Chapter 236: Masked Man

"Zu An?"

Hearing the name, Sang Qian's voice beside him rose by an octave.

Sang Hong, usually composed, had no time to scold his son; instead, he was equally astonished, as the news was completely unexpected.

He found it hard to associate Zu An with an eighth-rank master like Shi Lezhi, let alone believe that Zu An had killed him.

"Brother Shi, you haven't made a mistake, have you?" Sang Qian asked, his face full of suspicion. He wondered if Shi Kun, having reportedly had his sword broken by Zu An in the academy's back mountain, was now terrified and deliberately exaggerating Zu An's strength to make himself look less humiliated.

But killing an eighth-rank master—that was too preposterous.

Sang Hong also disbelieved it, but unlike his son, he remained composed, quietly watching Shi Kun, knowing there would be further explanation.

Sure enough, Shi Kun opened his mouth and laughed bitterly, "I wish I had made a mistake..."

He then recounted the events of last night and Bian Tai's deductions, naturally omitting unnecessary details like drugging Qiao Xueying, presenting it merely as a routine apprehension of a traitor.

"A ninth-rank master..." Sang Hong fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

Sang Qian interjected, "Brother Shi, there are no ninth-rank masters in the entire Brightmoon City. Could there be some misunderstanding on your part?"

Knowing they didn't believe him, Shi Kun sneered, "I've told you everything I needed to say. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. Anyway, I'm returning to the capital soon, so whatever happens here will no longer concern me."

"Young Master Shi is returning to the capital?" Sang Hong asked, surprised.

"Indeed, my family sent word, summoning me back for urgent matters." Shi Kun was too embarrassed to admit he was scared, so he naturally found an excuse.

After speaking, he exchanged a few perfunctory pleasantries and then hastily departed.

After he left, Sang Qian asked, puzzled, "Father, why would the Shi family summon Shi Kun back to the capital at this time?"

Sang Hong calmly replied, "All of Shi Kun's plans have failed, so there's no point in him staying here. Moreover, with Shi Lezhi dead, he must be terrified, so it's natural for him to go back."

"What do you think about what he just said? Is there really a mysterious ninth-rank master?" Sang Qian asked curiously.

"Whether there is or not, we'll know by asking." Sang Hong stood up and turned a porcelain vase on the bookshelf behind him. The bookshelf parted, revealing a secret room.

Immediately, a masked man emerged from inside. Sang Qian couldn't help but glance at him several times, wondering why his father would keep secrets even from him, and still insist the man wear a mask even now.

Sang Hong said in a deep voice, "You heard Shi Kun's words just now, didn't you? What do you make of it?"

"A ninth-rank master? The Chu family shouldn't have such a person," the man shook his head, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "If there truly were a ninth-rank master, Chu Zhongtian wouldn't be the head of the family."

Sang Hong hummed in agreement. "That's my assessment too. But Shi Lezhi's death at the Chu residence doesn't seem fake. What exactly happened?"

"Oh, right, I just remembered," the masked man tapped his forehead. "During the last clan competition, Zu An made an astonishing debut. Afterward, the Chu couple questioned him, and he seemed to say he had received cultivation techniques from an extraordinary individual, who then left after teaching him."

"Could he have been lying, and that extraordinary individual never actually left, but has been by his side all along?"

Sang Hong nodded. "That's highly possible. It also explains why Shi Lezhi died silently inside. He likely learned that Chu Zhongtian had left the city and became overconfident, attempting to seize the opportunity to capture Zu An. After all, Shi Kun suffered a rather humiliating defeat from him, so revenge would certainly be a motive."

"Unfortunately, he didn't expect a mysterious master to be hidden behind Zu An. If that person, prepared and purposeful, launched a surprise attack, they could likely kill Shi Lezhi even if their cultivation was similar."

After these general deductions, Sang Hong looked at the masked man. "The question now is, who exactly is that mysterious master?"

A hint of doubt also appeared in the masked man's eyes. "I've been in the Chu family for so many years and never detected anyone like that. Could they be connected to Zu An's parents, and not actually reside within the Chu manor?"

