Chapter 1699: Undercover

"Okay!" Zu An replied decisively.

"You didn't even ask who we're saving before agreeing?" Qiu Honglei was startled.

Zu An smiled, "Even if you asked me for not just one thing, but ten or a hundred, I would go through fire and water for you."

Qiu Honglei found it odd. She wondered why he had used "you" (plural) when it was she who was asking for help.

"Smooth talker. I don't know what Honglei sees in you," Yun Jianyue rolled her eyes, seemingly contemptuous of him.

Zu An watched her, chuckling. This woman was truly interesting, intentionally putting on such a show in front of her disciple. What an actress!

Seeing his smile, Yun Jianyue's face flushed. She glared at him fiercely, warning him not to expose their relationship.

Although Qiu Honglei found their eye contact a bit strange, she didn't dwell on it. "A'Zu, it's like this: you know Consort Bai from the palace, right?"

"Consort Bai?" Zu An was taken aback, recalling the beautiful woman with a floral scent. "You're not trying to rescue her, are you?"

Yun Jianyue nodded. "Rou Xue is my junior sister. Years ago, she infiltrated the palace as an undercover agent for the Sacred Sect. However, we suddenly lost contact with her a few days ago. Based on the information we received, it's very likely her identity has been exposed, so we'd like to ask for your help."

Zu An was somewhat shocked. He had never expected that delicate woman to be a member of the Demonic Sect.

However, it wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, when Yun Jianyue and the others were in the palace, Consort Bai seemed to have subtly provided help. And after Zu An rescued Yun Jianyue, Consort Bai's attitude towards him had always been friendly.

Seeing his silence, Yun Jianyue continued, "From what I know, Rou Xue also seems to be quite fond of you."

Zu An sighed. "Ah, so it's because of that connection. I thought she just found me handsome and developed feelings for me."

Qiu Honglei: "..."

Yun Jianyue: "..."

They had never seen such a shameless person.

Zu An dropped his smile. "But from what I know, the emperor is already on his way to Mount Zi. Was Consort Bai brought out, or is she under house arrest in the palace, or even..."

The rest implied the worst-case scenario: she might have already been secretly executed.

Qiu Honglei shook her head. "Our current intelligence is limited. After the last assassination attempt in the palace, our informants there suffered heavy losses, so we can't get any useful information. After thinking it over, we realized you're the only one who can help."

Yun Jianyue snorted. "Rou Xue's identity is one of the Sacred Sect's biggest secrets; no more than three people know it. If we didn't consider you one of us, we wouldn't tell you, even if something happened to her."

"Master~" Qiu Honglei shot her a reproachful glance, thinking, *It's bad enough Master is usually so domineering, but we're asking for a favor now. Couldn't she be a little gentler?*

Yun Jianyue naturally had no trouble guessing Qiu Honglei's thoughts. She mused, *What a silly girl. Perhaps there are too many rivals, making her anxious and afraid of displeasing that boy.*

However, she didn't know that her master was also "on the scale" this time. *If he didn't agree when two women asked him, then I would truly have misjudged him.*

As expected, Zu An quickly nodded. "Don't worry, I'll handle this. But you should be prepared; I might not be able to save her."

"A'Zu, you're the best!" Qiu Honglei happily hugged his arm, thinking, *Master was so rude to him, and he didn't even get angry. He must be doing this for my sake, loving me so much that he extends his affection to everything connected to me. He's so good to me.*

Seeing the two hugging intimately, Yun Jianyue felt a surge of irritation. She then said, "Don't worry, we also know this is difficult. Whether or not you can rescue her, we will be grateful for your efforts."

"Oh, by the way," Zu An recalled something. "If Consort Bai is your junior sister, why did her cultivation seem so ordinary to me?"

She had previously given him a sachet to conceal her cultivation aura, but its effect was limited. Yun Jianyue was a Grandmaster, after all; the difference between the two sisters was just too vast.

"The small white flower in her hair is a special seal that suppresses her cultivation," Yun Jianyue explained. "After all, she infiltrated the imperial family; too high a cultivation would be detrimental. Also, Rou Xue's path is different from mine. She practices another special technique of the Sacred Sect, which shares similarities with the Heavenly Demon's Allure, but it doesn't emphasize martial arts prowess."

Zu An suddenly understood. No wonder Consort Bai always had that small white flower in her hair, regardless of her disguise or attire. He had previously thought it was because she simply loved flowers too much.

He wondered if, being similar to the Heavenly Demon's Allure, it was also a form of seduction art.

Consort Bai did possess a delicate aura that made men instinctively want to protect and cherish her. And the floral scent emanating from her entire body—was that also a characteristic of that technique?

Of course, these were not things he could easily inquire about with the two women.

