Chapter 427: I Am Together with Her

A sudden uproar swept through the scene. Many who had been about to flee stopped in their tracks.

"What is the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture?" Many people had never heard the name before and curiously asked their companions.

"It's a legendary divine scripture, said to grant immortality. Throughout history, countless kings, nobles, and generals have searched for it, hoping to achieve eternal life. Yet, no one was ever known to have found it. Who would have thought it would be with Zu An?" In a large city like Mingyue, with its share of influential families, news about the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture quickly spread.

Since ancient times, no matter how formidable one's cultivation or how powerful one became, even as the strongest of their era, they could at most live longer than ordinary people. Ultimately, they could not escape the five signs of decay preceding death.

The current Emperor is incredibly powerful, unmatched in the world, yet everyone knows he is reaching the end of his life and could pass away at any moment.

Xie Yi's eyes gleamed intensely before he lowered his head to conceal his expression. "No wonder the Emperor went to such great lengths, even destroying the Chu clan to capture Zu An. So this is it. I must report this to Prince Qi as soon as possible."

The reason Prince Qi's faction could contend with the Emperor all these years was ultimately due to the Emperor's impending demise. Prince Qi's side had enough patience to wait, as time was on their side.

But if the Emperor were to achieve immortality, what hope would Prince Qi's faction have left?

Who would be foolish enough to oppose the world's strongest immortal?

Considering these serious repercussions, Xie Yi's expression grew increasingly grim. If not handled properly, Prince Qi's faction could crumble.

Jiang Luofu glanced at Zu An in surprise. How could this young man possess so many secrets?

His transcendent talent was already enough to drive the world mad, and now he also had the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture?

The temptation was so great that even she felt a stir of avarice. If not for their close acquaintance making it difficult to act, she might have lost control and resorted to robbery herself.

Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru exchanged glances, seeing the shock in each other's eyes. At the same time, a realization dawned on them. They had never understood why the Emperor would disregard court rules to act against them, previously thinking that capturing Zu An was merely an excuse. Now they understood that compared to Zu An's true value, the Chu clan was merely an extra incentive.

Given the Chu clan's heritage, they had naturally heard of the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. They never imagined it would be in Zu An's possession.

A few months prior, most of the Chu clan believed Zu An had married above his station. Now, it was unclear who had truly gained more from the match.

Not just them, even Prince Liang and Liu Yao were greatly astonished. Although they were tasked with apprehending Zu An, they hadn't known the specific reason. They had secretly grumbled that the Emperor's actions seemed like an overreaction, but now that they knew the truth, they all understood.

The commander of the Embroidered Envoys instantly became furious. "Nonsense! Who is spreading such deceptive rumors here? There's no such thing as the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture in this world!"

Rage points from Huang Huihong +444!

His agitated reaction only confirmed suspicions, making the surrounding people believe the envoys were guilty. Their gazes towards Zu An shifted, each person desiring to claim him for themselves.

Chu Zhongtian, with his seemingly honest face, was secretly so cunning! I always wondered why the Chu clan would marry their celestial-like eldest daughter to a street ruffian. It turns out they were after the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture.

If I had a daughter, I'd marry her off too!

Under the intense, covetous stares of the crowd, Zu An swallowed. He wouldn't mind if a group of beautiful young women looked at him like that, but a bunch of grown men staring was rather unnerving.

He cleared his throat and said to the Embroidered Envoys, "Alright, alright, if you say it doesn't exist, then it doesn't. Since it doesn't, can I leave now?"

Huang Huihong's breath hitched. "Of course not! We must apprehend you and take you back for the Emperor's interrogation!"

Zu An simply spread his hands without saying a word, but a chorus of jeers erupted around him, clearly mocking their futile attempts to conceal the truth.

Huang Huihong, red with anger and embarrassment, quickly gestured for his companions to surround Zu An. "Act now! We accidentally let you escape last time. This time, we won't make the same mistake!"

Rage points from Huang Huihong +583!

He had carried out missions for so many years, and in all that time, every person who encountered the Embroidered Envoys bowed their heads submissively, allowing themselves to be taken away. Even the rare few who resisted were quickly suppressed, their eyes always filled with fear.

Yet, this Zu An fellow not only showed no fear but also made the envoys themselves somewhat apprehensive, worried about what new tricks he might pull.

