Chapter 1278: Deadly Call

After a moment, Zu An said, "The Land of the Unknown is extremely important to me. I have an indispensable reason to go, so even if it's dangerous, I must make this trip to the royal court."

He then looked at Yan and Yun, saying, "You two are injured, so there's no need for you to risk yourselves with me."

Yun Jianyue, however, flatly refused. "If you're not afraid of the Demon Emperor's revenge, how could I, the esteemed Holy Sect Leader, be any less courageous than you? Besides, the Land of the Unknown holds immense allure for any cultivator. If I don't see it for myself, I'll likely regret it for the rest of my life."

Yan Xuehen also agreed. "Exactly. The path of cultivation emphasizes moving forward without hesitation. How can one be timid and fearful? The demoness and I have been stuck at our current cultivation levels for a long time without any signs of breakthrough. Perhaps the Land of the Unknown will offer an opportunity for progress."

Hearing her resolute tone, Zu An felt a headache. "Sister Yun is one thing, but you're so severely injured right now. Wouldn't blindly entering the Land of the Unknown be a guaranteed death sentence?"

Yan Xuehen's expression was solemn. "If one understands the Dao in the morning, dying by evening is acceptable!"

Looking at her resolute gaze, her face seeming to emit a sacred glow, Zu An was momentarily stunned. No wonder they had managed to stand out among their peers and become Grandmasters; this level of determination was certainly beyond what most people could achieve.

Yu Yanluo, who was nearby, had a strange expression. She thought to herself, "Before, they kept saying they'd accompany me to the royal court, but then decided to leave midway, considering their injuries and inability to defeat the Demon Emperor. Now, hearing that A'Zu is going to the Land of the Unknown, which is clearly more dangerous, they insist on accompanying him. Are they going for the Land of the Unknown, or for A'Zu?"

Because they were heading to the Land of the Unknown, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen were both very excited and unwilling to waste a single second. They returned to their rooms to meditate and circulate their energy for healing, hoping to recover even a little.

They had originally been somewhat repulsed by the divine elemental stone fragments, as they had been used to wrap other women's bodies. This time, however, they no longer cared and absorbed the world's vital energy from them to aid their healing.

Yan Xuehen even considered asking Zu An to help her heal, but ultimately felt too embarrassed to speak, recalling the shame she had felt before.

Yu Yanluo, on the other hand, was quite pleased, finally having some time alone with Zu An.

There had been two 'light bulbs' accompanying them throughout the journey. Although both women were genuinely good, their presence always affected the intimacy between the couple.

"Finally, I can get some good rest," Yu Yanluo stretched, her graceful figure fully revealed, and then she leaned languidly into Zu An's embrace.

With the soft, fragrant beauty in his arms—this captivating woman who had caused countless men to yearn—Zu An's blood was already stirring from the excitement of the previous battle. Now, at her gentle provocation, his heart fluttered, and he leaned in to kiss her.

Yu Yanluo let out a soft moan. "Oh, you! I just wanted to talk..."

Despite her words, she responded to him very gently, her body seeming to melt completely.

Because Yan and Yun had been present for some time, and before that, they were in the Azure Hills Kingdom, there had been few opportunities for such intimacy. Coupled with witnessing the profound love between Marquis Sui and Lady Yu recently, she simply wanted to cherish the person in front of her, and her passion was quickly ignited.

However, when she realized Zu An was carrying her to the bed, she still felt a little shy. "It's daytime, you know."

"Does it matter if it's day or night?" Zu An chuckled, unconsciously untying the ribbon at her waist as he spoke.

Yu Yanluo's face flushed crimson, her eyes glistening. "But Sister Yan and Sister Yun are right next door. They'll hear us!"

"Don't worry," Zu An reassured her. "They're injured and currently concentrating on healing, so they won't hear anything."

Yu Yanluo was about to say more when she suddenly shivered, almost letting out a gasp. She playfully thumped him with her fist, complaining, "This guy doesn't know how to be gentle."

She bit her lip lightly, still not feeling completely at ease. With a flick of her hand, a scroll painting unfolded, enveloping the two of them. If the two Grandmasters had been at their peak, her trick wouldn't have gone unnoticed, but now, it would most likely be fine.

Looking at the numerous handmaidens in the surrounding scroll painting, who seemed to come alive, Zu An was taken aback. "Do you enjoy being watched like this?"

