Chapter 1652: Conditions

After discussing some operational details with a few Silver-Badge Embroidered Uniform Guards, Zu'an quickly departed.

However, he didn't return directly to Purple Mountain but instead made a trip to the Prefect's mansion.

It must be said that this Prefect's mansion seemed much more heavily guarded than those in other places, perhaps due to the influence of King Yan.

Of course, these guards were still far less formidable than those at King Yan's residence. Moreover, Zu'an was already well-practiced in such infiltrations, and he soon found his way to Prefect Zhang's bedroom.

"Who's there!" Zhang Jie, being a prefect, was not easily caught off guard, and Zu'an hadn't deliberately concealed his presence. He instantly sat up in bed, looking warily at the window.

Zu'an glanced at the alluring young woman beside him and thought, 'This guy certainly knows how to enjoy himself; it's quite a May-December romance.'

But then again, in this world, which high-ranking official didn't have several concubines?

He wasn't particularly bothered by it and said in a low voice, "Gold Badge Eleven!"

Zhang Jie was startled and quickly got up, saying, "Please wait a moment, Sir Eleven."

The concubine beside him, who had initially grumbled about being woken up in the middle of the night, immediately fell silent after a stern look from him.

Zu'an didn't enter but stood in the courtyard, admiring the moon.

Fortunately, Zhang Jie didn't make him wait long and soon emerged, wearing a robe.

"Sir Eleven, your late-night visit – does it bear any imperial decree?" Zhang Jie asked cautiously.

Instead of answering directly, Zu'an counter-questioned, "Prefect Zhang, what is your opinion of King Yan?"

Zhang Jie hesitated for a moment before replying, "King Yan is loyal and devoted to the nation, safeguarding this region for the imperial court..."

Seeing him use such boilerplate to fob him off, Zu'an sneered, "But my investigation reveals a long-standing discord between you and King Yan. Doesn't that suggest disloyalty to the imperial court, even undermining King Yan's efforts to protect this region?"

Zhang Jie grew a little flustered. "This humble official is terrified! The truth is, King Yan is arrogant and overbearing, often overstepping his authority in the region. This humble official, loyal to the Emperor, found this unacceptable, which is why there have been many conflicts with him."

Although his official rank was higher than Zu'an's, a Gold-Badge Embroidered Uniform Guard often represented the Emperor's will, leaving him no choice but to be fearful, hence his self-designation as "this humble official."

"What specific acts of transgression are you referring to? Tell me." Zu'an neither confirmed nor denied anything.

Zhang Jie hesitated before asking, "Sir Eleven, is the Emperor also planning to question King Yan?"

"Don't ask what you shouldn't," Zu'an shot back directly. Given the special status of an Embroidered Uniform Guard, explaining every detail would be inappropriate.

As expected, Zhang Jie didn't seem too surprised. He then respectfully recounted King Yan's various transgressions over the years.

"Do you have any evidence?" Zu'an asked.

Zhang Jie shook his head slightly. "There are some witnesses, but relying solely on these incidents would likely make it difficult to charge King Yan with a major crime. Instead, it would harm the relationship between the local government and King Yan's residence, making future work even harder."

Zu'an smiled faintly. "It seems Prefect Zhang is quite eager to pin a serious crime on King Yan."

"This humble official is terrified!" Zhang Jie anxiously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Tomorrow, find a pretext to invite King Yan out. The further away from his mansion, the better." After testing him for a while, Zu'an revealed his true purpose.

Zhang Jie's heart leaped. As an old fox, he naturally guessed the implications. Could Sir Eleven be planning to enter King Yan's mansion?

However, having learned his lesson, he dared not ask further. He could only say with a worried expression, "Sir Eleven, this humble official has been on very bad terms with King Yan for years. It might not be easy to get him to come out."

Zu'an stated coolly, "As the head of a prefecture, you've contended with King Yan for years and remained standing. Don't tell me you have no means."

Zhang Jie once again pulled out his handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his temples. "This humble official will try to find a way, I'll try my best..."

Zu'an knew that such a statement from an old fox was tantamount to an agreement. He nodded and vanished into the night sky.

Gazing in the direction he had left, Zhang Jie murmured to himself, "The Gold-Badge Embroidered Uniform Guards are indeed unfathomable, and Sir Eleven even more so..."

After leaving the Prefect's mansion, Zu'an headed directly for Purple Mountain.

He had handled too many matters that day, and even with his Wind-Fire Wheels, it was already late into the night by the time he returned to Purple Mountain.

Instead of returning to his own quarters, he hesitated for a moment before going directly to Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan's residence.

In the middle of the night, it wouldn't be appropriate to announce his arrival directly; it would inevitably lead to rumors later.

So, he quietly slipped inside.

The moment he opened the window, a glinting cold sword appeared at his neck, and a voice as chilling as ice rang out: "How audacious!"

