Chapter 418: Upsetting the Table

Zheng Dan and Xie Daoyun also couldn't help but look at Sang Hong. The King of Liang's confusion clearly mirrored their own; they simply couldn't comprehend Sang Hong's actions.

Sang Hong struggled to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood foam. Yet, there was no panic on his face, only a faint smile. "Your Highness, I don't understand what you mean," he said. "Everyone here knows that our Sang family has a grudge against the man named Zu. Just now, he even deliberately disrupted my son's wedding. How could I possibly help him escape?"

The surrounding guests nodded in agreement. Clearly, they concurred with his statement; they would be the first to disbelieve any claim that Sang Hong had saved Zu An.

The King of Liang's face darkened. "If you weren't helping him escape, then why did you block my path just now?"

Sang Hong replied unhurriedly, "Ah, that. I had a sudden epiphany just now while watching the battle unfold, so I subconsciously soared into the air. I didn't expect Your Highness to also be flying at that moment, and I just happened to block your way. My apologies."

A cultivator's epiphany is a rare and uncontrollable occurrence, so his sudden movement was a plausible explanation.

However, the King of Liang knew Sang Hong was lying through his teeth. Unfortunately, Sang Hong's explanation was quite plausible, and even if the matter reached the Emperor, he likely wouldn't be able to accuse him.

"What an old fox!" the King of Liang cursed under his breath. He finally understood how Zu An must have felt when dealing with Sang Hong earlier.

At this moment, Sang Qian transmitted his voice using ki, asking, "Father, why did you save that brat Zu An?!"

Sang Hong's words might fool the average bystander, but they certainly couldn't deceive Sang Qian. Coupled with his animosity towards Zu An, his tone was filled with resentment.

Sang Hong sighed. "Qian'er, our Sang family is in some trouble this time. If my guess is correct, the Emperor might have abandoned us. After returning to the capital this time, I'm afraid we won't escape death."

"What?!" Sang Qian was instantly shocked. Although they had been apprehended this time, ups and downs were common in officialdom. Moreover, his father had enjoyed the Emperor's favor for many years, so this recall to the capital was likely just a show for certain people. How could it have escalated to a point where they wouldn't escape death?

Sang Hong continued, "I can't explain the specifics clearly right now. I just hope it doesn't come to that."

"But what does this have to do with saving Zu An?" Sang Qian remained preoccupied with the matter.

Sang Hong looked in the direction Zu An had fled. "Because he is a variable, and that variable might be able to save our lives."

Sang Qian: "???"

He looked utterly bewildered, unable to follow his father's line of thought.

Sang Hong offered no further explanation. Instead, he glanced at Zheng Dan. With his sharp discernment, how could he not see that something was amiss between the two? He recalled instructing Zheng Dan to use a honey trap some time ago, and it seemed likely that the pretense had turned into reality.

He didn't share these conjectures with his son. Telling him would only provoke a furious outburst, serving no purpose for the situation and potentially even jeopardizing the overall plan.

A variable, yes, a variable. What he needed now was precisely such a variable, otherwise, he would surely die upon returning to the capital...

At this moment, the King of Liang waved his hand, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards immediately approached them, binding them with their Soul-Reaping Chains.

Both men instantly felt their ki being suppressed, making them no different from ordinary people.

"Bind the bride as well," the King of Liang said, glancing at Zheng Dan. Aside from her being Sang Hong's daughter-in-law, her astonishing beauty alone could prove very useful in the capital.

Seeing the Embroidered Uniform Guards approach her, Zheng Dan bit her lip. However, noticing her Zheng family relatives nearby, she ultimately allowed them to bind her.

The King of Liang mounted his horse. "Temporarily detain them in prison. The rest of you, follow me to the Chu family!"

He had come on two important missions from the Emperor: first, to bring the Sang father and son back to the capital, and second, to capture Zu An.

Comparatively, the Emperor had given more specific instructions regarding the capture of Zu An, even sending Embroidered Uniform Guards along. Yet, today, he, a grandmaster, had watched helplessly as Zu An escaped right before his eyes. If he couldn't bring Zu An back, not only would he lose face, but he would also likely face severe punishment from the Emperor.

