Chapter 1669: Sacrificing the Flag

Zu'an was initially furious upon seeing the message at the bottom of the black pool, feeling utterly deceived. This anger, combined with his later discovery that Jiang Zhong had been bribed, instinctively led him to believe the turtle spirit and Prince Yan were colluding.

However, according to Yun Jianyue, Prince Yan was not the one who killed Gold Medal Number Seven, which significantly reduced the likelihood of the turtle spirit and Prince Yan working together.

When he first sought it out, the turtle spirit was completely unprepared. Moreover, had it not been for his exceptionally sharp eyesight, it would have remained hidden at the bottom of the water.

Thinking along these lines, the probability of the turtle spirit being intentionally placed there to mislead him seemed very low. Therefore, the information it provided at that time, to save its own life, was likely truthful, as there was no reason for it to conceal anything for anyone else.

The turtle spirit had mentioned that a woman dumped Gold Medal Number Seven's body there, and that specific event had indeed occurred.

But why would that woman utter such a strange remark?

If she was disposing of a body, why would she wish for it to be discovered quickly?

And who exactly was this woman?

A thought suddenly struck Zu'an: could it truly have been Tang Tian'er?

However, he quickly became confused again. The turtle spirit hadn't clearly seen the woman's appearance. His association with Tang Tian'er stemmed from Jiang Zhong's mention that Gold Medal Number Seven had contacted her multiple times before his death, and Jiang Zhong himself had been bribed by Prince Yan...

Had everything simply returned to square one?

Zu'an felt something flicker in his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

Just then, Yun Jianyue spoke up, "A'Zu, there's a question I've been wanting to ask you."

"What is it?" Zu'an snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Yun Jianyue.

Yun Jianyue hesitated for a moment, appearing to carefully choose her words: "Based on our past interactions, you've never struck me as particularly loyal to the emperor. In fact, I've sensed that you view Zhao Hao as a potential adversary. If that's the case, why are you helping Zhao Hao now? Both our Holy Sect and Prince Yan are currently intent on confronting the Emperor. As the saying goes, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' so why are you making things difficult for Prince Yan and potentially losing a valuable ally?"

She paused, her expression somewhat complicated. "Also, your bringing troops to Purple Mountain to help Zhao Hao eliminate security risks makes me feel that everything you're doing is ultimately pointless."

Zu'an's expression grew solemn. "Sister Yun, you are mistaken. While Prince Yan harbors rebellious intentions, he wouldn't dare rebel against Zhao Hao, not even if he had ten times the courage. If my suspicions are correct, he is doing all of this to rebel against the Crown Prince after Zhao Hao's death. Therefore, he cannot cooperate with me in opposing Zhao Hao, and thus cannot be an ally."

"You, Sister Yun, are different. You are someone who truly dares to defy Zhao Hao, and even dared to infiltrate the palace for an assassination. That's why I admire you greatly, and we share a good relationship."

Hearing him recall that past incident, Yun Jianyue thought back to her days hiding in the imperial palace, and a rare, gentle smile graced her face.

"As for many of the things I'm doing right now," Zu'an continued, "I'm merely accumulating opportunities."

"Accumulating opportunities?" Yun Jianyue was momentarily puzzled, not quite grasping the meaning. People usually *seek* opportunities, but what did "accumulating opportunities" imply?

Zu'an offered no explanation, instead shifting to casual conversation. "By the way, Sister Yun, I heard your competition with White Jade Capital is scheduled for these next few days. Why haven't you made an appearance yet?"

Yun Jianyue offered a knowing, half-smile. "What, are you trying to gather information for your little girlfriend now?"

Zu'an's face flushed. "I'm equally worried about Honglei! Honestly, I don't want them to fight at all. It'll be bad no matter who loses; both are equally dear to me."

"Both are equally dear to you?" Yun Jianyue was both exasperated and amused. "You truly are outrageous, young man, presenting such blatant shamelessness with such righteous conviction."

[Rage value from Yun Jianyue +66+66+66...]

Zu'an couldn't help but protest, "Well, what else am I supposed to do? Should I actively support one in defeating the other?"

"You won't even say something nice, biased towards Honglei, in front of me. I suppose you're just as impartial when facing the Ice Stone Woman and her disciples. At least you have some conscience," Yun Jianyue's expression softened slightly. "However, your flirtations these past few days with the Ice Stone Woman's apprentice and that well-endowed woman from Biluo Palace have truly upset Honglei."

It took Zu'an a moment to realize she was referring to Pei Mianman, and he inwardly thought, *This woman really loves giving people nicknames.*

He quickly retorted, "I didn't know your identities back then, did I? But even then, I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness, and I even helped you several times."

"That's more like it. For a moment, I thought your preferences had changed," Yun Jianyue chuckled.

Zu'an was speechless.

After teasing him for a while, Yun Jianyue became serious. "I have my own arrangements regarding the agreement with White Jade Capital. However, given your good relationship with them, telling you would only put you in a difficult position. I could easily invent an excuse to deceive you, but I choose not to. I'm telling you directly that I cannot disclose the details, and I hope you can understand."

Zu'an paused, then gazed at Yun Jianyue, a faint smile gracing his lips.

"What are you looking at? Are you upset?" Yun Jianyue asked, startled.

"No," Zu'an replied, "I just find a unique, uninhibited beauty about you." He couldn't help but feel a rush of emotion. Her personality and Yan Xuehen's were polar opposites; it was no wonder they were sworn enemies.

"Stop flattering me. I'm not susceptible to such tactics," she said, though the subtle joy in her brow betrayed her true feelings.