Seeing his agreement, Yun Jianyue nodded. Just as she was about to take Qiu Honglei away, she noticed the reluctance in her eyes. After a slight hesitation, she said, "I'll wait for you outside."

With that, she flashed away, adopting an "out of sight, out of mind" approach.

Qiu Honglei, on the other hand, felt a bit shy and didn't know what to do for a moment.

Zu An smiled at her bashful expression. "What happened to the captivating courtesan of Brightmoon City? And what about the Demonic Sect enchantress who, just days ago, captivated all the Daoist disciples on the Golden Summit, leaving them so enchanted they still whisper about her? How did she become so shy?"

"Oh, you're different from everyone else," Qiu Honglei playfully chided.

***

Yun Jianyue leaned against a tree, appearing nonchalant on the surface, but secretly pricked up her ears, listening to the young couple inside pouring out their hearts to each other. A strange irritation stirred within her.

Yet, she also knew she had no right to be angry.

The thought only deepened her frustration.

Just then, her heart jolted. She instantly moved several yards back, vigilantly looking to the other side.

At that moment, a woman in a white dress appeared at the doorway, her exquisite face devoid of any expression, like a thousand-year-old iceberg.

"If I had ambushed you just now, you'd probably be dead," Yan Xuehen frowned. "That's not like you. What were you distracted by?"

Yun Jianyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but verbally refused to concede. "Nonsense. I was clearly luring you into making a move just now. You were lucky you didn't try."

"Is that so?" Yan Xuehen paused, not overly suspicious. After all, given Yun Jianyue's cultivation, such a significant lapse in concentration would indeed be uncharacteristic.

With a guilty conscience, Yun Jianyue retorted in a rapid-fire manner, "And what about you? The moment your disciple entered the secret realm, you couldn't wait to come to her man's residence. Aren't you afraid of gossip spreading?"

A blush and a hint of panic appeared on Yan Xuehen's perpetually cold face. *Could she really know about A'Zu and me?*

However, being intelligent, she quickly composed herself. "Don't some people also rush to their disciple's man's courtyard?"

Yun Jianyue's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, both women were flustered and frozen in place.

Fortunately, Zu An heard the commotion inside and came out to check. Seeing Yan Xuehen, his heart brightened. "Sister Yan, you're here too!"

Yan Xuehen saw Qiu Honglei almost entirely leaning into Zu An's embrace and couldn't help but frown. "Lord Zu, you are an imperial official, yet you associate with these Demonic Sect enchantresses. Moreover, Daoist masters are gathered on the mountain now. If they find out, how will you explain yourself?"

"Ice Maiden, watch your mouth! Who are you trying to scare with that? He and Honglei are a perfect match, deeply in love. Who cares what others say?" Yun Jianyue was annoyed, feeling that Yan Xuehen was using the pretense of righteousness to help her disciple win a man.

Yan Xuehen frowned, her expression growing even colder.

Feeling the sudden drop in temperature in the courtyard, Qiu Honglei felt embarrassed to be so close to Zu An. She quickly straightened up from his embrace and respectfully bowed to Yan Xuehen. "Thank you, Senior Yan and Miss Chu, for your leniency the other day."

Yan Xuehen said flatly, "I'm not like some lust-driven individuals. How could I intentionally let you go?"

Yun Jianyue chuckled, "You, Ice Maiden, are so hypocritical. You clearly did it but won't admit it. You indeed didn't attack me with those people before, and I still appreciate that. Next time you're surrounded by the Sacred Sect, I'll return the favor and let you go."

"No need!" Yan Xuehen turned her face away directly.

Despite their bickering, both knew clearly that after fighting side by side in the Demon Realm's secret dimension last time, they truly couldn't bring themselves to team up with others against each other.

Of course, as opposing forces of good and evil, they would still fight when it came to a fair duel.

Yun Jianyue gave her a disdainful look. "If a woman like you ever finds a man, you'll lose him sooner or later because of your contradictory nature."

But after saying it, she chuckled herself. If Yan Xuehen were to look for a man, the line of suitors would probably stretch from the foot of Mount Zi all the way to the capital. Who would be willing to lose her?

Though Yun Jianyue spoke casually, Yan Xuehen took it to heart, and for a moment, her expression became distant.

With Yan Xuehen present, Yun Jianyue and her disciple couldn't have a private conversation with Zu An. Additionally, the Demonic Sect still had many pressing matters to handle, so they found an excuse to leave.

Soon, only Zu An and Yan Xuehen remained in the courtyard.

"I thought you wouldn't come looking for me anymore," Zu An said, smiling happily. After all, she had a tendency to avoid him previously.

Yan Xuehen's heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, "I came to you for something serious. I believe the current Wang Wuxie is problematic."