Chapter 1132: On the Verge of Exposure

Zu An’s heart skipped a beat, as he recognized Sang Hong’s voice.

Yu Yanluo’s beautiful face also subtly changed, clearly distressed at being stopped at the last moment.

However, both understood Sang Hong’s meticulous nature and, fearing discovery, lowered their heads.

Soon, Sang Hong led a team of people to their side and asked, “How is Lady Yu now?”

Having been entrusted by Zu An, he naturally did not want anything to happen to Yu Yanluo.

“Everything is fine,” replied the leading guard. Having been brainwashed by Daji, he had completely forgotten what had just happened, believing he was simply ending his shift as usual.

Yu Yanluo secretly admired her, thinking that the mysterious girl was truly remarkable. While her own eye techniques were powerful, they were often not as effective as the girl’s.

Sang Hong nodded and turned to walk into the courtyard.

Zu An and Yu Yanluo breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that they had narrowly escaped danger.

Who knew that as soon as Sang Hong took a step, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and demanded, “Wait! You two in the middle, look up. Why have I never seen you before?”

Zu An inwardly cursed. He had never expected Sang Hong to be so meticulous, remembering the faces of every shift of guards.

Alas, if only he had known this, he wouldn’t have entrusted him with protecting Yu Yanluo earlier.

“We are new arrivals…” Zu An knew well that such an explanation wouldn’t fool the astute Sang Hong. As he answered, he grabbed Yu Yanluo and ran outwards.

“Seize them!” Sang Hong, with his keen attention to detail, would never carelessly tip off his prey. Before speaking, he had already discreetly signaled the outer guards to prepare.

As the two rushed out, they were met by a volley of powerful crossbow bolts. These military-grade crossbows, developed by the academy, were capable of piercing through the leather armor of demon tribes and even the elemental defense membranes of cultivators.

Such weapons were typically reserved for the military’s most elite units. Xu Yu had clearly gone to great lengths, secretly mobilizing a group of crossbowmen to lie in ambush outside.

Zu An wielded the saber attached to his guard uniform, deflecting all the incoming bolts.

Even with his current cultivation level, he felt a slight numbness in his hand, which showed how astonishing the force behind the bolts was.

In that brief moment, Sang Hong had already blocked their path.

The guards behind them also drew their sabers and charged forward.

The defense system previously established by Xu Yu immediately activated. Alarm bells rang throughout the mansion, their deep tones quickly spreading across the entire Cloud City.

At the same time, bursts of fireworks shot from the mansion’s highest tower, clearly a dual alert to warn the surroundings and summon all relevant personnel from near and far for support.

By White Cloud Lake in the south of the city, passersby occasionally cast glances towards a pavilion by the lake, where a strikingly beautiful woman sat, her long legs encased in black stockings being particularly eye-catching.

Many even imagined how comfortable it would be to be trodden on by those legs.

But such thoughts remained mere fantasies. Some bold scoundrels who tried to flirt earlier were all thrown into the freezing lake by the drunken lout opposite her, losing half their lives to the bitter cold.

Alas, many wondered how such a beautiful, long-legged woman could be involved with such a fierce, rotten drunkard.

Many lamented, shaking their heads, “Why are pretty women always blind when it comes to choosing partners?”

At that moment, Xiao Yao in the pavilion looked grim. “These fellows talk too much. I’ll go teach them a lesson.”

Jiang Luofu, seated opposite him, smilingly stopped him. “Even I, who am being insulted, am not angry. Why should you be upset, Senior Brother?”

Xiao Yao grunted discontentedly, clearly annoyed.

Jiang Luofu said, “I just suggested you return to the sect. What have you decided?”

Xiao Yao fell silent, then after a long pause, he said, “I have immense respect for our teacher and deeply miss my days at the academy. However, I still have unfinished business. If I were to rejoin the sect now and become an academy disciple, my actions would inevitably be constrained.”

“Furthermore, anything I do personally could easily implicate the academy and our teacher. So, for now, it’s better to maintain the status quo. Consider the Xiao Yao of yesteryear dead.”

Jiang Luofu sighed. “Senior Brother, you underestimate our teacher too much. With his cultivation and status, how could he possibly fear being implicated by you?”

Xiao Yao said gravely, “Our teacher naturally isn’t afraid, but as a disgraced disciple, I shouldn’t cause him any more trouble.”

Jiang Luofu was about to continue persuading him when suddenly, a series of dull chimes echoed.

Xiao Yao’s expression changed. “Oh no, something’s happened over there.”

As he spoke, the plain sword at his waist flew out. He instantly vanished, stepping onto the sword and flying away, becoming a black speck disappearing into the distance.

