Chapter 1571: Despair

"What's brother-in-law like?" A "youth" with striking red lips and white teeth hurried over at the news. It was none other than Chu Youzhao.

Zu An couldn't help but marvel. While both were handsome youths, Youzhao seemed more endearing. Xie Xiu was, after all, a man.

Murong Qinghe, with her honey-toned skin, was always inseparable from Chu Youzhao. At this moment, she too was secretly appraising Xie Xiu, her brows slightly furrowed. Lately, idol worship had become fashionable among the young ladies and noblewomen in the capital, describing Xie Xiu's handsomeness as unparalleled, both in heaven and on earth. Some girls even confessed that falling for him had given their lives meaning and helped them face life more positively.

Yet, after seeing him a few times, she felt he wasn't as handsome as her Brother Chu; even Brother Zu was more dashing. Why were those girls so utterly infatuated?

It wasn't Xie Xiu and Murong Qinghe's first encounter. The first time they met, he had tried to get closer to her, impressed by her beauty.

However, upon learning that she was deeply devoted to the Chu family's heir and that they were constantly together, he immediately abandoned his intentions.

Furthermore, even if the Xie and Chu families didn't constantly cross paths, he personally preferred girls who were wholeheartedly devoted to him. Other men's wives or girlfriends were anathema to him; he wondered what kind of pervert would be interested in such relationships.

Their gazes met and instantly diverged, each dismissing the other entirely.

As several attractive young men and women stood together, many onlookers turned their heads. Worried that revealing his identity might attract overly zealous girls, Xie Xiu cupped his hands to Zu An: "Brother Zu, I'm entrusting my sister to your care. And please, don't be *too* attentive."

With that, he put his mask back on, blended into the crowd, and vanished.

Chu Youzhao asked with a hint of suspicion, "Why did he entrust his sister to you?"

With his sister absent, he felt he had to protect his brother-in-law and prevent any seductive temptresses from outside from snatching him away.

Zu An briefly recounted the recent events. Murong Qinghe, however, remained puzzled: "Miss Xie comes from a scholarly family, so it's understandable that she's unfamiliar with the dangers of the jianghu and needs looking after. But why did he tell you not to be *too* attentive? No one makes a request like that."

Zu An instantly broke into a cold sweat. How could he possibly admit that Xie Xiu was worried he might take his sister to bed? He quickly concocted a casual excuse and moved on.

When the rest of the group finally urged them to move on, Chu Youzhao reluctantly waved goodbye to Zu An.

Murong Qinghe watched Chu Youzhao with a hint of confusion, thinking, "Brother Chu is usually quite masculine, but why does he act so coyly every time he sees Big Brother Zu? And isn't his relationship with his brother-in-law a bit *too* close?"

A sudden thought startled her: Could Brother Chu actually be attracted to men?

The moment this idea surfaced, she became incredibly conflicted. She longed to ask but dared not, ultimately only able to reassure herself that Brother Chu was likely still young and had a natural admiration for heroes. Brother Zu was indeed far more capable than the young masters in the capital, and given his position as brother-in-law, it was quite normal for Chu Youzhao to look up to him.

Zu An, naturally, had no idea that his relationship with Chu Youzhao was being misinterpreted. After he returned to the group, Deputy General Zhang Zijiang remarked with a smile, "Lord Zu's friends all seem to come from illustrious families. Quite enviable indeed."

Wang Bolin, standing nearby, snorted, clearly convinced that Zu An had obtained his position solely due to his connections.

Sensing the subtle hostility emanating from both of them, Zu An merely offered a faint smile and didn't bother to explain. He was now engaged in a game against the Demon Emperor and Zhao Hao; why would he care about such trivial matters?

Along the journey, the main contingent proceeded towards Mount Zi. Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang approached Zu An multiple times to discuss the travel plans and arrangements for the expedition.

"Both of you are seasoned generals; I presume you're quite familiar with these details. Let's proceed according to your plans," Zu An replied courteously.

