Chapter 441: Recognized Deception

Seeing Yun Yuqing walk towards his room with a smile, Zu An thought, "It's over, what am I going to do now?"

His mind raced, but before he could come up with a solution, the door was already pushed open.

Left with no choice, he could only stand still, pretending to be dazed and blank-eyed, just like Huang Huihong and the others outside.

People said that playing dead when encountering a bear in the wild could help one escape. So, he could only pretend to be controlled by her "Demonic Eye of Illusion" and see if he could evade this predicament.

After Yun Yuqing entered the room, she casually closed the door, then examined the man inside with great interest.

After all, just a few months ago, this man was an unknown, down-and-out young master on the streets. Yet, he later not only married the most beautiful woman in Brightmoon City, but has now even become world-renowned.

It was noteworthy that many top experts in the world couldn't achieve such widespread fame, yet a man of only the fourth or fifth rank had actually managed it.

Yun Yuqing walked over to Zu An, slowly circling him and observing him with curiosity.

"He's quite handsome, no wonder Miss Chu took a liking to him," Yun Yuqing snorted. "But he's quite bold. Even after becoming a wanted criminal, he still dared to flirt with me on the King of Wu's territory." Clearly, Zu An's remarks about her in the prison cart outside the city had not escaped her ears.

Rage points from Yun Yuqing +233!

Hearing her words, Zu An inwardly groaned. Women certainly hold grudges; she still remembered this after so long.

Yet, he couldn't help but marvel at her astonishing beauty. With her examining him from such a close distance, he could see her more clearly: not a single blemish marred her face, and her delicate, flawless skin could captivate any man.

What was even more captivating was a natural sweet fragrance emanating from her, unlike any perfume sold on the market, powerful enough to make any man's heart pound.

He recalled Sang Hong mentioning that this woman was from the demon race. "Are all demon women this beautiful?" he wondered. "She's quite different from what I imagined."

"Oh, I almost forgot the main thing," Yun Yuqing said, tapping her head. Her expression of sudden realization was quite cute, but having just witnessed her manipulating so many experts with ease, Zu An didn't dare to describe her as cute at all; a more accurate word would be "terrifying."

"Do you truly possess the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix?" Yun Yuqing asked slowly, sitting casually in front of him and gently playing with a teacup with her slender, fair hands.

After all, this divine art only existed in legends, and no one had ever been known to master it. She was worried that this might be a deliberate trap set by the emperor, so it was better to clarify it first.

"Yes," Zu An replied in a dazed tone.

Yun Yuqing's eyes lit up, but still feeling uneasy, she continued to press for confirmation: "How could an ordinary person like you obtain such a divine martial arts manual?"

"Because Old Mi, the gardener from the Chu mansion, is an eunuch who escaped from the imperial palace; he was in charge of searching for the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix back then," Zu An replied. Since the emperor already knew he possessed the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix, these matters would eventually become known, rendering concealment pointless.

Yun Yuqing secretly nodded, finding it similar to what the King of Wu had analyzed with her earlier. "But Old Mi is no relative of yours, so why would he impart such a precious thing to an outsider like you?"

This had always been her lingering question.

"Because he's an eunuch and wanted to find a suitable vessel for body possession, he chose me because I'm handsome," Zu An replied.

"Because you're handsome?" Yun Yuqing was startled at first, then burst into laughter, her mirth more pleasant than an oriole in the forest. "One can imagine how narcissistic you are on a daily basis, to say such a thing even in your current state."

Zu An: "..."

"Alright," Yun Yuqing said, quickly suppressing her laughter. "Then recite the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix for me."

"Oh," Zu An said, his expression dull, as he silently recited passages of the sutra: "Jade shattered on Mount Qi, phoenix cries, lotus weeps dew, fragrant orchid smiles. Cold light melts before twelve gates, twenty-three threads stir the purple emperor…"

He was well prepared for this. Hadn't Huang Rong tricked Ouyang Feng into becoming crippled with a seven-parts-true, three-parts-false version of the Nine Yin Manual back then? He just needed to follow suit.

Most of it was true, enough to deceive true masters; but he would alter the crucial parts so they couldn't master it and would even risk internal deviation.

Yun Yuqing nodded subtly as she listened. After he finished reciting, a hint of a smile played on her face. "This incantation is indeed profound and wondrous. If it were someone else, you might have deceived them. Unfortunately, you encountered me."

Zu An: "..."

His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down. Worried that she was deliberately trying to trick him, he remained composed, maintaining his dazed, foolish, controlled appearance.

"Your composure truly impresses me," Yun Yuqing chuckled, seeing his expression. "Unfortunately, you're not familiar with the characteristics of the Demonic Eye of Illusion, which is why you revealed a flaw."

Yun Yuqing slowly stood up and smoothly adjusted her skirt, as if she meticulously maintained her appearance at all times. "The Demonic Eye of Illusion can indeed control a person's mind, but it cannot achieve complete manipulation. It can only guide them subtly to achieve my objectives."

"For example, if someone is affected by my Demonic Eye of Illusion and I order them to commit suicide, that goes against the human instinct for survival, and they will definitely resist the command intensely. But if I lead him to the edge of a cliff and tell him to take one step forward, that's a simple matter that won't cause resistance, so he will naturally obey the command, and I will still achieve my goal."

"For you, the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix must be your most important possession; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's tied to your life. How could you, upon hearing a mere command, reveal it without any resistance?"

Gazed upon by her beautiful large eyes, Zu An knew he had been seen through and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. "Princess, your meticulousness truly impresses me."

"Speaking of which, I'm more impressed with you. Even those experts outside were controlled by my Demonic Eye of Illusion. Yet, despite your cultivation being sealed, you were still unaffected by it. How did you manage that?" Yun Yuqing's mouth was slightly agape, her expression utterly astonished.

Zu An smiled faintly. "Naturally, it's the effect of the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix."

He could only rely on this as a bargaining chip now, so naturally, he had to exaggerate the power of the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix as much as possible.

"I thought so too," Yun Yuqing said, pressing her lips together with a smile. The tender curve of her lips was enough to melt any hardened man. "Let's get back to business. What will it take for you to hand over the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix?"

Zu An shook his head. "That's a question I should be asking you. What terms do you intend to offer for an exchange?"

Yun Yuqing's expression turned cold. "Presumably, you haven't grasped your current situation. You are merely a prisoner now. Not to mention your cultivation is sealed; even if it recovers, killing you would be as easy as turning my hand over. What right do you have to bargain with me?"

Zu An's expression remained calm. "Princess, stop bluffing. How could you possibly dare to kill me? Everyone knows I'm at your King of Wu's mansion. If I were killed here, how could you and the King of Wu escape implication? When the Emperor unleashes his furious wrath, with his cultivation, killing you would be even easier, wouldn't it?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Huang Huihong and the others outside. "The reason you went to such great lengths merely to control them, but not kill them, must be to deceive everyone, right?"

He had just figured all this out, which gradually calmed his panicked heart.

Yun Yuqing looked at him in surprise. "You truly make me look at you in a new light. Not only do you remain unfazed even when mountains collapse before you, but you also possess such meticulous thinking. No wonder you obtained the Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix and became an object of envy for everyone under heaven."

"Being praised by such a beautiful princess makes me quite comfortable," Zu An said with an expression of enjoyment. "Are there any more flowery words, Princess? Feel free to shower them upon me."

Yun Yuqing: "..."

However, she quickly broke into a smile. "What do you think of me? Am I beautiful?"