...

As Zu An fled, he had also seen Sang Hong blocking the King of Liang for him, and his heart was equally filled with doubt.

However, he had no time to ponder such things now. The immediate priority was what to do next.

He was now almost certain that the Emperor had learned about the Nirvana Phoenix Sutra. For any emperor, wouldn't a cultivation method that could grant immortality be an irresistible temptation?

For a moment, despair welled up within him. If he had offended any other powerful person, there might still be a way out.

But this time, the one seeking his life was the Emperor himself—the ruler of a powerful, stable, unified dynasty, and widely acknowledged as the strongest person in the world!

He was not so naive as to believe the Emperor would spare him after he handed over the Nirvana Phoenix Sutra. Would an autocratic emperor allow a second person in the world to achieve immortality just like him?

His first thought was to seek refuge with the King of Qi. After all, he was aware of the subtle power struggle between the King of Qi and the Emperor, and he also had Big Manman who could act as an intermediary. However, he quickly dismissed this idea.

Given the King of Qi's influence, he would surely soon discover what the Emperor was looking for.

If the Emperor desired immortality, wouldn't the King of Qi want it too?

As the saying goes, "An innocent man is guilty only when he possesses a treasure." Every cultivator would surely covet the Nirvana Phoenix Sutra.

So, where else could he go?

Zu An felt a sense of bewilderment. In that instant, he felt that despite the vastness of the world, there was no place for him to hide.

Unconsciously, he pulled out his audio-visual mirror, wanting to contact Chu Chuyan, even just to talk. But when he took it out, he saw that the mirror's surface had cracked.

It must have been damaged when he was fighting the Embroidered Uniform Guards earlier, shattered by their Soul-Reaping Chains.

Zu An was filled with regret. He should have stored it inside the Glazed Pearl after using it last time, had he known this would happen.

He tried calling Chu Chuyan, but the broken audio-visual mirror showed no response, clearly beyond repair.

Was fate truly against him?

Meanwhile, the King of Liang and his subordinates had rushed to the Chu family without delay.

Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru came out to greet them upon hearing the news. "Your Highness, why have you returned so soon?"

Not long before, the King of Liang had first come to the Chu family to declare the imperial edict, lifting the blockade on their residence, before proceeding to the Sang family.

After the family's exoneration, Chu Zhongtian and his wife had been busy completing procedures with General Wei Liu Yao, while also settling their shaken family members.

The King of Liang sneered, "You two are deliberately feigning ignorance. Those Red-Robed Soldiers just now tried to defy the imperial edict and attack us. If I'm not mistaken, they must have already returned to tip you off."

Chu Zhongtian's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "We did just receive some news, but we still find it hard to believe. Is there some misunderstanding? How could Zu An have any connection with the Emperor, let alone steal something from him?"

The King of Liang snorted coldly, pointing to the Embroidered Uniform Guards beside him. "Surely Duke Mingyue recognizes their identity? The Emperor even dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guards; how could this be false? As for what exactly was stolen, that is a royal secret, and I must ask for your forgiveness as I cannot disclose it."

Chu Zhongtian's expression fluctuated between dark and light, clearly still trying to guess what Zu An could have possibly done to offend the Emperor.

However, Qin Wanru, standing nearby, wouldn't stand for it. "This is simply outrageous! All sorts of despicable methods have been used against our Chu family recently, and now that you see you're about to fail, you concoct such a ridiculous reason to target our Chu family's son-in-law? Do you really think our Chu family is so easily bullied?"

The King of Liang's face darkened. "What? Is Madame Chu suggesting rebellion?"

"Don't try to scare me with rebellion," Qin Wanru said, waving her hand, clearly furious. "Didn't the previous emperor also seize the throne through rebellion? Everything comes down to reason. Since you refuse to play by the rules first, don't blame us for overturning the table. Then we'll see how you explain yourselves to the world! Where are the Red-Robed Soldiers?"

"Here!" Countless Red-Robed Soldiers surged out from the shadows, completely surrounding the King of Liang and his entourage.

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I haven't rested well and am very sleepy, so there will only be this chapter for today...