"I just grabbed a random scroll. It's all your fault for being so impatient!" Yu Yanluo almost cried out of frustration, eager to change the painting immediately.

Zu An quickly stopped her. "No, this is great. We can add more interesting things to the painting later, like some big mirrors or something."

Yu Yanluo was initially confused but gradually understood, biting Zu An's shoulder lightly in embarrassment. She wondered where this guy had learned such tricks. It couldn't have been Miss Chu; her master's personality clearly showed she would never do anything like this.

Could it be Yun Jianyue's disciple who taught him? She often bragged about her disciple's mastery of charm arts.

...Lost in these wild thoughts, she gradually became completely muddled.

As the two were enjoying their intimate moment, a rapid vibration suddenly sounded.

Yu Yanluo stiffened. Zu An whispered in her ear, "What's wrong?"

"Someone's contacting me through the audio-visual mirror." Yu Yanluo took the audio-visual mirror from the clothes nearby, her face flushed with a rosy glow. Whether from shyness or passion, she looked even more enchanting and alluring than usual.

"Ignore it, just hang up," Zu An responded gruffly. "Who has such poor manners to call at a time like this?"

"Mmm," Yu Yanluo naturally didn't want to be disturbed at that moment and casually hung up the audio-visual mirror.

To their surprise, the vibration soon sounded again, as if determined not to stop until answered.

Zu An was so annoyed he wanted to throw the audio-visual mirror away, but then Yu Yanluo suddenly had a thought. "There aren't many people who know my audio-visual mirror's contact rune and would call me at this specific time. Could it be...?"

Zu An also realized this. He took the mirror and saw it was indeed Sang Hong's symbol.

He immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Audio-visual mirrors consumed a lot of elemental stones, and Sang Hong's financial situation wasn't affluent; he normally wouldn't even think of calling, let alone repeatedly. It must be something urgent, so he quickly answered.

Yu Yanluo nearly cried out in alarm, quickly pulling a nearby blanket over herself for cover.

Zu An gestured for her to relax, assuring her that his angle would prevent anyone from seeing her.

Although Yu Yanluo understood this logic, she still felt overwhelmingly shy.

With one hand, Zu An comforted the beauty, and with the other, he picked up the audio-visual mirror. Looking at the familiar face in the mirror, he asked, "Uncle, what's wrong?"

"Why did you hang up on me just now?" Sang Hong's face was displeased. Having to redial several times made him waste quite a few elemental stones.

"Something urgent just came up here, it wasn't convenient to answer," Zu An chuckled awkwardly, trying hard to act normal.

Yu Yanluo, however, quickly covered her mouth, simultaneously giving him a discreet pinch. This guy was really too daring.

"What are you doing? You're sweating profusely," Sang Hong asked, puzzled.

"Exercising," Zu An explained with an embarrassed smile. "I was at a critical point in my cultivation."

"Everything else is secondary right now; the most urgent matter is on my end," Sang Hong sighed deeply, his face troubled.

"What happened?" Zu An was startled. He knew Sang Hong was very cunning and typically someone who wouldn't bat an eye even if a mountain collapsed before him. For him to be so flustered now, something truly major must have occurred.

Sang Hong replied, "I don't know where that Xu Yu got so much influence, but he went straight to the imperial court and exposed everything here in the capital. Now, rumors are circulating in the capital that you secretly rescued Yu Yanluo, the demoness, which is why you've both disappeared together, claiming you've betrayed humanity and fled to the demon realm."

Zu An and Yu Yanluo both had strange expressions, as these weren't exactly rumors; the two of them were indeed together at that moment.

Sang Hong continued, "Even the Emperor couldn't withstand the outrage from the court, so he announced that, for your innocence, a grand meeting will be held tomorrow. All the imperial officials in the capital will connect with Yunzhong Commandery via audio-visual mirrors to determine if you have committed treason."

He was pacing anxiously as he spoke. "By then, I won't be able to use the Embroidered Uniform Guards' secret mission as an excuse. Tomorrow, I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."

"If only you could appear tomorrow, all doubts would vanish," he said, but before he finished, his face fell in despair. "Never mind. You're far away in the demon realm; how could you possibly make it back within a day? I'd better start thinking about what your family members should do once you're branded a traitor."