Chapter 1675: Revenge Plan

Zhang Zitong froze, then instinctively rolled aside, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. However, with her vital energy sealed, she couldn't retaliate. As the opponent's second slash descended, she found herself unable to dodge and could only watch in despair as the blade came down.

Suddenly, a sense of resignation washed over her. She had, after all, long yearned for death; there was little difference between being poisoned or dying by the blade. Yet, she thought, if this blade struck, her death would likely be gruesome. She really didn't want Lord Eleven to return and witness such a sight.

At that moment, a fist suddenly shot out from the side, knocking the blade away.

Simultaneously, a towering figure stepped in front of her. Zhang Zitong's heart leaped: It was Lord Eleven!

Zu An was now facing the black-clad figure, who was completely covered from head to toe, showing no discernible features. Clearly, they had come prepared.

Seeing Zu An there, the black-clad assailant paused, then, without hesitation, dashed towards the exit. Just then, several soul-reaping ropes crisscrossed in front, blocking their path. Leading them were Xiao Jianren and a few other silver-badge Embroidered Uniform Guards.

None of the silver-badge Embroidered Uniform Guards were ordinary fighters. With their unique combined attack techniques and the coordination of the soul-reaping ropes, they could hold their ground even against a top master for a time. Moreover, a gold-badge Embroidered Uniform Guard was lurking menacingly behind them.

The black-clad figure suddenly turned back to look at Zu An, their eyes burning with what appeared to be the fury of someone who had been tricked.

Rage points from Zhang Jie +444 +444 +444...

Seeing that name in his system's backend, Zu An thought, "Just as I suspected." He then spoke, "Lord Zhang, I didn't expect you to come personally."

At his words, everyone else in the room was stunned. They had only assumed an assassin was targeting Zhang Zitong, never imagining that someone of such high standing would be involved. In all of Yi County, who else could "Lord Zhang" refer to but Zhang Jie, the most renowned?

The black-clad figure was also surprised, but still spoke in a hoarse voice, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

Clearly, he was making a final attempt to deny his identity.

Zu An didn't expose him, but continued, "In truth, I've been utterly manipulated by you all this time. Prince Yan used the death of Gold Badge Seven, hoping I would investigate Carefree Pavilion, thereby exposing your connection to it and bringing about your downfall."

"But then another mysterious force led me to investigate Prince Yan. At first, I indeed fell for it, believing Prince Yan was responsible, as he had both the motive and the means."

"However, many questions arose along the way that I couldn't answer. It wasn't until the events of the past two days that I finally pieced everything together."

"All that remained was to figure out the identity of that mysterious force. Many situations may seem complex, but there's a simple principle to follow: whoever stands to gain the most is the prime suspect."

"If Prince Yan were to truly fall because of Gold Badge Seven or the rebellion, who would be the biggest winner?"

"Naturally, it would be you, the Prefect of Yi County. You and Prince Yan have been locked in fierce contention for years. Although you deliberately presented yourself as unremarkable in front of me, how could someone who has challenged Prince Yan for so long be an ordinary individual?"

Hearing him lay everything bare, the black-clad figure knew further pretense was futile. He removed his mask, revealing himself to be Zhang Jie, the Prefect of Yi County.

Xiao Jianren and the others swallowed hard, feeling that everything unfolding before them was beyond their wildest imaginings. Given the involvement of Prince Yan and such a powerful regional official, if Xiao Jianren hadn't had such deep trust in Lord Eleven, he would have feared being silenced later.

Zhang Zitong gazed at Zhang Jie across from her, her expression shifting rapidly.

"When you came to me to speak of Zhang Zitong, I should have realized it was a trap," Zhang Jie said bitterly. He admitted he had been too careless. The crucial factor was how convincingly this young man spoke, and Master Yan's reputation was well-known. He had also heard of Truth Talismans and feared Zhang Zitong might genuinely reveal something.

"Recently, Prince Yan was arrested, and his heir openly led troops in rebellion. Even if the Emperor compromises and appeases them this time, a deep resentment will surely remain, and accounts will be settled sooner or later. You won too decisively; even the calmest person would be swept away by such a victory." Zu An paused. "I didn't expect you to come personally."

