Chapter 1666: Client

Everyone was startled by her words, especially Elder Peng, who stared at Yan Xuehen with wide eyes.

"This Ice Stone Woman is truly my nemesis," she thought. "I've disguised myself so thoroughly, yet she can still sense my presence?"

Wang Wuxie took the opportunity to speak with Yan Xuehen. "Abbot Yan," he asked, "why do you think so?"

At that moment, Zu'an also looked at her. Unlike the others' alarm, his heart was filled with joy. "Is Sister Yun here too?" he wondered.

Yan Xuehen and Zu'an's eyes met for a fleeting moment before she replied, "The martial arts competition agreed upon between the Demonic Cult and us is approaching. Logically, they should have arrived earlier to familiarize themselves with the situation here. However, for so many days, we haven't seen her appear. This suggests either they are overconfident, or they have already arrived, but under a hidden identity."

The members of the Nine Daoist Sects all frowned. While they disliked that demonic woman, they had to admit she was far from an arrogant fool. How could she be so overconfident?

"Abbot Yan speaks wisely," Wang Wuxie said. "Although I've instructed my disciples to significantly strengthen patrols on Mount Zi, it's clear they cannot stop someone like Yun Jianyue."

"I don't necessarily agree," Wan Tongtian interjected. "Though Yun Jianyue is formidable, with so many of us here, if she came openly, we'd be reluctant to act against her. But if she stirs up trouble first, we'd have a reason to intervene, and she would be at a disadvantage."

"Hehe, it just means Brother Wan doesn't know that demonic woman well enough," Guan Chouhai chuckled. "Yun Jianyue's actions are often unpredictable, sometimes even seeming a bit eccentric."

Elder Peng's eyes narrowed slightly, noting the grudge.

Naturally, she didn't want to bear that reputation. Instead, she insisted someone in the venue had kidnapped her disciple, forcing the others to reluctantly agree to let her search their residences. As expected, nothing was found.

Wang Wuxie simultaneously consoled her not to worry and promised to fully assist her in finding her disciple.

The grand competition had to be postponed temporarily, and everyone returned to their respective courtyards.

A sense of unease gripped all of Mount Zi. Knowing that even someone of Peng Wuyan's cultivation had been silently abducted, wouldn't it be even easier to capture other disciples?

The elders of various sects were equally worried, instructing their core disciples not to leave their sight to avoid a repeat incident.

Even Yan Xuehen returned to her courtyard and stayed indoors. She felt a pang of fear, wondering what would have happened if she had left last night and the mysterious person had taken the opportunity to kidnap Chuyan.

Back in his room, Zu'an also cautioned Xie Daoyun not to wander aimlessly around Mount Zi during this time, to avoid any accidents.

After all, Peng Wuyan's combat strength seemed to surpass hers.

Of course, if it truly was Yun Jianyue's doing, he wouldn't be afraid. The crucial thing was if it were someone else, that would be troublesome.

Just then, he received a notification that Elder Peng of Kongming Island had come to visit.

Zu'an felt a chill run down his spine. He had witnessed her unreasonable and troublesome side on Golden Summit previously; she had held so many sect leaders firmly in her grasp.

"Why is she looking for me?" he wondered. "Could she suspect I kidnapped Peng Wuyan?"

Although reluctant, he was concerned she might do something irrational due to her disciple's disappearance, so he went out to greet her. "Elder Peng, have you found any clues?"

She didn't reply, simply staring intently at him.

Zu'an felt a prickling sensation under her gaze and continued, "Elder Peng, rest assured, I've also ordered my soldiers to search throughout Mount Zi. If there's any news of Miss Peng, you'll be notified immediately."

Only then did Elder Peng withdraw her gaze and look towards Xie Daoyun and Zhang Zijiang standing nearby. She slowly said, "I have important matters to discuss privately with Lord Zu."

Zu'an was momentarily stunned, unable to fathom what she wanted to tell him. "Could she have truly discovered that Peng Wuyan was captured by a Daoist sect leader? And she wants me to uphold justice?"

Both Xie Daoyun and Zhang Zijiang were somewhat worried. Elder Peng's cultivation seemed considerable, and in her current state of agitation, it was uncertain what she might do if left alone with Zu'an.

However, Zu'an wasn't afraid. He gave them a reassuring look and told them to wait outside.

Only then did he turn to the middle-aged woman opposite him. "Elder Peng, what do you wish to tell me?"

Elder Peng stared directly at him, then suddenly let out a soft chuckle. "Lord Zu truly enjoys flirting, bringing a great beauty disguised as a man even to Mount Zi."

Zu'an's eyes widened instantly, not because she had seen through Xie Daoyun's disguise, but because of her voice.

Previously, her voice had been that of a typical middle-aged woman, with an almost off-putting quality that suggested hormonal imbalance.

But now, her voice was exceptionally charming and pleasant to the ear, accompanied by an inherent haughtiness, as if she regarded everyone else as trash.

Only that person could so perfectly blend two such distinct temperaments. Zu'an looked at her, filled with doubt and surprise. "Yun... Sister Yun?"

"Lord Zu truly colludes with the Demonic Cult leader," Elder Peng said, her voice reverting to its previous tone as she sneered at him repeatedly.

Zu'an was startled. "Had he been tricked?"

"Oh no, I'm truly in deep trouble now; I can't clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River," he thought. "Am I really going to be considered an accomplice in kidnapping Peng Wuyan?"

