Chapter 1300: Gentlemen Speak, Not Fight

"Master Yan doesn't know about us yet, does she?" Pei Mianman specifically ran to the door to make sure the other person was far away before closing it again. Then, feeling a little guilty, she asked Zu An.

"Uh, she probably doesn't know yet," Zu An replied, also unsure. If she found out, he'd be in serious trouble, both from Chu Yan's perspective and Master Yan's own.

"No wonder she didn't scold me," Pei Mianman said, patting her chest with lingering fear, causing a significant ripple. "Sigh, I need to find a time to explain everything clearly to Chu Yan. I don't want to keep doing this in secret."

But after saying it, she felt it was strange. Chu Yan and he were already divorced; why should she have to tell her?

Zu An also felt overwhelmed, foreseeing a chaotic scene. "I haven't seen Chu Yan in a long time either."

Pei Mianman hesitated. "Should I write a letter for Master Yan to give to Chu Yan? I can explain everything clearly in it."

Zu An was startled. "Absolutely not!"

Are you kidding? If it were the old Yan Xuehen, given her personality, she would never secretly read a disciple's letter.

But it's different now. She's a woman after all. Even if they both pretended nothing happened, things would definitely be different between them.

By then, Yan Xuehen might suspect the relationship between Pei Mianman and him, and out of curiosity, she might secretly check the letter.

Their current relationship wasn't stable; it could fall into a bottomless abyss at any moment. If she found out the truth, what then?

"What's wrong?" Pei Mianman looked at him in confusion, sensing his reaction was a bit too strong.

Zu An, thinking quickly, replied, "Uh, I just think it would be more respectful to discuss such matters in person, and it would also reduce misunderstandings."

Pei Mianman nodded. "That does make sense. I thought of writing a letter because I felt guilty and didn't dare face Chu Yan directly, but rationally, it's definitely better to explain it to her in person."

Zu An breathed a sigh of relief when he heard she no longer insisted.

"A'Zu, what exactly happened during this time? Do you know how worried I was about you?" Pei Mianman looked at him reproachfully, a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes.

Zu An pulled her into his embrace. "Mianman, you've been so worried these past few days. Don't impersonate a Gold-Ranked Embroidered Uniform Guard again; it's too dangerous."

"I couldn't just stand by and watch you be proven guilty of treason," Pei Mianman said, pouting aggrievedly.

"Don't worry. Good people die young, but villains live a thousand years. Someone as bad as me won't get into trouble so easily." Seeing her charming expression, Zu An couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her.

"You're annoying~" Pei Mianman playfully punched his chest. "Who talks about themselves like that?"

"Didn't you used to call me a villain all the time..." Zu An didn't finish his sentence before Pei Mianman, blushing, covered his mouth.

After a bit of playful banter, Zu An finally recounted everything that had happened recently.

Hearing about the extreme dangers he faced in the mines, Pei Mianman, even knowing he had returned safely, listened anxiously. "You were clearly fighting for humanity, almost losing your life, yet these court officials tried every way to deal with you. It's truly infuriating!"

Zu An smiled. "Everyone has different factions and stances; it's understandable that things would be this way."

He then briefly recounted the subsequent events.

Pei Mianman clicked her tongue. "I can't believe Master Yan and Sect Master Yun, who are like fire and water, managed to get along. Your charm truly is immense."

Zu An broke into a cold sweat. A woman's intuition was indeed sharp. He quickly said, "Mainly, we had a common powerful enemy at the time. When we fought side-by-side, it became awkward to turn against each other."

Pei Mianman nodded. "It's also thanks to that terrifying Death Worm that Master Yan abandoned the distinction between humans and demons. I don't know whether to say you're lucky or unlucky."

Sensing the strong resentment in her tone, Zu An knew she was complaining about the great risk he took to save Yu Yanluo. He explained, "Madam Yu showed me great kindness in the past. When I was almost killed by the Emperor because of the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, she was the one who interceded for me... Given all that, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing when she was in danger."

"Alright, alright, I know you're loyal and righteous," Pei Mianman said sourly. "And you're still calling her 'Madam Yu' in front of me? Even the secret agents reported that you two were inseparable and intimate in the demon realm."

Zu An chuckled awkwardly. He initially thought of defending himself, but the truth about him and Yu Yanluo would eventually come out. Lying now would only hurt her more later.

Seeing his expression, Pei Mianman's suspicions were confirmed. She sighed inwardly. Adding another "sister" after one trip out—who could bear that?