“Oh!” Jiang Luofu, halfway through reaching out, futilely lowered her hand, muttering to herself, “I had intended to keep him occupied a bit longer for you, but I didn’t expect him to be so quick. Zu, have you rescued her?”

Meanwhile, Xu Yu was secretly trailing the Duke’s mansion’s carriage procession with his men. His brow furrowed tighter and tighter as the carriages stopped several times along the way, behaving suspiciously.

He stealthily investigated but found nothing.

Later, he even began to suspect that the other party was simply out for a winter excursion with his concubines.

Just then, he felt a sudden intuition. He looked back at Cloud City and saw the fireworks rising into the sky.

His face instantly paled. “Damn it, a diversion!”

With that, he turned his horse around and galloped straight towards Cloud City.

The incident was so sudden that he didn’t check the carriage where Jian Yanyou was supposed to be.

Having trailed them the entire way, a blind spot in his thinking had formed: it seemed impossible for the target to leave right under his nose.

Instead, he was worried that if he investigated, he would get entangled and delayed.

At this moment, Liu Ji and Chu Ji, who were in the leading carriage, also noticed the commotion in the city. Both wore worried expressions and simultaneously remarked:

“I wonder if the Duke (he) succeeded.”

Hearing each other’s voices, both women paused, sensing the concern in the other’s tone. Yet, the person they were referring to was not the Duke.

Realizing this, both felt awkward.

Meanwhile, Zu An’s situation was chaotic. He knew very well that if they were entangled, more and more experts would arrive, and he and Yu Yanluo would eventually be outnumbered.

Crucially, this would greatly increase the chance of his identity being exposed, an outcome he could not currently afford.

Therefore, seeing Sang Hong block their path, he dared not prolong the fight and directly sent him flying with a palm strike.

Then, he swiftly disappeared beyond the courtyard wall with Yu Yanluo.

Sang Hong scrambled up from the ground, feeling several waves of gentle force surge within him, almost making him lose his balance. He quickly circulated his energy to regulate his breathing.

He was inwardly astonished: “This person’s cultivation is terrifyingly high!”

However, his expression quickly became peculiar, as he keenly realized that the palm strike just now could have easily gravely wounded him, yet the attacker had taken the trouble to use a gentle force, as if afraid of harming him.

“Someone motivated to save Yu Yanluo, highly cultivated, and yet unwilling to harm me…”

Sang Hong’s heart skipped a beat. “Could it be Ah Zu?”

At this moment, other guards had gathered around him. “Lord Sang, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. You follow me to check on Lady Yu, and the rest of you pursue the fugitives.” Sang Hong thought to himself that this was the only way he could secretly help him; he couldn’t openly tell everyone not to pursue.

He quickly entered the courtyard and found guards sprawled on the ground, and as expected, Yu Yanluo was nowhere to be seen.

He couldn’t help but look worried, thinking, “Ah Zu, if you’re not careful, this could lead to eternal damnation.”

Just then, a whooshing sound echoed, and Xiao Yao appeared in the room. “What happened?”

“Lady Yu was rescued,” Sang Hong snorted. “Mr. Xiao, why weren’t you guarding the mansion at such a crucial moment?”

Knowing Xiao Yao’s high cultivation level, and worried about Zu An’s safety, he tried his best to delay him.

Xiao Yao’s expression changed, and Jiang Luofu’s image flashed through his mind. It was she who had coincidentally invited him out today...

However, she was his junior sister from the same sect, and unlike Yu Yanluo, she wasn’t a Medusa. He naturally didn’t want to involve her. “Which way did the culprits run?”

Just as Sang Hong was about to intervene, someone nearby pointed in the direction Zu An had fled.

Xiao Yao’s figure flickered, and he was already flying away on his sword.

Sang Hong’s brows furrowed. Unfortunately, he hadn’t bought more time. After a moment’s thought, he also hurried after them.

Not long after, Xu Yu also rushed back alone, evidently unwilling to wait for his main force, sprinting rapidly using his movement techniques.

He immediately directed various contingents to pursue and intercept the two escapees, while simultaneously inquiring about the circumstances of Yu Yanluo’s rescue from the mansion staff.

After hearing the full account, he looked incredulous. His supposedly impenetrable defense line had been breached without a sound?

Who in the entire Cloud City possessed such skill?

A sudden thought struck him, and he immediately thought of one person.

“Follow me!” he said, then led his subordinates directly to the Imperial Envoy’s Residence.

I recommend my friend’s new book, “The Martial Man,” also on Zongheng; it can be found in the app.

Additionally, I’m quite ashamed about my poor state recently, but I should be able to resume regular updates in the next few days.