"Wait..."

He stared at the woman before him in disbelief. "But how could that voice be so similar?"

Seeing his bewildered and conflicted expression, Elder Peng suddenly let out a giggle. Then, with a flick of her hand, she removed the mask from her face, letting her long, cascading hair fall down, revealing a face of breathtaking beauty.

"Sister Yun!" Zu'an exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. He couldn't help but rush over and pull her into a tight embrace.

"What are you doing?" Yun Jianyue hadn't expected him to be so direct. She pushed him away and glared at him irritably.

"This touch... it's definitely Sister Yun," Zu'an said with a grin.

Yun Jianyue's face flushed. This rascal was truly audacious, not holding back at all.

Zu'an then suddenly let out a sound of surprise. "Was that Peng Wuyan really kidnapped by you? How did you manage to disguise yourself so perfectly as Elder Peng? We couldn't tell the difference today."

Yun Jianyue scoffed. "These past few days, your eyes have been filled with all those other 'sisters.' How could you possibly notice me?"

Hearing the implication in her words, Zu'an was startled. "You were Elder Peng this whole time?"

"Of course," Yun Jianyue said with a hint of pride. "That Elder Peng is a relatively obscure elder from Kongming Island. Moreover, Kongming Island has always been located far overseas, and doesn't have close ties with the other eight sects. Wang Wuxie and the others haven't even met her, so it was easy for me to pass myself off as her with a simple disguise."

"But Kongming Island's chief disciple is quite formidable," Zu'an's expression suddenly changed. "Could she be Honglei?"

No wonder he had always felt a sense of familiarity from her before.

"You're only realizing it now. I don't know whether to call you smart or foolish," Yun Jianyue sighed.

Zu'an immediately grew anxious. "But she disappeared yesterday! We need to go find her quickly!"

When Peng Wuyan disappeared, he was concerned, but it wasn't directly related to him. Qiu Honglei, however, was different.

"Don't worry," Yun Jianyue said with a relaxed expression, a stark contrast to her agitated appearance on Golden Summit earlier. "I just tricked them."

"Then where is she now?" Zu'an asked, still half-believing, half-doubting.

Yun Jianyue was slightly annoyed. "What, you don't believe my words? Are you afraid I sold your little lover?"

Zu'an quickly offered a placating smile. "Isn't this just me being overly anxious from concern? It's been too long since I saw her, so I'm a bit excited."

"If you're so brave, why don't you say that in front of your Miss Chu? She happens to be on the mountain too," Yun Jianyue sneered.

Zu'an's smile faltered. It wasn't just Chu Chuyan; Yan Xuehen was also there. If they knew, everything would truly explode.

"Don't worry, I sent Honglei to carry out a mission," Yun Jianyue said.

Zu'an was taken aback. "No wonder you put on that act today; you wanted to postpone the competition. But what's so important that you would neglect such a significant event?"

Yun Jianyue's expression suddenly became extremely complex. She stared at Zu'an for a long moment before quietly asking, "Can I trust you?"

Zu'an was startled. He reached out to take her hand. "We've faced life and death together so many times. I thought there was no longer any need to doubt that."

"Heh heh," Yun Jianyue said, "Haven't you and the Ice Stone Woman also faced life and death together many times?" She was clearly not satisfied with his answer.

Zu'an chuckled awkwardly. "It's different. We have the most intimate relationship."

Yun Jianyue's face flushed. "Who's talking about that?"

She slapped his hand away. "What happened that time was merely an expedient measure due to the urgency of the situation. You were saved, and I gained pleasure; we owe each other nothing. There's no need to bring it up again. From now on, you'll still be interacting with Honglei, and you'll continue to call me Master. Things will remain as they were before."

Zu'an was taken aback. Perhaps it was due to her background in the Demonic Cult, but Yun Jianyue was clearly more uninhibited about that matter than Yan Xuehen.

Yet, the more uninhibited she was, the further he felt she was drifting away from him. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.

"However, our relationship is indeed extraordinary, so I'll consider you trustworthy. But what you're about to hear must not be revealed to anyone, or I might face eternal damnation," Yun Jianyue said with extreme seriousness.

Zu'an's heart tensed. He had never seen her so serious before, so he nodded. "Alright!"

Sensing his earnestness, Yun Jianyue then spoke. "Did you go and capture King Yan last night?"

"I didn't expect you to know so quickly," Zu'an replied. Although somewhat surprised, he wasn't entirely shocked. While Mount Zi wasn't close to Yi City, such a major event would spread with astonishing speed. As the Demonic Cult leader, it wasn't surprising that she knew.

What's more, she also knew his identity as Gold Medal Eleven.

"Why are you targeting King Yan? Don't tell me it's genuinely because he's planning a rebellion or something," Yun Jianyue said, looking at him. "From what I know of you, you don't have any loyalty to Zhao Hao."

Zu'an explained, "I was mainly investigating the murder of Gold Medal Seven in Yi Commandery, and these things were brought to light incidentally. I had some personal dealings with Gold Medal Seven; although we weren't friends, I didn't want him to die without a clear explanation."

"Gold Medal Seven wasn't killed by him," Yun Jianyue stated directly.

"How do you know?" Zu'an was surprised by the certainty in her tone.

"Because King Yan had also commissioned someone to investigate Gold Medal Seven's death before," Yun Jianyue paused, "and the person he commissioned happened to be me."