Chapter 1291: Bright and Clear Like a Mirror

Zu'an glanced outside and could faintly see the sky lightening, indicating dawn had broken.

He knew very well that the time was already tight to rush back to Cloudmount City overnight. After encountering the Snow Maiden yesterday, a significant amount of time had been lost. Even without the subsequent healing, there wouldn't be enough time to return.

Was he really going to be a wanderer among the demon race from now on...?

Seeing his silence, Yan Xuehen comforted him, saying, "You don't need to worry too much. Even if you're accused of some crimes this time, I will come forward and testify for you. I believe it should clear your name."

In truth, she wasn't entirely confident. Although her reputation was considerable, those who sought to kill Zu'an possessed immense power. Her words might not necessarily be effective when the time came, but at that moment, it was crucial to comfort him to prevent him from feeling too much psychological pressure.

Zu'an smiled. "If I become a human traitor and you still speak up for me, aren't you afraid of getting implicated?"

Yan Xuehen calmly replied, "Although you saved Yu Yanluo, you haven't betrayed humanity. Furthermore, Yu Yanluo is a demon who is friendly to humans and has accumulated countless good deeds throughout her life, saving many lives. I speak for you with a clear conscience."

Zu'an sighed. "I thought you were speaking up for me because of our relationship."

Yan Xuehen's cheeks flushed slightly, and she glared at him fiercely. "I just said that afterward, we'd pretend nothing happened, and I wouldn't acknowledge it again. This is my final statement. If you talk nonsense again, don't blame me for turning around and leaving!"

Seeing her serious attitude, Zu'an knew she wasn't ready to move past it just yet, so he decided not to provoke her further. "Alright, alright, it was thoughtless of me."

Yan Xuehen didn't expect him to become so agreeable all of a sudden and was momentarily taken aback.

"I need to get up and get dressed," Zu'an then said.

Yan Xuehen turned away. "Get up if you want to get up. Why are you telling me, as if anyone wants to watch you?"

Despite her words, images of their recent intimacy involuntarily flashed through her mind. She was already intimately familiar with every inch of his skin, and thinking of those scenes made the tips of her ears turn red.

As Zu'an dressed, he remarked, "This place is a bit strange. These hot springs clearly contain abundant spiritual energy, making them incredibly attractive to humans, demons, and even fierce beasts. So why, after all this time, have we seen no trace of any other creatures here?"

Seeing him discuss serious matters, Yan Xuehen also regained her composure. "There are a few possibilities. One is that this place is extremely difficult to approach, perhaps guarded by various magical formations or natural traps. However, I didn't encounter any obstacles on our way in. Another possibility is that this is a dangerous area, and creatures in the Great Snow Mountain know its perils and dare not approach."

Zu'an shook his head. "This is clearly a rare blessed land; there's no hint of great danger."

Both of them had just experienced firsthand how significantly the hot springs aided in both healing injuries and improving cultivation.

Yan Xuehen let out a long sigh. "Then that's the worst-case scenario: this place is the territory of an exceptionally powerful being. Because of his presence, no creatures dare to approach. The reason we were able to enter safely is most likely because he was away."

Zu'an's expression also changed. He fully understood what a powerful being in the Great Snow Mountain meant, still vividly remembering the Snow Maiden they had recently encountered.

"After all this time, could he have returned?"

Yan Xuehen was also a little worried. "So let's leave here quickly."

As she spoke, she bent down to gather her wet clothes from the bank, and immediately, all the recent intimate moments flashed through her mind again, making her heart pound.

Zu'an was about to tease her when he suddenly felt a terrifying oppressive force emanating from deep within the cave. Both their expressions changed instantly. It turned out the powerful being hadn't left temporarily; he had been in the depths of the cave all along.

"Run!" Yan Xuehen was overwhelmed with shame and fury. Did this mean everything that had just happened between her and Zu'an had been witnessed by someone else?

However, she had no time to dwell on it. Her first priority was to leave the place immediately.

To her surprise, Zu'an remained motionless, instead looking toward the depths of the cave. "Wait, why does this feeling seem familiar..."