Zu An shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't run this time. I'll go with you to see the Emperor."

At his words, everyone was stunned.

Huang Huihong said gravely, "What game are you playing?"

He might believe it if anyone else surrendered so easily, but this fellow didn't seem like the type at all.

Zu An smiled faintly. "What's wrong? I'm just standing here. Are the formidable Embroidered Envoys afraid to apprehend me?"

At this moment, Chu Zhongtian and Qin Wanru urgently sent him a vital energy transmission, warning, "Ah Zu, what are you doing? Hurry and use this chance to escape! We can help cover you."

Zu An shook his head. "No need. I don't want to implicate you. Besides, I have my own plans. You two needn't worry."

Jiang Luofu, standing nearby, also continuously sent him a telepathic message: "You little rascal, I don't know what you're thinking, but if you're truly taken to the capital, you'll have no chance of survival. The Emperor won't allow anyone else to learn an immortal cultivation method."

Zu An replied with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, beautiful Headmistress. But do I look like the kind of fool who would walk into his own death?"

Jiang Luofu snorted. "While you're not foolish, others aren't stupid either. I don't know what your plan is, but against absolute power, any strategy is meaningless. With the Emperor's cultivation, whatever your plan, it will be futile."

"That might not be true," Zu An mused, his expression turning somewhat peculiar as he considered his plan. How exactly could he make the Emperor wear a "hat of forgiveness"?

Seeing his self-assured demeanor, Jiang Luofu couldn't help but be taken aback. Over the years, she had encountered countless confident men, but their confidence was always based on their superior cultivation, family background, or status. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about that. For someone like Zu An, a commoner in a significantly disadvantaged position, to remain so calm and confident was truly rare and commendable.

At that moment, the Embroidered Envoys cautiously approached and bound Zu An with soul-binding chains. Seeing that he indeed offered no resistance, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It was too late for him to resist now. Anyone bound by soul-binding chains had their vital energy suppressed, rendering them no different from an ordinary person, no matter how high their cultivation.

Zu An's brows furrowed slightly, clearly sensing that the flow of vital energy within him had been instantly cut off. He looked down and noticed that the soul-binding chains were intricately carved with dense patterns. The runes on them were remarkably precise, with faint blue light flickering intermittently along the lines, forming a sealing array that suppressed his vital energy.

However, to his relief, he could still summon Dafeng, Lanfu, and Baiming, which immediately bolstered his confidence.

At this point, Xie Yi approached. "Since you esteemed sirs have completed your mission, why not rest in Mingyue City for a few more days before departing? Allow this subordinate to perform his duties as a host."

Prince Liang quickly interjected, "Thank you for your kind offer, City Lord Xie, but we are on official business and cannot delay. We must depart immediately."

What a joke! Zu An had just revealed he possessed the Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. Soon, countless 'sharks' would be drawn by the scent. How could they dare to delay even a moment?

This Xie Yi was from Prince Qi's faction, and Prince Liang understood his intentions perfectly. Naturally, he wouldn't let him succeed.

Without waiting for a response, he immediately ordered, "Come, bring the Sang family! We depart from the city at once!"

Soon, Sang Hong and his son, along with Zheng Dan, were brought over, sitting in prison carts. Zheng Dan was still wearing her wedding dress, looking as beautiful and captivating as ever, but her brows were tinged with sadness and listlessness, clearly reflecting her worry and confusion about the future.

At this point, she also saw Zu An, shackled all over. Startled, she immediately sat upright, gripping the prison cart's bars tightly, her eyes seemingly speaking as they questioned why he was there.

Zu An smiled at her, but unfortunately, with his vital energy sealed, they couldn't communicate secretly via telepathy.

Prince Liang ordered, "Find another prison cart, a specially made one! We absolutely cannot let the imperial prisoner escape."

His subordinates looked troubled. "The main problem is that we need to leave the city immediately, and time is too short. The prison carts at the Mingyue City yamen aren't sturdy enough, and there's no time to build new ones now."

Prince Liang was enraged. "You can't even handle such a small matter! What good are you then?"

The subordinates also felt indignant, thinking, *You don't give us enough time, so how are we supposed to conjure one out of thin air?*

Just then, Zu An, standing nearby, said with a smile, "No need for such trouble. I see your prison cart is quite spacious. She and I can share one."

He said this while pointing towards Zheng Dan in the distance.