Chapter 1207: Thinking Alike

Zu'an wanted to stop it, but it was too late, so he simply gave up. So many terrible things had happened today that one more wouldn't make a difference.

Yun Jianyue was even more frustrated. She was a world-renowned killing god, a being capable of silencing crying children, yet someone still dared to entertain such thoughts about her? The crucial point was that these words weren't spoken by Zu'an, but proposed by Yu Yanluo, leaving Yun Jianyue with a burning rage she didn't know how to unleash.

*It was all that brat's fault!*

Rage +202, +202, +202... from Yun Jianyue.

Zu'an was monitoring the stream of rage points he was receiving in the background when he heard Yu Yanluo ask, "Who do you think is better, Yun Jianyue or Yan Xuehen?"

Yun Jianyue, who had been angry, suddenly pricked up her ears. For some reason, this question also mattered deeply to her. She probably thought he would prefer the "Ice Stone Maiden," as people in the world generally favored her ethereal, fairy-like demeanor.

At that moment, Zu'an's scalp tingled with dread. *Big sister, are you trying to kill me by asking such a question!* He had no idea how to answer; no matter what he said, he would offend one of them. Of course, since only Yun Jianyue was present, he could choose to lean a little in her favor. However, given Yun Jianyue's personality, she would most likely go and gloat to Yan Xuehen afterward, which would truly infuriate Yan Xuehen.

At that moment, Yu Yanluo began to analyze on her own: "Everyone says Yun Jianyue is a ruthless demoness, while Yan Xuehen is an otherworldly fairy. However, after interacting with them these past few days, I actually find Yan Xuehen to be a bit fiercer, whereas Yun Jianyue is more friendly and treats you very well..." Having previously been hunted by Yan Xuehen, which nearly cost both her and Zu'an their lives, it was inevitable that she held some resentment.

Behind the screen, Yun Jianyue's eyes were almost blooming with laughter. *This woman is not only beautiful, but she also speaks nicely. I really like it here!*

Zu'an breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she hadn't spoken ill of Yun Jianyue; otherwise, he truly wouldn't have known how to resolve the situation. However, his expression suddenly stiffened because his spiritual sense had detected a graceful figure rapidly returning. Who else could it be but Yan Xuehen? He was startled. *Could she, despite her severe injuries, hear Yu Yanluo speaking ill of her from such a distance?*

Fortunately, Yan Xuehen stopped outside the door, and her cold voice rang out: "Demoness, you are a grandmaster, after all. How long do you intend to hide behind a screen, eavesdropping on a young couple?" It turned out that after she had returned, overwhelmed with shame and indignation, she suddenly realized she had suffered such a great loss and ended up taking the blame for Yun Jianyue. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became, feeling she hadn't handled the situation well. So, she decided to make a surprise return.

"Huh?" Yu Yanluo was instantly dumbfounded. She stared disbelievingly at the large screen, suddenly recalling how Yan Xuehen had been rubbing her backside when she emerged earlier, as if she had been kicked out. It was now obvious who was hiding inside.

Seeing her presence exposed, Yun Jianyue also walked out, looking awkward. "Would you believe me if I said I was just out for a walk and happened to pass by?" she asked.

Yu Yanluo was speechless. *Do you take me for a fool?*

"Haha, I won't disturb your chat. I'm leaving first." Feeling it was too awkward to remain, Yun Jianyue hastily departed after her remark. She intended to properly settle accounts with Yan Xuehen; how dared that woman betray her? It seemed she was asking for a spanking.

Soon, Yan Xuehen's surprised cry echoed from outside, followed by the clanging sounds of the two fighting, which gradually faded into the distance.

If it had been in the past, Zu'an would have genuinely worried that Yun Jianyue would seize the opportunity to kill Yan Xuehen, given that they had been lifelong enemies. But after spending time together these past few days, he understood that the relationship between the two women was special. At most, Yun Jianyue would give her a spanking; she wouldn't actually kill her.

Now, the most troublesome issue was the one at hand. He quickly said to Yu Yanluo, "Yanluo, let me explain, things aren't as you imagine..."

*Bang!*

Before he could finish speaking, a pillow landed squarely on his face. Yu Yanluo was truly devastated. The most intimate side of her relationship with Zu'an had just been witnessed by so many, and they had been discussing Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue behind their backs, only to find the two individuals themselves present. What completely broke her was that Zu'an, that fellow, clearly knew they were there but hadn't told her, causing her such immense embarrassment.

Rage +555, +555, +555... from Yu Yanluo.