Seeing him waste time standing still, wouldn't that mean their last glimmer of hope was gone?

In the end, Yan Xuehen couldn't bring herself to abandon him and escape alone. She decided to stay and face the powerful enemy with him. Her injuries had recovered considerably, so she wasn't without the strength to fight, though her legs might be a little inconvenient...

Just then, Zu'an took a step and started walking further inside. Yan Xuehen was utterly stunned. Was he walking to his death?

***

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Cloudmount City, the most influential officials were gathered in the Prefect's mansion, a noisy hub of apparent dispute.

One faction seemed to be led by Prefectural Administrator Xu Yu, while the imperial envoy's side deferred to Sang Hong. Additionally, Pei Shao, the Mayor of Cloudmount City, appeared to form his own faction.

Neither Xu Yu nor Sang Hong participated directly in the argument; both sat calmly, observing. Xu Yu's expression was grave, while Sang Hong wore a smile.

Both men occasionally glanced at a large audio-visual mirror hanging high on the wall. The imperial court session in the capital was about to conclude, and the real confrontation would begin soon.

Pei You quietly leaned towards Sang Hong. "Lord Sang, is there good news?"

Sang Hong sipped his tea and transmitted his voice with qi, "No."

"No? Then why is Your Lordship smiling so happily?" Pei You was dumbfounded.

"At a time like this, we certainly can't let our morale falter and throw ourselves into disarray," Sang Hong replied.

Pei You: "..."

"Then why does Xu Yu's side look so grim? I thought he'd received some unfavorable news," he persisted.

"Because he's used all his resources to launch this impeachment," Sang Hong explained. "If he doesn't succeed this time, he'll be ruined, which is why he's so anxious."

Pei You was speechless. One man, seemingly assured of victory, was frowning, while the other, clearly doomed to lose, was smiling broadly. What was wrong with this world?

"Lord Sang, Gao Ying has managed to gain some control over his soldiers these past few days," Pei You said, making a gesture as he spoke. "He said if things go south later, he can..."

Sang Hong glared at him. "Nonsense! The Emperor and the entire court will be watching us later. Do you want his clan to be annihilated?"

"Then what should we do? Should we really let Brother Zu become a traitor?" Pei You naturally understood the gravity of the situation; Zu'an would soon be utterly ruined.

Sang Hong sighed. "At this point, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."

His mood was not as calm as he appeared. Pei You and Gao Ying were only acting out of friendship and loyalty to Zu'an; even if something happened to Zu'an, it wouldn't affect them too much.

But he was different. He had tied the entire Sang family's fate to Zu'an. If something happened to Zu'an this time, the Sang family would likely be finished too.

Qian'er, you won't blame your father, will you...?

Just then, a bell chimed in the distance from the city. Everyone in the room stiffened, knowing the time was almost at hand.

Xu Yu scanned the room and asked in a low voice, "Has the Duke still not arrived?"

A subordinate reported, "Those who went to invite him say the Duke is in secluded cultivation to heal his injuries and finds it inconvenient to emerge."

"Secluded cultivation to heal injuries," Xu Yu sneered, saying nothing more.

However, the others in the room understood the unspoken meaning. During this period, with all the major events concerning the Yu family, especially Yu Yanluo's situation, the Duke of Cloudmount had initially made a brief show of strength but soon vanished.

It was well known that the Duke of Cloudmount and Yu Yanluo's relationship was not limited to that of husband and wife; they were also the staunchest of allies.

With trouble befalling the Yu family, many forces under the Jian family became restless and rushed to seek an audience with Jian Yanyou, but he consistently refused to see them.

Rumors also gradually spread within the Jian family that the Duke was no longer in his residence, with some even claiming he had been gravely injured and died.

At first, everyone assumed these were just rumors, but the Duke never appeared to clarify anything. Even as many forces under the Jian family started seeking other avenues, he remained indifferent, leading everyone to suspect that something had indeed happened to him.

The Yu family was finished, and the Jian family was finished too!

The leaders of the various factions in the room were like sharks sensing blood. In the coming period, they were determined to divide the assets of both powerful families as much as possible.