The crucial thing was that she herself had "gotten on board" in a similar way back then, which left her with no standing to criticize him. Thinking of this made her feel even more stifled.

To distract her, Zu An quickly said, "Mianman, have you ever been to the demon realm? Let me tell you, the customs and traditions there are completely different from here..."

He then proceeded to tell her about the local customs and traditions he encountered in the Snake Clan and the Qingqiu Kingdom.

Pei Mianman indeed became interested, though she knew he was intentionally changing the subject, so she deliberately kept a straight face.

However, when she heard about his battle with the Golden Crow Crown Prince, she immediately grew anxious. "How do you manage to stir up trouble everywhere you go? You dared to offend the Golden Crow Crown Prince in the demon realm? He's the next Demon Emperor!"

"He wasn't that tough; I almost plucked out all his feathers," Zu An said, laughing heartily.

"And you're proud of it!" Pei Mianman stomped her foot in exasperation. "The key is his status! The Demon Emperor is an equal to our Emperor. Do you think he'll let you off for bullying his successor?"

"There certainly is a risk, which is why I kept a low profile in the demon realm afterward, mostly not revealing my identity," Zu An reassured her.

To his surprise, Pei Mianman, being remarkably astute, immediately realized, "From what you're saying, you're going back to the demon realm?"

Zu An nodded. "That's right. I found a treasure map in an ancient tomb in the demon realm. It shows a map to an unknown place, which is located in the Demon Royal Court. Master Yan and Sect Master Yun are also going there."

Pei Mianman hummed softly, a hint of accusation in her voice. "You've said all this just to explain that it's not about Yu Yanluo, right?"

Of course, she also understood that the Unknown Land held an irresistible allure for cultivators; no one could truly refuse it.

Zu An sounded a little apologetic. "There's certainly an element of that. This time, the Demon Emperor has summoned the leaders of all clans to the Royal Court, and I don't know why."

"Alright, alright, just make sure you take good care of Sister Yu then, and of course, take care of yourself. Don't you dare die in the demon realm." Pei Mianman felt strange internally. Logically, Yu Yanluo had "entered the family" later than her, so she should be called "younger sister." But Yu Yanluo was a prominent figure, famous for many years, even from the previous generation. Pei Mianman couldn't bring herself to call her "younger sister."

Zu An also sighed in relief. "Don't worry. Knowing that such a wonderful Mianman is waiting for me, I'll definitely rush back, no matter what."

"Bah, bah, bah, say something auspicious!" Pei Mianman spat. "By the way, how did you return from the demon realm so quickly?"

Zu An summoned the Wind-Fire Wheels. "These are the Wind-Fire Wheels. Teacher Shang got them from her nephew to apologize to me..."

After hearing his brief explanation, Pei Mianman exclaimed, "I can't believe Teacher Shang is from the Sea Clan, and that her strength was hidden so deeply."

Zu An also mused, "Indeed. I've found that there are actually many members of the demon race hidden within human society, and not all of them have malicious intentions; some are quite friendly."

"Just as there are good and bad people among humans, there are naturally good and bad demons," Pei Mianman quipped, mimicking his tone. "But how do you have such good luck with women? Teacher Shang even tricked her own nephew, and it ended up benefiting you."

"Haha, maybe I've always just been popular," Zu An chuckled awkwardly.

Pei Mianman had a deep impression of Teacher Shang's personality from Brightmoon Academy, so she didn't dwell on that point. Instead, another matter concerned her more: "There's only one pair of Wind-Fire Wheels. How did you and Master Yan get back? Don't tell me you each rode one?"

Zu An fell silent.

If anyone else found out, Yan Xuehen would surely be so mortified she'd come to silence them.

However, he was quick to respond. "Of course, I supported her the whole way. She's a Grandmaster, after all; even injured, she could still manage to fly."

Pei Mianman recalled that Master Yan Xuehen's aura was indeed still strong earlier, so flying probably wasn't an issue. "Don't you dare lay a hand on Master Yan. If you offend her, you're dead."

"Don't worry, as a gentleman, how could I be disrespectful to her?" Zu An said, his face betraying no emotion. A gentleman uses words, not hands. "However, later we encountered danger in the Great Snow Mountain and couldn't use the Wind-Fire Wheels anymore..."

Hearing about the terrifying storm and the Earth Immortal-level Snow Maiden they encountered, Pei Mianman's heart felt like it was on a rollercoaster. "The Great Snow Mountain truly is terrifying. By the way, what exactly did you encounter at that hot spring afterward?"

Zu An's expression became extremely strange. "I met the Emperor."