Chapter 1568: National Preceptor

Ultimately, Zu An did not stop Chu Chuyan's decision. After all, this duel was truly important to her, and he didn't want her to abandon herself and devote everything to him. That would make her lose the charm and grace of the Moonlit City's proud daughter.

He just wondered how Honglei was preparing; if she lost too badly, it would be difficult for her to account for it to her people.

Sigh, he cared for both of them equally. What was he to do?

"When are you planning to leave?" Zu An sighed.

"I've been waiting for you to come back; I'll leave once we've talked," Chu Chuyan replied, her eyes showing reluctance.

Zu An was puzzled.

Sensing her abruptness, Chu Chuyan awkwardly explained, "I need to experience solitude among the mountains and forests, clear my mind, and slowly regain the state of Profound Detachment. Only then can I go to the Demonic Sect to find Qiu Honglei, so time is a bit tight."

Zu An was speechless.

"You really need to discuss with your master about changing this cultivation method," he said. "It completely goes against human nature."

Chu Chuyan and Yan Xuehen were cast from the same mold. If he hadn't helped them gain a bit of human warmth, they might truly have become emotionless, cold individuals, let alone immortals.

Chu Chuyan pursed her lips and smiled. "That might be a bit difficult. Master is very fierce; be careful she doesn't beat you up."

Zu An grumbled inwardly. She had never beaten him; on the contrary, he had spanked her countless times.

"All right, I really must go," she said. "Please take good care of Youzhao in the capital for me." Chu Chuyan stood on tiptoe, gave him a light kiss on the lips, then, like a wisp of cloud, she drifted away.

"Okay," Zu An replied. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn't tell her about going to Purple Mountain. Her major battle was imminent, and there was no need to add to her worries and affect her state of mind, especially with her problematic Profound Detachment cultivation method.

Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Zu An couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

The residence, once filled with her presence, now seemed particularly empty, and the warmth of a home was gone.

In the following days, Zu An's mood was quite low, so he channeled his energy into official business.

He focused on collecting information on Yi Prefecture and all intelligence related to Golden Token Number Seven.

Xiao Jianren, Old Dai Seven, and Old Chen Eight had already been dispatched by him to Yi Prefecture to scout ahead.

Meanwhile, he used these few days to take Zheng Dan to the National Academy again, to visit Yan Xianggu and finalize the apprenticeship arrangements.

Because of the Sang family's plan to fake the posthumous child, Zheng Dan couldn't stay in the academy permanently; otherwise, it would be impossible to keep it a secret.

So the plan was for her to visit occasionally and then comprehend and practice at home after receiving guidance from Yan Xianggu. Originally, this request might have seemed presumptuous, but with Xie Daoyun mediating, the entire process went quite smoothly.

After all, Yan Xianggu had also been in seclusion for cultivation, so Zheng Dan didn't need to go up the mountain for a short time.

Zu An was a bit curious; this Yan Xianggu was quite mysterious. He had been to the academy several times himself, but it seemed he had never really seen him.

Just as Zu An and Zheng Dan finished their business and were about to descend the mountain, Xie Daoyun secretly called out to him and shyly handed him a sachet.

Seeing his surprised look, Xie Daoyun quickly explained, "Don't overthink this. The exotic wood mystic sand you gave me last time was too precious, and I had nothing good to repay you with. After thinking it over, I got a safety talisman for you. You must carry it with you at all times; I hope it can protect you and turn misfortunes into blessings."

Despite saying this, her flushed cheeks seemed to betray some of her true feelings.

"Thank you, Sister Daoyun," Zu An said, taking the sachet, which still held some warmth. Xie Daoyun had given him similar items a few times before, and each time, the talisman inside had helped him. This time, she didn't explain the talisman's function, leading him to guess it was simply a safety charm obtained from a temple or Taoist monastery. It represented her sincere regard, and he certainly wouldn't disdain it.

Hearing how he addressed her, Xie Daoyun's heart skipped a beat. Not daring to meet his gaze, she casually said a few words, then quickly turned and fled the scene.

While descending the mountain, Zheng Dan couldn't help but tease, "What love token did Miss Xie just give you?"

Zu An's face darkened. "It's just normal interaction between friends. Don't overthink it; it wouldn't be good if it affected Miss Xie's reputation."

Zheng Dan sneered, "She even gave a sachet to a man. Are you still worried about what people say about her reputation?"

