Chapter 1587: Enemies Meet

At this moment, Zhang Zijiang couldn't help but whisper, "My Lord, this Scarred Yang Shen is a notorious bandit wanted by the imperial court. Capturing him would be a great achievement."

Zu'an shook his head slightly. "Yang Shen is a man of honor; there's no need to humiliate him. The merit from suppressing the Shuanglong Mountain rebels is already enough for all the soldiers to be well rewarded."

According to imperial law, even if Yang Shen were dead, his body would be subjected to slow slicing, and his head paraded in various places for public display.

Although an enemy, this man was worthy of respect, and Zu'an did not wish for him to suffer such humiliation after death.

"Understood!" Zhang Zijiang stepped back. If it had been anyone else, he would have argued his point, but Zu'an's impact on him recently had been too profound. With Zu'an's prestige now at its peak, Zhang Zijiang would not contradict him.

Furthermore, Lord Zu wasn't like some officials who only paid lip service to ideals and sacrifice. He had also considered distributing the merits from suppressing the Shuanglong Mountain rebels among them, which was more than enough.

Xie Daoyun blinked her eyes, looking up at Zu'an. She felt as if the man was growing taller in her eyes. With such high cultivation, yet still possessing a kind heart, Big Brother Zu was truly a heroic figure of immense stature.

Meanwhile, the other soldiers cleared the site and gradually, discreetly, departed, leaving only the two of them.

It was then that Xie Daoyun reacted, swiftly leaping out of his embrace and to the side. Her legs felt so weak she nearly lost her footing.

Zu'an chuckled wryly, "Are you hurt, Sister Daoyun?"

Xie Daoyun pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, when Yang Shen approached the tent, he triggered the formation I set up, so I woke up in time. Then, Big Brother Zu, you arrived."

She thought, *This is how many times Big Brother Zu has saved my life now? As the saying goes, a life-saving kindness can only be repaid by...*

*Oh, what am I thinking? How embarrassing.*

Seeing her face alternate between red and pale, Zu'an couldn't help but remark, "You rune masters truly have many tricks up your sleeves. Even a grandmaster-level expert can fall victim if they're not careful."

As he spoke, Xie Daoyun's cheeks flushed. In truth, she had set up that formation specifically for Zu'an, worried that he might arrive suddenly and she wouldn't be prepared. So, she had placed a small formation outside.

Heaven knew how thrilled she had been when the formation was triggered, thinking Big Brother Zu had finally come for her, only to find a scarred, ugly man instead.

"By the way, do you know why he wanted to capture you?" Zu'an asked, voicing his lingering doubt.

Xie Daoyun shook her head in confusion. "I don't know either."

She was truly bewildered. She had lived in Mingyue City before, and in recent years, she had mostly stayed secluded in the capital. There was no way she could have crossed paths with Yang Shen, let alone made an enemy of him. She simply could not understand why he would take such a great risk to abduct her.

"Sister Daoyun, if you can't figure it out, don't worry about it. I'll protect you." Zu'an recalled Xie Xiu's earlier request and thought to himself that he mustn't let anything happen to her. Fortunately, he didn't need to rush to Yi County at night during this period, so he could look after her if any other unforeseen circumstances arose.

Xie Daoyun, however, misunderstood, thinking he was expressing his affection. Her heart was beating faster today than it had in all the previous years combined. "Big Brother Zu, you can call me Ling'er from now on. It's my nickname; my parents call me that."

After saying this, she darted back into her tent without looking back.

Zu'an remained, a little puzzled. *What does she mean by that? Does she see me as an elder?*

***

For the next period, the group traveled towards Yi County. During the day, Zu'an and Xie Daoyun discussed cultivation, and in the evenings, they talked about poetry and prose, or anything and everything under the sun. Xie Daoyun admired Zu'an's insights and unique way of thinking, while Zu'an admired her exceptional talent. They came to understand each other much better.

Time flew by swiftly when they were enjoying themselves. About ten days later, they finally neared Yi City.

From a distance, they saw a large retinue waiting outside the city, with various ceremonial banners, clearly local officials from Yi County there to welcome them.

