Chapter 1482: You're Still Saying You're Innocent!

Zu'an reflected on his past experiences with the lottery and Valkyrie systems, realizing he was far from being an "emperor of luck." Yet, calling him unlucky wasn't entirely accurate either; his situation was like Schrödinger's cat, full of suspense. He hadn't expected even forging a weapon would be so nerve-wracking.

But that's just how this unlocked forging system was. He had made his bed, so he had to lie in it, even if it meant tears.

He then meticulously studied its various functions, while also checking what was needed to repair the Tai'e Sword.

Time passed unnoticed. Soon, movement came from nearby. Yun Jianyue was the first to wake. Yan Xuehen, having been flirting with Zu'an earlier, was slightly slower to stir. Yu Yanluo, with the lowest cultivation, woke last. However, thanks to the Holy Spirit Orb's boost, she didn't lag far behind the two Grandmasters.

"You've fully recovered," Zu'an exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. It was much faster than he had anticipated.

"Not fully recovered, but enough to defend ourselves for now," Yun Jianyue replied proudly. Grandmasters naturally possess a boundless life force, allowing for quick recovery. It was just that Zu'an, like an insatiable wolf cub, constantly demanded more, leaving them temporarily depleted.

Zu'an then informed them about the situation outside. It was clearly arranged by Prince Jinwu: layers of soldiers, led by familiar faces—Sikong Heichifei and General Ma Tian of the Left Guard. The former was a staunch supporter of the Prince, while the latter was a close confidant of the Demon Emperor. Both sides clearly wanted to ascertain the news from the imperial tomb immediately.

"With a guard every three steps and a post every five, sneaking out will be tricky," Zu'an frowned. He could disguise himself, but the three women couldn't. The uniforms borrowed from the young Demon Empress were also damaged. Even if they weren't, with so many guards outside, suddenly having extra people emerge would raise suspicion, and their passwords wouldn't match.

Yun Jianyue looked at him strangely. "Why would we need to sneak out?"

Zu'an paused, not quite understanding, when she continued, "Now that the Demon Emperor is dead, we are all either Grandmasters or beings whose strength far surpasses others at the same cultivation level. Do you think these people outside can stop us? Is there any need to sneak?"

Zu'an chuckled wryly. She was right. Without a Celestial Immortal blocking their way, and with the old powerhouses in the royal court unlikely to guard the tomb every day, their group could simply walk out unimpeded. Armies do employ spell formations and various heavy magical artifacts to deal with high-level cultivators. In a direct confrontation on the battlefield, cultivators might suffer losses, but as long as they aren't trapped in a desperate situation, an army generally cannot stop a cultivator who wishes to leave. He was still too young, lacking the mindset of these seasoned powerhouses.

***

Meanwhile, outside the imperial tomb, Heichifei was leading patrols. In truth, given his status, he didn't need to personally handle such tasks. However, this matter was of great importance, and his nephew, Prince Jinwu, had personally asked him to keep a close watch. Furthermore, with something on his mind, he constantly patrolled the area, awaiting news of the Demon Emperor.

"Sigh, who would have thought the Demon Emperor would take a liking to my old hag of a wife?" He mused. "Though, she did have some charms back then. What if the Demon Emperor brings this up after he emerges? What should I do? Should I pretend ignorance, or tell him to take care of his health? Either option feels pretty screwed up."

Just then, a soldier suddenly rode towards them at a fast pace. Heichifei's heart tightened; he recognized him as a special messenger from the Prince's forces, usually dispatched only for highly urgent missions. He hastily went to meet the soldier, dismissing the surrounding guards to a distance before speaking with the messenger alone.

The messenger handed him a sealed envelope with a special wax seal. This type of seal was custom-made; unless opened with the corresponding tool, any forceful attempt would destroy the contents, regardless of one's cultivation level. This was a standard military technique for transmitting top-secret messages.

He broke the seal, read the letter, and his pupils contracted as his face drastically changed. He immediately ran out, calling to his subordinates, "Follow me back to the royal court!"

