Chapter 1600: Deceived

Zu'an was slightly startled, then smiled. "Sure, why not now?" As he spoke, he made a move to take off his clothes.

"Pah, you pervert..." Tang Tian'er, as expected, couldn't handle it. Blushing, she spat playfully and jumped away, keeping a good distance from him.

Seeing Zu'an burst out laughing, she couldn't help but say coquettishly, "How can you be such a scoundrel?"

"I didn't realize Sister Tian'er was just joking." Zu'an, of course, wasn't actually going to take off his clothes; he was merely testing her. We're both experienced; there's no need for games.

Tang Tian'er snorted, not wanting to dwell on the topic. "By the way, I haven't seen you in a long time. I heard you went to the demon realm?"

"Sister Tian'er is quite well-informed," Zu'an said, a little surprised.

"Of course, you know what I do for a living." Tang Tian'er was a bit smug, then pestered him with questions about the demon realm.

Zu'an smiled as he recounted his experiences in the demon realm. Although he omitted some sensitive information, she was still amazed by his stories.

"Oh, I really want to go explore the demon realm with Brother Zu. I've always been interested in it, but I wouldn't dare go alone. I've heard there are many man-eating demons there..." Tang Tian'er adopted the persona of a timid little rabbit.

Zu'an directly ignored her act. "You frequently do business with the Fox Merchant Guild; how could you have never been to the demon realm? Who are you trying to fool?"

"Oh, Brother Zu saw right through me." Tang Tian'er showed no embarrassment at all.

Zu'an knew this was just her nature, compounded by her professional habits, so he didn't mind.

After some casual conversation, Zu'an, not forgetting his purpose, casually brought up, "You're always at the Carefree Pavilion. Do you happen to know Gold Medal Agent Seven from Yi Commandery?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Tang Tian'er's eyes, then she pursed her lips and smiled. "That's disappointing. I thought you came specifically to see me, but it turns out you're here to ask about something else."

Zu'an looked wronged. "If you don't believe me, go check. I just arrived in Yi Commandery today and rushed straight here. If I wasn't specifically looking for you, would I be in such a hurry? The young women in your pavilion were even flirting with me just now, but I didn't even acknowledge them. Wasn't it all just to see you?"

"Well, at least you have some conscience," Tang Tian'er finally said. "How did you get involved with Gold Medal Agent Seven?"

Zu'an replied, "We're both officials in the imperial court, so there's bound to be some connection."

Tang Tian'er then answered, "I do know Gold Medal Agent Seven. The Carefree Pavilion operates in a grey area, and he's the court's intelligence chief in Yi Commandery, so naturally, we have to deal with each other. A courtesan like me would, of course, be sent to win him over."

"It's just that Gold Medal Agent Seven is incorruptible; he doesn't care for women or money. He's a real headache."

"Women?" Zu'an frowned slightly at the mention, unable to resist glancing at her. It had to be said, her beauty was striking, and more importantly, she was exceptionally sweet, making one unconsciously want to get closer.

"Oh, are you jealous?" Tang Tian'er leaned closer to him. "Don't worry, you've seen my methods. I have all sorts of sedatives to trick people; no one can take advantage of me."

Zu'an still couldn't help but warn her, "As the saying goes, if you walk by the river often, you might get your shoes wet. What if you encounter a truly powerful individual? You might end up losing more than you gain."

"In all these years, I've only stumbled once, and that was with you," Tang Tian'er snorted. "I learned my lesson from last time and changed the sedative's formula. Next time, even a mighty dragon will fall for it."

Zu'an: "..." This woman was certainly adept at concocting such drugs.

"But I'm quite happy that you're so concerned about me." Tang Tian'er's smile grew even brighter.

Seeing her sweet smile, less perfunctory than usual and more sincere, Zu'an felt a momentary daze. However, this woman had always been a skilled actress, and her words were half-truths, making it hard to discern her sincerity.

"Around the sixth of last month, did you see Gold Medal Agent Seven?" Zu'an asked, striking while the iron was hot.

"Asking about other men when you're with me is a real mood killer," Tang Tian'er grumbled, but still answered, "I did go to see him that day. I was delivering the Carefree Pavilion's annual tribute money to him. He might not accept it, but we have to offer it."

