Chapter 497: Bad News

Hearing Qiu Honglei's words, the other cultivators frowned.

Cultivator Feng spoke, "Saintess, our purpose here is to capture Zu An, not to deal with Mosquito Daoist."

Mosquito Daoist's cultivation was too high; several of their companions had already been severely wounded, making them fearful. They truly did not want to engage Mosquito Daoist unless absolutely necessary.

Qiu Honglei shook her head. "In this situation, if you pursue Zu An, you'll only make things easier for Mosquito Daoist in the end."

Clearly, Chu Chuyan alone wouldn't be able to stop Mosquito Daoist and would even be in mortal danger.

Cultivator Jin questioned, "But even if we stop Mosquito Daoist, if we still lose Zu An in the end, what's the point of all this? We might as well just leave."

It was clear none of them were eager to fight Mosquito Daoist. Cultivator Jin, for instance, had initially been furious and sought revenge because Mosquito Daoist had drained her close friend, Cultivator Bing, into a husk. However, the recent battle at the inn had left them feeling quite apprehensive.

Qiu Honglei let out a displeased huff. "She also wants to steal my Changxin Palace Lantern. Are you planning to just stand by and watch?"

The other cultivators exchanged glances. They knew the Lantern had been bestowed upon her by the Sect Leader, and if they stood idly by and it was lost, the Sect Leader would certainly not let them off lightly afterwards.

"But if we truly lose Zu An, we'll also be held accountable when we return..." said Cultivator Lei. Though she appeared rough around the edges, she was not foolish.

Qiu Honglei replied directly, "I will explain to the Sect Leader myself when the time comes. I will take full responsibility for anything that happens!"

Seeing her resolve, the cultivators had nothing more to say and could only continue fighting Mosquito Daoist. Although they had lost several companions, with the assistance of Chu Chuyan, who possessed seventh-grade cultivation, their overall strength hadn't diminished significantly.

Chu Chuyan quietly sent a spiritual message to Qiu Honglei, "Thank you!"

She naturally understood that the other party was doing this entirely for her and Zu An.

Qiu Honglei replied, "You just saved my life too, elder sister."

The moment "elder sister" slipped out, she regretted it. Chu Chuyan was no longer Zu An's wife, so why had she called her that?

Chu Chuyan was also momentarily stunned, a strange smile appearing on her face.

Compared to them, Mosquito Daoist was utterly frustrated. She had originally hoped the demon cultists would converse with Qiu Honglei, then abandon their opposition to her, allowing her to easily deal with Chu Chuyan. To her surprise, they remained united.

"In that case, all of you shall die!" Mosquito Daoist's murderous intent was fully revealed as she charged directly at them.

***

Meanwhile, Zu An and Pei Mianman supported each other as they ran into the forest. Both were severely wounded, barely able to stand on their own.

After a while, Zu An's Hongmeng Primordial Scripture began to show its healing effects. He recovered much faster than Pei Mianman, and soon, most of her weight was resting on him.

In a secluded part of the forest, Zu An sat down, holding Pei Mianman, and fed her another Jade Marrow Revival Pill.

Pei Mianman also took the opportunity to meditate and regulate her breathing. After a while, a touch of color finally returned to her pale cheeks.

"How do you feel?" Zu An asked, concerned.

"Much better. Your pill is truly miraculous," Pei Mianman marveled. "By the way, you gave the medicine to me. What about you?"

She hadn't seen Zu An take any medicine and couldn't help but worry.

"I'm fine. Don't you see I'm much better now?" Zu An said, flexing a muscle to demonstrate his current condition.

Still not reassured, Pei Mianman's fingers slowly brushed over his skin, checking his wounds. Feeling that many of the dreadful injuries had already begun to heal, her crimson lips parted wide enough to swallow an egg. "Your body's recovery ability is truly astonishing."

Zu An couldn't help but swallow hard. "My lady, could you please stop touching me..."