The others hesitated, asking, "Aren't we supposed to wait here to welcome the Demon Emperor out? What if he blames us later..."

"He can blame his..." Heichifei almost blurted out, but caught himself just in time. "You don't need to worry about that. I know what I'm doing. Return to the royal court first!"

Seeing his anger, the others dared not ask further. So, Heichifei, with his close retainers, galloped rapidly towards the royal court.

General Ma Tian of the Left Guard, on the other side, noticed their unusual movement and couldn't help but frown. "What are they up to?" Just as he was about to send someone to investigate, he also received a message from the Prince. Upon reading its contents, his expression became incredibly complex, filled with hesitation and conflict.

After a long while, he finally made up his mind. Donning his armor and mounting his horse, he instructed a trusted deputy, "You take a portion of the men and stay here. If the Demon Emperor emerges, notify me immediately." With that, he too quickly departed with the rest of his subordinates.

The sound of hooves in the dead of night startled many soldiers. A group of them exchanged bewildered glances. Though they didn't know what had happened, everyone clearly understood that something significant had occurred.

***

When Zu'an and his group emerged from the imperial tomb, they were surprised to find that the number of soldiers outside was half of what they had initially observed. Even with half the soldiers gone, such a significant disturbance caused by people emerging from the imperial tomb could not be concealed from the rest.

A group of soldiers excitedly surrounded them, many vociferously proclaiming loyalty to the Demon Emperor, cheering "Long live the Demon Emperor!" However, when they saw Zu'an and his companions emerge instead of the Demon Emperor, they were utterly dumbfounded.

Zu'an and his group couldn't be bothered with these soldiers; they soared into the sky and flew away. The soldiers, as if waking from a dream, sounded piercing horns that echoed throughout the camp. Countless soldiers swarmed out, drawing their bows and firing arrows skyward.

Having witnessed various grand battles in the previously unknown land, such a display barely registered with them. Even with spell formation enhancements, these arrow volleys posed little threat to them. With a casual wave of a hand, most of the arrows were deflected. Only the heavy crossbows mounted on the nearby watchtowers presented some danger. Enhanced with various military runes and powered by large primal stones, the bolts they fired were comparable to artillery shells from his previous life. Zu'an had once been ambushed in the capital, where military crossbows were used, and he still vividly remembered that "excruciatingly refreshing" experience. The ones on these watchtowers were clearly even more powerful.

As the group pondered how to destroy these two heavy ballistas, suddenly a mass of vines sprouted next to the watchtowers. The soldiers operating the ballistas were pricked by the huge thorns and fell one after another. The vines then completely entwined the watchtowers, pulling relentlessly until the towers, unable to bear the strain, collapsed with a crash.

Zu'an's heart stirred. He looked in a certain direction and saw a green silhouette in the darkness wave at him, clearly signaling them to approach. Zu'an didn't hesitate and immediately headed towards her. The other three women had a slight moment of hesitation but followed along.

As they passed, the silhouette casually waved her hand, causing the ground's flora to grow wildly, rapidly forming cages of thorns that blocked the approaching military experts and large numbers of rune masters. By the time those individuals cleared away the thorns, the group was long gone.

Dozens of miles away, Zu'an and the others finally shook off their pursuers. Yu Yanluo was about to thank the green silhouette. To her surprise, the silhouette let out a soft cry and immediately threw herself into Zu'an's arms, sobbing, "I thought you'd never come out!" Zu'an held the girl's trembling body tightly, gently patting her to comfort her.

Yu Yanluo's words of gratitude immediately caught in her throat. She instinctively glanced at Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, only to find them staring intently at her, their gazes seemingly hinting that she, as the "official" girlfriend, should do something. Yu Yanluo felt a pang of bitterness. Zu'an was holding the girl so tightly, clearly displaying mutual affection. How could she possibly be the villain in this situation? And this guy had been vehemently claiming he and the Elf Princess were innocent!

Fury points from Yu Yanluo: +99+99+99...Fury points from Yan Xuehen: +99+99+99...Fury points from Yun Jianyue: +99+99+99...