Zu An retorted impatiently, "She's your senior sister now, and she just helped you a lot. It's probably not good to talk about her behind her back like this."

Zheng Dan said, somewhat annoyed, "If I had known earlier that my man needed to use his charms, I wouldn't have agreed to come."

"Oh, really?" Zu An said, pretending to pull her back. "We haven't gone far yet; let's go tell Master Yan that you don't want to join the academy."

Zheng Dan quickly begged for mercy, "Oh, I was just joking with you! I'd actually wish you were taken care of by a few more powerful women like that, and then you could take care of me!"

Zu An was speechless.

This woman's thought process was indeed different from ordinary women's.

While the two were bickering, Xie Daoyun had already returned to the door of Yan Xianggu's seclusion. "Master, did you call for me?"

From inside the stone door, Yan Xianggu's aged voice came, "Go to Purple Mountain and check if the geomantic layout there has been artificially altered. The Emperor is about to go to Purple Mountain for the Fengshan ceremony, and it's highly possible that scoundrels are plotting something there."

Xie Daoyun couldn't help but be startled. "The Imperial Tutor is stationed in Purple Mountain. Do I still need to go?"

When the Great Zhou Dynasty unified the world, it received support from many members of the Nine Daoist Sects, especially the Pure Yang Sect. Afterward, for his contributions, Wang Wuxie, the sect leader of the Pure Yang Sect, was enfeoffed as Imperial Tutor. With the historically legendary Purple Mountain as his spiritual retreat, his prestige was unmatched for a time. He was a figure comparable to the Libationer of the National Academy, and many in the martial arts world even wondered who had higher cultivation between the Imperial Tutor and the Libationer.

However, the Imperial Tutor was far away in Purple Mountain and usually lived in a semi-reclusive state, so his reputation was slightly less prominent than the Libationer's.

But no true master in the world dared to ignore him, so Xie Daoyun didn't think anyone could set up traps or formations in Purple Mountain.

There was a long silence within the stone door. Then Yan Xianggu's voice sounded again, "Don't trust anyone casually. Even those close to you may not be reliable, let alone someone you don't know at all."

Xie Daoyun was startled. "Could there be a problem with the Imperial Tutor?"

If this news were to spread, it would be truly earth-shattering.

"That's not what I mean," Yan Xianggu said slowly. "It's just to be prepared for contingencies."

Too many possibilities appeared in Xie Daoyun's mind, and her heart couldn't settle for a long time. "Master, if there really is a problem with the Imperial Tutor, my abilities are meager," she said. "I might not be able to discern it even if I were there."

Although she considered her aptitude good and her skills in talismans and formations had advanced rapidly during this time, compared to the Imperial Tutor, her abilities were like the light of a firefly.

"You don't need to underestimate yourself," Yan Xianggu comforted her. "Just follow what I taught you these past few days, and you will naturally be able to determine if there are traps in Purple Mountain."

Hearing her master say this, Xie Daoyun finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I am relieved."

At the same time, she felt a little melancholic, knowing she was going to Purple Mountain immediately and probably wouldn't be able to see Brother Zu for a while.

As soon as this thought emerged, she was startled. "Xie Daoyun, Xie Daoyun, what's wrong with you?" she chided herself. "Haven't you learned enough from your brother over the years? If a woman is too proactive, she often won't be cherished."

However, she immediately became conflicted again. There were simply too many excellent female confidantes around Brother Zu; if she didn't take the initiative, perhaps...

"Your state of mind has been a bit disturbed recently," Yan Xianggu's voice suddenly rang out. "Is it because of that man from today?"

"No way!" Xie Daoyun immediately denied it, then retorted indignantly and coyly, "Master, why are you so gossipy too?"

"Hahaha, I was also young once," Yan Xianggu said, sensing that his disciple outside the door seemed about to explode. "That Zu An is quite an interesting person... Since there's nothing, then set off today. As the saying goes, 'reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.' I believe this journey will take your cultivation to a higher level."

"Yes!" Hearing her master speak of cultivation, Xie Daoyun also became serious.

She quickly embarked on her journey alone to Purple Mountain. She never expected that three days after leaving the capital, the imperial court would issue an order stating that a large fire at Pure Yang Temple on Purple Mountain had recently damaged many buildings. Given the ancient age of the buildings, it was commanded that Marquis Shen, Zu An, lead the Imperial Forest Guards and a group of skilled artisans to carry out repairs, demonstrating the imperial court's benevolence.