Zu'an recognized the leading figures and introduced them to his companions: "The serious-faced man with the goatee leading them is Zhang Jie, the Prefect of Yi County. Next to him, the military general holding a long spear is Commandant Yang Sheng. And beside him, the rather handsome middle-aged man is Liao Ling, the City Lord of Yi County. His 'Vast Righteousness Sword Qi' is quite unique..."

Hearing this, Zhang Zijiang exclaimed, "Lord Zu truly has a vast knowledge and remarkable memory! He knows all the local officials by name, even though he's only passed through Yi County once..."

Wang Bolin's brow furrowed. *That bastard beat me to the flattery again, damn it!*

Zu'an was unperturbed, but Xie Daoyun was quite pleased. It felt as if they were praising her when they praised Zu'an.

Soon, the two groups converged and exchanged customary greetings. Zu'an introduced Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang to the Yi County officials. Both men straightened their chests, abandoning the deferential attitude they showed Zu'an. Although many of the officials present held higher ranks than them, Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang came from the capital, the emperor's seat, and were part of the imperial guard. They felt quite superior to these local officials.

The Yi County officials naturally dared not offend them, repeatedly expressing their long-held admiration, which made the two men feel quite pleased with themselves.

Only Liao Ling, the City Lord of Yi County, remained silent. Clearly, as someone who cultivated Vast Righteousness Qi, he disdained the actions of his colleagues.

Seeing his lack of deference, Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang found it a bit awkward.

Concerned about unnecessary conflict, Zu'an timely pulled Xie Daoyun forward and introduced her to Liao Ling: "Miss Xie is the last disciple of Master Yan Xiangu. In a way, you two share a connection."

Liao Ling's eyes immediately lit up. "So you are a disciple of the Grand Master! Indeed, 'a mind filled with poetry and books radiates its own splendor.'"

"Greetings, senior fellow student!" Xie Daoyun bowed gracefully, a hint of joy on her face. Unlike other places, disciples of the academy felt a strong sense of belonging, and naturally felt closer to fellow alumni than to ordinary people.

The officials had initially assumed Xie Daoyun was merely a female companion Zu'an brought along, with many silently wondering how bold Marquis Shen was to bring a beautiful young woman while on an imperial mission, fearless of impeachment by the Censors in the capital upon his return.

Now, learning she was the last disciple of Yan Xiangu, they immediately held her in higher regard, eagerly greeting her and inquiring about Master Yan's recent activities.

As the empire's foremost rune master, countless formations in the imperial palace, local government offices, and military camps were his creations.

Officials in the imperial court considered it an honor to acquire one of Master Yan's magical artifacts or a piece of his calligraphy. Unfortunately, Yan Xiangu rarely produced items for private individuals, which made his works increasingly precious.

Local officials in places like Yi County had no hope of ever being qualified to obtain Master Yan's works. But now, with a chance to get acquainted with his last disciple, if they established a good relationship, they might have the opportunity to acquire some artifacts from her in the future. Even if she couldn't compare to Master Yan yet, as his last disciple, she would certainly become a master herself one day.

Considering these implications, how could these officials not be zealous in their greetings?

Seeing that Zu'an seemed to quite admire Liao Ling, Zhang Zijiang and Wang Bolin naturally wouldn't be so foolish as to provoke him. They took the opportunity to lavish praise on Xie Daoyun, as in their view, praising her meant currying favor with Zu'an.

Praised to the heavens and beyond, the normally composed Xie Daoyun found herself overwhelmed by the situation and instinctively shrank behind Zu'an.

Witnessing this, the old foxes among the officials exchanged knowing glances. It seemed Miss Xie and Zu'an shared a rather deep connection.

Fortunately, a sudden rush of hooves broke the awkwardness. Everyone turned to look, seeing a troop of black-armored cavalry rapidly approaching. Each horse was magnificent, and their armor gleamed menacingly. Their equipment was so excellent that it was in no way inferior to the Emperor's Imperial Guards.

Upon seeing the group, Prefect Zhang Jie of Yi County involuntarily frowned.

Noticing this, Zu'an's expression became somewhat amused. It seemed the local officials of Yi County and the Yan Prince's Estate did not have a harmonious relationship.

He recognized the approaching troops and their attire: they were the black-armored cavalry of the Yan Prince's Estate. Moreover, he had a "son-killing grudge" against their leader.