"For something like this, if I didn't come myself and something went wrong, like with her, the cleanup would be troublesome," Zhang Jie said, glaring fiercely at Zhang Zitong. He added that if it hadn't been for the issue concerning her, everything he had planned would have been flawless.

At his glare, Zhang Zitong lowered her head in a mix of apology and resignation. However, the thought that he intended to kill her to silence her brought a flicker of defiance and disappointment to her face.

"I have a question," Zu An began, somewhat confused. This was why he hadn't initially suspected Zhang Jie. "Although your official position is high, ultimately you are still just an imperial appointee. Do you really have the motivation to go to such lengths? To put it nicely, you're a powerful regional official; to put it bluntly, you're merely an employee. You could simply transfer elsewhere and continue your official career; there's no need to go to such extremes to get rid of Prince Yan."

If every subordinate of Zhao Hao were this capable, the thought would truly be terrifying.

"Hmph, what do you know?" Zhang Jie said with a bitter tone. "Zhang Zhiquan saved my life back then; I cannot leave his vendetta unaddressed."

Zu An was startled by his words and turned to Zhang Zitong. "You both share the surname Zhang; are you relatives?"

Before Zhang Zitong could reply, Zhang Jie interjected, "We're relatives, but so distant that the connection might not even be found in our family records. Otherwise, when Zhang Zhiquan committed his offense back then, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to reach my current position."

"So you claim Zhang Zhiquan saved your life; does the imperial court not know this?" Zu An asked, finding it strange. After all, high-ranking regional officials like him surely underwent strict political vetting before taking office.

"I was saved by him during my impoverished youth," Zhang Jie explained. "It was only with his financial support that I had the opportunity to embark on the path of cultivation. Brother Zhiquan possessed a noble character and disdained publicizing such acts of kindness. I, too, never spoke of it to anyone, simply keeping it silently in my heart, so naturally, no one knew."

"I never would have thought you were a man of such loyalty and righteousness," Zu An said, a cold sneer forming on his lips. "Yet today you've come to murder the sole remaining kin of your great benefactor. Don't you think discussing these virtues now is somewhat laughable?"

"All of this is merely for the sake of ultimate revenge," Zhang Jie stated coldly. "And I believe she herself is willing."

"That's right!" Zhang Zitong affirmed, though an unavoidable ripple of emotion stirred within her. She was indeed willing to sacrifice her life for the cause, and had even attempted to take her own life without hesitation before. Yet, being silenced like this felt quite different from choosing her own end.

"What exactly was Zhang Zhiquan's crime, and why was his entire family executed?" Zu An asked, curious. "And what is this 'ultimate revenge' you speak of?"

Zhang Jie let out a cold laugh. "Even if I dared to tell you, you probably wouldn't dare to listen."

Zu An smiled. "I may not have many other talents, but I certainly have courage. I'm all ears."

Zhang Jie looked at Xiao Jianren and the others nearby. "If they hear this information, they might not survive."

Xiao Jianren and the others' expressions shifted. Having served as Embroidered Uniform Guards for many years, they had witnessed ample darkness and knew that Zhang Jie's words weren't necessarily an exaggeration; indeed, there were many truths that, once heard, sealed one's fate.

Zu An waved his hand. "All of you, wait for me outside. Do not approach this area."

Xiao Jianren immediately grew anxious. "Lord Eleven, be careful; he might be playing a trick, trying to use this opportunity to get rid of us."

Zu An thought that this old man indeed possessed a degree of loyalty, making him even more unwilling to let them take such a risk. "Don't worry," he assured them, "I have it under control."

Helpless, Xiao Jianren and his companions could only retreat outside the house.

Seeing them leave, Zhang Jie looked somewhat surprised. "The young man has quite the courage. Aren't you afraid I'll attack you right here?" He was, after all, a Grandmaster, a realm rarely achieved by even gold-badge Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Zu An's expression remained calm. "Now that I've cleared the room for you, you can say whatever you wish."

Zhang Jie slowly began, "The case of the Zhang family's annihilation, years ago, involved the imperial grandson of the previous dynasty..."