Without waiting for Zu'an to try and stop her, she hastily put on her clothes and left without looking back. Zu'an tried to grab her several times but failed, only able to watch her depart. He understood that any further explanation at this point would be futile; it was best to let her calm down first.

*Sigh, who did I ever offend?* If only one of them had come, tonight would certainly have been a pleasant one. But with all of them together, even someone as experienced as him had crashed and burned. It was a classic case of "too many cooks spoil the broth!"

Out of helplessness, he could only sit cross-legged on the bed and thoroughly refine and absorb the remaining medicinal properties of the Hundred Herbs Pill. Then he took out the audio-visual mirror and drew specific runes on its surface. That was the mark used by the imperial envoy delegation's audio-visual mirrors—in other words, it was very much like a phone number from his previous life.

After a while, the jade mirror's surface gradually began to ripple like water, and the primeval stones embedded in the audio-visual mirror were being consumed at an alarming rate. Frightened, Zu'an quickly took out a pile of primeval stones from the Glazed Treasure Orb and kept them nearby as spares. He mused that in his previous life, telephones transmitted signals through widespread base stations, but in this world, communication relied on point-to-point transmission between two audio-visual mirrors. The energy consumption was naturally terrifying, which explained why even prominent aristocratic families rarely used them, activating them only when exceptionally important messages needed to be conveyed.

*If I could invent something similar to a base station and establish a telecommunications company, wouldn't I truly become the richest person in the world? Zhao Hao and the Demon Emperor would probably all have to cling to my leg...*

Just as he was immersed in pleasant thoughts, the water ripples on the mirror surface gradually calmed down, and the image of a frowning old man appeared on the screen, his eyes filled with wariness.

"Uncle!" Zu'an quickly bowed.

Seeing it was Zu'an, Sang Hong, on the other side, was both surprised and delighted. "It's really you!" he exclaimed. He had just received a message that the audio-visual mirror showed unusual activity, but it wasn't the imperial palace's rune; it was an unfamiliar symbol. His initial reaction was to disconnect, as each activation of the audio-visual mirror consumed a vast amount of energy. However, a thought suddenly struck him: only a handful of people knew their mirror's calling method. Could it be Ah Zu? Fortunately, the result did not disappoint him.

Before Zu'an could answer, Sang Hong angrily demanded, "Ah Zu, where have you been these past few days?! Do you know how many people have started to suspect you? Come back quickly!" With just a few words, Zu'an could feel the immense pressure Sang Hong had been under these past few days. "I'm sorry to have worried you, Uncle," he replied, "It's just that I'm afraid... I can't come back for now."

"Why can't you come back? Are you perhaps in the Demon Race territory?" Sang Hong sneered. *This kid was truly blinded by lust, not even considering where in this vast world he would find refuge once the news could no longer be kept secret.*

Zu'an gave a bitter smile. "I am indeed in the Demon Race territory right now," he admitted. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have used the audio-visual mirror to contact you."

Sang Hong was bewildered. His expression suddenly changed, and his eyes filled with disappointment. "Did you go back to the Demon Race territory with Yu Yanluo?" *She truly is a femme fatale. To think he abandoned everything for that woman! What about Xiao Qian? What about Zheng Dan? And what about our Sang family?*

Knowing he had misunderstood, Zu'an quickly explained, "Uncle, it's not what you think. Everything happened too suddenly..." He then briefly described what had happened at the Yu family's mine.

Sang Hong's eyes widened. "You were buried in there?" The Yu family's mine had previously collapsed, with countless houses in Cloud City falling due to the aftershocks. One could only imagine how dangerous it was to be caught inside.

"Fortunately, there was a teleportation array deep within the mine, and that's how we escaped..." Zu'an recalled, filled with lingering fear. Otherwise, they would most likely have been buried underground forever.

"Wait," Sang Hong suddenly interjected, "You said Yan, the Abbey Master of White Jade Capital, was also with you?"

"Not just her," Zu'an replied, "but also Yun Jianyue of the Demonic Sect." Since he and the Sang family now shared prosperity and adversity, there was no need to hide these details from him.

Sang Hong's face turned beet red. He tried to speak several times but stopped, finally managing to utter two words after a long moment: "Incredible!" It was no wonder he exclaimed so. What man in the world could have both Yan Xuehen of White Jade Capital and Yun Jianyue of the Demonic Sect by his side simultaneously? Not even the current emperor could achieve that.

He thought for a moment, then quickly said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. While you're spending time together these days, try to win over Yan Xuehen. No, you *must* win her over!"

Zu'an was utterly bewildered.