Zu'an instinctively recoiled. The other person was clearly surprised by his swift reaction and thrust the sword forward in a fluid motion.

"Sister Yan, it's me!" Zu'an whispered, identifying himself as he dodged backward.

Hearing his voice, the long sword paused. "It's you?"

Then the voice grew even colder: "Shameless!"

[Rage value from Yan Xuehen +777 +777 +777...]

After the arena competition during the day, Yan Xuehen felt quite unsettled, so she spent the entire night cultivating and meditating.

She had just sensed someone peering in and assumed it was some audacious, lecherous rogue from one of the Nine Daoist Sects attempting something immoral. She never, in her wildest dreams, expected it to be Zu'an.

This guy had come sneaking around in the middle of the night to see Chuyan, specifically choosing the time just before dawn when people slept most soundly. His intentions were obvious.

"You've misunderstood. I didn't come for Chuyan; I came specifically for you." Zu'an gazed at Yan Xuehen in the moonlight. The moonlight bathed her white robes, enveloping her as if in a hazy veil. He had to admit, even when angry, Sister Yan looked beautiful.

Hearing that he had come specifically for her, Yan Xuehen was momentarily stunned, then her embarrassment mixed with anger. "What do you want with me in the middle of the night? Get out!"

With that, she turned and walked back into the room.

[Rage value from Yan Xuehen +77 +77 +77...]

Seeing her dismissive attitude, as if pushing him a thousand miles away, Zu'an grew anxious and quickly reached out to grab her. "I have something important to tell you."

"There's nothing for us to talk about," Yan Xuehen said coldly, shaking off his hand. "I believe I made myself quite clear before."

"This time, it's truly urgent." Zu'an was momentarily at a loss for how to explain.

For some reason, both of them spoke in very low voices, as if by unspoken agreement, seemingly afraid of being overheard.

Yan Xuehen glanced into the room, then hesitated. "Let's talk outside."

With that, she walked straight out.

Zu'an was delighted and quickly followed her.

They soon reached a bamboo grove outside the courtyard, where Yan Xuehen finally stopped. "Speak. What urgent matter compelled you to seek me out in the dead of night?"

Zu'an gave her a strange look. "You don't seriously think I came here in the middle of the night to launch a sneak attack on you, do you?"

A faint blush flashed across Yan Xuehen's fair cheeks. "If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, I'm leaving."

Zu'an quickly said, "It's like this: I need your help with something."

He then briefly explained to her that an expert was needed to dismantle the array in King Yan's study.

Compared to Xie Daoyun, Yan Xuehen was a more suitable choice. After all, they had cooperated several times before and were more than familiar with each other. Moreover, both she and Yun Jianyue knew his identity as an Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"You intend to deal with King Yan?" Yan Xuehen's delicate brows furrowed.

"It's not that I'm deliberately targeting him," Zu'an said gravely. "The main reason is the death of Gold Badge Seven. I need to investigate something. Gold Badge Seven once helped me. While we aren't friends, I cannot stand idly by knowing he died under mysterious circumstances."

Yan Xuehen fell silent. "King Yan has a special status, and I am the White Jade Capital Temple Master. Even a slight misstep could trigger a major crisis."

Hearing her consistently cold tone, which seemed no different from how she treated or rejected others, Zu'an couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. "In that case, I won't press you. I'll find another way."

With that, he turned and started to leave.

Yan Xuehen said blandly, "The array in King Yan's study is no ordinary one. Where will you find a solution on such short notice?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Temple Master Yan," Zu'an said, waving his hand, his steps not faltering.

Sensing the calmness in his tone, Yan Xuehen's heart trembled. She bit her lip, a flicker of struggle crossing her face. Finally, seeing him walk further and further away, she couldn't help but call out, "I never said I wouldn't help!"

'This brat couldn't even say a few more kind words to persuade me, he just left like that.'

[Rage value from Yan Xuehen +222 +222 +222...]

Zu'an paused, then turned around, looking somewhat incredulous. "You're really willing to help?"

'Since she's willing to help, why does she seem even angrier than before?'

Yan Xuehen snorted coldly. "I can help you, but I have one condition."

"Don't just say one condition; I'll agree to ten, even if you ask me to marry you!" Zu'an was instantly overjoyed and ran back to her.

"Dream on," Yan Xuehen retorted, spitting lightly. She felt her heart beating a little faster than usual. "How did you manage to get Pei Mianman to repeatedly draw byes at the Golden Summit today?"

Zu'an was taken aback. "That's your condition?"

"Is that not enough?" Recalling the scene earlier, Yan Xuehen's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Her heart had been nagging her like a cat scratching since that afternoon, and she hadn't been able to bring herself to ask before.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Wang Wuxie shrank back into the shadows of the trees, his expression utterly shocked. "How did those two end up together?"