He was currently holding her, and her thin dress could barely block the warmth from her soft body, or her enchanting fragrance, enough to set any man's heart racing.

"We're already so close, are you still shy about a little touch?" Pei Mianman teased. "You've really recovered..."

Mid-sentence, her charming oval face suddenly flushed. She hastily stood up from his embrace. "Never mind, you don't have to answer. I know you've recovered."

Zu An felt like crying. It wasn't his fault; if a man didn't react when such a beautiful and charming woman sat in his arms, was he even a man?

Watching Pei Mianman stand to the side, her face flushed, a strange silence settled in the air. To break the awkwardness, Zu An asked, "Oh right, why did you want me to leave?"

At the same time, he worried about Chu Chuyan. Mosquito Daoist was too powerful; a slight misstep could cost her life.

"Are you worried about Chuyan?" Pei Mianman seemed to read his thoughts and explained, "Don't worry, someone will go help her soon."

"Who will help her?" Zu An eagerly asked. Chu Chuyan had mentioned something before. Could it be some pretty boy coveting her beauty and following her around?

"Look how nervous you are; it's not what you're thinking," Pei Mianman rolled her eyes. "On the way, we encountered new forces dispatched from the capital. The leader is Zhu Xie Chixin, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Emissaries..."

She then briefly recounted their previous encounter to him.

Hearing that Sang Qian had been drained into a dried corpse, Zu An's expression changed. He couldn't help but sigh. "Although I wished I could have killed Sang Qian myself because your failed rescue attempt led to so many people dying for me, it's still quite a pity to hear he died so horribly."

Though he hadn't witnessed Sang Qian's death, he had personally seen how Cultivator Bing died, and the thought alone sent shivers down his spine.

"I bet you're thinking about his wife, aren't you?" Pei Mianman scoffed. "But you won't be seeing Zheng Dan anytime soon. She and the Sang family members have been rearrested by the imperial forces and might have already been sent back to the capital."

Hearing this news, Zu An felt a bit disappointed, but still said, "That's probably for the best, to spare her from mortal danger if she were to follow me."

Moreover, with the emperor dispatching new personnel, it was clear that those who wanted to kill Sang Hong and his son would not succeed this time, and Zheng Dan's safety was now assured.

"So, you made me leave just to avoid meeting Zhu Xie Chixin? But then he'll definitely blame you," Zu An suddenly realized.

Pei Mianman shook her head. "It's fine. Your safety is more important. The emperor wouldn't possibly make the Chu and Pei families suffer for this."

Knowing they were all thinking of him, Zu An was deeply moved. He took her hand and said, "My dear Mianman, thank you both!"

Pei Mianman's face flushed, and she pulled her hand back. "Just talk, don't get handsy."

Zu An couldn't help but grumble, "You didn't mind when we were hugging just now."

Pei Mianman playfully chided, "What did you say?"

Zu An chuckled, "Nothing at all."

Just then, a cold sneer echoed: "What a perfect pair of adulterers! Your own wife is risking her life for you, yet here you are, enjoying yourself with another woman. And you, your best friend entrusted her husband to you, not for you to secretly indulge!"

Hearing the voice, Zu An and Pei Mianman immediately spun around, looking at the familiar figure not far away.

"Again? Will this ever end!" Zu An's head throbbed. This Mosquito Daoist was truly a persistent specter; how long had she been chasing him?

Mosquito Daoist's clothes were tattered, and her body was covered in cuts and bloodstains. It was clear she was not in good condition and must have sustained significant injuries.

"Where's Chuyan?" Zu An looked behind her, but unfortunately, saw no other figures.

"Dead, of course." Mosquito Daoist snorted, a hint of satisfaction on her face.

"Dead?" Zu An's mind exploded, and he felt unsteady on his feet.

Just then, a dazzling light suddenly flashed in the sky, as if a fiercely burning meteor from outside the heavens was rapidly descending in their direction.