Observing his apparent lack of initiative, Wang Bolin grew increasingly dismissive of him. Zhang Zijiang initially maintained outward respect, but after several days, he realized that Zu An offered no suggestions whatsoever; all matters, large or small, were decided by the two of them. Moreover, Zu An now displayed no signs of ki fluctuation, appearing like an ordinary person, which also led Zhang to harbor contempt.

"Perhaps this Zu An once possessed some ability, but he must have recently suffered an injury that severely damaged his cultivation. He's clearly holding this position solely through the connections of his relatives and friends. Unfortunately, our Great Zhou Dynasty has always valued strength; a person unfit for their position inevitably invites disaster."

The shift in their attitudes did not escape Zu An's notice, but he remained unfazed.

In his view, mundane tasks like setting up camp along the way, or even repairing the palace and addressing safety hazards upon reaching Mount Zi, were not his concern at all. The truly dangerous elements, however, remained entirely unnoticed by the two of them.

After several days of travel, a scout from the vanguard suddenly reported fierce fighting in a valley dozens of miles to the southwest. The warring factions were not government forces, but appeared to be bandits or similar groups.

Zu An said, "Since they are bandits, let the local authorities handle them. We have an important mission, so let's not get sidetracked."

Since Zhao Hao was his perceived enemy, Zu An wasn't eager to engage with these anti-government forces, especially given his connection to Yun Jianyue. If he remembered correctly, the Demonic Cult also had a rebel army, and it would be unfortunate to accidentally clash with their allies.

To his surprise, Zhang Zijiang sternly countered, "As the Emperor's personal guards, we bear the responsibility of safeguarding the nation. Now that we've encountered them, how can we possibly turn a blind eye?"

The Imperial Guards typically remained within the palace. While their position sounded prestigious, they rarely had opportunities to demonstrate their skills or earn merits. This expedition to Mount Zi was merely a formality; after all, the Emperor was invincible—who would be foolish enough to threaten him?

In his view, the mission to Mount Zi was a routine task, offering no significant opportunity for glory.

However, suppressing a band of rebels en route would be a different matter entirely. Though the realm was generally peaceful, the ongoing rebellion led by Lu Sanyuan remained unquelled, causing scattered rebel groups to subtly gain momentum like sparks threatening a wildfire, much to the exasperation of the court officials.

If he could suppress a rebel group and achieve a significant feat, he might rise in prestige. Even if the position of Imperial Guard Major was already held by Zu An, he could still become an officer in other sister units like the Tiger Guards or the Cavalry.

Zu An stated gravely, "We have an important mission to fulfill. The enemy's strength is unknown. Acting rashly and potentially delaying our journey or missing our deadline would be a grave offense."

At this, Wang Bolin sneered, "What significant threat could a mere band of rebels pose? If Lord Zu is concerned, I, Wang, am willing to lead fifty Imperial Guardsmen to suppress them."

Without waiting for Zu An's approval, he immediately gathered fifty Imperial Guardsmen who were close to him and headed directly towards the western valley.

Seeing this, Zhang Zijiang immediately grew anxious. If Wang Bolin claimed all the credit, wouldn't he be left with nothing?

So he too gathered fifty Imperial Guardsmen, saying, "Lord Zu, please rest here for a moment. I, Zhang, will be back shortly."

With that, he spurred his horse and rode off, eager to catch up, fearing to fall even half a step behind Wang Bolin.

At this point, the entire Imperial Guard noticed the unusual behavior of their high-ranking officers. Seeing the two deputy generals so openly disregard their commander, who appeared helpless, the guards began to look at Zu An strangely.

Only the contingent who had previously followed him to Yunzhong Commandery felt indignant, but their numbers were too few within the entire Imperial Guard to influence the situation significantly.

Zu An's expression remained serene as he gazed towards the southwest valley, thinking, "This is all I can do. I hope the righteous army over there can fend for themselves."

Meanwhile, in that very southwestern valley, a delicate and refined figure was fleeing in utter disarray. Rebel soldiers swarmed the mountains, and it seemed as though they were single-mindedly determined to capture her, refusing to give up.

As she felt the energy within her body depleting, a flicker of despair crossed her face.