Sang Qian, standing by, spoke up, "After the Chu family chose Zu An as their son-in-law, we sent people to investigate his background. We initially thought he might have some special identity, but unfortunately, according to the information we gathered, he is an orphan, raised by his uncle from a young age. His uncle also passed away not long ago."

"We investigated his uncle, and he was just an ordinary person, nothing special."

"An orphan..." Sang Hong fell into deep thought. "Can't any information about his parents be found?"

"No, nothing was found," Sang Qian shook his head, suddenly startled. "Could there truly be some secret to his origins?"

"Most likely," Sang Hong's eyes gleamed. "There's no such thing as baseless goodwill in this world. I don't believe a good-for-nothing is worth a mysterious master investing so much effort in training. Qian'er, go investigate his background information more deeply and see if you can find any clues about his parents."

"Understood!" Sang Qian agreed, though his face showed some difficulty. "It's just that we might not find anything, as our previous investigation was already quite thorough."

"Before, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack; now, it's a targeted investigation, so there might be unexpected gains," Sang Hong, quite experienced in such matters, then turned to the masked man. "Of course, besides Qian'er's line of inquiry, I'll also trouble you to investigate within the Chu family and see if you can uncover any trace of that mysterious individual."

"No matter how mysterious a person is, as long as they exist in this world, they will leave traces. With careful observation, we should be able to find some clues."

The masked man's expression grew solemn. "Very well. I'd like to see which formidable expert is truly hidden within the manor."

With such a top-tier master concealed in the residence, how could he possibly rest easy?

"Then I'll leave it to you, Sir," Sang Hong then inquired, "By the way, regarding the Chu and Wang family merchant caravans we just discussed, how many people know about it? Will suspicion fall on you afterward?"

"Thank you for your concern, Governor," the masked man cupped his hands. "Don't worry, I wasn't involved in that matter. I learned about it through other channels, so even if there's a subsequent investigation, it won't implicate me."

Sang Hong smiled slightly. "Sir, you are indeed an experienced veteran."

"When serving the Governor, one must be cautious," the masked man said, then a hesitant expression appeared on his face, and he finally spoke, "However, what the Governor promised me earlier, I wonder..."

"Rest assured, I, Sang, have always been a man of my word," Sang Hong replied. "Chu Zhongtian doesn't know what's good for him and is destined to be eliminated. When that happens, the Chu family will be yours, along with the person you've longed for."

A look of embarrassment appeared in the masked man's eyes. "You make me blush, Governor."

"It's perfectly natural for a gentleman to pursue a graceful lady; there's nothing to laugh about," Sang Hong smiled slightly. "Why exactly did Chu Zhongtian suddenly leave the city last night? It seemed like Miss Chu was ill? So much so that he needed to find Divine Doctor Ji overnight?"

"Yes, there was indeed something wrong with Chu Chuyan's health," the masked man replied. "It's just that the Chu couple kept her condition strictly confidential; even I don't know the specifics."

"Could it be a side effect from consuming the Traceless Illusion Lotus?" Sang Hong fell into thought. Chu Chuyan's strength had surged after emerging from the secret realm, and the matter of the Traceless Illusion Lotus was no longer a secret.

"I've already sent someone to approach Zu An and inquire about Chu Chuyan's condition. If there's any further news, I will inform the Governor immediately," the masked man said.

"Good, then I'll trouble you, Sir." Sang Hong bowed.

"You're too kind, Lord Sang." The masked man hastily rose and returned the bow.

After they chatted for a while longer, the masked man bid farewell and left.

After he left, Sang Qian said with some dissatisfaction, "Father, who exactly is that person? Why are you even keeping his identity from me?"

Sang Hong replied, "That was his request. His identity is sensitive, and he only wishes for me to know. Since I agreed to it, I cannot go back on my word."

Knowing his father was always true to his word, Sang Qian didn't dare say anything, merely muttering to himself about the mysterious identity and why it needed such secrecy.

Seeing his reaction, Sang Hong secretly shook his head. His son's character was still too rash; no wonder that person had such a request.

"By the way, I heard you're having Zheng Dan get close to Zu An?" Thinking of another matter, Sang Hong's voice suddenly turned cold.