu An fell into thought. Were they human pursuers, or was it the demon race targeting her?

More importantly, why did she marry Pei Shao? And did Pei Shao know about her demon identity?

"Hmm?" Zu An suddenly realized something. "By the way, how long after she was injured was Mianman born? The timing feels off."

Jiang Luofu replied, "She was born before the injury. Mianman had just been born when she was wounded by Third Senior Brother."

Zu An was instantly dumbfounded. If he remembered correctly, it was just said that Xiao Yao initially liked Mianman's mother, but at that time, she had already given birth to a child.

He liked a married woman, and one with a child at that?

With his thick eyebrows and large eyes, Xiao Yao turned out to be this kind of person!

Jokes aside, the problem still needed to be addressed. "But he clearly knows Yu Yanluo is his junior sister from the same sect, yet he acts so ruthlessly. Isn't he afraid of that past regret happening again?"

Jiang Luofu also sighed. "What happened back then is his inner demon; he won't back down."

"So what will you do? You can't just ignore your senior sister, can you?" Zu An wondered if Grand Preceptor, that old fox, had made no arrangements at all.

Jiang Luofu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I can help you, but I need something from you."

Zu An was startled. "What's going on? She's your senior sister, not mine. Why has saving her become my responsibility?"

Jiang Luofu smiled cunningly. "You know, our master's disciples span a wide age range, and there are several whose identities even I don't know, and whom I've never met. Yu Yanluo is one of them. Though we are fellow disciples, we don't have any real bond."

"In terms of closeness, our relationship certainly can't compare to yours. While I've been traveling in Cloudripple Commandery recently, I've heard quite a few rumors about you two."

As she spoke, she was also secretly surprised. Yu Yanluo had been renowned for her beauty worldwide many years ago, and even the Emperor was among her admirers, yet she had never been seen truly close to anyone.

Although she always presented a gentle smile, anyone discerning could see the detachment beneath it.

Only Zu An seemed to have a closer relationship with her than anyone else, and now there were already gossip and rumors about the two of them circulating in the market.

Although some people had noticed that their relationship seemed to have deepened after the return of the Duke of Cloudripple this time, for most ordinary folk, marital affairs weren't particularly sensational.

Instead, a third party like Zu An garnered more attention. Anything linked to a secret connection carried an extra thrill.

Zu An was speechless. Grand Preceptor's disciples were truly more eccentric than the last. Even Jiang Luofu was so indifferent; no wonder Xiao Yao had shown no reservations when he heard Yu Yanluo was his junior sister.

"What do you want?"

Jiang Luofu's cold, elegant eyes gazed steadily at him. After a long silence, she parted her crimson lips. "The Phoenix Nirvana Sutra."

"What!" Even with Zu An's firm resolve, his expression couldn't help but change dramatically at that moment.

Jiang Luofu sighed. "I know you're shocked right now. To be honest with you, I was entrusted by someone to obtain this Phoenix Nirvana Sutra from you."

"King Qi?" Zu An said gravely.

"King Qi's Consort, though King Qi himself isn't far behind," Jiang Luofu said. "They know about our connection from Brightmoon City and want to use that relationship to trick the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra from you. I've been troubled by this matter."

"After much thought, I truly didn't want to resort to unscrupulous means to deceive you, so I decided to be direct. This way, no matter the outcome, you won't resent me too much in the future."

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. "Principal Sister, do you know what the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra truly means? How could it just be casually given away?"

"Of course I know. Many people do, in fact. Otherwise, you would have been captured and studied long ago, given how you rose from an ordinary person to your current level in just a year or two." Jiang Luofu leaned back, crossing her legs in a new position. "Even so, the more people covet the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra. It's just that they're wary of the Emperor; only King Qi dares to truly make a move now."

"Ah Zu, you're a smart person; you should understand the saying that possessing a treasure makes one a target. I don't know why the Emperor has spared you, but given his disposition, he won't tolerate you indefinitely."

"Rather than facing the Emperor alone in the future, it's better to let King Qi deal with him. King Qi has been planning for years; his only lacking aspect is personal cultivation. If he can obtain the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, he could fully contend with the Emperor. The more evenly matched they are in their struggle, the safer you will be, and the greater your value."

Zu An said indifferently, "Are you acting as King Qi's lobbyist now?"

Jiang Luofu shook her head. "Although the Jiang family is on good terms with King Qi, we haven't fully aligned with them. I'm saying all this purely because we are friends. Your current situation is truly dangerous. Neither the Emperor nor King Qi will likely let you go in the future, so you need to plan carefully."

"You can certainly refuse; I'll just report back to King Qi's Consort," she said, a hint of worry crossing her brow. "But if you do, King Qi will view you as a thorn in his side. You've already caused significant damage to many forces he painstakingly built up recently. If he hadn't been preoccupied with this matter, he likely would have acted against you much earlier."

"The Emperor could also legitimately use King Qi's hand to eliminate you, avoiding the reputation of harming loyal subjects."

Zu An couldn't help but exclaim, "Principal Sister, you truly live up to your title as the academy's enforcer. Your persuasive skills are top-notch! You've made it sound as if my best option is to hand over the secret manual."

Jiang Luofu leaned forward. "Whether you believe it or not, I truly am considering this from your best interests. I actually received this task a long time ago but hadn't acted on it until recently when I figured out what would benefit you most."

"I know making such a request must be very disappointing for you... Never mind, I'll just refuse them directly. But you truly need to make plans soon. Neither the Emperor nor King Qi is to be trifled with; they will undoubtedly make their move against you before long."

After speaking, she rose to leave, but to her surprise, she was grabbed.

Jiang Luofu turned back, her gaze falling on the hand gripping her, her expression one of confusion.

Zu An said indifferently, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? I never said no."

With that, he took out a scroll from his sleeve and handed it over. "This is what you wanted."

Jiang Luofu looked astonished. "You actually agreed?"

In truth, she hadn't held much hope. While she had indeed analyzed the situation from Zu An's perspective, she also knew in her heart that no one would willingly hand over such a peerless secret manual to others.

Zu An smiled faintly. "If anyone else had said what you just did, no matter how reasonable, I would have spat in their face. But Principal Sister, you are different. Anything you want, I will give."

He had been wondering how to give the fake Phoenix Nirvana Sutra to King Qi without raising suspicion, and now, unexpectedly, King Qi had come looking for it himself.

Jiang Luofu was momentarily stunned. A visible blush immediately appeared on her usually stern and cold face, a result of her long tenure as the academy's principal.