The two chatted as they traveled and soon arrived near Yi City. As Yun Jianyue's identity made it inconvenient for her to appear publicly, she disembarked first.

Zu'an also changed into his Embroidered Envoy uniform before continuing his journey toward Yi City.

From a distance, banners fluttered everywhere, and masses of soldiers filled the landscape, creating an oppressive scene, like a dark cloud looming over the city, threatening its destruction.

Meanwhile, Yi City's gates were tightly shut, and county soldiers lined the city walls. The officials of Yi County, led by Zhang Jie, all appeared tense. They understood that if a real battle began, the regular city guards, accustomed to daily duties, would be no match for the battle-hardened field army.

Crucially, Prince Yan's mansion wielded considerable influence within the city. If an internal betrayal combined with an external attack occurred, how could a large city like Yi City possibly hold out?

Therefore, Zhang Jie was also shouting from the ramparts, urging the opposing forces to calm down, insisting that there were misunderstandings.

Unfortunately, these pleas had little to no effect.

Just then, within Prince Yan's army formation outside the city, Prince Yan's heir, Zhao Huang, sat atop a tall warhorse. He raised a hand, and the drums of his army erupted. The troops immediately surged with a palpable killing intent, slowly advancing towards Yi City with heavy, synchronized steps. To those on the city walls, the sound of their marching was like a death knell.

Xiao Jianren, Zhang Zhitong, and other Embroidered Envoys also arrived on the city tower. Their official roles mandated their assistance in defending the territory.

Seeing the dark, overwhelming mass of the army approaching, their hearts pounded. They usually only faced a few skilled individuals; they had never witnessed such a battlefield scenario. In this situation, individual combat prowess was almost negligible; if a true battle erupted, every breath might very well be their last.

A sense of despair began to settle in their hearts. Where was Sir Eleven? Why hadn't he appeared yet?

However, they also understood that in this situation, even if Sir Eleven arrived, it would be futile.

At this very moment, Zu'an was observing Prince Yan's army. Despite having been in this world for so long, this appeared to be his first encounter with a genuine battlefield scene.

Previously, the Chu family's private army in Bright Moon City, and the Imperial Forest Guards he had been leading recently, had, strictly speaking, never engaged in actual battlefield combat.

Prince Yan's army truly lived up to its reputation as a force seasoned by long-term battles against foreign tribes and rebels. The palpable killing intent they exuded would strike fear into the hearts of many cultivation masters, preventing them from unleashing their true potential.

Their strict formations and superior armor—indeed, every detail suggested a level of quality even surpassing that of the Chu family's private army in Bright Moon City.

He also noticed numerous cannon-like weapons within Prince Yan's army, each intricately engraved with various runes. These were clearly a fusion of the cultivation world's magic and conventional firearms.

Blue light flickered around Yi City's walls, indicating that defensive formations had been activated. However, it was uncertain how long the dispirited county soldiers could hold out.

Zu'an wasted no more time. If a full-scale battle truly began, it would be exceedingly difficult to halt.

War was cruel; regardless of the outcome, it was always the common soldiers and civilians who suffered.

"Stop!" He flew directly above Prince Yan's army formation. With his current cultivation, a single powerful shout was enough to echo across every corner of the battlefield.

Prince Yan's army quickly spotted him, and a contingent of soldiers immediately raised their crossbows, aiming directly at him.

Gazing at the dark glint on their shoulders and the shimmering runes on the arrow shafts, Zu'an's eyelids twitched. If such an army were to concentrate its fire on him, even with his abilities, he would currently have no choice but to temporarily retreat.

On the city tower, Xiao Jianren and Zhang Zhitong were immediately overjoyed. "It's Sir Eleven! Sir Eleven has arrived!"

Numerous past experiences had instilled in them an inexplicable trust in Gold Medal Number Eleven, as if his mere presence provided a much-needed pillar of strength.

Prince Yan's heir, Zhao Huang, raised a hand, halting his subordinates from firing. He had clearly recognized him. "Sir Eleven," he said, "I truly didn't expect you to dare show your face before me."

Many individuals nearby indignantly shouted, "Your Highness, this is the man who conspired to frame Prince Yan!"

Zu'an's expression remained calm. "Your Highness, Master Sun, do you understand the implications of your actions today? Rebellion carries the penalty of exterminating nine generations of your family."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jie and the others on the city gate couldn't help but wipe cold sweat from their brows. This Gold Medal Number Eleven was truly audacious; how dared he provoke the opposing side at such a critical juncture?

As expected, Zhao Huang's face twitched. "I don't know what our ultimate fate will be, but I can assure you that yours today will not be good."

[Rage value from Zhao Huang +444+444+444...]

Sun Xun, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "We are only here to seek justice for Prince Yan and secure his release. If Sir Eleven can persuade Zhang Jie to free Prince Yan, it will benefit everyone."

The two were, of course, playing good cop, bad cop.

Zu'an, however, shook his head. "If we were to concede to your demands simply because you've taken up arms, then everyone would follow suit. Wouldn't the empire then descend into utter chaos?"

Zhang Jie and the others on the city tower all exchanged peculiar glances. Even if what he said was true, it certainly wasn't something to declare openly.

Such an unsparing refusal left the other party no room to save face.

Predictably, Zhao Huang exploded in rage. "In that case, today you, the primary instigator, shall be sacrificed to consecrate our battle flag!"

[Rage value from Zhao Huang +666+666+666...]

With a wave of his hand, countless arrows, already aimed at Zu'an, shot forth. Each glowed with a faint blue light, carrying a destructive aura that seemed to cover every possible evasion point around him.