After speaking, she looked at him somewhat nervously. "You're also an imperial official. You wouldn't arrest me for bribery, would you?"

Zu'an was speechless. "Your little feet are still swinging back and forth. Do you look even slightly nervous?"

"Oh dear, you saw right through me. My acting has been slipping lately," Tang Tian'er said, a little troubled.

Zu'an then asked, "Did you go to Blackwater Pond afterwards?"

"Blackwater Pond?" Tang Tian'er was startled. "That place is haunted. Why would I go there?"

"You didn't go?" Zu'an was stunned. What was going on?

"I'm incredibly busy all day; where would I find the time to go to such a desolate place?" Tang Tian'er looked at him suspiciously. "Why are you asking, anyway?"

Zu'an stared intently into her eyes, unable to discern if her words were true or false. After a moment, he said, "I heard that you also appeared at Blackwater Pond on the day Gold Medal Agent Seven died, and that you threw his body in."

Tang Tian'er's expression changed. "You're suspecting me."

Zu'an remained silent, his mind racing. What was going on? The turtle demon had said a woman dumped the body and left a message: "If only it had been discovered earlier." Later, Xiao Jianren investigated and found that the woman Gold Medal Agent Seven had interacted with before his death was her. But why was she claiming she hadn't been to Blackwater Pond? Was she telling the truth, or was she deliberately saying this to clear herself?

Seeing his silence, Tang Tian'er's smile vanished, and her expression turned cold. "If you believe I'm the murderer of Gold Medal Agent Seven, then arrest me."

Zu'an shook his head. "Of course, I trust you. Not only do I believe you're not the murderer, but even if you were, given our relationship, I wouldn't possibly arrest you." He wasn't a detective with moral scruples like Conan, who would insist on bringing a murderer to justice no matter how desperate or sympathetic their circumstances were.

Only then did Tang Tian'er break into a smile through her tears. "Brother Zu is the best! I haven't misjudged you."

Zu'an stood up and said, "I need to verify some things now. I'll take my leave."

"Leaving so soon?" Tang Tian'er said reluctantly.

"Have you been in Yi Commandery this whole time?" Zu'an asked.

"Not necessarily. Sometimes I make a guest appearance here at the Carefree Pavilion, and sometimes I have to go back to handle matters for the Zhenhai Merchant Guild," Tang Tian'er's tone shifted. "But since you're in Yi Commandery, Brother Zu, I won't be returning to Yunzhong Commandery anytime soon. You can come find me whenever you like; my door will always be open for you."

Zu'an ignored her last statement. Despite her young age, she exuded a seductive charm. No wonder she was the most famous courtesan in a mixed establishment like the Carefree Pavilion, frequented by people from all walks of life.

Watching him leave, the smile on Tang Tian'er's face gradually faded. As the candlelight flickered, her entire being became enveloped in shadows.

After leaving the Carefree Pavilion, Zu'an headed directly towards Blackwater Pond in the city outskirts.

At night, the waters of Blackwater Pond were like ink, strangely dark and chilling.

Zu'an called out coldly, "Come out and see me!" To his surprise, after several calls, there was no movement from below.

Zu'an's expression changed. He jumped directly into the pond, sinking deeper and deeper, only to find that the cave dwelling at the bottom was already empty; there was no sign of the turtle demon.

He searched the cave for a while but found no useful clues. However, he finally found a line of crookedly carved words on a stone platform: "You punk, Turtle Grandpa is out of here!"

Zu'an's expression instantly became incredibly complex. Earlier, the turtle demon had earnestly claimed it had spent hundreds of years slowly accumulating incense here and wouldn't easily abandon it, lest it take another few hundred years. Zu'an had believed it then, but he never expected to be truly deceived by this turtle demon!

Only then did he realize that when he had first descended into Blackwater Pond to investigate, those grayish-green hands from beneath had directly grabbed at him without any spiritual intent; it felt entirely like being assailed by vengeful spirits. Clearly, it had many wronged souls under its control. Unfortunately, it was too good at sweet talk, even deceiving him.